Android Phones

[Dukefrukem]

My dreams came true with that new Google phone. But no way am I switching to T-mobile. no f'in way.

[opsin]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

I don't get why they waste time with making so many pointless variants.

Well... I was about to downgrade to (OK, 3G, but otherwise...) a worse phone than the GPRS only one I had. But then spotted I could get the Cliq for free on a slightly more expensive monthly tariff, did some research then went with it.
I've had those pangs since of 'is it the right choice' but to be honest - yes.
While I'd rather have a Droid, I'd have to wait for the thing to be available again, having sold out in hours, and it'd be £200 morethe first year, and £120 more the second year of the contract. For that price, I could buy another Cliq.

While it's stuck on 1.5 at the moment, that's still way more usability than I had, and I'm more than happy with it. Fingers crossed Moto will stick to their statement and we will at the very least get 1.6 out of them.
But so, there is definitely some use to be gotten out of their alternate versions, although theBackflip does seem entirely pointless, and a really bizarre form to put a phone together in to boot.

Anyway, thanks to those who posted recommendations for apps- was most useful, as it's still going to take me weeks to learn how I use this and set it up perfectly for me. I have to say though, regardless of how much better a Droid may wind up being - this is still the coolest piece of tech I've ever owned, as it does everything all the other candidates did in one.

[Voodoo]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

I don't get why they waste time with making so many pointless variants. If the "Droid" is of the best design. Make a version for Tmobile and the AT&T network. Re-brand it, slap motoblur on it and profit. Man hours were wasted with this and cliq.

Best guess is that employee positions would be eliminated if they were to streamline the products.

[johnperkins21]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

I don't get why they waste time with making so many pointless variants. If the "Droid" is of the best design. Make a version for Tmobile and the AT&T network. Re-brand it, slap motoblur on it and profit. Man hours were wasted with this and cliq.

Then you couldn't sell exclusivity rights to the cell carrier that they could then, in turn, use in their marketing.

[Adam Blue]

HTC is now putting widgets up on the Market Place. Hopefully this means we'll be seeing more from them. Works only for Hero and Eris.

[Goronmon]

Originally Posted by Dukefrukem

My dreams came true with that new Google phone. But no way am I switching to T-mobile. no f'in way.

Are they that bad?

[Adam Blue]

Originally Posted by Goronmon

Are they that bad?

I don't think so. They are cheap and their 3G is being upgraded to effing-fast speeds. It really just depends where you are for reception. Duke may just be in a bad location. I liked using them here in DFW because it allowed me to use phones that would normally only work in Europe. They have the same band.

[Slack3r78]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

I don't get why they waste time with making so many pointless variants. If the "Droid" is of the best design. Make a version for Tmobile and the AT&T network. Re-brand it, slap motoblur on it and profit. Man hours were wasted with this and cliq.

Price point. CLIQ is based on a much cheaper Qualcomm ARM11 chipset compared to the Cortex A8 based OMAP SoC Droid is built on. The Droid requires a much larger subsidy to get to its respective pricepoint.

[Slack3r78]

Originally Posted by Adam Blue

I don't think so. They are cheap and their 3G is being upgraded to effing-fast speeds. It really just depends where you are for reception. Duke may just be in a bad location. I liked using them here in DFW because it allowed me to use phones that would normally only work in Europe. They have the same band.

Yeah. Personally, T-mobile's network is far, far better than AT&T's in my area.

But if I'm way out in the boonies it's a different story. A state-owned shooting range I frequent about an hour out of town doesn't have T-Mo reception anywhere within about half an hour of it, for example, so I make sure to go with somebody that has VZW on those occasions. Besides that, I'm perfectly happy with their coverage the other 95% of the time.

Argh. It's statements like yours Slack that really make me waffle about who my next carrier will be. That statement isn't a reflection on you, but rather the experience you have that seems to mirror many of the same ones I read about.

Voodoo once gave me great advice about getting a T-Mobile "burner" on one of my jaunts to see how the service fared, and I foolishly didn't follow it.

[Xerxes]

Originally Posted by Voodoo

Best guess is that employee positions would be eliminated if they were to streamline the products.

I am not a monster. Those people would be re-purposed. Again you need different variations. I'm trying to save and make money though overall. Car companies have been doing it for ages. You have your low end and your high end design, and the body is shared through the other sister companies.

