Related
Aside from being pissed by the 1x at the top of the screen I was able to do everything I wanted to do. Sent text messages all day on Google Talk and Skype, downloaded the Amazon free app of the day (business calendar) in about 40 seconds. Updated a few other apps in about a min., received and responded to multiple emails all day long, uploaded a pic to facebook with no problems, And made calls... All on 1x!
Well there is a much bigger difference between 1x and 3G than there is between 3G and 4G…. So why would I ever sacrifice battery life on this device for that difference?
Crazy!
Unless you are using your phone for internet access for your PC via tether… I think everyone is just wasting battery life for nothing.
Then you bought the wrong phone. Better luck next time.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Dbagjones said:
Then you bought the wrong phone. Better luck next time.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I did not buy the wrong phone at all!! I love the speed of the phone for running the apps. I love the screen, the 8MP cam, the great front facing cam. I bought this phone because it could run the Android OS very fast and smooth. Not at all for 4G.
Are you telling me you bought this phone just for the 4G???? If that’s the case I think I bought the phone for much better reasons than you did!
HawkStream said:
I did not buy the wrong phone at all!! I love the speed of the phone for running the apps. I love the screen, the 8MP cam, the great front facing cam. I bought this phone because it could run the Android OS very fast and smooth. Not at all for 4G.
Are you telling me you bought this phone just for the 4G???? If that’s the case I think I bought the phone for much better reasons than you did!
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Click to collapse
+1
Love How Stable and Hackable HTC Phones are. Good Size screen, More Ram for Multi Tasking, Front Camera, Kickstand. This thing is a Beast Overclocked. Im Not in a 4g City bit when I go out of town (Which I do Often) 4G Is just Icing on the Cake.
HawkStream said:
I did not buy the wrong phone at all!! I love the speed of the phone for running the apps. I love the screen, the 8MP cam, the great front facing cam. I bought this phone because it could run the Android OS very fast and smooth. Not at all for 4G.
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Click to collapse
There are plenty of better phones out there as far as performance and features go. The Thunderbolt is an inefficient beast; in the class of smartphones, it's metaphorically similar to the 17" Desktop Replacement laptop. In other words, it's big, heavy, and very power-hungry, relative to other members of its device class.
If you had waited until the May or June launch of the Samsung phones with the Tegra 2 dual core SoC with Nvidia graphics, that thing will absolutely blow your socks off, and probably also ship with Android 2.3 or 2.4 if it's out by then. Why buy a phone still using the old PowerVR SGX core if you are crazy about graphics performance, when the SGX is just a few months away from being eclipsed by Tegra 2 phones?
HawkStream said:
Are you telling me you bought this phone just for the 4G???? If that’s the case I think I bought the phone for much better reasons than you did!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the first LTE smartphone to market. Ever. Period. In the whole world. And you're telling me you bought it because it's fast? Pssh -- as far as the non-networked components go, it's basically no better than a Droid 2. It's the last model to use 2009-2010 era SoC, and the only reason it doesn't use something more cutting-edge is because the brand new chips are still being debugged and tested, and they needed a phone out in March.
The Thunderbolt has a separate radio chip for the CDMA/EvDO and the LTE. This is highly suboptimal from both a power standpoint and size/weight. Qualcomm says they can probably have chips available by early 2012 that offer both traditional CDMA, voice, and LTE in a single integrated circuit, which would also probably use smaller fabrication process technology for even less power consumption and weight. The Thunderbolt is a "hack" as far as smartphones are concerned; it's very unusual for any kind of phone to have two radios in it (even if it supports more than one radio protocol, they're usually supported together on a single chip). The phone was rushed, hence why they couldn't wait for Qualcomm to get their integrated LTE+CDMA chip together.
You can rip the Thunderbolt apart this way by looking under the hood and pointing out its many limitations and flaws. The only thing that stands out -- the only killer feature that sets this apart from the Droid 2 or any other 2010 Android-based 3G phone -- is the LTE. If not for the LTE, the Thunderbolt is just a power-hungry, heavy version of the Droid 2 (or Droid X, I guess, since it lacks a hardware keyboard too).
Since Verizon locks you in to a two year contract, you should really be planning ahead a bit unless you have $600 - $750 to sink on a retail smartphone. If you had waited for just a few more months to get the more killer "core specs" (CPU, GPU, RAM) on the phones coming out in the latter half of 2011, you would be getting the first round of the next generation of the CPU/GPU bump. And since that's what you seem to value (moreso than the bandwidth), that's probably what you should have waited for.
