Related
So I'm looking to get my first android powered device , my question is what do you guys suggest to be a good phone for my first experience? Looking at spending around $500 usd budget (will go over for something I really like, but no $800 desire hd stuff lol), and don't want something "out of date" or have a poor build quality.
here is some info to go off of:
-I am not eligible for a upgrade so will pay retail
-In the us
-at&t carrier, no data, so any at&t specific phones are out of the question
-have wifi in vehicle and anywhere I go (one main reason I don't have a data plan)
-like a big screen and or keyboard since my hands aren't exactly small
Thanks in advance for any help. Also one more question that I haven't found the answer for, I saw a marketplace while signing up but cant view, what are the requirements to view?
p.s. I think this might belong in the Q and A section...
my first smartphone was the palm pixi a fantastic OS but then went to htc hero id say thats now a beginners phone
now im with an epic
You could probably score a used Nexus One on eBay or Craigslist for $500.
TheBiles said:
You could probably score a used Nexus One on eBay or Craigslist for $500.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is one thing that I've thought about, I've also looked at the htc desire, its a little more then other phones but i like the design and the extra ram it offers.
I think nexus one. Just my .02
Thanks for the responses, I guess I need to start hunting for a good condition nexus one. Am I correct for saying that you can not buy them new anymore?
if you can get one (UK only afaik), the Orange San Francisco seems to be a good phone to start with, at about £90.
It's the ZTE Blade, and has an HDPI (high res) screen and reasonable CPU etc.
Worth a look if you can lay your hands on one.
zte blade has a nice exterior, probably one of my favorites so far . But the processor seems a little slow (clock wise), anyone have any experience with how well the Qualcomm MSM7227 competes with say a snapdragon or samsung hummerbird cpu?
id get a nexus one or desire, there not too expensive anymore and have ample power to keep up with technology for the next couple of years, the hero is good but its starting to show its age now, it depends what you want, the nexus one is better built imo but the desire has more ram and an optical trackpad instead of a trackball
Just remember if you do purchase a T-Mobile Nexus One - and you end up getting a data plan down the line.. your stuck on Edge forever while on AT&T's network.
There are AT&T Nexus One's out there.. but your going to be paying a premium.
AndroHero said:
id get a nexus one or desire, there not too expensive anymore and have ample power to keep up with technology for the next couple of years, the hero is good but its starting to show its age now, it depends what you want, the nexus one is better built imo but the desire has more ram and an optical trackpad instead of a trackball
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the trackball like blackberrys dumb trackball? I hated that thing with a passion when I tried to use it (even though touch screen means I will rarely use it). I have never used a optical trackpad before. Is it like say running your finger on the bottom of a laser mouse? I know it is kinda bad analogy.
avgjoegeek said:
Just remember if you do purchase a T-Mobile Nexus One - and you end up getting a data plan down the line.. your stuck on Edge forever while on AT&T's network.
There are AT&T Nexus One's out there.. but your going to be paying a premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have been looking around on craigslist and what not, t-mobile ones in mint condition run about $400, while ones bought straight from google run about $450, which I would want anyways so I don't have all the tmobile bloatware from the get go.
SnafuPossum said:
Yes, I have been looking around on craigslist and what not, t-mobile ones in mint condition run about $400, while ones bought straight from google run about $450, which I would want anyways so I don't have all the tmobile bloatware from the get go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude... removing bloatware takes every bit of 10 minutes. I'm assuming that you're going to root anyways, so just save yourself $50.
So you can remove it? Did not know that. Yes I will root it, but I just wont our of the box because of a laziness factor lol. (atleast im truthful )
SnafuPossum said:
So you can remove it? Did not know that. Yes I will root it, but I just wont our of the box because of a laziness factor lol. (atleast im truthful )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easily, and the chances are that any custom ROM you flash will be already purged of bloatware.
The Nexus One is a great starter phone. I personally started with a cheap G1 I found on craigslist. The owner had bought a new phone and didn't know about modding and even after I told him he wasn't interested in doing it. After a while I traded up and got the Nexus One.
