4G Android phone megathread
- Thread starter Foulkey Reese
- Start date
I'm curious to know how people here have dealt with the dilemma of giving up unlimited data in order to avoid paying full retail on a new phone vs. paying full freight for a new phone and keeping unlimited data (on Verizon)?
I have a Galaxy Nexus and will be up for upgrade in August (but can't keep unlimited data if I take advantage of the lower upgrade cost). I got the Gnex right around launch. My fear is that if I pay full price for a new phone that Verizon will yank the rug out from under me and take away my unlimited data at some point, and I will have paid $5-700 for a phone for no real reason (I know the Nexus 4 is cheaper than that, but I don't like that there is no LTE). I assume it would be within their rights to cancel my unlimited data - I could bail on the contract without paying the termination fee, but that's not a lot of consolation for me shelling out a couple hundred more dollars than necessary for a phone.
What have you all done/are planning to do?
edit:grammar
I have a Galaxy Nexus and will be up for upgrade in August (but can't keep unlimited data if I take advantage of the lower upgrade cost). I got the Gnex right around launch. My fear is that if I pay full price for a new phone that Verizon will yank the rug out from under me and take away my unlimited data at some point, and I will have paid $5-700 for a phone for no real reason (I know the Nexus 4 is cheaper than that, but I don't like that there is no LTE). I assume it would be within their rights to cancel my unlimited data - I could bail on the contract without paying the termination fee, but that's not a lot of consolation for me shelling out a couple hundred more dollars than necessary for a phone.
What have you all done/are planning to do?
edit:grammar
I was in the same boat back in December and decided to just bite the bullet and use the subsidized upgrade. Who knows when Big Red will yank the rug out from under you, and even if you pay full retail for the phone, it's not like your monthly plan charges go down because of that.
I get a decent corporate discount though. If I didn't I would have jumped ship to T Mobile.
I get a decent corporate discount though. If I didn't I would have jumped ship to T Mobile.
I'm in the exact same boat with the exact same fear.
A Verizon rep I spoke to a while back said that they were going to get rid of unlimited data for everybody within the year, but who knows if she knew what she was talking about. So yea, spending $700 on a phone and then losing unlimited would be a nightmare.
I'm probably just going to suck it up and go on a data plan since I don't really use more than 2 gigs a month anyway with all the Wifi I can use.
A Verizon rep I spoke to a while back said that they were going to get rid of unlimited data for everybody within the year, but who knows if she knew what she was talking about. So yea, spending $700 on a phone and then losing unlimited would be a nightmare.
I'm probably just going to suck it up and go on a data plan since I don't really use more than 2 gigs a month anyway with all the Wifi I can use.
I'm in the exact same boat with the exact same fear.
A Verizon rep I spoke to a while back said that they were going to get rid of unlimited data for everybody within the year, but who knows if she knew what she was talking about. So yea, spending $700 on a phone and then losing unlimited would be a nightmare.
I'm probably just going to suck it up and go on a data plan since I don't really use more than 2 gigs a month anyway with all the Wifi I can use.
A Verizon rep I spoke to a while back said that they were going to get rid of unlimited data for everybody within the year, but who knows if she knew what she was talking about. So yea, spending $700 on a phone and then losing unlimited would be a nightmare.
I'm probably just going to suck it up and go on a data plan since I don't really use more than 2 gigs a month anyway with all the Wifi I can use.
There are rumors that Google will announce a Nexus 4 LTE in this month's Google I/O.
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/04/19/nexus-4-lte-rumored-for-google-io/
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/05/01/nexus-4-lte-android-4-3/
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/04/19/nexus-4-lte-rumored-for-google-io/
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/05/01/nexus-4-lte-android-4-3/
BrazilianSoxFan said:
Depending on how it compares to GS4 (ie, is it just capacity and radio, or are there incremental hardware upgrades), this might be the final piece in my plan to dump AT&T and go to T-Mo with my family plan. The cost savings of the Nexus 4 over the GS4 could basically make the ETF moot.
There are rumors that Google will announce a Nexus 4 LTE in this month's Google I/O.
