Phones

[Hoopz]

Who is rocking what phone now?  I am on the Galaxy Nexus and can upgrade (Verizon). Prefer Nexus but want something newer than the Nexus 4. S4 has so much crap on it, that I am not excited about it.  I will root whatever I get so I can easily remove that bloatware if I end up with S4. 

Not interested in iOS or Windows right now. 

[chopperthedog]

I still really like the galaxy nexus (after 18mo) and there isn't any device out now or on the horizon that gets my loins tingling. Gonna ride out vzw contract to the end and look for a cheaper plan/carrier.


good day.

[Vigo]

ehm...I'm rocking a Chinese knockoff phone from Pandawill. Don't want to pay for a dataplan, my t-moble plan is very very cheap and I intend to keep it that way. I am under wifi most all day anyway. I doubt what I have is what you are looking to upgrade to.   

[ChadTower]

Didn't have any phone until about 18 months ago.  Had to get one for business reasons.  I think it's a Droid 2 Global.  I don't use it for much more than getting called by work, texted by the wife, and posting pics to Facebook.

[sandheaver]

You're not keen on Windows or iOS, but I can offer this for the future, or other readers: iOS sucks terribly and Windows Phone 8 is really quite good if you approach your phone as a phone and not as a mobile computer.  It can do mobile computer things, of course, and the Windows Market is full of such things, but the phone os itself is a phone OS, not a computer OS.  As a phone, I think it is the best of the big three.  I prefer the WP8 OS over Win8 and I have Win8 everywhere because I like it so much.

But, the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One X are where I'd go if I were switching to Android.  I'm not sure that the HTC is available on Verizon.

The unremovable-without-root bundling of Android apps is what drove me away from that platform.

[Ond]

I currently have Nokia 820, I gave my iPhone to my eldest daughter.  The 820 seems quicker and I like the Win 8 layout.

The Sony EXperia Z looks like nice phone.

[SNAAKE]

I have sony xperia play because I feel the need to play whatever any chance I get

might get the HTC one M4. it looks very slick and not huge like the M7.

also there is a theme for android called "launcher 8" which can make any android phone look like windows8 phone AND you use custom tiles. meaning you can use your pictures for the tiles. here is mine
oh and I love talkatone app. basically its free phone over wifi using google voice account and works great with a nice bluetooth(I use motorola elite). and I have AT&T pre paid with it too. $2/day unlimited everything is good for me.

I like android because of the freedom I have. removed all random bloatware I never use. I like being able to play any video without converting anything(f**k iTunes AND zune). music files from any folder is nice too. dont have to make those dumb playlists anymore.

[wp34]

I've got a Droid X right now that is getting really long in the tooth.  The S4 release had me thinking about getting an S3 cheap but I keep my phones for a while so I'm leaning towards getting something newer.  I may wait to see what Apple releases next but will most likely stick with some flavor of Android.

If I were more into social media I would be all over Windows Mobile.  It is a nice little OS.

[SNAAKE]

I just said you can have that same nice little os WITH all the androidness

launcher8 default settings is JUST like windows 8 os. how do I know? because I won a nokia lumia phone at some tournment and used windows phone for a while.

[Hoopz]

The One looks great but I can't do it on Verizon.  I also prefer a removable battery and have a couple of spares for my Nexus now.  I haven't played with the new version of Windows 8 mobile or whatever it's called so I may check it out.  I have multiple Google accounts on my phone and use Drive and other apps constantly on it.  I know that I can get them on Windows but I want to stay with Android to keep it as smooth as possible when using Google's services.

[sandheaver]

The One looks great but I can't do it on Verizon.  I also prefer a removable battery and have a couple of spares for my Nexus now.  I haven't played with the new version of Windows 8 mobile or whatever it's called so I may check it out.  I have multiple Google accounts on my phone and use Drive and other apps constantly on it.  I know that I can get them on Windows but I want to stay with Android to keep it as smooth as possible when using Google's services.

