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Hey everyone! I'm new to XDA and android and could use some help. Been looking for my first android phone and am currently living in the dominican republic. My carrier operates on the 850 band for their 3g network. I need to be able to purchase an unlocked phone or a phone off contract that i can unlock without complications. Some phones i have looked into are Nexus S, Desire HD, Atrix, G2x and a few others. Nexus S doesnt work with my carrier for their 3g and the desire hd lacks a front facing camera.
I could really use some help or guidance in finding the right phone... All your help is greatly appreciated. Have posted in a few other forums, but to not much avail. Thanks again everyone!
The Galaxy 4g phone has 850 band and FFC and is a decent choice. I do not know how good the Coverage of 4g is in Dominican so even though it is a great phone you may only have 3g reception. You could get a Galaxy S phone and install a FFC in it(or buy it that way) would save some money but it is older tech .... .........BUT there is a ALOT of support here in XDA for the Galaxy S. And there is multi language already installed in it.Or you could wait until the New S2 makes it here in June sometime.
If you went with a Galaxy S (Vibrant,Captivate, etc) here in the states you can get for about 175-250.00 right now vs 450-550.00 for a new phone.
So, there are some options. I would stay away from the Atrix, Motorola is not hacker friendly and there are some other quality issues about them I am not convinced it is worth the money.
BTW, Welcome to the forum. This is the best place to be to learn about Android phones. Look at the specific phone forums and read up. This will assist in understanding the phone and help you make a more informed decision.
Good Luck in your quest....... Cheers
Thanks for the helpful info. I have been reading up on the forums and have also heard about the Atrix issues.
As for the Galaxy S, I do like that phone, but as you mentioned, it does have some older tech especially compared to what is being released this month and next. I don't mind paying a little more having a more up to date phone. Hence my hesitation with something like the Desire HD or Inspire and it's lack of a FFC.
As for the network here, no 4g yet. One of the carriers "Orange" is looking into it, but wouldnt be for a while. Also, I'm quite exactly how much longer I'll be here.
Desperate to get a phone and was hoping to do it this week while my friend in back in the US and could pick it up for me so that I dont have to pay the rediculous taxes at customs when ordering electronics.
The G2X is looking like an option, but i dont know about unlocked nor exactly how much at this point. This is proving to be more difficult that i imagined, been at it for a few months now. Who would think that with so many choices there would actually be so few choices!
Any continued help is still greatly appreciated! thanks again!
All the U.S. Cdma carriers were late with the first wave of wp7 devices. I'm with Verizon and we didn't get the HTC Trophy until June. Sprint got HTC arrive a couple month earlier but by the time those devices were released in the U.S. they were already year old devices.
So 6 months later GSM is getting the roll out of the mango phones with front facing cameras and those of us with cdma arrives and trophies are looking with no signs of a cdma wp7 with a ff cam in sight. What gives?
How come HTC and Samsung aren't making cdma variants of their phones they give carriers and bringing them to cdma carriers? Like how they brought variants of the HTC touch pro 2 and the HTC evo to all the carriers?
Anyone else getting angry with the lackluster cdma support? Why aren't they launching more phones than just the ones that seemingly come out annually?
Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express
My bet is that Sprint and Verizon are effectively done with bringing CDMA phones to market and they don't want a new phone unless it is an iPhone or 4G (LTE and/or WiMax).
I expect Verizon phones once LTE support hits with Tango.
It'll be spring.
I, for one, am really happy VZW got a 3G WP7 phone. I am in an area that prob will get LTE in the LAST phase of any roll out (we got 3G in Oct 2010). I was also able to get it before the end of unlimited data.
What is killing me isn't carrier support, but hack support. I would love to developed a ROM for the HTC Trophy, but I have the CDMA Verizon version, and it has yet to be unlocked.
I know part of this is that the unlock devs are in China and do not have access to the CDMA Trophy.. but it seems no one wants to get together and buy/send them a Trophy CDMA to work on. :/
I know I can't afford it myself.. and for some reason the price has increased on Amazon Wireless (the phone alone was going for $388, now its $479)... but perhaps if a bunch of us chipped in we could send them one.
