Android Phones

[benson]

Actually, Sprint's unlimited is really unlimited on 4G. They still limit you to 5 GB on 3G, but if you are in their 4G coverage, it is really unlimited.

[Mike Kelehan]

I currently use PDAnet. You have to pay to access the full internet though. Though, I think it only does Bluetooth or USB. I know my N95 did wifi, but that's not too common. I know with the Sprint 4G data you can surf unlimited. Though, people go past the 3G's 5GB limit on their smart phones (up to 40GB) and Sprint hasn't done anything yet.

I use PDAnet too, and I paid for the full version. It just works too well to not support the devs. I think, in those situations where I need to share it, I'll just turn my laptop into an AP. I'd rather not root the phone until the warranty is gone.

[benson]

So J, how is the new N1 treating you?

[J Arcane]

It's currently in a sorting office in Portland. I should have it by the end of this business day.

[J Arcane]

It has arrived!

Just came in a few moments ago.

Was surprised by the size of it, and the simple packaging. There's not even a real manual, which somehow drives home the sense that this phone is for hardcore tech lovers. Pleased to see their is a normal headphone jack on it.

A little displeased with the included memory card. Class 2, 4GB is actually a downgrade from the card I had in my G1, so I swapped them.

Currently the battery is charging, so I have had no time with the software, though I did turn it on by accident while trying to get the case cover back on, so I did get to see the rather pretty screen.

I am also blown away by how thin it is. I feel as if I should be concerned for it's fragility. I might actually get a cover and use it with this one.

[benson]

Yeah, I haven't purchased a case/cover yet, but I plan to. I like that it is slim, though I feel like it has a little heft to it, which I like.

[J Arcane]

A little bummed that ggNES doesn't work on N1. Guess it's time I finally paid for the Yongzh emus instead.

[Adam Blue]

N1 and EVO first to get 2.2 (http://www.htcphones.net/htc-evo-4g-will-be-the-second-to-get-android-2-2/). Not sure how reliable this is.

[benson]

A little bummed that ggNES doesn't work on N1. Guess it's time I finally paid for the Yongzh emus instead.

Yeah, I use Nesoid. I haven't gotten to any of the others, but Nesoid is good.

[Serapth]

I (also) have an HTC Dream and I have to say, without a keyboard, emulators suck. On my loaded 1GHZ Xperia 10 the experience is crap but on the dinosaur phone, the genesis action is awesome.

[J Arcane]

Yeah, I am no good with touchscreen control pads. I tend to rest my fingers on the controls on a real one, and it's a habit that causes only pain and suffering on a capacitive touchscreen.

I think that I will probably be stuck with turn based stuff and other non-actiony pursuits on the Nexus. At least it has multi-touch, without which such controls are IME completely useless.

Overall though, I'm quite pleased with my Nexus. It's all the Android awesome I fell in love with on the G1, but with the hardware to actually handle it and some cool new features beside.

[Serapth]

I've decided that the Android is a wickedly great phone, with a high resolution screen its awesome for doing things like web browsing, reading or remote desktop, but its simply a terrible gaming device. That said, my iPhone mostly supplanted my DS and PSP for mobile gaming, so other than looking weird, I have no issue with travelling with two phones.


What I don't like about the android ( outside of gaming ), is the lack of a few apps, the top of which is Stanza. I would LOVE a good ebook reader like Stanza on Android, especially with that amazing 4" screen, but it doesnt seem to exist.

Some of my mainstay iPhone apps are sadly missing too... a good tv guide is definitely one. I also miss the various newspapers. Give them time I suppose.

[J Arcane]

I think as more phones come out with hardware on par with the Nexus, we'll see better games on the device, it's just a matter of time. iPhone has momentum, and that's about it at this point.

I've played some 3d stuff on the Nexus One and it really is quite nice, and at least on the N1, the available control mechanisms are no different than the iPod/Phone, technically it has more if you count the trackball.

There's just not a lot of it out there right now. I'm fairly confident that will change sooner or later, or else developers are just leaving money on the table.

[Serapth]

I think as more phones come out with hardware on par with the Nexus, we'll see better games on the device, it's just a matter of time. iPhone has momentum, and that's about it at this point.

I've played some 3d stuff on the Nexus One and it really is quite nice, and at least on the N1, the available control mechanisms are no different than the iPod/Phone, technically it has more if you count the trackball.

There's just not a lot of it out there right now. I'm fairly confident that will change sooner or later, or else developers are just leaving money on the table.

Actually, after looking at the market place, and being more friendly to Java than I am towards Object C, I am really actively considering game development on Android. The market is definitely there, and I have mentally designed a game that will work perfectly and fill an untapped strategy/RPG segment. That said, I am just getting familiar with the tools ( I'm natively a .Net developer ). But while I am not working on Flexamail, this is my number two project. I am going to start with a very simple game just to get a feeling for it, but if it works well enough to help fund an artist for my opus, I am giving it a shot.

That said, the device fragmentation SUCKS, especially when it comes to screen size.

[J Arcane]

Yeah. The 320x480 vs. 480x800 thing is an issue, not to mention now we've got phone makers putting out 320x240 phones too.

Then you've got variable numbers of hardware buttons and layouts to deal with, variable pointing devices (trackball, trackpad, control pad).

I can see that being a bit of a pain in the ass.

[Serapth]

My starter game is going to be vector/scalable bitmap based and is simple by nature, so the device profile shouldn't be much of a factor.

The second game, I think it will frankly need the screen realestate and just won't support lower resolution phones. The first game should teach me whats possible for working with the second one, but I assume when you publish to the store, you can provide minimum spec guidelines... if they don't thats shocking.

[J Arcane]

I'm pretty sure you can specify at least Android version, I know stuff won't show up if you're on the wrong version of Android. Not sure about hardware specs, but you can always note in the description, and if people download anyway, Google Checkout lets you cancel the charge within a certain amount of time if the game doesn't work. beyond that it's their own fucking fault for being illiterate.

[Serapth]

Google Checkout lets you cancel the charge within a certain amount of time if the game doesn't work.

This, by the way, is the quintessential difference between Google and Apple that makes me prefer my Android over my iPhone. Can you imagine apple offering the same service? Good god no, too pro-consumer.

[Banacek]

Upgrading to CM5 now...

[Serapth]

Upgrading to CM5 now...

Android newbie... CM5?

[J Arcane]

This, by the way, is the quintessential difference between Google and Apple that makes me prefer my Android over my iPhone. Can you imagine apple offering the same service? Good god no, too pro-consumer.
That, and the ratings and comments being right there in the listing, make it a place very unforgiving of poor software. I half wonder if this is another factor in its poor acceptance particularly games wise . . .

I just wish there was a decent RPG for the thing besides Angband and some cyberpunk MUD.

[J Arcane]

Android newbie... CM5?
CyanogenMod 5. The one that's 2.1.

[NoName]

Android newbie... CM5?

CyanogenMod 5

Banacek, are you flashing to a Saphire/Dream or a N1/Droid? If it's the former, be warned that -test2 has some network issues. There's a fix in the jumbled mess that is the CM5 thread on the Dream XDA forum.

[Banacek]

CyanogenMod 5

Banacek, are you flashing to a Saphire/Dream or a N1/Droid? If it's the former, be warned that -test2 has some network issues. There's a fix in the jumbled mess that is the CM5 thread on the Dream XDA forum.

Damn, I already started. Oh well, I'll have to look for the fix after I'm done. What kind of network issues?

[Serapth]

That, and the ratings and comments being right there in the listing, make it a place very unforgiving of poor software. I half wonder if this is another factor in its poor acceptance particularly games wise . . .

I just wish there was a decent RPG for the thing besides Angband and some cyberpunk MUD.

Actually, what amazed me was the level of tolerance in the comments. To be honest, compared to iPod reviews, these people seem to be a) a lot smarter or at least better spoken b) nicer.

All told, Android app reviews seem to be pretty damned nice. On the iPhone, you get so many gems like ( 0 stars ) "Sucks!". Actually, you also see a lot of ( 0 stars ) "Greatest app ever!", because the UI defaults to zero stars when giving feedback.


I don't know if the Android has a better class of user, but when looking at comment feedback, they sure seem to!.


What I like is they show how many downloads the file has had. I paid 20$ for a remote desktop client ( with no regrets, its great ). That said, it showed the app had 5-10K downloads, which means it made at least 100K, which I can't say is true for many apps on iPhone. So, the market is obviously viable. Plus, many apps aren't 99 cents, which is refreshing to see.

As a consumer, 99 cents is sweet, but as a dev its pretty much a terrible horrible price point.

[muddi900]

What I don't like about the android ( outside of gaming ), is the lack of a few apps, the top of which is Stanza. I would LOVE a good ebook reader like Stanza on Android, especially with that amazing 4" screen, but it doesnt seem to exist.


The reason there's no Stanza app on android is because Amazon the Microsofted Lexcycle; they bought them to eliminate competition. So you have an app that is superior in almost every way to Amazon's Kindle app and Apple's own ibooks and there is no ipad version, a device that is being touted as an ereader. So don't even expect it on any android platform. Cut-throat world of high-tech media.:(

[Serapth]

The reason there's no Stanza app on android is because Amazon the Microsofted Lexcycle; they bought them to eliminate competition. So you have an app that is superior in almost every way to Amazon's Kindle app and Apple's own ibooks and there is no ipad version, a device that is being touted as an ereader. So don't even expect it on any android platform. Cut-throat world of high-tech media.:(

Yeah, the day Amazon bought them, I shed a tear.

That said, Stanza was a nobody before they got purchased and they provided an amazing service. You would think the market would step in and fill that void.

I havent found a good e-reader app on Android yet. I have iReader, but its format list is very limited. If you guys have any recommendations ( than can read most formats, but at the least RTF, TXT and PDB books ) I would love to hear them. I have iReader, but its limited and format support is meh.

I will even gladly play for something comparable to Stanza.

[NoName]

Damn, I already started. Oh well, I'll have to look for the fix after I'm done. What kind of network issues?

Eh, I think the connection isn't stable and calls don't last very long without being dropped.

Go to the end of the CM5 thread and look for posts by Firerat. In his sig I believe is a link to the fix (I have sigs turned off on XDA).

[Banacek]

Ok, just installed the fix. The camera/gallery seems to be a bit buggy as well. Man, 2.1 is so much nicer looking then 1.6. Speed has been a bit better, but I need to get a better sd card so I can start installing apps on it.

[muddi900]

Yeah, the day Amazon bought them, I shed a tear.

That said, Stanza was a nobody before they got purchased and they provided an amazing service. You would think the market would step in and fill that void.

I havent found a good e-reader app on Android yet. I have iReader, but its format list is very limited. If you guys have any recommendations ( than can read most formats, but at the least RTF, TXT and PDB books ) I would love to hear them. I have iReader, but its limited and format support is meh.

I will even gladly play for something comparable to Stanza.

You can probably use Calibre to convert those pesky epubs.

