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That is still an option I am considering. How hard would it be to get an imported unlocked phone running? Would it be eligible for OTA updates?
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Dec 17, 2011 17:21
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Aranan posted:That is still an option I am considering. How hard would it be to get an imported unlocked phone running? Would it be eligible for OTA updates? Buy phone, insert SIM card, done. OTA updates should come direct from Google.
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Dec 17, 2011 17:41
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Endless Mike posted:Don't do it! Any specific reasons why?
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Dec 17, 2011 17:55
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tronester posted:Any specific reasons why? You can't trust LG to make a decent phone. They made a respectable mid-range phone in the Optimus One and its derivatives, but they then followed it up with the worst Android phone ever made, the G2x. Endless Mike can go into detail there, but GPS was broken, the phone went into regular sleep comas, and the battery percentage was a random number generator. You can't do any better than a Galaxy Nexus bought from selling an iPhone. It's the best Android phone that works with AT&T 3G bands.
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Dec 17, 2011 18:02
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Godzilla07 posted:
So there won't be any issues once the AT&T version comes out? They won't somehow know that I cheated the system? I'm obviously still pretty new to this whole 
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Dec 17, 2011 18:03
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Aranan posted:They won't somehow know that I cheated the system? In the past, folks have tried importing smartphones and using them on dumbphone data plans which were significantly cheaper, and some of those folks got "caught". But that's not what's going on here.
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Dec 17, 2011 21:50
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ExcessBLarg! posted:In the past, folks have tried importing smartphones and using them on dumbphone data plans which were significantly cheaper, and some of those folks got "caught". But that's not what's going on here. It looks like this is the answer to the question I was coming here to ask. It isn't possible (or wise, maybe) to add a smartphone, such as a used droid I could buy in SAMart, to a plan without a datapack? I'd pretty much have to add that to utilize the other functions of the phone? Verizon, FYI.
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Dec 18, 2011 01:21
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Dead Pressed posted:It looks like this is the answer to the question I was coming here to ask.
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Dec 18, 2011 02:59
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Dead Pressed posted:It isn't possible (or wise, maybe) to add a smartphone, such as a used droid I could buy in SAMart, to a plan without a datapack? Endless Mike posted:It can be done on AT&T because you can simply swap SIM cards between phones.
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Dec 18, 2011 03:47
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Welp, I never did get a spiffy phone when I posted in May, and I cracked my iPod Touch, so the most logical thing I can do is spend money on a new toy, right? * Country/Provider: T-Moblie USA (New England) * Current contract status: Prepaid * Budget (phone/plan): Somewhere around $200, but it's variable. * Features I know I want: Touchscreen, wifi, web, Netflix streaming, some apps, a little gaming, a camera would be nice. Nothing too nuts for your average smartphone. It is essentially a toy that I'm going to pretend is a tool. I want a GSM, Unlocked (or T-Mobile) touchscreen smartphone that uses my existing prepaid SIM card and phone number, but that I can also use as a PDA and computer and use existing wi-fi that's out there. I don't need or want a data contract that I will hardly ever use. After browsing a T-Mobile store (and discovering very few 'big box' stores carry T-Mobile), I found some candidates. MyTouch by LG ($249 retail) HTC Wildfire S ($249 retail) G2X ($399 retail) Galazy S II ($599 retail) The MyTouch by LG is certainly the most likely choice, but it's a little underwhelming, especially compared to the more powerful phones out there. I cannot find any specific information if the G2X was ever fixed, which is a shame, because it's so shiny, but so potentially lovely. I don't know how they can get away with charging so much for something that is essentially a gamble, unless of course it got fixed. It is certainly the phone I have the most irrational object lust for, for some reason. The Wildfire is so darn tiny! It's adorable, but probably intolerable. And the SII is super frigging expensive but is shiny as heck. I doubt I can find that in my price range. I want it to have some pep to it just in case I do decide to use it for occasional gaming. So, does anyone have experience with these phones, or have any suggestions for others I haven't found? Or maybe suggested means to these phones cheap? Any help is appreciated.
