Database Info

Help in Buying new Phone.

Hi Guys.
I need help in buying a new phone. I am using a Hyundai A 200 with winmo 5 and i have'nt had any problems with it except for its massive size and low battery life. I wanna go for a new smartphone so after a long research and review reading decided to go either with HTC, Samsung and Motorola. The devices i was satisfied with were HTC HD2, Samsung I8000 OMNIA 2 and Motorola Milestone (DROID).
Price wise HTC HD2 - 28k, Samsung Omnia 2 - 28k and Moto Milestone - 27.5k [Am from India].
A few days ago i visited a mobile shop for a hands on approach to clear my doubts and finally decide. I Liked all the three devices but obviously sided with the HTC HD2. Things that actually blowed my brains were the sheer screen size, responsiveness, capacitive touch screen, 1Ghz Processor & SENSE... Though the Touchwiz interface of Samsung and Android Of Moto were Good but HTC Hd2 was just awesome. It was when i came home and started reading reviews of HD2 in-depth that i realized its camera had a pinkish hue, the device hung up (getting up from sleep mode) etc, that was disappointing.
I dont wanna spend 34k and end up with a laggy phone. I also read that the codec support in OMNIA 2 was way better than in HTC HD2 (not and issue cos I can always convert it to suppored formats ). The guy from the mobile shop told me android sucked esp since file transfers over bluetooth were'nt possible (but later i read that rooting made that possible), and my friends told me that Applications couldn be installed on the SD card in android but i read in the forums yesterday that an app "app2sd" or something similar made this possible. I am open to both Win Mo and Android.
So now am really confused I want to know if the HTC HD2 has these flaws and if custom ROM's covered these flaws? Should I go for HTC or SAMSUNG or MOTO? Which one is really worth the money?
Am gonna use the device for reading e-books & lotsa documents (esp Word and excel files), listen to music and watch a few videos, Gaming (occasionally), as a portable camera and video recorder (shots are gonna be indoors mostly so if someone could give me the results of indoor shots it would be really appreciable) and calls, texts and mails, of course!
I also noticed the poll results for the Best HTC device of 2009 and HTC HD2 bags 46.90%
Everything is pointing toward HTC HD2, so if I get a positive outlook for owners i would go ahead with it or i have to look into the alternatives. so, Please do update me with your suggestions and views.
Also do let me know if I should consider some other device or wait for another few months if any better device is in the making
Thank you in advance.

Send me 20k U.S. and I'll hook you up with any phone you want, ha ha.
Nah, just messin.
Anyways, go with Android, man. I would be so pissed moving from Android to winmo. I like my apps too damn much. I think I'm breaking down and getting a nexus one. Even after I swore I'd never get anything without a physical keyboard again. =[

If you gonna be using Word and excel files alot then you probably want windows mobile...go with the hd2 and its suppose to be getting windows phone 7, which is suppose to be alot better than WM or thats what i hear...

Go for Leo definitely!

Thank You
Thank you so much for your suggestions and prompt replies guys....
Still i read that HD2 in plagued with software lags, Hang ups, and other random issues.... any solutions for these issues??? are they hardware related or software related??? what about the pink hue bug in the photos???

r3s-rt said:
Send me 20k U.S. and I'll hook you up with any phone you want, ha ha.
Nah, just messin.
Anyways, go with Android, man. I would be so pissed moving from Android to winmo. I like my apps too damn much. I think I'm breaking down and getting a nexus one. Even after I swore I'd never get anything without a physical keyboard again. =[
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android's still got a lota snags right or thats what i understood after reading a lot of posts in this forum. Its Open source so we can expect nothing but the best and comparing it to the i phone or winmo doesnt do it any justice... Which is the better phone for the Android platform??? I was thinking of Se Xperia X10 or HTC Legend..... But after going through XperiaX10's wishlist i have second thoughts....

