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$500 usd budget (will go over for something I really like, but no $800 desire hd stuff lol), and don't want something "out of date" or have a poor build quality.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!
Now that the Nexus is available, I am wondering if it would be worth dumping my DC for the Nexus. I would have to pay the full price for it.
Other than just wanting something new, I am not sure I can justify it. Stock rooted GB seems to be working well on my Charge. The only complaint I have is the lousy radio performance at work which sucks battery down to nothing in a half a day. I am not convinced the Nexus wouldn't do the same thing.
Wondering what others think about making the switch.
I haven't decided yet. I won't until after Christmas but I have two upgrades available on my lines so odds are I'll be picking one up. My charge is running great with infinity though so I'm in no rush.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
I'm eligible for upgrade in June and am probably gonna go for the nexus. I paid full price for my charge and i don't want to do that again so soon.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
91point6 said:
Now that the Nexus is available, I am wondering if it would be worth dumping my DC for the Nexus. I would have to pay the full price for it.
Other than just wanting something new, I am not sure I can justify it. Stock rooted GB seems to be working well on my Charge. The only complaint I have is the lousy radio performance at work which sucks battery down to nothing in a half a day. I am not convinced the Nexus wouldn't do the same thing.
Wondering what others think about making the switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never understood why people would pay full price for a smartphone regardless of how cool the new technology is. You can buy a pretty nice laptop/desktop or tablet for that price so if your current phone does everything you want, why not wait until you are eligible for an upgrade?
I have a hard time paying the $200-300 for a new phone as part of an upgrade, nevermind $600-700.
That being said, I like everything about the Nexus EXCEPT the fact that you can't expand the memory.
DeE
xceebeex said:
I never understood why people would pay full price for a smartphone regardless of how cool the new technology is. You can buy a pretty nice laptop/desktop or tablet for that price so if your current phone does everything you want, why not wait until you are eligible for an upgrade?
I have a hard time paying the $200-300 for a new phone as part of an upgrade, nevermind $600-700.
That being said, I like everything about the Nexus EXCEPT the fact that you can't expand the memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason i would pay full for the nexus is if i was making serious money with apps and wanted to make sure they were compatible with ICS and 720p.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
xceebeex said:
I never understood why people would pay full price for a smartphone regardless of how cool the new technology is. You can buy a pretty nice laptop/desktop or tablet for that price so if your current phone does everything you want, why not wait until you are eligible for an upgrade?
I have a hard time paying the $200-300 for a new phone as part of an upgrade, nevermind $600-700.
That being said, I like everything about the Nexus EXCEPT the fact that you can't expand the memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point well taken. That is part of the decision. I might want to buy a tablet for that kind of money. Even if I could sell my Charge on eBay for say, ~$200 would the Nexus be that much cooler than the Charge? Probably not.
We drool for a long time in anticipation of these new devices but when the day comes and the "buy" button is clicked, it is all downhill from there...
I considered it but then thought about what I'd actually be gaining as far as everyday use. Yes, it's more powerful than the charge but not head and shoulders above the latest and greatest. The hardware is just nothing out of this world special. ICS is about all it really has going for it and soon all new phones will have it. Now that most of the kinks with my Charge have been smoothed out I don't see the need to upgrade for a while. I understand the impulse to always get the newest tech though. The thing with Android handsets is that you really don't have to wait around very long for another new and cool phone to come out. Which is a double edged sword because it means your new and cool phone won't be considered new and cool for long. However, it is easy to pick up used android phones a few months after release for fairly cheap. I see multiple Craigslist ads in my area for Charges for $200-$300. I paid $299 when I upgraded! To each his own but I'm waiting.
I'm certainly gonna wait until these phones are out in "the wild" on Verizon's network. I'm not totally convinced that Samsung has the LTE thing figured out. I bought my charge the day they came out and have never been completely happy with call quality or data connectivity. I live smack in the center of a huge 4g area in Los Angeles and everyone on 3G phones are happy as larks.
I'm done being an early adopter and beta tester for Samsung so I'll wait a month or so and read their forums and see who's complaining about what.
Let's see. it's bigger, heavier and slower than my rooted Charge. I don't think so...