Now you're stuck with a phone (as am I) that will have significantly underpowered specs by the time the two year term is up -- it's entirely possible that new Android apps and games written in Q1 2013 (the last stretch of your 2 year term) will not run at all on your Thunderbolt, or lag so badly that they're unusable, because they are tuned to run on e.g. the Tegra 2 or later dual core platforms.
But I don't play games on my phone, so that doesn't matter to me. The LTE is why I value this phone so much and bought it, and since I don't exercise the CPU/GPU as highly as cellphone gamers, it probably won't matter a lick to me that in early 2013 I won't be able to play Angry Birds 3 on my Thunderbolt. I'll be satisfied that I got a full two years worth of fast LTE service, and that's what's important to me.
So just saying, if you don't care about the extra bandwidth, you made a fairly bad choice. The other aspects of the Thunderbolt are gonna be obsolete pretty quick because the non-network parts of the phone are built around a late 2009 platform, so unless you want to shell out retail when Tegra 2 phones hit, you might come to regret your purchase in about a year.
In comparison to graphics cards, it'd be like buying a Nvidia GTX 280 (supporting DirectX 10.1) a month before the Fermi cards hit the shelves (supporting DirectX 11).
Yeah guys, this was a 4G phone first and foremost. The screen, processor and ram are all average. Actually the screen is already outdated with QHD screens out. Not to mention the phone is a heavy beast with a tiny battery. Don't get me wrong I love the TB, It looks great and is fairly powerful, but the main reason I bought it was to have 4G. Now I can get rid of my cable modem. But to the point of the OP, when not tethering it actually works great with just 1x or 3G
If I didn't care about 4g I would have waited for a dual core, qhd device to come out. I wanted the Bionic which has all of the above, but they keep pushing it out amid massive development problems.
I cant download roms on the fly with Rom Manager, or update CM7-alpha while im out of the house on 1x.. thats really the only thing I saw
allquixotic said:
It's the first LTE smartphone to market. Ever. Period. In the whole world.
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uhm...no. MetroPCS beat Verizon to the punch on that one.
HawkStream said:
Aside from being pissed by the 1x at the top of the screen I was able to do everything I wanted to do. Sent text messages all day on Google Talk and Skype, downloaded the Amazon free app of the day (business calendar) in about 40 seconds. Updated a few other apps in about a min., received and responded to multiple emails all day long, uploaded a pic to facebook with no problems, And made calls... All on 1x!
Well there is a much bigger difference between 1x and 3G than there is between 3G and 4G…. So why would I ever sacrifice battery life on this device for that difference?
Crazy!
Unless you are using your phone for internet access for your PC via tether… I think everyone is just wasting battery life for nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So sell your Thunderbolt, get a RAZR, it seems that should suit you fine. Plus then you don't have to worry about battery life.
Your post today has taught me how much I don't care about what you say.
1X for a day made me have the exact opposite realization. I live in a 4G area and I am getting so spoiled by the lighting fast speeds (sometimes faster than my home broadband connection). When I had 1X, I couldn't send MMS, browsing the web was painfully slow and it was generally all around a miserable experience.
Wasn't able to steam anything at all. No AudioGalaxy, YouTube, Hulu, other Flash content. Web browsing was ridiculously slow. Downloading and installing updates was painful.
I have missed my LTE. Sorry you don't use your phone to its full capacity but some people do. I'd rather my phone not be limited to the speed of the network. If you're cool with it, congrats.
drumz0rz said:
1X for a day made me have the exact opposite realization. I live in a 4G area and I am getting so spoiled by the lighting fast speeds (sometimes faster than my home broadband connection). When I had 1X, I couldn't send MMS, browsing the web was painfully slow and it was generally all around a miserable experience.
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So agreed! Even when I got it to go onto 3G I still was like "Ughhhhhh!" Yeah, 3G is decent, but 4G is incredible. If >10X faster doesn't make a difference to you, maybe this isn't the phone for you. I noticed the difference all day. Sure, it doesn't take that long to download an app on 3G, maybe 30 seconds to 2 minutes, but you can't tell me that waiting 2 minutes is the same experience as it happening virtually instantly. On my phone, I want things happening quickly. I wanna be able to get it out and get to what I wanted to do quickly so I'm not just standing there waiting on my phone on the sidewalk. I mean, come on, with 4G most things are practically instant -- 3G there's always some waiting. If waiting is something that's okay, maybe conventional ovens are just as good as microwaves and cable internet is just as good as fiber optic, etc.
