4G Android phone megathread

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

Dang. Picked up a paid focus group this afternoon in Teaneck, and from the slant of the screener questions, it had to do with a fast Droid vs iPhone 4s or 5. So I was really hoping they;d be paying me to play with a quad core for a while. Alas, it was to help select the new ad campaign that VZW will use to preemptively strike back at the iPhone 5.

One thing that was new to me: there's a new app being cross-promoted bigtime by VZW/Droid/Facebook called Facebook Color. It streams video live thru your FB account, kinda like FaceTime but moreso with the rear facing camera and to multiple viewers.

Since each of the three campaigns had two ads with vastly different content, I'm still not sure if we were selecting the individual half campaigns, or the entire campaigns (part 1 of each campaign was the many everyday uses of a Droid, part two was a total push on the multiple uses of Color).......

 

[Rod Becks Mullet]

I got a Droid a couple weeks ago (Samsung Galaxy S2) and am still figuring some things out. My biggest problem right now is dealing with my contacts. I had a large number in gmail, but most in my outlook folder for work. When I synced my work email with my phone, I kept all my contacts, but for some reason only 59 are syncing with gmail. Not a problem when I'm using my phone, but a major issue when using gmail. I've tried both "merge with google" and "sync contacts" in my contacts area on my phone, and nothing changed. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[dirtynine]

Color is the app that raised like $50mil, came out for iPhone based around "photos near you", flamed out, and retooled completely to stream snippets of video through Facebook. You can read about founder Bill Nguyen here, it's a pretty interesting story. I don't have a lot of faith in the app on any platform.

 

[Monbo Jumbo]

Sprint and HTC are going to show off a new 'collaboration' on April 4. Rumors are this will be Sprint's version of the HTC ONE X, and will be named Jet.

Timing is right as April 1 is when the first EVO buyers are eligible for upgrades. (that would be me.)

engadget link

 

[BigJimEd]

Couple reports circulating that 5.0 a.k.a. Jelly bean could be out in Q3. Seems pretty quick. Perhaps Google is seeing the lag between their release and manufacturers playing catch up. A mid to late Q3 release will give mfg 2 to 3 months before the holiday season.

Although the adoption of Android 4.0 has just begun to gain momentum, recent market speculation also indicates that Google may release its new platform, Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean), in the third quarter of 2012. The rapid shift of OS may not be healthy for the development of the Android ecosystem, the sources commented.

 

[donutogre]

I'd be pretty surprised to see Android 5.0 in Q3, personally. An October show-off and November launch of the next Nexus device would make tons of sense, but they also might want to move it up. We'll see...

 

[Monbo Jumbo]

This bad boy is the frontrunner to replace my nearly two-year old EVO.

 

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

Amazon Gold Box has a Transcend Class4 32gb microSD card today for $24 shipped.

http://www.amazon.co...6VFEBFVV74WK9FN

(I'm told that that you do NOT want Class10 on a phone, as high speed cards aren;t too good for phone-sized apps........?)

 

[smastroyin]

Alright, here I go again.

Since it has been a few months. It's time for a face-off.

Foulkey and others: Nexus S
Frat and others: Razr Maxx
General others: anything else.

I am up for upgrade in a month. My phone is having all kinds of antenna and performance problems so I'm guessing I can bring that in if I want. I'm basically down to these two phones in the current crop. I know the general plusses and minuses. I'm curious what more long term impressions are.

Nexus cons - non-expandable memory and now only 16 GB versions available from what I understand (although VZW site still says 32, so maybe the other places I have read this are wrong). I would really really prefer 32 or more. Feels cheap-ish. Will probably need to add expense of extended battery.

MAXX cons - Motoblur, the micro-USB bus is what is giving my current phone problems and this is the same maker so am I going to go through this shit again?.

Nexus pros - ICS. Screen. Also the pro of non-expandable memory is that it should be faster than the cards.

MAXX pros - battery battery battery.

I realize there is not a superphone coming but another option is to deal with my phone for an additional few months and see what the summer brings (this is getting less likely by the day - my battery cover doesn't even stay on anymore I have to do so many pulls because it locks up). But if someone thinks there is a really good reason to wait it out, I might.

 

[jayhoz]

I just read an article, can't seem to find it, that stated that now was the worst time to purchase an Android. That the step change in technology coming in the next generation of phones (Samsung SIII and HTC One X as examples) are well worth the wait.

 

[deconstruction]

I just read an article, can't seem to find it, that stated that now was the worst time to purchase an Android. That the step change in technology coming in the next generation of phones (Samsung SIII and HTC One X as examples) are well worth the wait.

BGR

 

[smastroyin]

Yeah, the problem is that as a VZW customer, I can't really expect those until holiday season, I'm guessing. Maybe I should just use the stupid insurance and replace the X since I've forgotten to turn off the stupid insurance I may as well take advantage.