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Dec 18, 2011 21:56
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Magnetic North posted:I want a GSM, Unlocked (or T-Mobile) touchscreen smartphone that uses my existing prepaid SIM card and phone number, but that I can also use as a PDA and computer and use existing wi-fi that's out there. That said, I don't know if T-Mo will let you use one of "their" smartphones on data-less prepaid. That's something worth confirming in the T-Mo thread. If not, you can get an unlocked AT&T or international equivalent of whatever device you're considering and it'll do GSM service just fine. As for phone selection, I'd recommend a (possibly used) Nexus S. Check back the past few pages of the thread to see why, but it's one of the few Android devices that comes with a solidly-good DAC and, thus, serves as a great media player. It also just recently got an official ICS upgrade, and so is running the latest version of Android, and is only one of two devices to do so (the other is the super-expensive, brand-new Galaxy Nexus that was just released states-side as a Verizon exclusive). Another reasonable option would be a used Galaxy S GT-I9100 or (AT&T) Captivate. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for one. Neither is compatible with T-Mobile's 3G data but if you're looking to avoid a data plan anyways, that much doesn't matter. The key with these devices is to root them immediately and install CM7 which vastly improves their usage experience. Due to their similarity to the Nexus S, these devices will likely get an unofficial ICS in the form of CM9 in fairly short order, and so are surprisingly good to use for cheap, if you're willing to hack them. Now, T-Mobile does have two "native" Galaxy S devices, the Vibrant and Galaxy S 4G. However, I'd avoid both. There's a long-standing bug with the Vibrant whereby 911 calling doesn't work on it (!) and, as a result, official CM support for it has been dropped. Unofficially folks might still be making builds for it, but none of the CM developers have a Vibrant these days, so who knows. It's also not totally clear why 911 calling isn't working on that device. Personally, I wonder if it might not be a network issue and that 911 calling on T-Mobile is also broken on the GT-I9100 and Captivate. I haven't heard that this is the case, but it's something to be aware of.
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Dec 18, 2011 22:46
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Magnetic North posted:Welp, I never did get a spiffy phone when I posted in May, and I cracked my iPod Touch, so the most logical thing I can do is spend money on a new toy, right? LG was able to get away with the G2x because "openness", i.e. the community will fix it for us. This worked out pretty nicely for Samsung with the original Galaxy S, but LG released a device so broken that this could not happen. The Wildfire is tiny, but you'll want to throw it against the wall after the honeymoon period because the screen's too small to type on. Galaxy S II, you're hesitant about the price to begin with so don't get it. Gonna repeat the advice about a used Nexus S. Comes around $275, give or take $25. Only real downside to it in its category is no removable microSD. 16 GB is more than enough for most though.
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Dec 19, 2011 00:14
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I just ordered a Samsung Galaxy SII from AT&T and had a question about transferring contacts. I followed the directions on the site which just told me to copy all my contacts to the SIM card then transfer the SIM card to my new phone and paste them to the Galaxy. The problem is my SIM is way too small. I figure I can go to the store and have them do it on a larger memory device or some other method. So my question is, should I just do this at home or wait a little longer and take it to the AT&T store across the street from work.