I have talked to mwang and cotulla and offered to buy them both Verizon trophies . They have both told me that they have cdma devices in hand and are currently testing .. I know it's taking a while , but the good news is that it IS being worked on . I want a DFT rom as bad as anyone ...hell id settle for interop unlock .. I suppose we just have to be patient .
Sent from my mwp6985 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Well, it's good to know that its a work in progress. I just pray that the unlock will be based on the 7.5 rom.. many people got burnt by installing the demo rom... (well, maybe you could base it on the demo rom??). The only way to get rid of the demo rom was to install the leaked 7.5 rom (I was refused RMA because of the demo).
Oh well, if I have to go back to the demo just to unlock, I'll pray that is a workable option (many can't unlock after getting 7.5 roms).
Well, there simply are much less CDMA carriers in the world than there are GSM/UMTS ones. Given that Verizon and Sprint seem not to be too much into WP7 that explains why developing those devices is a low priority to the manufacturers.
It is a bit strange considering the Sprint Touch Pro/TP2 were the more popular devices back in the WM days then any of the other carrier devices. Now with the Arrive being almost a direct successor of the Touch Pro 2, you would think it would have gotten the same dedicated treatment, sadly, this is not the case. I do hope Sprint continues with the Arrive and whatever comes next has the same keyboard and a more refined design with the Titan like upgrades.
A 4" screen with the same keyboard, 1.5Ghz processor, and all the other Mango bells and whistles would be grand.
The most frank response is very simple:
The entire world uses GSM.
I know of all of two, maybe three countries where there are even CDMA networks. If I was making a phone, I wouldn't even be thinking about CDMA unless I was selling millions of units and expansion was easiest by using the inferior (whether true or not technologically, CMDA is inferior in a pure business sense) technology.
I know this is true too.
I can't wait for LTE to roll out and put Verizon on the same playing field as most of the world, but I also know that my area will likely be the last, even if it is being used as the primary example of how broadband internet needs to be pushed out to rural areas.
I mean, the other carriers in this area just plain don't care. Dial 16407 as the zipcode into the AT&T and Sprint coverage areas, and you'll see that neither has even got 3G up and running in this area.. let alone 4G! T-Mobile = non-existent.
I can't even get DSL on my outer rims road because Verizon (which just happens to be my land line provider) won't run DSL down it because of a massive farm that takes up the first 1/3 of this section of road!?!
Anyone who says "just move" is ignorant and should be shot.
I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?
xdabyk said:
I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?
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No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.
you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
lowandbehold said:
No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.
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Thank you. Does that mean I can use the Samsung Galaxy S2 No-Contract Model I buy from/for T-Mobil Prepaid now for other carriers of GSM? May I understand from your reply message(s) that T-Mobile is a GSM format carrier(and so is AT&T?) as opposed to Verizon and Sprint being a CDMA guys? If so, I can use the phone as long as my next carrier is a GSM guy? Does this make sense?
djjuice said:
you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds
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To: djjuice -
Thank you. I will do some homework in order to understand what "locked", "unlock" and " . . . will not get the same 4g speeds" mean.
Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.
Thank you, quarlow.
My budget is around $600 max. So I'm inclined to purchase an HTC Amaze 4Z or Samsung Galaxy S2 for use for T-Mobile Prepaid at Target or at T-Mobile. T-Mobile Net Shop is selling Galaxy S2 Re-Furbished at a discount price. Hear Galaxy S2 have high rate of initial failures and therefore maybe better to buy a re-furbished one that has failed once and was repaired by qualified repairman. Below is how I come to think of buying a smart phone now. I've been happy with a simple prepaid phone buying 100 minutes at a time, which lasts more than a year for me. I also use a Sony Clie, a PDA running Palm Desk Top, which has gone obsolete long time ago. With a smart phone such as Galaxy or Amaze 4Z, I can leave not only the PDA but also a digital camera home. I do not need to access my PDA data over internet. I will import necessary data from my PC to my new smart phone either via cable or via WIFI before going out. That's why I want to remain "Prepaid Customer" not a customer with monthly fees. (Besides, I am not so much interested in leaving my data at ISP's servers.)
