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First smartphone was some low-end Android phone on a prepaid carrier, and even though it ran like crap, I've loved Android since. I took a shot with Windows Phone by buying a Dell Venue Pro, but the main reason I chose it (hardware keyboard) turned out to be a bit disappointing, and I kinda came with a negative attitude toward the OS, and eventually returned it. Plus, it was last-gen specs and it had its share of issues, so I probably wouldn't have kept it regardless.
Anyway, I've really been considering getting an HTC Radar on T-Mobile US, because I love everything about the phone (size, design, cameras, etc.)...but I need to be sold on Windows Phone and its functions/capabilities. I'm not too big on customization with Android (single homescreen with no widgets), and most apps I could live without on a daily basis (the few apps like Square I could plan in advance for and use an Android phone). I did like how smooth it was overall, but it seemed like a lot of basic phone/messaging/internet options were either hidden in weird places or non-existent (like manually refreshing certain stuff). And I did update the Dell to Mango, so I don't need to be told about the benefits, unless some of them apply only to the 2nd-gen WP devices like the Radar.
And in this case, I'd either get a Radar and then a Flyer so I can keep Android (and still use it as a phone if necessary), or just the new One S and no tablet.
First of all, everything is about your priorities and preferences. Mobile devices are a personal decision because there is always a tradeoff between cost, power, size, simplicity, customization, prior experience, and battery life. I can only tell you what works for me, then you can evaluate and come to your own decision.
In my signature you can see the devices that I have used, so I have some experience on both the Android and Windows Phone side. Last year I bounced back and forth between the two, but came down on the firmly on the Windows side for one major reason:
Simplicity.
It takes me two or three days to get an Android phone into a usable state so I have my major apps front and center, and eliminate as much "junk" as possible. (Of course, one man's junk is another man's favorite app.)
Windows Phone has most of what I need already set up once I've loaded my Google, Live, Exchange, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. As a matter of fact, give me the standard Microsoft apps, plus a Google Voice client, and I can do just about everything I need to do.
Also, I find the Live Tiles and Hubs very useful in pulling information together from multiple sources. The clean, bold, unified design of the OS is icing on the cake.
After using Windows Phone, Android looks like a mish-mash of random interfaces and cluttered design.
But that's just me.
I've got a Radar on T-Mobile and a Nokia Lumia 900 on AT&T. One of them has to go this week. The Lumia is about the most beautiful phone I've ever used and the AT&T LTE is strong and fast where I live. On the other hand, the Radar feels perfect in the hand, and T-Mobile's HSPA+ is fast enough. (But the coverage doesn't stretch out into the suburbs where I sometimes go.)
If you like Windows Phone and are a T-Mobile customer, the Radar is a quality choice. Also take a look at the Nokia 710. Some people like that handset better.
That's my opinion, for what it's worth. Best of luck!
Thanks for the quick reply. I do agree that Windows Phone is much simpler, and that definitely does appeal to me. I looked around and saw that it's possible to get OEM apps like the Nokia-specific apps without much work, that's nice. It's also nice that there might be a ROM for the Radar sometime soon.
However, I'm a bit confused when it comes to side-loading apps and unlocking and whatnot. I read something about Chevron tokens, and that they're out of stock, but then the official site charges $9 to unlock - what exactly does that do? And then in another thread I read something about being able to unlock it for free through a student DreamSpark account...is there a simple explanation about unlocking and ways to do it?
Anyway, I might be a little more sold on it as a result...if I can get one for a good price, I might jump on it soon.
EDIT: Also, since I saw you had a Nokia N8...where does Symbian fall into any of this - would it be something you'd ever consider going back to? I haven't had the chance to experience it, and have no idea how it compares to Android or WP7.5
magus57 said:
I'd either get a Radar and then a Flyer so I can keep Android (and still use it as a phone if necessary), or just the new One S and no tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive also had experience of both and getting a tablet is a sensible thing.. I have a Galaxy 5 Wifi for my media player and now a Radar for my Phone.
As has been mentioned here.. the best thing is simplicity, unfortunately, Android is being hammered at us from every angle from the One X to the Sensation XE, the Galaxy S2 and now 3 to the Note and sadly, WP7 seems to be getting left behind.
