Related
Hi there. I know there are some threads about this but they are seriously outdated.
I have an Atrix that I bought in the summer off of eBay and I love it. I'm running CM7 Ba2tF and everything works great (I'm getting 3 days of battery with moderate use). Thing is: my girlfriend loves it too, she has an old Nokia and has been thinking about upgrading for a while, so I was thinking about getting her an Atrix for Christmas.
There are some pretty affordable Atrixes on eBay now, but my question is: is it worth it to buy one now?
My girlfriend doesn't need the latest hardware, but it would be nice to have a decent phone (which the Atrix certainly is). She also doesn't need the latest software, but the Atrix seems more than capable to run ICS (either officially or not).
So do you think there are other phones for about the same price on eBay (200-250 €/270-340$) that would be a better deal than the Atrix?
Edit: I forgot to mention that we live in Portugal, and don't have a lot of money, that's the reason for wanting to buy an affordable (possibly used) phone on eBay. It obviously can't have a contract and must be SIM unlocked/easily unlockable.
Sorry if this is the wrong forum to ask. And I apologize for my poor english.
I like it a lot, I think its great. Especially now that Lapdocks are cheap.
Honestly, I'd probably be looking at getting the next great thing if I were buying now. I love my Atrix, but it's already old news imo. There's bigger and badder coming out.
ATRIX is one great phone that brought Motorola from its grave however there are better phones out there now and if u wanna wait, there will be even more.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
CaelanT said:
Honestly, I'd probably be looking at getting the next great thing if I were buying now. I love my Atrix, but it's already old news imo. There's bigger and badder coming out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but the reason i asked this is because we don't have a lot of money, and we don't live in the USA, so we can't buy new phones for a couple hundred bucks (I should have probably mentioned that). We are looking for an affordable phone, that's also a bit future proof, even if it is not the most recent device out there.
tsdedst said:
I agree, but the reason i asked this is because we don't have a lot of money, and we don't live in the USA, so we can't buy new phones for a couple hundred bucks (I should have probably mentioned that). We are looking for an affordable phone, that's also a bit future proof, even if it is not the most recent device out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were strapped for cash I would get one if I could get a good deal. It's a great phone. I'm just a technoholic, so I'm looking for my next one right now. With 5 phones on our plan, I get 5 times the chance for a nice upgrade!
Yeah you can be waiting for years for the next best thing to come out and never get one because there is another one on its way about to come out also...
I think atrix is a great phone, I had it since the week they came out and still love it. I say get it, it's an awsome phone for the price and the specs that it has.
Although I'm running a different rom on it, I think the stock version runs great too for anyone getting into androids or smartphones.
I came here looking for a thread just like this. Funny how it works out. Thanks
ATT is running a deal to get an Atrix 4g for a penny with contract extension. Being cash strapped and wanting an android device that doesn't suck to replace my old Curve just became an option.
Also consider replacement costs if you don't have insurance. Depending on where you live I am guessing this could be more or less expensive. If you don't have phone insurance through a carrier, you can always ask about adding the phone to your home or renters insurance.
I'd say get it!
The Atrix 4G is anything but an old and budget smartphone.
It still has great specs and even better than some of the latest and greatest.
Just for fun let's compare it to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Atrix has many features the Nexus don't have, like huge battery, hdmi out, webtop, lots of accesories to choose from, a screen that will outlast that on the Nexus due to image burn-in problem on AMOLEDs, ICS capable, memory expansion through micro-sd, fingerprint scanner that really works great, and best of all, CHEAPER!
P.S.- I'm not saying that SGN is not a great phone, but on feature/cost ratio the Atrix blows it out of the water.
I had thought of that, but what about the galaxy s (not the s2)? It is slightly cheaper on ebay, probably because more were sold, and it doesn't have the flash or hdmi out or dual core processor, but it's still a pretty capable phone.
I know there are more than a few posts comparing these two devices out there, and I've seen some of those, but TODAY, would any of you opt for the galaxy S, that is about 40€ cheaper, instead of the Atrix? I am just looking for personal opinions.
Keep in mind that I own an Atrix, and I did a lot of research before buying it, including comparing it with the galaxy S. The point is, the galaxy S was a lot more expensive when i bought my Atrix, and I don't know if i would still buy it, if the prices were as they are today (although I probably would and will again ).
tsdedst said:
I had thought of that, but what about the galaxy s (not the s2)? It is slightly cheaper on ebay, probably because more were sold, and it doesn't have the flash or hdmi out or dual core processor, but it's still a pretty capable phone.