Thank you.
I haven't heard of high failure on the Galaxy S II's for TMo. But I have seen several studies showing refurbished devices have lower failure rates because they can have problem components replaced, and have to pass full qa testing twice.
If you are going to put all your data on your phone via USB on the computer, or wifi, then data compatibility won't matter. That changes the whole issue of taking it to another carrier. Any att or TMo phone that is unlocked will make and receive phone calls, text messages and mms messages just fine on the other network. You will only notice the difference when web browsing, or downloading files. If you aren't going to do that, then it wont make a difference.
Knowing that and your budget I would say get a international version of the phone. Get the Galaxy S II (i9100), or the Galaxy Note, or the Galaxy Nexus. All of those phones are top tier, and international versions will receive updates quicker. The Nexus being the Google device will be the first ICS device to get the next version of android, so its the most future proof. The GSM version of any of those phones will likely come unlocked.
The i9100 has a 4.3" screen, and 1.2Ghz dual core Exynos chip. The TMo version has a 4.5" screen (same resolution) with 1.5Ghz dual core qualcomm chip. The bigger screens did have issues with splotches and vertical lines far more than the 4.3" screen. With them being the same resolution the smaller screen is crisper. The Exynos chip is made by Samsung and widely regarded as the better chip, even at a slower speed. It also comes with a more powerful gpu than the qualcomm chip. So, the graphics are better, and games run better. The att version (i777) is almost exactly the same as the i9100, except it has the U.S. norm of 4 buttons, vs the international 3 buttons. The dev support on xda for the i9100 is unmatched by any other phone, its an amazing device with a huge support and user base.
The Galaxy Note is a 5.3" half phone half tablet with a stylus, and 1.4Ghz dual core Exynos chip. Its screen is a whopping 1280x800 resolution. But, for some that's too big.
The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65" screen with 720p resolution (this screen is pentile which means it doesn't have as many sub pixels as it could. Its hard to explain, Google pentile vs rgb and there should be plenty of explinations. But, most reviews say at that resolution you need a microscope to tell). But the real strength with that device is that its the pure Google device. Its running Android the way its meant to be ran, unbloated and unrestricted. That is the Rolls Royce of Android phones for the next year. The Nexus S is last years Google device, and will be the first gingerbread device with an official ICS upgrade, if it isn't already upgraded. Its like a Mercedes at this point, its got the pure android experience, but its running last years tech: 4" screen, 1Ghz single core hummingbird chip.
I'm sure that is way more information than you ever wanted to know, but I hope it helps.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.
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Click to collapse
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
lowandbehold said:
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
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Click to collapse
Att 3G runs on 850 and 1900, with preference on 1900 generally. The TMo looks to have 850, but not 1900. So like the vibrant the support will be spotty at best. It may work in some places, but not everywhere.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
To quarlow and lowandbehold -
Very informative! Thank you very much.
I will stay with the plan to go for a Galaxy S2(i1900) or an HTC Amaze 4Z for TMO Prepaid. If there be good prepaid phone service(s) available from other carrier(s), I'd definitely want to learn about.
i there
i had gifted him android phone few months back but he dint liked it
he told its complicated for my age
now i want to buy a simple and fluid webos phone for my old father
can u suggest which model should i go for
phone should b fast and fluid
i need a gsm unlocked phone
i need your suggestion
Pre 2 or Pre 3 if u ask me...Pre 3 might work out better because of its larger (and higher res) screen and keyboard. They should both be fluid enough for all tasks.
The Veer is also a good choice; the build quality is excellent, and is still speedy. 4g is also nice. And you can get one for $50 without looking hard. Small screen? Yes. Charger is odd too. But for a basic phone, it works well, and on a Straight Talk bring your own GSM phone, economical.