Learner156 said:
Let's see. it's bigger, heavier and slower than my rooted Charge. I don't think so...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slower? Really?
Sent from my SCH-I510
The charge is still pretty new to me even tho I had it since launch...I would love to have the nexus but not for 300(I have a line that has an upgrade). I just paid for this phone so ill keep it at least a year..I'm sure by summer there will be some quad core devices out there that will put galaxy nexus to shame
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
xceebeex said:
...
That being said, I like everything about the Nexus EXCEPT the fact that you can't expand the memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was sooo excited about a Nexus device coming to Vzn and so let down when I saw someone point out that it didn't have a microSD slot.
This is supposed to show off what an Android Phone "Should Be", but no Android phone should be without a microSD card.
The internal MMC better be MUCH faster than a class 10 microSD. I'm going to wait to see some stats on read/write performance.
quarky42 said:
I was sooo excited about a Nexus device coming to Vzn and so let down when I saw someone point out that it didn't have a microSD slot.
This is supposed to show off what an Android Phone "Should Be", but no Android phone should be without a microSD card.
The internal MMC better be MUCH faster than a class 10 microSD. I'm going to wait to see some stats on read/write performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at it from Google's perspective. They want you to use their cloud services, and most of what the average user does with their phone can be done from the cloud. By not including an SD card or mass storage drivers, they can force people to use their cloud services. From Google's perspective, this does show off what an Android phone should be.
I use Google's cloud services extensively, and I still don't agree with the decision, but as a businessman, I understand it.
Learner156 said:
Let's see. it's bigger, heavier and slower than my rooted Charge. I don't think so...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's 7g heavier, and the dimensions are of a negligible difference (<6mm difference in any direction) and it's most certainly not slower either. I'd suggest trolling somewhere else.
I won't be getting a nexus... the combination of having no upgrade yet and me losing interest in it with all the hype and bungled release has led me to the decision to stick with my Charge for now
I'd rather just wait and take my pick of the next Q1/Q2 Samsung or HTC superphones (which I believe will match or beat the nexus spec-wise, the only thing I'll miss will be the unbloated pure Google goodness)
blazing through on my Acer A500 via XDA app
I'm jumping from my Charge to the Nexus. I got my Charge through the Fascinate issue so I didn't have to use my upgrade. I ordered it yesterday online. I had some corporate discount so it was $250 minus a $100 gift card I had. So I got it for $172. Plus I figure I can sell my Charge for $200, so I came out ahead. I went to the VZW store and played with it. Everything is fast and smooth! Can't wait for it!
Ill be going to the nexus, but only because I happen to need a home phone line. So im getting the $149 AmazonWireless deal, with $100 Amazon gift card for activating with a hotspot, a cost ill cover by selling my Charge - then ill just roll the line over into a Home Phone connect.
I ordered my Nexus this morning. My Charge will be my backup.
Sent from my Blackberry Charge using Tapatalk.
I am. ICS is in a whole different league in my opinion.
Plus it'll be nice to be able to confirm compatibility with the apps I develop.
Sent from my Gummy Charged GBE 2.1 using XDA App
I'd have one already if my wife didn't put the axe to it. I need to sell my charge first.
So my g2x died, and I'm expecting SquareTrade will be giving me money rather than fixing it. (Radio is clearly fried.) I was really excited about the HTC One S, but the wired review...has me rethinking that.
So, I want fast (zippy CPU, plenty of RAM), big awesome screen, good camera, and T-mo 4g. I liked my g2x well enough, but I was definitely wanting ICS. The fact that the One S apparently lacks a microsd slot is really a dealbreaker.
I'll definitely be rooting whatever I get, and if cyanogen's available for it, then I'm all about that.
So, what phone do I want?
Sounds like galaxy s2
Sent from my U8150 using XDA
Are there any awesome phones that work on T-Mobile (especially on the 4g) that aren't offered by T-Mo US? Cos if there's an especially awesome phone, I will totally ebay it.
heldc said:
Are there any awesome phones that work on T-Mobile (especially on the 4g) that aren't offered by T-Mo US? Cos if there's an especially awesome phone, I will totally ebay it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lenovo Lephone. It's Intel Inside.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA
Actually, I think the galaxy s 3 sounds just about perfect. Here's hoping wired doesn't review it and point out all the things wrong with it before I can buy it! *grin*
heldc said:
Actually, I think the galaxy s 3 sounds just about perfect. Here's hoping wired doesn't review it and point out all the things wrong with it before I can buy it! *grin*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reviews are apple biased IMHO. Never seen most sites point out the lack of SD card without jumping straight to 'but there's 32gig internal' when that's the first con they list for the one x.