[Mike Kelehan]

I havent found a good e-reader app on Android yet. I have iReader, but its format list is very limited. If you guys have any recommendations ( than can read most formats, but at the least RTF, TXT and PDB books ) I would love to hear them. I have iReader, but its limited and format support is meh.

I will even gladly play for something comparable to Stanza.

I've been using Aldiko. Does that work?

[Serapth]

I just downloaded that actually.

[Banacek]

I have to say, 2.1 on the G1 is really nice. I actually like my phone again. I really need to get a new sd card though.

[NoName]

I have to say, 2.1 on the G1 is really nice. I actually like my phone again. I really need to get a new sd card though.

Isn't it great! :D While still a bit slow I can see how the 3d gallery works for the first time.

I'm glad the OpenEclair team joined up with Cyanogen. Wes had made some lofty promises with OE 2.0 that never came to be but him and Chris are both talented devs.

[NoName]

It seems that CM5-test3 came out yesterday. If you've been waiting to try this out due to bugs I'd say it's safe to give it a go. Battery issue fixed, network issue fixed, SMS fixed, and it's even faster than -test1. :D

[PathMaster]

So it appears that there is very little chance of an iPhone on VZ this year (kind of figured, but hoped). That leaves me with the Incredible as an option. Any who owns one, how is the typing? I have large hands and typing on a small screen is a pain. Local VZ shop sold out of all they had on hand, including their sample.

Any other phones on the horizon I should be paying attention to for the VZ network?

[Mike Kelehan]

So it appears that there is very little chance of an iPhone on VZ this year (kind of figured, but hoped). That leaves me with the Incredible as an option. Any who owns one, how is the typing? I have large hands and typing on a small screen is a pain. Local VZ shop sold out of all they had on hand, including their sample.

Any other phones on the horizon I should be paying attention to for the VZ network?

If you use the standard Android software keyboard (and you're free to install others and switch on the fly), it automatically corrects based on what letters are CLOSE to the ones that you actually hit. I really stopped even trying, it works so well. That makes it much faster than a hard keypad, but you do have to go slowly when entering things like user IDs and passwords. You don't even need to slow down for proper names; it adds the first and last names of your Gmail and Facebook contacts to its dictionary.

[Siraris]

Good News Everyone (with a Nexus One)! (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/11/android-2-2-froyo-and-flash-run-like-butter-on-nexus-one-vide/) It looks like Froyo will improve performance by 450% (from 7 mflops to 37mflops). Dalvik JIT ftw?

Screenshot for proof (http://androidcommunity.com/nexus-one-running-450-faster-thanks-to-froyo-android-2-2-20100511/)

[J Arcane]

Every day I see more and more reasons to be oh so glad with my purchase.

[Banacek]

Got a few months left before I can say goodbye to the G1 and buy an unlocked phone. I can't wait.

[Mike Kelehan]

Got a few months left before I can say goodbye to the G1 and buy an unlocked phone. I can't wait.

What's stopping you from buying it now and just dropping in your SIM? You're contracted to the service, not the phone.

[Banacek]

What's stopping you from buying it now and just dropping in your SIM? You're contracted to the service, not the phone.

I'm still stuck paying the higher plan with T-Mobile until my two years are up. I want to wait until that is over, then jump on the $139.99 unlimited everything family plan. Anyway, the 2.1 custom release has breathed a bit of life into the old phone.

[muddi900]

Apparently, N1 speeds up by 450% under Froyo...

http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/05/11/exclusive-androidpolice-coms-nexus-one-is-running-android-2-2-froyo-how-fast-is-it-compared-to-2-1-oh-only-about-450-faster/

I am think about ditching this 3gs.

[Siraris]

Apparently, N1 speeds up by 450% under Froyo...

http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/05/11/exclusive-androidpolice-coms-nexus-one-is-running-android-2-2-froyo-how-fast-is-it-compared-to-2-1-oh-only-about-450-faster/

I am think about ditching this 3gs.

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showpost.php?p=558759&postcount=1788

[Voodoo]

I certainly hope that v2.2 includes better integration with Exchange.

[Mike Kelehan]

I'm still stuck paying the higher plan with T-Mobile until my two years are up. I want to wait until that is over, then jump on the $139.99 unlimited everything family plan. Anyway, the 2.1 custom release has breathed a bit of life into the old phone.

Right, but you're paying for the PLAN, not the phone. So why not get the N1, continue with your plan, and then switch over to the new plan when your current one expires? T-Mobile's plans are $20 cheaper when you don't get a new phone through them, so it makes more sense in the long term to get an N1 directly. Why not just grab it now?

[Banacek]

Right, but you're paying for the PLAN, not the phone. So why not get the N1, continue with your plan, and then switch over to the new plan when your current one expires? T-Mobile's plans are $20 cheaper when you don't get a new phone through them, so it makes more sense in the long term to get an N1 directly. Why not just grab it now?

No, the cost of my G1 is in my current plan. Yes, I could buy a N1 and use it now, but I don't feel like paying for my G1 and the N1 at the same time. I can wait the few months. I want to see what the Dell Streak is all about before I upgrade anyway.

[NoName]

So wired has this article on a Google Tablet running Android (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/05/verizon-ceo-were-working-with-google-on-a-tablet) that Verzion is working on with them. In the article it also had this interesting piece of info:

Another tidbit from the interview: It looks like Verizon will be shutting down unlimited, per-device data plans in favor of a “bucket of megabytes.” These data-capped plans would be shared between devices — a tablet, a cellphone and an e-reader, for example.

So I can have a tablet and a cell phone both linked to the same data account? I like that idea... eliminates the need for tethering.

[J Arcane]

I would like an android tablet, but not on that plan. Guess I'll keep hoping Dell pulls head from ass and puts out a tablet in something other than WVGA.

[Serapth]

I would like an android tablet, but not on that plan. Guess I'll keep hoping Dell pulls head from ass and puts out a tablet in something other than WVGA.

Hell, my phone is better than WVGA.

[J Arcane]

My Nexus is already WVGA, I really don't see much point in a tablet if the resolution isn't any better. Just seems like wasted screen space to me.

[Adam Blue]

Evo June 4th $199 on contract. Just waiting for price without upgrade...

[Siraris]

So I can have a tablet and a cell phone both linked to the same data account? I like that idea... eliminates the need for tethering.

Yea, but you have to pay Verizon's prices.

[Siraris]

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/13/android-2-2-froyo-to-include-usb-tethering-wifi-hotspot-funct/) Froyo also adds USB tethering and Wifi hotspot support!

<3 Google

[Mike Kelehan]

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/13/android-2-2-froyo-to-include-usb-tethering-wifi-hotspot-funct/) Froyo also adds USB tethering and Wifi hotspot support!

<3 Google

Wow! There's NO WAY Verizon will allow this on the Droid and Incredible when Froyo gets to them.

[johnperkins21]

Wow! There's NO WAY Verizon will allow this on the Droid and Incredible when Froyo gets to them.

The Droid Incredible already has built-in tethering support.

[Goronmon]

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/13/android-2-2-froyo-to-include-usb-tethering-wifi-hotspot-funct/) Froyo also adds USB tethering and Wifi hotspot support!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y106/shumakiso/4z2rm06.gif

[LarsenNET]

Wow! There's NO WAY Verizon will allow this on the Droid and Incredible when Froyo gets to them.

I think your right but why do they allow turn by turn navigation on the Droid but require VZ Navigator ($9.99 per month) on the Storm & other smartphones?

[J Arcane]

Cause Google is just that awesome.

Actually, does the VZ thing come with locally stored maps? Because that might explain it. Google navigation requires active data, spit you go out of service your navigation is useless.

[PathMaster]

No more phones directly from Google:
Google has just announced it's pulling the plug on its Nexus One Android Web store. The Nexus One Web store, launched in conjunction with the Nexus One device in January, was designed to give users a one-stop virtual shop to pick up the latest and greatest Android phones. It was meant to mark the start of a new kind of distribution model -- one where you base your decisions on devices rather than on carriers.

So what'll become of the Nexus One and its soon-to-be-abandoned Web store? The phone itself isn't going anywhere; Google will just begin making it available in retail outlets instead of online.

Once the device is on the shelves of various brick-and-mortar stores, the Nexus One Web store will officially shut down. The URL -- google.com/phone -- will instead become a showcase of "a variety of Android phones available globally," with no direct purchasing options in place.

I wonder what that will mean for the openness of the Nexus?

[Mike Kelehan]

The Droid Incredible already has built-in tethering support.

...if you pay the extra $15/month for Mobile Broadband Connect.

I think your right but why do they allow turn by turn navigation on the Droid but require VZ Navigator ($9.99 per month) on the Storm & other smartphones?

Excellent question.

No more phones directly from Google:

I wonder what that will mean for the openness of the Nexus?

It won't change it at all, I don't think. It's still not an AT&T or T-Mobile device.

[Xerxes]

They just killed the best way for consumers to get merch. Carriers don't like it when you aren't slaves. Even if you have to use them regardless.

[Zagrash]

This rumored phone (http://androidandme.com/2010/05/news/t-mobile-htc-android-snapdragon-qwerty-sidekick-twist/) almost sounds too good to be true. As long as it's not modeled after an old Sidekick, it could be pretty freaking sweet

[Xerxes]

If I had one I'd never call it a Sidekick but specs wise it sounds nice.

[J Arcane]

Well, with Danger gone and it's remains working on the KIN, T-Mobile had to come up with something. the Sidekick is one of their most popular devices, and in a way, the transition is a natural one, given that Andy Rubin, who's now in charge of Android, was one of the original Danger guys.

[Loki]

Wow! There's NO WAY Verizon will allow this on the Droid and Incredible when Froyo gets to them.

Eh. Just root it. I've been using my Droid as the tethering device for my iPad while I am at work or not near a hotspot.

[Adam Blue]

Also Sprint offers a lot of freedom with their Android devices.

[Serapth]

There is something serious fucked with the volume on my Android. Today I went on a trip and used turn by turn GPS that was bundled with my phone and frankly, it rocked! Thing is, when I got to my destination, I turned off the phone completely, then when I went home again, I turned it back on. This time however, even at max volume, I couldn't hear the turn by turn instructions anymore.

This isn't the first time i've noticed a volume difference. With the included headphones, I could play music reasonably loud, then at a later time, even at full volume, it just wasn't loud enough.

Something is broken with the volume control on this thing.

[Mike Kelehan]

Eh. Just root it. I've been using my Droid as the tethering device for my iPad while I am at work or not near a hotspot.

There's no reason to root it. PDAnet works right out of the box. Well, with an N1, anyway.

[Loki]

There's no reason to root it. PDAnet works right out of the box. Well, with an N1, anyway.

True. But PDANet also costs money if you want the secure sockets (something that I require). My solution costs nothing.

