Android Thread: Phones / Apps / Mods

[rahul_9327]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

no its on the slower side.

get atleast a 800-1000 mhz phone man. lots in that range!

Originally Posted by headers

Motorola DEFY - 15K - Waterproof, Dustproof, Solid construction, Awesome display, Lot of options to modify the firmware..AND FINALLY GURUJI Phamilyman's support available!

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a doubt. Is it necessary to have a processor > 800 mhz considering i am not a power user ? Apart from Gps will probably be using it as any other phone. Could you clear that please.

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

That link is the ramayana. You shouldn't need any of that. Just flash CM7 on top of your existing installation as said here:
[FAQ] Cyanogenmod 7 by Quarx - xda-developers

Start from step 2 where it says:
- Copy cm7.1.0-RC1.5-jordan-signed.zip and gapps-gb-20110613-signed.zip to your SD Card
- Enable USB Debugging
- Root via SuperOneClick

That has worked for alot of people here (Samurai, etc come to mind!)

Let me read that thread again. Is RC 1.5 the most stable version?
My key criteria for an OS upgrade is stability, battery life. and performance (in that order).

Some posts indicate that CM 7 is poorer to the stock 2.2.2 and even 2.3 in terms of battery life. Hence I would like to try out 2.3 first and then see if CM7 is where I should be headed towards. In all cases, I need the ability to roll back to my stock 2.2.2 which Motorola has provided.

EDIT: I came across this link, in case I need to roll back to Froyo (2.2.2). Hope this is the best link and there is nothing else I need to do:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1093352

Originally Posted by rahul_9327

Can someone suggest a good android phone for under 15k.

Requirements : Will double it up as a Gps device. Will download the Sygic MMi maps from the links provided a couple of pages earlier in this thread.
That apart, i am not a power user. Will use it only for phone calls and occasional messaging. Prefer a good battery life.

Originally Posted by rahul_9327

I am considering Htc Wildfire. Its available for Rs. 9000 after applying coupons on Letsbuy. Would it satisfy my needs ?

I had similar requirements and got the Defy in July/ August. It was 14.2K (final price) on Letsbuy. There is a newer version Defy+ which is a couple of thousand more.

Note that with Defy you would have to charge the phone every 3 days based on your usage (which is similar to mine). This is with no GPS, no GPRS, no WiFi, no music - just basic phone and messaging.

I am assuming that GPS is used only on long drives since it eats up the battery in a few hours. You would also need a provision to charge your phone in the car (I have purchased a Belkin travel adapter for Rs. 1450) and a windshield mount (or something similar) to complete your GPS solution.
The Belkin device gives AC output from the 12 V cigarette lighter socket.
(USB charging is slow, so I did not want to use that option)

Maps from Sygic are around Rs. 2000 and tied to the hardware (I think). So use the trial first and then pay them.

Regarding GPS, although the phone in stock form can handle the Sygic application, it is slow at times and gets stuck. So, a faster CPU is really required for such heavy applications.

I am yet to try an upgrade of Android and see if that helps. There is also a newer version of Sygic and will try that as well, but it will take me around one month to find time and do all of this.

[rahul_9327]

Thanks for the post. It was very helpful.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Note that with Defy you would have to charge the phone every 3 days based on your usage (which is similar to mine). This is with no GPS, no GPRS, no WiFi, no music - just basic phone and messaging

3 days is great. Though i am fine with even half of it i.e. with GPS.

I am assuming that GPS is used only on long drives since it eats up the battery in a few hours. You would also need a provision to charge your phone in the car (I have purchased a Belkin travel adapter for Rs. 1450) and a windshield mount (or something similar) to complete your GPS solution.
The Belkin device gives AC output from the 12 V cigarette lighter socket.
(USB charging is slow, so I did not want to use that option)

As for GPS, want to use it often even whilst in the city. Rather than just leaving my cell on the dash or in pocket , would like to double it as a GPS navigator. Yes, i have set my eyes on windshield mount and a car charger. Everytime the cell ll be used for GPS , it will be plugged in. Will using this way too drain the battery ?