The Nexus is an awesome android device...and I don't have any snags that can't be tweeked

wow all the prices are very high.. you say HD2 cost still 34K which is circa 5900HKD here in Hong Kong the HD2 goes for 24.5K (4200HKD)
Anyhow as previously some mentioned if you need to sync with your PC and with Microsoft outlook for your PIM WM is the best.
Until now I can’t really see the advantages of Android over WM and especially Motorola which has not much devices on the market therefore it will be difficult to get support even here.
For my opinion it comes down to HD2 or Samsung. Between them I would choose HD2. However again for my opinion paying 34K for device that will not get an official upgrade is far too high.. I hope you guys going to not kill me but what is the price for Iphone???

galaxys said:
The Nexus is an awesome android device...and I don't have any snags that can't be tweeked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely agree but Nexus is being "thinned" for India.... I don know why we get all the Thinned and mini versions...

Bulldog said:
wow all the prices are very high.. you say HD2 cost still 34K which is circa 5900HKD here in Hong Kong the HD2 goes for 24.5K (4200HKD)
Anyhow as previously some mentioned if you need to sync with your PC and with Microsoft outlook for your PIM WM is the best.
Until now I can’t really see the advantages of Android over WM and especially Motorola which has not much devices on the market therefore it will be difficult to get support even here.
For my opinion it comes down to HD2 or Samsung. Between them I would choose HD2. However again for my opinion paying 34K for device that will not get an official upgrade is far too high.. I hope you guys going to not kill me but what is the price for Iphone???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a cofirmation mail from my phone retailer that the price is actually 28 k and not 36 k as mentioned in their site....
Moto is out of my mind too... HTC legend and se Xperia x10 were taken up in favor of android but still HD2 kicks butt when it comes to screen size....
Iphone 3GS 32 GB is 39 k here....

Pink Hue camera issue...
i read in a lot of forums that the hdt hd2 is plagued by a pink hue in the pictures taken with its camera and few say that its a hardware issue and others say its a software issue any ideas on this???? in the support page of HTC this update [Update for HTC HD2 – Digital Picture Enhancement
This update for HTC HD2 ensures every picture is captured in the clearest digital quality. The HTC HD2 and its twin LED flash will take beautiful pictures so you can cherish your memories forever] is available is this for the correction of pink hue????

[Q] New WinMo or Android? or Nokia N8

I am speculating over New WinMo or Android for my upcoming Upgrade phone.
Seems like New WinMo have so much goodies like the Zune plus it is a WinMobile!!
I am so used to Win6.5. I do not see why not 7.
But at same time Android is moving so Fast and On pace for new horizon with lovely new gimmicks.
At same time speculating over comparison with Nokia N8. With all its glory plus nice to have HDMI out!
I am on GSM, and usually get an Unlocked Phone or OEM so On an Non-Contract plan.
Please tell me how you think, what is better and worse.

ekoandrew said:
.. I do not see why not 7.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it appears to be NOTHING like your WinMobile (not Windows PHONE) 6.5 beast. It will be heavily locked down. Be aware that the ONLY common thing between windows MOBILE and windows PHONE that I can see is that it has "Windows" as the first word of its name, everything else is diferent.

Going to be getting the Nokia N8 for my wife. She is going to be replacing the Nokia E71.

i think you can narrow it down to what you really need of, i think you can choose-
Android : if you had alot of friends to show off your phone
Winmo : if you do bussiness
Nokia : if you dont do bussines
Bb : if you have many bussineses

I vote for WM/WP7 as with them you´ll be able to run Android as well
Not any other OS will allow you to have both (at least for now)

manojsuper said:
All I am going to tell you is that you will not be dissapointed with android. I had windows 6.5 and now and android phone and I would like to tell you that you can customize the android much more and has much more apps that you could possibly imagine!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse me but I am dissapointed with android , quite dissapointed actually
It's what this guy said "Android : if you had alot of friends to show off your phone"
You can't customise **** on it, let me start - change the bar colours on your stock android? You can't, now lets make an mp3 ringtone, anyone
Apps like - beer app, carfinder, dog finder, cat finder, fart and boobs app, wikipedia app, partypoker - what do I need these for
I am not trying to make your toy look bad, I am just giving adequate opinion on it.
Because of people like you I got an HTC desire and it is dreadful because of the os. I flashed it 100 times, it killed the sdcard 10 times, the apps are full of sh*t. If you don't hack it they have adds on top of this. It doesn't have a simple file explorer.
Excuse me but I decline to pay 5 quid for a file explorer which should be preloaded
It is a great phone if you are a kid, a woman or a guy who is not so techy. It is a lot nicer than nokia x6, but it's not easily customisable. If you are not content with the provided expirience you need to hack the sh*t out of it to get basic functionality. If you come from LG cookie or something similar, it's just brilliant