If you want smooth integration with Google, WinPhone8 is probably not the platform for you.  I don't think there are any official Google apps for Windows Phone 8 at all.  SkyDrive integration is excellent, of course, Office exists on the phone, etc.  WP8 does do GMail natively, as well as Facebook and Twitter (with or without those individual apps) and when you add a Google account to your phone, your Google address book and calendar become integrated with the native contacts and calendar apps.  But if you want Google Play Music access you'll have to find an app in the market for that, and the same for every other service.  No Google Drive except by third parties, no Google Plus except by third parties, no Google News, no Google Maps, Voice, Talk, none of it from Google Inc., only third parties. 

On WP8, though, Nokia Maps is arguably better because the maps are offline (but not satellite imagery) and the directions are always spot-on for me.  Nokia HERE City Lens is awesome sauce, etc.  One thing about WP8 Store.. the ratings on Windows Phone 8 apps are far more accurate than I ever remember them being on Android.  I seem to recall nearly 5 star apps simply not working or being really buggy, and every 4-5 star app I have on WP8 is truly 4-5 stars.  Not sure why that is, to be honest.

WP8 has the live tiles which don't exist on other platforms, and no notification area (the tiles ARE the notification area) which all other phones have.  This alone is enough to shy folks away from WP8, I think.  Instead of a thin bar across the top for notifications, my entire screen is a notification screen, widget screen and launcher; it's all the same screen.

It's a matter of taste, I suppose.  Though, I think you'll need to have some time with a WP8 device before you can truly know it, and I think that is the reason adoption isn't higher. 

I understand why people like Android.  My family all has iphones & ipads, though, and I've used them plenty.  I do not see the appeal at all.  Not at all.

[ark_ader]

Note 1 with Jelly Bean.   

[Hoopz]

The One looks great but I can't do it on Verizon.  I also prefer a removable battery and have a couple of spares for my Nexus now.  I haven't played with the new version of Windows 8 mobile or whatever it's called so I may check it out.  I have multiple Google accounts on my phone and use Drive and other apps constantly on it.  I know that I can get them on Windows but I want to stay with Android to keep it as smooth as possible when using Google's services.

If you want smooth integration with Google, WinPhone8 is probably not the platform for you.  I don't think there are any official Google apps for Windows Phone 8 at all.  SkyDrive integration is excellent, of course, Office exists on the phone, etc.  WP8 does do GMail natively, as well as Facebook and Twitter (with or without those individual apps) and when you add a Google account to your phone, your Google address book and calendar become integrated with the native contacts and calendar apps.  But if you want Google Play Music access you'll have to find an app in the market for that, and the same for every other service.  No Google Drive except by third parties, no Google Plus except by third parties, no Google News, no Google Maps, Voice, Talk, none of it from Google Inc., only third parties. 

On WP8, though, Nokia Maps is arguably better because the maps are offline (but not satellite imagery) and the directions are always spot-on for me.  Nokia HERE City Lens is awesome sauce, etc.  One thing about WP8 Store.. the ratings on Windows Phone 8 apps are far more accurate than I ever remember them being on Android.  I seem to recall nearly 5 star apps simply not working or being really buggy, and every 4-5 star app I have on WP8 is truly 4-5 stars.  Not sure why that is, to be honest.

WP8 has the live tiles which don't exist on other platforms, and no notification area (the tiles ARE the notification area) which all other phones have.  This alone is enough to shy folks away from WP8, I think.  Instead of a thin bar across the top for notifications, my entire screen is a notification screen, widget screen and launcher; it's all the same screen.

It's a matter of taste, I suppose.  Though, I think you'll need to have some time with a WP8 device before you can truly know it, and I think that is the reason adoption isn't higher. 

I understand why people like Android.  My family all has iphones & ipads, though, and I've used them plenty.  I do not see the appeal at all.  Not at all.

Thanks for the info re: Windows and Google integration.  I probably wasn't keen on looking at them but they're off the table for now.