This apart, will not use it for anything else apart from Phone calls and messaging.

[S_U_N]

^If you are going to use one of those car chargers which connect to the cigarette lighter socket and plug into your micro-USB socket of you phone, then I am not sure if the charging will be faster than the discharging rate (with the maps application and GPS on).
I have read posts indicating that this would not manage to cope up the discharging rate, but someone else who has actually tried that could comment.

With GPS on, and map application running continuously, I think you would have to charge the phone daily.

[vcash]

Hi Guys,
This is probably my 3rd post in this thread asking for advice on which Android phone to purchase. I had to defer my purchase as priorities shifted but now I really must buy a phone in the next two weeks. This is because my Nokia 6275 is getting long in the tooth and because I have completed my port out formalities from my current CDMA to a GSM provider and need a GSM device ASAP.

So here is what I am looking for:
· Budget: 20K to 25K. Maybe another 2K north up to 27 but thatsit.
· OS: I prefer HTC Sense, followed by skinless UI (Pure Google) and then Touchwiz. Upgradability to ICS is important.
· Processor: Will prefer a dual core simply because of the added power savings (I understand that App’s are not optimized for dual core yet)
· RAM: 1GB preferred. Really dont want to go anything below 768 MB.
· Camera: I have never used a camera on any of my previous camera equipped phones. However, I am carrying my P&S less and less and seeing some good results that friends have with their iPhone 4, I am wondering if I can use this as a primary camera (It sure is convenient!). MP does not mean much. Good optics and a flash would be nice.
· Storage: Would prefer at least 8 GB on board storage. Hear that HTCs are a pain when it comes to storage.
· Battery: I want to go 8 to 12 hours on a single charge. This is with push gmail \ exchange, Texting, Gtalk always on, using the organizer, RSS feeds, twitter, FB and 3G surfing for about 30 mins in the day. Maybe add about 30 mins of calls. Occasional use of the GPS. No BT \ No Music and No Movies.
· Rooting: The likelihood of me rooting the device is next to none. Maybe post 6 months & 1 year, I could see myself running CM9 (Maybe).
· Form factor: This is important. I want to carry the new phone in my pocket like I currently do with my old ones. I really dont understand the point of these mammoth 5"; phones! Should be slim and not too big. Ideally, I would like a 4” device but a paucity of such form factors means I have to go 4..3"; at least. The only redeeming factor here is that, the bezel sizes on the larger screen phones are decreasing so a larger screen does not mean a larger phone (For eg. Look at www.phone-sizes.com and compare the HTC Incredible and the SII. The SII is minimally bigger)

So after laying such conditions out, I have managed to narrow down the following. The prices mentioned are the best prices I am seeing on LB or Flipkart post any applicable discount.

1.Galaxy SII – Rs. 25,650 @ LB: Current favorite. Build quality average, but that’s okay. I would probably enshroud it in a Molife or Amzer resin case anyway. Big turn off is Touch wiz.
2. Galaxy R – Rs. 22, 400 @ LB plus free BT headset, screen guard, pouch, etc: This one checks all the marks minus Touch Wiz as well. Good price too. But whats ;s scary is that Samsung has not confirmed this device for ICS rollout. Also, when I start thinking about, For 3K more, I get slimmer device, faster processor, better camera, assured ICS, 8 GB More storage in the SII. Also, this is not a popular device so I am not sure what support will be like going forward. Now I am not so sure any more.
3. Sensation – Rs. 26,800 @ LB: I would have bought it in a heart beat. Better build quality, nice form factor and Sense UI. But, it has 768 MB Ram and the onboard storage is paltry. And many apps only install on board storage. So this is out for me.
4. Galaxy S Plus – Rs. 21,500 @ FK: pros are 4"; screen, Super AMOLED, decent onboard storage. But the 512 MB Ram and no flash camera is a deal breaker. Plus an extra grand gets me the R, a technologically superior phone.
5. Razr X – Rs. 30, 150 @ LB: One of the nicest looking phones out there, but in my opinion overpriced and have heard negative reviews about the screen in the international market.
6. Incredible S \ Desire S Rs. 19k and 21 @ lb; I like these phones but they are both a bit old now and that 1GHZ snapdragon processor is a battery drainer. Plus usual HTC RAM and on board storage problems.
7. Galaxy Nexus – Price: TBA. I really like the specs of this phone. And it’s pure google which works for me. The only thing is that I am not very sure about the 4..65"; screen. I thought that the SII was the biggest I could go, and this is crossing the border (Literally and figuratively!). Also price could be an issue. Rumors indicate this will be in the 30 to 35K which blows my budget. Also launch date for India is unknown.

