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Question about UK network

Hi, I have a touch pro unlocked and I am thinking of going to the three network from tmobile. Is this a good idea, as in will the phone work with mms and internet on three? They do not do this phone, and so do not provide settings, but will the settings be there on the phone originally or not?
PS I did try to search, but the word 'three' is too common and was not included, as was '3'
Regards and thanks,
Jordan

I'm with 3 in the UK. Running connection setup gets the correct settings automatically no problem.
From what I can see you can't beat the £5 per month for 2gb of data on a PAYG plan.
I get decent connection in most places I go, although I think some other providers may have better network coverage overall.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Rowan

Excellent, thank you, that's what I wanted to hear . Do you have any problems using apps that use the internet? EG. iplayer, google maps, weather, things like this? Or are they all ok? Because certain networks like vodafone charge extra! Also, is the built-in windows live used for the msn addon?
Thanks,
Jordan

iPlayer won't work because it doesn't recognise the connection as being in the UK. Hopefully they'll sor that out soon.
Others such as Google maps, Messenger, Skype etc work fine.

[Q] Stupid question -- Does "android" include a mp3 player?

Ok, I know this is going to be a stupid question, but I'm a total newbie to "smart phones".
My wife wants to get a "mp3 player" for walking, and she also wants a new phone. (She has a standard "candybar" phone with no data, etc.)
She says the phone just needs to be basic (no data plan is needed), but she wants a fancy touchscreen so it's easier for her to send SMS, etc.
So I was thinking... why not combine the two devices and get a cell phone that can also play mp3 files and has a touch screen?
I thought the iphone would be good, but ... holy cow! Even an old "3g" phone is still $300 on ebay.
So then a friend told me to look at Android phones... which led me here.
QUESTIONS:
1. Does the android system include a decent mp3 player? This will be for my wife who has something like 50gb of songs on her computer which are not organized by folder or anything else. (She uses MediaMonkey to organize.) She has no playlists or anything else. The phone "mp3 player" must be simple and easy for her to find whatever music she wants.
2. What do you think of the "Eclipse Novus phone from chinavasion.com? (I'm new here so the forum won't let me post a direct link.) It's Android 2.2, so I think it should be ok to play mp3 files? (I suppose this depends on the answer to my first question.) It's pretty cheap, so I'm not sure. (One of the reasons I like this phone is because it is quad-band so she can keep using it in France when we move there in August...)
3. Will the phone above work with Skype? (ie: Will any "android phone" work with Skype?) This is also important, because she'll want to use it (instead of her computer) to call home after we move to France.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.

First off, welcome!
Yes, Android phones have "mp3 players", they're in the form of music apps. There's a stock music app that comes with all Android phones, but there are also tons of free alternatives. I'd suggest checking out the Android Market from your computer if you want to see what Android has to offer. I have an iPod, but I use my phone for music just as often because I always have it on me.
I'm not familiar with the phone you're referring to, but it will definitely play music. I guess the final decision on which phone would be dependent on your carrier, what they have to offer, and if you're willing & able to switch.
Honestly, I'm not familiar with Skype... at all. I've never used it. I do know there's a Skype app, but I believe it's WiFi only in the US, with 3g calling available in Europe. I'm not 100% sure on this, so I would check it out on the market from your computer as well. You can also use Google Voice to place calls, and there are other apps as well.
One thing to note - most carriers won't sell you an Android phone without a data plan being a requirement. I'm not sure how this works if you buy the phone somewhere else.
I'd definitely recommend getting her an Android, though. Good luck with your search, and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask

Thanks very much for your reply.
plainjane said:
One thing to note - most carriers won't sell you an Android phone without a data plan being a requirement. I'm not sure how this works if you buy the phone somewhere else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly why I'm interested in purchasing the android phone from a 3rd party provider and not from a telecom carrier... this way, it is unlocked and can be used for any GSM-based provider around the world on any plan.
In my wife's case, she doesn't need a data plan, so we simply won't tell the provider it is a "smart" phone. She can simply sign up for any basic voice-only service, and use the wifi capability of the phone if needed when possible.
If anyone has any experience with Skype on an android phone, please feel free to respond.
Thanks!