This year we're now seeing HTC and Nokia battle it out, but ultimately.. its down to you.. My advice..
Dont follow the Advertising and Media circus.. it'll drive you mad and no matter what you buy, theres always something new coming out.. so is it Android, with its many apps and open source marketplace.. which can result in some rubbish apps or WP7 for simplicity and ease of use, but without the customisation, just add ons.
Bear in mind, at the end of the day.. they are just phones.. even though the adverts will tell you different. A ONE X is just a faster Desire.. but its still a phone. I find WP7 call quality is much better than my old Wildfire S and under Mango theres alot more to work with.
Good luck
magus57 said:
...However, I'm a bit confused when it comes to side-loading apps and unlocking and whatnot. I read something about Chevron tokens, and that they're out of stock.. Also, since I saw you had a Nokia N8...where does Symbian fall into any of this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If side-loading apps is your goal, WP7 is not the best platform. The Chevron unlocker was available to aid developers of the first edition of Windows Phone. But it was never updated for later versions, and after Mango it is useless. So there is no easy way to open up the platform, although some have managed it on a phone by phone basis. But, really, Android is so much more open in that respect that I would stay in that environment if hacking is your goal.
As for Nokia, they consistently make the best phones. The N8 is still unsurpassed as a camera phone. No one has even attempted to put that large a sensor in any smartphone since. It will only be bested this month when Nokia releases the 808 PureView running Symbian. They are ahead of the competition in build quality and their radios usually pulll in better reception that others.
Their move into Windows phone looks very strong, and they have only been making them for six months. It will be interesting to see how that lineup grows.
The Symbian OS, however, gets mixed reviews. Back in the days of Windows Mobile, it was a very strong competitor. In a post-iPhone world, however, it cannot match the mobile operating systems that have been conceived from the ground up for touch navigation. Although they have made huge advancements, including touch-enabling the whole OS, it will always feel a bit more like a super-advanced feature phone OS when compared to Android, iOS, WM7, and WebOS.
Even so , I would say that the combination of Nokia hardware and Symbian represents the best value for money of any phobne / OS combination. For example, all of these phones can upgrade to the just released Symbian Belle update and are faster and have more features than they did when they were originally released:
N8 - Feels incredible in the hand and even more distingushed from the competition today. $340
E7 - The business phone; a tilt-up touchscreen with a great slide out keyboard. $380
C6 - essentially a thinner, lighter version of the N8, minus the super large camera sensor. $215
The problem for most Americans is that they have never used a Symbian phone before, so the whole feel of the OS is odd.
I think Nokia made the right decision moving to WP7, although Symbian will remain a strong platform for them, especially in new developing markets.
Hey guys. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but it wouldnt allow me to post in other area as I have fewer than 10 posts. Appologies if it should be in a different area
Anyways. I am a big blackberry fan due to the physical keyboard, and although the new OS is good, im still an android lover when it comes to software
i'm just wondering though, now that their chipset has changed to the snapdragon processor, would this make it any easier to root the device to run a version of android in the future? Or would it be very difficult?
I remember they did it to the HTC device that was on windows 6.5 a while back and the initial process took quite a while, but once some people had android up and running the rest was a breeze
so question is, would anyone else be interested in this? there is a real lack of high-end phones with physical keyboards and this is one of the reasons i bought the Q10. i do however still love android
anyone else interested? post here or let me know how difficult the process would be.
I was thinking the same.
I would immediately buy Android phone with Q10 form factor. I would even try using BB10 because I dont use as many apps on my GNote. Problem is me relying heavily on Google services (drive, music, etc.) and it seems like BB10 lacks native Google apps.
Also I burned myself with Palm (and I have to say Pre 3 was great, definitely on-par with Android phones of its time) and can't be sure Blackberry will be around in six months from now
Same here
yodjone1 said:
Hey guys. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but it wouldnt allow me to post in other area as I have fewer than 10 posts. Appologies if it should be in a different area
Anyways. I am a big blackberry fan due to the physical keyboard, and although the new OS is good, im still an android lover when it comes to software
i'm just wondering though, now that their chipset has changed to the snapdragon processor, would this make it any easier to root the device to run a version of android in the future? Or would it be very difficult?