So now fellow, Phandroids, armed with this knowledge, please help me make a decision from the set above or throw in your own wild card entry.

Also, can anyone indicate the approximate expected price of the Galaxy Nexus and launch date. If it is under 30K (So with my 10% discount; It will be 27K) and the launch is within the next two weeks, I could probably wait for this device.

Cheers,
V

[SPEEDY_RACER]

Hi Guys,

recently came through an Add in Yahoo and couple of websites that there is an tablet called Akash which is being launched by Datawind for 3000/- i presume

which runs on the Andriod 2.2 has some one have it how to procure it.

help would be appreciated.

[joslicx]

@vcash

Buddy look at Nokia Lumia 800 as well. It should be around your budget mark, and looks quite tempting. More stable OS (Win Mango 7.5), better camera specs than others (Vario-Tessar lens), amazing design (looks really beautiful). If you are not too hung-ho about Android (which is too unstable really with all the crashes and all), consider this WP7.5 phone. Or if you wait a bit, even the Lumia 900 which would really rock the world.

[flyingkolors]

Originally Posted by vcash

Hi Guys,
So here is what I am looking for:
· Budget: 20K to 25K. Maybe another 2K north up to 27 but thatsit.
· OS: I prefer HTC Sense, followed by skinless UI (Pure Google) and then Touchwiz. Upgradability to ICS is important.
· Processor: Will prefer a dual core simply because of the added power savings (I understand that App’s are not optimized for dual core yet)
· RAM: 1GB preferred. Really dont want to go anything below 768 MB.
· Camera: I have never used a camera on any of my previous camera equipped phones. However, I am carrying my P&S less and less and seeing some good results that friends have with their iPhone 4, I am wondering if I can use this as a primary camera (It sure is convenient!). MP does not mean much. Good optics and a flash would be nice.
· Storage: Would prefer at least 8 GB on board storage. Hear that HTCs are a pain when it comes to storage.
· Battery: I want to go 8 to 12 hours on a single charge. This is with push gmail \ exchange, Texting, Gtalk always on, using the organizer, RSS feeds, twitter, FB and 3G surfing for about 30 mins in the day. Maybe add about 30 mins of calls. Occasional use of the GPS. No BT \ No Music and No Movies.
· Rooting: The likelihood of me rooting the device is next to none. Maybe post 6 months & 1 year, I could see myself running CM9 (Maybe).
· Form factor: This is important. I want to carry the new phone in my pocket like I currently do with my old ones. I really dont understand the point of these mammoth 5"; phones! Should be slim and not too big. Ideally, I would like a 4” device but a paucity of such form factors means I have to go 4..3"; at least. The only redeeming factor here is that, the bezel sizes on the larger screen phones are decreasing so a larger screen does not mean a larger phone (For eg. Look at www.phone-sizes.com and compare the HTC Incredible and the SII. The SII is minimally bigger)

Cheers,
V

There is no one phone which can fill all the criteria listed by you. May be there are, HTC Sensation XE, HTC EVO 3D and so on, but very limited and will cost you over 32k+.

My current best bet would be S2 or the Sensation. You can always remove the 'skin' (Sense, Touchwiz, etc) from these devices and bring to the stock Android.

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by vcash

Hi Guys,
..