Sent from my Ideos using XDA
Allanitomwesh said:
Never seen most sites point out the lack of SD card without jumping straight to 'but there's 32gig internal' when that's the first con they list for the one x.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad they did mention that tho, cos lack of removable storage is really a dealbreaker for me. I use titanium backup to backup to removable storage, so that if my phone craps out, I don't lose more than a day's worth of stuff. Without removable storage, my nightly backup gets a lot more complicated. (Well, ok, it just means I have to make sure I'm on wifi overnight so I can upload to the cloud, but that's more complicated cos I usually shut stuff OFF on my phone before bed, not turn it on.)
heldc said:
I'm glad they did mention that tho, cos lack of removable storage is really a dealbreaker for me. I use titanium backup to backup to removable storage, so that if my phone craps out, I don't lose more than a day's worth of stuff. Without removable storage, my nightly backup gets a lot more complicated. (Well, ok, it just means I have to make sure I'm on wifi overnight so I can upload to the cloud, but that's more complicated cos I usually shut stuff OFF on my phone before bed, not turn it on.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Precisely. Right now I've seen the reviewers groaning about the pentile display. So the pixels are in a pattern...it's still HD OLED with 300+ ppi. That's way more than good enough.
Sent from my Ideos using XDA
Save the stress and buy a Galaxy Nexus. I can honestly say I've fallen in love with the stability and screen of this phone. It is the smoothest thing I've ever used. I'm using AOKP Jelly Bean on it. Take my word for it. Buy the Galaxy Nexus and get an OtterBox Commuter case for it. You will not regret it. Trust me, best phone by far. You can't go wrong with a pure Google device. Also to clear things up if you are unsure...YES, 4g does work on T-Mobile and At&t. The data does not drop, it is an amazing feeling to be honest. With this LG I dropped data all the time. The camera on the Nexus is way better as well. You wont regret getting this phone. It is well worth the new low price.
zachpozniak said:
Save the stress and buy a Galaxy Nexus. I can honestly say I've fallen in love with the stability and screen of this phone. It is the smoothest thing I've ever used. I'm using AOKP Jelly Bean on it. Take my word for it. Buy the Galaxy Nexus and get an OtterBox Commuter case for it. You will not regret it. Trust me, best phone by far. You can't go wrong with a pure Google device. Also to clear things up if you are unsure...YES, 4g does work on T-Mobile and At&t. The data does not drop, it is an amazing feeling to be honest. With this LG I dropped data all the time. The camera on the Nexus is way better as well. You wont regret getting this phone. It is well worth the new low price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's the storage space, I use mine for a music player as well, so I was wondering about this, I have been going back and forth with the S2 because the S2 has a SD slot.
zachpozniak said:
Save the stress and buy a Galaxy Nexus. I can honestly say I've fallen in love with the stability and screen of this phone. It is the smoothest thing I've ever used. I'm using AOKP Jelly Bean on it. Take my word for it. Buy the Galaxy Nexus and get an OtterBox Commuter case for it. You will not regret it. Trust me, best phone by far. You can't go wrong with a pure Google device. Also to clear things up if you are unsure...YES, 4g does work on T-Mobile and At&t. The data does not drop, it is an amazing feeling to be honest. With this LG I dropped data all the time. The camera on the Nexus is way better as well. You wont regret getting this phone. It is well worth the new low price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really tempted to just drop my G2X and get a GNex, especially cause it just went on sale for $300 outright on one of the carriers up here in Canada (Mobilicity). I'd love me some JB but something's telling me to wait for the next nexus. You always want the latest and greatest when you get a smartphone right?
Anyone else feeling torn like this?
Meeglay said:
I'm really tempted to just drop my G2X and get a GNex, especially cause it just went on sale for $300 outright on one of the carriers up here in Canada (Mobilicity). I'd love me some JB but something's telling me to wait for the next nexus. You always want the latest and greatest when you get a smartphone right?