[DylonCorp]

This rumored phone (http://androidandme.com/2010/05/news/t-mobile-htc-android-snapdragon-qwerty-sidekick-twist/) almost sounds too good to be true. As long as it's not modeled after an old Sidekick, it could be pretty freaking sweet

Only problem I see with that article is the timing. The mytouch slide is supposed to release in the next months and I can't see T-Mobile and HTC gutting that phone's target, so while I'm hopeful for a faster tm android than the slide I don't see it coming till late summer/fall.

And then I have to make the speed vs. hard keyboard choice. AGAIN. (edit: Unless this has a keyboard too. Which you'd sort of presume, what with the SIDEKICK name and all. Duh)

[Zagrash]

Only problem I see with that article is the timing. The mytouch slide is supposed to release in the next months and I can't see T-Mobile and HTC gutting that phone's target, so while I'm hopeful for a faster tm android than the slide I don't see it coming till late summer/fall.

And then I have to make the speed vs. hard keyboard choice. AGAIN. (edit: Unless this has a keyboard too. Which you'd sort of presume, what with the SIDEKICK name and all. Duh)

Everything I've read has pointed at late summer for this, so I could see something coming out a few months after the MT Slide. What I would question is why they'd aim the MT Slide clearly at the Sidekick crowd, and then make a new sidekick branded beast like this. I'd honestly prefer if this phone were not sidekick branded, but if it comes out with anything close to those specs, I'd probably still get it.

[J Arcane]

Sidekick brand sells crazy good, but MS bought the maker and put them on Kin. Rather than let a lucrative brand die, they reboot it as a lone of badass keyboard Android phones.

Makes sense to me.

[Zagrash]

Sidekick brand sells crazy good, but MS bought the maker and put them on Kin. Rather than let a lucrative brand die, they reboot it as a lone of badass keyboard Android phones.

Makes sense to me.

oh, that part definitely makes sense, just the general consensus I've seen (which granted, has come from Android forums/articles) is that the MyTouch Slide seems to be aimed at the Sidekick crowd. But hey, if it takes the Sidekick name to get me a powerhouse Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard, so be it!

[J Arcane]

oh, that part definitely makes sense, just the general consensus I've seen (which granted, has come from Android forums/articles) is that the MyTouch Slide seems to be aimed at the Sidekick crowd. But hey, if it takes the Sidekick name to get me a powerhouse Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard, so be it!
Yeah. I could almost see upgrading for it, if it weren't for the custom software.

Instead I think I'll wait for Nexus Two, and hope they put a better antenna in it this time.

[Adam Blue]

It has been confirmed that you can disable the HTC Sense UI on the Evo.

[Xerxes]

Well, with Danger gone and it's remains working on the KIN, T-Mobile had to come up with something. the Sidekick is one of their most popular devices, and in a way, the transition is a natural one, given that Andy Rubin, who's now in charge of Android, was one of the original Danger guys.

But I'm a grown up. Kind of. I can't be whipping out the sidekick. Flipping my screen and junk. :(

[muddi900]

But I'm a grown up. Kind of. I can't be whipping out the sidekick. Flipping my screen and junk. :(

Embrace your inner child Xerxes! We promise the laughs don't hurt...bad.

[J Arcane]

But I'm a grown up. Kind of. I can't be whipping out the sidekick. Flipping my screen and junk. :(

Actually, one of it's biggest markets has actually been deaf people. It's one of the most deaf friendly devices on the market, at least the originals were. If they're smart they'll keep the TTY features and such built in.

[Mot Wakorb]

I'll tell ya what, just upgraded my HTC Hero (Sprint) to 2.1 - lightning fast compared to 1.5 previous. This phone just got a hell of a lot better.

[PathMaster]

It has been confirmed that you can disable the HTC Sense UI on the Evo.

I wonder if the Incredible can have the Sense UI disabled?

[Adam Blue]

I wonder if the Incredible can have the Sense UI disabled?

That would require flashing the firmware. I think it has to do with Sprint, since they have very few restrictions on what is on the vanilla OS. But I could be wrong.

[Mot Wakorb]

I'm curious - why is it that folks want Sense disabled? I'm finding it to be just fine for what I'm doing.

[PathMaster]

I'm curious - why is it that folks want Sense disabled? I'm finding it to be just fine for what I'm doing.

I was more curious than anything else. There is not much difference between the Incredible and the N1, but the UI is one of the biggest phone wise. It would be a way to approximate the N1 experience on VZ at the moment.

[johnperkins21]

I'm curious - why is it that folks want Sense disabled? I'm finding it to be just fine for what I'm doing.

Well, it won't work with the Wii controller app for one thing, but that's really the only reason I'd contemplate it. I like Sense so far.

[Adam Blue]

Engadget has a review (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/htc-evo-4g-review/) up for the EVO:

Anyhow, Hotspot seriously couldn't be easier to use: you activate it either through a dedicated Launcher icon or the EVO's settings menu (or a home screen widget, if you're into that sort of thing), you set your SSID name, your encryption type, and your password -- and that's it. Boom, you're surrounded in a cloud of life-giving WiFi. We connected the EVO to a couple of laptops we have lying around, and it worked great over both 3G and 4G. In fact, it worked so well that we'd argue it obsoletes dedicated mobile hotspot devices like the Overdrive and MiFi, because we were getting speeds as high as 7.5Mbps down and nearly 3Mbps up on WiMAX (granted, roughly 3.5Mbps down was more of the norm, but we saw some amazing peaks).

We know what you're thinking, though: what about battery life? Amazingly, we got some three hours and 13 minutes of run time while using the EVO continuously as a 4G hotspot -- and when we say "continuously," we mean we were streaming high-quality audio the entire time. What's more, the phone wasn't even fresh off the charger when we started; it had been on and in heavy use for two hours and four minutes prior. Bottom line, this thing seems to be a champion on a 1500mAh battery; we can't even begin to fathom what a massive aftermarket pack would do to it.

[appel]

I'm curious - why is it that folks want Sense disabled? I'm finding it to be just fine for what I'm doing.

A couple of reasons for me :)


A lot of the HTC apps and components leaks resources and memory like crazy
On the Hero HTC has introduced a bug in the phone process causing it to crash frequently for me
On the Hero HTC has removed the week view in the calendar
The integration between the different Android apps (gtalk, gmail, gmaps, contacts) is lacking in HTC Hero Android compared to vanilla Android
The HTC browser crashes a lot for me
With the original HTC Hero rom I lost 3g connectivity frequently, with the current vanilla Android rom I'm using I don't
I want to see the notification bar even when I browse the web
Vanilla Android doesn't feel as sluggish
I didn't really like the black Sense theme (do I feel stupid for choosing a Hero thinking I could disable the HTC additions, couldn't even imagine that HTC would break things in the Android core)


I'm sure there was a lot more things I didn't like with HTC Sense but I switched over to a vanilla ROM a long time ago so I don't remember everything.

And now that I'm using a 2.1 vanilla ROM I very much prefer the way twitter/facebook integration works compared to the HTC way.

[benson]

I read Engadget's review of the EVO, sounds decent. Sounds like an Android HD2 with Sense, which is exactly what it is (with a better camera and WiMax). I also read through Gizmodo's impressions that they posted, but they didn't want to call it a review until they could test the WiMax stuff.

As Engadget said about the WiMax stuff, it is basically a ghost town right now, but when the EVO comes out, it'll probably be slowing down. Also, they pointed out that you can be walking down the street and get great WiMax signal, but go in a coffee shop or in a building and go down to 1 bar or even none. That is terrible, and defeats the purpose of the WiMax as far as I'm concerned.

[Adam Blue]

I read Engadget's review of the EVO, sounds decent. Sounds like an Android HD2 with Sense, which is exactly what it is (with a better camera and WiMax). I also read through Gizmodo's impressions that they posted, but they didn't want to call it a review until they could test the WiMax stuff.

As Engadget said about the WiMax stuff, it is basically a ghost town right now, but when the EVO comes out, it'll probably be slowing down. Also, they pointed out that you can be walking down the street and get great WiMax signal, but go in a coffee shop or in a building and go down to 1 bar or even none. That is terrible, and defeats the purpose of the WiMax as far as I'm concerned.

But what they failed to point out is as time goes and people use WiMax, the infrastructure is still being built. Even without WiMax in some areas, you can still get 3G in combination with a powerful phone.

But there are too many positives with this handset.

[benson]

But what they failed to point out is as time goes and people use WiMax, the infrastructure is still being built. Even without WiMax in some areas, you can still get 3G in combination with a powerful phone.

But there are too many positives with this handset.

You are correct in that WiMax is being built out, but the high frequencies not able to penetrate buildings is a downside. Correct, you could still get 3G in there. But in my opinion, that defeats the purpose of having WiMax, not being able to use it in buildings, such as your home or in a coffee shop.

Oh, it is a cool phone, don't get me wrong. I'm just not a fan of Sprint's service at this time. Maybe once WiMax is built out a little more I might change my mind. If anyone gets it, I hope to see some impressions here. It does seem like a great phone.

[Adam Blue]

You are correct in that WiMax is being built out, but the high frequencies not able to penetrate buildings is a downside. Correct, you could still get 3G in there. But in my opinion, that defeats the purpose of having WiMax, not being able to use it in buildings, such as your home or in a coffee shop.

Oh, it is a cool phone, don't get me wrong. I'm just not a fan of Sprint's service at this time. Maybe once WiMax is built out a little more I might change my mind. If anyone gets it, I hope to see some impressions here. It does seem like a great phone.

For me, 4G is just a perk. I just need an awesome android phone, and this is pretty much the best one right now (depending on your area I guess). It could be without WiMax and I would be just as stoked. Engadget's video of the 720p recording was amazing. The Hero was just too slow for me.

[benson]

For me, 4G is just a perk. I just need an awesome android phone, and this is pretty much the best one right now (depending on your area I guess). It could be without WiMax and I would be just as stoked. Engadget's video of the 720p recording was amazing. The Hero was just too slow for me.

Yeah, if you are on Sprint, this is the phone to get. My brother and a friend of mine are going to get it. At my house, T-Mobile and AT&T get good reception, Verizon get's ok reception, and Sprint, well only outside unless you have a Sprint phone that gets really strong reception, then you might get 1 or 2 bars inside depending on where you are. Once they get the EVO, I'll have them bring it over and check it out.

[Mike Kelehan]

Sounds like Froyo is starting to hit the Nexus One:

http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/22/android-froyo-nexus-one/

If anybody finds a way to manually update, post it here. I certainly wouldn't mind getting it earlier rather than later.

[J Arcane]

Sweeeet. I thought this might be a month off yet. Fun with early adoption.

[J Arcane]

Might be off a bit after all, Engadget says this:


Update 3: We've done some additional investigation, and as far as we can tell, Google is only updating review Nexus Ones that had been provided to the press -- not off-the-shelf phones. We'll stay on this and let you know more as soon as we do.

[Crittias]

If anybody finds a way to manually update, post it here. I certainly wouldn't mind getting it earlier rather than later.
Manually Update Your Nexus One To Android 2.2 Froyo! (http://phandroid.com/2010/05/22/manually-update-your-nexus-one-to-android-2-2-froyo/)

[Xerxes]

My power button is wonky. Is the only way to get help through emailing google?