I remember they did it to the HTC device that was on windows 6.5 a while back and the initial process took quite a while, but once some people had android up and running the rest was a breeze
so question is, would anyone else be interested in this? there is a real lack of high-end phones with physical keyboards and this is one of the reasons i bought the Q10. i do however still love android
anyone else interested? post here or let me know how difficult the process would be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. I really need a qwerty phone, but LTE Android phones don't have it...
Yes, Please provide a way of rooting q10. I love qwerty phones. But no android phones has qwerty keypad.
You have the priv which is an android, and also you could have a jolla +physical keyboard (sailfish) which it is suppose that can run google services seamless. It is a non sense this lack of physical keyboards... we are going to a very basic scenario. Time ago we has touchkeyb, physical keyb and stylus. Can we call it progress?
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Hi Everybody
Looking for ideas, help and suggestions for a little Project I have given myself called Project Barebones....Shall I explain a little further said Mr Holmes to Watson...
Iv got a little experience with Custom ROMs from playing around with them on my other phone's and decided to challenge myself the of creating a basic little GPS and ANT+ bike computer , the main reason being. I’m a cheapskate and don't want to fork out over £250 for a Garmin 800 GPS and ANT+ bike computer as I don’t really need it but like the idea of it as keep on getting lost…..plus I like to have a dabble with phones, ROM and gadgets in general. That’s the reason you are probably reading this post as well.
I have bought myself a Sony Ericsson X10 Pro U20i and two spare batteries off Ebay. This is due to the relatively small size and it was only £20. It’s not in great shape but is fully functional and the point of this project was to make a home made GPS that is cheap, reliable and will actually work at its sole purpose of being a GPS. My initial idea is to use a Custom ROM should it be out there or with the Permission from an owner, to strip it apart and leave the bare essential required to function as a little stand-alone unit hence the Barebones reference. I don’t really want o go into the land of creating a ROM as don’t have the time these day plus I have a feeling id be inventing the wheel again.
Parameters for the unit are simple:
One Android operating system no lower than 2
One GPS software package
GPS & Wi-Fi capability only
Bluetooth capability for the ANT +
Keyboard functionality
Simplest launcher possible
Access to the Playstore as some apps will not work without the it being installed. IE Strava
Simplest web browser
The unit will not need to be able to make calls, text or even be able to work of a mobile network as Wi-Fi will be the only comms required.
I think my main obstacle will be the ANT+ as the phone is capable of it, as defined in the original OS of the phone as publicised over the net
Any help would be great appreciated as I’m a novice in the understanding of ROM and Android at this level and to anybody who’s reading this thinking oh I’ve seen this before, just point me in the right direction as I can’t find it after searching for a few days.
Hi,
I am working on a project to create kiosks (a device restricted to running only one app) for a company. I need to find a model of a tablet that runs on Android and is really really cheap, the only functionality of the tablet that is actually needed is just being Wi-Fi enabled.
I found a couple of solutions for this:
- The first one involves buying some Nook Color tablets and installing Android on them (I found a wholesale store that sells them for around 20 pounds each) but I'm not really sure about the quality that those will have.
- Another solution would be to find a company in China or somewhere that would create a custom tablet that exactly suits my needs and nothing extra, although I heard about these kind of companies I couldn't find any on the internet.
The idea is that my client needs around 50 of these things, that's why I'm looking for cheap ones. The tablets just need to have a touch screen and Wi-Fi. The Tablets will be locked to showing one single webpage which will be stored on my client's server and have the kiosk app on that page.
Could anyone recommend any really cheap tablets with just Wi-Fi or a company that can build custom ones?
Thank you!
Guys, please help me.
I want to go live on Instagram, transmitting the audio from my interface, with voice and guitar, through a Y cable, which I already do on my notebook.
I need a cell phone that would recognize audio capture via a Y cable, as the main source of capture.
The Motorola G5s phone, for example, does not recognize it.
Which devices would recognize an external audio signal (via Y cable) as standard, so that I can make musical lives with a decent sound on Instagram?
Which devices would suit me?
In the description of the technical specifications, what is the difference or characteristic to look for among so many devices?
