Android phones: Tips, tricks?

[Santilli]

Hi
This is looking really attractive:
http://republicwireless.com/cost

The LG Optimus phone looks pretty fast. Anyone used one?

I'm wondering if the software will do the following:
Easily hook up and sync my contact list from gmail, and likewise my calendar.
Flash?

What version of Android is required to do any of these features?

Thanks

GS

 

[Santilli]

"The LG Optimus is our first phone, and there will be more to follow. Affordable and well reviewed, we assure you this first phone is very well endowed with our Hybrid Calling technology and “Gingerbread,” Google’s code name for Android version 2.3. What phone should be next?"

 

[Santilli]

If the company goes under, can the phone be used with another company?

 

[Mercutio]

It's essentially a Sprint phone that would be locked to Sprint's CDMA network. You could presumably take it to Virgin or Cricket.

 

[MaxBurn]

So I assume they just cut a deal with about every public wifi provider they could, integrated and streamlined the signon to the WAPs to happen automatically in the background of the phone? That's actually pretty nice.

I use ipass through work to do something similar but there is a signon process that doesn't always work even on supported access points. I hope you can kick the phone off wifi if the particular WAP you are near isn't behaving.

What happens if I use more than the suggested guideline?
First, you’ll be reminded of the guidelines and to what extent you’ve crossed the fair use threshold. We’ll provide you with tips for reducing your cellular footprint and plenty of opportunity to get back on track. When we contact you about your usage, we’ll let you know how much time you have to correct your problem.

What happens if you can't? You just return it so sorry or are there penalties?

 

[MaxBurn]

Also love this quote

It’s not us. It’s you.

 

[ddrueding]

I was informed by Virgin that they will not allow any phone not purchased from them onto their network. They do have some nice phones at competitive prices, though.

 

[LunarMist]

I thought the Virgin was owned by Sprint and used the same network in the US.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

"The LG Optimus is our first phone, and there will be more to follow. Affordable and well reviewed, we assure you this first phone is very well endowed with our Hybrid Calling technology and “Gingerbread,” Google’s code name for Android version 2.3. What phone should be next?"

Specifically, with Gingerbread (2.3), this gives you access to Google Talk voice (all phones) and video chat (if you have a front facing camera on the phone).

At the $200 off contract price point you may want to look at the Samsung Exhibit II 4G on T-Mobile (at Walmart), with front facing camera:

http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/samsung-exhibit-ii-4g/4505-6452_7-35053004.html

 

[Santilli]

Thanks DB.
I use google voice all the time, and it would be great to use it from my phone.

 

[MaxBurn]

I was informed by Virgin that they will not allow any phone not purchased from them onto their network. They do have some nice phones at competitive prices, though.

I thought the Virgin was owned by Sprint and used the same network in the US.

I think there is a thing with CDMA phones where they are sold with a number attached to a particular carrier, from then on you can't move that handset from carrier to carrier. Similar thing where they can block that number and you can never use that handset again on that carrier, it is locked out forever. I see a lot of "bad ESN" phones sold on ebay.

GSM with a SIM is far more flexible.

 

[mubs]

GSM with a SIM is far more flexible.

+1
!!

 

[Mercutio]

GSM with a SIM is far more flexible.

Unfortunately, half the phones in the US are CMDA and no one else uses that but some carriers in the US. There's no arguing that it's a better option, but if my choices for using one are Tmobile or AT&T, that's not really much of a choice, is it?

 

[Stereodude]

...but if my choices for using one are Tmobile or AT&T, that's not really much of a choice, is it?

Especially after they merge.

 

[Santilli]

HMMM.
My phone usage is mainly to my girlfriend, and she REALLY likes to talk for long periods.

One call was 119 minutes. She averages 30-60 minutes a call, calls every other day.

Most of this is while I'm at home.

The Virgin plan might work, but, that's 45 dollars for 1200 minutes.
Republic is 20 bucks, plus 200 down, for the same, on the same network, but, using my WIFI, which should be great for this.

She also likes to use Skype, which since MSFT bought, hasn't worked.

 

[Handruin]

HMMM.
My phone usage is mainly to my girlfriend, and she REALLY likes to talk for long periods.

One call was 119 minutes. She averages 30-60 minutes a call, calls every other day.

Most of this is while I'm at home.

The Virgin plan might work, but, that's 45 dollars for 1200 minutes.
Republic is 20 bucks, plus 200 down, for the same, on the same network, but, using my WIFI, which should be great for this.

She also likes to use Skype, which since MSFT bought, hasn't worked.

If you pick the same carrier she uses, you often times get unlimited mobile to mobile minutes within the same carrier.

 

[Santilli]

If you pick the same carrier she uses, you often times get unlimited mobile to mobile minutes within the same carrier.

She has Verizon one I don't like.

 

[MaxBurn]

She also likes to use Skype, which since MSFT bought, hasn't worked.

What's wrong with it?

 

[Santilli]

Probably should be another thread.

I'd like to hear everyone's Skype experiences...

 

[Sol]

Probably should be another thread.

I'd like to hear everyone's Skype experiences...