HawkStream said:
Unless you are using your phone for internet access for your PC via tether… I think everyone is just wasting battery life for nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't tell; is this a troll thread?
Having a 4G thunderbolt without 4G connection was the least enjoyment i've ever got out of this phone.
I've literally been twitching from the withdrawal.
4G is a night and day difference from 3G, no questions asked.
I used Wifi at Home and Work, so I was unimpacted.
And to the one guy with the long story, true this is a 2009-2010 phone, and I ONLY bought it to lock myself into cheap 4G/LTE pricing before it gets out of control and data caps, etc...
...but unless gaming is your thing, the Thunderbolt will do 90-95% of everything you need for at least the next two years. Sure I was holding out for the Galaxy SII, and I will probably sell the TB and buy a Dual Core phone off contract with the money that I make, but that is not even an issue at this point because this phone does EVERYTHING I need.
Eddog4DROID said:
I used Wifi at Home and Work, so I was unimpacted.
And to the one guy with the long story, true this is a 2009-2010 phone, and I ONLY bought it to lock myself into cheap 4G/LTE pricing before it gets out of control and data caps, etc...
...but unless gaming is your thing, the Thunderbolt will do 90-95% of everything you need for at least the next two years. Sure I was holding out for the Galaxy SII, and I will probably sell the TB and buy a Dual Core phone off contract with the money that I make, but that is not even an issue at this point because this phone does EVERYTHING I need.
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I love my TB, i haven't even gotten to use 4G yet and i love it compared to my Eris. I think 3G is fast enough now that I have a phone that can handle using it lol. Also every Android phone will be obsolete after a year, this forum is proof that the hardware cannot keep up with the advancements in technology. I agree with you on selling my TB to get a phone with a Dual Core or a nicer video card but this phone gets me through the day and more using "Mobile Network" only when i need it because you don't need that sh!t on to text or call. Everyone that complains this thing is a heavy beast you are a retard imo, its a F'n phone its in your pocket and you don't feel it 95% of the day. When you hold a phone its usually for just over a minute maximum. If your holding off on the purchase of a phone because of weight you are a dumbass.
WOW at this thread lol espcially wow at the guy who said 1x was fine. I know personally I do tons of stuff that require the internet. Facebook/twitter/youtube/email/browsing. All that sucked on 1x it was like being on 56k I could only do one thing at a time and on top of that it did it slowly. Now my 4G is back I can surf the net pop over to facebook and twitter and still stream music/youtube with out missing a beat. 4G is serious
allquixotic said:
It's the first LTE smartphone to market. Ever. Period. In the whole world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope...
PJnc284 said:
uhm...no. MetroPCS beat Verizon to the punch on that one.
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+1, this is exactly what I was thinking when I read that post.
Turns out that I did care. My home WiFi happened to crap out the day before. While I did what I could to fix it, it became a lower priority with this phone. D'oh!
As to the larger issue of why buy this phone, I will chime in. Until VZW recently turned on LTE where I live, I thought it was going to be at least a year out. I was wrong. I had planned on buying a Dinc 2, as I loved my Dinc, and it would hold me out until LTE was where I was, and by then i'd have a number of choices.
Why I bought the Tbolt 2 weeks ago: 4G locked in at this price for at least 2 years. Can't predict the future, but this matters to me. Next: developer support. I don't like Moto, and devs really do an amazing job with HTC phones. I worried that the Dinc 2 would get no (or less) love. The LG and Sammy phones may turn out to be great but they are not released yet, and who knows what kind of dev support there will be.
Lastly, the sooner I upgraded (I was sitting on an early upgrade for almost a year), the sooner I can upgrade to the next or next next gen phone.
Phone has a bug or two, but no regrets at all (already rooted), and as I said I had thought my rooted Dinc was awesome.
Get a droid incredible
sent from planet snarf
Everyone has a butthole and everyone think theirs is more special than the other person but you shouldn't go around flaunting your asshole and telling others theirs should be like yours.
I'm running cm7.2 on my Motorola defy, and due to a need for more storage(64gb sd support) I am upgrading. I primarily do emails, music, and occasional photography and web browsing.
I am looking for a phone that has:
- Some sort of cyanogenmod support, official would be preferable.
- 64gb sd support.
- Decent battery life.
- 8mp camera, a good lense would also be nice.
- Gorilla glass.
- Smaller than the Galaxy S2, as my hands are too small.
- Decent specs.