Anyone else feeling torn like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue here. I'm debating getting the phone from mobilicity as well. Only problem is I could probably barely get $100 out of this phone. And with the MIUI V4 port it made the phone a whole lot better. MMS+Data works now. I get the occasional drop...
It's a tough decision.
Meeglay said:
I'm really tempted to just drop my G2X and get a GNex, especially cause it just went on sale for $300 outright on one of the carriers up here in Canada (Mobilicity). I'd love me some JB but something's telling me to wait for the next nexus. You always want the latest and greatest when you get a smartphone right?
Anyone else feeling torn like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait till the next nexus is out, hardcore hardware junkies will sell this phone for much, much less than 300.
That's what my plan of action is.
barqers said:
Same issue here. I'm debating getting the phone from mobilicity as well. Only problem is I could probably barely get $100 out of this phone. And with the MIUI V4 port it made the phone a whole lot better. MMS+Data works now. I get the occasional drop...
It's a tough decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my LG-P999
barqers said:
Same issue here. I'm debating getting the phone from mobilicity as well. Only problem is I could probably barely get $100 out of this phone. And with the MIUI V4 port it made the phone a whole lot better. MMS+Data works now. I get the occasional drop...
It's a tough decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just sold my G2X for 199$ on swappa.com....
It's in mint condition though. Nexus here I come!:laugh:
armper said:
I just sold my G2X for 199$ on swappa.com....
It's in mint condition though. Nexus here I come!:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Little jealous.. lol
I wish I didn't have this WindTAB or i'd probably be right there beside you.
Not all of us have $350 lying around though. I'm really tempted to get a One X or Galaxy SIII... GNex is already outdated.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
FatalityBoyZahy said:
Not all of us have $350 lying around though. I'm really tempted to get a One X or Galaxy SIII... GNex is already outdated.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the mobilicity phone require a contract with them?
Blazing angel said:
Does the mobilicity phone require a contract with them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All their phones are outright purchase. You can do what you want with it.
Blazing angel said:
Does the mobilicity phone require a contract with them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubt it, especially since sprint is giving it out for free. Lol
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
FatalityBoyZahy said:
Doubt it, especially since sprint is giving it out for free. Lol
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish for this phone to get ICS but also want to see how the Galaxy Note is. Unofrtunate I am not up for upgrade until November.
roflcats said:
I wish for this phone to get ICS but also want to see how the Galaxy Note is. Unofrtunate I am not up for upgrade until November.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky you, I gotta wait til like April of 2013..
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
The Gnex is $388 to me after shipping and tax. ~$400 is a lot of cash to drop on a phone, any phone really.
Superorb said:
The Gnex is $388 to me after shipping and tax. ~$400 is a lot of cash to drop on a phone, any phone really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup which is why you can get a nexus 7 for half that. Way better than buying an outdated phone out of contract.
Sent from my paranoid Nexus 7.
redmonke255 said:
Yup which is why you can get a nexus 7 for half that. Way better than buying an outdated phone out of contract.
Sent from my paranoid Nexus 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna save my money for Black Friday ;P
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
redmonke255 said:
Yup which is why you can get a nexus 7 for half that. Way better than buying an outdated phone out of contract.
Sent from my paranoid Nexus 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus 7 is great as a tablet, but it's not a phone and it cannot fit in my pocket. I need data when I'm out and about, and Wifi is not available when I need it most. I'll just sit tight. I wouldn't call it outdated though, at least not for me. I've been on an Optimus V on Virgin Mobile's terrible network where data seldom works anywhere. I'm hoping my new (to me) G2x lasts me till I can find a good deal on a Sensation or another good used phone.
Agree with the OP. I just sold my G2x. Picked up the new Nexus about a month ago. Great phone. I don't even bother with any roms or kernels. JB just works out of the box. All I did was unrooted it to run few programs that need it and I could not be happier.