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/04/19/nexus-4-lte-rumored-for-google-io/
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/05/01/nexus-4-lte-android-4-3/
Makes sense seeing as TMo merged with MetroPCS and are making the switch to LTE
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/04/19/nexus-4-lte-rumored-for-google-io/
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/05/01/nexus-4-lte-android-4-3/
Makes sense seeing as TMo merged with MetroPCS and are making the switch to LTE
That is why I can't understand why more people don't go with Sprint. Totally unlimited data!!
Anybody make the move from the Samsung Galaxy S2 to the S3 (or 4)? I'm on my 4th S2, about to bring it back to Sprint for my 5th one (3 of them constantly crash, 1 had a burnt in Sprint logo, 1 wouldn't connect to data) and am gearing up to break my contract and move to Verizon (the Sprint coverage in my new home sucks) ... while I like a lot of the use of the S2, I'm hoping they fixed the bugs associated with it before I invest on an upgrade to the S3 or S4. Or, should I look in another direction? And no, iphones are not an option.
Pretty obvious, because their coverage sucks.Tim Naehrings Girl said:
Sure there's plenty of people that it works for, but there's also a lot of people that are willing to spend more (or have their company spend more) for better service where they live and travel.
I really believe that it depends on where you are. I live in Florida, have almost no dropped calls and get service in most buildings. After Hurricane Wilma my phone was the only one that worked for days when people with Verizon and At&t couldn't make a call. In Massachusetts where my parents live, my mom had to switch from Sprint because she couldn't even get service in her house.
I picked up google keep as my note keeper (good for grocery lists and addresses and stuff) and it syncs with my asus tab and my phone but i can't figure out where it is on my google account on my computer. It seems like the dumbest question in in the world and i am embarrassed that i don't know where it is.
I've been trying this out as well. I downloaded it as a Chrome plug-in, and now when I open a new tab, it is listed with the other apps/plugins.Orange Julia said:
Orange Julia said:
milfordsoxfan said:
Option 2 is to login to Google and then go to http://drive.google.com/keep
Oh, that works/ Thanks zenter. Is there a way to have the keep come up on the google toolbar thingy with youtube and drive and g+ and gmail?
Doesn't look like they've put it up there yet.Orange Julia said:
I love Keep as well, and use is quite a bit.
I skimmed that last few pages and don't see much on this (other than one post from Foulkey) but which would people suggest between the Galaxy S4 (available the end of the month) and the Galaxy Note II. My "new phone" date was a few weeks ago and I need a new phone.
I'm on a Moto Droid 3 now, and kind of like the physical keyboard for work emailing (I have it set to different auto-correct settings so I don't accidentally send a work email with swearing in it) but am tired of the Moto droid getting one OS upgrade and then nothing for the rest of the time I own it.
The price is in the same ballpark so I don't really care about that, but which of these phone is better?
Thanks.
I'm on a Moto Droid 3 now, and kind of like the physical keyboard for work emailing (I have it set to different auto-correct settings so I don't accidentally send a work email with swearing in it) but am tired of the Moto droid getting one OS upgrade and then nothing for the rest of the time I own it.
The price is in the same ballpark so I don't really care about that, but which of these phone is better?
Thanks.
S4 is superior spec-wise, but it you prefer a large screen and stylus, Note 2 is a better choice. As both are Samsung, the OS is largely the same, with the S4 having a few more features/crapware than the Note 2.
Something to keep in mind on the S4 is the OS/Features/Crap take up nearly 7gb of the 16gb on the 16gb model.
http://www.mobilebloom.com/16gb-variant-of-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-only-has-9gb-of-available-storage-space/2234235/
http://www.mobilebloom.com/16gb-variant-of-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-only-has-9gb-of-available-storage-space/2234235/
Jesus.NortheasternPJ said:
My GS2 has been sucking monkey balls recently. Sometimes this happens when there's a firmware update that I don't have. I checked the phone and it said it was all up to date. I then googled "firmware gs2" and discovered that Jellybean had been released for my phone in late March. There was no notification on my phone. Nothing from Sprint. There was also no OTA update. I had to download this Kies Air app and upgrade via USB.
