Database Info

Best starter android phone?

So I'm looking to get my first android powered device , my question is what do you guys suggest to be a good phone for my first experience? Looking at spending around $500 usd budget (will go over for something I really like, but no $800 desire hd stuff lol), and don't want something "out of date" or have a poor build quality.
here is some info to go off of:
-I am not eligible for a upgrade so will pay retail
-In the us
-at&t carrier, no data, so any at&t specific phones are out of the question
-have wifi in vehicle and anywhere I go (one main reason I don't have a data plan)
-like a big screen and or keyboard since my hands aren't exactly small
Thanks in advance for any help. Also one more question that I haven't found the answer for, I saw a marketplace while signing up but cant view, what are the requirements to view?

p.s. I think this might belong in the Q and A section...

my first smartphone was the palm pixi a fantastic OS but then went to htc hero id say thats now a beginners phone
now im with an epic

You could probably score a used Nexus One on eBay or Craigslist for $500.

TheBiles said:
You could probably score a used Nexus One on eBay or Craigslist for $500.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is one thing that I've thought about, I've also looked at the htc desire, its a little more then other phones but i like the design and the extra ram it offers.

I think nexus one. Just my .02

Thanks for the responses, I guess I need to start hunting for a good condition nexus one. Am I correct for saying that you can not buy them new anymore?

if you can get one (UK only afaik), the Orange San Francisco seems to be a good phone to start with, at about £90.
It's the ZTE Blade, and has an HDPI (high res) screen and reasonable CPU etc.
Worth a look if you can lay your hands on one.

zte blade has a nice exterior, probably one of my favorites so far . But the processor seems a little slow (clock wise), anyone have any experience with how well the Qualcomm MSM7227 competes with say a snapdragon or samsung hummerbird cpu?

id get a nexus one or desire, there not too expensive anymore and have ample power to keep up with technology for the next couple of years, the hero is good but its starting to show its age now, it depends what you want, the nexus one is better built imo but the desire has more ram and an optical trackpad instead of a trackball

Just remember if you do purchase a T-Mobile Nexus One - and you end up getting a data plan down the line.. your stuck on Edge forever while on AT&T's network.
There are AT&T Nexus One's out there.. but your going to be paying a premium.

AndroHero said:
id get a nexus one or desire, there not too expensive anymore and have ample power to keep up with technology for the next couple of years, the hero is good but its starting to show its age now, it depends what you want, the nexus one is better built imo but the desire has more ram and an optical trackpad instead of a trackball
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the trackball like blackberrys dumb trackball? I hated that thing with a passion when I tried to use it (even though touch screen means I will rarely use it). I have never used a optical trackpad before. Is it like say running your finger on the bottom of a laser mouse? I know it is kinda bad analogy.
avgjoegeek said:
Just remember if you do purchase a T-Mobile Nexus One - and you end up getting a data plan down the line.. your stuck on Edge forever while on AT&T's network.
There are AT&T Nexus One's out there.. but your going to be paying a premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have been looking around on craigslist and what not, t-mobile ones in mint condition run about $400, while ones bought straight from google run about $450, which I would want anyways so I don't have all the tmobile bloatware from the get go.

SnafuPossum said:
Yes, I have been looking around on craigslist and what not, t-mobile ones in mint condition run about $400, while ones bought straight from google run about $450, which I would want anyways so I don't have all the tmobile bloatware from the get go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude... removing bloatware takes every bit of 10 minutes. I'm assuming that you're going to root anyways, so just save yourself $50.

So you can remove it? Did not know that. Yes I will root it, but I just wont our of the box because of a laziness factor lol. (atleast im truthful )

SnafuPossum said:
So you can remove it? Did not know that. Yes I will root it, but I just wont our of the box because of a laziness factor lol. (atleast im truthful )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easily, and the chances are that any custom ROM you flash will be already purged of bloatware.

The Nexus One is a great starter phone. I personally started with a cheap G1 I found on craigslist. The owner had bought a new phone and didn't know about modding and even after I told him he wasn't interested in doing it. After a while I traded up and got the Nexus One.
The good thing about the T-Mobile version of the N1 is that if you do decide to get data service, and you're okay with the EDGE speeds (slower than 3G), then you can pay the cheaper price for the data plan. I've heard from here and there of people with the AT&T version of the Nexus One having their phone automatically upgraded to the more expensive data plan because Google must have given them an updated IMEI list for the phones.

Well just a update, purchased a Desire HD. Waiting for it in the mail, I can't wait!