lantern20 said:
Going to be getting the Nokia N8 for my wife. She is going to be replacing the Nokia E71.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Btw, do you know, do I need Data Plan for any Nokia Smartphone on ATT?
Well, I am stuck with ATT cause of my US Arm Forces FAN# gives me 25% off monthly bill. BUT still I hate that Data Plan.
Does the Nokia E71 or Nokia phone trigger the ATT Automated Ass system to Auto add Data Plan? If Nokia phone works on ATT with out Data plan. I would go phone Nokia Phone anytime.
Android is just new to the world, ppl are going fanatic with "woo, I got android phone, come check me out" sigh

orb3000 said:
I vote for WM/WP7 as with them you´ll be able to run Android as well
Not any other OS will allow you to have both (at least for now)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you know WP7 will allow this?
edit: also, to be clear, WP7 is totaly diferent to WM 6.5. They shouldn't be expressed like that as "similar products", they aren't.

ekoandrew said:
I am speculating over New WinMo or Android for my upcoming Upgrade phone.
Seems like New WinMo have so much goodies like the Zune plus it is a WinMobile!!
I am so used to Win6.5. I do not see why not 7.
But at same time Android is moving so Fast and On pace for new horizon with lovely new gimmicks.
At same time speculating over comparison with Nokia N8. With all its glory plus nice to have HDMI out!
I am on GSM, and usually get an Unlocked Phone or OEM so On an Non-Contract plan.
Please tell me how you think, what is better and worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. BTW, why not the iPhone? IMHO it's the best consumer phone, unless you want to hack it heavily.
2. I don't think the N8 will be any good - the AAS forum members stated it's clearly behind the competition.

[Q] Which phone: HTC HD7 or LG Optimus 7

Ok, I'm really considering converting my HD2 to a full-time Android phone and getting a WP7. After some use, I will be able to decide which route to go
However, for the WP7 device, the Optimus is my prime candidate due to the larger memory, but - will it be as easy to upgrade and flash, should that be an issue? Anyone got any views on that?
And please keep this thread clean - I'm simply not interested in rumors or how people think they look. I'm interested in facts

tiwas said:
Ok, I'm really considering converting my HD2 to a full-time Android phone and getting a WP7. After some use, I will be able to decide which route to go
However, for the WP7 device, the Optimus is my prime candidate due to the larger memory, but - will it be as easy to upgrade and flash, should that be an issue? Anyone got any views on that?
And please keep this thread clean - I'm simply not interested in rumors or how people think they look. I'm interested in facts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would go for the optimus
In Italy there isn't hd7 and the optimus is cheaper(at least in italy)

I would say; go with the HD7. Its 4.3 inch display makes using the WP7 OS much easier. Typing on the on-screen keyboard and also browsing the web with IE is really easy with such a big display. You could always extend the memory by replacing the SD card if its really necessary. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9056509&postcount=121
Replacing memory will require a hard-reset.
Off-course, the big plus the optimus has is DLNA support. Which the HD7 doesn't.
I don't think we'll see any custom-roms and/or flashing in the near future, mostly because WP7 isn't a OS that needs any tweaking. It works well and Microsoft says it's committed to listen to customers and releasing periodic updates. If you really want to be tweaking your phone; don't get a WP7 device and stick with Android, as Microsoft has gone through a great deal making sure it doesn't get hacked. Updates, however, will be sent from Microsoft directly for all devices. So HD7 or Optimus makes no difference there.

Thanks for the replies! My WP7 phone is just to gauge if I really want WP7 or not...the HD2 will be running Gingerbread as soon as a good release comes out
Is there a list of recommended SD-cards for the replacement?