Originally Posted by johnperkins21

Then you couldn't sell exclusivity rights to the cell carrier that they could then, in turn, use in their marketing.

They'd be ever so small changes, but everyone would know the phones are about equals. Dress one up with motoblur and other interface changes.

Originally Posted by Slack3r78

Price point. CLIQ is based on a much cheaper Qualcomm ARM11 chipset compared to the Cortex A8 based OMAP SoC Droid is built on. The Droid requires a much larger subsidy to get to its respective pricepoint.

Now you got me a little. Again that's still only two main phone models. With variants to offer up ot different networks. It's like they offered Verizon the better high end and low end phones, and offered Tmo and ATT odd looking kid phones. Not knocking them just saying they aren't offering any major competition to any of the other phones ATT and Tmo are offering. <shrug>

Originally Posted by civil

Argh. It's statements like yours Slack that really make me waffle about who my next carrier will be. That statement isn't a reflection on you, but rather the experience you have that seems to mirror many of the same ones I read about.

Voodoo once gave me great advice about getting a T-Mobile "burner" on one of my jaunts to see how the service fared, and I foolishly didn't follow it.

That is great advice. If I had thought to do that a long time ago when I thought TMO was being to me by not offering me a decent deal, I probably would be on another network. <shrug>

[wyeast]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

I don't get why they waste time with making so many pointless variants. If the "Droid" is of the best design. Make a version for Tmobile and the AT&T network. Re-brand it, slap motoblur on it and profit. Man hours were wasted with this and cliq.

My guess is Verizon sucked a lot of dick and probably threw money at Motorola to lock up Droid (and potentially Android 2.0??) exclusively for a little while.

Originally Posted by Slack3r78

Price point. CLIQ is based on a much cheaper Qualcomm ARM11 chipset compared to the Cortex A8 based OMAP SoC Droid is built on. The Droid requires a much larger subsidy to get to its respective pricepoint.

The lines got fuzzy when Verizon decided to set fire to everything in order to heavily subsidize the DROID, bringing it at the same pricepoint as the "kid phones". Shrewd, but then again you take it in the ass on their contract prices afterwards. I agree tho'. Under ordinary circumstances, DROID should've been substantially more expensive than something like the CLIQ, so the direct comparisons wouldn't have been quite so blatant.

Originally Posted by Xerxes

Now you got me a little. Again that's still only two main phone models. With variants to offer up ot different networks. It's like they offered Verizon the better high end and low end phones, and offered Tmo and ATT odd looking kid phones. Not knocking them just saying they aren't offering any major competition to any of the other phones ATT and Tmo are offering. <shrug>

ATT's got this weird hatred/phobia of Android phones, and Verizon's probably been chomping at the bit since they fucked it up and passed on the iPhone. Hence my above theory that ol' VZ threw an assload of cash to make sure it had exclusivity on the DROID to take aim directly at AT&T.

TMo... well, they've always been a little oddball about their hardware offerings. With the overhaul to offer contract-free, I can see them possibly blanching at the thought of trying to pitch an outrageously expensive phone.

[Xerxes]

If TMO gets this Nexus One at a an affordable deal, all of there past sins will be forgiven.

[Xerxes]

So smooth!

[Voodoo]

That is an awesome video of the Nexus. BTW, I'm beginning to think that T-Mobile is holding off on the v2.0 or v2.1 update until the 3G upgrade rolls out. Just a guess.

[DylonCorp]

Finally got a G1 to use long term. App Check?!

[Xerxes]

Originally Posted by DylonCorp

Finally got a G1 to use long term. App Check?!

I must be the most vanilla Android user. I have TaskKiller, Pandora, and Facebook. A few scanner apps; I love ShopSavvy.

[bapenguin]

Why do none of these "smart phones" lately have a home screen that lets you put up things like voicemail, calendar appts, weather, etc right when you turn it on. Why do I need to surf to find that stuff?

[Dukefrukem]

Originally Posted by bapenguin

Why do none of these "smart phones" lately have a home screen that lets you put up things like voicemail, calendar appts, weather, etc right when you turn it on. Why do I need to surf to find that stuff?

huh?



that's my old setup

my new one looks like this;

[Borthcollective]

Anyone know if running Pandora on the Verizon $29.99 Monthly Data plan will go nuts with overage fees?