**OFFICIAL** What Phone Should I Buy?

Attention!
In light of all the posts that are deleted and/or closed due to many off-topic posts about what device a person should buy, I have created this official thread.
Although XDA is not a place to extensively talk about what device person should buy, some forums permit it. So to help keep the threads a little cleaner, you may post your questions here.
Granted there are other sites more into device reviews and comparisons, but in the interest of keeping some people happy, and to avoid getting posts deleted, this thread is created for people who have no idea what device to get.
In the end, you should still march your happy self to a shop, and play with the devices that are available. Only then will you be satisfied with your purchase.
Any posts elsewhere asking such questions, that should be in this thread, will still be deleted or closed. This includes posting multi-duplicated posts in several forums outside of official threads.
Thanks, and Hope you use this.

pre order the htc one!!!!
wel, i had the atrix 4g and did alot with it. now i got the atrix 2. i like it more in terms of camera screen and overall feel and preformance, but this bootloader it bringing me down in terms of wanting more out of this awesome phone. so, with that said....around the ninth of may i will be leaving the atrix 2 threads as i have just pre ordered a htc one on [email protected] and will be moving there. the atrix 2 is going to a good friend as we are on aplan together but he has no knowledge of android so seeing that its already rooted and has a custom rom im sure ill he back off and on keeping him up to date with the latest and greatest i know this phone will get here soon. thanks devs for all the hard work for this device and maybe ill see a few of you in the htc one threads.

Unlocked Galaxy Nexus, no contract, $400 direct from Google. No brainer
Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk

loved my atrix 4g. favorite phone ever. screen broke though and insurance didn't have any more so i had to get an atrix 2. build quality, screen and camera are better. sacrificed fingerprint sensor, battery life and slightly better processor for it though. also the dev support on the atrix 2 doesn't come close to the support for the OG atrix.

Galaxy S III
Guys what do you think? Is it worth it to buy Galaxy S III right now?? Later? Or don't buy it at all?!

V1P3R92 said:
Guys what do you think? Is it worth it to buy Galaxy S III right now?? Later? Or don't buy it at all?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd get a Nexus just because the SIII is basically a beefier Nexus with TouchWiz 4.0 instead of straight ICS, but that's more personal preference than anything.

V1P3R92 said:
Guys what do you think? Is it worth it to buy Galaxy S III right now?? Later? Or don't buy it at all?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galaxy S III will be a great phone, they rooted it before it was even released and they already have an insecure kernel and boot image, so if you like ROMs and flashing. then that is the phone to get.
I will have a Galaxy S III the day it is released. I am in no way getting rid of the Atrix2, it will no longer be my daily driver, so I can hack the crap out the Atrix2, and get us some more great things, without having to worry about not being able to use my phone for an extended period of time, if I want to work on something over a whole weekend or something.

acondie13 said:
loved my atrix 4g. favorite phone ever. screen broke though and insurance didn't have any more so i had to get an atrix 2. build quality, screen and camera are better. sacrificed fingerprint sensor, battery life and slightly better processor for it though. also the dev support on the atrix 2 doesn't come close to the support for the OG atrix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the boat I am in...my screen has gone bonkers, and my IT group wants to replace my Atrix with the Atrix 2. I had written off the A2 when they first gave me a choice...but this time I don't have a choice. Too bad because I have just about all the OG Atrix docks (car, lapdock, standard, HD, etc).
What I really want to know is whether or not I can modify the unit. With the OG Atrix now starting to see ICS with CM9 and AOKP, what will I be missing with the A2?

S3 or One X w'd be better choice
s3 comes with cheap build quality and One X lags in spite of its Quad core factor.
Sent from my MB865 using xda premium

kc92iyngr said:
S3 or One X w'd be better choice
s3 comes with cheap build quality and One X lags in spite of its Quad core factor.
Sent from my MB865 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly they are looking like the 2 strong contenders..... Sg3 boast a bit more cutting edge features and looks like one x does not have sd storage????? If I had the choice it would be Sg3 all day..... All boils down to preferences and needs do you need all Sg3 offers or would one x work for you.....

every htc phone sux in battery department....while SG3 Luks cheapish 4 a very high end phone ....i think sg2 is best and since price have gone down it more of a better choice...it can do everything what sg3 nd htc one x do....the only thing i t lacks is a hd display ....but seriously i saw htc one x nd SG2 hand to hand nd i dont notice any diffence in display pixel density....both look same....nothing big difference its just a hype of hd nothing more ......

justin
cool beans

I'm trying to decide if I should trade the Atrix 2 for a SGS2. Somebody at craigslits wants to trade. What do you think?