I feel behind the times since I'm not familiar with Skype, but I've never had a need for it. I'm sure there are some reviews of the Android app floating around the internet. Just be sure when reading reviews that they're recent - Android apps get updated and improved, so a review from when it first came out may be irrelevant.
Carriers can tell which phone is being used on your account, but of course they have to check. As long as there's a non-smartphone activated on the plan first, and you activate the new one yourself, you should be fine.

I use poweramp as the mp3 player.
Skype works only in audio mode on android atm.(no video)

yes of course it does...... and if she didn't like the built in mps3 player she can install another one fron android market

I'm using winamp, it's a free app and it is very fast. For me is the best app for music

[Q] International Messaging Solution on Android

Okay, I've been looking for a good solution and haven't found one yet. I'm hoping some of the creative minds out here in the community can help me out.
I'm from the States, and I'm currently working in China. I'll be here for another 5 months or so. I'm a Nexus devotee, so I've got my Nexus 4 and my Nexus 7 here with me. The N4 goes everywhere with me, and the N7 is more of a couch/bed companion and a travel reader/movie player. I'm trying to find a good integrated messaging solution for communicating both with my colleagues and friends here in China as well as my friends and family back home.
When I first moved here, my plan was for Google Voice to be my solution. I had my cell number ported to Voice, and I have continued to use that for texts, voicemail, and VOIP calls using Groove IP. That has been a pretty handy solution, and it's nice that I can also access my messages when I'm sitting at my laptop through the Chrome extension. There are a couple of downsides to Voice though. The first is that it's kind of a clunky piece of software. It's certainly not sleek, and the syncing between devices can be a little hairy. I haven't figured out how to get a nicely functional inbox either. Google refuses to accept my China Mobile number for some reason, so I have to activate the app by using another friend's US number and then deactivating messages to her phone. Also, my friends and family members who are Apple users complain about the app being really poorly designed on Apple products. They don't actually need it of course (the reason I set it up was so my phone number would continue to work for everyone), but I can't control their end of it.
GChat/Talk is one option that I like quite a bit. It syncs really well between devices, and it's really clean and sleek. One issue I have with it is that, when my internet gets spotty at work (which is far too frequently), a message will sometimes arrive on my N7 at home, and I won't see it until I get home from work later that night. Also, once again, the Apple users hate this option because of the terrible choices on iOS.
In doing some research on some other options, I came across Kik, and I instantly fell in love. It's sleek like Talk with quick messaging, but it's more comprehensive with additional features and a better implementation of read/unread messages. I got it all set up on my N7 and was ready to tell everyone to sign up when I installed it on my N4. I looked at my N7, and I was back at the login screen. I logged in again and saw the screen pop up on my N4. The software does not support multiple devices. That's unfortunately a deal-breaker. Unless they fix that flaw, Kik is out the window.
I'm using mysms right now, and it's got potential, but I'm still not completely sure. I haven't really figured out the best settings to get it most effectively working with my China Mobile number and my Google Voice number. It's not as sleek and fast as Kik or Talk, and I've gotten some complaints from the Apple crowd about it not being very intuitive. But it does sync pretty well between devices, and I can access it easily on my Windows 7 laptop. So far, though, I'm not thrilled with it.
I would like to hear from the community any tricks with settings, additional apps to try, or other creative solutions to this. All ideas are welcome, and I'll be happy to try anything out to see how it works, so please don't be shy about any ideas. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Q] Any app to make cheap international phone call?

Hello everyone ! I have a question on making international phone calls ! I am doing a personal business online and I have to call my overseas customers regularly. I have been using skype so far and the call quality is good. However, it seems getting more expensive now and I don't know how much I have spent on calling till the end of the month. Therefore, I want to ask if someone can recommend me any app on smartphone that can make international phone calls but with a cheaper price comparing to skype and if it is also easy to check the credits balance, that would be perfect !