Thank you all
arunzito said:
Guys, please help me.
I want to go live on Instagram, transmitting the audio from my interface, with voice and guitar, through a Y cable, which I already do on my notebook.
I need a cell phone that would recognize audio capture via a Y cable, as the main source of capture.
The Motorola G5s phone, for example, does not recognize it.
Which devices would recognize an external audio signal (via Y cable) as standard, so that I can make musical lives with a decent sound on Instagram?
Which devices would suit me?
In the description of the technical specifications, what is the difference or characteristic to look for among so many devices?
Thank you all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about a splitter cable (3.5 mm jack --> mic input and headphones input) I have it working on my Moto E 2015 LTE. But that device isn't good for live Instagram ( not enough power ).
There aren't any specs that say that, usually every phone does that.
So if you want a phone able to do that, take a phone you like, ask someone around you to test your Y cable on it and buy it if it works (it works for me with my OnePlus 8 with an OTG headphone jack, because the OP8 doesn't have a headphone jack)
Thanks, Raiz
Raiz said:
If you're talking about a splitter cable (3.5 mm jack --> mic input and headphones input) I have it working on my Moto E 2015 LTE. But that device isn't good for live Instagram ( not enough power ).
There aren't any specs that say that, usually every phone does that.
So if you want a phone able to do that, take a phone you like, ask someone around you to test your Y cable on it and buy it if it works (it works for me with my OnePlus 8 with an OTG headphone jack, because the OP8 doesn't have a headphone jack)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Raiz, thank you so much.
The OnePlus 8 costs a lot more than i can afford right now.
So, 'i'm looking for a more popular model, do you know something about a more popular device which could fulfill my expectations? It has to have enough power and accept a external audio capture...
But thanks a lot.
arunzito said:
Raiz, thank you so much.
The OnePlus 8 costs a lot more than i can afford right now.
So, 'i'm looking for a more popular model, do you know something about a more popular device which could fulfill my expectations? It has to have enough power and accept a external audio capture...
But thanks a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think a Xiaomi phone would fit your needs. Usually I don't recommend Chinese phones due to the growing concerns about privacy and spying (Xiaomi has already been caught doing so). But you'll find powerful devices for not much. I can also recommend you without any hesitation Pixel devices, LG and Motorola. Never been disappointed by those 3 so far. (There's the Pixel 4a coming soon at 359$, it's a sweet price for a very very very good phone!).
Raiz said:
Usually I don't recommend Chinese phones due to the growing concerns about privacy and spying (Xiaomi has already been caught doing so).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 2 cents:
The truth is that every phone spies on you to some extent, and most Android smartphones have security flaws related to the platform's relatively open software model.
AFAIK there's no public evidence as of yet that Chinese-made phones will endanger the privacy or digital security of the ordinary Non-China resident.
IMO bashing all the phones that are classified as "Chinese" is a little unfair. Almost all smartphones are manufactured in China, including phones designed and sold by Apple, Google and Samsung. And some Chinese brands, such as Xiaomi, OnePlus and Huawei, have good reputations.
Well, some Chinese-made phones have been caught sending a suspicious amount of data back to servers in China, if only for commercial reasons. But we all know each Windows computer does so, too. Mr Trump has not been bothered by this so far.
jwoegerbauer said:
My 2 cents:
The truth is that every phone spies on you to some extent, and most Android smartphones have security flaws related to the platform's relatively open software model.
AFAIK there's no public evidence as of yet that Chinese-made phones will endanger the privacy or digital security of the ordinary Non-China resident.
IMO bashing all the phones that are classified as "Chinese" is a little unfair. Almost all smartphones are manufactured in China, including phones designed and sold by Apple, Google and Samsung. And some Chinese brands, such as Xiaomi, OnePlus and Huawei, have good reputations.
Well, some Chinese-made phones have been caught sending a suspicious amount of data back to servers in China, if only for commercial reasons. But we all know each Windows computer does so, too. Mr Trump has not been bothered by this so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made a mistake showing my opinion by " I don't recommend", usually I just point the fact that there are trust issues, without saying what I recommend to do about Chinese phones.
Yes, every phone spies on you, and we accept that every time we download an app containing ad services, or when browsing the internet and accepting cookies.
