Android Thread: Phones / Apps / Mods

[neil.jericho]

I lost the Samsung earphones that came bundled with my Galaxy R. I looked in a couple of places including Sangeetha Mobiles but I was only shown earphones without any box / price tag and was told it was Rs 600 / 800 with bill (but with no guarantee that I wasnt getting ripped off).

Decided to check online prices and found that there are 2 types of 3.5mm earphones. If Im listening to music, one set of 3.5 mm earphones makes it seem as though Im in a music hall but unable to hear the singer. The other type works perfectly fine on my Galaxy R. How do I check for compatibility while buying earphones online?

I found the following link Samsung Galaxy R I9103 Headset
Has anyone bought from this site? They have a compatibility chart for each pair of earphones but not sure how valid it is.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

Finally decided on the Neo V. Mainly because of planned upgrade to ICS and HDMI out. Did all the calculations based on my current usage and the low internal memory shouldn't be that big a problem.

I ordered it from buytheprice.com for 16700/-. Now eagerly waiting for the same.

I really like this model, but the low internal memory is the only thing that is holding me back from purchasing it.

I am new to android, could you tell me how does one decide on how much of internal memory would be sufficient for one's usage ?

Rohan

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I really like this model, but the low internal memory is the only thing that is holding me back from purchasing it.

I am new to android, could you tell me how does one decide on how much of internal memory would be sufficient for one's usage ?

Rohan

I am using a Neo for the past couple months. As of now, the number of apps installed on my mobile are 120. Most of the non-system apps I have installed allows moving to SD card. So I am still having more than 100MB of internal memory. I think this will not be an issue any more once the ICS come up as I have read some where that ICS will allow direct installation of apps to SD card. Also, there are work arounds available for GB for installation to SD card

[Bluengel180]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I really like this model, but the low internal memory is the only thing that is holding me back from purchasing it.

I am new to android, could you tell me how does one decide on how much of internal memory would be sufficient for one's usage ?

Rohan

I'm repeating this again. anyone who is buying an android currently and wants it to be future proof MUST go dual core

Compatibility with ICS is NOT future proof. ICS is already 4 months old and there will be a new OS out in 8 months. and there is a reason why manufacturers are only giving out ICS upgrades to dual core phones (with rare exceptions)

As for the Neo. the onboard storage is pathetic.even though you can install most apps on the SD card part of the app REMAINS on the phone storage.and if you want all apps to go on the SD card for gingerbread/ICS you have to tinker around with root and repartition your SD card. which will theoretically void your warranty and its not exactly something a newbie to android wants to do with his new device.

The neo is NOT a bad phone. it has a great camera and looks great.But that is all

[karty_83]

Originally Posted by bhp_maniac

I am using a Neo for the past couple months.

Are you using Neo or Neo V ? Haven't you faced any Wifi issues ? The Sony Forum is flooded with queries for all the xperia models from Mini to Arc S with poor or no wifi signals.

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

I'm repeating this again. anyone who is buying an android currently and wants it to be future proof MUST go dual core

Compatibility with ICS is NOT future proof. ICS is already 4 months old and there will be a new OS out in 8 months. and there is a reason why manufacturers are only giving out ICS upgrades to dual core phones (with rare exceptions)

As for the Neo. the onboard storage is pathetic.even though you can install most apps on the SD card part of the app REMAINS on the phone storage.and if you want all apps to go on the SD card for gingerbread/ICS you have to tinker around with root and repartition your SD card. which will theoretically void your warranty and its not exactly something a newbie to android wants to do with his new device.

The neo is NOT a bad phone. it has a great camera and looks great.But that is all

What you suggested is correct. You will have to repartition to completely move apps to SD. What I was referring to was the same. But with more than 100 apps installed, I still have more than 60% of the internal memory available. So I dont think it will create problem for lot of users out there. Regarding the dual core part, I agree to future proof a bit you can go for dual core. But for how long? A quad core S3 is already around the corner No offense meant but its impossible to future proof any electronic product/gadget IMO for more than few months. Also, at 15K budget are there any dual cores available? I don't think so. So for some one with strict budget, the options are much limited. Also, the camera is worth it and much better than the Sammy cams out there.
I picked Neo over competition mainly for the following reasons

1) Better 8MP shooter
2) Dedicated Camera button
3) Notification LED (A must for me)
4) HDMI Out

Originally Posted by karty_83

Are you using Neo or Neo V ? Haven't you faced any Wifi issues ? The Sony Forum is flooded with queries for all the xperia models from Mini to Arc S with poor or no wifi signals.

I am using a Neo. Regarding WiFi, I haven't faced any such issue till date. I am connecting to a Wifi-N network at home and haven't faced any disconnection problem. I have an ace and Defy also at home. Defy gets the strongest wifi followed by Neo and Ace performs least in this part. *thumbs up*

[Bluengel180]

Originally Posted by bhp_maniac

I picked Neo over competition mainly for the following reasons

1) Better 8MP shooterNot anymore, the Neo V ships with a 5MP shooter
2) Dedicated Camera button
3) Notification LED (A must for me)Present in almost every android
4) HDMI OutAgain present in quite a few phones in that range

The neo "V" is also reported to have very poor wifi reception

I'm not saying the neo V is a bad phone.Its a really good phone with a good cam and a surprisingly fluid user interface.And has a great screen with excellent voice clarity

I'm just telling people to get the best they can afford right now.putting in an extra grand or two will make a difference on the long run.