I like the specs on the S4 but Samsung has too many gimicky apps on there that need removed.  It's exactly like bloatware on new PCs.  I can root to remove but it's just a large corporation imposing their ill advised will on consumers.  At least give me the option to remove the crapware.

[chopperthedog]

Disable them under manage apps, no need to root.


good day.

[Hoopz]

Disable them under manage apps, no need to root.

At least on my Nexus, some apps wont stay disabled.  The POS Verizon app will show as a running process even after it's been stopped.  Rooting eliminates all traces of crapware.

[chopperthedog]

Disable them under manage apps, no need to root.

At least on my Nexus, some apps wont stay disabled.  The POS Verizon app will show as a running process even after it's been stopped.  Rooting eliminates all traces of crapware.

Ahh, My vzw nexus was on stock for 10min (the time it took me to drive home) when I first got it . Now when you say "Rooting eliminates all traces of crapware". Are you rooting and freezing (with titanium bkup) or deleting apk's with rootex or astro? Or do you push a custom recovery and flash a custom rom?


good day.

[Hoopz]

I delete the APKs and get all of it off.  I don't want a custom ROM as I want the Nexus experience without any other crap on there.  I don't recall what I used after rooting it as it's been quite a while.   

[chopperthedog]

How long have you had the nexus? Are you still on 4.0.4 ics?


good day.

[Hoopz]

No, I'm up to 4.2.2.  If you haven't upgraded, I definitely recommend it.

I'm over a year now.  Its a work phone and I can upgrade whenever.  And you?

[chopperthedog]

4.2.2 AOKP/VANIR (built using the linaro toolchain) with Trinity kernel oc'd to 1344, gpu oc'd to 384, interactive gov, deadline scheduler. Plus I'm a themer.


good day.

[Hoopz]

 

I can't OC mine and wouldn't want to worry about that hassle (being a work phone).  But your's sounds like it's right up your alley.

[chopperthedog]

Custom ROMs are fun and you have the perfect device to play with. Couple shots from my nexus running of one of my themes on AOKP with custom transparent status and navbar that can be hidden in the fly.


good day.

[sandheaver]

Custom ROMs are fun and you have the perfect device to play with. Couple shots from my nexus running of one of my themes on AOKP with custom transparent status and navbar that can be hidden in the fly.

Except GPS doesn't work, or maybe WiFi, or the gyro...  I'm only slightly being facetious here; every time i wanted to put CM on my phone there was some major component broken horribly and the developers never seemed to care that those things were broken.  That probably isn't true anymore, but that snobby "we only support good phones" attitude drove me to Windows Phone just as much as anything else.

Good bye Android, hello Windows Phone.

[Hoopz]

Except GPS doesn't work, or maybe WiFi, or the gyro...  I'm only slightly being facetious here; every time i wanted to put CM on my phone there was some major component broken horribly and the developers never seemed to care that those things were broken.  That probably isn't true anymore, but that snobby "we only support good phones" attitude drove me to Windows Phone just as much as anything else.

Good bye Android, hello Windows Phone.

And that's why I don't mess with them anymore.  I want pure Android without the fluff but with everything working.  Stock - crap = me being a happy user.

[lilshawn]

it's usually the carriers that put all that "fluff" on there.

Bone stock OS comes from google and gets sent to the phone manufacturers (LG, Samsung, etc.) where they add a tiny bit of "fluff" (mainly to work with the phone features.

Then it gets sent from the phone manufacturers to the carriers. where they put their "fluff" in there. They call it "value added applications", I call it "mining for microtransactions".

Ideally you want a phone that is as close to the top of the shitpile as possible. My Google Galaxy Nexus (before I dropped and broke it) received updates directly (or as near directly as possible) from Google. Legit OTA update within a few weeks of OS release. (running 4.2.2 when I broke it) No fluff at all.