The good thing about the T-Mobile version of the N1 is that if you do decide to get data service, and you're okay with the EDGE speeds (slower than 3G), then you can pay the cheaper price for the data plan. I've heard from here and there of people with the AT&T version of the Nexus One having their phone automatically upgraded to the more expensive data plan because Google must have given them an updated IMEI list for the phones.
Well just a update, purchased a Desire HD. Waiting for it in the mail, I can't wait!
I need a new phone.
I have no brand allegiance to any OS or manufacturer, and I just ended my contract with T-mobile in the US.
If I want to stick with T-mo, I'm stuck between a prepaid (flex) and a 2 year plan. If I do get this plan, I will get an HD2 or HD7.
I'm in the US for approx. 7 months and then I leave for major vacations. Sprint/Verizon CDMA may not be for me.
I'm also looking at the iPhone 4, but the rumors that a new one will be released soon has kept me from buying it.
I currently use an E71.
What do you suggest?
Get the nexus s. its the best phone for t mobile and won't ever disappoint you for however long you have it
1sT GeAr, U MaD??
hTC all the way!!
Leo is a fantastic option as still as good as any newer device
agreed, nexus s. best phone out right now.
Scratch that...its the best phone out there, not just for t-mobile
1sT GeAr, U MaD??
check the poll right now and you will see what is the best phone according to XDA members
link on my sig
No doubt, NEXUS S!
Wow, the Nexus S is that popular huh?
I forgot to mention, I'll be using the phone for these things primarily, aside form communication-
Music, and integration with iTunes. I want fast access to my music. I think the iPhone is best for this category.
A few important apps. I don't need an appstore with 12381123 apps, I just need a few - namely business card apps, password apps, and other basic stuff. Don't care about phone games.
I'll go look up the Nexus S.
So my nexus got stolen... don't really want to get into the details. Now I was planning to not get a new phone for at least several months but now I'm stuck with a dilemma:
Should I get another Nexus S? I love the phone but man it's hard to pay a lofty sum of money to get the same phone that's a year old.
Galaxy Nexus? I wasn't too impressed by it and I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay for such a pricey device.
Another droid?
What would you guys do?
Try looking on Craigslist for a Nexus I just looked in my area and found some between 120-200 depending on your budget.
Sorry to hear that dude.
To me i find the Galaxy Nexus a great phone. You should look at it. The speed boost would definitely be nice to have. Just no matter what stick to the Nexus line!
Hello everyone, I'm a longtime Sprint user, and am looking forward to my switch to Verizon very soon! I currently own an EVO 4G LTE, and am taking a look at what phones I should get when I switch companies. The best available phone right now appears to undoubtedly be the SIII.
I have heard that there are some pretty awesome phones on the horizon, and I would love to get them (HTC's apparent phablet, Razr Maxx HD, etc.). However, I really don't think I can wait until November because I can't possibly tolerate Sprint anymore and their ridiculous lack of coverage in my area (they told me the towers are being upgraded for the past 7 months).
So my question is this: is there any way to delay my upgraded phone price so that I can use it once these newer phones are released? In other words, can I use another phone or do something else in order to not use that contract upgrade until November, even if I sign up for their service this week? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you would just go get the SIII if you were in my position, that's useful input too. I love the phone, I just feel like it will be "dated" in a month. Seems like the worst possible time to buy... I'm in a pickle.
Thoughts?
I don't know the answer to your question but I just switched to Verizon from sprint and got the S3. Waiting on it in the mail now. I don't think u can do what u want but im not sure. Hopefully someone can answer it for sure
Sent from Galaxy SIII
You would have to purchase a phone at full retail price. Then you could get the pro rated price later.
Brian Gove said:
You would have to purchase a phone at full retail price. Then you could get the pro rated price later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or he could buy a phone off craigslist and go in there with one already...
fenixnr said:
Or he could buy a phone off craigslist and go in there with one already...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an interesting idea - so I would need to find a Verizon-capable smartphone on Craigslist as cheap as possible, and then use the "upgrade" later when I want?