I know there are more than a few posts comparing these two devices out there, and I've seen some of those, but TODAY, would any of you opt for the galaxy S, that is about 40€ cheaper, instead of the Atrix? I am just looking for personal opinions.
Keep in mind that I own an Atrix, and I did a lot of research before buying it, including comparing it with the galaxy S. The point is, the galaxy S was a lot more expensive when i bought my Atrix, and I don't know if i would still buy it, if the prices were as they are today (although I probably would and will again ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the problem I see by purchasing any type of used AMOLED based smartphones is that the buyer runs the risk of getting a device with a burned-in screen.
For those not familiar with this "burn-in" term here's a brief explanation:
AMOLED based screens (even new ones like Super AMOLED +) use organic leds that produce it's own light, so there is no need of an electroluminicent backlight like that on normal LCDs, colors are brilliant (oversaturated to some) but the downside to this new technology is that unfortunately blue leds tend to degrade faster than the other colors, so after just a few months of use (according to reports all around xda and other sites) the user start to see ghosting or burn-in effects on screen, specially visible on whites.
That's one of the primary reasons why we got a change of color scheme starting on Android 2.2 Froyo like dark top task bars where static icons and information tend to burn-in quicker.
So, in conclussion, I would avoid purchasing any AMOLED based smartphone without looking at it first IN PERSON!.
How to check?
Simply hold the device and pump the brightness all the way to the max settings and then have a blank WHITE screen (i.e. maximized or zoomed in blank white web page) and look for ghost images specially where the top bar sits, or even squared and ghostly icons where the program icons used to sit).
There are lots of videos and pictures all over to see what to look for.
Cheers!
Rayan
Definitely get an atrix over galaxy S. Much more powerful phone. The price on galaxy S is artificially high due to demand for replacements from a lot of people that bought them. See that a lot on the used market with the mass consumer market phones just like old iphones.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
atrix
Forget the old Galaxy...I had one and it was crap. Slow, not enough memory, laggy, Froyo.
I read all the android news every day looking for my next phone. So far the only one that is tempting me is the Motorola Dinara, or XT928 coming to AT&T soon. It is a 4.5 inch screen and true HD 1280 x 960. The ones being delivered to AT&T will have removeable batteries, 1.2 GH dual core, and I like the design. Price will be a factor so I won't be able to actually purchase it till 6 months down the road. Whatever the case the longer you wait the more powerful phone you will get, its just the was it goes.
I think the ATRIX 2 with a fingerprint scanner would be a fantastic device for the $100 asking price. Recently played with one, I liked it.
I was in the same position of yours couple of weeks ago. My budget was around $300-350. I couldn't find any phone better than Atrix 4G on this budget! Man its one of the greatest phone still now in the market & it has the lower price of them all. Its the great phone with a great price! If I had money I'd buy another atrix!
16 GB internal, 1910mAh battery, 1Ghz processor. How many phones out there beats that?
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Atrix has the best price/performance ratio today.
Semseddin said:
Atrix has the best price/performance ratio today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I would but the Atrix again today. I am not the "chase the hottest thing today" kind of guy.
Atrix has very good specs in dual core CPU and 1 gig of ram. Remember that most phones are still single core.
I will listen to upgrade arguments when there will be a single app that requires more raw hardware power than what Atrix provides.
I would happily purchase the Atrix again today, it's the best phone I've ever had. Ill be waiting for a good quad core phone before I replace mine.
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium
Hey guys, feels good to be back on i9100 forums, bought an i727, and i must say, i hate that that POS phone, 1.5Ghz feels like 1.0 Ghz single core. Im going back to my old Galaxy S2 after i sell the i727. Really want to get the white one, BUT, checked Gsmarena and it says that the white Galaxy S2 has a different chipset and a different GPU, now, my question is, will i be able to flash ROMs without any problems or incapability issues? And will i see much difference between the two phones? Slower faster, better worse? Im also a gaming fan, and when i used to download games, i remember there a different .apk's for different types of GPU, finding APK's for Mali 400 was never a problem, but what about the PowerVR SGX540? Thanks a lot guys.
Checked out some benchmarks, which i know dont really mean too much, optimus 3d and bionic use same gpu and chipset, but they are worse than exynos sgs2. How significant is this?