My replacement phone (which i'm currently running) is an LG Optimus G. Still runs 4.1.2  The updates come from the carrier. So I have to wait until the updates trickle down from LG. It has fluff. I removed most of the pre-installed fluff, but it still has stuff I can't remove and I hate that. I don't use any of the fluff, so it doesn't really affect me i suppose. but there is no reason to tie up my memory space with it.

[Hoopz]

it's usually the carriers that put all that "fluff" on there.

Bone stock OS comes from google and gets sent to the phone manufacturers (LG, Samsung, etc.) where they add a tiny bit of "fluff" (mainly to work with the phone features.

Then it gets sent from the phone manufacturers to the carriers. where they put their "fluff" in there. They call it "value added applications", I call it "mining for microtransactions".

Ideally you want a phone that is as close to the top of the shitpile as possible. My Google Galaxy Nexus (before I dropped and broke it) received updates directly (or as near directly as possible) from Google. Legit OTA update within a few weeks of OS release. (running 4.2.2 when I broke it) No fluff at all.

My replacement phone (which i'm currently running) is an LG Optimus G. Still runs 4.1.2  The updates come from the carrier. So I have to wait until the updates trickle down from LG. It has fluff. I removed most of the pre-installed fluff, but it still has stuff I can't remove and I hate that. I don't use any of the fluff, so it doesn't really affect me i suppose. but there is no reason to tie up my memory space with it.

Yep, all good and valid points.  And it's exactly why I like the Nexus because its pure Android.  If you notice, Google doesn't let the carriers call their phones "Android" phones.  They brand them as "Android based" because they have to put their crap on em.

You can root and then install custom roms to get your phone to 4.2.2 or wait months if the carrier decides to upgrade your phone.  That's iOS's biggest complaint about Android as older phones don't get updated. 

Ideally, Google would put out a Nexus phone every 6 months.  It'd fit my schedule better when I want to upgrade and don't want to pick a Nexus device that was launched 6 months ago.   

[chopperthedog]

Except GPS doesn't work, or maybe WiFi, or the gyro...  I'm only slightly being facetious here; every time i wanted to put CM on my phone there was some major component broken horribly and the developers never seemed to care that those things were broken.  That probably isn't true anymore, but that snobby "we only support good phones" attitude drove me to Windows Phone just as much as anything else.

Good bye Android, hello Windows Phone.

And that's why I don't mess with them anymore.  I want pure Android without the fluff but with everything working.  Stock - crap = me being a happy user.

Sounds like you both have previous rom experience, but not on a true nexus device. Trying to run an AOSP (android open source project) roms on non nexus devices can be a crap shoot. The beauty of a nexus device is that ALL source is available for anyone to build their own full functioning rom from posted code. Now when you talk non nexus devices that include oem overlays (samsung - touch wiz, htc - sense, motorola - blur) they don't post full source code for those devices. And yes the biggest hang-up with AOSP roms on non nexus devices is hardware issues that you mentioned, but that is not CM's or any other devs fault. You have to look towards the OEM's for not sharing the RIL (radio interface layer) and other proprietary device blobs needed to build a full functioning AOSP rom from source. At that point it's up to devs to do some mad hacker y and reverse engineering in "hope" of trying to resolve hardware issues within a specific device tree. For non nexus devices it's best to stick with modded roms based off of original software that came on the device. You don't get the custom rom woes of hardware issues on a nexus device. Flash away before you get a new phone.


good day.

[sandheaver]

True for me; never held a Nexus.

[lilshawn]

True for me; never held a Nexus.

not much different than any other android phone...its just the software is updated constantly.

lots of google branded and nexus phones are available at several price points. there is something for everybody it seems.

[Gray_Area]

What's 'the nexus experience'?

[Drnick]

I guess it's like A Google Experience device which is

A product that is backed by Google but manufactured by another company. For example, the Motorola Xoom tablet is made by Motorola, but it has pure Google Android operating system installed with no extra fluff and applications that you cannot easily get rid of.