Very disappointed with LG and the G2x. It was my first android and the experience was awful.
zachpozniak said:
Save the stress and buy a Galaxy Nexus. I can honestly say I've fallen in love with the stability and screen of this phone. It is the smoothest thing I've ever used. I'm using AOKP Jelly Bean on it. Take my word for it. Buy the Galaxy Nexus and get an OtterBox Commuter case for it. You will not regret it. Trust me, best phone by far. You can't go wrong with a pure Google device. Also to clear things up if you are unsure...YES, 4g does work on T-Mobile and At&t. The data does not drop, it is an amazing feeling to be honest. With this LG I dropped data all the time. The camera on the Nexus is way better as well. You wont regret getting this phone. It is well worth the new low price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't the Nexus camera only 5 MP compared tot he G2x's 8 MP camera. I could care less either way as I don't take many pictures or even care THAT much about that small of a difference in the quality of the picture. I do plan on getting Nexus soon because I've been over the G2x after a month of owning it.
FatalityBoyZahy said:
Not all of us have $350 lying around though. I'm really tempted to get a One X or Galaxy SIII... GNex is already outdated.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to get the Galaxy SIII or maybe even the One X, but those phones are ONLY affordable for most people if you sign a new contract. I'm not eligible for upgrade until July of next year so I don't have any optioons but the Nexus if I want a new phone. I'm not made of money and don't have $350, but I'm aiming at getting the Nexus in October. I'm going to set aside $150 from my check in September, and then just pay the rest of it in October.
Superorb said:
The Gnex is $388 to me after shipping and tax. ~$400 is a lot of cash to drop on a phone, any phone really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, but that's the cheapest you're going to get a new phone out of contract that's actually a good phone. My plan is just to put aside some cash, get the Nexus, use my G2x as a backup phone, and then I want to try a Windows 8 phone once my contract is up and then I'll just hope for the best.
redmonke255 said:
Yup which is why you can get a nexus 7 for half that. Way better than buying an outdated phone out of contract.
Sent from my paranoid Nexus 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except that most of us use and need phones, not tablets. I rather have a phone tha does everything than have a tablet that does everything but make calls and texts. Although I AM very tempted to get a Nexus 7. I just can't justify its purchase. If I had a better phone other than the G2x, though, I'd probably just splurge and get the Nexus 7.
Superorb said:
The Nexus 7 is great as a tablet, but it's not a phone and it cannot fit in my pocket. I need data when I'm out and about, and Wifi is not available when I need it most. I'll just sit tight. I wouldn't call it outdated though, at least not for me. I've been on an Optimus V on Virgin Mobile's terrible network where data seldom works anywhere. I'm hoping my new (to me) G2x lasts me till I can find a good deal on a Sensation or another good used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was on Virgin Mobile here in California with that same phone before switching to T-Mobile and getting the G2x and I was VERY happy with the service. Data was great except for one area of one city that I never go to anymore since I no longer live around there. I was not satisfied wtih T-Mobile's service and the G2x based on my experience with the Optimus V on Virgin. T-Mobile isn't noticibly faster on data speeds and my Optimus V had instant GPS locks every single time and we all know how bad the GPS is on the G2x. My experience on Virgin Mobile is why I plan on moving to Sprint once my contract is over with T-Mobile.
maciek82 said:
Agree with the OP. I just sold my G2x. Picked up the new Nexus about a month ago. Great phone. I don't even bother with any roms or kernels. JB just works out of the box. All I did was unrooted it to run few programs that need it and I could not be happier.
Very disappointed with LG and the G2x. It was my first android and the experience was awful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry it was your first experience, but happy you're staying and that it didn't scare you away from Android. It's my third Android (had Optimus M followed by the Optimus V followed by the G2X). It was because of a positive expeirence with both those two other Optimus devices that I made the foolish mistake of sticking with LG. I trusted them and I was let down. Big time. If it wasn't for the dev community here, the G2x is seriously garbage as a phone. The Optimus V easily performs better with worse hardware and an arguably worse carrire.