There is Viber, but both parties need to have it installed and have a data connection. I use it regularly. Quality does depend on your data connection, though.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

VOIP
The best ones are Skype or Viper. If you can make sure the recipient also uses the same VOIP app then the call will be free every time.

hanoistreetfood said:
Hello everyone ! I have a question on making international phone calls ! I am doing a personal business online and I have to call my overseas customers regularly. I have been using skype so far and the call quality is good. However, it seems getting more expensive now and I don't know how much I have spent on calling till the end of the month. Therefore, I want to ask if someone can recommend me any app on smartphone that can make international phone calls but with a cheaper price comparing to skype and if it is also easy to check the credits balance, that would be perfect !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, there are some apps to make international phone calls for free on smartphones such as Line, Viber. However, since you are doing business, it is not good to use these apps because call quality depends on wifi or 3G. Skype has pretty good line quality, however, I also personally find skype a little expensive as it charges VAT on each call as well. Recently, I changed to use an app called "Global Call" to make oversea calls. I was surprised that its quality is as good as Skype's but the price is cheaper. For example, calling to Vietnam costs only $0.05/1 min for home phone and $0.06/1 min for cellphone. Plus, you can easily check your credits balance after every call ! Fun fact, I got some free credits when I downloaded and installed it on my phone. You should check this app out! Hope that your business is going well

vietcharm12 said:
Well, there are some apps to make international phone calls for free on smartphones such as Line, Viber. However, since you are doing business, it is not good to use these apps because call quality depends on wifi or 3G. Skype has pretty good line quality, however, I also personally find skype a little expensive as it charges VAT on each call as well. Recently, I changed to use an app called "Global Call" to make oversea calls. I was surprised that its quality is as good as Skype's but the price is cheaper. For example, calling to Vietnam costs only $0.05/1 min for home phone and $0.06/1 min for cellphone. Plus, you can easily check your credits balance after every call ! Fun fact, I got some free credits when I downloaded and installed it on my phone. You should check this app out! Hope that your business is going well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow it seems like global call is all over now. It comes very recommended. It's probably the best voip app i've used. Way better than skype. (still prefer vonage for calling u.s. though).

Good app
thanks for your recommendation! I've been using the app, I'm totally satisfied with the quality

I'm glad you found my suggestion helpful. I recommend you click Like on the app's Facebook page to get their updates. currently there is an event - when you buy some credits they give you some bonus! Check it on their facebook. I just got $10 myself. Don't miss it

I've been looking for this kind of information. so can you tell me how this app compares to other options such as skype and viber?

hanoistreetfood said:
Hello everyone ! I have a question on making international phone calls ! I am doing a personal business online and I have to call my overseas customers regularly. I have been using skype so far and the call quality is good. However, it seems getting more expensive now and I don't know how much I have spent on calling till the end of the month. Therefore, I want to ask if someone can recommend me any app on smartphone that can make international phone calls but with a cheaper price comparing to skype and if it is also easy to check the credits balance, that would be perfect !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using Friend Caller you can call on any number and we can receive credit by downloading from their links :sly:
Sent from my GT-S5302 using xda app-developers app

comparison of the three apps
So I've used both skype and viber before. from my experience, viber was slow and I could only call to the people who have the app in their phone. Meanwhile, Skype was too expensive, it charged me $0.335/min not including connection fees and VAT to call to Vietnam, while Global Call charges me at $0.05/min. The rate of course varies depending on which country you call, but generally Global Call is cheaper than skype and provide better quality and more convenience than viber.