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Dec 19, 2011 01:49
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Thanks for the help so far.ExcessBLarg! posted:T-Mo now has a $30/mo prepaid plan that includes 100 voice minutes (extra at the usual 10¢/min rate) and unlimited text and data. Assuming you're already doing unlimited texts, which I guess you may not be, you're essentially getting a 5 GB/mo data plan option for $15/mo. That's a good deal and an option worth considering, but if you know you don't want/need a data plan then, fair enough. ExcessBLarg! posted:As for phone selection, I'd recommend a (possibly used) Nexus S. Check back the past few pages of the thread to see why, but it's one of the few Android devices that comes with a solidly-good DAC and, thus, serves as a great media player. It also just recently got an official ICS upgrade, and so is running the latest version of Android, and is only one of two devices to do so (the other is the super-expensive, brand-new Galaxy Nexus that was just released states-side as a Verizon exclusive). Godzilla07 posted:Gonna repeat the advice about a used Nexus S. Comes around $275, give or take $25. Only real downside to it in its category is no removable microSD. 16 GB is more than enough for most though. Well, I checked back and found this: kalibar posted:Get a pair of Nexus S's, you guys will be really happy. They're about 300 apiece brand new. My only problem is that I can't find Nexus S's for that price anywhere that I have heard of. Sure, random online retailers in Russia or something, but I'm hesitant to deal with some random website without a suggestion of a reputable one. (And no Ebay/Craigslist because gently caress Paypal and getting shot). Also, I would want to paw at one if I could... is it to old to find at a retailer, even if I don't buy it there? The Samsung website couldn't help me. Also, Wikipedia says this phone cannot be SIM locked. Is that true? Can I buy it from and AT&T store and be in good shape?
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Dec 19, 2011 02:30
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Magnetic North posted:Thanks for the help so far. Ebay I understand, but for craigslist just have them meet you at a tmobile store. Craigslist usually has the cheapest prices as well.
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Dec 19, 2011 02:53
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Country/Provider: USA/AT&T Current contract status: Upgrade available Budget (phone/plan): $300 Features I know I want: Android Hey, so my Captivate finally had enough problems to the point where it's basically unusable and I've decided to get a new phone. I've thought about the Galaxy S II but I'm not really sure if that's the best bang for the buck. Also I'd really like to get it tomorrow-ish because my current phone just isn't cutting it at all. I'm not really interested in buying a 4S and flipping it, etc, so I was just curious what the best option is at this point.
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Dec 19, 2011 02:58
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Duckman2008 posted:Ebay I understand, but for craigslist just have them meet you at a tmobile store. Craigslist usually has the cheapest prices as well. Ehhh what if it's broken or something? I haven't really looked at craigslist in a while. Is it still as lovely as it used to be? Really, I'd do an online retailer if a goon was willing to suggest one that wasn't lovely.
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Dec 19, 2011 03:29
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mune posted:Hey, so my Captivate finally had enough problems to the point where it's basically unusable and I've decided to get a new phone. However, unless there's a hardware problem with it, it should run CM7 pretty darn well. Are you willing to root and install CM7? Basically turns it into a brand-new phone. mune posted:I've thought about the Galaxy S II but I'm not really sure if that's the best bang for the buck.
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Dec 19, 2011 03:58
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ExcessBLarg! posted:What's so bad about your Captivate? If you're still running the latest official (Froyo) stock ROM, yeah, it sucks. Yeah, there's a host of problems with it. A year of constantly being around the sand and me dicking around with the software have combined to create tons of problems. It's also not under warranty, so I think I'm just going to have to upgrade. And I've rooted/flashed new ROMs quite a few times. Edit: When is the Galaxy S Nexus supposed to come out for AT&T? If at all. mune fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Dec 19, 2011 |
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Dec 19, 2011 04:04
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Country/Provider: Canada/Telus Current contract status: 3 year Budget (phone/plan): Any phone made available by provider Features I know I want: Battery length, ability to read documents I am looking for a phone for my Mom. She currently has been trying out the Samsung Galaxy S2 X(SGH-T989D) on Telus but is not satisfied with the length before needing to charge. I've explained this is due to the 4G network, super amoled screen and lack of customization. She likes to keep things simple so she wants to be able to call, text, e-mail and view documents attached to them. I'm starting to think she may be best off with the Blackberry Bold 9900 or Torch 9810 since either will provide a qwerty keyboard she's accustom to and hopefully longer battery life.
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Dec 19, 2011 16:25
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Corte posted:Country/Provider: Canada/Telus Get an iPhone. It's simple, gets better battery life and doesn't suck, which is something you can't say about the BlackBerrys.
