Android phones

[leafer]

Which one do you use and, out of curiosity, why did you choose it over Apple?

 

My cell phone looks and feels older than I am, so it's time for a new one. I'm looking for a smart phone under 150 dollars. Seeing how some of them cost 300+ dollars I wonder if the Android OS in the cheaper smart phones is a lite version?

[EtherealN]

Samsung Galaxy S2. I chose it over Apple because it's not Apple... :p

 

It's also cheaper than Apple which still having the same basic functions and, I would argue, even more functions. (Hell, I don't have to jailbreak and thus void warranty to watch Flash content! :D )

 

I generally don't like Apple. The devices themselves, be they computers, phones or tablets, are excellent build quality and good components with exquisitely finetuned user interfaces (as far as being smooth goes, not as far as letting me do things my way). Classic example is accessing external storage on an iPad. Well, totally cool if it's on a Cloud unit or accessible through streaming over the internet. It's just a shame that when I do contracts abroad I pay $4 dollars per megabyte, no way I'll stream movies or even Youtube at that rate...

 

...so I ask them if I can't access my iPod as an external drive. At first the Apple guy was shocked and didn't believe me when I said the iPod could even be used as a USB storage unit. Then it turned out the reason this was possible on my iPod was that it was an old, pre-Touch, version - that is, before they deliberately removed and locked out that function. Similarly, to access such a unit through the phone adaptor dock, you have to dig into iOS (and jailbreak it, voiding your warranty) and remove the blocks they put in to stop you from doing that. (The operating system in the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch supports such things natively, it's just locked out. Why? Because you're supposed to live in a major urban city, never travel abroad, and never do anything that they didn't want you to - and of course never purchase any software except through them.)

 

...or I can buy an Android and do whatever the hell I want with my phone and tablet. Easy choice. :P

 

But all of that said: if your intended uses fits within what Steve Jobs wants you to do, apple kit is real quality and worth the money. It's just that in my case I want to do more than what Steve Jobs decided I should do. :)

Edited July 31, 2011 by EtherealN

[leafer]

No, no, I am not a hip, uncreative poser. :D I mentioned apple because I've had it with my boss' relentless one-two punch on anything that isn't made by his other father: Steve Jobs. I just want some solid info to counter his rant the next time he tries to convince someone to get an iPhone instead of a Droid phone. Is it true that people are having trouble upgrading their droid (not sure if he meant patches or what) and that it's finicky and doesn't work with a lot of the apps intended for it?

 

 

I've looked at Samsung Galaxy but, in this country, they are still out of my price range.

[Cali]

I have a Droid X and the wife has a iphone 4. I choose my cause it has a 8MP camera and the screen is bigger then the iphone's. One nice thing about the iphone is it has 2 camera's one on the front(1.3MP) and one on the back(5MP). They have a program that you can use the front facing camera to video talk with people, it's called facetime. But I you have to have a wifi connection to use it. My phone cost me $34 dollars and the wife's cost $200.

[leafer]

Moto Droid X is nice looking and the price is right too. Definitely put it on my compare list.

[Cibit]

HTC Desire on works contract. It blows rasberries at Blackberries:P

I have an Ipod touch which I love but would not want as a phone :)

[EtherealN]

They have a program that you can use the front facing camera to video talk with people, it's called facetime. But I you have to have a wifi connection to use it. My phone cost me $34 dollars and the wife's cost $200.

 

The thing with needing a wifi is a bit crappy though. My Samsung does that over regular phone lines, no need for anyone's special programs, no need for the recipient to have a phone by the same manufacturer... (In fact this function is OLD, you had that on Samsungs and Ericssons back in 2005, and it worked over the regular cellular net.)

 

It was really funny, IMO, when Apple started hyping the FaceTime thing. I was like "wait, so you took the old videocall function that has been standard since at least 2005, crippled it so that it doesn't work over the regular phone network, and it's somehow something cool?"

[EtherealN]

Is it true that people are having trouble upgrading their droid (not sure if he meant patches or what) and that it's finicky and doesn't work with a lot of the apps intended for it?

 

Both yes and no. Doing updates of the droid phone is something I haven't really heard much about any issues - the phone regularly checks a central server and lets me know if there's a new OS version for it. If there is, it checks that it has a lot of battery, and if it has a good charge it asks if it's allright for it to update itself. I hit "yes" and it goes ahead.