The phone comes with a Sandisk microSDHC class 4 card, so it's best to replace it with a same card. Though on the forum people are recommending both Kingston and Sandisk class 4 cards up to 32gb.
This thread is all about the storage cards with the HD7: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=807900

Hello bambinos fellow friends.
If i was you and you helped me.
Which phone would i go for and the reason why:
HTC HD7
or
LG OPTIMUS 2X ?
I tell you what i want a phone to do for me, I want a phone that contains lots of (social chat apps) (lots of interesting and intertainment and productivity and lifestyle apps) I dont make much calls but i do make lots of (texting sms to friends)
pretty much i would use a phone that lets me stay intertainment of everything has to offer for the (apps store) and for (text sms to friends)
NEGATIVE SIDES: i dont like facebook i dont like twitter and defently i dont like sharing my personal photos to people around the world. I dont like games and just games...
However i do like to play (some games for apps) but not allways dedicated to apps as i preffered more the social ladies chat apps around the clobe that has people there using it.
So Which phone would i choose if i was to get one lets say in NOVEMBER 2011
Remember HTC HD7 is windows phone 7
And LG OPTIMUS 2X is (android)
Remember HTC HD7 has a new update for MANGOS soon in SEPTEMBER. (but that wont change any differents to what i will like in the apps store) considering android has the social chat apps i enjoy the most and infact wp7 dont have any social chats that i normaly use....
But mangos wont bring lots of social app chats just like what android has to offer.
'
However i dont like just games on the phone... and i dont just browse the internet websites with a tiny phone. I use it more for downloading fun and intertainment and productivity and social apps and lots of allways SMS texting.
But which one would be much better and the reason WHY if i was to (EXAMPLE) choose any one of them in NOVEMBER 2011
I allready own HTC HD7 but this is just an example between 2 phones.
My htc hd7 is 99% boring because the apps they have doesnt interest me. But which phone would u recommend and why if i was to get one example lets say NOVEMBER 2011 ?
best regards
sandra
Please keep it to the topic because the moderator preciates everone staying on the topic to that headlines. Thank you

@tiwas keep in mind that replacing the internal SD card will break your waranty. So be carefull
Furthermore...I would choose the HTC over the LG also (especially if you don't care for DLNA). You could also consider the HTC HD7S which features the SuperLCD screen which is a improvement over the "old" LCD screen of the HD7 (in terms of contrast etc.).
EDIT: Wow...i just noticed tiwas his post is already 6 months old :S Only sandrax2020 replied just now :S Sowwy!

questions before buying a wp7 phone

hi guys
i have a couple of questions before buying a wp7 phone
i want to buy an MS phone but im afraid that it doesn't have the "openness" that android offers
does wp7 have a "do it our way" ideology like the iphone ?
am i stuck to something like "itunes"
i noticed that when u press search Bing shows up
can i choose google instead ?
thanks

hello to you! i have been an android user since 2009, also an iOS user since 2008... now I am a happy user of a windows phone wich i tell you sincerely that you wont miss that android... I'm feeling like i was reborn, with an apealing look, everything seems to be at his natural place...its very stable, you wont meet these freeze from android or iOS..besides that, seems to me that internet explorer is faster than ever...you have the same high quality games like iOS. And yes, you can make it in your own way...microsoft has developed an app like itune, called zune, but you wont depend on zune... anyway, zune is more friendly than iTunes! so, i truly recommend you a windows phone with mango... its purely awesome!

untitledmangxg said:
hello to you! i have been an android user since 2009, also an iOS user since 2008... now I am a happy user of a windows phone wich i tell you sincerely that you wont miss that android... I'm feeling like i was reborn, with an apealing look, everything seems to be at his natural place...its very stable, you wont meet these freeze from android or iOS..besides that, seems to me that internet explorer is faster than ever...you have the same high quality games like iOS. And yes, you can make it in your own way...microsoft has developed an app like itune, called zune, but you wont depend on zune... anyway, zune is more friendly than iTunes! so, i truly recommend you a windows phone with mango... its purely awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this sounds great !!
im planning on buying a lumia 800 after 2 months
by that time they would have sorted out the firmware issues
thanks !!!

You won't regret the Lumia purchase. Had mine 10 days now, and it's gorgeous - aesthetically and as an OS.

lulzinator said:
this sounds great !!
im planning on buying a lumia 800 after 2 months
by that time they would have sorted out the firmware issues
thanks !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are waiting for 2 months, then maybe you will have more devices on offer. Hopefully a Lumia 900?

lulzinator said:
hi guys
i have a couple of questions before buying a wp7 phone
i want to buy an MS phone but im afraid that it doesn't have the "openness" that android offers
does wp7 have a "do it our way" ideology like the iphone ?
am i stuck to something like "itunes"
i noticed that when u press search Bing shows up
can i choose google instead ?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The scope for customisation is far less than that of Android. Overall WP7 is fluid and stable but I have one app that annoyingly hangs my phone (Own this world) so it isn't true to say it is 100% hang free.
There still remain many "obvious" features missing, eg no draft text messages, no "real" 3rd party multitasking (ie apps are suspended whilst in the background).
Unless there are specific apps (locked to a particular OS) that are must haves, then I would say give WP a try.