As much as I love Samsung and may opt for the GS4 it's shit like this and 7gb of Sammy firmware that may lead me straight to a Nexus device, an iPhone, or consider whatever Google and Motorola are doing.
S4 has microSD card slot so that helps with the memory stuff a bit, but that's pretty ridiculous.
Right now Verizon still doesn't have the S4 or the HTC1, so I'm in this weird holding pattern with my aging Galaxy Nexus. Hopefully Google announces a new Nexus at their I/O next week.
Right now Verizon still doesn't have the S4 or the HTC1, so I'm in this weird holding pattern with my aging Galaxy Nexus. Hopefully Google announces a new Nexus at their I/O next week.
Way better than my old 4S camera
http://i.imgur.com/2sJFhXE.jpg
Thats a link some dude on reddit took with the macro function on the One. Claims the lead is 0.5mm
http://i.imgur.com/2sJFhXE.jpg
Thats a link some dude on reddit took with the macro function on the One. Claims the lead is 0.5mm
I'm waiting for Verizon to announce the HTC One. Looks great and the perfect time to upgrade.
However, my ability to wait has been compromised as I dropped my phone onto a metal bar at the base of my desk cracking the screen and leaving it with a huge dark purple blotch making is just about unusable. Awesome.
Any word on when Verizon might give the go ahead for the one? I read 5/22 they have a planned event of some kind which may or may not be the time to do it.
However, my ability to wait has been compromised as I dropped my phone onto a metal bar at the base of my desk cracking the screen and leaving it with a huge dark purple blotch making is just about unusable. Awesome.
Any word on when Verizon might give the go ahead for the one? I read 5/22 they have a planned event of some kind which may or may not be the time to do it.
Those pics looks great Wibi.
This guy does good work, and I think he's pushed me towards the 1. Now I just have to hope that Verizon gets it.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/jpiPzgBJU9M</a>" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>
This guy does good work, and I think he's pushed me towards the 1. Now I just have to hope that Verizon gets it.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/jpiPzgBJU9M</a>" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>
Foulkey Reese said:
So I'm addressing this to you since you said upthread that you got the Nexus at launch as did I, but the question is really for anyone:
At what point in a phone's life cycle does it no longer make sense to buy it?
I, too, would like an HTC One, but I have to wait for it to get to Verizon (due to coverage I can't bring myself to leave them). Knowing the way Verizon works, it seems more likely that this process will be painfully long. In August, when my contract runs out, the One will be 5 months old or so - assuming it's available. It seems like these things get support for maybe 2-2.5 years if you're lucky.
Does it make sense to buy a 5-6 month old phone? 9 months?
I realize the decision is influenced hugely by upcoming phone releases and cost, but for the sake of argument let's say my phone craps out and I don't care much about cost, and I need to get a phone in August.
You kind of lose either way I think.milfordsoxfan said:
Buy the phone on the day it comes out and you can end up with a buggy phone with no accessories and no development (if you're into rooting). Buy the phone 5 months later and then you're stuck with an ancient phone when you're in year two of the contract. Hell my Galaxy Nexus feels ancient now and I got it the day it came out. It's only been 17 months or so but the technology has just blown past it. So there's not much you can really do other than buy phones outright and not depend on your "new every two" upgrade.
Is anyone else's Razr (Maxx) running terribly slowly? I cleared my cache and that seemed to help a little, but it's still very slow.
mhdousa said:
So far I'd say avg to just above avg. Will basically last a day without GPS usage and typical out and about web surfing, facebooking, etc. I have a car and desk charger and will plug in occasionally throughout the day and have never really had to worry
The pace of phone advancement has likely already passed its peak so phone lifespan should start increasing. I also don't know why people are so concerned about end of life support. OS updates are not essential to a useful phone and running a one cycle old OS for the last 6 months of ownership isn't a huge hardship. Get the phone you like the most when you need a new phone.
Many Thunderbolt, Bionic, and Charge owners might disagree with you.JakeRae said:
Running an old phone sucks, regardless of whether or not it still works well.