 

...no need to hook up to a computer running iTunes. The Android phone is independent and can handle itself. :)

 

The iPad's updating routines are equally retarded and stupid. I don't understand why they would cripple the system so bad that it has too connect to iTunes to update itself. This actually messed up things for my father, who got an iPad for mail but doesn't have a computer. He had to come over to me, have me initiate it, and then bring it home. And he can't do an update of it unless he comes over with it again - it's now tied to my iTunes account. Absolute bull...

 

Regarding applications, the only cases I've seen of applications not working is games, which isn't any weirder than that games work on some PC's and not others - if you buy a cheap-as-possible Android phone it'll have a crap screen and worthless processor (and possibly even not have a GPU...) and well... games won't work very well then. Get something good - something that is an actual "iPhone-killer" like the Galaxy S, HTC Sensation etcetera. Apple avoids this problem simply through not offering phones on the cheaper end of the market.

 

One "problem" with Android apps compared to iOS apps, though, is that Google doesn't have the same draconian rules regarding it's appstore. Everyone is allowed to sell applications for Android. This means that there's more "crap" on Market than there is on Appstore. On the other hand, just read reviews and you'll be fine. :P It can of course also be an advantage - you don't have to hope that all programs you'll ever want to use will be approved by Jobs - if something isn't on market, just install it anyway. (You can do this on an iPhone or iPad, of course, but your warranty is rendered void.)

[leafer]

...

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation, EtherealN. I didn't know apple requires all data transfer go through iTune. That is crazy but it's just the kind of ammo I need so I can enter an iPhone vs Android debate.

 

As for the phone itself I would love to own an HTC, but if I bought one then I'd have nothing left for a camera.

[Hellfire257]

HTC Desire here - cannot fault it. With Android, you can root it and install a custom version with tweaked features. Some of the tweaked OSs have more functionality and capability, some have less (as to offer better performance and battery life). EtherealN has explained it really well - there isn't really much else to say!

[EtherealN]

Thanks for the detailed explanation, EtherealN. I didn't know apple requires all data transfer go through iTune. That is crazy but it's just the kind of ammo I need so I can enter an iPhone vs Android debate.

 

As for the phone itself I would love to own an HTC, but if I bought one then I'd have nothing left for a camera.

 

Well, strictly speaking it's not all data transfers. You can access the Appstore directly from the unit and make purchases there, same with stuff like the book store. The issue lies in updating the OS, which requires iTunes connection. For example, my father cannot get a swedish "on-screen" keyboard on his iPad, because the version of iOS on it doesn't support this, and since he doesn't have a computer with iTunes... He can't update the OS to get that support without bringing it over to me. On an Android device (though this might depend on who made the device, since many manufacturers "tweak" the OS and it's interface) it just tells me a little now and then that "yo, there's a new version of the OS, want me to download and install it?"

 

As someone who does often go on extended travel in work, this is extremely convenient - I don't need to wait with updating until I get home. I'll just let it do an OTA update (Over The Air) and it's set. :)

 

HTC makes some quality kit, and I was actually thinking about buying an HTC Sensation instead of the Samsung, but since HTC were talking about locking the ROM I decided to punish them. :P

A unit that does not have a locked ROM allows you to do almost literally whatever you like with your phone - there's a lot of "custom" version of Android out there that users have made, sort of like the Linux "Distribution" type of thing. Also, of course, an unlocked ROM gives you the freedom to decide that you don't like HTC Sense (though I do like it, but some don't) and replace it with a "Vanilla" Android system. Or make your own. :)

 

Needless to say, freedom like this makes Apple shiver with fear. :P

 

(And actually, if I've understood the system right, you could even replace Android completely on an Android phone with unlocked ROM and put in Windows Phone or something. I don't know why anyone would want to, but you can! :D )

 

One of the most common (and previously completely fair) complaints from Apple users about Android used to be how it handled application closing - or rather, that it didn't. :P On my first-gen HTC Desire I had to use a third-party application to kill applications properly. This deficiency is pretty much fixed now though. On lower-cost models an Apple user would also find the user interface a lot more sluggish than what you'd find on an iPhone (the smoothness of the iPhone's UI is, to be entirely honest, fantastic), but with the newest version of Android coupled with newer top-line phones (that is, phones that are in the same price range as the iPhone) I no longer see any difference.

[leafer]

Yeap, no wonder apple have been suing the living crap out of pretty much -- everyone? I guess every time Steve feels threaten he goes on a legal rampage. To think I used to admire the guy after I saw Triumph of the Nerds some ten or so years ago.