Deniska11 said:
Hey guys, feels good to be back on i9100 forums, bought an i727, and i must say, i hate that that POS phone, 1.5Ghz feels like 1.0 Ghz single core. Im going back to my old Galaxy S2 after i sell the i727. Really want to get the white one, BUT, checked Gsmarena and it says that the white Galaxy S2 has a different chipset and a different GPU, now, my question is, will i be able to flash ROMs without any problems or incapability issues? And will i see much difference between the two phones? Slower faster, better worse? Im also a gaming fan, and when i used to download games, i remember there a different .apk's for different types of GPU, finding APK's for Mali 400 was never a problem, but what about the PowerVR SGX540? Thanks a lot guys.
Checked out some benchmarks, which i know dont really mean too much, optimus 3d and bionic use same gpu and chipset, but they are worse than exynos sgs2. How significant is this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory, there's no difference between a black GT-I9100 and a white one. What's probably happened is that the site has two different devices (the GSII, and a variant) listed as the same device. Go look up the specs of the international GT-I9100 and pick the one that matches that.
Regarding the question about compatibility, if the device really does have a different chipset and GPU, then no, you'll need ROMs and kernels that are tailored to that device's hardware - so you'd need to figure out which variant of the GSII it is.
On a personal note, I think the black Galaxy S II looks better than the white one
Thanks a lot for the reply bud. Yea i figured the ROMs wouldnt be suitable for different hardware, so thanks for confirming. I went on Bell's website (my provider) to check the specs, but obviously they dont go into such deep details. I guess i will have to ask someone who already has this phone to look up the specs in the manual or something.
I had a black one for four months, just wanna try white, to me the white one looks better
Thanks again
Deniska11 said:
Thanks a lot for the reply bud. Yea i figured the ROMs wouldnt be suitable for different hardware, so thanks for confirming. I went on Bell's website (my provider) to check the specs, but obviously they dont go into such deep details. I guess i will have to ask someone who already has this phone to look up the specs in the manual or something.
I had a black one for four months, just wanna try white, to me the white one looks better
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you link me to the page, I might be able to help
screamworks said:
Could you link me to the page, I might be able to help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Products/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II_4G_White
Saw a Nexus commercial, highly considering, but only because of ICS, but then i figured SGS2 will also get ICS, so i guess ill wait
Black verison FTW hell yeah ..!!!!
Deniska11 said:
http://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Products/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II_4G_White
Saw a Nexus commercial, highly considering, but only because of ICS, but then i figured SGS2 will also get ICS, so i guess ill wait
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So that one there looks fine, minus the fact it has LTE capabilities, which are lacking in the original GSII. I can't shed much light here, unfortunately.
That said, I think you should go with the Galaxy Nexus - the Galaxy S II is a fantastic piece of hardware, but in nearly every aspect the Galaxy Nexus either matches it, or beats it, and, more importantly, not only does the Galaxy Nexus get direct updates from Google immediately (compared to 4+ months from Samsung), but from experience, all the best development happens for Nexus devices. If it's within your means, go the Galaxy Nexus.
Nexus is 600$ here in Toronto, and thats a bit out of my price range, i mean i can definitely buy it, i just dont see/know if its worth the 150$ extra dollars. Im a heavy camera user, and having an 8mp camera is a huge plus for sgs2. Going back to 5mp....naw. My 5 year old nokia n95 8gig has the same camera. Also dont like how it doesnt have a scratch-less glass. But you definitely made me think Is the nexus really that good? And can you please expand on the updates part? Immediate updates?
PS. Cant see where you found that its LTE compatable, maybe took a wrong turn by accident?
Deniska11 said:
Nexus is 600$ here in Toronto, and thats a bit out of my price range, i mean i can definitely buy it, i just dont see/know if its worth the 150$ extra dollars. Im a heavy camera user, and having an 8mp camera is a huge plus for sgs2. Going back to 5mp....naw. My 5 year old nokia n95 8gig has the same camera. Also dont like how it doesnt have a scratch-less glass. But you definitely made me think Is the nexus really that good? And can you please expand on the updates part? Immediate updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the long run, it's worth it. Believe me on that.
On the camera, yeah, it's a bit of a step down, but 5MP is by no means a bad camera, and the shutter speed of the Galaxy Nexus is lightyears ahead of the Galaxy S II. Plus, lense technology in smartphones has come a long way since the days of the N95 - so while the sensor might be the same resolution, the picture quality is just amazing.