[Siraris]

I have to tell you guys, the improvement in performance from Eclair to Froyo is beyond belief. The phone literally has zero lag whatsoever, and runs butter smooth no matter what you're doing. Before, I would even have slight delays at times while switching home screens - with Froyo, zilch. The camera pops up instantly, and it's ready to go. Google Maps is so fast, I almost never see gray boxes (at least on Wifi).

Google truly outdid themselves on this. Blown away.

[Voodoo]

I have to tell you guys, the improvement in performance from Eclair to Froyo is beyond belief. The phone literally has zero lag whatsoever, and runs butter smooth no matter what you're doing. Before, I would even have slight delays at times while switching home screens - with Froyo, zilch. The camera pops up instantly, and it's ready to go. Google Maps is so fast, I almost never see gray boxes (at least on Wifi).

Google truly outdid themselves on this. Blown away.
Don't forget to get the Flash installed. It isn't automatic and is installed when you click your first "Get Flash" link in the browser. ;)

[Xerxes]

Don't forget to get the Flash installed. It isn't automatic and is installed when you click your first "Get Flash" link in the browser. ;)

Like going to hulu... :/

[Siraris]

I got it. Probably won't use it much.

[Xerxes]

My app Gallery is wonky. Working or canceling out.

[torrefaction]

God, this is just incredible.

[J Arcane]

So how's the Flash performance?

from the beta reports I read, it sounded like it wasn't so hot outside of the officially optimized apps. Extreme heat, real dent in the battery, and kind of sluggish.

[Banacek]

Man, I'd just give anything for photo uploading to Facebook to work.

[torrefaction]

Man, I'd just give anything for photo uploading to Facebook to work.

Uh...it does?

[torrefaction]

So how's the Flash performance?

from the beta reports I read, it sounded like it wasn't so hot outside of the officially optimized apps. Extreme heat, real dent in the battery, and kind of sluggish.

Not sure about the battery, but on the N1, doesn't feel sluggish at all for the sites I tried out. Didn't feel any difference in heat? So far pretty solid.

[Banacek]

Uh...it does?

Not on the G1. But then again, I'm running the custom Cyanogen Android 2.1 build, so I can't complain. This is in no way worth switching back to 1.5 stock.

[J Arcane]

I can't seem to get anything Flash to load. I'm having trouble loading a lot of things actually. Google keeps hanging on me too.

[Siraris]

So how's the Flash performance?

from the beta reports I read, it sounded like it wasn't so hot outside of the officially optimized apps. Extreme heat, real dent in the battery, and kind of sluggish.

I tried Youtube site for about a minute and the flash was very smooth and high quality. Clicking on icons in the actual object was a bit wonky, but it worked fine. Haven't tried anything in depth, as I can't think of anything flash based that I utilize much.

[J Arcane]

So a reboot fixed my loading issues, and I was able to test it some more.

For the Kongregate site, it works great with most of the games, though one of them wouldn't load.

Hulu is blocked, same as it is on the Wii and the PS3.

Justin.tv ran, but the video ran about 5 FPS.

And it did seem to heat up the thing quite a bit.

[Loki]

You have no idea how much envy I have for you right now.

[benson]

Hulu is blocked, same as it is on the Wii and the PS3.

I just read how to get around that. Check this link at Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5546244/how-to-watch-hulu-in-android-in-3-easy-steps).

In summary:
Type "about:debug" into your browser address bar. Select UAString (which allows you to change the user agent, or the identifying network protocol of your browser) and select "Desktop."

I just updated to Froyo this morning. I'll see how it goes, but so far so good.

[J Arcane]

Doesn't seem to work for me. I changed the UA string, but Hulu still won't load.

wonder if they've figured out how to block it already.

[benson]

Yeah, I was going to add to my comment that it may or may not last depending upon Hulu acting quickly to block it. I haven't tried it as I don't use Hulu.

I'm sure someone will come up with another way to get around it though.

[Xerxes]

I'm going with Hulu on 2.2 as dead. I get a diffrent error but same outcome. No video. Fuck hulu anyway, chop chop netflix. Make the app.

[J Arcane]

Damn Netflix and their being like the only non-MS site on the fucking planet to use Silverlight.

I wish they'd just used bloody Flash, I'd probably get better video quality. As it is it looks like pants.

[Serapth]

Damn Netflix and their being like the only non-MS site on the fucking planet to use Silverlight.

I wish they'd just used bloody Flash, I'd probably get better video quality. As it is it looks like pants.

Bah, I would love to see Silverlight overtake Flash, its vastly superior technically.

[J Arcane]

Bah, I would love to see Silverlight overtake Flash, its vastly superior technically.
Every video application I've ever seen of it is rubbish. Even in "HD" Netflix looks worse than a Hulu episode, and their various attempts to host sporting events have all not even worked.

[Xerxes]

Bah, I would love to see Silverlight overtake Flash, its vastly superior technically.

Pains me to say it but J Arcane is right. If I didn't mind the extra heat so much, I'd watch my vids on my 360 or PS3. Also that horrible interface. Netflix really has to work on that.

Netflix use to look better before they made the change. The resolution with HD is getting back to way it use to be but still. I also remember when i use to be able to dual screen and keep the video full size on one monitor. I don't know what the fuck Microsoft gave Netflix, but whatever it was fuck Netflix computer user's in the ass. Shit if netflix was rocking that new flash get some nice high rez shit going. I think I saw a 1080p vid on youtube the other day. Shameful. Silverlight needs to go back to the drawing board.

One plus, I think resources are less used with Silverlight. But of the mind, if I got them, use them. Rape my browser for all I care. Not be the same for a netbook user I reckon though.

[Xerxes]

Wtf! I came into this thread to ask about Launcher Pro. :p

Any of you guys using a different launcher? Want to share some opinions? I've been thinking about using some apps to modify my UX. Froyo isn't bad it's just the little things like I can't change the dialer. The stock dialer is ass and not befitting of a smart phone. Been using "dialer one" lately and it's pretty good. Could be better but I haven't found a better dialer yet. That been one of my main things since Android came out. I tried Home++ but it's abandoned as far as I can tell.

[Mike Kelehan]

Damn Netflix and their being like the only non-MS site on the fucking planet to use Silverlight.

I wish they'd just used bloody Flash, I'd probably get better video quality. As it is it looks like pants.

Bah, I would love to see Silverlight overtake Flash, its vastly superior technically.

None of this will matter once HTML5 and WebM kill them both. I think Android will support those before Silverlight.

[J Arcane]

HTML5 will only kill anything if developers do the job of supporting it that they've consistently failed to do with previous HTML "standards".

[Mike Kelehan]

HTML5 will only kill anything if developers do the job of supporting it that they've consistently failed to do with previous HTML "standards".

YouTube alone means that it'll immediately support most internet video.

[PathMaster]

Motorola Droid 2.0 (Shadow (http://androidandme.com/2010/05/news/verizons-next-motorola-droid-sequel-comes-out-of-the-shadows/)):

It appears Motorola has finally dropped the Texas Instruments OMAP processor and adopted the more popular Snapdragon platform. In addition to a 1 GHz CPU, the Motorola phone sports a 4.3-inch screen, 8MP camera (capable of shooting 720p video), 16 GB internal storage, and HDMI out.

[benson]

Yeah, I saw Engadget had this to say (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/25/motorola-shadow-glimpsed-in-the-wild-4-1-inch-screen-8mp-camer) about that Motorola Shadow/Droid 2.0. And here's a quote:
Here's the claimed technical details: 4.1-inch screen, TI OMAP 3630 processor (a 720MHz ARM Cortex A8), 8GB internal storage, 8 megapixel camera. Yeah, we can buy all that, especially since he's clearly got the device in hand

[Mot Wakorb]

I'm really holding out hope for the Evo. Engadget had some great reviews of it, and the idea of the anywhere hotspot is fantastic.

[Serapth]

So, is there a trick to copy and paste, or is it just mash and pray? Man, and I thought the iPhone did a pretty lousy job.

[biosc1]

HTML5 will only kill anything if developers do the job of supporting it that they've consistently failed to do with previous HTML "standards".

...and if it becomes as easy to do complex animations in HTML5 as it is in Flash. I'm still researching HTML5, but I can do many complex things in Flash, in a decent IDE that would take me longer to do in HTML5. Unfortunately, time is money.

[torrefaction]

So, is there a trick to copy and paste, or is it just mash and pray? Man, and I thought the iPhone did a pretty lousy job.

My scroll ball works great on the N1. Your mileage on your phone may vary.

And the iPhone's did suck.

[benson]

Hey guys, did you read this?

Palm's director of UI left to join Google as User Experience Director (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/palms-matias-duarte-has-joined-google-as-user-experience-direct/). Pretty crazy, and a sign of good things to come for Android (I think anyway). I never used WebOS, but all the reviews are great, and from what I've seen, it looks pretty.

[J Arcane]

WebOS has good and bad points. It looks nice, and that whole swipe to alt-tab thing was cool, but the OS on the whole has a very Fisher-Price My First Smartphone feel to it. Everything's dumbed down to as simple as possible, it didn't seem very configurable, etc.

Android just doesn't strike me as compatible with WebOS' design goals.

[Xerxes]

I was using Home++ and that sliding notification bar is sweet. I still prefer the current applications scrolling list and the home buttons should be swappable. Launcher+ and Launcher Pro don't really offer anything new aside from a little more customizable. I just hate you can't change the default dialer anymore. That's just whack.

I wanted the openness of Android. But it's now like finding out you can have it your way. No BBQ on your Whopper, now scram.

[Adam Blue]

Some games running on the Evo. The review said the unit has the best touch sensor for playing games. ~6:40 is an awesome looking FPS:

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/86268-demo-3d-games-evo-4g.html

[Adam Blue]

The Evo's Rom includes free tethering which Sprint does not charge for. Here's some tests with it:

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/85782-3g-wimax-tethering-speed-test-results.html

[Adam Blue]

Evo battery test:


5.27.10 - 11:11pm PST
Fully charged! with green light indicator on. unplugged now. Full battery (100%)

5.28.10 - 8:10AM PST
Idled for about 9hrs. Still have 92% battery life. I have 2 gmail accounts using the built in gMail app. received 5 emails over the idling period. I have notification on (sound + vibrate) when email comes in. Battery doing very well with ATK running and killing task!

5.28.10 - 9:56AM PST
5 Minute use... Downloaded ShootMe App using AppBrain. Shot some photos for a forum member here. Plugged into the comp for 3 mins to get the photos onto the computer. 91%
http://androidforums.com/822368-post63.html

5.28.10 - 11:49AM PST
Just did 15 of web browsing. Down to 81percent

5.28.10 - 03:42PM PST
Down to 74%. Added another 10 mins of browsing the web. Went to my office where the basement complex is on roaming. It did some roaming and searching for radio for about 10 minutes. That could have probably run the battery down a bit.