Another option would be do the pre paid route until you find a phone you want, then jump on contract.
jaben2 said:
Another option would be do the pre paid route until you find a phone you want, then jump on contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had not thought of this option yet, although the thought of going pre-paid doesn't appeal to me for some reason. I doubt my wife would go for it either. I have heard that pre-paid is getting more popular though - any suggestions for going pre-paid if I do explore that route? There's so many options out there now...
PsiPhiDan said:
I had not thought of this option yet, although the thought of going pre-paid doesn't appeal to me for some reason. I doubt my wife would go for it either. I have heard that pre-paid is getting more popular though - any suggestions for going pre-paid if I do explore that route? There's so many options out there now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the galaxy nexus forum and look at the threads that say prepaid service guides or something similar. One of them says "rule your plan with..." they all talk about the best prepaid plans for the money.
Here is one of the more popular ones http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455014
Obviously you don't have to do it with a nexus, you can use one of the prepaid ****ty phones. They just talk about the plans there. When I read it a long time ago most of them involved getting the prepaid phone and then switching out the sim card so you could just chill with the original phone until something interesting comes out on Verizon.
jaben2 said:
Another option would be do the pre paid route until you find a phone you want, then jump on contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't that be essentially the same thing as buying a phone and going month to month on Verizon until getting the phone he wants at a pro-rated price and contract?
Brian Gove said:
Wouldn't that be essentially the same thing as buying a phone and going month to month on Verizon until getting the phone he wants at a pro-rated price and contract?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only difference would be pre-paid may be cheaper, if I'm reading your message correctly.
Also, thanks for the quick replies everyone! I look forward to joining this community soon. Looks like I'll be getting an SIII this week. If it was just me, I'd employ one of these ideas you guys gave me. But since my wife is included... I'm gonna go the simple route and get the SIII, which was equivalent to my current phone anyway (EVO 4G LTE). Seems like it has the dev support to last the two years like my old EVO 4G did (it can run JB now - amazing). Plus the extra RAM future proofs it a bit. I don't game, so I don't need quad core I doubt. The S4 chip is a beast anywho.
Thanks again guys! See you in the forums soon!
Oh one last quick question: any issues I'll have rooting and unlocking this phone? I've only owned HTC and been with Sprint, so I'm unsure of how to do all of this. I hear Verizon is not very friendly about unlocking phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
PsiPhiDan said:
Oh one last quick question: any issues I'll have rooting and unlocking this phone? I've only owned HTC and been with Sprint, so I'm unsure of how to do all of this. I hear Verizon is not very friendly about unlocking phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was just a pain in the ass to get it unlocked to begin with. Since it's been figured out it's simple. Bookmark the guide in my sig, Droidstyle did a good job about laying it all out.
PsiPhiDan said:
Only difference would be pre-paid may be cheaper, if I'm reading your message correctly.
Also, thanks for the quick replies everyone! I look forward to joining this community soon. Looks like I'll be getting an SIII this week. If it was just me, I'd employ one of these ideas you guys gave me. But since my wife is included... I'm gonna go the simple route and get the SIII, which was equivalent to my current phone anyway (EVO 4G LTE). Seems like it has the dev support to last the two years like my old EVO 4G did (it can run JB now - amazing). Plus the extra RAM future proofs it a bit. I don't game, so I don't need quad core I doubt. The S4 chip is a beast anywho.
Thanks again guys! See you in the forums soon!
Oh one last quick question: any issues I'll have rooting and unlocking this phone? I've only owned HTC and been with Sprint, so I'm unsure of how to do all of this. I hear Verizon is not very friendly about unlocking phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bootloader can be unlocked easily, obtaining root is a simple one-click affair, and VZW has never been friendly about anything but your open wallet. Congrats on the new phone and carrier switch.
Brian Gove said:
It was just a pain in the ass to get it unlocked to begin with. Since it's been figured out it's simple. Bookmark the guide in my sig, Droidstyle did a good job about laying it all out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay that sounds good, thank you!