partylikeaninjastar said:
I was on Virgin Mobile here in California with that same phone before switching to T-Mobile and getting the G2x and I was VERY happy with the service. Data was great except for one area of one city that I never go to anymore since I no longer live around there. I was not satisfied wtih T-Mobile's service and the G2x based on my experience with the Optimus V on Virgin. T-Mobile isn't noticibly faster on data speeds and my Optimus V had instant GPS locks every single time and we all know how bad the GPS is on the G2x. My experience on Virgin Mobile is why I plan on moving to Sprint once my contract is over with T-Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It totally depends where you live. Here in Denver Verizon is king, but T-mobile has faster data speeds than Verizon. Sprint and AT&T aren't very good here. On VM most of the time data does not work and I can sometimes call out when in buildings like Walmart, Target, etc. The Optimus V was an excellent beginner phone to using Android and I love Android because of it. But I need a reliable data connection for work so VM has to go. I refuse to pay Verizon's insane monthly prices and I'll never use them. AT&T claims to have spent a few million on network upgrades here recently so I don't know if that's helped anything.
Hi all,
I'm new to all this so please bare with me a little bit. I've used apple products for many years, but in getting a little sick of iOS7 and the lack of jaibreak. So I've decided to make the leap to android (something I never thought I would do).
I have my choices narrowed down to the Nexus 5 and LG G2. Both phones at currently available for $99 on 2 yr term. The Nexus only comes in the 16gb version while the G2 is 32gb for the same price. I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. I like the Nexus 5 because it gets the OS updates fast and won't require removal of bloat. It's also unlocked.
The G2 seems to have a slight hardware edge with battery life, camera and screen size. It's also 32gb, but it's not stock android and is carrier locked.
My question is, given the same price for both, is it better to get the nexus 5 or get the G2 and use a custom rom to mimic the stock nexus 5? Will it be a hassle to keep the G2 updated, and how bug free would the experience be?
Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum section, there's so many to choose from!
Thanks
SB
SillyBearito said:
Hi all,
I'm new to all this so please bare with me a little bit. I've used apple products for many years, but in getting a little sick of iOS7 and the lack of jaibreak. So I've decided to make the leap to android (something I never thought I would do).
I have my choices narrowed down to the Nexus 5 and LG G2. Both phones at currently available for $99 on 2 yr term. The Nexus only comes in the 16gb version while the G2 is 32gb for the same price. I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. I like the Nexus 5 because it gets the OS updates fast and won't require removal of bloat. It's also unlocked.
The G2 seems to have a slight hardware edge with battery life, camera and screen size. It's also 32gb, but it's not stock android and is carrier locked.
My question is, given the same price for both, is it better to get the nexus 5 or get the G2 and use a custom rom to mimic the stock nexus 5? Will it be a hassle to keep the G2 updated, and how bug free would the experience be?
Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum section, there's so many to choose from!
Thanks
SB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are not the same price, the G2 is like $600 because of all the monthly payments you have to make. I'd go with the Nexus 5 because once you buy it, you actually own it.
SillyBearito said:
Hi all,
I'm new to all this so please bare with me a little bit. I've used apple products for many years, but in getting a little sick of iOS7 and the lack of jaibreak. So I've decided to make the leap to android (something I never thought I would do).
I have my choices narrowed down to the Nexus 5 and LG G2. Both phones at currently available for $99 on 2 yr term. The Nexus only comes in the 16gb version while the G2 is 32gb for the same price. I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. I like the Nexus 5 because it gets the OS updates fast and won't require removal of bloat. It's also unlocked.
The G2 seems to have a slight hardware edge with battery life, camera and screen size. It's also 32gb, but it's not stock android and is carrier locked.
My question is, given the same price for both, is it better to get the nexus 5 or get the G2 and use a custom rom to mimic the stock nexus 5? Will it be a hassle to keep the G2 updated, and how bug free would the experience be?
Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum section, there's so many to choose from!
Thanks
SB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound like you are on Sprint, right? I would say just get the Nexus 5 from the Play Store, and then sign up for the $60 BYOD on Sprint. You would end up saving more money. Also, I just don't like the LG skin, so I'm a little biased.
PS The battery life on the G2 is much much better than the N5 though, so that's something to think about too, if that's important to you.
stevew84 said:
They are not the same price, the G2 is like $600 because of all the monthly payments you have to make. I'd go with the Nexus 5 because once you buy it, you actually own it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure I follow. I'm in Canada on Rogers. I'm currently out of contract and don't really intend to switch carriers because my wife and I share a plan and she's locked in for 2 more years.