I had a look at the htc sensation(not 4g), and it looked fine- except I've heard things about it overheating, and having abysmal battery life. I had a look at anker batteries, and the like but getting them shipped to my country would be expensive. It's my primary choice currently, but I'm still iffy about it, hence this thread.
Thankyou in advance.
Even though the Development is fantastic, I didn't find the Sensation much chop.
So far, the 64GB card has worked for me in:
HTC Vivid 4G
LG Nitro HD
Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100
Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 and i717
Dell Streak 5
HTC Incredible S (a bit patchy - required a few formats before it recognised)
There are some reports of it working in the Motorola Atrix also, although I didn't try it.
Hope this helps! It probably works in a lot more, these are just the ones I've tried personally
Thanks.
So as an opinion, would you recommend the Incredible S over the sensation if the two were relatively similar in price?
get the vivid or s2 9100, both fit ur needa to the T.
choovanski said:
Thanks.
So as an opinion, would you recommend the Incredible S over the sensation if the two were relatively similar in price?
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No. If they are similar in price, get the Sensation. The Incredible S, while excellent in everyday use, is much older on paper and is not worth the price of a Sensation.
The Development for Sensation here makes it a good phone. The only reasons I didn't like it was the out-of-box performance (no modifications), and the fact that out of three units I've owned, two have overheated or shorted out and died completely. Those experiences just left a bitter taste for me
I'd recommend a Vivid/Raider/Velocity (all the same phone) over anything else HTC at the moment. It's a pity you can't be pursuaded to the size of the GS2, as that's the best all-rounder on the market currently
Sensation is good. but if you like smaller hanset, I think Xperia sola is good for you. it's dual core and the rest of the specs are good too. they dont say that if its capable to use a 64GB sd card, but you can try it anyway. its a lil bit pricy tho..
...alternatively you can consider Droid Razr. a 64GB sdcard works in Razr too,
The vivid is twice the price of the sensation, and I will not be able to take advantage of the 4g.
My step-dad has the S2, and it's very nice- but I'm only 5'8 and have girly hands, so I can't reach all of the screen. It's a bummer.
Due to the sensation's overheating problems, would you recommend avoiding it completely? I'm getting mine(regardless of the price) shipped from Australia, or Singapore so I'm not sure how htc are about warranty. I have had terrible overheating problems, fire and all that with hp computers and would rather not go down that road again.
choovanski said:
The vivid is twice the price of the sensation, and I will not be able to take advantage of the 4g.
My step-dad has the S2, and it's very nice- but I'm only 5'8 and have girly hands, so I can't reach all of the screen. It's a bummer.
Due to the sensation's overheating problems, would you recommend avoiding it completely? I'm getting mine(regardless of the price) shipped from Australia, or Singapore so I'm not sure how htc are about warranty. I have had terrible overheating problems, fire and all that with hp computers and would rather not go down that road again.
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Click to collapse
What radio bands does your network use?
I found my Vivid right here on XDA for 300 dollars. Sensations here are around the 230 mark, so there isn't a whole lot of difference, unless you are looking at retail prices in which case there will be.
I personally will not touch another Sensation, but it may be completely bad luck on my part. There are plenty here who love it, and it's important to remember that for every member who raises an issue with their handset, there are 100 who have none
As far as warranty goes, handsets have to go back to country of origin for servicing if they are carrier branded. I believe an International warranty applied only on unbranded handsets - this may be incorrect though.
Even though I'm in Australia and ship a few phones myself, I'd recommend against sourcing from here if you can. Getting phones out of Australia is a nightmare due to silly Lithium battery regulations. I source most of my handsets from the US and Hong Kong Also, prices here are over-inflated for personal technology. We are one of the most expensive nations in the world for gadgets.
Out of curiosity, where are you located?
New Zealand. The prices for tech are stupidly high here, I would never buy in this country.
My network, 2degrees says "we run a 900MHz GSM network. Data is provided using both GPRS and EDGE technology. We provide HSDPA at 2100MHZ within our Mobile Broadband Zones. Outside our Mobile Broadband Zones we use 2G 900 MHz or 3G 2100MHz."
So those are the kind of specs I would need.
The Vivid is even bigger than the galaxy.. Wow. The sensation seems to be the same size, but feels a lot smaller. Maybe its the case my step-dad has on his. Will have to do a test.
Out of interest, how do you get phones on xda? Also how much is the S2 on here?
choovanski said:
New Zealand. The prices for tech are stupidly high here, I would never buy in this country.