Any chance of adding a re-furbished iPhone 4 to that list?
Just came across this: Apple selling refurbished iPhone 4 for Rs 22,500 in India - The Times of India

Note: I don't own any Apple devices, but iPhone is still a good option for your budget.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by vcash

3. Sensation – Rs. 26,800 @ LB: I would have bought it in a heart beat. Better build quality, nice form factor and Sense UI. But, it has 768 MB Ram and the onboard storage is paltry. And many apps only install on board storage. So this is out for me.

This will no longer be a problem if you root, unlock the boot loader and increase onboard storage. Plus you can move all the apps to sd card if you set up a separate partition in it. It is still a workaround.

[_chikku]

Anyone using Sony Ericsson active? My friend wants to buy one.. how is the battery backup?

[vcash]

Originally Posted by joslicx

@vcash

Buddy look at Nokia Lumia 800 as well. It should be around your budget mark, and looks quite tempting. More stable OS (Win Mango 7.5), better camera specs than others (Vario-Tessar lens), amazing design (looks really beautiful). If you are not too hung-ho about Android (which is too unstable really with all the crashes and all), consider this WP7.5 phone. Or if you wait a bit, even the Lumia 900 which would really rock the world.

Yea, once bitten, twice shy. I want an OS with a good app selection and support. Currently that's only Android and IOS.

Originally Posted by flyingkolors

There is no one phone which can fill all the criteria listed by you. May be there are, HTC Sensation XE, HTC EVO 3D and so on, but very limited and will cost you over 32k+.

My current best bet would be S2 or the Sensation. You can always remove the 'skin' (Sense, Touchwiz, etc) from these devices and bring to the stock Android.

How do you remove touch wiz? Do you mean root?

Originally Posted by clevermax

This will no longer be a problem if you root, unlock the boot loader and increase onboard storage. Plus you can move all the apps to sd card if you set up a separate partition in it. It is still a workaround.

Too much of a pain. I don't want to spend that much money and then implement work arounds. Things should work out of the box.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Any chance of adding a re-furbished iPhone 4 to that list?
Just came across this: Apple selling refurbished iPhone 4 for Rs 22,500 in India - The Times of India

Note: I don't own any Apple devices, but iPhone is still a good option for your budget.

Saw this but don't care for the iPhone much. Plus I already have an iPad. Need some variety right?

On another note LB stocks the S Plus now. With a discount I get it for a shade under 20k.

When does the nexus come out and how much will they charge? Decisions, decisions.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by vcash

Too much of a pain. I don't want to spend that much money and then implement work arounds. Things should work out of the box.

Yes it is a workaround but for me it was really an exciting thing to do. But if you are not interested in enjoying that geekish satisfaction, then better to go for a model which satisfies all requirements out of the box. With all those tools available for doing this, this is not even geekish. Anyone who reads and understands the process can do it.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by vcash

Saw this but don't care for the iPhone much. Plus I already have an iPad. Need some variety right?

On another note LB stocks the S Plus now. With a discount I get it for a shade under 20k.

When does the nexus come out and how much will they charge? Decisions, decisions.

but looking at your requirements, its only Iphone 4S that meets all of them!!! Well, not all, its a bit pricy.

In Android universe, you can go with Samsung SII. Meets most of your requirements out of the box and in the price band. Only downside is, its too big and plasticy in looks (so doesnt look that premium). But you have mentioned you dont want to root. Then why Android?

Nexus will be pricy, I expect in Iphone 4S/Razr range.

I'd still say Lumia 800 is a great choice. Most of the useful apps would already be there on WinOS platform as well. And it is proven to be the most stable OS out there (google for it). The latest Metro UI is quite beautiful and useful as well. And cant go wrong with Nokia (their build quality is miles ahead of the plasticky Samsung). Anyway, your phone your call

[naveenvenkatesh]

Originally Posted by flyingkolors

My current best bet would be S2 or the Sensation. You can always remove the 'skin' (Sense, Touchwiz, etc) from these devices and bring to the stock Android.

How do i remove TouchWiz on my S2? Do i Need to root it? Isn't there any other way? My S2 is about 3 months old and i am really bored of TouchWiz. Need to get a new skin and preferably stock android UI. Please let me know