The hardware upgrade for either phone is $99 with a 2 year contract, I'm not changing plans or paying anything additional, just $99 to upgrade.
Well, if you were into the jailbreaking scene then you would most definitely be into rooting, custom roms etc. Therefore, I vote for the N5. Nexus = Endless possibilities. Also, with the new features implemented by many roms such as ParanoidAndroid, Cyanogenmod etc, you'd never get bored.
joshyth said:
Sound like you are on Sprint, right? I would say just get the Nexus 5 from the Play Store, and then sign up for the $60 BYOD on Sprint. You would end up saving more money. Also, I just don't like the LG skin, so I'm a little biased.
PS The battery life on the G2 is much much better than the N5 though, so that's something to think about too, if that's important to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Rogers in Canada. Battery life is a little important, but i almost always have a plug nearby to charge. Memory size is also a little important.
I'll most likely be rooting the G2 to bring it to the stock level of the N5. I'm just not sure how easy that is to do.
SillyBearito said:
Not sure I follow. I'm in Canada on Rogers. I'm currently out of contract and don't really intend to switch carriers because my wife and I share a plan and she's locked in for 2 more years.
The hardware upgrade for either phone is $99 with a 2 year contract, I'm not changing plans or paying anything additional, just $99 to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you have a tough decision to make, honestly. A huge advantage of the Nexus 5 is that it packs excellent specs into a device that is affordable off contract. Buying the Nexus subsidized on a contract kind of defeats this cost-saving advantage, as you'll end up paying quite a bit more for the device over your two year contract. Price-wise, you'd be getting a much larger subsidy if you bought the G2 on contract vs. the N5.
Now, comparing the devices: I prefer the look and feel of the N5 hardware over the G2, but the G2 has a better battery and camera. And I really dislike the button placement on the G2, though it doesn't seem to bother others. And other than these things they're neck and neck performance-wise. You'll get quicker Android updates, more xda development activitiy, and kit-kat out of the box with the Nexus 5.
I can't say much for the g2 since I haven't used it so my response would be biased.
However what I can say is go look at the G2 development forums for your carrier and compare that to the N5 development section here.
Personally I've been with the galaxy S line since its launch (Galaxy S Epic 4g, Galaxy s3 and Galaxy s4) and when the Nexus 5 launched at such a low price I just couldn't pass up the fact that its a "universal" phone where developers can create a ROM and it works for everyone easily. Where as my previous phones (and the G2) split the developers up based on their carrier. Some devs ported their ROMs to all carriers for their device and that is much respected but I feel the N5 being "universal" can't be beat if you're a software junkie like myself.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
SemiGamer said:
I can't say much for the g2 since I haven't used it so my response would be biased.
However what I can say is go look at the G2 development forums for your carrier and compare that to the N5 development section here.
Personally I've been with the galaxy S line since its launch (Galaxy S Epic 4g, Galaxy s3 and Galaxy s4) and when the Nexus 5 launched at such a low price I just couldn't pass up the fact that its a "universal" phone where developers can create a ROM and it works for everyone easily. Where as my previous phones (and the G2) split the developers up based on their carrier. Some devs ported their ROMs to all carriers for their device and that is much respected but I feel the N5 being "universal" can't be beat if you're a software junkie like myself.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a bit of a software junkie, but only to the point where I've customized my phone just the way I like it. If I can achieve that customization with the G2 and be able to maintain it without too many bugs then I may lean towards the G2. It's hard to pass up that extra battery life and storage capacity. Ugh this is a tough choice.
I'll take your advice and check the G2 forums though!
Thanks
SillyBearito said:
I am a bit of a software junkie, but only to the point where I've customized my phone just the way I like it. If I can achieve that customization with the G2 and be able to maintain it without too many bugs then I may lean towards the G2. It's hard to pass up that extra battery life and storage capacity. Ugh this is a tough choice.
I'll take your advice and check the G2 forums though!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome. By glancing at the g2 forums I don't see a KitKat ROM, not sure if that's important to you or not.
The way I see it is go with the G2 if battery life, Camera and Storage outweigh your needs for the best software.