SIROSISOFLIVER said:
...on a Straight Talk bring your own GSM phone, economical.
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LOLz - I don't think they have Straight Talk in Bahrain where the OP is from.
Important for you is getting a European model - NOT North American - so that your comm board is compatible with the carriers in Bahrain.
Veer or Pre 3 might be a good choice to get 4G data speeds - but for ease of use with any GSM carrier and a more proven model go with the Factory Unlocked GSM Pre 2... Just my humble opinion.
So it's now official, after five phone calls and finally speaking with third tier T-Mobile tech support, I was told that my area was recently refarmed and I can no longer get 3G service with the 1900 band effectively making my X2 a brick capable of nothing more than Edge. Furthermore, he indicated to me that this is the way things will go into the future and eventually, T-Mobile will support nothing but 4G LTE service (bring your own device.... But not really.)
So where to go from here? I had heard on another forum that AT&T is still supporting 3G over band 1900; but I don't know if they allow you to bring your own phone to the party and I also don't know how long it will be until they themselves eliminate 3G service. Apart from that, I guess my quest is to still find the largest phone I can that will support 4G LTE data in the United States while continuing to hope and pray that Huawei gives us the present of a 7 inch premium phablet with US bands.
As always, I remain open to any other solutions anyone might have or any information that I'm unaware of. Today is a truly sad day for a guy who truly loved his mediapad X2 : (
steveyal said:
So it's now official, after five phone calls and finally speaking with third tier T-Mobile tech support, I was told that my area was recently refarmed and I can no longer get 3G service with the 1900 band effectively making my X2 a brick capable of nothing more than Edge. Furthermore, he indicated to me that this is the way things will go into the future and eventually, T-Mobile will support nothing but 4G LTE service (bring your own device.... But not really.)
So where to go from here? I had heard on another forum that AT&T is still supporting 3G over band 1900; but I don't know if they allow you to bring your own phone to the party and I also don't know how long it will be until they themselves eliminate 3G service. Apart from that, I guess my quest is to still find the largest phone I can that will support 4G LTE data in the United States while continuing to hope and pray that Huawei gives us the present of a 7 inch premium phablet with US bands.
As always, I remain open to any other solutions anyone might have or any information that I'm unaware of. Today is a truly sad day for a guy who truly loved his mediapad X2 : (
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Click to collapse
Sorry to hear that about TMO. I have been pushing to move away from ATT because the prices don't compare. We moved to the "new" ATT unlimited plan and 5 phones run us $330/mo vs the previous $410/mo on their "discount" family plan. I too am sold on the X2 and I can't let it go. I don't see anything else like it out there. I considered Huawei's new 8-inch tablet but without a handset it would be tough to use on a daily basis. ATT still supports the 3G speeds, at least in the Kansas City area, but who knows if that will change. Several times they have changed something on their network and I have had to search and find new APN settings. There are a few alternatives that I've seen but none that can compete with the X2. If you see anything else, let me know.
Thanks!
Jim
Yep, they did the same in my area about 4 months ago.
The whole thing is terribly frustrating. Clearly there is a market (albeit small) for a seven inch phone, so why are we ignored? Blu made one with US 4G LTE bands but i hear it sucks and only has 1 gig of ram causing it to freeze every time you open an app. Posh made a nice 6.4 that I had for a while; but it was a refurb and call quality was terrible. Plus, they are very hard to find. Checked out the Lenovo Phab 2 line (6.4"), but I'm not impressed at all and the new Samsung Note looks like a dildo.
I just ordered an old (new stock) Galaxy Mega which I owned a few years ago and loved. ...but compared to the X2, it's a dwarf (guess I've been spoiled.) So at this point, I really have no other option but to try ATT (who I detest) for a month pre-paid to see if i can go back to getting consistent HSPA on my beloved X2.
I sure hope someone at some point wakes up and gives us what we need...but I ain't holding my breath.