Shoot, I would take that offer.

nahuelarg86 said:
I'm trying to decide if I should trade the Atrix 2 for a SGS2. Somebody at craigslits wants to trade. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've posted my MB865 both on eBay and on Craig's List, and no takers. I've set the price very low and still have no luck trying to offload it. Guess I will just choke down the $199.00 from AT&T with a new 2 year for the SGS3.
C'es la vie...

Best Buy will probably buy it from you. Now I'm glad that I got the "buyback guarantee" thing. Once my contract is up I'll get about $150 for it to put towards another phone...more if I go in earlier. Earlier's looking good.

just wandering what you want to do that you can't with the A2 besides use a new rom everyday?

rdhoggattjr said:
just wandering what you want to do that you can't with the A2 besides use a new rom everyday?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOSP and AOKP are not going to work unless we unlock the bootloader. That is what I really like... I think blur is clumsy and fat...
The ONLY things about this phone that are great is that it is solid, and the battery is amazing.
Developing anything on this phone is a pain... my sgs 3 will be here tomorrow or tues at the latest, and I already have a kernel and cm9 compiled and ready to test and release over there.

RowanOak said:
Best Buy will probably buy it from you. Now I'm glad that I got the "buyback guarantee" thing. Once my contract is up I'll get about $150 for it to put towards another phone...more if I go in earlier. Earlier's looking good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen this mentioned a couple of times and am curious - does Best Buy only buy back phones purchased from their store, or could I turn in my Atrix 2 purchased from an AT&T location?

aguacateojos said:
I've seen this mentioned a couple of times and am curious - does Best Buy only buy back phones purchased from their store, or could I turn in my Atrix 2 purchased from an AT&T location?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it does not have to have been bought at a best buy. I traded my HTC inspire that I bought at an AT&T corp store for the A2 and I had money left to buy a 32GB and a 64GB SDcard.
So basically I got the A2 and a 32GB SDcard, and a 64GB SDcard all for trading in my HTC Inspire 4g that was bought for 99 bucks at an AT&T corp store. So basically the phone was free and they gave me 2 SDcards with it...
Now I will say if you have ANY issues BB will screw you over, so be careful, and if you have an issue they will MAKE you get a geek squad monthly support contract... I told them to F-off, and took the first A2 that broke into the AT&T Corp store right across the street and AT&T still took care of me.
Oh, and I bought my SGS 3 from the AT&T website... no more BB after the issues with support even though it was 32 days after purchase.
I will say though, that if you need to trade your phone in to get another one, for money reasons, BB is the place to go. I have heard of certain AT&T corp stores doing trade ins, but the ones around me have never done that.

Nexus 5 16gb vs LG G2 32gb same price!

Hi all,
I'm new to all this so please bare with me a little bit. I've used apple products for many years, but in getting a little sick of iOS7 and the lack of jaibreak. So I've decided to make the leap to android (something I never thought I would do).
I have my choices narrowed down to the Nexus 5 and LG G2. Both phones at currently available for $99 on 2 yr term. The Nexus only comes in the 16gb version while the G2 is 32gb for the same price. I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. I like the Nexus 5 because it gets the OS updates fast and won't require removal of bloat. It's also unlocked.
The G2 seems to have a slight hardware edge with battery life, camera and screen size. It's also 32gb, but it's not stock android and is carrier locked.
My question is, given the same price for both, is it better to get the nexus 5 or get the G2 and use a custom rom to mimic the stock nexus 5? Will it be a hassle to keep the G2 updated, and how bug free would the experience be?
Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum section, there's so many to choose from!
Thanks
SB

SillyBearito said:
Hi all,
I'm new to all this so please bare with me a little bit. I've used apple products for many years, but in getting a little sick of iOS7 and the lack of jaibreak. So I've decided to make the leap to android (something I never thought I would do).
I have my choices narrowed down to the Nexus 5 and LG G2. Both phones at currently available for $99 on 2 yr term. The Nexus only comes in the 16gb version while the G2 is 32gb for the same price. I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. I like the Nexus 5 because it gets the OS updates fast and won't require removal of bloat. It's also unlocked.
The G2 seems to have a slight hardware edge with battery life, camera and screen size. It's also 32gb, but it's not stock android and is carrier locked.
My question is, given the same price for both, is it better to get the nexus 5 or get the G2 and use a custom rom to mimic the stock nexus 5? Will it be a hassle to keep the G2 updated, and how bug free would the experience be?
Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum section, there's so many to choose from!
Thanks
SB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are not the same price, the G2 is like $600 because of all the monthly payments you have to make. I'd go with the Nexus 5 because once you buy it, you actually own it.