My network, 2degrees says "we run a 900MHz GSM network. Data is provided using both GPRS and EDGE technology. We provide HSDPA at 2100MHZ within our Mobile Broadband Zones. Outside our Mobile Broadband Zones we use 2G 900 MHz or 3G 2100MHz."
So those are the kind of specs I would need.
The Vivid is even bigger than the galaxy.. Wow. The sensation seems to be the same size, but feels a lot smaller. Maybe its the case my step-dad has on his. Will have to do a test.
Out of interest, how do you get phones on xda? Also how much is the S2 on here?
Click to expand...
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Yeah, you poor buggers get hit harder than what we do. How's petrol there these days? It was 1.80 a litre last time I was there. We're not far off that here, now
2100MHz 3G you'll get on just about every phone in existence, same with 900MHz GSM. I use a Vivid daily and it's marginally smaller than the GS2, and very close to the size of the Sensation (just heavier).
There's a Marketplace here on XDA. Unfortunately they've just put a rule in place limiting access for newer members. Average going price here for a GS2 is around US350 for a black model. White ones a little higher. You're lucky in that you can take any model and it will work so long as it's unlocked. You'll need to factor in shipping also, it's around US50 for a phone and US60 for a tablet to Australia, don't expect it'd be much more to NZ.
I don't drive, and for that I am glad. Things are expensive here.
Well, I won't be able to use the market place due to restrictions. So I will have to settle for an import. Is AUSD410 a good price for a sensation, as I have a relative who would be able to pick one up for me in Australia when they go.
When you mentioned the lithium customs problem, does that go for the luggage that is not the carry on?
Sorry if it's too many questions, it's just I'm a student and I don't want to sink my money into a bad phone.
choovanski said:
I don't drive, and for that I am glad. Things are expensive here.
Well, I won't be able to use the market place due to restrictions. So I will have to settle for an import. Is AUSD410 a good price for a sensation, as I have a relative who would be able to pick one up for me in Australia when they go.
When you mentioned the lithium customs problem, does that go for the luggage that is not the carry on?
Sorry if it's too many questions, it's just I'm a student and I don't want to sink my money into a bad phone.
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Click to collapse
Carry-on luggage doesn't seem to be a problem (at least domestically), I carried multiple phones/tablets with me on my last couple of trips and didn't run into any issues.
To be honest, that's GS2 territory price-wise. What's your budget, and what do you most desire?
I just really want a device that supports 64gb sd, has a decent camera, a good battery and isn't huge. I'm still really iffy about phones the size of the galaxy S2, because I just can't reach all of the screen. The Incredible S is looking tempting, because of the size and the fact people say good things about it's battery life.
I wouldn't want want to spend much more than NZD550, which is AUD430 and USD450.
choovanski said:
I just really want a device that supports 64gb sd, has a decent camera, a good battery and isn't huge. I'm still really iffy about phones the size of the galaxy S2, because I just can't reach all of the screen. The Incredible S is looking tempting, because of the size and the fact people say good things about it's battery life.
I wouldn't want want to spend much more than NZD550, which is AUD430 and USD450.
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There's quite aa few options in your budget, but the size limitation rules out the majority, although I definitely understand it. I don't think I could comfortably use any of my phones one-handed!
You should be able to pick up an Incredible S for around the AU300 mark. I'm not 100% sure on comparability with a 64GB card, mine did work eventually but it took a few formats and a bit of coaxing, it certainly wasn't just drop-in-and-go.
What about one of the newer Sony Ericsson phones, like the Arc or Arc S, or even the Ray might be a better fit for you?
Sent from my HTC Vivid
The arc S looks very nice, and there are some cases where people have been able to get 64gb cards to work on it. While the headphone jack placement is bad, it's of a good size and has a great camera. If you know of a way that I could buy one for a decent price, I would be very grateful.
Nice choice. There is limited difference between the Arc and Arc S (just a hifher-clocked SoC and 1080p video) and no size difference at all, so even if the Arc S is out of budget, there wouldn't be a lot of difference in taking the Arc instead.
Is the width of the GS2 the off-putting feature? The Arc is narrower and thinner, but about the same length overall?
I'll see what I can dig up for you
Sent from my HTC Vivid
And the hight of the screen, I couldn't actually reach the status bar.
The arc is well within my price range, but I would like the faster processor of the arc s.
Thankyou so much for the help.
choovanski said:
And the hight of the screen, I couldn't actually reach the status bar.
The arc is well within my price range, but I would like the faster processor of the arc s.
Thankyou so much for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use this tool at PhoneArena to compare dimensions if you like. Remove the TyTN and add any four phones you like.