The glass on the Galaxy Nexus, while not 'Gorilla Glass', which keep in mind is just a marketing term for chemically strengthened glass, is still very scratch resistant. As long as you take care of your device as you would any expensive device, it'll be fine. As a precaution, I'd still apply a screen protector though - but I do that with even my Galaxy S II, no matter how scratch resistant it is. Plus, the curved glass is so much more ergonomic and pleasant to use (and looks downright sexy).
About the updates...
When Google finishes developing updates for Android, i.e. once they've finished the coding and testing, they release it for Nexus devices only, so the Nexus One, the Nexus S, and the Galaxy Nexus - any other phone has to have the code ported to it by it's manufacturer, a process which takes months. So, the Nexus devices always get updates first, months before any other device.
All this, plus the fact that there's no carrier bloatware, and a 720p HD screen, etc. makes it one killer device!
Got too carried aay with the new years. I checked out a loooot of videos on the Nexus, i really like the software, but the speed doesnt impress me, that lag between transition from portrait to landscape...i kid you not, my N95 did it faster and in this one review they were complaining a lot about the camera. Huuge, no no for me. Its quite pricey, and the reason being is, ICS. If other phones start getting ICS, this phone will drop in price like craaazyyy. I found a good S2 for 400, and now the margin increased to 200$ between S2 and the nexus, and to tell you the truth i dont think the nexus is 200$ better.
Deniska11 said:
Got too carried aay with the new years. I checked out a loooot of videos on the Nexus, i really like the software, but the speed doesnt impress me, that lag between transition from portrait to landscape...i kid you not, my N95 did it faster and in this one review they were complaining a lot about the camera. Huuge, no no for me. Its quite pricey, and the reason being is, ICS. If other phones start getting ICS, this phone will drop in price like craaazyyy. I found a good S2 for 400, and now the margin increased to 200$ between S2 and the nexus, and to tell you the truth i dont think the nexus is 200$ better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well hey, it comes down to what suits you
Best of luck with it all!
screamworks.
screamworks said:
Well hey, it comes down to what suits you
Best of luck with it all!
screamworks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you approve my logic?
ICS is pretty much made for SGS2, maybe a month or so and it will be ready to use.
Deniska11 said:
Do you approve my logic?
ICS is pretty much made for SGS2, maybe a month or so and it will be ready to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that NITZ is fixed in XXKP8, and the CyanogenMod 9 team have solved a lot of the camera issues, etc., I think you're about right with a month for a decent daily driver - but Samsung won't have an official ICS ROM until around April.
Personally, I'd go the Galaxy Nexus, but the Galaxy S II is still a monster phone, so go with whatever you prefer.
Get a pink SGS2. Stylish
In all seriousness tho, if you're choosing (or not) a phone based on the colour of the handset, you really should be asking yourself what the hell you're doing on XDA in the first place
screamworks said:
Now that NITZ is fixed in XXKP8, and the CyanogenMod 9 team have solved a lot of the camera issues, etc., I think you're about right with a month for a decent daily driver - but Samsung won't have an official ICS ROM until around April.
Personally, I'd go the Galaxy Nexus, but the Galaxy S II is still a monster phone, so go with whatever you prefer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont mind waiting for an official, but if the one on xda is worthy, ill get that. Speaking of the fix, im quite amazed xda already got roms, i mean...how long ago was the phone released? Thanks a lot for your input anyways man.
MistahBungle said:
Get a pink SGS2. Stylish
In all seriousness tho, if you're choosing (or not) a phone based on the colour of the handset, you really should be asking yourself what the hell you're doing on XDA in the first place
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, the things xda keeps enforcing are: dont spam and read previous posts. Not only are you posting a garbage/useless reply, but you also dont know where i am coming from because you failed to read.....anything from this thread. My question was wether i need a diiferent rom, if the s2 had different internals.
I guess you'd better report me to the mods then.
Edit to add - You were told in the first reply to your OP that you were mistaken re: differences in specs between different coloured handsets. If you'd bothered to do your research properly (even Wikipedia would have given you the differences in hardware between the SGS2 "variants"), you would have known this already :-|
Deniska11 said:
Lol, the things xda keeps enforcing are: dont spam and read previous posts. Not only are you posting a garbage/useless reply, but you also dont know where i am coming from because you failed to read.....anything from this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on my family there are 3 sgs2, 2 blacks and my sgs2 white, al of them gt-i9100 with same specifications and the same performance, it only changes with the different version like the lte.