Make calls through Yello
I have heard always about Skype and Google voice to make cheap calls, free calls or conference etc... But I,ll suggest you should try Yello a FREE VoIP App for smartphones to dial anyone whether they have the app or not.
How to dial any number through Yello, free VoIP dialer app?
To make a call through Yello,
1- you should have internet activated on your Smartphone either Wi-Fi or Dataplan.
2- Install the app from your respective app store.
3- activate your app with the activation code that will be displayed after you have installed the app.
4- Check you SMS/TXT to register yourself on the web www [.] myyello [.] com, to manage your account online.
5- Once registered, you will get a Free balance of $0.20.
6- Open the app in your smartphone and find the person in your contact list, within the app, you want to dial OR click on the menu button and Go to dialpad.
7- Enter your number. App will display the cost/min to dial to the destination number.
8- If you are satisfied with the call rates - boom the call.
9- Otherwise test the call quality with the Free $0.20 amount in your account.
How to make a Free call to other Yello User?
To make a Free Call through Yello to other Yello User,
1- you should have internet activated on your Smartphone either Wi-Fi or Dataplan.
2- Install the app from your respective app store.
3- activate your app with the activation code that will be displayed after you have installed the app.
4- Check you SMS/TXT to register yourself on the web www [.] myyello [.] com, to manage your account online.
5- Once registered, you will get a Free balance of $0.20.
6- Open the app in your smartphone and find the person in your contact list, within the app, you want to connect with.
7- The other person who have Yello installed on their smartphone will be appeared with circle in front of their name.
8- Ask the person to activate his/her Wi-Fi or Dataplan to let Yello connect to him/her.
9- Once the other person is connected make the Free Call and talk as long as you content.

Various questions about Note 10

Hi,
I've had similar concerns before buying my last X2, and xda community was really helpful to clarify a few things. I hope you can help me decide again, I will appreciate your input on the following topics:
1. I have read many times that the OS is killing background apps, therefore gmail, whats app, facebook and other notification do not get received. I have also seen many advices on how to solve it, but some people still have problems. What is your experience with these notifications?
2. In some reviews I have seen that camera support for external apps is limited. Have you tried using Open camera or CameraMx, or other camera apps – what is your experience?
3. I want to use Nova launcher – how well does it work on this device? Does it have any glitches?
4. Please comment on Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity – do you ever get any issues?
5. Please comment on mobile radio connectivity – did you get any problems with call quality? How well does the internet work 3G / 4G? Does anybody use it in Europe and can comment on this? What are the download / upload speeds that you get? I am in UK
6. How well does the GPS work? Do you have any issues with google maps and/or any other navigations?
7. With Mediapad X2 the data roaming was not working – if I have UK sim card and go abroad – mobile data does not work. I hope it does work with Note 10, doesn’t i?
8. After selecting English as a menu language – do you still get much Chinese left over in the OS?
9. Do you have any issues with google play and any other apps?
10. Does this phone have a notification light or a possibility to show notifications on the screen when the screen is off?
Many thanks for your help!

astuntas said:
Hi,
I've had similar concerns before buying my last X2, and xda community was really helpful to clarify a few things. I hope you can help me decide again, I will appreciate your input on the following topics:
1. I have read many times that the OS is killing background apps, therefore gmail, whats app, facebook and other notification do not get received. I have also seen many advices on how to solve it, but some people still have problems. What is your experience with these notifications?
2. In some reviews I have seen that camera support for external apps is limited. Have you tried using Open camera or CameraMx, or other camera apps – what is your experience?
3. I want to use Nova launcher – how well does it work on this device? Does it have any glitches?
4. Please comment on Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity – do you ever get any issues?
5. Please comment on mobile radio connectivity – did you get any problems with call quality? How well does the internet work 3G / 4G? Does anybody use it in Europe and can comment on this? What are the download / upload speeds that you get? I am in UK
6. How well does the GPS work? Do you have any issues with google maps and/or any other navigations?
7. With Mediapad X2 the data roaming was not working – if I have UK sim card and go abroad – mobile data does not work. I hope it does work with Note 10, doesn’t i?
8. After selecting English as a menu language – do you still get much Chinese left over in the OS?
9. Do you have any issues with google play and any other apps?
10. Does this phone have a notification light or a possibility to show notifications on the screen when the screen is off?
Many thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I can only answer 2 questions, as I don't own the device, but looking into the specs, this phone does not have band 20, used by O2 and Vodafone here in the UK, so you will only get 3G+ speeds, Three UK and EE will get 4G+ speeds. Nova Launcher should run just fine, had Huawei/Honor CN models before and Nova launcher was running fine on them.
Still not decided in ordering one, I had the Vivo NEX before and that was just on the limit size wise for me, if you get it, let us know how do get along with it.
Have a good one.

Many thanks for your input. If you or anybody else will have any additional input on these topics please share it. If I will get the phone I will write my feedback as well, at the moment I am not sure what to get ...