5.28.10 - 07:39PM PST
Browsed 10 more mins on the phone... got few emails, check emails. ETC ETC... @ 70% since last night!

5.28.10 - 10:56PM PST
10 mins of more browsing, looking up stuff and checking AF on the phone...
62%... Almost 24hrs. 15 mins shy of 24. Battery is staying strong... ATK FTW
oh btw... that's 50 mins of browsing + roaming radio polling + gmal push + gps on + bunch of other aspects

5.29.10 - 08:10AM PST
32HRS later.... 50% on battery life!

[Xerxes]

Anyone else has a Twitter app they can't uninstall? I mean it's presence is like a thorn in my ass. The very thought off it is pissing my off. No offense but I'm in the camp that thinks twitter is shit and here I am apparently forced to have it on my phone.

[Serapth]

Anyone else has a Twitter app they can't uninstall? I mean it's presence is like a thorn in my ass. The very thought off it is pissing my off. No offense but I'm in the camp that thinks twitter is shit and here I am apparently forced to have it on my phone.

Have you tried mounting the phone on your PC and deleteing the app?


To answer your question though, no.

[Mot Wakorb]

The Evo's Rom includes free tethering which Sprint does not charge for. Here's some tests with it:

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/85782-3g-wimax-tethering-speed-test-results.html

It isn't really a free feature, just one via Internet Connection Sharing. I'm really excited about the $30/month wifi access point (yes, I know, $30/month is stupid, but it's cheaper than buying another device for $60/month).

[Adam Blue]

It isn't really a free feature, just one via Internet Connection Sharing. I'm really excited about the $30/month wifi access point (yes, I know, $30/month is stupid, but it's cheaper than buying another device for $60/month).

Well it's free considering other carriers charge for it (if you don't know how to get around it or jailbreak). And other carriers try to disable that part of the OS. The Hostpot feature is supposedly free through July.

On my way to get the Evo BTW....can't wait.

[Mot Wakorb]

On my way to get the Evo BTW....can't wait.

I've got mine now - this phone is INSANE. I'm loving it!

[Adam Blue]

My experience copy/pasted from Phandroid forums:

Now, I might have missed where the following was stated, but here's the story anyway:

I arrive at the local Sprint store early with my Daughter. I was number two on the list, with the $50 deposit already in place. Since there was no line, I decided to walk around with my daughter until 5 minutes before. Well, I get there and they let people in early. Not a bad thing since that made me number three. But I guess that means the list/open time doesn't matter.

I get in telling them yes, I already have a deposit down and that I will be buying the phone out-right. I just started my service in December.

After an hour of waiting for them to get through the first two customers, I was next. As I go through the process, another Sprint rep came up to the one I was working with, explaining that anyone buying the phone out-of-contract has to have it ordered and it will be in Tuesday.

I was pissed.

But being the nice guy I am, I just said whatever. Others in the store heard this though, and got upset. The rep working with me then just starts helping the next person - wtf?!?! I then ask what my next step was. They then say I can come in Saturday to get it (wtf again) and he asked me for my name and number.

He then tells me my deposit cannot be applied to the phone so he'll have to send me a refund check that may take 1-2 weeks.

I must have missed where they explained you cannot get the phone from the store ooc, but the first rep that got me on the first list said it was fine, the second that I made the deposit with said it was fine, and the one greeting me today said it was fine. And then I go through this?

As a current customer, am I kicked to the door so Sprint can get new customers? Or did this store just make a mistake?

I then called Sprint CS and while they seemed appalled at what I went through, when asked if I could still get the phone today, they said I'd have to order it since there's a limited number...even though I made a fucking deposit.

[Voodoo]

This behavior is typical MO for Sprint and the leading reason why I moved my 107 lines from them to Verizon.

[Mot Wakorb]

My experience copy/pasted from Phandroid forums:



I then called Sprint CS and while they seemed appalled at what I went through, when asked if I could still get the phone today, they said I'd have to order it since there's a limited number...even though I made a fucking deposit.

I went through the exact opposite experience. I showed up, asked for the phone, (without a contract update) and walked out 15 minutes later. I couldn't be happier about the process.

[Adam Blue]

I went to the corporate store and got it with no problems. Authorized dealers do suck.

[Mot Wakorb]

I went to the corporate store and got it with no problems. Authorized dealers do suck.

Agreed. I had that problem with almost every other vendor out there that wasn't the corporate store. I won't do that for any cell phone company any longer.

[Adam Blue]

The Evo is amazing. With 4G turned off, the speed of the phone itself makes the 3G seem so much faster. But 4G...holy shit.

[Siraris]

The Evo idles for 9 hours and only loses 8% battery life? I find that hard to believe.

And I thought you weren't supposed to use ATK...

[Mot Wakorb]

The Evo idles for 9 hours and only loses 8% battery life? I find that hard to believe.

And I thought you weren't supposed to use ATK...

If you're a "purist" then no, don't use ATK. If you want to save battery life and make the phone work the way you want to, then yes, by all means, ATK is required.

Also - the 9 hour idle/8% thing, not true. Easily does not happen on my Evo. I will say I get great battery life out of it, though.

[Adam Blue]

Yeah, it's not true now that I have used it. But, it's still great.

And after my weekend with the thing...I'm loving it. This phone is so incredibly fast, especially with multitasking. Going from one app to another, to calls, to music...there's almost no hiccup. The only pause I've seen is right when an app is finished installing and is about to notify you it has installed. But that makes sense.

This phone easily beats the N95 relative to that time.

Also, root is as easy ass launching an App that roots. Then download Android Wifi for root. This way I don't have to rely on USB for tethering anymore.

In the DFW area, 4G is effing fast. Launching videos and surfing the web makes using the device a viable alternative rather than an inconvenience when a real desktop is not around.

[appel]

If you're a "purist" then no, don't use ATK. If you want to save battery life and make the phone work the way you want to, then yes, by all means, ATK is required.

Also - the 9 hour idle/8% thing, not true. Easily does not happen on my Evo. I will say I get great battery life out of it, though.

On my Hero with the original ROM a task killer was needed. Now with a vanilla Android ROM I get better performance and battery life without a task killer. It all depends on what built-in and installed apps you have I guess.

[Xerxes]

The Evo idles for 9 hours and only loses 8% battery life? I find that hard to believe.

And I thought you weren't supposed to use ATK...

I wish my phone could last the day. :/

[johnperkins21]

On my Hero with the original ROM a task killer was needed. Now with a vanilla Android ROM I get better performance and battery life without a task killer. It all depends on what built-in and installed apps you have I guess.

I'm using stock Droid Incredible and I get 2 days with normal usage. My normal usage is likely on the lighter side of many users since I don't ever use text messaging. Mainly emails, a voice call or two per day (10-30 minutes total), and maybe 30 minutes of game time. This is all without a task killer.

As long as the apps are written correctly, there should be no need for a task killer.

[Serapth]

My Xperia 10 has laughable battery life if I used an functionality. If I use it as a GPS, I can expect the battery to drain in about 5 or 6 hours. Its good for about 4 or 5 hours of web browsing.

Oddly enough though, I could probably get a good 8 or 9 hours of talk time out of a charge. I have never had a phone that would even come close to those numbers. Just last week, I spent 1 1/2 hours on the phone with a realtor with a full charge and had 85% remaining after the call, I was simply stunned.

That said, I USE my phones, hard. Since the iPhone and continuing especially with my Xperia, I often use them in place of a laptop and make heavy use of GPS. If not, I always have push mail enabled and have most polling applications set at a high frequency.

[Voodoo]

My Nexus One has gotten a fair amount of use today. I have 54% left of battery, 8h 33m since last plugged in and the following is a break down of battery use...

Display = 53%
Cell Standby = 11%
Voice Calls = 9%
Phone Idle = 8%
Maps = 6%
Android System = 5%
Browser = 3%
Twitter = 2%
WiFi = 2%
Android OS = 2%

I have been trying to find a way to extend battery life but that damn AMOLED screen sucks the power! I kinda wish it had a reflective screen instead with optional backlight as I find the AMOLED terrible to use in sunlight.

[Serapth]

I've barely used mine since unplugging, but im showwing
Cell Standby: 40%
Phone idle: 33%
Display: 13%
Android System: 11%
Wisepilot: 2%

4h 23m 41s since unplugged. 83% of battery remaining.

TFT screen though.

I'm still on 1.6, so it doesn't seem to be near as detailed. In part of that standby is email and Toutier my Twitter client.

[Xerxes]

I unplugged my phone at about 8 and it died around noon. Granted I listened to a little music, and was playing around with it in Jury Duty. The folks made it through the day on them iphones. Made me sad. I wonder what this Samsung Galaxy is going to be like.

[Siraris]

46% display
24% voice calls
9% Twitter
8% cell standby
7% phone idle
4% android system
2% Smart Keyboard Pro

10 h 59 m 26 s since unplugged 38% remaining.

[Siraris]

If you're a "purist" then no, don't use ATK. If you want to save battery life and make the phone work the way you want to, then yes, by all means, ATK is required.

Also - the 9 hour idle/8% thing, not true. Easily does not happen on my Evo. I will say I get great battery life out of it, though.

http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/

[Xerxes]

Do email accounts drain the battery?

[Serapth]

Do email accounts drain the battery?

Yes, and quite noticeably. If you have multiple email accounts set to poll every 5 minutes or as push mail, it will drain your battery quicker.

[Xerxes]

Yes, and quite noticeably. If you have multiple email accounts set to poll every 5 minutes or as push mail, it will drain your battery quicker.

Maybe that's my fucking problem. I thought I had it set for like once a day or some shit. Could be my fucking gmail accounts though. I have 2 on my phone.

[Mot Wakorb]

http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/

If only applications did what they're supposed to in operating systems. I've had apps run away and totally nuke my battery too often on Android to go with the "don't kill tasks!" crowd.

[J Arcane]

On my G1, I found the available resources far too limited to buy the whole "no task killer" line, because it just didn't work in practice.

On my Nexus One though? I've never put a task killer on it, and I've never needed one. Every now and then I'll get a bit of slowdown, but by and large it's got the horsepower to handle things fine on its own, so I let it.

[Adam Blue]

Apparently there was an update for FlashPlayer 10. I don't know how to update it though...

[NoName]

So I finally broke down and got a Nexus One. It's now running the press copy of 2.2 and wow. It's insanely fast, virtually anything I do is instantaneous. When I'm on Wifi that includes most websites. It feels faster than my netbook.

If I had been able to play with this phone in a store I'd probably have made the plunge to replace my G1 a long time ago...

[Xerxes]

http://www.tmonews.com/2010/06/samsung-galaxy-s-release-date-leaked/

So maybe TMO is getting the Samsung Galaxy S come July 21. Guess TMO did need a big gun of it's own being the biggest Android supporter.

I run Launcher Pro regardless, so I wouldn't have to use their garish UI.

[Voodoo]

Maybe that's my fucking problem. I thought I had it set for like once a day or some shit. Could be my fucking gmail accounts though. I have 2 on my phone.
I have six email accounts (5 gmail 1 Exchange) all set to push. Battery use here is very good.