SillyBearito said:
Hi all,
I'm new to all this so please bare with me a little bit. I've used apple products for many years, but in getting a little sick of iOS7 and the lack of jaibreak. So I've decided to make the leap to android (something I never thought I would do).
I have my choices narrowed down to the Nexus 5 and LG G2. Both phones at currently available for $99 on 2 yr term. The Nexus only comes in the 16gb version while the G2 is 32gb for the same price. I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. I like the Nexus 5 because it gets the OS updates fast and won't require removal of bloat. It's also unlocked.
The G2 seems to have a slight hardware edge with battery life, camera and screen size. It's also 32gb, but it's not stock android and is carrier locked.
My question is, given the same price for both, is it better to get the nexus 5 or get the G2 and use a custom rom to mimic the stock nexus 5? Will it be a hassle to keep the G2 updated, and how bug free would the experience be?
Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum section, there's so many to choose from!
Thanks
SB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound like you are on Sprint, right? I would say just get the Nexus 5 from the Play Store, and then sign up for the $60 BYOD on Sprint. You would end up saving more money. Also, I just don't like the LG skin, so I'm a little biased.
PS The battery life on the G2 is much much better than the N5 though, so that's something to think about too, if that's important to you.

stevew84 said:
They are not the same price, the G2 is like $600 because of all the monthly payments you have to make. I'd go with the Nexus 5 because once you buy it, you actually own it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure I follow. I'm in Canada on Rogers. I'm currently out of contract and don't really intend to switch carriers because my wife and I share a plan and she's locked in for 2 more years.
The hardware upgrade for either phone is $99 with a 2 year contract, I'm not changing plans or paying anything additional, just $99 to upgrade.

Well, if you were into the jailbreaking scene then you would most definitely be into rooting, custom roms etc. Therefore, I vote for the N5. Nexus = Endless possibilities. Also, with the new features implemented by many roms such as ParanoidAndroid, Cyanogenmod etc, you'd never get bored.

joshyth said:
Sound like you are on Sprint, right? I would say just get the Nexus 5 from the Play Store, and then sign up for the $60 BYOD on Sprint. You would end up saving more money. Also, I just don't like the LG skin, so I'm a little biased.
PS The battery life on the G2 is much much better than the N5 though, so that's something to think about too, if that's important to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Rogers in Canada. Battery life is a little important, but i almost always have a plug nearby to charge. Memory size is also a little important.
I'll most likely be rooting the G2 to bring it to the stock level of the N5. I'm just not sure how easy that is to do.

SillyBearito said:
Not sure I follow. I'm in Canada on Rogers. I'm currently out of contract and don't really intend to switch carriers because my wife and I share a plan and she's locked in for 2 more years.
The hardware upgrade for either phone is $99 with a 2 year contract, I'm not changing plans or paying anything additional, just $99 to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you have a tough decision to make, honestly. A huge advantage of the Nexus 5 is that it packs excellent specs into a device that is affordable off contract. Buying the Nexus subsidized on a contract kind of defeats this cost-saving advantage, as you'll end up paying quite a bit more for the device over your two year contract. Price-wise, you'd be getting a much larger subsidy if you bought the G2 on contract vs. the N5.
Now, comparing the devices: I prefer the look and feel of the N5 hardware over the G2, but the G2 has a better battery and camera. And I really dislike the button placement on the G2, though it doesn't seem to bother others. And other than these things they're neck and neck performance-wise. You'll get quicker Android updates, more xda development activitiy, and kit-kat out of the box with the Nexus 5.

I can't say much for the g2 since I haven't used it so my response would be biased.
However what I can say is go look at the G2 development forums for your carrier and compare that to the N5 development section here.
Personally I've been with the galaxy S line since its launch (Galaxy S Epic 4g, Galaxy s3 and Galaxy s4) and when the Nexus 5 launched at such a low price I just couldn't pass up the fact that its a "universal" phone where developers can create a ROM and it works for everyone easily. Where as my previous phones (and the G2) split the developers up based on their carrier. Some devs ported their ROMs to all carriers for their device and that is much respected but I feel the N5 being "universal" can't be beat if you're a software junkie like myself.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