Just an year back on this very thread people were picking the HTC wildfire over the motorola defy because they thought the extra 200mhz wouldn't matter. the HTC was quite polished.Now most of the Defy users are on ICS and the wildfire is still stuck on gingerbread because of the lack of specs for development

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I really like this model, but the low internal memory is the only thing that is holding me back from purchasing it.

I am new to android, could you tell me how does one decide on how much of internal memory would be sufficient for one's usage ?

Rohan

You have to use the Android to really guess how much of internal space is enough for your usage. I'm using Dell XCD35 since last 3 months (running CM7.1) which has 279mb of internal memory and I feel it is enough for my usage. I do download lots of apps (social, productivity etc) and feel that around 300mb of internal memory should be enough for average usage. I'll consider myself more than an average user (comparing with my colleagues and friends).

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

I'm repeating this again. anyone who is buying an android currently and wants it to be future proof MUST go dual core.

Compatibility with ICS is NOT future proof. ICS is already 4 months old and there will be a new OS out in 8 months. and there is a reason why manufacturers are only giving out ICS upgrades to dual core phones (with rare exceptions)

There has to be a balance between what you want and how much you can spend. I spent 16.7K on Neo V, which itself is stretched.

Also, there are hardly few devices running ICS right now (not counting custom ROMs), so if a device guarantees ICS upgrade, I think the future-proof part is well covered. Right now only 1% of devices run ICS and it will take at least a year for ICS to become mainstream. Even developers are not going to use new APIs introduced in latest ICS SDK as it is far away from general availability.

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

Just an year back on this very thread people were picking the HTC wildfire over the motorola defy because they thought the extra 200mhz wouldn't matter. the HTC was quite polished.Now most of the Defy users are on ICS and the wildfire is still stuck on gingerbread because of the lack of specs for development

Defy doesn't have ICS by Motorola. Most of Defy users are on ICS is an overstatement. May be you meant to say, most of the users on XDA forums are on ICS. I agree that custom ROMs are a great way to get the latest and greatest but not everyone wants to tinker with their phone. Android in it's stock form itself is very much customizable. When I speak to my friends about how great ICS is, all they say is they are perfectly happy with Gingerbread.

The point I want to make is, worth of moddability (I know there is no such word) of a phone differs from person to person. There will be many people who will be ready to pay more for phones which are better as overall package.

[Bluengel180]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

Defy doesn't have ICS by Motorola. Most of Defy users are on ICS is an overstatement. May be you meant to say, most of the users on XDA forums are on ICS. I agree that custom ROMs are a great way to get the latest and greatest but not everyone wants to tinker with their phone. Android in it's stock form itself is very much customizable. When I speak to my friends about how great ICS is, all they say is they are perfectly happy with Gingerbread.

The point I want to make is, worth of moddability (I know there is no such word) of a phone differs from person to person. There will be many people who will be ready to pay more for phones which are better as overall package.

Exactly my point.most of the users DO NOT want to tinker with their new phones.now that you have a powerful phone (please dont compare it to the XCD35) you might be tempted to install the new games it is capable of running . Pop in 5-6 and watch the onboard memory deplete even when you install on the SD card.

Now People are trying to imply that i'm berating the Neo V.i'm not..you bought a phone you liked and you're happy with it.i was giving advice to a newbie who wanted a new phone and i will always urge him to buy the best he can afford.

And even if you dont want to increase your budget and want people to suggest the best phone in that range the NEO V isnt it. the Defy+ is. it has an equivalent 5MP camera and massive internal storage,apart from being water/scratch proof.The Neo was known for its great 8MP camera.which was discontinued because they wanted to introduce a never model and put the Neo V in a lower slot

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

now that you have a powerful phone (please dont compare it to the XCD35) you might be tempted to install the new games it is capable of running . Pop in 5-6 and watch the onboard memory deplete even when you install on the SD card.

This is exactly my point. Please don't generalize too much. I'm not at all into gaming on mobiles and don't really care about that, so this point just doesn't apply to me.

Now People are trying to imply that i'm berating the Neo V.i'm not..you bought a phone you liked and you're happy with it.i was giving advice to a newbie who wanted a new phone and i will always urge him to buy the best he can afford.

I'm NOT, and I'm not trying to argue with your intent either. Your intent is very much noble. All I'm trying to say is everyone's requirement and perspective are different. What might be a deal breaker for you, may not even make it on the points to consider for someone else.

And even if you dont want to increase your budget and want people to suggest the best phone in that range the NEO V isnt it. the Defy+ is. it has an equivalent 5MP camera and massive internal storage,apart from being water/scratch proof.The Neo was known for its great 8MP camera.which was discontinued because they wanted to introduce a never model and put the Neo V in a lower slot

That is your POV. Camera and internal storage aren't the only thing to be compared between phones. For me what trumped in favour of Neo V was -

* Official ICS upgrade plan by Sony
* Front Camera
* 720p video recording
* HDMI Out
* Screen
* I liked the timescape UI
* Better 5MP shooter on Neo V compared to that on Defy (my personal opinion)

I think we should stop here, we are not adding any value by having this discussion on this already long Android thread. Peace .