Google simply does not have the manufacturing resources to manufacture the products themselves, so Google "outsources" the manufacturing to companies with the explicit contract not to add any fluff-ware.

Google Experience Device = Pure Android, 100% Google.

Although Harrison ford had a different kind of Nexus experience 

[sandheaver]

Is anyone else kind of blown away that the unmolested, "as the vendor intended" experience is so hard to come by?  It says a lot about telephone company motivation; those apps they install to "help" you only spy on you, and they do it even when they are disabled.  Probably why I've never once seen a Nexus device in a store; they want to spy on you, they want to collect marketing information and sell it, and if they carry Nexus devices they can't, so they don't.

Yes, I know you can buy them from Google directly, and yes, I know you can use regular cell phone carriers with it.  What I'm saying is that ATT & Verizon won't sell Nexus devices, or will only sell them as low-end refurbished devices few desire because it would openly allow a customer to have a good phone and avoid all the shovelware/spyware "value-add" malarkey they shovel on top.

[Hoopz]

I walked into my Verizon store and purchased my Samsung Nexus.  It only works on their network and they sell it online also.

With Google's purchase of Motorola, the hope is that they'll start manufacturing more Nexus devices.  However, I did read that it would take 12-18 months to get Motorola's items that were/are in production out of the way and bring more Google branded items to the market. 

[sandheaver]

I walked into my Verizon store and purchased my Samsung Nexus.  It only works on their network and they sell it online also.

With Google's purchase of Motorola, the hope is that they'll start manufacturing more Nexus devices.  However, I did read that it would take 12-18 months to get Motorola's items that were/are in production out of the way and bring more Google branded items to the market.

Things have changed then.  I checked Verizon's online store before I posted what I posted earlier, and they only had low-end refurbished Nexus devices in my area.

Doesn't matter to me.  Android is an insecure OS where little apps can live on after you've exited them and do lots of things.  The ONLY reason I would ever switch back to Android would be to use on{x}.  I'd like to automate the heck out of my phone, and I can't quite do it on Windows Phone yet.

[eds1275]

I've had the HTC One X+ for about 3 weeks now. I opted against the apple stuff for various reasons, and am really happy with the andoid operating system. I mainly use it for talking and texting but have found a few nice apps that help me out in my day to day life and work (that I'm sure are available on the other platforms, or equivalent software.) It has a lot of software that you can't really uninstall such as twitter and the like however you can hide that stuff so it doesn't come up on your app list. It also came with a buttlload of bloatware, as I'm sure they all do.

[SNAAKE]

just root the phone(its running a software thats it) and use titanium backup pro to freeze apps. its just like uninstalling it but safer. in case you ever need anything back you just unfreeze it.

[EightBySix]

These debates always remind me of the ones we used to have about Commodore/spectrum/Atari 

I have had an Htc hd2 for a couple of years now. It came with windows mobile 6.5, but luckily there is a strong dev community behind it 

I've had various flavours of android on it, and I have an iPad, but I've not looked back since I put windows phone on it. For me it hits the sweet spot between apples design flair and androids customisability.

[eds1275]

These debates always remind me of the ones we used to have about Commodore/spectrum/Atari 

I have had an Htc hd2 for a couple of years now. It came with windows mobile 6.5, but luckily there is a strong dev community behind it 

I've had various flavours of android on it, and I have an iPad, but I've not looked back since I put windows phone on it. For me it hits the sweet spot between apples design flair and androids customisability.

COMMODORE

[Hoopz]

These debates always remind me of the ones we used to have about Commodore/spectrum/Atari 

I have had an Htc hd2 for a couple of years now. It came with windows mobile 6.5, but luckily there is a strong dev community behind it 

I've had various flavours of android on it, and I have an iPad, but I've not looked back since I put windows phone on it. For me it hits the sweet spot between apples design flair and androids customisability.

COMMODORE

^ This. 