SemiGamer said:
I can't say much for the g2 since I haven't used it so my response would be biased.
However what I can say is go look at the G2 development forums for your carrier and compare that to the N5 development section here.
Personally I've been with the galaxy S line since its launch (Galaxy S Epic 4g, Galaxy s3 and Galaxy s4) and when the Nexus 5 launched at such a low price I just couldn't pass up the fact that its a "universal" phone where developers can create a ROM and it works for everyone easily. Where as my previous phones (and the G2) split the developers up based on their carrier. Some devs ported their ROMs to all carriers for their device and that is much respected but I feel the N5 being "universal" can't be beat if you're a software junkie like myself.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a bit of a software junkie, but only to the point where I've customized my phone just the way I like it. If I can achieve that customization with the G2 and be able to maintain it without too many bugs then I may lean towards the G2. It's hard to pass up that extra battery life and storage capacity. Ugh this is a tough choice.
I'll take your advice and check the G2 forums though!
Thanks

SillyBearito said:
I am a bit of a software junkie, but only to the point where I've customized my phone just the way I like it. If I can achieve that customization with the G2 and be able to maintain it without too many bugs then I may lean towards the G2. It's hard to pass up that extra battery life and storage capacity. Ugh this is a tough choice.
I'll take your advice and check the G2 forums though!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome. By glancing at the g2 forums I don't see a KitKat ROM, not sure if that's important to you or not.
The way I see it is go with the G2 if battery life, Camera and Storage outweigh your needs for the best software.
I don't use the camera for anything professional so the n5 camera is plenty for me, the battery life doesn't matter because I have wireless charging plates I just throw my phone on around the house. And the storage is completely different for everyone but 16gb is enough for me currently (Can't have as many 1gb games installed but never played them all at once anyway on my s4)
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

G2
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

SillyBearito said:
I'm in Canada on Rogers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say that's your biggest conundrum right there. Can't wait till my contract's up in Feb and I can go to Koodo or Virgin. Or perhaps not wait that long even and jump ship when I see a better deal
On-topic, as a noob to Android customization and a customer of Rogers, I would say go for the G2. It seems you wish to stay on-contract and you'd be getting the better deal hardware-wise.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

Kesmar88 said:
I would say that's your biggest conundrum right there. Can't wait till my contract's up in Feb and I can go to Koodo or Virgin. Or perhaps not wait that long even and jump ship when I see a better deal
On-topic, as a noob to Android customization and a customer of Rogers, I would say go for the G2. It seems you wish to stay on-contract and you'd be getting the better deal hardware-wise.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your input. It's not that I want I stay under contract, it's just more logical that way right now. And yes I fully agree on the hardware aspect. The only thing nexus has that's better is the software support. I'm eager to learn about rooting and using custom mods, buts it's hard to justify the nexus purchase just for that.
I did read somewhere that G2 will get KitKat eventually, maybe it'll get better?

SillyBearito said:
I appreciate your input. It's not that I want I stay under contract, it's just more logical that way right now. And yes I fully agree on the hardware aspect. The only thing nexus has that's better is the software support. I'm eager to learn about rooting and using custom mods, buts it's hard to justify the nexus purchase just for that.
I did read somewhere that G2 will get KitKat eventually, maybe it'll get better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LG is planning to release KitKat eventually, but there's no set date. Also, from prior experience, if you're going to rely on official OTA updates, Rogers is the worst on releasing them in a timely manner. My prior phone was an S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and it was the last one out of the S2 family to upgrade to ICS, not to mention it was not optimized at all and actually ran worse than Gingerbread. Thankfully, it was all good when the JB update showed up but that took a while as well. Since I'm not getting KitKat on it, I bought the N5 off the play store since carriers are only carrying 16 GB.

Kesmar88 said:
LG is planning to release KitKat eventually, but there's no set date. Also, from prior experience, if you're going to rely on official OTA updates, Rogers is the worst on releasing them in a timely manner. My prior phone was an S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and it was the last one out of the S2 family to upgrade to ICS, not to mention it was not optimized at all and actually ran worse than Gingerbread. Thankfully, it was all good when the JB update showed up but that took a while as well. Since I'm not getting KitKat on it, I bought the N5 off the play store since carriers are only carrying 16 GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see the issue there. I'm hoping to not rely on Rogers and their OTA and just root it and update it myself. That reminds me, I should prob expect even more bloat with Rogers.
Or I could just go with the nexus and never have to worry about that.