My experience with Skype on Android has been a bit hit and miss. If you have a good connection then it's fine, but if you lose your connection a lot then it will rarely be in sync and will tell you people are online when they're not, tell you they're not when they are and tell them you're not when you are.

I suspect that if they changed the software to be more aggressive about keeping in sync then they'd just be killing your battery instead so it's not really something that can be gotten around without pushing the network components of services like Skype lower down the network stack (To the same sort of level as GSM connections are maintained). That may become more doable in the future when the line between voice and data connections blurs a bit but for now I think we just have to live with it.

Other than that I find call quality to be as good as the connection I'm on when I use it. If I'm at home on WiFi then voice and video are fine, if I'm on a GSM connection then I generally don't try video in any case due to download limits but voice is generally fine when my connection is good enough for people to be able to call me in the first place.

 

[MaxBurn]

http://mobile.theverge.com/2011/11/17/2568348/galaxy-nexus-review

Josh sounds like he really likes it. Looks good in the video too.

 

[Santilli]

"What's more, you can use non-Market titles, as well. Just keep in mind that the Galaxy Nexus has just 32GB of internal memory. Yes, that's a lot, but we say "just" because the Galaxy Nexus does not have an external memory card slot.

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-nexus/4505-6452_7-35042961.html#ixzz1e0fGSy3O
"

That sucks.

 

[Mercutio]

32GB is as big as microSD gets anyway. Many devices that have slots don't have much internal memory, so if you need tons of data you wind up with 32GB either way.

I have three 32GB microSD cards in my laptop bag but who the hell swaps out those cards on anything like a regular basis anyway?

 

[Santilli]

I have a full, 16 GB card that I use for music.

I would like to be able to just move it to another phone...

Also, that phone is nearly 700 dollars. Seems like for that, you should get an SD slot...

 

[Mercutio]

Also, that phone is nearly 700 dollars. Seems like for that, you should get an SD slot...

One of the nice things about the Android Platform is that there are other options available. iPads can cost more than $700 and external storage on those is beyond the wildest Steve Jobs necrophile wet dream of iStuff people.

 

[MaxBurn]

I think there were some hard decisions made with the nexus and they hit a nice balance in giving it such a big screen bit not seem like a big phone, it is pretty thin. I wouldn't mind checking one out.

 

[MaxBurn]

Galaxy Nexus performance benchmarks. The browser one is a good one to look at but the rest of the tests between the phones are two different compare I think.

http://modmyi.com/content/5978-galaxy-nexus-benchmarks-put-up-against-apple-s-iphone-4s.html

 

[time]

The Galaxy II already matches those numbers with Cyanogen Mod based on Android 2.3, and the stronger graphics hardware is already much faster.

When the Galaxy II moves to Android 4.0 (I don't know if Samsung has confirmed an official version yet, but Cyanogen has already started work on it), it will very likely out-perform the Galaxy Nexus as it now stands. Certainly, battery life will continue to be superior to the iPhone 4S.

 

[Sol]

Samsung have confirmed Android 4.0 for a couple of phones and the Galaxy S II is indeed on the list. Also the Galaxy Note which seems to be an S II with a (much) bigger screen, a stylus, and even better battery life (2500mah, apparently lasts about 9 hours looping video). If it wasn't over 550 GBP then I'd probably be pretty tempted to upgrade now, as it is I'll be keeping an eye on it (I like my phone but it'd be nice to have something with a GPS that actually works, the note has both GPS and the Russian equivalent).

 

[Santilli]

My contract is running out December 14th. I'm wondering what Android phone to get, or not get. Is it worth waiting for Android 4.0, and a capable phone?

 

[Handruin]

The galaxy nexus is an Android 4.0 phone. You don't need to wait long if you want that soon.

 

[Santilli]

The only bleeding edge I'm after is a safety razor. The Nexus is EXPENSIVE. I don't want to be on the 500 or more edge. That's why I'm looking for some sort of stop gap until 4.0
becomes common place, and phones that will run it.

 

[Handruin]

The only bleeding edge I'm after is a safety razor. The Nexus is EXPENSIVE. I don't want to be on the 500 or more edge. That's why I'm looking for some sort of stop gap until 4.0
becomes common place, and phones that will run it.

I don't remember the galaxy nexus being $500, maybe without a contract. Look at the Samsung galaxy S II if you want a good phone that will eventually run android 4.

 

[LunarMist]

Will it be necessary to upgrade to 4.0? I should be receiving the S II next week.

 

[MaxBurn]

Why would you not want the latest os and new features?

 

[LunarMist]

Can that be done without upsetting the installed apps?

 

[timwhit]

Can that be done without upsetting the installed apps?

Yes. It will get an OTA update eventually.

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks. I had to look that one up. It's not the Orthopedic Trauma Association, Organic Trade Association or Open Travel Alliance.

 

[Mercutio]

Cluzee supposedly has a similar feature set to Siri and was released for Android phones today. It's poorly reviewed at the moment, but it's free for Android people to try out.

 

[Handruin]

I thought Iris (Siri spelled backward) was the Android app that was recreating Siri?

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dexetra.iris