I was concerned mostly because with my phone, only the non-updated ones can be rooted and unlocked right now. Since I had mine since launch day, my original bootloader was able to be hacked and exploited. New phones bought today have different bootloaders that have patched the explored holes. HTC can be evil that way. I know Samsung is more dev friendly, but I wanted to make sure there were no stipulations like with my phone where I would be screwed if I bought a new one now.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
PsiPhiDan said:
Hello everyone, I'm a longtime Sprint user, and am looking forward to my switch to Verizon very soon! I currently own an EVO 4G LTE, and am taking a look at what phones I should get when I switch companies. The best available phone right now appears to undoubtedly be the SIII.
I have heard that there are some pretty awesome phones on the horizon, and I would love to get them (HTC's apparent phablet, Razr Maxx HD, etc.). However, I really don't think I can wait until November because I can't possibly tolerate Sprint anymore and their ridiculous lack of coverage in my area (they told me the towers are being upgraded for the past 7 months).
So my question is this: is there any way to delay my upgraded phone price so that I can use it once these newer phones are released? In other words, can I use another phone or do something else in order to not use that contract upgrade until November, even if I sign up for their service this week? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you would just go get the SIII if you were in my position, that's useful input too. I love the phone, I just feel like it will be "dated" in a month. Seems like the worst possible time to buy... I'm in a pickle.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are going to wait 3 weeks you might as well wait for the note 2. Just my two cents.
Sent from my big red Samsung Galaxy S3 using XDA Premium.
There's still no release date on the Note 2 is there?
Plus I'm not sure a phone that large is for me. I'm getting the Note 10.1 soon, so do I need a phone that's a tablet too? I'm not sure. Plus I won't pay over 200 for a phone. I'm guessing the Note 2 will go for 300 or more.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
When I switched to Verizon from T-Mobile in December I went month to month on an OG Droid I owned until the GNex came out and then I upgraded
PsiPhiDan said:
This is an interesting idea - so I would need to find a Verizon-capable smartphone on Craigslist as cheap as possible, and then use the "upgrade" later when I want?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wouldn't have to be a smart phone. Buy a cheap flip phone or something. However there is always something Coming soon so you may find yourself with that cheap phone for a long time
My fiance and I are looking for new phones, she's upgrading from a basic Samsung slider with a QWERTY keyboard and I'm upgrading from an Evo 4G, we're both really sick of our current devices and really want to buy this week, I'm in Love with the HTC One but I can't stand waiting to sign a new contract with it, so I'm looking at currently available options such as the HTC One X+, Droid DNA and Galaxy S3.
I'm open to either AT&T or Verizon since they have similar coverage in my area and have the same price for a mobile share plan. I would prefer to stay on AT&T though, because I'm willing to sell the phone we get on contract to buy an HTC One in a few months time, or maybe the SG4 if we go to Verizon. (Or if they do actually get the One)
I'd go Note 2 or iPhone 5 if you want to sell it for enough to get a One or SGS4, and those are really good phones too.
IMO the "best" phone is the Nexus 4, but it's not worth as much resale. What I would do is buy a Nexus 4 from the Play Store, then get your contracted SGS4 or One, then sell the Nexus 4 if you want, it holds its value to just below Play Store price pretty well.
orangekid said:
I'd go Note 2 or iPhone 5 if you want to sell it for enough to get a One or SGS4, and those are really good phones too.
IMO the "best" phone is the Nexus 4, but it's not worth as much resale. What I would do is buy a Nexus 4 from the Play Store, then get your contracted SGS4 or One, then sell the Nexus 4 if you want, it holds its value to just below Play Store price pretty well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, iPhone 5 it is, I didn't they they they were worth $500+ still on eBay, that's bonkers o.o
I'm not a huge fan of IOS, but it'll do for now and my fiance might love the thing.
PapaRhino said:
Wow, iPhone 5 it is, I didn't they they they were worth $500+ still on eBay, that's bonkers o.o
I'm not a huge fan of IOS, but it'll do for now and my fiance might love the thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah iOS devices hold their value better than anything else, the only thing that comes close is new Samsung phones.