Kesmar88 said:
LG is planning to release KitKat eventually, but there's no set date. Also, from prior experience, if you're going to rely on official OTA updates, Rogers is the worst on releasing them in a timely manner. My prior phone was an S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and it was the last one out of the S2 family to upgrade to ICS, not to mention it was not optimized at all and actually ran worse than Gingerbread. Thankfully, it was all good when the JB update showed up but that took a while as well. Since I'm not getting KitKat on it, I bought the N5 off the play store since carriers are only carrying 16 GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As noted before if you want the quickest updates (official and unofficial) than the n5 is a must, if you want to take a lot of pictures than the camera on the G2 and storage space is better at that.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

Have you thought about getting a Iphone 5s on contract, selling it, then buying the nexus 5? I would do that instead of getting the nexus 5 directly from the carrier. That way you end up with extra money in your pockets since you can sell the Iphone for more then the nexus 5 costs from the play store.

hammester said:
Have you thought about getting a Iphone 5s on contract, selling it, then buying the nexus 5? I would do that instead of getting the nexus 5 directly from the carrier. That way you end up with extra money in your pockets since you can sell the Iphone for more then the nexus 5 costs from the play store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a great idea. Take a look at the resale value of the phones available without a contract. Pick the one that gives you the best profit and do that. Use the money to buy a Nexus 5 if you like the phone. I did that recently and actually have another $100 extra to spend on accessories.

[Q] Best Phone for $200

Could anyone point me in the direction of a decent phone, non Samsung, for roughly $200. I use Selectel Wireless and they are going 4g soon and I am going to use my S4 there and look at upgrading, to a point, and have been looking at the LG G3. Any comments on the phone?

Illogi.xbone said:
Could anyone point me in the direction of a decent phone, non Samsung, for roughly $200. I use Selectel Wireless and they are going 4g soon and I am going to use my S4 there and look at upgrading, to a point, and have been looking at the LG G3. Any comments on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol i was going to coment on the lg g3.
its a pretty great phone, the specs are really good. and its at a good price.
im not into samsung so i guess were sorta looking for the same thing.
theres also the turbo, thats alot of batery life and i hear its heavy duty.
my contract expires next month and im looking to update, im gonna go with the LG G3

Phurkus said:
lol i was going to coment on the lg g3.
its a pretty great phone, the specs are really good. and its at a good price.
im not into samsung so i guess were sorta looking for the same thing.
theres also the turbo, thats alot of batery life and i hear its heavy duty.
my contract expires next month and im looking to update, im gonna go with the LG G3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G3 does look nice spec wise and software, to a point, will probably still root and flash a custom recovery if available. I plan on purchasing a phone through Swappa, again, which is where I got my S4 on MDK so I could get rid of touchwiz. The Turbo looks great but idk seems a bit expensive to purchase used or outright. S4 has decent HW and with no more touchwiz is much more usable. I would recommend Swappa to anyone looking to purchase a used phone or off contract phone.

Illogi.xbone said:
The G3 does look nice spec wise and software, to a point, will probably still root and flash a custom recovery if available. I plan on purchasing a phone through Swappa, again, which is where I got my S4 on MDK so I could get rid of touchwiz. The Turbo looks great but idk seems a bit expensive to purchase used or outright. S4 has decent HW and with no more touchwiz is much more usable. I would recommend Swappa to anyone looking to purchase a used phone or off contract phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im under that verizon family plan. so im gonna stay here. lol. ill post on your thread if i find another phone that i think is worth mentioning

I do not blame you lol but I pay for mine and with average usage would save money switching.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app

Illogi.xbone said:
Could anyone point me in the direction of a decent phone, non Samsung, for roughly $200. I use Selectel Wireless and they are going 4g soon and I am going to use my S4 there and look at upgrading, to a point, and have been looking at the LG G3. Any comments on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd recommend both the LG G3 and the Moto G. Both in your price range, but still high-end-ish, with plenty of ROMs, support, and modding here on XDA.

Thank you for the recommendation the g3 looks nice I need to upgrade in size but not necessarily too far up in hardware
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app

Thinking of coming over from Samsung?