Deniska11 said:
I dont mind waiting for an official, but if the one on xda is worthy, ill get that. Speaking of the fix, im quite amazed xda already got roms, i mean...how long ago was the phone released? Thanks a lot for your input anyways man.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, considering that with Gingerbread, I run CyanogenMod 7 instead of Samsung's ROM, I think I'll end up going with the CyanogenMod 9 ROM over Samsung's anyway
The Galaxy S II, at least in Australia, launched in May last year. If you're referring to the Galaxy Nexus, it'd be about a month or so, give or take two weeks. But the source code was out about a week or two before the Galaxy Nexus shipped, and has been out for around two months or so, again give or take a bit
I might be getting one sometime in the next few weeks. I was just wondering, is anyone using an InvisibleShield, or BSE or any other skin on their white Galaxy S II?
I'm curious as to how it looks, if it makes the white look less... white.
Gonna buy mine sometime soon too. I dont think it makes a difference, my friend has a white iphone with a ghost screen protector, it lookes exactly the same. MAYBE just a tiny little bit less...white
Hey guys/gals,
I'm literally counting the days til my upgrade, however with phones like the One X and a few others which i can't think of off the top of my head. Rather than asking VS. questions which will be answered by biased views or perhaps answers which don't answer the why i'll ask it like this.
What was the feature that made you buy the phone over the other phones on the market, what is your favourite feature which made the phone a defo puchase?
Thanks to all that answer this for me.
Mainly the processor, big ass screen and clearly the brand Samsung. HTC are good but from past experience I know that what they seem to offer is not always what they actually have to offer. Other phones are just out of the question, like nokia pure view since I would rather buy a camera than buy that phone (though I already have a DSLR so I don't need one). And to be honest I normally pick phones right away and then find everything there is to know about them. I just told myself that now is the time and this is the phone I want to buy.
what is your favourite feature which made the phone a defo puchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Huge community with lots of ROM's and customizations
- Large AMOLED screen (only had good experiences so far)
- Cool addon features such as Smart Stay
- Perfect USB OTG support
- Large battery
- Samsung-branded. (No issue with their devices so far)
- Powerful 4core SoC
Thanks for the input so far guys, its not a case I'm doubting the s3 but I'll probably get lumbered with a 24month contract and I don't want to miss out on another phone due to blindly buying the s3
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
If I had a Galaxy Nexus as your signature suggests I would have skipped the S3, I don't think the incremental benefits merit a 24 month tie in. Or you could upgrade now and when the next gen handsets are released your S3 and GN should raise enough to buy whatever tickles your fancy.
For me it was the SD card slot and removable battery. Also I was concerned about all of the screen scratch talk with the one X.
On AT&T, the One X looks to be the better performer but couldn't get past the issues above.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
diablous said:
Thanks for the input so far guys, its not a case I'm doubting the s3 but I'll probably get lumbered with a 24month contract and I don't want to miss out on another phone due to blindly buying the s3
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Contract ????? £500 PAYG unbranded CPW .
jje
Because the One X is inexcuseably flawed with the lack of replaceable battery and memory slot and traditionally rubbish battery life, and even though the S3 is also flawed most of it is just software problems that can be bodged up after the fact.
SIII doesn't have any serious competition imho. It is the best phone in the market at the moment hands down. If only my other decisions in life are that easy
diablous said:
Hey guys/gals,
I'm literally counting the days til my upgrade, however with phones like the One X and a few others which i can't think of off the top of my head. Rather than asking VS. questions which will be answered by biased views or perhaps answers which don't answer the why i'll ask it like this.
What was the feature that made you buy the phone over the other phones on the market, what is your favourite feature which made the phone a defo puchase?