 

[TallerThanPedroia]

I'm in a similar situation, smas. My X is more functional than yours but definitely showing its age, and I'm due for an upgrade next month. But nothing seems to be thrilling me. I did go play with a Maxx at the store and the screen seemed perfectly fine, and that battery life sure sounds nice.

But damn, now that I've read that article, I dunno. I did wait several months past renewal to get the X originally. If I had jumped right away, I'd have an Incredible right now instead.

edit: Though the lack of ICS out of the box is also cooling me off. I had to wait forever for Gingerbread on the X and it never has quite seemed right.

 

[deconstruction]

My Fascinate's still running 2.2, and anything new would be a substantial upgrade, but like you guys I think waiting a few more months is prudent. And if the new quadcore stuff doesn't seem like a significant upgrade from the GN, then at least the latter will likely (I hope?) be able to be found for around $200 off contract.

 

[jaba]

Alright, here I go again.

Since it has been a few months. It's time for a face-off.

Foulkey and others: Nexus S
Frat and others: Razr Maxx
General others: anything else.

I am up for upgrade in a month. My phone is having all kinds of antenna and performance problems so I'm guessing I can bring that in if I want. I'm basically down to these two phones in the current crop. I know the general plusses and minuses. I'm curious what more long term impressions are.

Nexus cons - non-expandable memory and now only 16 GB versions available from what I understand (although VZW site still says 32, so maybe the other places I have read this are wrong). I would really really prefer 32 or more. Feels cheap-ish. Will probably need to add expense of extended battery.

MAXX cons - Motoblur, the micro-USB bus is what is giving my current phone problems and this is the same maker so am I going to go through this shit again?.

Nexus pros - ICS. Screen. Also the pro of non-expandable memory is that it should be faster than the cards.

MAXX pros - battery battery battery.

I realize there is not a superphone coming but another option is to deal with my phone for an additional few months and see what the summer brings (this is getting less likely by the day - my battery cover doesn't even stay on anymore I have to do so many pulls because it locks up). But if someone thinks there is a really good reason to wait it out, I might.

I was trying to make the same decision and went with the Maxx. I couldn't be happier. Not having to carry around an extra battery or worry about not using the phone as the battery got drained is HUGE. Plus it has amazing phone reception. I thought the lack of ICS would be a turnoff but it's fine. I haven't really used ICS much (just at the VZW store) so maybe I don't know what I'm missing.

I think for the things that actually matter in day-to-day use (i.e. battery, reception, speed), the Maxx is awesome. And I know the screen isn't as good as the GN, but, again, it's fine. It's certainly an upgrade from my Incredible.

 

[behindthepen]

http://blog.intercom.io/whats-in-a-name/
Is it an Android phone or a condom?

 

[jayhoz]

http://androidphonenamegenerator.com/

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Good news for Corsi and Frat. The Razr may be getting ICS next week.

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/03/30/razr-razr-maxx-and-htc-rezound-receiving-ice-cream-sandwich-updates-as-early-as-next-week/

 

[TallerThanPedroia]

Well damn, that's going to make it harder to hold off.

 

[Corsi]

Good news for Corsi and Frat. The Razr may be getting ICS next week.

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/03/30/razr-razr-maxx-and-htc-rezound-receiving-ice-cream-sandwich-updates-as-early-as-next-week/

Woo, thanks for the heads up, Foulkey.

Not holding my breath on this one, but we'll see.

 

[JerBear]

So, Verizon just cut the price of the Rezound to $50...clearing inventory to make room for a One series?

http://www.androidcentral.com/verizon-htc-rezound-price-slashed-49

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Instagram for Android out today

 

[Fratboy]

What is instagram?

The One series is hitting Europe now, and it looks pretty sweet.

 

[Corsi]

Instagram for Android out today

http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgusted-by-android-instagram

 

[Foulkey Reese]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgusted-by-android-instagram

That's how I'll be feeling when the iPhone bogs down our glorious 4G network.

 

[Monbo Jumbo]

Sprint EVO 4g LTE announced today - pre-orders May 7. This will be my next phone. - 2000mAh battery - integrated 16gb memory PLUS micro sd slot - camera upgrades seem to be where it really shines - lower f stop on the lens - faster shutter response - simultaneous still and video shooting. $199 with 2 year contract - and unlimited data. Aluminum frame- and a freakin kickstand!

pcmag story here.

Cnet story here.

 

[jayhoz]

Dual core is so 2011.

 

[Monbo Jumbo]

Dual core is so 2011.

Your info is so 2011. I think this is the first Krait phone to hit the market in the U.S. - and the first with a .28nm chip.