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Dec 19, 2011 16:37
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Godzilla07 posted:Get an iPhone. It's simple, gets better battery life and doesn't suck, which is something you can't say about the BlackBerrys. My hesitance with suggesting the iPhone is that it seems similar to the SGS2 in being a powerful superphone. I assumed it would drain battery faster than a Blackberry that sports a smaller screen and less powerful internals.
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Dec 19, 2011 18:07
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Corte posted:My hesitance with suggesting the iPhone is that it seems similar to the SGS2 in being a powerful superphone. I assumed it would drain battery faster than a Blackberry that sports a smaller screen and less powerful internals.
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Dec 19, 2011 18:20
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Corte posted:My hesitance with suggesting the iPhone is that it seems similar to the SGS2 in being a powerful superphone. I assumed it would drain battery faster than a Blackberry that sports a smaller screen and less powerful internals. Blackberrys have great battery life because they don't do anything well but email. Honestly any good superphone can make it close to through the day if not through the whole day (exception: leaving 4G on).
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Dec 19, 2011 19:21
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Duckman2008 posted:Blackberrys have great battery life because they don't do anything well but email. Honestly any good superphone can make it close to through the day if not through the whole day (exception: leaving 4G on). You don't need to convince me that Blackberry devices are inferior in most ways to Android phones and the iPhone. However my Mom's largest concern is battery life, she has a habit of forgetting to plug in her phone at the end of the day and thus needs something that can last. Previously she was on an older Blackberry that had staying power which is why I was considering suggesting she stick with them.
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Dec 19, 2011 19:51
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Hey guys, I'm really really not knowledgeable with phone purchasing and I need help I'm on a Verizon family plan and due for an upgrade, so I guess that means I can get some great discount (I'm embarrassingly not knowledgeable about phones). I definitely do not want any kind of smart phone that would require a data plan. My family plan already includes unlimited texting and some absurd amount of monthly minutes. I don't need internet access or gps, just a good qwerty keypad, a decent enough camera, and basic tools like a calendar, alarm clock, etc. My current phone is a 2nd hand ancient LG Voyager and although I love it, the flip hinge is broken and held together by duct tape and the screen has been bugging out pretty badly. Anything similar to it would probably be just what I'm looking for. I've only ever bought phones twice. Once 3 years ago and then 6 months later when that phone broke and some guy at the Verizon store found a Voyager in the back room. I'm planning on looking around Best Buy, Radioshack, and the Verizon store after Christmas, but I figured this would be the best place to start my search. Looking for phone recommendations: Country/Provider: USA/Verizon Wireless Current contract status: Family Plan, due for an upgrade Budget (phone/plan): Not really sure how much non-smart phones run for. I guess 100-150 area feels right, but cheaper the better. Features I know I want: good (preferably physical, not touch) keypad, decent camera, standard tools, good battery life. No data plan required.
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Dec 19, 2011 23:16
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Bologna posted:Hey guys, I'm really really not knowledgeable with phone purchasing and I need help Don't waste a contract on a dumbphone. Buy a used lg envy touch or envy 3 off craigslist. Staying off contract gives you power if you ever have to haggle over bills with verizon. It is worth a contract subsidy for a smartphone, so if you don't want one buy an iphone and flip it on ebay. Then buy a regular phone.
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Dec 19, 2011 23:45
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Corte posted:You don't need to convince me that Blackberry devices are inferior in most ways to Android phones and the iPhone. However my Mom's largest concern is battery life, she has a habit of forgetting to plug in her phone at the end of the day and thus needs something that can last. Previously she was on an older Blackberry that had staying power which is why I was considering suggesting she stick with them. The Bold 9900 doesn't get the famous BlackBerry battery life, this in part to using a processor from this decade. The 4S can definitely last more than a day on light use. Some confirmation if you don't believe me.
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Dec 19, 2011 23:48
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Godzilla07 posted:The Bold 9900 doesn't get the famous BlackBerry battery life, this in part to using a processor from this decade. The 4S can definitely last more than a day on light use. Some confirmation if you don't believe me. Makes sense to me, seems like I ought to suggest she sell whatever phone gets her the most and pick up something older that gives her the battery life she desires.