Thanks to all that answer this for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I chose this phone because it is the successor of the previous best android device, the Samsung galaxy s 2. Things could only improve with the galaxy s 3.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Frostfree said:
If I had a Galaxy Nexus as your signature suggests I would have skipped the S3, I don't think the incremental benefits merit a 24 month tie in. Or you could upgrade now and when the next gen handsets are released your S3 and GN should raise enough to buy whatever tickles your fancy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree. Especially the fact that the nexus is about to get jelly bean, it's gonna be a brand new phone. Yes the S3 is the best phone out right now ( in my opinion) but the nexus is also fantastic and I miss that phone sometimes.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
To be honest I believe that there soon won't be a device (including Samsung) that will be let's say 2 or 3 times faster, better, etc. that the SIII. Quad core processors came out now so next year probably they will continue to distribute them. Plus custom roms or the SIII will get better, these guys at xda do a better job than any company out there, they are users that make upgrades for users and know what we exactly need. Software is never an issue it can always be upgraded, modified unlike hardware that is something that is hard to replace in a phone. So when I look for a phone I mainly look at the hardware, for the hidden potential of the phone. And to be honest Samsung SIII is the fastest phone currently on the market and we all know well that it has the most juice in it.
barondebxl said:
I totally agree. Especially the fact that the nexus is about to get jelly bean, it's gonna be a brand new phone. Yes the S3 is the best phone out right now ( in my opinion) but the nexus is also fantastic and I miss that phone sometimes.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus always gets the latest OS first but as soon as the Galaxy S's get upgraded you just get stuck with a phone that's always worse than the equivalent Galaxy S, and I'd never buy a phone just to get an OS a few months early because I'd quickly realise the mistake I made.
barondebxl said:
I totally agree. Especially the fact that the nexus is about to get jelly bean, it's gonna be a brand new phone. Yes the S3 is the best phone out right now ( in my opinion) but the nexus is also fantastic and I miss that phone sometimes.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. If you have a Nexus already, I agree that it will feel like a new phone with JellyBean on it.
I am still getting the S3 though. I will be new to Android so will have a bit of learning to do, and JellyBean is supposed to be coming to the S3 in Q4, so by then I'll be ready for it and I think it will make the S3 super-super-swishy (from the mere super-swishy it is now).
For me, replaceable batteries & memory cards are a must, so that basically blew many other phones out of the picture. Good camera, USB OTG, MHL-ing to use it as a games console, proper HD screen, good battery - all of these things sold it too me.
No iThings for me. I don't want to get tied into any restrictive iContract with iEULA, not shackled to iTunes, titchy screen, etc etc.
I was happy with my Windows HTC HD2 (before I bricked it). Hoping buying a Samsung flagship model on Android (with the massive user group that's gathering behind it and seemingly fast updates OTA from Sammy) will mean this phone will function well out of the box, and function amazeballs with a few custom tweaks & mods.
Hopefully I will get my UK blue this week :cyclops::victory:
Screen size and speed
Already running Jellybean, but like people have said you can change Software you can't change hardware and one thing i do miss is the S2 camera I had, so the Samera on the S3 is one of my big reasons.
Thanks to everyone who has posted so far.
What competition?
My last phone was an HTC Desire, and since I was displeased with the HTC Sense UI, I just decided that my next phone would be a Samsung. And the S III just happened to be the best phone out there.
hox has too weak battery in my case, so its a no-competition thing actually
next close to perfect phone is still good old i9000
The hype about it - I figured that with all the talk there would be loads of custom roms developed for the phone. I signed up for a two year contract and I wanted a phone that could last two years which this should do well with that processor. Had a Nexus S before and considered buying a Galaxy Nexus, but 16GB internal and no option for external SD just didn't appeal to me.
my nephew just turned 13 (big "thing" in Jewish tradition) so i'm looking for a present for him
the kid wants a iphone 4/5, galaxy S3 and so on... spending money neither me or his father have (dame kids this day)
so i offered his father that we buy a "unknown" phone for the kids that would be good but won't kill our pocket.
and when he kills it (and he will) the hole won't be so big
due to the high number of companys and models i ask for some help deciding what phone to get
what should the phone have:
cpu: dual core 1ghz+,
mem: 1gb should do it but 512 is also OK
screen : 4"+, the kids loves my Galaxy Note but it's too big for a kid his age
resolution: 400*800+
shape: if it can be a "clone" it's better so we can find covers for it (kids... you know)
money: i would prefer staying in the 200$~250$ area
U can search for Micromax A100 and Micromax A90...I think they can match up given specs..!
Sent from my GT-I9003
other options?
Hmm either look it up on eBay or on DealExtreme.
But on DealExtreme there are alot of phone only with 2.3 Gingerbread OS.