As the guys in previous posts have told you - it's potential for modding and 3rd party apps is quite limited so far, but being a former symbian - windows mobile - android user, I gotta admit that I've gotten used to WP7 so much that I honestly can't see myself going back to an android or such. It annoyed the hell out of me for the 2 first weeks of ownership (HTC Mozart 7 is the device in question) because of some ridiculous limitations imposed on a "smartphone", but after the tedious task of reading a large amount of info, then finally updateing/unlocking my phone, I simply love it It's so smooth, and practical like you wouldn't believe, true it does have it's quirks and such, but it's a great device to use, nonetheless

[Q] Lumia 710 or Sony Xperia U

I'd been using a Nokia 5233 (hmph!) for the past 2 years, and its time i considered an upgrade.
Once the Lumia's were out, i kind of fell in love with WP. The non stuttering UI seemed awesome to me. And, i'd promised(breakable ) that the Lumia 710 would be my next phone.
But, it was after being a member here that i came to know the shortcomings of WP. You really can't download a music file, can we? And, heard that the Lumia 710 got a pathetic battery life.
So, i was forced to look elsewhere. That's when the Xperia U caught my attention. It got some Novathor 1 ghz dual core processor, and cute design. And the colour changing transparent bar felt like a deal breaker to me. Being in the Nxt series, Sony has promised an ICS update(Sweet!). Well, now, i'm in a dilemma.
Can any WP user out there, comment and help me choose my upgrade?

Well, downloading music through the store works just fine. Downloading music through the web browser will let the music be played, but it doesn't seem to let you save it to the media library. I'm sure it's possible with homebrew... eventually, when somebody gets around to writing it.
I can't speak to the battery life of the 710 specifically, or even the Lumias in general, but I know Nokia has been releasing firmware updates that address the poor battery life the lumias had originally. I don't know how far they can take that, but it's profress. Also bear in mind that Android is hardly a battery-sipping OS either.
There's also the minor fact that Sony, even Sony-Ericson, is a company I will never buy anything from, on account of the horrible way they treat their customers and the industry as a whole (rootkits on audio CDs, retroactively removing console features, etc.) So, I would never recommend them... there's lots of other phone OEMs if you don't want to go with Nokia.

Thanks for your valuable words.
So, if one requires a song, he's supposed to buy it from the store, eh? I wouldn't mind.
And yeah, i've heard about the Droids' battery draining powers . But, when i googled, i never found anyone mentioning battery drains from Xperia U.
I guess you're indirectly asking me to stick with the Lumia, right? Let me see... I guess Microsoft would preview their WP8 tomorrow.
Waiting for the day...

It's totally up to you. But, you asked for advice, and that's what you got!
As a side note, the Lumia 710 is a good choice if you want a device you can modify or hack on. It's possible to very easily unlock its bootloader so you can install custom ROMs, with extra features and fewer restrictions.
In addition to music from the store, you can also listed to the radio (all Windows phones have FM receivers) and you can use apps (there are lots of apps that provides access to streaming music, for example). Also, that's just ways to get music on the phone without using the PC. HOwever, when you sync the phone to the PC, you can send music to it from the Zune software, which will then be available to play on the phone.
We're all waiting to hear about WP8. Don't know if it'll be tomorrow or not, but we can hope...

