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Phone suggestion

Its time to replace my raphael, its starting to show the wear for the tear. Im looking for a winmo or android phone with a keyboard and a headphone jack that does att 3g. I'm pretty ticked that the new att rhodium dosnt have a headphone jack. Is there anything out there?

That small detial on the Rhodium with no 3.5mm jack is nothing!, also some USA models have it
Or you can buy a tiny adapter and with it you´ll have the best hardware keyboard device to this date!
hardware keyboard is very important (at least for me) as to this date not any virtual kb gives you the comfortability and typing speed as a normal one.

I suggest you to take a look in the last 2 categories of this list: http://wiki.xda-developers.com/

The best for you would be to go to a big electronics warehouse and play with different phones for a while.
It is amazing how many new and cool phones have been developed in 2009, specially since middle of this year.
You should definitly take a look at the Nokia N900, as well as try out modern smartphones without keyboard (iPhone 3GS, all the Android phones, etc.).
It is amazing to notice that a keyboard is not that essential anymore, when the phone features a high-resolution screen (480x320 to 800x480!) and excellent touch-screen. Don't pay too much attention if it is capacitive or whatever technology - try them all out and see for yourself.
HTC alone has so many different devices, one really gets confused, wishing one could buy them all.
But then there is Acer catching up with some pretty cheap, yet cool devices, with great screens.
Buying a phone today should take into consideration:
- price (can you afford it)
- screen estate (it's never big enough / resolution high enough)
- fast CPU (nothing is more anoying than lag)
- functionality (messaging/outlook/internet/youtube/office/whatever you need)
All I wanted to say is that these points fit to much more phones then lets say one year ago. And Windows Mobile is not the only player anymore.
Cheers,
vma

So i just read a review of the X1, and its a fuze with a headphone jack and a bigger screen... anyone else out there vouch for the X1?

That review is very good.
I'm now thinking to buy one

coming from the x1 i must say it was a complete waste of my money. of course its much cheaper now.
first few months of usage was great but then slowly the it just fell apart.
the keyboard became unresponsive, phone hangs and lags much.
even after repair the keyboard slowly became screwed up again.
and the last month i was using it, even the touchscreen became unresponsive occasionally. and im not a rough user at all.
but thats just my take on it.
as far as wm/android phones with 3.5mm and keyboard, theres samsung omniapro b7610. and upcoming xperia x2 and motorola droid.

Take a look at the Motorola Droid...
But, wanting that 3.5 jack eliminates so many better PPC's!

At the top of any page at XDA-Developers, there's a link called "Device Database". Click on this, then at the top of that page, choose "PDAChooser". Then, input all the parameters you want. For example, I checked "Audio Out", "Keyboard", "Integrated Cellular Phone", "Any" (under supported cellular data links), and I set "Pos. Device" to "Touchscreen". That returns quite a few results. Then, all you have to do is pick any device from those results and see if it runs an OS you like and uses AT&T 3G bands.

Features (Wish)List for Samsung Galaxy S III

The successor to Samsung’s Galaxy S II has got to be the second most speculated and talked about smartphone over the past couple of months, with Apple devices always taking the top spot, of course. Samsung has some big shoes to fill and after the kind of success they achieved with the S II, there’s a lot of pressure to up the ante once again. Given the kind of trend that we’ve seen post MWC 2012, we can now come to expect the S III to have these features as standard, if it has to qualify as a ‘high-end’ Android in today’s day and age. We know it will have a quad-core Exynos CPU, the screen size will probably be around 4.6 inches and have an HD resolution, the camera will most likely be a 12MP with BSI and so on and so forth. Samsung will never launch their flagship device that’s inferior in specifications to the competition and now that we’ve seen what HTC and LG have in store, we can draw a rough picture of what to expect.
However, impressive hardware alone is not enough to guarantee a successful product. If you’ve been following the rumour mills, then you’ve probably heard of some of the features that could make it to the S III and we really hope that it’s true as it would truly make it an unique phone and possibly the best Android so far.
A non-ugly, waterproof phone
So far, all water resistant phones haven’t exactly been much of a looker, except for perhaps the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active. But even that wasn’t slim, primarily because of the protective coating for the screen and all the ports. Any manufacturer so far had to fall into the same trap, if they wanted to create an ‘all-weather’ cell phone. The S III, however, needn’t go down that same route. Early last month, we heard rumours about the Galaxy S III getting a water-proof treatment and thanks to the folks at Liquipel, Samsung need not compromise on the design. Available currently in the U.S only, Liquipel will water-proof any smartphone you have for a small fee. It works by injecting the phone with a compound that resists any liquid or moisture. They even had a very impressive demo at CES.
Think of all the money or silly contraptions you’ve used to protect your phone in the rainy season. This technology makes rubberised housings and bulky chassis a thing of the past. If Samsung does implement this and we sincerely hope they do, then they will be the first to do so and it will give them a major advantage over the competition.
Feel what you see
We know that the S III will have an HD resolution screen as the bare minimum, but high resolution mobile screens aren’t exactly cutting edge right now. What if you could feel what you see? Senseg have developed a special touchscreen technology that lets you feel the texture of the image on screen. This is achieved by creating a little electrostatic field around the area that simulates a particular type of texture. They call this a ‘Tixel’ charge driver that creates a small force and by modulating the charge, Senseg can simulate different textures.
While this exact technology might or might not make it to the S III, we hope that Samsung do something special with the screen. If not the ‘Feel Screen’, then at least a higher resolution display would be a nice addition. There were passing rumours that the S III may have a 1080p screen, which seems like overkill, but then again, most high-end Android phones are, so i guess it's ok.
Wireless charging
With everything going wireless, why do we still have to put up with charging cables? According to the Wireless Power Consortium, a number of big companies, including Acer, HTC, LG, etc have certified handsets and chargers that use wireless charging.
‘Qi Certified’ products will be able to charge either from a wall charger or from another compatible device, wirelessly, just as long as they are placed in close proximity. Now Samsung’s name may not be on the list of companies that have applied for patents, but the website clearly states that it’s up to the company, if they want their name up there. Now, given how secretive Samsung have been with the S III, it’s no surprise they don’t show up on the list. This is another big advancement in mobile phones and Samsung can add another feather in their cap should they choose to include it.
Lose the plastic body
While the S II was a sturdy and durable phone, it wasn’t any match for HTC’s unibody aluminium Sensation in terms of build quality. One of the reasons they went with plastic was to keep the weight down, which was fine in 2011, but not anymore. With polycarbonate being used in the Lumia 800 and HTC going with space-age material (literally!) for the One S, Samsung have to step up their game. If you haven't already, check out this really cool video of how HTC creates the chassis for the One S.
Alternately, they could use a ceramic casing or even something fashioned out of carbon fibre or kevlar. The trouble with building chassis with materials like these is that the battery would probably be non-removeable. This is not a very big deal and we can certainly live with it just as long as they have a way to hard reset the phone in case it locks up, because I don’t want to wait around for the battery to drain out.
Gesture control?
This one’s not from any of the rumours, but just hit us while coming up with this list. Rather than using the front camera to recognize gestures, which quite frankly is quite ridiculous because, for one, you can’t use it in the dark and two, it has never, ever worked properly; i were thinking of something along the lines of a PS Vita like touchpad at the back of the phone. The entire phone needn't have this, just a small patch on the top and bottom. For instance, if you hold the phone in one hand, you can easily use your index finger to swipe the rear to unlock the phone, or have a two finger gesture to open the camera. Once in landscape mode, your fingers automatically align around the edges, which comes in handy in racing and action games. Now you never need to block the screen with your fingers, which happens a lot in first person shooters.
This way, even if the screen doesn’t have an oleophobic coating (which never really work anyways), it’s not a major issue, since you’ll be using the gesture pad. This would be a very interesting feature, if Samsung implements something of this nature, as you now have a ‘gaming phone’ as well.
While it’s great fun to speculate what upcoming tech products may shape up to be, a side effect is the pang of disappointment when you realize that none of the features that were so greatly hyped are actually true (iPhone 4S anyone?). Recently, live shots of a Samsung GT-I9300 have been doing the rounds, which is expected to launch in mid-May. To us, it’s highly unlikely that it’s the S III, as it appears to be more of an upper-end mid-range smartphone. Also, we don’t know if Samsung will actually call it the S III. While that does seem like the most logical name in the series, they could decide to start a completely new series, altogether. Samsung have managed to keep the phone a secret incredibly well, but now, the wait is getting a bit frustrating. They better have one hell of a phone in hand whenever they launch it or risk losing their huge fan following.

I wish they make touchwiz as functional and good as sense. After a year of owning the sgs2 I found out it's not just the specs that count. I still prefer my desire (w/sense 3.5 of course)
btw, one of the things I do like about the sgs2 is the build quality, it's not cheap that phone is almost indestructable....
edit2: the sgs2 is not plastic, it's made out of magnesium chasis with a plastic shell, magnesium is used by some of the most expesive cars and racing cycles because it is so light and sturdy (and expensive)

Your thoughts on Asus Padfone

I feel this is more of a general "lets get your opinion/feel" but ive experienced in the past, any topic that has any question in it, gets moved to this section.. So im posting it here.
I'd like to get people opinions (and experiences if any) on the Asus Padfone. I've been eyeing the HTC Amaze, but there have been a few issues reported with it, and with new tech being released this year, im also considering other devices. The Padfone caught my eye due to its apparent versatility. (Especially since the HTC One series has been a massive letdown with the non-existent mSD card slot)
Though there do seem to be some things lacking with this device, such as the camera (apparently, the HTC one has an independent processor which speeds it up) for example.
Also the fact that its 3g and not 4g/LTE seems to be a step back (tho this isnt an concern for me, but could be later).
Anyway.. Thoughts? Concerns?

Not worth buying

I'm considering getting one. I'm from the Netherlands so 3G is just fine for me!
Pricing is rumoured around €699 euro here, pretty steep though... That's without the dock (which will set you back another €150 I bet)
I love the idea of having everything in one place (on your phone) and basically click it into the tablet for typing during class or watching/reading something.
Jam it into the dock for longer writing sessions... I can see this being a very useful combination for me personally. I'm not sure the average user will find this a useful gadget though.
Downside is that you really have to use the phone all the time and I'm not sure how well everything works softwarewise when you load the phone into the dock, screensize wise etc, etc.
Its just that I got a Gnex that I love so dearly

PokeiShoW said:
Not worth buying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate?

newbie thoughts on the padfone
Last July 2011, I posted this thread on another forum and look at what happened in the interim - the Padfone!
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"Looking for serious multi-purpose (non-existent yet) tablet
I am a newbie. I have been communicating with a variety of tech publications incl Walt Mossberg, WSJ. But no serious response. I do not own a tablet right now but want to propose features that can be incorporated to the current crop. You folks can chime in (with respect) if you think my ideas are plausible.
Full disclosure. Currently, I am not a fan of the crop of tablets in the market today. What is out there (regardless of brand) are just pure "gadgets" for me. I do not do social networking nor games. I realize that I am in the minority in the high-tech populace.
I will consider a tablet with the configuration below to trim my techie equipment inventory. I believe this would be a truly PORTABLE, POWERFUL, SINGLE COMBINATION alternative to having (1) a communication/convenience/entertainment" device (tablet) AND (2) a PC for serious professional computing work, should I need to do some.
Samsung Galaxy-like form factor (or maybe even slightly larger or heavier)
Full Cell phone call capable (CDMA/GSM) - 3 or 4G thru BT (either on ear device or car's BT wireless communicator) - not just Google Talk or Skype
Web-access wireless card (a/b/g/n)
BT enabled to pair with my car's BT audio system wireless connection to play music stored in the tablet and other BT capable devices (tech already available)
Semi-full size BT keyboard/case (tech already available)
Available USB2 or 3 port/s
Available docking device to connect to an external larger LCD monitor, full-size keyboard, printer, optical drive, external HD, etc (?) to really replace my office/home notebook
Enough processor power (Intel/AMD dual core or higher), storage to support a full PC OS (Windows 7/8 or Mac OS), Internet Browser (IE9, FF5, Chrome, Safari, etc) and APPLICATION PROGRAMS AND DATA!
Sufficient battery life (replaceable) with AC/DC charging/connectivity capability
???????
Do you think this config for a tablet system has market and production potential? Or better yet, is there one already out there? I know that the technology to accomplish all of these exist already. It just takes somebody to put it all together.
Your professional insights are greatly appreciated."
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Since the Pf is not in our shores yet and I have been sick and tired of the all the unboxing, first videos from Barcelona, Taiwan specs and availability, I just implore ASUS to get their act together and stop the teasing and give us the US model! Regardless how a bunch of folks have trashed it, I on the other hand WANT ONE NOW. I realize that this desire is sight unseen, performance and quality unknown and not all the specs I listed above are in the model available everywhere else, I believe the concept of 3 in 1 is a brilliant one. I may not be as techie as you folks but for my use and from prelim videos and specs, what ASUS has done is phenomenal.
I would greatly appreciate your more techie input as well as marketing intel (US availaibility, specs, price, carrier, etc.). BTW, I still refuse to buy and do not want any of the tablets available today. Thanks.