Here is the link to the DealExtreme link and look it up.
http://s.dealextreme.com/search/android+phone.html?sort=Price&page=20
Good luck getting an 1 GHz phone with 1GB RAM under the 250$. :/
i changed to 512mb...
i prefer to hear from people who used this devices and not go for one blind
iakovl said:
i changed to 512mb...
i prefer to hear from people who used this devices and not go for one blind
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using an alps n7000+. It is a copy of the samsung galaxy not gt-n7000.
The only difference is the copy didnt come with all of samsungs bloatware i cant fault this phone at all it is great at flashng new roms ect
I got it from gadgetdealers.com they have many many phones to choose from hope this helps.
.....waht about the huawei honour?? ....it could fit your needs..... My wife has one and it works perfectly running ics. The design is close to this.....ah........fruit-phone-thing
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I've been visiting dealextreme.com and found some pretty good-looking Android phones for cheap. The problem is, well, these are chinese no-name phones.
Their specs seem to be pretty good. I won't lie. But to be honest, they seem too good to be true.
What I'd like to know is: Are they any good?
Look at the N6300 MTK6589 and the JIAYU JY-G3 MTK6589T in dx.com, for example. Their price tag is pretty low, and the phone looks great. But the thing is: Will they last, or fail quickly?
Also, I found a good deal on a used Sony Xperia Go on Latin America's eBay equivalent (MercadoLibre). For about $160USD.
Which phone should I pick and why? What opinion do you have about chinese Android phones? Would you trust these phones for your daily use? Would YOU buy one of those? Or should I just buy the used Xperia Go?
I live in Mexico, so getting a smartphone for $199 + contract is pretty much impossible here. They still cost an arm and a leg even under plan.
To be honest I've gotten knockoff Chinese phones before...some can be really good but keep in mind there's really no rooting or development for em and you'll stay pretty much stock on it...hence a big reason they stay cheap...blu is a good decent brand..id go with a more name brand phone if you want that and there is places like eBay you can get a good phone pretty cheap
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
REV3NT3CH said:
To be honest I've gotten knockoff Chinese phones before...some can be really good but keep in mind there's really no rooting or development for em and you'll stay pretty much stock on it...hence a big reason they stay cheap...blu is a good decent brand..id go with a more name brand phone if you want that and there is places like eBay you can get a good phone pretty cheap
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I'd be better off buying the used Xperia Go? A safer bet, I guess.
I Own the Cubot GT 99 , 140 USD for 4.5 inch 720p , quad core 1.2 ghz, 12,6mp camera and performs like galaxy s 3 in numbers. The problem with Chinese phones is that they have a cpu brand called mediatek and everything is closed source. So no roms, you can find miui and/or lewa rom, but you have to search. For example my phone, Cubot, is a rebranded xyz x1, and roms like miui are available (I can install 2 day old miui). BUT , unless things change, you are v stuck with the same android version it shipped with, 4.2.1 for me... closed source sucks... and of course no cyanogenmod , also gps is the worst thing in those chips, lock time about half day !
Ya go with the xperia
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
I have a G3S Jiayu, ono commented mate up the big problem is that the code is not released, so no chance of modificafo kernel or custom roms
REV3NT3CH said:
Ya go with the xperia
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can the Xperia Go be upgraded to 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3? I don't mind if it needs CyanogenMod.
Lol, I remember the first time a friend gave me a plum mobile phone for free, three words piece of ****. The god dam phone had only 300 mb ram and 1.0 GHz along with its disgusting screen material and display, not only that but the phone lagged so hard every time I clicked on a app, some process had to end. You can visit the site by googling plum mobile.
Most Chinese android phones aren't reliable/good but there are a handful of companies that make high quality devices like Asus and more.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Icyice said:
Can the Xperia Go be upgraded to 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3? I don't mind if it needs CyanogenMod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Youd have to check the thread for it...im very sure there is custom roms for it
You may see on XiaoMi HongMI, quad core, samsung camera, dual sim and latest MIUI only cost 799 yuan.
http://www.xiaomi.com/hongmi
or
oppo.
Icyice said:
about $160USD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can buy THL W100
Icyice said:
getting a smartphone for $199
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can buy THL W200, Here: http://www.thlmobilestore.com/
It really does depend on the brand, I haven't ever used one myself but friends of mine have tried some out. The bigger brands like Huawei or Xioami are totally legit but the lower ends are pretty much guaranteed to be broken garbage. Still, it's certainly viable to go Chinese.