1. Notifications work fine for me as long as I go into "settings -> apps" and then individually change the battery setting for each and every desired app. Going into phone manager alone and change app launch permissions is not enough.
3. Works as well as on any other phone I've had.
5. 3G/4G works as intended in bigger citys. In the countryside 4G will suffer and will not be available mostly. I'm in Sweden.
8. I don't see any chinese at all after setting it all up and disabling stuff I don't want.
9. No issues at all. Works just fine.
10. It has a notification light. and the possibility to turn on the screen when notifications arrive. The always on display they have is worthless and only shows time and battery.

dannejanne said:
1. Notifications work fine for me as long as I go into "settings -> apps" and then individually change the battery setting for each and every desired app. Going into phone manager alone and change app launch permissions is not enough.
3. Works as well as on any other phone I've had.
5. 3G/4G works as intended in bigger citys. In the countryside 4G will suffer and will not be available mostly. I'm in Sweden.
8. I don't see any chinese at all after setting it all up and disabling stuff I don't want.
9. No issues at all. Works just fine.
10. It has a notification light. and the possibility to turn on the screen when notifications arrive. The always on display they have is worthless and only shows time and battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big thanks for your detailed input, highly appreciate your effort.
May I ask you (or anybody else who would be willing to contribute) to to check how well an Open camera/CameraMX work on this phone?

astuntas said:
Hi,
I've had similar concerns before buying my last X2, and xda community was really helpful to clarify a few things. I hope you can help me decide again, I will appreciate your input on the following topics:
1. I have read many times that the OS is killing background apps, therefore gmail, whats app, facebook and other notification do not get received. I have also seen many advices on how to solve it, but some people still have problems. What is your experience with these notifications?
2. In some reviews I have seen that camera support for external apps is limited. Have you tried using Open camera or CameraMx, or other camera apps – what is your experience?
3. I want to use Nova launcher – how well does it work on this device? Does it have any glitches?
4. Please comment on Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity – do you ever get any issues?
5. Please comment on mobile radio connectivity – did you get any problems with call quality? How well does the internet work 3G / 4G? Does anybody use it in Europe and can comment on this? What are the download / upload speeds that you get? I am in UK
6. How well does the GPS work? Do you have any issues with google maps and/or any other navigations?
7. With Mediapad X2 the data roaming was not working – if I have UK sim card and go abroad – mobile data does not work. I hope it does work with Note 10, doesn’t i?
8. After selecting English as a menu language – do you still get much Chinese left over in the OS?
9. Do you have any issues with google play and any other apps?
10. Does this phone have a notification light or a possibility to show notifications on the screen when the screen is off?
Many thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got my note 10 from Liaow to Ireland in about 4 days. Nfc payment in stores does not work. Tried everything. Safety net app keeps failing. Google does not play nice with Huawei either. No ability to wake device from screen off or lock screen like my previous Galaxy s8 plus. Google Assistant also will not recognize what's app contacts for voice texts. Google maps location history will not turn on either so it's not possible to share your ongoing location with friends and family. Great phone all the same just wish it played well with Google for the reasons mentioned above.

ScottMaglace said:
Got my note 10 from Liaow to Ireland in about 4 days. Nfc payment in stores does not work. Tried everything. Safety net app keeps failing. Google does not play nice with Huawei either. No ability to wake device from screen off or lock screen like my previous Galaxy s8 plus. Google Assistant also will not recognize what's app contacts for voice texts. Google maps location history will not turn on either so it's not possible to share your ongoing location with friends and family. Great phone all the same just wish it played well with Google for the reasons mentioned above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for the input. After a lot of thinking I have decided to get Samsung galaxy S9+ instead of Note10. I bought from ebay (used but condition as new for 600£), phone is designed for UK market and still has 18 months of warranty. The main reasons which have driven me away from Honor was that water resistance, local warranty, headphone jack, better camera with OIS and no dust, etc. I also wanted a slightly smaller phone but this wasn't a major factor.
All the best for you Honor users! :angel:
PS I will still keep my Honor X2 for watching news at home etc.