The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?

Dark3n said:
The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible, it depends if the "door" needs to be closed before it will output to the tabdock. Plus, im sure alot said that about flip phones and sliding phone. My Touch Pro 2 is still going pretty strong, and it has a sliding keyboard.
Something id like it know is with the Keyboard dock, is it 'closeable'. As in, can you dock the tablet to it, then "close it" like a laptop so you can transport it as one piece?

first try... and probably last
very difficult positioning for Asus. They're trying desperately to innovate more that the competition to get a strong foot in that market.
However, this solution might not be fully interesting for a lot of people... If its a failure, they'll have lost a great deal of money that could have been used to make up for the difference with the latest ipad...

If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )

addiz said:
If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you think it will be a failure?

it's something new and different let's see how people will act after buying it

Has a lot of potential...
Has a LOT of potential if marketed correctly.
I have a original ASUS Transformer TF101 with keyboard dock for eight months now and I can say its an amazing machine. The performance is just right, the battery lasts forever, almost stock ICS, lots of updates.
I have the only combination of devices that can compete with the full Padfone setup: a modern smartphone (Samsung Galaxy Note) and the mentioned Transformer, with full tethering support. If the Padfone system can have a significant price advantage, the consistency it provides (the Note have Android 2.3.6) can make it a winner.

Feels way to expensive.
$1 gets you a reply

yes the hinge closes like a laptop
problem: the hinge only opens around 90 degrees so you won't get a great viewing angle unless you are at a similar level.
when the latch of the tablet station opens to release the phone, it stops the phone being bent outwards, so you have to pull up and thus, not breaking the connector.
not having 4g is a big downer for me. I was going to get this and might still but seriously, uk is getting 4g this year so I doubt I'd want this when it gets released.

The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??

tytung2020 said:
The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.

Lyian said:
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.

sounds good

tytung2020 said:
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, i wont get apple products. If i were to get two devices, both would be android. Im sure it would be similar, but i don't like messing with clouds either, that's just a gimik to eat up your limited "unlimited" data package. Especially when your talking about my case of 400+mb PDF files.
I'm not completely sold on it, but it seems like a good idea, plus ive not yet seen official pricing on it.

Not that benchmarks mean much.. but...
ASUS PadFone gets benchmarked: a mere teaser of what's to come

The iPhone 6 from an Android user's perspective

This is from a article I was just reading. I just had to share it.
The iPhone 6 from an Android user's perspective
http://www.appy-geek.com/Web/ArticleWeb.aspx?regionid=1&articleid=28711005

I went trough the article and all what it reads it is true and correct.
Anyhow Apple is not just about phone specs, it is a philosophy, a different way of thinking.
They are always on research of perfection, their devices are stylish and perfect in details.
No matter how much ram they put on their devices (1Gb?), the OS runs always smooth.
Instead, to have Android OS running nicely you need to buy a top device with good specs, otherwise you will always see lags etc.
Apple may me behind compared to Samsung on pure specs, but Apple does in a perfect way what it promises to do, this at least till new version of iOS come out... but that's marketing... otherwise who would buy new device?
This said, I am now using a Samsung S4 PLUS after several years of iPhone and that is because I can now get a top device, running nicely with 1/3 of the price of a new iPhone. Till Samsung S3 this was not the case, but Samsung S4 is a big step forward and I am pleased with it.
I compared iPhone just with Samsung devices because they are the biggest in the market, of course there are other Android top device to take into consideration as well, but then this would get too far