Chapest prices I could find you on the Arc S in Australia are eBay unfortunately. There are a couple here on the MP, but after shipping to Australia they'll come out more.
You're looking at around the 410 mark, that's including postage to Australia. I dug it up in white, silver and blue. I can't speak for the seller with the silver and blue units, but I can tell you that even though IMobilePhoneX send their stuff from Hong Kong, it is genuine and always factory fresh. I have dealt with them multiple times.
Anything else I can help with, let me know
Massive thanks.
I just order the arc S from IMobilePhoneX. Thanks for the recommendation. I assume it should be arriving before next Sunday, am I correct in that assumption?
Also, on a related note- are you running ICS, and if so is it really that much better than gingerbread?
Once again, thankyou.
choovanski said:
Massive thanks.
I just order the arc S from IMobilePhoneX. Thanks for the recommendation. I assume it should be arriving before next Sunday, am I correct in that assumption?
Also, on a related note- are you running ICS, and if so is it really that much better than gingerbread?
Once again, thankyou.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My pleasure.
I would guess so. That gives it seven days from HK, which is possible as they usually use a courier.
I am running ICS, but am not the biggest advocate for it. I dislike the 'stock' ICS launcher/UI, and only enjoy ICS on my Vivid because it has Sense over the top. It takes a few cues from Honeycomb naturally, and I wasn't the biggest fan of that UI either.
Performance-wise it is a definite improvement, especially with the GPU now rendering the little things like homescreen flicking, opening/flicking the app drawer etc. ICS on the Vivid is much more fluid and responsive than GB (not that GB was bad by any means - ICS is just noticeably better).
What annoys me the most is that it breaks compatibility with my favourite launcher, LauncherPro. There's no development for it anymore either, so it's probably going to be that way for a long time.
It all comes down to personal preference on the look, but the performance and rendering gains are definitely there
Hi everyone,
I'm a longtime lurker in these forums, and I'd love some advice on phone options.
I'm a Verizon Wireless customer, and for some specific reasons, have to stay that way.
My current phone is a Droid 2 Global. It's my first Android device. Previously, I had Windows Mobile, for phones and PDAs, dating all the way back to when it was called Windows CE.
I'm happy-ish with Android, and plan on staying with Android for now, but it's time to upgrade, and I'd like to do it while I can still stay on my grandfathered unlimited data plan (so anytime between now and the next 3-4 months).
I'd like to get a phone I'll be happy with for the next 2 years, so I'd like to have some future-facing features, like high resolution and NFC, in addition to enough RAM to run today's software and tomorrow's.
My current phone, the D2G, running the stock rom and the .629 update, is slow like a turtle moving through molasses. It once wasn't this way, and it's not overloaded with apps, but it's a situation I'd like to avoid in the future.
So, in my next phone, I'm looking for the following, and I can't seem to find a phone that has all of these features:
-removable, easily replaceable battery (so I can carry around more than one)
-global (GSM/HSPA) capability
-physical keyboard
-1 GB RAM or more
-dual core processor (or better)
-4G LTE
-ICS + moderately decent upgrade schedule for future releases
-NFC
-1280x720 screen
No phone matches all of these. The three phones that come closest are:
1. HTC Rezound: no physical keyboard or NFC
2. Samsung Galaxy Nexus: no physical keyboard or global capability
3. Droid 4: non-removable battery, no NFC, no 1280x720 screen
I travel internationally a couple of times a year, but not more frequently, so I suppose that I could just keep my current phone (the D2G, which is SIM-unlocked) for world-roaming purposes, and use it when I travel.
I've had a physical keyboard for a long time - my last 5 phones have had one, and I type much faster on it. I could give it up, but don't really want to.
I feel like NFC is a serious want-to-have, not for today, but for 12 months from now, when it'll be convenient and more common.
I want the higher resolution 1280x720 screen. I don't HAVE to have it, but when buying a phone for 2 years, it seems like it'd be foolish not to get it.
The other thing that tempts me is that it seems like we have phones with quad-core processors just around the corner - is it worth waiting a few more months to get one? My single core D2G was the fastest phone out there when I got it about two years ago, and now it's one of the absolute slowest - does it make sense to go dual core when quad cores are here?
---
Anyway, that's what I am thinking about. Can anyone provide some guidance?
Should I just bite the bullet and get the Galaxy Nexus, and travel globally with my slow-as-molasses D2G? Or should I saddle up with the Droid 4 and its sad screen, forget about replacing the battery, and live near a charger at all times? Or maybe just wait until something cooler comes out from around the corner?