 

On with the bummer, now you've gotten me worried about buying inexpensive droid phone. I knew something has to be wrong with the droid OS on cheaper phones. I actually don't care for a lot of features and functions, and I don't even know what most of them are to be honest. I know I won't be surfing the net on a phone but want something with decent games and cool gadgets for my daughter. Cool UI and decent touch screen are a must. Damn, I just describe an expensive droid. lol

 

I appreciate the warning though. I can't believe I still needed to be reminded of the tried and true: "you do get what you pay for".

[EtherealN]

There should be some good reviews on the net to check for phones. Unfortunately the one I usually read (swedroid) isn't in english. But I seem to recall HTC releasing something that looked like a very good middle-ground between price and quality/power. HTC Desire S (not to be confused with Desire, Desire HD and Desire Z) or Samsung Galaxy Ace might be something to look at. I have pretty bad track of the Ericsson and LG ones unfortunately so I'm unsure which ones to recommend looking at from them.

 

The units like Galaxy S2 and HTC Sensation are generally a bit "overpriced", but depending on disposable income they might offer some value. (I don't have kids nor wife so I can be a bit more liberal with my spending than many.) But generally you can slash their price tag almost in half and still get a good experience. Of course, this might still be too much for many to spend on something that really is mainly just "fun" as opposed to someonething one needs (like food for the kids. :P ). I like the large screen on the Galaxy S2 and it's power for some sort of specialized uses like remoting into my home computer and things like that. 3D games are fun as well - but there is a tonne of fun and simple 2D games that will run fine even on some of the cheaper units. Basically, always check the extended info on a game's entry on Market. If it's a payware game, try it out really quick after purchase and download - and make sure you have a connection that lets you download fast. For some annoying reason Market only allows a 15 minute "returns" timer, so a slow connection might see that timer run out before you even downloaded the game. :(

 

That is usually just an issue for the biggest games - Need For Speed Shift is a very large download, for example.

[BKLronin]

I can highly recommend the Galaxy S2. I would implant it if possible :D

[leafer]

(like food for the kids. :P ).

 

Actually my imediate priority is not food for the kid but saving for a hotas. No shame in that. :music_whistling:

 

I can highly recommend the Galaxy S2. I would implant it if possible :D

 

LOL Dat goooood, huh...

[leafer]

Wow. The Desire S looks so bubbly good. It packs more power, ram and features than Galaxy Ace too.

[Feuerfalke]

My vote also goes for Android.

 

I had to make the decision between iPhone and Android a few months ago and since that, I've discovered a multitude of things where my Galaxy S i9000 is superior to the iPhone4 a couple of friends have.

 

Sure, the Android App Market-Place was pretty thin at that time, but it has grown rapidly over the past 6 months.

I also have to admit, that control over these apps is not as dictatory as Apple performs it for the App-Store. But to be honest: The rather democratic filtering works pretty well. There are a lot of guys out there, who seem to be willing to test all new apps, so today chances to install crappy or malware stuff are going down to zero. With enough negative remarks, the apps only show up, if you really search for them or if there is no alternative.

I also found that many Android apps are for free, while similar Apps for Apple are payware.

 

Updating the Android-Phones is pretty easy and I'm not really a mobile-phone-pro :D

[Cali]

The thing with needing a wifi is a bit crappy though. My Samsung does that over regular phone lines, no need for anyone's special programs, no need for the recipient to have a phone by the same manufacturer... (In fact this function is OLD, you had that on Samsungs and Ericssons back in 2005, and it worked over the regular cellular net.)

 

It was really funny, IMO, when Apple started hyping the FaceTime thing. I was like "wait, so you took the old videocall function that has been standard since at least 2005, crippled it so that it doesn't work over the regular phone network, and it's somehow something cool?"

 

I agree, they were just trying to hype it up so people would buy more, it happens all the time.

 

I have a ton of app's at my fingertips if i want them. I like the bigger screen and better camera, that's why I got mine. I can download all the free mp3's I want and play them free also. Not sure about moving them from my phone to my computer or ipod, haven't really looked into that yet. I may look into it, but I have 2 ipod's that I haven't used in over a year, might as well give them to my kids.

[EtherealN]

Cali, as a music suggestion you could check out Spotify. It was recently made available in the US I think. I use it myself, and at a monthly fee of ~14 dollars (don't know what it is in the US, that's converted from my currency but includes taxes) I can stream and download music freely to both phone and computer from a rediculously big library of music including both mainstream and pretty obscure stuff (I have a pretty obscure taste in music and never ran into something that isn't available).