Grand Guignol said:
It really does depend on the brand, I haven't ever used one myself but friends of mine have tried some out. The bigger brands like Huawei or Xioami are totally legit but the lower ends are pretty much guaranteed to be broken garbage. Stil, it's certainly viable to go Chinese.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
China has some small brands of mobile phones is also doing well.
Lindsay02 said:
China has some small brands of mobile phones is also doing well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, like Jiayu is good and Star is pretty good now too. I think chinese really (like under 50$ or MTK6589 for 100$) are garbage. For example big comapny - ZTE has a model V967S which costs on alie 130-135$ with shipping. It's very cheap for that kind of phone.
muf18 said:
Yeah, like Jiayu is good and Star is pretty good now too. I think chinese really (like under 50$ or MTK6589 for 100$) are garbage. For example big comapny - ZTE has a model V967S which costs on alie 130-135$ with shipping. It's very cheap for that kind of phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100 $ or less Chinese mobile phone, you'd better not buy, there is big quality problem.
depends
Huawei, ZTE and most of other big brands works very good, but unknown brand will usually means problems all the time.
I have Zte v967 and is very good for. 150$. Huge battery as well.
Sent from my ZTE V967S using Tapatalk
just thought I would add in that the Cubot gt99 is great.. really solid build, great screen etc. but as someone said, you are currently stuck with the version of android delivered - 4.2.1. to which I don't see a problem with for a phone with such great specs for such a cheap amount.
there do seem to be a lot of 'copy' phones , eg the cubot one.. these, from my reading don't seem to far so well.
I've stuck with cubot and alongside the gt99 for the wife, which I have seen for less than £100 (- potential import taxes) I've ordered a cubot t9. have to see how it goes.
I am hoping that they will release the source in due course, they are supposedly thinking about it as per the cubot forums.
one thing that really impressed us was the built in to the design replaceable screen protector. when you get it, there is one in place that you can hardly tell, much nicer idea than the after thought stick on top. It is nice and thick too.
Using a Jiayu G3 phone for more than a year. First, there are MANY Chinese companies with hundreds of different models so it's hard to say something common about all of them, some are better than other. I have no complains about my Jiayu after one year quality is good, design is good screen is good. It was $200 when I bought it you can still buy a variant now probably $50 cheaper now.
What is common:
Most use Mediatek SoCs. They are not on the same class as Qualcomm or Exynos but they have for some time Quad core A9 and A7 based and the Octacore A7 just start appearing in some phones (gets about 30000 Antutu scores so not bad for the price).
Mediatek supports dual SIM so all Mediatek based phones have dual SIM (very popular in China).
Now, be careful. All phones have Quad band GSM (2G) so they will work in any GSM based network, but the 3G will most likely not work (may be some small networks in Europe which works). They do not have yet LTE and when they will have may work just in China. So if you need data , forget the Chinese phone. If you use it for voice only, just make sure (in US and Canada) that your provider supports GSM for 2G (it's not one of CDMA ones).
also most phones will hardly get any updates, so expect that what you get is all. Some bigger companies will offer updates and you will find a number of custom ROMs (MIU, Lewa) but if you don't speak Chines you will need to spend a lot of time using Google translate). Rooting is not a problem however, I did not hear about any Chinese phone which could not be rooted, and if you stay with more common brands and models you will find custom recovery besed on TWRP for them.
You can get a quite decent phone either 720p or 1080p with good screen and very decent performance in the $200 range, if you are good with the limitations above.
You can get higher end models with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (or Tegra 4) but you will be in $500+ range which gets you in the big brands range.
In conclusion:
Buy one only if you use it for GSM (2G) voice. Forget if you need 3G or 4G.
Don't buy the very cheap no name ones, I would stay with $150+ for a decent phone. For most, in this price range or higher quality is not a problem, but higher you go in price more features newer SoC, more memory, better screen more recent OS you get.
You can get models which will be at least as good (or better) than brand names if you go to $500+ range (but you will still not have 3G and 4G, and will have less community support, at least if you don't speak Chinese so think twice).If you only use the phone for voice and WiFi for data, however this models could even be one step ahead of brand names ( it looks like VIVO will be the first phone with 1440p LCD).
A good tip I can give is spend as much time as possible to check out reviews about the phones.
At least, that is what I did for my Inew.
When I saw the phone was almost everytime in the top 5 list of the "most sold" or "most popular" phones, I thought those people can't be wrong.
Also, check some reviews for the brands, although there are a lot of brands, it is easy to see which brands are preferred.