[Xerxes]

I have six email accounts (5 gmail 1 Exchange) all set to push. Battery use here is very good.

Well I have 2 gmail and 1 exchange and 3 hotmail. I set my screen to low, killed the accelerometer and put on a near black background.

And aside for playing 45 minutes of music and about a 10 minute call, I'm down to 67% on battery. It's 6:56pm now and I unplugged it at 1:30pm. :(

I think I need to contact HTC about getting my phone fixed anyways cause my power button is being a bitch. When you hold down the button the phone options to turn off either won't come on, or disappear when I let go of the power button. And the power button sometimes takes multiple pushes just to get it to work in the first place. :(

I may wipe and go back to default to see that fixes it, and then run it on bare minimum shit to find out why my battery life sucks to me.

[benson]

Apparently there was an update for FlashPlayer 10. I don't know how to update it though...

You have an EVO right? If so, you don't have 2.2, so no Flash. If you rooted and installed a 2.2 ROM, or are running a Nexus One with 2.2, the update is simply in the Market.

[Serapth]

I have six email accounts (5 gmail 1 Exchange) all set to push. Battery use here is very good.

As I understand ( and have experienced from past phones ), push email tends to be way more battery friendly. Its polling email that will kill you.

I had a hotmail account set to poll, first every 5 minutes, then every 15 and eventually decided it just wasn't worth it, as it was tanking my battery life. After disabling that account, I would say my battery lasts easily another 30%.


On the flipside, im on Android 1.6 though, so push mail is only available from Google, or using a 3rd party app. Sony really needs to get off their asses and release 2.1 ( actually 2.2, assholes! ). Love the phone, hate the support. Really need someone to root this thing.

[J Arcane]

Google push mail has always been great for me, but battery impact from using push on other accounts has generally been non-trivial. My account through the college, whether on Exchange or IMAP, eats piles of battery unless I set it to around a 30 minute polling time.

Though it doesn't seem as bad on the built-in Nexus One client, as it was on the 1.6 G1 or K9 Mail clients.

[Smoof]

Anyone on Sprint that has an HTC Hero? I'm thinking about picking one up come August when I have a $75 upgrade. The phone I have now (Samsung M550 "Exclaim") is really frustrating me lately and the support for it from companies like Opera is almost zero. I've only had the phone a year now, but I'm really discovering that I don't much care for it and am willing to spend some extra money to get a Droid.

Anyway, my decision is between the Hero and the Samsung Moment, of which I'm leaning towards the Hero right now. I know the Moment has a faster processor and a nice real keyboard, but it seems that I keep reading that it has very little customizability when it comes to Droids. However, I hear the Hero tends to crash a lot and needs plenty of reboots.

I feel bad about giving up a phone that's only a year old, but I'm pretty frustrated with the thing at this point.

[Voodoo]

Anyone on Sprint that has an HTC Hero? I'm thinking about picking one up come August when I have a $75 upgrade. The phone I have now (Samsung M550 "Exclaim") is really frustrating me lately and the support for it from companies like Opera is almost zero. I've only had the phone a year now, but I'm really discovering that I don't much care for it and am willing to spend some extra money to get a Droid.

Anyway, my decision is between the Hero and the Samsung Moment, of which I'm leaning towards the Hero right now. I know the Moment has a faster processor and a nice real keyboard, but it seems that I keep reading that it has very little customizability when it comes to Droids. However, I hear the Hero tends to crash a lot and needs plenty of reboots.

I feel bad about giving up a phone that's only a year old, but I'm pretty frustrated with the thing at this point.
Curt would probably be happy to sell you his Hero if he still has it. I think he has a Palm Pre too.

[Smoof]

Curt would probably be happy to sell you his Hero if he still has it. I think he has a Palm Pre too.

Curt?

Too short

[Mot Wakorb]

Me. I still have it, actually - I liked it. The one I have is updated to Android 2.1. It is Sprint. Lemme know if you'd want it. To be honest, I upgraded to the Evo, and I don't think I'd get another one other than the Evo. It's so sickeningly responsive and powerful.

Also - the Pre is well gone :)

[PathMaster]

Android has penetrated Lowe's, or at least Dremel marketing. Walking through the Tool department, Lowe's has a bit of Dremel marketing with a bar code that can be scanned to view a Dremel demonstration.

[Xerxes]

Well those barcodes have been picking up steam. I saw one at a movies a while back on the cardboard cutout, I think it had a link to the trailer when you scanned it. Tons of websites have them now.

Are those really an android thing, are or they the ones that made it popular(more used than not might be a better way to say it)?

[johnperkins21]

Well those barcodes have been picking up steam. I saw one at a movies a while back on the cardboard cutout, I think it had a link to the trailer when you scanned it. Tons of websites have them now.

Are those really an android thing, are or they the ones that made it popular(more used than not might be a better way to say it)?

It's a QR Code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code), and it's not just an Android thing. They've been around since the 90s, but have become more popular with smartphones, as they can scan the code and get relevant information quickly and easily.

They're on virtually every product at my local Home Depot.

[zarathstra]

So, now I now work for an unnamed telecommunications company, and subsequently purchased a Mortorola Droid. Any must-have apps? I've already got a few games, a clock and weather widget, a Woot! watcher, and a few others.

[Xerxes]

So the power button on my Nexus died completely. The genius I am, removed the battery cover. So now it's powered off and I can't even get calls or trick the screen to power on by charging it.

Using my G1 for now. It's going to be a long minimum of 2 weeks.

[Pigeon]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/15/t-mobile-celebrates-fathers-day-with-one-day-every-phone-is-fr/

[Xerxes]

I'm still waiting for the Galaxy. 2.1 wasn't so bad and Launcher Pro lets me keep a normal android ui vs. samsung's ui. Thing that sucks is, will it ever get 2.2.

Hulu doesn't work, so fuck flash.

[muddi900]

Wasn't there a workaround in 2.2 for Hulu?

[Xerxes]

Wasn't there a workaround in 2.2 for Hulu?

Then Hulu, shut it down. I think rooted folks still have a working version, but I didn't want to root mine.

[Voodoo]

The Hulu block is only due to content licensing. That'll be changing soon though. :)

[drobvice]

Anyone using a good podcast client? I just got a Motorola Droid and am looking for one that does audio, video, auto-download and delete when finished playing. Podcast search is a plus as well. Currently have installed MyPod, BeyondPod and dpod.

[Voodoo]

Anyone using a good podcast client? I just got a Motorola Droid and am looking for one that does audio, video, auto-download and delete when finished playing. Podcast search is a plus as well. Currently have installed MyPod, BeyondPod and dpod.
I use DogCatcher.

[drobvice]

I use DogCatcher.

Think I noticed that one in the Market...I'll take a look.

[Serapth]

I am suddenly much happier about my phone after finding this baby...

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f27/rockplayerbase-player-avi-mkv-divx-and-rmvb-for-android-36263/#post324342


Avi and MKV playback, > 24fps, clean interface. No more conversion. Fucking sweet.

[J Arcane]

New update to 2.2 is available. Androidandme.com has the instructions.

[Xerxes]

I am suddenly much happier about my phone after finding this baby...

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f27/rockplayerbase-player-avi-mkv-divx-and-rmvb-for-android-36263/#post324342


Avi and MKV playback, > 24fps, clean interface. No more conversion. Fucking sweet.

I can't wait to get my Nexus back.

[Banacek]

Do you guys really watch a lot of movies on your phone? The G1's screen is so small watching movies on it would be a punishment.

[J Arcane]

I tried to watch the David Tennant Hamlet on my AT&T Tilt.

THAT was punishment.

[Serapth]

Do you guys really watch a lot of movies on your phone? The G1's screen is so small watching movies on it would be a punishment.

I have the Xperia 10, which has a 840x460 4" screen. Its pretty freaking sweet actually.

That said, not a ton. Mostly when traveling or on the can. I have a ton of 22 minute tv shows, which are great for "extended seating" times.

[Adam Blue]

The Evo has an app that roots the phone with a touch of a button. Then I used Wireless Tether to make my phone a 4G wireless hotspot. This weekend in San Antonio, we did some CoH online with the thing as the hotel's Wifi wasn't good enough. And at the convention I was at I used the 4G to stream and record my show as well as use logmein to do some streaming/recording.

It's amazing. It said 33mb down, but I really don't believe it.

[benson]

I tend to watch clips here and there, but haven't watched a whole movie, or even show. However, with this new player, Serapth's idea of 22 minute shows may be investigated.

I did just order a 16GB micro SD card (finally), so I'll likely be filling that up.

[Serapth]

I tend to watch clips here and there, but haven't watched a whole movie, or even show. However, with this new player, Serapth's idea of 22 minute shows may be investigated.

I did just order a 16GB micro SD card (finally), so I'll likely be filling that up.

Did you download it? Im still quite impressed.

[benson]

Did you download it? Im still quite impressed.

Yeah, I downloaded it and I like that it works. I only found a couple other options for playing stuff that Android can't natively decode. I was considering writing my own, but if this one works (I haven't tested it much since I didn't have much to test it with on my SD card, and don't have much on my work laptop) and remains free, I'll keep using it. But so far, so good. I'll test it out a little more tonight when I get home too.

[Serapth]

Yeah, I downloaded it and I like that it works. I only found a couple other options for playing stuff that Android can't natively decode. I was considering writing my own, but if this one works (I haven't tested it much since I didn't have much to test it with on my SD card, and don't have much on my work laptop) and remains free, I'll keep using it. But so far, so good. I'll test it out a little more tonight when I get home too.

I actually discovered it when the same thought came to my head. If a divx/mkv player doesn't exist and these things are shipping with 256+ RAM and 1GHZ snapdragons, why the hell don't I just write one.

Then, as I said, I found this. Havent figured out how to toggle off FPS yet though, the only part that is annoying me.

[benson]

I actually discovered it when the same thought came to my head. If a divx/mkv player doesn't exist and these things are shipping with 256+ RAM and 1GHZ snapdragons, why the hell don't I just write one.

Then, as I said, I found this. Havent figured out how to toggle off FPS yet though, the only part that is annoying me.

Hit the DivX button twice, the first toggles on the encoding display for each stream in the top left, second tap makes them disappear. Then just tap off the control bar and that disappears.

Yeah, I hadn't gotten further than thinking about it, but now that this is there, I'm going to give it a solid try before I decide to put too much work into something that may not be necessary.

[Serapth]

Hit the DivX button twice, the first toggles on the encoding display for each stream in the top left, second tap makes them disappear. Then just tap off the control bar and that disappears.

Yeah, I hadn't gotten further than thinking about it, but now that this is there, I'm going to give it a solid try before I decide to put too much work into something that may not be necessary.

Ah, thanks for that.

Oh, and I downloaded an MKV and it was horrid, like 5fps.

That said, MKV as a format seems to suck the literal donkey balls.

[benson]

Ah, thanks for that.