So I finally bit the bullet and gave up the physical keyboard. It seems it's done and nobody is going to offer it and I have to adjust. So I got the S3 from Verizon yesterday, giving up my Droid 4, which is only 14 months old but was really showing its age and was very slow.
My phone needs are simple, I just want a great camera and a nice screen where I can text and get my Email for work. And maybe the occasional web surfing and having the phone as a hot spot. The S2 is comically big, I know a few people who have it and they don't sing its praises. And I didn't want to wait for the S4 because it seems like the reviews have been choppy. I don't care about any of that futuristic shit, my phone needs are very simple b/c I usually am in front of a laptop of desktop all day, every day, for work.
A few things. I also have 2 Mifi's with Verizon and they were able to hook me up and use one of my Mifi upgrades to upgrade my phone. It took forever, though, because Verizon has discontinued that process. However the Verizon saleswoman I was being helped by used the Mifi upgrade to change the main phone number to the Mifi, start that up, and then switch it back by moving the SIM card to the S3. It was VERY nice of her. But fair warning, that is going away, you won't be able to use a Mifi upgrade for your phone, which sucks b/c it's the reason why I have my 2nd Mifi.
Anyway, having multiple Mifi's doesn't make a difference because you can now bundle all your devices on the same plan at no extra cost per device. So now I can use any and all hotspots and have a capacity of 16GB per month. I use around 7-12 a month b/c one Mifi is used in my office all day by me and my whole work team.(4 other people) Still, that is a great deal, now I don't have to worry about going over on any device, it's all cumulative. Yeah, I lost the unlimited data plan on my phone but that won't be a big deal b/c of the Mifi's. And my bill is dropping from like 250 a month to around 210.
So I'm late to the game with the phone by almost a year but I do love it. It's fast, slick, easy to use, and with Swiftkey, I no longer need to be married to the physical keyboard.(this is HUMONGOUS and I have SoSH to thank for presenting me with the swiftkey option)
The camera is stellar and everything else works well. The music player is awesome and setting it up took like 11 minutes. Easier than ever. I knew going in the battery wasn't going to be great but I bought the battery backup accessory/case that charges the phone with some extra juice in case I am going to be on the road. That turns the phone from a light wafer to a brick of a sauce pan but it will be good to have if I'm going to be away from a charger for 10+ hours.
Very happy. Plus, because I didn't use my phone's upgrade, I have a phone upgrade in February of 2014, so it something beast comes out in the next 8 months, I can get it. For now, the S3 will give me a great year of phone.
My phone needs are simple, I just want a great camera and a nice screen where I can text and get my Email for work. And maybe the occasional web surfing and having the phone as a hot spot. The S2 is comically big, I know a few people who have it and they don't sing its praises. And I didn't want to wait for the S4 because it seems like the reviews have been choppy. I don't care about any of that futuristic shit, my phone needs are very simple b/c I usually am in front of a laptop of desktop all day, every day, for work.
A few things. I also have 2 Mifi's with Verizon and they were able to hook me up and use one of my Mifi upgrades to upgrade my phone. It took forever, though, because Verizon has discontinued that process. However the Verizon saleswoman I was being helped by used the Mifi upgrade to change the main phone number to the Mifi, start that up, and then switch it back by moving the SIM card to the S3. It was VERY nice of her. But fair warning, that is going away, you won't be able to use a Mifi upgrade for your phone, which sucks b/c it's the reason why I have my 2nd Mifi.
Anyway, having multiple Mifi's doesn't make a difference because you can now bundle all your devices on the same plan at no extra cost per device. So now I can use any and all hotspots and have a capacity of 16GB per month. I use around 7-12 a month b/c one Mifi is used in my office all day by me and my whole work team.(4 other people) Still, that is a great deal, now I don't have to worry about going over on any device, it's all cumulative. Yeah, I lost the unlimited data plan on my phone but that won't be a big deal b/c of the Mifi's. And my bill is dropping from like 250 a month to around 210.