I don't use the camera for anything professional so the n5 camera is plenty for me, the battery life doesn't matter because I have wireless charging plates I just throw my phone on around the house. And the storage is completely different for everyone but 16gb is enough for me currently (Can't have as many 1gb games installed but never played them all at once anyway on my s4)
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
G2
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
SillyBearito said:
I'm in Canada on Rogers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say that's your biggest conundrum right there. Can't wait till my contract's up in Feb and I can go to Koodo or Virgin. Or perhaps not wait that long even and jump ship when I see a better deal
On-topic, as a noob to Android customization and a customer of Rogers, I would say go for the G2. It seems you wish to stay on-contract and you'd be getting the better deal hardware-wise.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Kesmar88 said:
I would say that's your biggest conundrum right there. Can't wait till my contract's up in Feb and I can go to Koodo or Virgin. Or perhaps not wait that long even and jump ship when I see a better deal
On-topic, as a noob to Android customization and a customer of Rogers, I would say go for the G2. It seems you wish to stay on-contract and you'd be getting the better deal hardware-wise.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your input. It's not that I want I stay under contract, it's just more logical that way right now. And yes I fully agree on the hardware aspect. The only thing nexus has that's better is the software support. I'm eager to learn about rooting and using custom mods, buts it's hard to justify the nexus purchase just for that.
I did read somewhere that G2 will get KitKat eventually, maybe it'll get better?
SillyBearito said:
I appreciate your input. It's not that I want I stay under contract, it's just more logical that way right now. And yes I fully agree on the hardware aspect. The only thing nexus has that's better is the software support. I'm eager to learn about rooting and using custom mods, buts it's hard to justify the nexus purchase just for that.
I did read somewhere that G2 will get KitKat eventually, maybe it'll get better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LG is planning to release KitKat eventually, but there's no set date. Also, from prior experience, if you're going to rely on official OTA updates, Rogers is the worst on releasing them in a timely manner. My prior phone was an S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and it was the last one out of the S2 family to upgrade to ICS, not to mention it was not optimized at all and actually ran worse than Gingerbread. Thankfully, it was all good when the JB update showed up but that took a while as well. Since I'm not getting KitKat on it, I bought the N5 off the play store since carriers are only carrying 16 GB.
Kesmar88 said:
LG is planning to release KitKat eventually, but there's no set date. Also, from prior experience, if you're going to rely on official OTA updates, Rogers is the worst on releasing them in a timely manner. My prior phone was an S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and it was the last one out of the S2 family to upgrade to ICS, not to mention it was not optimized at all and actually ran worse than Gingerbread. Thankfully, it was all good when the JB update showed up but that took a while as well. Since I'm not getting KitKat on it, I bought the N5 off the play store since carriers are only carrying 16 GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see the issue there. I'm hoping to not rely on Rogers and their OTA and just root it and update it myself. That reminds me, I should prob expect even more bloat with Rogers.
Or I could just go with the nexus and never have to worry about that.
Kesmar88 said:
LG is planning to release KitKat eventually, but there's no set date. Also, from prior experience, if you're going to rely on official OTA updates, Rogers is the worst on releasing them in a timely manner. My prior phone was an S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and it was the last one out of the S2 family to upgrade to ICS, not to mention it was not optimized at all and actually ran worse than Gingerbread. Thankfully, it was all good when the JB update showed up but that took a while as well. Since I'm not getting KitKat on it, I bought the N5 off the play store since carriers are only carrying 16 GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As noted before if you want the quickest updates (official and unofficial) than the n5 is a must, if you want to take a lot of pictures than the camera on the G2 and storage space is better at that.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Have you thought about getting a Iphone 5s on contract, selling it, then buying the nexus 5? I would do that instead of getting the nexus 5 directly from the carrier. That way you end up with extra money in your pockets since you can sell the Iphone for more then the nexus 5 costs from the play store.
hammester said:
Have you thought about getting a Iphone 5s on contract, selling it, then buying the nexus 5? I would do that instead of getting the nexus 5 directly from the carrier. That way you end up with extra money in your pockets since you can sell the Iphone for more then the nexus 5 costs from the play store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a great idea. Take a look at the resale value of the phones available without a contract. Pick the one that gives you the best profit and do that. Use the money to buy a Nexus 5 if you like the phone. I did that recently and actually have another $100 extra to spend on accessories.