1. I have read many times that the OS is killing background apps, therefore gmail, whats app, facebook and other notification do not get received. I have also seen many advices on how to solve it, but some people still have problems. What is your experience with these notifications?
It works fine, notifications are displayed
2. In some reviews I have seen that camera support for external apps is limited. Have you tried using Open camera or CameraMx, or other camera apps – what is your experience?
CameraMX and OpenCamera work but do not support all the features of the Note10 (example 60fps video)
3. I want to use Nova launcher – how well does it work on this device? Does it have any glitches?
Nova launcher works fine and the previous version (5.4) also supports forced scroll background)
4. Please comment on Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity – do you ever get any issues?
Never had problems (both 2.4 and 5.8). Excellent signal on both routers and drones
5. Please comment on mobile radio connectivity – did you get any problems with call quality? How well does the internet work 3G / 4G? Does anybody use it in Europe and can comment on this? What are the download / upload speeds that you get? I am in UK
Work well on the two 3G / 4G fronts and switch from one band to another fast
6. How well does the GPS work? Do you have any issues with google maps and/or any other navigations?
GPS is fast. Only problem (perhaps it depends on the CHINESE ROM) does not work the Google Maps history.
8. After selecting English as a menu language – do you still get much Chinese left over in the OS?
Italian version
9. Do you have any issues with google play and any other apps?
No problem with the Google APP and third-party APP
10. Does this phone have a notification light or a possibility to show notifications on the screen when the screen is off?
It should have it, but I do not use it so I can not answer with certainty
In conclusion it is an EXCELLENT phone, I would buy it again.
The only sore point ... Bootloader BLOCKED!

astuntas said:
Hi,
I've had similar concerns before buying my last X2, and xda community was really helpful to clarify a few things. I hope you can help me decide again, I will appreciate your input on the following topics:
1. I have read many times that the OS is killing background apps, therefore gmail, whats app, facebook and other notification do not get received. I have also seen many advices on how to solve it, but some people still have problems. What is your experience with these notifications?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've found notifications to be on the whole unreliable unless you go through the various steps to get notifications to come through plus locking the apps in the recent tasks windows (this last part was what worked for me).
Overall though, the experience is nowhere near as bad as the one I had on the Oppo Find X Chinese ROM.
I can also confirm the phone works fine in 4G with EE.

Any of you can play Netflix in HD (no modded apk version) ? It looks like someone can play Neflix only in SD with this device.
Thanks

Anyone know how to get Google assistent to work.
Every time i have set it up, it goes back to start where it tell me to allow it for use [emoji21]

SmartPhonesFan said:
Hi I have Note 10 and has many pluses and some minuses like all smartphones :
1.It is NOT killing apps make sure wifi is always on and mobile data is always on too and notifications are handled auto..
2.Just checked camera MX and works normally as it should
3.Why nova launcher ? u can change home in settings and have home screen style and you will have drawer ..
4.Perfect no issues at all
5.No absolutely no issues perfect quality if u call huawei to huawei u will hear person like is standing next to you ..
6.No gps issues at all all perfect maps all good but BEST app now is WAZE there are cameras warnings , crash warnings , police cars warnings
7.No problems if u enable data roaming all works .. but some sim cards u need to set up APN manually depends of your provider ..
8.No chinese you can remove all of them except app gallery and hi care but when u select your country it will switch to english or your language .
9.No issues with google play only issue with google pay..
10.Ys it has notification light it has always on display clock
Cons :
Problems with google pay - but contacted google chat and they told me to ask for call request and then call bank and make group call and google person will have to speak with bank person .. wil be doing it tomorrow .
---------- Post added at 09:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 PM ----------
once again, many thanks for such a detailed input, highly appreciate it. However as I mentioned in other thread I have decided to go with samsung s9+, mainly because it is waterproof, has UK warranty, also I was a little afraid seeing these posts with dust in camera. BTW - iris scanner is also a great thing when you want to unlock the phone with gloves on. On the other hand, damn I miss the big keyboard from Honor X2 ...
Anyway, there is no such thing as perfect phone - its always a compromise between different options. But thanks again for detailed review, I am sure it will be useful for other people
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

does Barclays backing app work plz