I'm eagerly anticipating the Huawei Honor Note 9 because I feel it's the only device that will be comparable to our beloved X2. I check for new info everyday but so far nothing but some uncertain leaks from Chinese websites. Does anyone have any *new* info? Better yet a way for us loyalists to get much deserved discount would be nice.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
E--Man said:
I'm eagerly anticipating the Huawei Honor Note 9 because I feel it's the only device that will be comparable to our beloved X2. I check for new info everyday but so far nothing but some uncertain leaks from Chinese websites. Does anyone have any *new* info? Better yet a way for us loyalists to get much deserved discount would be nice.
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
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Click to collapse
Looks like the same deal as the X2 unless they release a US version:
https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_note_9-8799.php
According to this page (careful !!):
https://www.gsmarc.com/huawei/honor-note-9/
the LTE bands are LTE 2100, LTE 800, LTE 1800, LTE 2600, LTE 900, LTE 2300, LTE 2500, (VoLTE)
not so bad (for my country, only 700Mhz is missed)
But I'm a bit worried about the price of the phone
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
steveyal said:
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
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Click to collapse
Let me know how you like it. It doesn't have band 12 on T-Mobile which sucks. I may have picked one of those up if it did. If you buy it directly through iRulu and use coupon code G3DEAL50 you'll get it for $149.99.
Steamer2499 said:
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in ... The Good: Fingerprint works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be my next toy to play around with as well. I loved the Mi Max. (which looks identical to the iRulu) I would give KingRoot a try to see if you can root it.
steveyal said:
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in, inserting sim card/sdcard takes patience ... The Good: Nougat 7.0, Fingerprint scanner works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, Push notification works great ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------
ajsmsg78 said:
Let me know how you like it. It doesn't have band 12 on T-Mobile which sucks. I may have picked one of those up if it did. If you buy it directly through iRulu and use coupon code G3DEAL50 you'll get it for $149.99.
It could be my next toy to play around with as well. I loved the Mi Max. (which looks identical to the iRulu) I would give KingRoot a try to see if you can root it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried KingRoot, Kingoroot, One Click Root and others. Nothing has worked so far. I saw that 149.99 deal but like the fact I got it in 2 days with free shipping and no tax from Amazon Prime and can return it for a full refund with free shipping back to them no question asked...
Steamer2499 said:
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in, inserting sim card/sdcard takes patience ... The Good: Nougat 7.0, Fingerprint scanner works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, Push notification works great ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------
I tried KingRoot, Kingoroot, One Click Root and others. Nothing has worked so far. I saw that 149.99 deal but like the fact I got it in 2 days with free shipping and no tax from Amazon Prime and can return it for a full refund with free shipping back to them no question asked...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If those root options don't work then the phone most likely will never be rooted. I bought a ZTE Zmax Pro about 8 months back to use as a spare phone and that was never rooted so i'm sure the iRulu probably won't be.
steveyal said:
Just ordered this through Amazon. Looks promising and US bands too!!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/iRULU-Smartp...desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=ya_aw_od_pi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ajsmsg78 said:
Let me know how you like it. It doesn't have band 12 on T-Mobile which sucks. I may have picked one of those up if it did. If you buy it directly through iRulu and use coupon code G3DEAL50 you'll get it for $149.99.
It could be my next toy to play around with as well. I loved the Mi Max. (which looks identical to the iRulu) I would give KingRoot a try to see if you can root it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this! It actually looks really good especially for the price, except for the fact that the battery is 4300mAh and I suspect Li-on not Li-Po. The price point is 10/10 and is simply amazing.
I wonder if a discount will be available on the upcoming Huawei Honor Note 9 as well... It is supposed to be released Dec 6 or 20
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
E--Man said:
Thanks for posting this! It actually looks really good especially for the price, except for the fact that the battery is 4300mAh and I suspect Li-on not Li-Po. The price point is 10/10 and is simply amazing.
I wonder if a discount will be available on the upcoming Huawei Honor Note 9 as well... It is supposed to be released Dec 6 or 20
Please use the QUOTE feature when replying to me to get my attention. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Huawei Honor Note 9 looks like the phone for me. Hope it's priced a lot lower than the Samsungs and Apple phones...