..The MSM8960 features two Krait cores compared to the four ARM Cortex A9 cores in NVIDIA's Tegra 3. While the A9 is a very power efficient core, Krait offers a much wider front end, wider execution back end, faster FPU and an improved cache/memory interface. All of these factors together combined with similar clock speeds to what Tegra 3 is able to hit should result in better absolute performance in single or lightly threaded applications. As video decode and transcode are both fully offloaded in all modern SoCs, finding workloads that scale well across more than two cores is difficult. We noted this in our Eee Pad Transformer Prime review - it's just not easy coming up with current apps that scale well to four ARM cores. That's not to say that there are no advantages to more than two cores, but you're more likely to get a benefit from two faster cores vs. four slower ones...

 

[4 6 3 DP]

Big fan of my RAZR MAXX to date - only 2 issues are I ain't getting 21 hours out of it, but I'd get a full day anyways, which is all I need. And VZW charges me 3 bucks a month for visual voicemail, which is a must have, and I don't want to spend that money. I don't want google voice or anything like youmail that requires something forwarded to a different number - I used a product by Smith Micro on my Sprint which was no hassle - just download and use, but VZW doesn't seem to allow the same.

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

Big fan of my RAZR MAXX to date - only 2 issues are I ain't getting 21 hours out of it, but I'd get a full day anyways, which is all I need. And VZW charges me 3 bucks a month for visual voicemail, which is a must have, and I don't want to spend that money. I don't want google voice or anything like youmail that requires something forwarded to a different number - I used a product by Smith Micro on my Sprint which was no hassle - just download and use, but VZW doesn't seem to allow the same.

You can use Google Voice as visual voicemail without it forwarding to another number.

 

[glennhoffmania]

Sprint EVO 4g LTE announced today - pre-orders May 7. This will be my next phone. - 2000mAh battery - integrated 16gb memory PLUS micro sd slot - camera upgrades seem to be where it really shines - lower f stop on the lens - faster shutter response - simultaneous still and video shooting. $199 with 2 year contract - and unlimited data. Aluminum frame- and a freakin kickstand!

pcmag story here.

Cnet story here.

Same here. I'm eligible for an upgrade in July, after Sprint changed it's upgrade eligibility in the middle of my contract. When will the first reviews be out?

And you already have a kickstand on your Evo.

 

[Zomp]

May 3rd is the date Samsung will release the Galaxy 3 info.

Was the Galaxy 2 on a lot of carriers? Can we expect the 3 to be on Verizon?

 

[deconstruction]

Upgrading to Galaxy Nexus is only $150 on AmazonWireless right now, so I'm more tempted.

For those who've had it since December, what are your thoughts 4 months in? Can you see yourself being happy with it for the next 18 months?

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

I love it, and can definitely see riding it out full term.

 

[bsj]

I am going to be due for an upgrade on my Evo 4G in June....I gotta say...I am in no rush...I still love my good old original Evo. But beginning in June, I will begin watching the android phones Sprint launches, and if anything tempts me, will pounce.

The Evo 4G LTE is interesting...but I dont think its going to be what I jump after.

On the other hand, my wife is also due for an upgrade in June, and her old Samsung Intercept is awful and barely functional. I am probably going to nudge her towards an iPhone though.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Upgrading to Galaxy Nexus is only $150 on AmazonWireless right now, so I'm more tempted.

For those who've had it since December, what are your thoughts 4 months in? Can you see yourself being happy with it for the next 18 months?

Yes.

Especially if you root and flash some roms. I really couldn't be happier with this phone.

 

[InstantKarmma]

Samsung has released a list of devices in the US that will be receiving the ICS update.

It looks like if you're on T-Mo, you'll have to hold your breath a bit longer

 

[TallerThanPedroia]

Well, I'm officially able to upgrade from my Droid X, and if I had to today, I'd go with the Razr Maxx, so sure enough I see rumros about a Razr HD.

The ongoing lack of ICS on the Razr Maxx definitely makes it easier to hold out.

 

[smastroyin]

Galaxy s3 looking like it may get a worldwide release instead of the usually 6 month wait for US carriers as well. Although all just rumors for now.

I'm really near the end of my rope on the X, but it seems that waiting may be worth it.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Wow, if the Galaxy S3 gets a worldwide release, I'm selling my S2 and upgrading.

I figured the U.S. would lag behind again and I'd be right around my upgrade time when it came out. I'm an unabashed Samsung fan.

 

[Zomp]

Is there a release date for the S3 or is that whats happening on May 3rd?

 

[TallerThanPedroia]

Alleged Verizon roadmap:

For starters, Verizon Wireless will indeed be offering the Samsung Galaxy S3 — Verizon notably passed on the Galaxy S II in favor of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus — but we don’t know when the carrier will start selling Samsung’s new flagship smartphone. While we have a clear picture of Verizon’s fall smartphone lineup, we would assume the Galaxy S III will be available over the summer.