Sony........Never again
Hi babu.rajiv2007,
I would agree with GoodDayToDie and will also never buy anything from Sony ever again. In The past they have been underhand with their contractual obligations to their customers and after the initial sale has them your money i would wish you or anyone else the very best of luck with their aftercare, updates, RMA policies etc...etc...etc.......(very bad taste left after owning an X1, took almost 9 months and 5 returns of that handset to have them recall the chassis and admit that it wasnt my fault) I am also of the opinion that Sony is trading off a name that they made for themselves many years ago regarding quality of their products and services and that in this day and age they will (hopefully) not last much longer.
Anyway, in my personal opinion i would go for the Nokia. The OS is splendid (of course) and the handset is really well put together, not that i would try to put you off the Android option, I would advise that you take one for a 30 day cool down period and put yourself off it.....it didnt take me long to see that there is indeed a difference between the two.
I'm running a custom ROM atm and can tell you that the homebrew scene is very much alive with the WP7 O/S, there are several apps that will allow you to do what you like regarding music.
Hope this helps (still i say try both, but hell no to Sony)
Creamy

I don't know if you remember me. I had almost bought a Lumia710 but returned it as I found its display to be horrible and quite different from demo models. After it, I considered buying Xperia U too. But two of my friends own Sony Androids (Xperia X8 and Xperia X10 respectively) and they swear that they will never buy a Sony again and strongly advise me to stay away too. Because Sony never bothers to update their phones.
However it is most certain Xperia U will be upgraded to ICS (though no 100% guarantee). I have used a real Xperia U (not the demo model). It was fine though it it didn't feel as nice to use as a WP7 device or even a Samsung Galaxy S2. Main reason being uninspiring UI and the dim LED back-lit LCD. The display feels like a candle when compared to S-LCD and AMOLED based displays. Camera is definitely awesome. The phone does feel fast but not as fluid as a WP7. Its UI lacks the wow factor which makes me love my WP7. Heck, it doesn't feel as nice as my friend's Galaxy S2.
Confused, I've decided to postpone my purchase for another two-three week. I see that newer devices are coming in Indian market. One example is HTC Desire C. Please note that it is a 600MHz phone but runs on ARM v7 and hence should be as good as 1GHz ARM v6 devices or even better. This signals that newer ARM devices are coming within two weeks. And hence I've decided to wait and watch since I don't want to get stuck with ARM v6 devices.
Last but not least, I'm also eagerly waiting for WP8 announcement

babu.rajiv2007 said:
Thanks for your valuable words.
So, if one requires a song, he's supposed to buy it from the store, eh? I wouldn't mind.
And yeah, i've heard about the Droids' battery draining powers . But, when i googled, i never found anyone mentioning battery drains from Xperia U.
I guess you're indirectly asking me to stick with the Lumia, right? Let me see... I guess Microsoft would preview their WP8 tomorrow.
Waiting for the day...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better wait for Windows Phone 8 release and see what it offers if you want to buy songs directly from the store. Because downloading songs requires a ZunePass and as far as I know, India is not one of the supported countries for Zunepass. I would be happy if I am proven wrong though.
You can always transfer songs from your PC to phone through Zune though.

Thanks a lot, guys.
So, that helps me let go of Xperia U. Whew! What a headache it made

daAppu said:
I don't know if you remember me.
Confused, I've decided to postpone my purchase for another two-three week. I see that newer devices are coming in Indian market. One example is HTC Desire C. Please note that it is a 600MHz phone but runs on ARM v7 and hence should be as good as 1GHz ARM v6 devices or even better. This signals that newer ARM devices are coming within two weeks. And hence I've decided to wait and watch since I don't want to get stuck with ARM v6 devices.
Last but not least, I'm also eagerly waiting for WP8 announcement
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course. I do remember you.
And 600 Mhz? You sure it'd be a good deal? I've seen the One V lag. For the droids, will it be enough?
Tell me, what do you think of HTC One V. Not that i've considered it, but, seems to fall under my price range.
About WP8, i won't be willing to wait for more than a month. My choice would solely be based on tomorrow. Can't wait!

I think Xperia the best cause Lumia very slownly I think that

@chaitanya91845: You do not need a Zune Pass in order to buy music from the store. Zune Pass is only needed for streaming full songs. The old Zune Pass would give you 10 credits a month toward buying songs, but the song buying is independent of Zune Pass.
With that said, it's possible that Microsoft's licensing with the music labels don't allow them to sell music in India at all. I haven't tried. One easy way to tell would be to download the free Zune software (http://zune.net), sign in with your Windows Live account, go to the Marketplace, and see if you can buy songs (most are about $1 US, and are MP3s so you can play them in anything). If that works, it should be fine on the phone too.