 

The downloaded music will only be available through the spotify player, ofc, but it's a fair tradeoff for getting pretty much anything I like whenever I want it, and if I have a party or whatever going on and a friend wants to listen to a song I don't have I can still play it without having to buy it just for that time.

[Cali]

I heard of that before, I really don't want to pay anything to get the songs. I use Doubletwist to listen to music and download them through mp3 ringtone maker. I can listen to them through the ringtone maker, but I like DT better. I've only had my phone for 1 1/2 months, but i love it so far.

[BKLronin]

LOL Dat goooood, huh...

 

Yes, somehow. I think it´s more because of the possibilities of Android then the phone itself. I came from a nokia 5230 with symbian. Not too much going on there. I would say that every android phone with at least a 1Ghz CPU is just right.

 

Swiss army knife without knife. ;)

[EtherealN]

Another things that is awesome with the S2 (and, I would assume several other similar phones) is that the CPU's are dual-core, which in my experience gives you radically improved battery life. This might seem a bit counter-intuitive since two cores should draw more juice than one, but the key is that for most tasks it doesn't need to run at full power. So instead of maxing one core, it can run both cores at a lower clock and lower voltage (which is the real kicker).

 

My HTC Desire was empty in a day if I used it at all, my Samsung has been fine with 5 days even with some minor downloads, a couple phone calls and some light surfing...

[Boberro]

Many people say about Galaxy S2. I am about to buy it soon at least I am considering buying in near time.

 

However I'd like to ask about GPS experience... Is it good? Good I mean signal is strong and its quality is well. Galaxy S1 had crappy GPS :C

 

How about cover? It is plastic. It is weird Samsung put plastic as cover, but perhaps... it is good?

 

How about battery? I mean how many hours of GPS (Garmin, Sygic, Sports Tracker, TMJ and so on) can be used without battery dead :)

[EtherealN]

I haven't tried the GPS unfortunately, but it is apparently pretty good: http://www.swedroid.se/36555/test-av-samsung-galaxy-s-ii/

 

In swedish, unfortunately, but do a search to find the text "GPS & positionering" and you'll see a testrun where the black line is the S2. (Red line is Xperia Arc), the test was done with other positioning aids disabled (so no positioning via radio masts, inertials etcetera). A couple minor issues ofc, but that's to be expected when walking in alleys with 8-storey buildings. They're apparently pretty happy with it's GPS functions.

 

The cover is indeed plastic, but it seems to be pretty high-quality plastic. I'm not feeling any flex or give in my unit except a little give on the backplate - it is truly microscopic though and only in one very specific spot. (The backplate/battery shield made me very very nervous when assembling it though - it's really thin and until you've clipped it into place you become afraid of cracking it since it will flex a lot until it's hooks have come home. I don't know if anyone has experienced them cracking though - I haven't heard about it happening, but haven't really searched for it either.)

 

Battery life with GPS is something I can't say anything about though. I don't think they tested that, and I haven't tested it either. One thing I would note however though is that the unit has total crap battery life for the first week or so - it seems like the battery wants to be jogged with a few charge-use cycles before it really gets going, but after that's done it has pretty good battery life.

 

One thing to be aware of though is that if you subject it to extended and very heavy loads (mpeg4-encoding and stuff) it will get very hot. I haven't seen it actually suffer from it (no stutters in UI or applications etcetera), but it gets hot enough to really notice.

[Boberro]

Thanks for clarification.

I viewed GPS video in this article and I think I would be pleased. I often make GPS records of my runnings\cyclings so far made in my hardware modified Nokia N95 with soldered additional GPS antenna and results are quite nice, but I expect more and more from Galaxy S2.

 

I am used to charge battery every night (eeh N95... and its accumulator:))

 

Generally I expect from phone:

 

- good camera which replaces common photo camera and video camera;

- good GPS especially:

- strong GPS signal

- fast "cold fix"

- well signal quality - example in my N95 sometimes you can see full bars of satellites strength but still signal quality is not so good as it should be, at least a bit far from what I expect. GPS chip is important, hope it is SiFStar III at least.

- quite good battery

 

As I am not used to use touch phones I don't know what it would be important more. But for such high price, (about 400 Euro in Poland) overall it should be great phone ;]

Edited August 2, 2011 by Boberro