[wp34]

These debates always remind me of the ones we used to have about Commodore/spectrum/Atari 

I have had an Htc hd2 for a couple of years now. It came with windows mobile 6.5, but luckily there is a strong dev community behind it 

I've had various flavours of android on it, and I have an iPad, but I've not looked back since I put windows phone on it. For me it hits the sweet spot between apples design flair and androids customisability.

COMMODORE

Atari -- no question about it.

[Gray_Area]

I've dropped my phone on asphalt and concrete a couple few times, no case, it still looks mint (though the battery flew out...). I'm still on Gingerbread because I don't like Ice Cream sandwich. And there's nothing my phone can't do that I want it to do - which are call, text, take decent pictures and higher res 30fps video, take memos, swype text, surf when I need something and that has a display and browser that can handle it......what else?.....  I'm up for upgrade/change providers if I wish. I can't find another 'no-worry-about-it' plan that costs or/and has more features for the same price or less......And getting a new phone and selling mine wouldn't be worth the money versus the hassle. I don't see changing a thing indefinitely.

[lilshawn]

I'm still on Gingerbread because I don't like Ice Cream sandwich.

uhm, we are on Jellybean right now.

[chopperthedog]

I'm still on Gingerbread because I don't like Ice Cream sandwich.

uhm, we are on Jellybean right now.

I was thinking the same thing, BUT if he has a device with low ram it's better just to stay with gb. ICS runs like ass on a device with 384mb of ram.


good day.

[lilshawn]

I'm still on Gingerbread because I don't like Ice Cream sandwich.

uhm, we are on Jellybean right now.

I was thinking the same thing, BUT if he has a device with low ram it's better just to stay with gb. ICS runs like ass on a device with 384mb of ram.


good day.

CyanogenMod 10. There’s no official announcement about the minimum hardware requirements for running Jelly Bean update, but if your current device has been capable to run the ICS update properly, then it’s likely that your device is also compatible with Android 4.1, although it isn’t officially from your device manufacturer. Some low-end smartphone such as the Xperia X8 which only equipped with a 600 MHz Single Core processor and 168 MB of RAM are able to run CM10 custom ROM (based on Android 4.1).

[Gray_Area]

This what I got:

Samsung Exynos 3
Single core, 1000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A8
Graphics processor: PowerVR SGX540
512 MB RAM / 512 MB ROM

I just don't need anything else, and I don't want to change anything up.

[Hoopz]

The S4 Google phone looks good but only on ATT and T-Mobile.  Drat.

[darkSSide]

Just picked this up and has the best reception bar none
The BRICK 2000


Sent from my Atari 2600

[Hoopz]

Thanks Gordon Gecko.  :-)

[shponglefan]

Don't you mean Zack Morris? 

[brad808]

In my mind that will always be the "zack morris phone" )

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

[SNAAKE]

galaxy S3 is really good

traded one of my modded xbox for a brand new international quad core version its FAST..everything is buttery smoove

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

I'm running the LG Motion 4G on MetroPCS, which has to be one of the most unsung phones out there. Sure, the screen isn't huge, and it's running ICS, but it's got plenty of grunt (1.2ghz dual core) in addition to really solid battery life.

I don't have to deal with Handbrake to watch the videos I download, and it's got enough power to run SF3:TS (arcade) and Tekken 3 (PS1) full speed, both via RetroArch. I'm really happy.

[hypernova]

I still have a Motorola flip phone work provided me years ago.  It's Verizon branded.  Short of intentionally breaking it, it won't stop working, and I'm not one to whine about something new when the one I have works and does what I need.

[lilshawn]

I still have a Motorola flip phone work provided me years ago.  It's Verizon branded.  Short of intentionally breaking it, it won't stop working, and I'm not one to whine about something new when the one I have works and does what I need.

its not a Nokia so i'm sure you can break it and they will believe it was accidental.

[Gray_Area]

Man, I could not go back to a po folks phone. I don't use any of the bling, but a good camera, decent (mostly emergency) surfing capacity, and a touch interface are musts.