Anyone?
Bueller? Bueller?
Wait a couple weeks for the S3 and either use your D2G for global use, or buy an incredible 2 or Droid 3 for global use on the cheap. Physical keyboard is worthless now, as screen sizes coupled with amazing auto correct software make touchscreen keyboards a breeze and an obvious choice.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Would you take the SIII over the Galaxy Nexus?
Are the non-Nexus Samsungs much harder to root?
I honestly love the Nexus. It's sexy and snappy. I bought one for my wife. I don't think the SIII will be harder to root than the Nexus. Your call really. The SIII will be newer and the "it" phone for a while, but the Nexus is still very capable and is gonna be way cheaper right now. You can probably get a Nexus for about $100 on contract as long as you avoid corporate Verizon stores. They will rape you on price and give you **** service. Check Costco or Best Buy in your area. They'll be cheaper on both devices than a Verizon store.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
one thing I would say about the resolution is that its a bit of a marketing ploy.
once you start getting above WVGA resolutions unless you perch the device on your nose its quite hard to tell the difference.
Whats more important is actually the screen tech, I can promise you that a decent panel at a lower res will look a lot better than a cheap or average panel with a high res.
Will time make a difference? nope, not unless you become very short sighted and actually have the device on the end of your nose
To be honest id agree with you on the NFC thing, if your set on keeping it for a few years it would be worth it, but that's a relatively newish tech hitting the markets, might be worth holding back a few months until Q3 12 to see whats in the pipe line. A lot more NFC devices will be coming out, one of them is bound to tick more of your boxes....
just a thought.
Nexus is always a good bet...
Coming from Sprint, I don't really know about Verizon's phones..
However,
Physical Keyboards are a dying breed. Most of these phones will be bulky and have bigger batteries or shorter battery life.
Currently typing this on my Galaxy Nexus, I highly recommended this phone.
Yes, there are only soft buttons (sans the power and volume), but its definitely future tech.
Amazing resolution (the screen has mfc defects, but they're often overlooked)
LTE, HSPA, GSM
And I do believe it has a place for your SIM card (Sprint doesn't use sim cards, so I'm not sure)
The phones extremely thin, light battery, and has a nice feeling curved glass and battery cover.
Great battery life once you unlock it and flash a battery mod.
No complaints here
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
I currently have an LG G2 with Sprint, but will be switching to T-Mobile in the next few days. As part of TMobile's program to pay my early termination fees with Sprint, I have to trade in my current phone (they're only giving me like $35 for my G2); I have to port my number; and I have to buy my new phone from them. (I know the Sprint phone wouldn't work with TM anyway)
I'm struggling over the decision to either stick with the G2 or try the Nexus 5. I've read numerous reviews about the Nexus 5, and the only things giving me pause are the battery life and camera performance. I understand there was an update that improved the camera, but that it's still just "ok".
Is there by chance anybody that has used both phones and could give me some feedback?
I absolutely LOVE the battery life on my G2. I came from a Galaxy Nexus when upgrading to the G2; with the GNex I could barely get through a day without charging. I even had a spare battery I took with me when travelling.
I also like the knock on feature; I'm so used to it that I find myself double tapping my tablet screen (ASUS TF300T) expecting it to turn on. It's not a deal breaker though.
MODS: I put this in the Q&A forum; should it have gone in General instead?
DFWDraco76 said:
MODS: I put this in the Q&A forum; should it have gone in General instead?
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Hi, this is the thread of LGG2 vs N5 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2512881
The features you are looking for, are possible on nexus 5 via custom kernel, but it consumes more battery when idle.
Camera is good on nexus 5 and battery much better than Gnex. Also, the Fun of android development is even better but if you really love the battery life + knock, you are free to stick with the G2, you won't regret it.
That being said, go to the link above for more info as this thread could be closed.
$35??? sprint phones really lose value..
Thanks; I hadn't seen that thread yet. Some of it was helpful, but most was just a flame war.
I hate that I can't actually hold the phone when I go into the store. I played with the N5 briefly on my lunch break. Walked away still having no idea which way I want to go.
The only reason I can think of for the low trade-in value of my G2 is just that Sprint uses different technology. I could get a heck of a lot more for it if I could sell it myself, but that's part of their deal to pay my ETF.
DFWDraco76 said:
Thanks; I hadn't seen that thread yet. Some of it was helpful, but most was just a flame war.