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Dec 20, 2011 03:36
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I've been on Sprint for 11 years now. I currently have a Palm Pre that is on its last leg. I am on the EPRP program, paying ~$69/month for unlimited everything and like 500 minutes that I never use. I have a $150 upgrade as of last February. I was holding onto it hoping that Sprint would get the Pre 3, but that obviously didn't go through. I had a customer support issue with Sprint that resulted in them hosing my phone (which lost EVDO) and having to switch to my old Pre which has a lot of hardware issues. After some fanagling, Sprint has agreed to send me a refurbished Palm Pre for $35. I'm at a crossroad here, I am not tied down to anyone by contract now, I'm mad at Sprint, and need a new phone. I like the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II (whatever flavors). I really dislike iPhones. I can't get onto my wife's AT&T family plan because it is full up. Options: A) Stick with the refurbished Pre and hold off until Sprint gets the next round of phones or a Galaxy Nexus. B) Move to Verizon, lose unlimited data, pay more per month, get a desirable phone, and possibly get in some trade-in value for the Pre (or several if possible!) to offset costs C) Move to AT&T family plan after a few months when one of my wife's younger siblings graduates college and gets a job. D) Find some sort of amazing deal to switch me over.
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Dec 20, 2011 16:29
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raej posted:I've been on Sprint for 11 years now. I currently have a Palm Pre that is on its last leg. I am on the EPRP program, paying ~$69/month for unlimited everything and like 500 minutes that I never use. Add option E. Buy a Sprint Nexus S off craigslist (probably $200-250 tops) and stay off contract. The Pre has literally no trade in value. Sorry to say that, I like WebOS, but no carrier will give you more than $5 for it, its sadly a dead platform. Maybe someone on craigslist will buy it for $40, or you can be awesome and turn it into some useful around the house function like Pandora player, alarm clock, etc (Lifehacker has ideas on that I think). On the Sprint side you are talking to the wrong people. Anytime you have a problem, call the retentions number in the OP. If you call them they likely would credit you that $35 back. Make the decision on whether you want to switch or not now. Verizon at 2GB cap is still ridiculous in my opinion, but the current 4GB cap is definitely doable. So you would be looking at a base of $39.99 (depending on how much you call), plus $30 for data = $69.99. This is a good opportunity to port your number to Google Voice, so you can do that and not have to pay $20 a month for texting. Just keep in mind GVoice doesn't work perfectly with registering VZ to VZ calls unlimited, so it does depend on how much calling you do. Otherwise, being carrier agostic is kind of nice. AT&T is not terrible, but the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon is just a better option. It does seem to be having signal problems, but so did the Nexus S and those did get fixed in a software update. So Nexus S on Sprint off contract or Galaxy Nexus on Big Red with contract, pick which one you want.
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Dec 20, 2011 18:08
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raej posted:B) Move to Verizon, ..., pay more per month,
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Dec 20, 2011 19:39
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How hard is it to circumvent needing a texting plan with google voice? I have a GV number, but everyone knows to text my non-GV number. I found out I get a 17% discount on Verizon through my job, but with the texting plan, I'm looking at $84.89/m + tax. Without the texting plan I'm looking at $64.89/m + tax which is actually lower than what I'm getting on sprint.
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Dec 20, 2011 21:27
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raej posted:How hard is it to circumvent needing a texting plan with google voice? I have a GV number, but everyone knows to text my non-GV number. I found out I get a 17% discount on Verizon through my job, but with the texting plan, I'm looking at $84.89/m + tax. Without the texting plan I'm looking at $64.89/m + tax which is actually lower than what I'm getting on sprint. Get a new number on Verizon and port your current number to Google Voice. $20 one time fee to port over. So its really easy. Then block texting on your Verizon number just in case, Google Voice does text messaging over the internet. You can then also make free calls with your number via the GMail portal.