Oh, and I downloaded an MKV and it was horrid, like 5fps.

That said, MKV as a format seems to suck the literal donkey balls.

Yeah, I'm not sure I'll ever put an MKV on there. I read that they are not well supported. As long as it'll play AVI files and the like, I'll be happy for now.

[Xerxes]

Does this player only play divx or is it like a VLC play everything player?

[Serapth]

Does this player only play divx or is it like a VLC play everything player?

Played every AVI ive thrown at it sofar, plus it played MKV, but poorly. Never tried a WMV, but I rather doubt that one.

[Satertek]

My ancient T-Mobile Wing just broke so I think I'm gonna jump on the Samsung Galaxy S (or whatever T-Mobile will call it). It's supposed to launch July 21st.

Never had a Samsung phone though, anyone have any comments on their quality? Software is Android so no worries there.



Also, as I'm new to Android, something I don't understand is why everyone complains about updates. With my Windows Mobile phone, T-Mobile never updated it for me, I just installed custom firmware. Seems like that would be even easier to do with Android. What's the deal there?

[Serapth]

My ancient T-Mobile Wing just broke so I think I'm gonna jump on the Samsung Galaxy S (or whatever T-Mobile will call it). It's supposed to launch July 21st.

Never had a Samsung phone though, anyone have any comments on their quality? Software is Android so no worries there.



Also, as I'm new to Android, something I don't understand is why everyone complains about updates. With my Windows Mobile phone, T-Mobile never updated it for me, I just installed custom firmware. Seems like that would be even easier to do with Android. What's the deal there?

At least with my Xperia, its encrypted and hasn't been cracked yet.

Plus frankly, windows CE ( the foundation of WinMo ) was much more like windows than Android is. With Android, it seems like alot of the phone specific driver support is left to the handset maker, while in WInMo, MS provided almost all of it in a " ala carte " kinda of Choose Your Own OS system.

[PathMaster]

Any info on the Droid X? I think I might grab the Incredible by the end of June (private sale), unless the rumors I am hearing about the Droid X are correct (Droid 2 w/o kb and media slanted).

[Xerxes]

Any info on the Droid X? I think I might grab the Incredible by the end of June (private sale), unless the rumors I am hearing about the Droid X are correct (Droid 2 w/o kb and media slanted).

The Droid X is sick. Comparable to the Evo 4g where as the Incredible is like the Nexus. I'd wait around and find out when it's supposed to be coming. Hell, I think Verizon is gearing up the official Droid 2 as well.

Find out more tomorrow.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/droid-invite-2.jpg

My ancient T-Mobile Wing just broke so I think I'm gonna jump on the Samsung Galaxy S (or whatever T-Mobile will call it). It's supposed to launch July 21st.

Never had a Samsung phone though, anyone have any comments on their quality? Software is Android so no worries there.



Also, as I'm new to Android, something I don't understand is why everyone complains about updates. With my Windows Mobile phone, T-Mobile never updated it for me, I just installed custom firmware. Seems like that would be even easier to do with Android. What's the deal there?

Each phone maker has a little too much responsibility at the moment. Google sounded like they will make it easier for each phone maker to update with the next update. I hope so. Waiting to see if a phone will get the next update sucks. If they don't, you end up left at the mercy of the community and I don't think all phones have been broken yet.

Samsung Galaxy S looks really nice, and may be flagship Android phone under TMO. One issue with each phone maker, is the need to add their own flair. Samsung's flair is called TouchWiz. I think on the Galaxy S it's TouchWiz 3. I hear middling things about it, but it's too fruity and busy for my liking, judging by screens only. BUT, you can run something like Launcher Pro and get a normal yet glorious yet simple UX akin to the default one provided by Google.

[Serapth]

YAY, X10 rooted apparently. Kiss SE's horrific apps goodbye in 3... 2.... 1....

[Xerxes]

YAY, X10 rooted apparently. Kiss SE's horrific apps goodbye in 3... 2.... 1....

Really? I liked the Raphael UI. At least for phone books.

[benson]

So, I just saw the info on the Droid X, sounds cool. Very similar to the Evo.

I liked how they announced tethering as an additional $20 per month and you get an extra 2GB of data. Someone asked if it was 2GB in addition to the 5GB you get, and the Verizon guy said that the smartphone plan is unlimited and you get 2GB extra if you buy the tethering plan.

Other than that, not much new. Sucks that it won't get Froyo until later this summer.

[Serapth]

Really? I liked the Raphael UI. At least for phone books.

The all your media in a timeline app ( Twitter/Facebook/Email ) is aboslutely horseshit. The media app is slow and bloated.

[Xerxes]

The all your media in a timeline app ( Twitter/Facebook/Email ) is aboslutely horseshit. The media app is slow and bloated.

I think all manufactures have tried that with horrible results. I mean only the phone book glass flipping app. But that's probably more bloat than anything as well. I use Dialer One from the app store and could only be a little more happier, but not much.

[Xerxes]

Other than that, not much new. Sucks that it won't get Froyo until later this summer.

I think Google just recently put the finishing touch to the final 2.2 code so that's a good thing.

[johnperkins21]

I liked how they announced tethering as an additional $20 per month and you get an extra 2GB of data. Someone asked if it was 2GB in addition to the 5GB you get, and the Verizon guy said that the smartphone plan is unlimited and you get 2GB extra if you buy the tethering plan.

That sounds like when kids argue about something, and someone inevitably raises to infinity, then they start using infinity plus 1. So the data plan is infinity GB, but the data plan with tethering is infinity GB plus 2?

[Xerxes]

If TMO and HTC all buddy; Why the fuck don't we have a EVO 3G HSPA+? <pouts>

[PathMaster]

Droid X sounds interesting from the bit I was reading, despite the fine article being heavily biased towards the iPhone 4.

[Serapth]

Droid X sounds interesting from the bit I was reading, despite the fine article being heavily biased towards the iPhone 4.

Seriously, fuck Appple for bringing fanboys to the phone world. Seriously, this shit just didn't happen in the days before the iPhone.

Spoken as an ex WinMo, Symbian,Palm, current iPhone and Android owner.

[PathMaster]

Seriously, fuck Appple for bringing fanboys to the phone world. Seriously, this shit just didn't happen in the days before the iPhone.

Spoken as an ex WinMo, Symbian,Palm, current iPhone and Android owner.

The article I was reading was downright sad. Made note of the Droid X's features them basically said the iPhone is better, yet said nothing to back up that claim.

Billshrink has their comparison (http://www.billshrink.com/blog/9032/iphone-4g-vs-evo-4g/)up of the iPhone vs Incredible vs Evo vs N1. Kind of shocking how expensive VZ is.

[J Arcane]

Woo! I win yet again on the phone economics.

T-Mobile Nexus One for the win.

[Voodoo]

If TMO and HTC all buddy; Why the fuck don't we have a EVO 3G HSPA+? <pouts>

Aren't you around Houston?

http://www.examiner.com/x-54226-Houston-Gadgets-Examiner~y2010m6d23-TMobile-unveils-faster-network-in-Houston

Also...

http://androidandme.com/2010/06/carriers/t-mobile-news/is-your-city-getting-t-mobile-hspa-coverage/

...and...

http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/hspa

[drobvice]

I liked how they announced tethering as an additional $20 per month and you get an extra 2GB of data. Someone asked if it was 2GB in addition to the 5GB you get, and the Verizon guy said that the smartphone plan is unlimited and you get 2GB extra if you buy the tethering plan.
Yeah, I liked that as well. I was trying to do the math and discovered they had done the impossible...given you more than unlimited data! Genius! Of course, I know what he meant and currently smartphone data is unlimited but tethered data is 5gb cap but I think it just sucks that they ratcheted down the amount of date you get to use when tethered to 2 gb and overage is an additional 5 cents a megabyte...seriously!? If you go a gig over, it's $50. Do not open Steam when you are tethered. I mean I get it but this is just the beginning. They were watching when AT&T "tweaked" their smartphone plans and will follow suit. Sorry, overall I like Verizon but I have been just waiting for these companies to completely screw the consumer and the rise in smartphone popularity is the vehicle. And don't get me started on how much a text message costs to transmit *data*. I'm still holding a grudge from when pay as you go data on my Palm Centro was $15 per MEGABYTE if you didn't get a smartphone plan. :mad:

[Xerxes]

Aren't you around Houston?

http://www.examiner.com/x-54226-Houston-Gadgets-Examiner~y2010m6d23-TMobile-unveils-faster-network-in-Houston

Also...

http://androidandme.com/2010/06/carriers/t-mobile-news/is-your-city-getting-t-mobile-hspa-coverage/

...and...

http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/hspa

I thought there was something extra in the air.

Just so you guys with Nexus One's know, support is awesome.

Thursday:
My phone won't power on. I called Google, they patched me through to HTC. HTC had me try a hard reset the phone and that didn't work. The emailed me a fedex shipping thingy.

Friday Morning:
I take the phone to a FedEx Kinkos. They gimme a box and wrap it up for free. And sent it. It's already sent me a tracking email.

Monday Morning:
We got the phone and make sure it's cool to work on.

Tuesday:
It's cool and we working on it.

Wednesday:
It's in Houston and should be at your house tomorrow:

Me right now happy as heck.

[benson]

Billshrink has their comparison (http://www.billshrink.com/blog/9032/iphone-4g-vs-evo-4g/)up of the iPhone vs Incredible vs Evo vs N1. Kind of shocking how expensive VZ is.
Speaking of billing, I've been shopping all the carriers, here's the info.
I spoilered it because it was huge.
Alright, I've been doing the same shopping exercise myself. Here's the story. We're on a T-Mob family plan. I have a Nexus One, she has a dumbphone (Samsung Gravity 2), and her mom has a dumbphone (Samsung flip phone). The first two phones are out of contract, but we re-upped her mom's contract last fall, so we have a year and a half left on that one. Her Gravity 2 breaks, and she wants a new phone. The phone she wants is the MyTouch 3G Slide. First we held out until last Saturday to see if she could get a free phone on the deal T-Mob ran, but we'd have had to add a line and switched plans. So then I start doing some research and find Amazon was running a sale one day with all T-Mob phones for a penny. Come to find out that didn't apply to renewals. So now I'm researching all the carriers and trying to figure out which way to go. Here's a summary, and note that I get a corporate discount with all four national carriers, and that is noted in the monthly cost.