Greetings;
I'm almost convinced to sell my Sammy S8+ and buying an HTC U11!
What I need to know is this: is there an advantage to get a specific variant
over another as far as the "Rom/Kernel Development" goes?
I live in Canada but can also import one or even get a "US unlocked" unit.
Thank you.

samteeee said:
Greetings;
I'm almost convinced to sell my Sammy S8+ and buying an HTC U11!
What I need to know is this: is there an advantage to get a specific variant
over another as far as the "Rom/Kernel Development" goes?
I live in Canada but can also import one or even get a "US unlocked" unit.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, those of us who have been with HTC since the beginning of time welcome you with open arms... but before that, there's a few things we have to go over on our "Are-You-Worthy-Of-The-HTC-Phone-Checklist"
1. Do you constantly wish you could change your phone to fit your needs (you're that guy that always has something unique or flashy on their phone)?
2. Are you a nerd, geek or maybe have high aspirations to be either (Blessed are the nerds, for they shall inherit the earth)?
3. Are you a selfless, confident guy who values quality and uniqueness over useless features?
4. Do you promise to remain faithful, year after year, even if HTC fails to produce devices worthy of your C.H.C (cold hard cash)?
If so, then I recommend going after the regular Unlocked HTC U11 (US version). International version from my experience though comes with dual sims, take longer to get updates and other critical software improvements.
Ditch Sammy and grab the HTC. You might even find yourself with a sexy nerdy chick on your arm! :good:

Splaya said:
Well, those of us who have been with HTC since the beginning of time welcome you with open arms... but before that, there's a few things we have to go over on our "Are-You-Worthy-Of-The-HTC-Phone-Checklist"
If so, then I recommend going after the regular Unlocked HTC U11 (US version). International version from my experience though comes with dual sims, take longer to get updates and other critical software improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got the U.S. unlocked version and it has 2 sims or it can be used with 1 sim and an sdcard.
My suggestion is get the 6GB/128GB unlocked version ... this way you can use both simslots if you need to and still have more than enough storage. :laugh:

samteeee said:
Greetings;
I'm almost convinced to sell my Sammy S8+ and buying an HTC U11!
What I need to know is this: is there an advantage to get a specific variant
over another as far as the "Rom/Kernel Development" goes?
I live in Canada but can also import one or even get a "US unlocked" unit.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the exynos version if you care about root , otherwise stick with a Canadian version. Never know if Samsung falls back to how they treated the unlocked USA Gs7/edge lineup
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

htc fan89 said:
Get the exynos version if you care about root , otherwise stick with a Canadian version. Never know if Samsung falls back to how they treated the unlocked USA Gs7/edge lineup
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for replying.
I have the "Exynos" Sim-Free UK. My coming over t HTC is not just to gain root !

Splaya said:
Well, those of us who have been with HTC since the beginning of time welcome you with open arms... but before that, there's a few things we have to go over on our "Are-You-Worthy-Of-The-HTC-Phone-Checklist"
1. Do you constantly wish you could change your phone to fit your needs (you're that guy that always has something unique or flashy on their phone)?
2. Are you a nerd, geek or maybe have high aspirations to be either (Blessed are the nerds, for they shall inherit the earth)?
3. Are you a selfless, confident guy who values quality and uniqueness over useless features?
4. Do you promise to remain faithful, year after year, even if HTC fails to produce devices worthy of your C.H.C (cold hard cash)?
If so, then I recommend going after the regular Unlocked HTC U11 (US version). International version from my experience though comes with dual sims, take longer to get updates and other critical software improvements.
Ditch Sammy and grab the HTC. You might even find yourself with a sexy nerdy chick on your arm! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol.
No
Yes
Definitely
I'll promise, lol.
But in all seriousness I miss smooth UI and great performance that is not hindered by laggy software. And great development as well.
Otherwise the GS8+ design is in my opinion one of the best, if not the best.
Thank you.

I went to get S8 today, all S8 and S8+ devices there had burned in displays, it's also weird that Samsung store has on display devices looking like that. No way i'm getting AMOLED phone again until they improve that. Now i'm looking at U11.

Dejan Kruljac said:
I went to get S8 today, all S8 and S8+ devices there had burned in displays, it's also weird that Samsung store has on display devices looking like that. No way i'm getting AMOLED phone again until they improve that. Now i'm looking at U11.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a display/demo unit. I've had many Galaxys and Notes, but never experienced "burned in or ghost on my phones
and also now you have the option of hide and immersive in Tochwis.

samteeee said:
That is a display/demo unit. I've had many Galaxys and Notes, but never experienced "burned in or ghost on my phones
and also now you have the option of hide and immersive in Tochwis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have S6 that's a mess, started showing burn in after a year, and now after two years it's very bad. I use navigation in a car and that's main reason. I still might consider S8 but i like U11 more and more.

Dejan Kruljac said:
I have S6 that's a mess, started showing burn in after a year, and now after two years it's very bad. I use navigation in a car and that's main reason. I still might consider S8 but i like U11 more and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I'm thinking of putting my S8+ up for sale so I can buy the U11.