[Bluengel180]

You Have a very good phone which suits your personal needs.Its a REALLY good phone .

I'm just giving suggestions which can be taken or not taken.i'm not really trying to put down a phone here or promote any phone. i never specified which dual phone to go for or anything of that sort.

I don't want to continue this debate and i'm sorry if i offended anyone.

I have been with android from version 1.6. i had the HTC dream<Orange san Francisco <nexus one<Motorola atrix and trust me even though all these phones were VERY good during their launch i noticed the limitations as they started to get updated officially/unofficially

HTC stopped supporting the dream very shortly and it could not get any unofficial upgrades as it had a weak processor.
The Orange san Francisco got plenty of community support to get me till the latest version of gingerbread but now it cant get ICS due to its 600mhz processor.
The nexus one was dropped by google for ICS and even though it will get a developer version the lack of a proper GPU will mean that it is heavily stripped down.

Hence i went for a dual core in the form of an Atrix.was it needed currently? No. does it have apps supporting both the cores?no.but since every new breed of processors gets a life span of around 2 years (That is why the single core snapdragons are at the end of their life right now) i know it will be able to survive android 5.0 (jellybean)

Now even though we have very decent mid-level phones in the 15-20k range that still is a lot of money to spend on a phone. and people would like to avoid to spend that much on a device that stays competent for only a year.

I'm not saying that any of you have made a wrong decision (i'm still happy with all my phones) but when someone is putting money to buy a new one i wont recommend any of them just because I've had a good experience with them. i will recommend the best in the market right now.

No offence to anyone.Peace

[punterccrx8s]

Any galaxy r owners having the sudden rebooting issue?And how to make the external sd card as primary storage for apps rather than the given 8gb internal storage?

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

I'm not saying the neo V is a bad phone.Its a really good phone with a good cam and a surprisingly fluid user interface.And has a great screen with excellent voice clarity

I'm just telling people to get the best they can afford right now.putting in an extra grand or two will make a difference on the long run.

Just an year back on this very thread people were picking the HTC wildfire over the motorola defy because they thought the extra 200mhz wouldn't matter. the HTC was quite polished.Now most of the Defy users are on ICS and the wildfire is still stuck on gingerbread because of the lack of specs for development

I differ on the notification LED part. Name me one Galaxy which has one Beat me, but I am the one who decided against S2 because of the lack of notification LED. It means lot to me and my style of work. Also, mine is a Neo which has an 8MP shooter not Neo V. Being said that for those who don't crop their shots much Neo V will do a good job too. Because its the scaled down version of Neo's 8MP which is used in Neo V

Also, I have tried the Defy+ which got a 5MP shooter. Believe me its quality is nowhere near the Neo or Neo V even

I think as Gandhi suggested we should stop as these are not adding much value to the thread. Lets be back to core Android discussions

[HighOctane]

Originally Posted by punterccrx8s

Any galaxy r owners having the sudden rebooting issue?And how to make the external sd card as primary storage for apps rather than the given 8gb internal storage?

Mine is 48 days old SGR and initially it used to reboot on its own when I keep the phone in the pouch and the pouch into my trouser. While bending to get my shoes and ingressing in car, the phone used to reboot. After then I found that if you hold the on/off button continiously for 7-8 seconds, the phone will shut down and restarts still holding same button. May be this could be the rebooting issue when on/off button pressed continiously. Now no such problems.
I had another problem when I remove earphone, still the phone behaves as if earphone is attached. The incoming calls cannot be heard, but only heard through earphone when again if I plug it. When again if I put the earphone and remove gently for 2-3 times, it becomes normal.
Regarding default primary storage for applications, the provisions is made in ICS only. Now you can just move your applications from phone to sd card manually like this: Settings> Applications>Manage applications>click on downloaded tab on top> click any applications> click move to sd card.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by bhp_maniac

I differ on the notification LED part. Name me one Galaxy which has one Beat me, but I am the one who decided against S2 because of the lack of notification LED. It means lot to me and my style of work. Also, mine is a Neo which has an 8MP shooter not Neo V. Being said that for those who don't crop their shots much Neo V will do a good job too. Because its the scaled down version of Neo's 8MP which is used in Neo V

Also, I have tried the Defy+ which got a 5MP shooter. Believe me its quality is nowhere near the Neo or Neo V even

I think as Gandhi suggested we should stop as these are not adding much value to the thread. Lets be back to core Android discussions

+1. Notification LED on my HTC is a very useful thing. With my ROM, I can set different styles of notification blink patterns and colors on it! Never knew it can show me white, pink, blue colors as well other than the default green & orange until I found the options in some apps!

You get a missed call/sms/e-mail/IM/reminder when you are away from your desk, all you need to do is just look at your phone to see if anything came up during your absence!