I hate that I can't actually hold the phone when I go into the store. I played with the N5 briefly on my lunch break. Walked away still having no idea which way I want to go.
The only reason I can think of for the low trade-in value of my G2 is just that Sprint uses different technology. I could get a heck of a lot more for it if I could sell it myself, but that's part of their deal to pay my ETF.
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If battery and camera are the only things you are worried about....
The camera is good on the Nexus 5. Its the software everyone complains about. But you can easily download a better camera app. I personally like the stock camera with the HDR+ feature pretty much always turned on though.
The battery, I couldnt say. The G2 has a 3000 mAh Battery and the Nexus 5 has a 2300 mAh battery. So obviously, the G2 would have better battery life. Its definitely better than the Galaxy Nexus though.
Some conflicting info on whether the latest Sim unlock hack allows usa gsm operators
Or sell your sprint lg g2 on eBay, buy a crappy sprint phone to trade in. Cheapet
My wife has the G2, I have the N5.
4 things stand out to me:
The g2's screen seems quite a bit less bright. She has trouble using it outside in the sun, I don't.
You can only get a 16GB N5 from Tmo, whereas the G2 is 32GB by default.
Yes, the G2's battery lasts WAY longer. She'll be around 70% by the end of the day, I'll be looking for a charger well before then. Similar usages. (that's not to say the N5's battery life is dismal, it's not. It easily goes for a full work day with >50% left. My SGS3 would sometimes be 20% into a second battery already at the end of a work day.)
I really hate LG's UI. It's as if it was designed by the children that brought you Hello Kitty and have grown up a little bit and got into phone UI design.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2500184
Point 4
Thread closed.
Hi everyone, my relay is approaching end of life and there is nothing on the market to replace it. There are so many OEMs and so many people who want a half decent Android QWERTY slider... I'm sure it's a matter of connecting demand and supply. Is there any platform similar to Kickstarter where you can "shop" or sell ideas, something like a petition to manufacturers? I'm sure a lot of people would commit $200 to a phone like this, the problem is that I cannot offer it myself since it's not my area of expertise...
Ideas welcome.
Cheers!
I'd sign that...
DITTO
Kickstarter doesn't really work for 'petitions', as the only people who can pick up the money involved is the project creators, and they'd be the only one who could deliver the goods, goals and other things associated.
I am in favour of such petition but it has no sense. Vendors will produce such device only if they feel demand of it. And if the demand will be sponsible. If no, they won't do it. And this type of devices is highly sophisticated therefore only great corporations (industry leaders) are able to produce it.
Nevertheless petition will help to make them sure in this demand.
Be aware that no one would be able to agree on the spec of it. Some people would say that the phone HAD to have a 6" or bigger screen, while others would say that the phone HAD to be no more than 4.5" diagonal, etc.
Then the manufacturers would release a phone of lesser spec than the Relay, somehow, like LG did with the feck.
I was thinking of switching to the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE for the slightly bigger screen and almost identical specs. The phone can be converted to use a SIM card, but the problem is with T-Mobile's use of 1700/2100 for HSPDA speeds while the Motorola does not support this unless I happen to get onto one of the refarmed EDGE networks.
In the end, it wasn't worth it so now I am waiting for another QWERTY phone as well. Another solution is to get a regular candybar phone and stick a bluetooth slider keyboard on it. Kind of crappy though.
John5788 said:
I was thinking of switching to the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE for the slightly bigger screen and almost identical specs. The phone can be converted to use a SIM card, but the problem is with T-Mobile's use of 1700/2100 for HSPDA speeds while the Motorola does not support this unless I happen to get onto one of the refarmed EDGE networks.
In the end, it wasn't worth it so now I am waiting for another QWERTY phone as well. Another solution is to get a regular candybar phone and stick a bluetooth slider keyboard on it. Kind of crappy though.
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There are no more sliders around. I was also picking up between relay and photon, chose the easier way (as I need sim card). Only LG F3Q, but its specs are rather worse then relay.
sorgo said:
There are no more sliders around. I was also picking up between relay and photon, chose the easier way (as I need sim card). Only LG F3Q, but its specs are rather worse then relay.
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http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5998&idPhone2=4914
True, but it has 4G LTE at the least. Might be worth to "upgrade" to for faster speeds.
Maybe we'll see a qwerty module for project ara: projectara.com - lets pray
John5788 said:
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5998&idPhone2=4914
True, but it has 4G LTE at the least. Might be worth to "upgrade" to for faster speeds.
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4gb internal storage? even the reviews in lg site itself are against it.