GoodDayToDie said:
@chaitanya91845: You do not need a Zune Pass in order to buy music from the store. Zune Pass is only needed for streaming full songs. The old Zune Pass would give you 10 credits a month toward buying songs, but the song buying is independent of Zune Pass.
With that said, it's possible that Microsoft's licensing with the music labels don't allow them to sell music in India at all. I haven't tried. One easy way to tell would be to download the free Zune software (http://zune.net), sign in with your Windows Live account, go to the Marketplace, and see if you can buy songs (most are about $1 US, and are MP3s so you can play them in anything). If that works, it should be fine on the phone too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG. And I was under the impression that you need a ZunePass to purchase songs from the store. Almost a year, and I still dont know some basic stuff!!
But yes, if you download Zune and login, the music(in marketplace)/social sections used to disappear if my Control Panel "Location" settings were set to India. And if you change Location settings to USA, then you will require a US credit card to purchase.
So probably not possible to buy songs as of now.

Xperia U will get you Android 4, Lumia won't get you Windows Phone 8. Go Xperia for now.

guilhermedsx said:
Xperia U will get you Android 4, Lumia won't get you Windows Phone 8. Go Xperia for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm... Microsoft's announcement made me reconsider my decision... Damn!
I bet the developer's would start using native code for developing apps, and older devices WON'T support those apps
I'm sad not because of WP8(i'd be happy with 7.8), but, the low availability of apps once WP8 enters the scene is displeasing.

Now choosing a new phone is really confusing! Unless some awesome features are revealed about WP 7.8 and if WP7 device prices crash to sub-10,000 Indian Rupees, I certainly don't want a WP7 device now.
I honestly have no idea which's better- 1GHz ARM v6 Android vs 600MHz v7 Android. Having owned a smooth and fluid WP device for over a year, I certainly don't want a lagging phone for my sister.
The choices are vastly split-
1. Single core v6 1GHz Android (like One V, running ICS)
2. Single core v7 600MHz Android (like Desire C, running ICS)
3. Dual core v6 Xperia U (might not get ICS)
4. WP7 device (least chance of buying it).
I honestly have no idea which phone to choose

@daAppu
I'd advice against a WP7 device now. It just don't make sense going for one, now. Once WP8 devices enters the scene, the scenario might change.
About your processor doubts, i'd recommend you to post at the Android Q&A section. They might be a bit experienced. But, what i think is that those devices would be under powered. The Xperia U now, starts to make more sense to me.
But, i'm sad.

Xperia U Android 4, Lumia never Windows Phone 8, Microsoft Down. Go Xperia.

Did MS actually state that WP8 apps wouldn't work on WP7.8? The impression I got was that 7.8 was basically WP8-without-the-new-hardware-features. For example, there's no reason that native code can't be used on WP7.x (most homebrew apps, and even a few Marketplace apps, already use native code, in fact). It is possible that the native code API for WP7.X and WP8 will be incompatible, though. This would be mildly stupid of Microsoft, but eh, what else is new? They do seem to have an incredible talent for releasing excellent products and then botching them up horribly...

Microsoft did announce it indirectly...
No doubt the developers would use native code, and according to what i read at wpcentral, older devices won't support it.
Anyway, just watched the video of the new tiles... Kinda cool. But, it doesn't make sense sticking to a WP7 device. And, i'm not willing to wait for a WP8 device(i guess it come by December).
I guess i'll move along with the pack, stick with droid :\

Regardless of whether apps will still come to WP7 or not, I'm also not interested in buying a WP7 right now.
But wait, we're not alone. No one is gonna buy WP7 also. We can easily bet that there are thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of WP7 devices already manufactured but unsold. So this opens a possibility that WP7 devices will be sold at half the original price or even less. Don't believe me? I bought my BB Playbook for only INR 13,000!
So this opens two choices for us-
1. A really nice WP7 like Lumia 800 for price of INR 10,000. I'm talking about a brand new one, not second hand.
2. A 600MHz ARM v7 Android phone for INR 15,000 or 1GHz ARM v7 Android phone for INR 19,000.
That's why I didn't completely ruled out WP7 in my last post. I really can't decide a phone quickly. Heart says go for an Android now. Head says "Wait and watch for 2 more weeks, you stupid compulsive buyer!"