Speaking of Android smartphones, there are “multiple” Motorola RAZR models due to hit Verizon in the coming months, one of which will most likely be the Motorola RAZR HD (or a name similar to that) with a larger and clearer display.

HTC might actually be the star of the Android show this time around though, as we have been told HTC will have a major flagship device hitting Verizon shelves in the fall. It’s said to feature a whopping 5-inch 1080p HD display (a non-PenTile screen), a new chipset that includes a quad-core Krait CPU and an Adreno 320 GPU, HTC Sense 5 and a Scribe pen. Yes, HTC is launching a Galaxy Note competitor.

Five inches just sounds ridiculous. I'm on Verizon and my last three phones have been Motorola (going back to the V600), so that S3 might cause me to switch, depending on those new Razrs.

 

[zenter]

Is there a release date for the S3 or is that whats happening on May 3rd?

May 3 is when they're announcing "the next Galaxy" which may be the S3. Some are speculating it may be a different line (Galaxy T?). If the S2 is any indication, hopes for a worldwide release ought to be tempered - Samsung tried and failed to get US carriers on board. AT&T released the closest thing to the vanilla worldwide version (i777, not Skyrocket), but all carriers wanted a bigger screen. If we're lucky, we'll see stuff hitting our shelves in July to take the wind out of the iPhone 6's sails/sales.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

I love it, and can definitely see riding it out full term.

What ROM are you on now?

There's one called Open Kang that is on Android 4.04 and it's just fantastic. Great signal, battery life, and feel.

http://androidcommunity.com/android-open-kang-project-reaches-milestone-5-20120430/

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

So maybe I can get some help here. I had the Droid X, then it sorta started to crap out on me like 5 months ago, so they gave me a free replacement, Droid X2. Im now due for an upgrade, but it looks like I should definitely wait, maybe even until the fall. I am moving into the GF's place a few blocks away from my current place, but the problem is, i get NO reception there at all. There are times when I get searching for service. This is in South Boston, not the boonies, too. However, the GF has verizon too (a blackberry) and gets phenomenal service. I am not too well versed in these things, is there anything I can do?

 

[Corsi]

So maybe I can get some help here. I had the Droid X, then it sorta started to crap out on me like 5 months ago, so they gave me a free replacement, Droid X2. Im now due for an upgrade, but it looks like I should definitely wait, maybe even until the fall. I am moving into the GF's place a few blocks away from my current place, but the problem is, i get NO reception there at all. There are times when I get searching for service. This is in South Boston, not the boonies, too. However, the GF has verizon too (a blackberry) and gets phenomenal service. I am not too well versed in these things, is there anything I can do?

Can you get a free replacement of the girlfriend?

 

[Fratboy]

So maybe I can get some help here. I had the Droid X, then it sorta started to crap out on me like 5 months ago, so they gave me a free replacement, Droid X2. Im now due for an upgrade, but it looks like I should definitely wait, maybe even until the fall. I am moving into the GF's place a few blocks away from my current place, but the problem is, i get NO reception there at all. There are times when I get searching for service. This is in South Boston, not the boonies, too. However, the GF has verizon too (a blackberry) and gets phenomenal service. I am not too well versed in these things, is there anything I can do?

That sucks. Moto devices are known for their signal, and if they can't pick up a signal, nothing will. You don't want to move to AT&T because you'll lose your unlimited data, and Sprint, as I understand it, is dicey at best in the city.

But you should definitely wait until the summer or fall. Phone are about to get awesome. Today's high end phones like the RAZR MAXX will be mid-range in 6 months.

Verizon does offer a network extender for $249 (possibly less) that will allow for voice only. (Presumably you'll use data on wifi.)

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

Ok, maybe this isnt the right place for this. but I just got off the phone with Verizon. My mom got a new phone, was due for an upgrade for about 8 months. She bought an LG Extravert, she doesnt need or want a smartphone, just wants to call, text, maybe receive pics. anyway, ont he bill there wasa 30$ upgrade fee. I called the store, apparently, verizon is now charging 30 bucks every time you upgrade your phone. No questions asked, it is for "maintenence", etc. I am sorta outraged about this, no notice was given via email or ill (this policy went in to place last week, nationwide) and she wasnt informed of it until she got to the cash register, obviously ready to buy this. Fuck verizon.

 

[jayhoz]

Maybe the dollar value is new, but I'm pretty sure upgrade fees have been SOP for a while now.

 

[smastroyin]

It's new. There has been a lot of bitching about it.

This is a standard fee charged regardless of the retail price of the new device.

T-mobile has done this forever. The industry expects AT&T to start doing it as well.