So I'm late to the game with the phone by almost a year but I do love it. It's fast, slick, easy to use, and with Swiftkey, I no longer need to be married to the physical keyboard.(this is HUMONGOUS and I have SoSH to thank for presenting me with the swiftkey option)
The camera is stellar and everything else works well. The music player is awesome and setting it up took like 11 minutes. Easier than ever. I knew going in the battery wasn't going to be great but I bought the battery backup accessory/case that charges the phone with some extra juice in case I am going to be on the road. That turns the phone from a light wafer to a brick of a sauce pan but it will be good to have if I'm going to be away from a charger for 10+ hours.
Very happy. Plus, because I didn't use my phone's upgrade, I have a phone upgrade in February of 2014, so it something beast comes out in the next 8 months, I can get it. For now, the S3 will give me a great year of phone.
So - maybe a stupid question, but when has that ever stopped me before.
I'm most likely dropping my iPhone 4s for a SG4. I keep hearing/reading that there is a lot of "crapware" on the SG4. Can someone explain what that is, and if it's deletable? Everyone talks about how Android is so great because of customization - can't you just get rid of the unnecessary stuff??
I'm most likely dropping my iPhone 4s for a SG4. I keep hearing/reading that there is a lot of "crapware" on the SG4. Can someone explain what that is, and if it's deletable? Everyone talks about how Android is so great because of customization - can't you just get rid of the unnecessary stuff??
TheShynessClinic said:
I'm assuming you're not rooting (Android-speke for jailbreaking). First, there's Samsung-ware, like SVoice, SThis, and SThat. Much of that is not deleteable. Some of it might be useful, some of it is embedded in the OS (like camera and messaging tweaks), but a lot is not necessary for most users. Then, there's carrier-ware. AT&T likes to throw in Family Map, AT&T Hotspot, etc. Typically also not deleteable, but it varies more.
To me, this crapware is akin to iOS's Game Center, Newsstand, Apple Maps, and Passbook (and Stocks and Siri, if you're me). It's in there, non-removable, but doesn't really have to get in the way (except for the 7 GB hit on capacity).
If you root, you can pretty much purge much of that stuff without affecting the core functionality of the phone - root, use Titanium Backup to freeze/delete an app, and you're on your way. The downside of this option is the same as the jailbreak downside - you can't get the OTA updates when they do come out and either have to unroot to get updates or live in the worlds of root ROMs (which is often buggy but fun if you're like various options).
As for Android being customizable, yes and no. It's customizable for the person who builds it for the phone you have - you don't have infinite control as end user. That said, on all Android phones you have MUCH MORE control and much more capability to customize look & feel versus an iPhone.
Worst comes to worse you can just use a replacement homescreen launcher (Nova launcher is what I use) and hide the crapware that you never want to see without actually deleting it.
And, even better, although bloatware apps can't be deleted, they can be disabled (via the application manager), which means they're effectively gone. On my S3 I've disabled most of the VZW and Samsung loaded crap I don't use.
While it's not totally removing the offending apps, you can disable most of them which gets them out of your way. I did this with a lot of the stock stuff on my Note 2.
EDIT: What deconstruction said.
EDIT: What deconstruction said.
I played with the HTC1 the other day at Staples, and at this point I think the top tier Android phones have absolutely blown away the iPhone5. I don't see a single thing that the smaller, blander iPhone offers over one of the new Android phones anymore.
The 4 other members of my immediate family all own iPhones.
Both of my brothers lost all their contacts at one point for some inexplicable reason in the last few months. Neither plugs in their phone with any frequency to do a backup to iTunes. Both complained to me about the hassle of the situation.
I chuckled.
Both of my brothers lost all their contacts at one point for some inexplicable reason in the last few months. Neither plugs in their phone with any frequency to do a backup to iTunes. Both complained to me about the hassle of the situation.
I chuckled.
Orange Julia said:
Same here. I like the new stuff but may wait till the fall/winter for the new breeds.
Verizon question from a smartphone luddite: if I have cracks on my phone in the screen glass, does Verizon's phone insurance cover replacing that? And is that a replaceable part of the phone in general?
Yea I was torn between the 1 and the S4, but after holding it in person it's no contest.The Four Peters said:
Might be the best feeling smart phone ever. Dying for it to hit Verizon already.