Steamer2499 said:
The Huawei Honor Note 9 looks like the phone for me. Hope it's priced a lot lower than the Samsungs and Apple phones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like a great phone...but I simply can't soak that kinda money into a phone that can't do LTE.
Steamer2499 said:
Not a bad phone... The Bad: But No led notification, GPS seems to jump around, No compass built in, inserting sim card/sdcard takes patience ... The Good: Nougat 7.0, Fingerprint scanner works great!, It has ATT 4G in the USA support, Battery life is good, Push notification works great ... If you get it rooted, please let me know how you did it....
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------
I tried KingRoot, Kingoroot, One Click Root and others. Nothing has worked so far. I saw that 149.99 deal but like the fact I got it in 2 days with free shipping and no tax from Amazon Prime and can return it for a full refund with free shipping back to them no question asked...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never rooted a phone before...and not really sure why you would want to (probably best I don't know : )
The comment about the GPS scares me...and could potentially be deal breaker for me. But the rest of it seems livable. Not sure what led notification is either, but I figure if I don't know what it is, it probably won't matter to me that I don't have it. Otherwise, I went with Amazon because of their no hassle return. For me, that's worth every bit of 50 bucks on something I'm unsure of.
So after one day with the iRulu, my impressions are thus,
For me, this is in no way a replacement for my Media Pad X2. The build quality is just not there.
First, the good: this is the largest screen phone that I could find with the bands to receive 4G LTE in the United States. There are other larger ones such as the Posh L 700 and the 7 inch model made by Blu, but I don't think either of these phones can be taken seriously with their pitiful 1 GB of RAM.
Second, the phone works reasonably well. I was able to watch YouTube videos without difficulty and surf the web just fine. It was easy to load on applications and most things work as they should. Bluetooth was fine, easily connecting with both my car stereo and my laptop computer. In short, this is a decent low to middle tier phone; but it is NOT a Huawei.
The bad: As I was loading on applications, the phone did randomly restart; but this was only on one occasion, so I don't really consider it to be a big deal at this point.
Second: The GPS is as horrible as reported. I put it on for goofs navigating to work; and several times while driving down 95, the GPS had me somewhere in the middle of the woods. I don't think it would have caused me to miss turns; especially if I was using Google maps audio turn by turn directions; but generally speaking, it does not work as it is supposed to.
Third: at least for me, the phone seemed small. That half an inch screen size between this and the media pad really made a large difference to me. I guess I'm just used to my Huawei, and I like what I like. I also didn't find the phone aesthetically pleasing, which is not really a big deal to me; but it lacks the perfection in design of the MPX2.
Fourth and the biggie: is that I purchased this phone because it had 4G LTE bands in the United States. I used the thing all day long driving around the state of New Jersey; and not once did the phone indicate that I was receiving 4G LTE signal. As a matter of fact, I believe that I get a better signal on the AT&T network with the HSPA bands in the Huawei.
Unfortunately, for me, it's a bust. I will be returning this on Amazon and continue my quest for a mega screen phone that has LTE bands in the United States. One might ask why I am so hung up about LTE bands if I seem to be getting good Signal with the Huawei. It is because I have been told by people at AT&T that my days of enjoying my media pad are numbered; because they will soon be moving to a system similar to T-Mobile that will render the media pad useless. This so-called 5G technology will essentially render most manufacturer unlocked phones useless for some time until the technology catches up. Hopefully, it will take longer to accomplish this so-called feat of progress than it will take for some manufacturer to realize that there is a market for a high-end super screen phone in the United States.
Oh well.....
> I don't know if they allow you to bring your own phone
Yes, I use AT&T prepaid and brought my own phone. Also I'm paying $55/month with 10GB data. The service is of course throttled to what I believe is 15MBPs or something, but it's better service from the other resellers like Straight Talk that use the same towers.
The resellers appear to get low-tier service (I used to be on ST and have tried some others, with some terrible issues).