J1897 said:
..., to have Android OS running nicely you need to buy a top device with good specs, otherwise you will always see lags etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not a fair comparison between Android and iOS. To have iOS running nicely you need to buy a iphone or ipad which have top specs and are always priced among the highest
I like many many things about iOS, iphones and ipads. I just hate Apple's walled garden approach, closeness, and super greediness. That's why I buy Android devices over and over still. Apple's attention to details however is something all its competitors should emulate. Top notch components that may not have the top specs on paper but are indeed very very high quality e.g. camera, cpu, battery, screen. Little to no lags, smooth operation all around, just solid overall. Can't say about most Android devices even high end ones. My Asus Transformer Prime had a ton of lag, GPS problem, short battery, slow storage. It was $500, though with more storage, had the same price as iPad2 yet nowhere near iPad2's performance in almost any category. I felt it's shameful for Asus to release such a product. To compete with Apple, you have to be God damn serious. A lot of vendors sneak in second, third grade components or have poor software in their flagships that ruin otherwise perfect devices, e.g OPO (screen issue), Moto X (poor camera and rather bad screen). My Note 3 is excellent and have more capabilities than iPhone 5S but still needs to be better to level with iPhone 5S's smooth operation.
Last point I want to make is Google needs to drive the market better. Take mobile payment as an example. Google Wallet and NFC came long time ago. I just didn't find a lot of merchants having POS terminals to accept Google Wallet. Now Apple is looking to be taking over the world of payment by a mobile phone. Whose fault is it that Android mobile payment hasn't caught on fire? Google. They seem to lack the business or marketing savviness to drive a business initiative. It takes convincing merchants to get POS terminals to support mobile payments. If Apple truly succeeds, that's just shame, shame, shame on Google.

Some the "new" things have been years on Android and even on Symbian. Like week numbers in calendar..

Buying a cellphone for the first time in a decade...

Wow, stuff sure has changed. I'm looking for a smartphone and was wondering if you folks could shout out any recommendations. Here are some bullet points:
•I'm not a novice to this stuff, i've just never had the need for a cellphone until now. Mainly using it for texts and calls, probably as a portable music player.
•I remember really liking slider-type phones, stuff like T-Mobile's G2 (from 2010) and Sidekicks. Does anyone still make those? I like physical keyboards and buttons.
•I like squared shapes, Sony's Xperia phones look cool, but what is up with those ridiculous prices? I kinda like the shape of the HTC phones (M8, etc.) and some Lumias.
•Must have SD slot to expand storage
•Screen must be around 5 inches or smaller, I don't want a phablet.
•Android preferred, maybe Windows but I don't have experience with those.
•All suggestions welcome, i dont mind dinged phones at steep discounts.

Any Android with a sliding/physical keyboard is going to be at least 2 or 3 years old, or of equivalent tech. The upcoming exception is the BlackBerry Priv, but this'll be larger (and likely more expensive) than you'll want. A BlackBerry Classic might be a good option for you though. BlackBerry is dying (dead?) as an OS because of the development catch-22 (nobody develops apps because nobody buys them, nobody buys them because of the lack of apps), but for calls, texts, music, and the occasional photo, it'll suffice. BBOS can run Android apps, but reportedly not with 100% compatibility.
Other than that, I'd recommend something like a Samsung Galaxy S4/S5 (depending on how much you want to spend) or Sony Xperia Z1/Z3 Compact. The S4 can be had for pretty cheap these days, as can the Z1 Compact. Obviously, the newer phones are better, and both have the added benefit of being compatible with 128gb microSD cards. The Sonys and the S5 also have the benefit of waterproofness.

Planterz said:
Any Android with a sliding/physical keyboard is going to be at least 2 or 3 years old, or of equivalent tech. The upcoming exception is the BlackBerry Priv, but this'll be larger (and likely more expensive) than you'll want. A BlackBerry Classic might be a good option for you though. BlackBerry is dying (dead?) as an OS because of the development catch-22 (nobody develops apps because nobody buys them, nobody buys them because of the lack of apps), but for calls, texts, music, and the occasional photo, it'll suffice. BBOS can run Android apps, but reportedly not with 100% compatibility.
Other than that, I'd recommend something like a Samsung Galaxy S4/S5 (depending on how much you want to spend) or Sony Xperia Z1/Z3 Compact. The S4 can be had for pretty cheap these days, as can the Z1 Compact. Obviously, the newer phones are better, and both have the added benefit of being compatible with 128gb microSD cards. The Sonys and the S5 also have the benefit of waterproofness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Saw the BB phone a while back, dont like the narrow keyboard though. And yeah, that thing looks huge and expensive!
I see Samsung has a few "modern" sliders, can't stand the roundness of their designs though.
The compact z3 looks alright, I have a Sony XTZ2 tablet, would be nice to have a mini version. Do all recent phones have high MP cameras? I remember when just 8MP was a big deal, can't imagine how quick the storage will fill up shooting at 20MP haha
I like the look of the Xperia L, but it's probably going to seem laggy compared to the phones I've been trying. Man, even two year old phones seem vastly outdated by the current stuff!

Xolo makes some neat looking phones, too bad the screens tend to not even be 720p