Just do it........
Best build and smooth UI on the market......
Sent from my HTC 2PZC100 using Tapatalk

I moved from Samsung to HTC 2 years ago and never looked back since. I'm not even tempted to.
Beamed in by telepathy.

This thing flies! I'm not sure if it's because I disabled animation in Developer options but this is really fast! The unit is slippery at the same time for me it feels very nice to hold. Premium build as expected from HTC. And yes the camera...its great! 6GB/128GB here?

Just got it in Black. S8 display was to narrow for me.

Dejan Kruljac said:
I have S6 that's a mess, started showing burn in after a year, and now after two years it's very bad. I use navigation in a car and that's main reason. I still might consider S8 but i like U11 more and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was a S6 owner too. Indeed, I think S6 is pretty than U11 but TouchWiz UI is a big mess and got memory problem during multi-tasking.

samteeee said:
Greetings;
I'm almost convinced to sell my Sammy S8+ and buying an HTC U11!
What I need to know is this: is there an advantage to get a specific variant
over another as far as the "Rom/Kernel Development" goes?
I live in Canada but can also import one or even get a "US unlocked" unit.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I went from the s8+ to the G6, lasted 1 day back to the s8+ then I got the OnePlus 5. Ditched the s8+ for the oneplus. Lost the great display but gained a smooth lag free experience. Then I got a great deal on the HTC U11. Never considered HTC before that. Never been a fan of touch U11 and their cameras we always ****ty. So when the U11 Dxomark rated 90 came along it seemed like an obvious choice. So now I got rid of the oneplus 5 and I'm rocking the U11 until the note 8 comes along.
The U11 software experience is just as smooth as the oneplus 5 with half the ram so better than the s8+. Only downside imo is the UI it's very dated. It basically looks like kit kat. The theming engine is laughable and sense is way too invasive. On the upside the design and finish is great, the screen is surprisingly good and the sound is also very good. So in the end somehow HTC U11>Oneplus5 >S8+
And yeah no lag.
Did I mention no lag... ?

mrnovanova said:
Well I went from the s8+ to the G6, lasted 1 day back to the s8+ then I got the OnePlus 5. Ditched the s8+ for the oneplus. Lost the great display but gained a smooth lag free experience. Then I got a great deal on the HTC U11. Never considered HTC before that. Never been a fan of touch U11 and their cameras we always ****ty. So when the U11 Dxomark rated 90 came along it seemed like an obvious choice. So now I got rid of the oneplus 5 and I'm rocking the U11 until the note 8 comes along.
The U11 software experience is just as smooth as the oneplus 5 with half the ram so better than the s8+. Only downside imo is the UI it's very dated. It basically looks like kit kat. The theming engine is laughable and sense is way too invasive. On the upside the design and finish is great, the screen is surprisingly good and the sound is also very good. So in the end somehow HTC U11>Oneplus5 >S8+
And yeah no lag.
Did I mention no lag... ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your reply.
And I also thought about OP5, I mean excellent price, power and software and unreal Dev activity,
almost like the "Nexus" what use to be! But as soon as I sell my S8+, I'll get a U11.

samteeee said:
Thank you for your reply.
And I also thought about OP5, I mean excellent price, power and software and unreal Dev activity,
almost like the "Nexus" what use to be! But as soon as I sell my S8+, I'll get a U11.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah. Oneplus has definitely taken over the Nexus mantle. Lots of bang for your buck with a thriving development community. The only reason that made me go with the U11 is the better camera. I'm not sure which provider you're with. I'm with Telus and I lost my LTE + with the U11 had it on both the s8+ and the OP5 just in case that sort of thing matters to you. ?

mrnovanova said:
Oh yeah. Oneplus has definitely taken over the Nexus mantle. Lots of bang for your buck with a thriving development community. The only reason that made me go with the U11 is the better camera. I'm not sure which provider you're with. I'm with Telus and I lost my LTE + with the U11 had it on both the s8+ and the OP5 just in case that sort of thing matters to you. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it does. I've been with Rogers for a while now but bought a "Public Mobile" SIM card but haven't switched yet and
as you probably know PM use Telus bands. Don't you have the Canadian variant of U11?

samteeee said:
Of course it does. I've been with Rogers for a while now but bought a "Public Mobile" SIM card but haven't switched yet and
as you probably know PM use Telus bands. Don't you have the Canadian variant of U11?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing. I have no idea. Bought it off of Kijiji. I have no idea where to find the info. Don't know if I have the Canadian, us, or international variant.