T-Mobile: Upgrade your phone to MyTouch 3G Slide for $180 and switch plan to Even More Plus 1500 plus text and web.
Now: $180 ($35 for each line under contract - yours and your mom's is waved due to corporate discount)
Monthly: $140 (Corporate 12% discount doesn't apply to this plan, includes taxes and fees), or $135 if we keep our current plan and add the Android service for the MyTouch Slide
Plan detail: 1500 anytime minutes shared, unlimited text and unlimited web for all phones.
Pros: Stay with T-Mobile, I like my Nexus One, price is good, no ETF, haven't had many complaints with their service over the years we've used them, and they have good customer service
Cons: Roughly worst coverage (close call with Sprint), going forward phones will be expensive (though they can be financed up to 20 months)

AT&T: iPhones for you and I, free flip for your mom
Now: $200-400 ($200 per iPhone 4, or $99 per iPhone 3GS) + $200 early termination fee from T-Mobile for your mom's phone
Monthly: $120 (after 20% discount, includes taxes and fees)
Plan detail: 1400 anytime minutes shared, 200 text and web on each iPhone. Unused minutes carry over to next month, and 10 favorite numbers are free to call or receive calls from.
Pros: iPhones and apps, rollover minutes, decent plan, good coverage
Cons: ETF, sell Nexus One to cover upfront costs

Verizon: Free phones for all - LG Ally, Droid, and flip for your mom
Now: none + $200 early termination fee from T-Mobile for your mom's phone
Monthly: about $152 (after 19% discount, including taxes and fees)
Plan detail: 1400 anytime minutes shared, 250 text and unlimited web on yours and mine. 10 favorite numbers are free to call or receive from. Can cut the price by $20-40 per month if we want to go to non-smartphones (like that Nokia Nuron at T-Mobile where internet is $10 per month) - $125 per month for one smartphone, about $115 for no smartphones).
Pros: Best coverage and network, free phones via Wirefly
Cons: ETF, most expensive, sell Nexus One

Sprint:
Now: Varies widely on phones selected. Palm Pre is $100, Palm Pixi is free, Evo is $200 + $200 early termination fee from T-Mobile for your mom's phone
Monthly: about $135 (after 19% discount, including taxes and fees) + $10 per month for Evo fee if we get one
Plan detail: 1500 anytime minutes, unlimited text and web on all phones.
Pros: Not much, I struggled to even pick phones
Cons: ETF, second most expensive, poor coverage, poor phone selection, sell Nexus One

And before someone chimes in about the AT&T plan only having 200MB of data, I checked the last 6 months of my bills with T-Mob, and on average used around 120 MB, with a max of around 200. I tend to use wifi when at home, so I figure I should be safe. And as to AT&T having 200 texts and Verizon having 250, we both use less than 100 texts in most months, with the occasional 100+ text month in there, so those should also be fine.

Anyway, there you have it. AT&T is the winner of my shopping, though not by a lot. However, comparing them to T-Mobile and Sprint, save between $360 and $480 over the course of a 2 year contract in monthly fees. Compared to Verizon, AT&T saves over $750 over 2 years. The upfront costs suck, but they are mostly covered if I sell my Nexus One for $400+ as they are going on eBay.

Now we just have to decide if she really wants a smartphone. We've gone over that before, and usually she decides against it when additional costs are brought up. She may just get the Nokia Nuron for a penny at Costco, and add $10 per month to our plan, which keeps it as the cheapest plan.

Thought I'd share my research with you since pricing was brought up.

[Jackel]

Dead god..don't get the Nuron. My friend grabbed it...only to find out it takes about 10 button presses to do anything (including making a call).

[Xerxes]

Don't forget you have to sign 2 years of life away with AT&T.

And now TMO is faster, at least for me.

And do we have to wait until July 23rd for Billshrink to slap the Galaxy S on that list? It's funny cause AT&T is also getting it. They can put them side by side to see is it cheaper to get it on ATT or TMO. And if rumors are true about Sprint and Verizon getting the exact same phone, lulz. I like Samsung for attempting to putting all they got in one phone and putting it on all carriers. To me it beats HTC millions of variations spread around strategy.

[benson]

I did forget to mention that with AT&T I could get the Galaxy S (well, whatever they call it) instead of the iPhone when it comes out. So there is that.

And the Nuron wouldn't be mine, if we stay with T-Mobile, I'm totally keeping the Nexus One going as long as I can.

[Xerxes]

I did forget to mention that with AT&T I could get the Galaxy S (well, whatever they call it) instead of the iPhone when it comes out. So there is that.

And the Nuron wouldn't be mine, if we stay with T-Mobile, I'm totally keeping the Nexus One going as long as I can.

Samsung Captivate. I think if Samsung get's their global release right, it'll be in July as well.

[Xerxes]

I withdraw my kudos of Google/HTC support. They didn't send me my phone back. Understandable. I haven't even checked to see if it's one with the shitty 3G radio yet. Soon as I unbox, I see at the bottom it's get the chips in the paint. Tiny but, I didn't send them a phone with any tiny chips.

[Mike Kelehan]

I withdraw my kudos of Google/HTC support. They didn't send me my phone back. Understandable. I haven't even checked to see if it's one with the shitty 3G radio yet. Soon as I unbox, I see at the bottom it's get the chips in the paint. Tiny but, I didn't send them a phone with any tiny chips.

HTC's support is really, really bad. I can confirm that 100%. If Google is serious about selling phones (and I think the Nexus One was really just an experiment), they'll need to address this more thoroughly.

[Xerxes]

HTC's support is really, really bad. I can confirm that 100%. If Google is serious about selling phones (and I think the Nexus One was really just an experiment), they'll need to address this more thoroughly.

I'm sitting here thinking, "just fuck it, it's tiny scratchs around the charging connectors" or "fuck this shit, call these hoes right now and give hell... and hopefully wait another week for them to swap phones."

The defeatist in me is saying fuck it. I hate using my G1. I need a better second backup device.

[Banacek]

I'm sitting here thinking, "just fuck it, it's tiny scratchs around the charging connectors" or "fuck this shit, call these hoes right now and give hell... and hopefully wait another week for them to swap phones."

The defeatist in me is saying fuck it. I hate using my G1. I need a better second backup device.

Hey, some of us poor folk only have a G1 to use...

[benson]

Yeah, I was trying to think of what I'd use as my backup device if I were to sell my Nexus One while waiting to get whatever new phones we were going to get. All I have at this point is my old BlackBerry Pearl that I don't think holds a charge, and my girl's old phones, which are both broken I believe. I take it back, I just tried to plug in the Pearl and it didn't even start to charge. A connection must be bad in there somewhere. So yeah, good times...

[PathMaster]

So when might the Galaxy arrive for VZ? I am personally thinking of the Droid X, Incredible, or Galaxy variant (in that order).

[Serapth]

Hey, some of us poor folk only have a G1 to use...

I think my spare is a G1 as well. HTC Dream? Same phone I believe. Thinking about bringing it to 2.1, but the steps looked like a right pain in the ass.

Actually, I suppose thats my spare spare as my iPhone 3G is my "spare". That said, the iPhone got a ton better when I turned all all the "phone" stuff. Don't preload email, phone, ipod or safari and the phone is about 3x more responsive.

[J Arcane]

All putting 2.1 on my G1 did was make up my mind about getting a Nexus.

It was pretty much my last ever experience with custom firmware on a device. It's just too goddamn much hassle.

[Serapth]

All putting 2.1 on my G1 did was make up my mind about getting a Nexus.

It was pretty much my last ever experience with custom firmware on a device. It's just too goddamn much hassle.

I just wish Sony Ericsson wasn't so fucking slow with updates. With android I feel very little need to root, none actually, other than the fact I have one of the fastest Android phones in existance... with 1.6 installed!

[Xerxes]

So when might the Galaxy arrive for VZ? I am personally thinking of the Droid X, Incredible, or Galaxy variant (in that order).

I wonder why VZ didn't bring out the Droid 2 yesterday? Again, rumor has it all carriers would drop the Galaxy variant in late July.

[Satertek]

Watched a few unboxing and overview videos of the Samsung Vibrant, gettin a bit more excited, gonna try to get it on release day (rumored to be July 21 now), I'll probably try to call and reserve one in town once they officially announce it :D (along with a price, hoping it's not too outrageous)

oiiG1XOdp5E

[J Arcane]

I just wish Sony Ericsson wasn't so fucking slow with updates. With android I feel very little need to root, none actually, other than the fact I have one of the fastest Android phones in existance... with 1.6 installed!
Yeah. That was one of the big sellers for me with the N1. I looked around and saw all these nice looking phones, with bullshit custom software or old ass versions of Android, and no promise of ever getting an upgrade. Even the G1 was rubbish update wise.

I just wished there'd been a better option to be found for a keyboard phone, but honestly, every Android keyboard I've touched so far I've hated. The G1's keyboard was way too hard and it actually got painful after a long enough stretch.

[Xerxes]

I just wish Sony Ericsson wasn't so fucking slow with updates. With android I feel very little need to root, none actually, other than the fact I have one of the fastest Android phones in existance... with 1.6 installed!

What's sad about that is it came out after the Nexus, and still didn't come with 2.1. S-E was wrong for that.

[Serapth]

Problem is, its the best Rogers has. I could get an N1, but completely unsubsidized, which frankly, would suck.

[Satertek]

Problem is, its the best Rogers has. I could get an N1, but completely unsubsidized, which frankly, would suck.

T-Mobile is kinda weird with their plans right now. It's actually a heck of a lot cheaper to buy their phones unsubsidized. (And you can pay for the phone over 20 months interest free) You'd end up paying over $200 more for the HD2 or Touch Pro2 on a contract vs. no contract over 24 months.

Even that Father's Day sale where they gave out phones for "free" was still more expensive because it required you to sign the 2 year contract (which has a more expensive monthly rate).

Great for me though because I can get the highest end phones for the same price as a crappy phone on a 2 year contract and I have the option to jump ship whenever I want.

[Xerxes]

Yeah. That was one of the big sellers for me with the N1. I looked around and saw all these nice looking phones, with bullshit custom software or old ass versions of Android, and no promise of ever getting an upgrade. Even the G1 was rubbish update wise.

I just wished there'd been a better option to be found for a keyboard phone, but honestly, every Android keyboard I've touched so far I've hated. The G1's keyboard was way too hard and it actually got painful after a long enough stretch.

I thought Droid had one version with a pretty decent keyboard?

Oh and that video makes me wish that was my backup phone. I'd have to have too much money for my back up device to be damn near a lateral move.

[PathMaster]

I wonder why VZ didn't bring out the Droid 2 yesterday? Again, rumor has it all carriers would drop the Galaxy variant in late July.

Really? From what I am reading, VZ's version has no real date attached.

[Xerxes]

Really? From what I am reading, VZ's version has no real date attached.

Who knows really. VZ's plans might not be the same as Samsung's. I doubt Samsung can really make everyone release the phone at the same time, only supply them.

[J Arcane]

Problem is, its the best Rogers has. I could get an N1, but completely unsubsidized, which frankly, would suck.
Honestly? Yeah, $530 is a lot of dough, but the piece of mind that comes from out right owning your phone is so worth it, and so is the amount of leverage it gives you on rates and plans.

I actually pay less money off-contract with T-Mobile than I would if I'd cheaped out on the phone and got one on contract "discount".

[Xerxes]

TMO Speedtest

2.39 Mbps Down
.65 Mbps Up

[Serapth]

Ah, there is a key difference. In Canadian there is no difference in rates period. Except if you got a new contract promotion.