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Dec 20, 2011 22:04
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The wife has veto'd going the Google Voice route since a mutual friend of ours does that and sound quality in our area is abyssmal (We can't understand him half the time, caller ID doesn't always work, and if you have a single hiccup in data everything drops. So we go back to the three options: Sprint: $69.99 - 500 minutes (never used because of free mobile to mobile and night/weekend) unlimited text unlimited data phone - $199 Samsung Epic Touch 4g (Galaxy S2), or $0 for a Nexus S AT&T: $85 - 450 minutes (never used because of free mobile to mobile and night/weekend) unlimited text 2gb data phone - $9.99 Samsung Galaxy S2 (refurb) Verizon $86.60 (after discount) - 450 minutes (never used because of free mobile to mobile and night/weekend) unlimited text 4gb(2gb) data Phone - $299 Samsung Galaxy Nexus (The fancy phone I'd want anyway) The difference between Sprint and AT&T seems to be the up front cost, but that $15 difference amortized over the price difference would pay off in Verizon doesn't seem worth it at that point. raej fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Dec 20, 2011 |
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Dec 20, 2011 23:15
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raej posted:The wife has veto'd going the Google Voice route since a mutual friend of ours does that and sound quality in our area is abyssmal (We can't understand him half the time, caller ID doesn't always work, and if you have a single hiccup in data everything drops. You also don't have to use GV for voice at all, just SMS. That means two numbers, and it's probably easiest to port your existing number to GV and just let folks informally know you have a second number. If they happen to call you through GV and, for some reason, the call sucks, just call them back.
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Dec 20, 2011 23:21
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ExcessBLarg! posted:Is your friend using GV on a mobile? Calls aren't VoIP, but go through a dial-out number, so they're not data dependent. He uses GV as for voice and it always sounds echoey/choppy. I'd rather not have to deal with several phone numbers.
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Dec 20, 2011 23:26
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raej posted:He uses GV as for voice and it always sounds echoey/choppy. I'd rather not have to deal with several phone numbers. It's your call dude, but I make calls both with Google Voice and non Google Voice on a regular basis (I have a separate number for work) and can tell you Google Voice won't affect your call quality. The device you own may, however, as well as the network you are on and location you are in. Just saying of all the factors, I don't buy that that really would be a consideration at all.
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Dec 21, 2011 00:56
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Been looking to finally replace my iPhone 3G on AT&T with an Android phone. Is the Skyrocket the way to go if I want it now (the 3G's vibrate switch is messed up so it goes off drat all the time)? I'd rather a Nexus but the unlocked one is too costly and I'd rather not wait for some TBD date in the future when it arrives at AT&T. I also have one of the older data plans so I think keeping that would outweigh getting a Nexus and switching carriers. I'm also in a 4G city so I can utilize that. Basically wondering if the Skyrocket is AT&T's top of the line phone or if there's any others competing with it.
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Dec 21, 2011 02:12
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Raibead posted:Is the Skyrocket the way to go if I want it now (the 3G's vibrate switch is messed up so it goes off drat all the time)? Personally I would pick up a used Nexus S and run that with ICS until the GSM/UMTS Galaxy Nexus comes here or until you get tired of it. But if you're looking to settle on a phone for a while and don't mind running GB, I'd probably go for a SGSII over the Skyrocket. Yes the SGSII lacks LTE support, however, it uses the SGSII's "standard" Exynos SoC, as opposed to the MSM one used on the T-Mo version and other LTE variants. The reason is that Samsung is going to port ICS to the international SGSII first, and the AT&T one is so darn close that an official update should come out for it fairly quickly (although based on how the Captivate worked out, that may well not be the case). Even if not, there will be a community/aftermarket ICS ROM for the AT&T SGSII fairly quickly after the international one hits. Also, the $10 subsidized refurb price isn't bad. But if you really want an LTE capable device and don't care if you get stuck running GB on the thing until your next upgrade, then yeah, Skyrocket would be it.
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Dec 21, 2011 03:08
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