Yes they have security flaws, corrected by regular security patches.
Case causing trust issues among Chinese "popular" phones:
Xiaomi: https://www.xda-developers.com/xiao...mint-collecting-browsing-data-incognito-mode/
Huawei (the most untrusted):
https://www.businessinsider.fr/us/u...ying-through-law-enforcement-backdoors-2020-2
Huawei 5G antennas: (ban in UK, will be banned in 2025 in France, Germany is discussing the question, as well as the European Union)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07...th-experts-warning-of-chinese-spying/12424608
OnePlus (I own one):
No serious stories yet...
Those are "out-of-privacpolicy" stories, but the privacy policy of OnePlus is very demanding, and sends a lot of data (hopefully custom ROMs are here to free me from those conditions).
The point of banning Huawei 5G from other countries is the proof that non-China resident are affected. Same for all others stories
Bashing Chinese phone is an opinion, and XDA isn't a place to bashing China and their politics. I made a mistake when writing that, usually I just say there are trust issues, but this time I said "I don't recommend", that's my opinion, and I try not to show it, just letting people know about those concerns.
China may manufacture phones, but it doesn't allows them to have any control on the data the phones will hold, the data is collected through internet on the company's servers, and the people who assembles phones aren't those who manipulate the user's data. User's data is the goal of companies nowadays, and is used by them to make profit with custom ads.
Those brands have a good reputation only because they sells good phones at a cheap price, not because they're trustworthy (see articles above, this is why I don't buy Xiaomi or Huawei, good phones but not trustworthy).
Data is sent back maybe for commercial reasons, so does Google and every other brands these days, it's not a threat, the threat is that other kind of data could be sent under the label "commercial profile" when really it's spying, spy on scientific research, on classified data processed on the device (emails, documents, ...). Here's the threat.
America may spy on its people, but if it's uncovered, their surely will be demonstrations and other social movements. In China nothing will be said or done (and it's not the fault of Chinese people, you know whose it is).
E.g: George Floyd Government reaction Vs Hong Kong Government reaction... (It's getting political sorry about that)
And privacy with Americans brands are way more user-controled (Google dashboard for example, plus the option to opt-out from aimed advertisement,...)
As I said, Chinese phone's privacy policy is way heavier, and is a huge con when buying them.
Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus... make cheap devices and they're really good, I can't deny it. But since there is a really good amount of concerns about Chinese brands in the world right now, I feel important to notice people about it. I'll try to be more neutral about it next time.
And small poke to XDA and Huawei, when Huawei try to force its way into the community, they get so bashed that threads are locked to avoid that to happen.
Quick reminder: XDA Portal team is in no way involved with Huawei, it's their Commercials team that was recently renamed "Team XDA" (Previous Name was "XDA Commercial Team" )which seemed not fair since we can't tell it's commercial right away, and which is why I poke jokes.
Sorry, XDA isn't the place to debate about politics, but I needed to address my mistake (and this post will most likely be referred to as my statement about why I point out trust issues with Chinese phones)
Have a good one
Raiz said:
I think a Xiaomi phone would fit your needs. Usually I don't recommend Chinese phones due to the growing concerns about privacy and spying (Xiaomi has already been caught doing so). But you'll find powerful devices for not much. I can also recommend you without any hesitation Pixel devices, LG and Motorola. Never been disappointed by those 3 so far. (There's the Pixel 4a coming soon at 359$, it's a sweet price for a very very very good phone!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Raiz,
Thank you once again for your kind attention.
I have noticed that here are versions of Android. My Moto G5s is version 8.1.0, and this phone does not accept external audio caption. Could it be that higher versions would serve me as far as accepting external audio capture? In this case, from which version is it possible to rely on?
When we talk about power, what would be a devices's specs for 'enough power' to make lives? Meaning, how can i identify the power of a device in its specs?
Thanks a lot for your concern about the privacy thing.
In my vision we are all hostages and there is nothing to do about it, but just flow with the music the parasites, owners of the oligarchic system, are making. Terrible music. But this too, shall pass. For now let's dance to this rhythm. :fingers-crossed:
Thanks so much once again.
Best :laugh: