SRL Archive - Discussions & Debates

What phone should I get ?

I'm looking for something more of a smartphone than an actual phone, with the possibility to handle mail, internet, and obviously SMS and various texting services.

Nokia N8 is a pretty good phone, it has got all of that and an awesome camera too

iPhone 4… You cant go wrong with that.. especially if you jailbreak it ;)
"Almost anything you can think of, there's an app for that"


Just dont follow the stupid bbm trend.. cuz you'll regret it when thats the only thing you can do on a bb..

Droid

Anthing android.
Never get an iPhone. o-o

jailbroken iphone 4 > android any day

i have a HTC desire HD it's an awesome phone =] read somewhere thats it's got the best spec's around or something?

I have an iPhone 4, expensive but IMO really worth it. I was really anti-smartphone before but I'm really enjoying it and all of it's capabilities, also jailbraiking lets you get all apps for free too which is great. (I still buy a lot of the ones I actually use though!)

Edit: Oh yeah DUH new iPhones come out every summer, so if you're looking into one then wait until new version is out.

From: cycrosism
Nokia N8 is a pretty good phone, it has got all of that and an awesome camera too

Yea if you're willing to deal with the slowly dying Symbian system. It recently got a revamp so it looks more android-y, but still a degrading OS…

idk the phones available in France, but I'd stay away from anything you've been seeing around. Look to the future!

Stay away from the iphone 4. Not only does it have more than enough issues, but its going to be replaced with a new version in a matter of months. Also, it's really sad that you have to jailbreak your device (break it's TOS) to achieve happiness with it…

Most android > *

Stay away from Windows Phone 7 imo. They're trying hard, but they just don't know how the phone market after their failed Windows mobile.

Link your options. That will really help ;)

If you want a HTC Droid, then avoid the HTC Wildfire, its shit. Anything comparable to an IPhone would be the HTC DESIRE or upwards (rooted and reflashed).
But yeah, the iPhone 4 jailbroken is good, it has a bigger app store and is satisfying to use.

From: TomTuff
Droid

Mine has been like a side kick to me and I've taken it to 4 countries.

Hmm on second thoughts don't go with the N8

Go for an andriod phone. Don't go for the iphone

What carrier are you on?

If you're on Verizon, buy an android phone. They say Verizon may not get a LTE iPhone..

I don't think they will release the next version of the iPhone this summer. Apple seems to like to stick to their 2 year release cycles. It will be 1 year this summer for 4 and the demand for them are still strong? Why roll out a new one when you are still making a killing on old version. I and usually there would be more leaked info put by now if it was coming this summer.

From: Hobbit
I don't think they will release the next version of the iPhone this summer. Apple seems to like to stick to their 2 year release cycles. It will be 1 year this summer for 4 and the demand for them are still strong? Why roll out a new one when you are still making a killing on old version. I and usually there would be more leaked info put by now if it was coming this summer.

No, they have a one year release cycle. They /will/ release a new one. Just because they went from 3g -> 3gs does not mean the hardware difference was minor. In fact it was very large. I don't think they'll try and pull another version change like that unless it has something to do with the phone actually getting the '4g' service.

Sorry, you're right. I was thinking version releases (original, 3G*, 4)

Lol @iphone/anything apple.

Droid or some other rare specific phone such as the nokia is the best if you care for true quality.

Specifically the Droid 2 or X.

I second the Droid 2.

I bought one right when they came out; I haven't had a single regret. I'm actually going to have a hard time upgrading, because it's an extremely nice phone.

HTC Desire, HTC Desire HD, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S II…

So yeah, GO WITH ANDROID!

I have Samsung Galaxy S and HTC Desire, really happy with em.
Android is going to take over the world of phones, trust me.

From: IceFire908
Lol @iphone/anything apple.

Droid or some other rare specific phone such as the nokia is the best if you care for true quality.

Specifically the Droid 2 or X.

I wish to God I had the Droid X. But I've yet to have any complaints with my regular Droid, but given the option I'd look into Droid X.

N900 with Maemo 5. Or, if you want a toy rather than a serious phone, get something with android on it. (Make sure it has a recent one… And preferrably vanilla android) Google Nexus Phone might be a good one.

i got samsung s8000 jet i like it very much.

My brother has the galaxy s, it's really not as fast as the iPhone. Get the iPhone, despite all the hate it gets it's just a great machine.

I am not getting an iPhone, despite the fact that it is a fantastic phone, the iPhone 5 just seems retarded to me (3D screen ?!).

I'm hesitating between HTC Desire / Wildfire / Galaxy..

From: Dervish
I am not getting an iPhone, despite the fact that it is a fantastic phone, the iPhone 5 just seems retarded to me (3D screen ?!).

I'm hesitating between HTC Desire / Wildfire / Galaxy..

The whole "iPhone vs android vs Nokia" argue is useless. They all can go to the internet, they all can handle email and calendar. It's really just the matter of what you like. The real differences are actually quite small.

HTC Desire is a great phone, it has metal covers (IIRC) and a great display. If you want to surf a lot on the internet, I suggest Desire HD, which has a 4.3" display.

Wildfire is also ok, but has a smaller screen.

Galaxy S has a super nice 4" screen, but it's 100% plastic covered so if you drop it you will break it. Most of my friends who have it have harmed theirs somehow.

If you want a full QWERTY keyboard, then you should try Nokia N900 and HTC Desire Z and see which one you find better.
If you like a good camera, you should try out Nokia N8 or Samsung Wave. I have the Wave and the video quality is just amazing. Althought it's a little buggy and a bit smaller, 3.3" screen. Also another important factor: How often do you use gloves? Most phones don't have call-keys, and if you want to answer a call outside you will have to take off your gloves.

Also, almost any phone can handle email these days pretty well. Even regular $50 USD ones.

From: marpis
The whole "iPhone vs android vs Nokia" argue is useless. They all can go to the internet, they all can handle email and calendar. It's really just the matter of what you like. The real differences are actually quite small..

No. I don't want to sound like a fanboy but the differences between the Nokia N900 and other phones are tremendous.

From: Wizzup?
No. I don't want to sound like a fanboy but the differences between the Nokia N900 and other phones are tremendous.

For most people they are not tremendous at all.
95% of smartphone users only use a little of their phones' capabilities.

From: marpis
For most people they are not tremendous at all.
95% of smartphone users only use a little of their phones' capabilities.

Sure, but I don't think we are part of that 95%. :)

From: Wizzup?
Sure, but I don't think we are part of that 95%. :)

Well, you're probably right about that :D I forgot we're total nerds.

From: Wizzup?
No. I don't want to sound like a fanboy but the differences between the Nokia N900 and other phones are tremendous.

I assume you're talking about software, because most android phones trump the N900's hardware. Any examples?

N900
http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/specifications/

Droid 2 Global
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile-Phones/ci.DROID2-Global-US-EN.alt

From: Smartzkid
I assume you're talking about software, because most android phones trump the N900's hardware. Any examples?

N900
http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/specifications/

Droid 2 Global
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile-Phones/ci.DROID2-Global-US-EN.alt

I was indeed not talking about the hardware, but rather about the software. I have yet to find a phone that uses existing frameworks so well. For example, the N900 has it's own radio station (range few meters) and using the radio transmitter is as simple as changing your pulseaudio sink. Then all the audio is instead send over a (user changeable) radio frequency. Obviously it also allows you to use the networking features that pulseaudio offers. The native xterm is simply the best terminal you'll find. The X server that the N900 uses for all it's applications is also networked and can be used to forward X applications running on other desktops. The contacts / IM integration is also still (to me, anyway) unmatched. It was the first phone to do video calls with skype, it's very well integrated in the existing frameworks thanks to telepathy. The networking stack is also awesome, I still see many android and ios users have trouble with advanced WPA setups. Most can't use the free wireless every university in Europe offers to European students.

Obviously the older hardware (The n900 is now almost two years old I believe) means it's less suited for games, but that's why I said serious phone and not a toy. (Although I can run plenty of games on it) Also note that from a quick look at the page you linked about the Droid phone I see no support for FLAC or Vorbis audio. Seriously, what's up with that? The N900 uses the gstreamer framework to support all formats.

For one, I don't have to jail break my phone to become root. You get root access by default. The phone also runs a ssh daemon which I find particularly useful. And of course the debian package manager.

The only thing that it lacks in is portrait support for some applications, but the community is working on adding that.

Samsung Galexy S ?

From: Wizzup?
And preferrably vanilla android

Compared to Sense, stock Android blows imho. Stock android works but just isn't 100%. (though some manufacturers overdo it).

If you want something cheap and working: get a HTC Wildfire. Few friends of mine have them and they just work fine. Only the screen resolution is low. If you don't care too much about battery life (around one day) and aluminium bodies, get the ZTE Blade. Seeing as you're in France that shouldn't be a problem. Also an easy phone to root/sim unlock.
If you want expensive: Galaxy S/iPhone 4/Nokia N8. They are all great phones, each with it's own power (Galaxy S got a sick CPU, screen and Android. iPhone works great and has the largest app store, and the N8 also got Amoled AND the best camera a phone can have atm. Nokia also just works).

I left old phones which aren't supported by the manufacturer any more out. Who wants tweakability when he wants to call? ;)

I don't suggest the wildfire. It is quite dated and almost the exact same hardware as my htc hero.

Im tired of everyone saying 'droid! droid'! They don't have 'droids' in places other than the US. The Moterola Milestone is the equivalent of the droid 1, and I don't know the rest. Stop being Verizon zombies.

I currently have the milestone/droid. I love it. If I had the option, I would be using a droid X in a second.

Droids are nice and I really like android. But it does come down to what you are looking for.

As an aside, the meego system is also very promising.

galaxy s 2 or any android with gyro and acceleromter. Android market is quite good for making extra $$:P Once your rich enough and know how to make a good app, switch to the new iphone (when ever it comes out) and make money off those idoits.

From: Smartzkid
I second the Droid 2.

I bought one right when they came out; I haven't had a single regret. I'm actually going to have a hard time upgrading, because it's an extremely nice phone.

I got the Droid 1 when it first came out and haven't had a single regert. The droid 2 looks cooler but is pretty much the same thing minus double the ghz.

From: Flight
I wish to God I had the Droid X. But I've yet to have any complaints with my regular Droid, but given the option I'd look into Droid X.

Original droid is just as good for the most part the Droid X can transmit wifi without rooting, 8mb cam, larger better screen, longer battery life, more voice options (Voice to text etc) but the droid has the keyboard. Droid 2 vs droid X only difference is keyboard, screen size, and camera resolution.

From: marpis
The whole "iPhone vs android vs Nokia" argue is useless. They all can go to the internet, they all can handle email and calendar. It's really just the matter of what you like. The real differences are actually quite small.

The only thing the iphone has is popularity in other words, marketing. With the exception of a butt load of unneeded apps on its market it adds no actual functionality to the end product. Apple continues not to support flash. Nor is the iphone software open source, coded well, hell you can't even remove the battery from the iphone. The only way to get it fixed is to take it back to the apple store.

The difference between different androids phone is speed and negligible differences, but the reality between products by apple and any other company reverberates across its entire marketing scheme.

No other company has ever made a system where your music is encrypted when you pay for it. The only devices that can play your music, that you payed for, are other apple devices (limited to 5 devices lol).

AT&T in America vs Verizon wireless is like cable tv verse satellite. Verizon has much greater coverage and overall 3g speed. AT&T's fail argument is that they are 'fast' even though that statistic is only true about half the time when compared to verizon, and what good is 51% of the time your carrier is slightly faster when you aren't even in service range?

Verizon picking up the iphone was a huge business deal but it didn't bring in anywhere near the amount of new iphone users that they thought it would.

All the senseless hype over the iphone is finally dying down.

Any honestly, even the new windows phone looks more promising.

From: IceFire908
Any honestly, even the new windows phone looks more promising.

Do you mean the same Windows phones that brick your phone with their official over the air updates?

blackberry 9780. i had every phone imaginable, galaxy s, iphone 4, hd2, g2………..theyre all nice, but im so tired of touch screen. Its all the matter whether or not u prefer touchscreen….if you want it, then get either galaxy s or iphone 4….if you dont, then get the 9780. I wouldnt think twice about it.

From: Nava2

As an aside, the meego system is also very promising.

Since Nokia made that horrid deal with M$ about windows phone 7, there isn't going to be any meego anytime soon. Nokia's made it clear that Windows phone 7 is their priority.

From: IceFire908
I got the Droid 1 when it first came out and haven't had a single regert. The droid 2 looks cooler but is pretty much the same thing minus double the ghz.

There is a lot of difference between the two. Going from 550MHz –> 1GHz is a lot more than just 'double the ghz.' I can't remember if they got the manf. tech. size lower in the DROID2 than in the DROID, but if they did, it would make the DROID2 much more efficient. Also iirc, the DROID2 has a much better GPU than the DROID1. The Camera is better on the D2. The keyboard is MUCH better on the D2, it's more raised and easier to type on. The D2 will most likely be updated to further versions of android while the D1 wont.
I can't remember but I don't think there was ever a legit flash update for the D1. I think it got cancelled?

From: IceFire908
AT&T in America vs Verizon wireless is like cable tv verse satellite. Verizon has much greater coverage and overall 3g speed. AT&T's fail argument is that they are 'fast' even though that statistic is only true about half the time when compared to verizon, and what good is 51% of the time your carrier is slightly faster when you aren't even in service range?

No, although Verizon does have better coverage, ATT does have faster speeds. Look, you can't argue with me here. CDMA is much slower than GSM and they use difference 3G technology. The media has greatly exaggerated how many issues ATT has. Please don't fall victim.

Aw, I've wanted to see such a tread for quite some time now.

As a quick note; my girl recently bought herself a HTC Desire Z, and I'd say it's superior to any other phone for anything web- or text-related, due to its fantastic keyboard.
Also, HTC > Apple and Android > *.(!android), no matter how many times this already has been said.

By the way, have any of you tried to make software for the Android OS? It's amazingly simple. It's documented very well, and designing program forms is almost like working with CSS! :p
I've never worked with Java before, but I was nevertheless able to, after reading a few tutorials, design simple programs with equal quality as some of the ones that were available on the market. That's just another opportunity opened by acquiring an Android phone.

Also, I've heard that you have to pay ~60$ to gain the ability to develop your own apps for iPhones. Really?! Another reason for why I'll never support Apple..


Finally, I could also add a "which OS do you think is best"-poll to this thread if people would like that?

From: EvilChicken!
Finally, I could also add a "which OS do you think is best"-poll to this thread if people would like that?

Do it!

From: Smartzkid
Do it!

Done. :)

in the matter of amount of functions i think, iphone,android and windows is best.
also android 2,2 is the only os witch support browser flash player yet.
if i buy a new phone im happy as long as it can do the following, send sms/mms ,call,take pictures, listen to music, got usb connection witch can store any files, to me rest is only power consuming and in the way ;)

^ How about some of Nokia's cheaper recent Symbian phones? The battery life is pretty good, they can all call/text and listen to music :p

From: EvilChicken!
Done. :)

You're missing Maemo and Meego… :/

From: Wizzup?
You're missing Maemo and Meego… :/

Added those too. :)

Damn hipster.

not 60 dollars, 99 dollars PER year…. Unlike android, 25 dollars for life:P

From: Main Ftw
not 60 dollars, 99 dollars PER year…. Unlike android, 25 dollars for life:P

25 dollars for what?
If you're talking about software development for the platform, it's completely free for Android!

From: EvilChicken!
25 dollars for what?
If you're talking about software development for the platform, it's completely free for Android!

I think there's a $25 fee to register yourself as a developer

Not that I'm aware of. I have everything needed for Android, the newest SDK, all the app development tools, and the eclipse environment to use it all together, it was all free and open-source.

PS:

From: Wizzup?
You're missing Maemo and Meego… :/

From: EvilChicken!

Damn hipster.

From: Flight
Not that I'm aware of. I have everything needed for Android, the newest SDK, all the app development tools, and the eclipse environment to use it all together, it was all free and open-source.

Yes, you only have to pay if you're going to release onto the market.

Before you can publish software on the Android Market, you must do three things:

• Create a developer profile
• Pay a registration fee ($25.00) with your credit card (using Google Checkout)
• Agree to the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement

https://market.android.com/publish/signup

I can't believe anyone actually even voted for the iphone, after seeing all the stupid problems it has had, such as your reception dropping out when you hold your phone and alarms not going off and then apple trying to blame it on a software glitch

I will never ever buy any phone made by apple, ever.

From: cycrosism
herpidy derp derp a herp a herpity herp derp derp

wat

Play with some phones at a store? Find out which you like.

All phones have problems. Everyone likes different stuff. Just make sure you can text/call/do whatever you do on a regular basis happily. That's really all that matters.

From: i luffs yeww
All phones have problems.

My phone doesn't lose reception when I hold it :/

From: pur3b100d
i have a HTC desire HD it's an awesome phone =] read somewhere thats it's got the best spec's around or something?

real good indeed, have it for like 4 a 5 months now…
its better then the windows phones and iphone (had them also but they suck real hard)

From: cycrosism
My phone doesn't lose reception when I hold it :/

None of my friends here in Finland ever lose connection, even if they tried to.

From: cycrosism
My phone doesn't lose reception when I hold it :/

Two people in my residence have had iPhone 4's since they came out, no reception problems. It was just a shit lot of media hype IMO

I've played with an iPhone 4 and it does happen if you try to. If you just hold it and mess with it normally it's fine.

So much iPhone hate… I've had my 3GS for two years now and I've never had an issue with it… (two years old and it's still better than everyones phone I see except for my friends droid X… but it's much never and iPhone 4 is better than it.)

I really like my iphone as it is simple to use and everything runs smooth. Android has this lag once awhile and annoys the shit of me…

I had a Nokia N95 when it was new, it was darn good! Then I got a HTC HD 2 or something? I loved it! But that was until I got iPhone 4… I never loved a phone that much! It has no flaws whatsoever, in my opinion anyway. That was the day I became an apple fan :)

From: gamer716
I really like my iphone as it is simple to use and everything runs smooth. Android has this lag once awhile and annoys the shit of me…

What lag? I have never faced any lag with my Samsung Galaxy S / HTC Desire.

Ditto Janilabo; I never have lag on my D2. Granted, I got rid of Motorola's 'Blur'. Gamer, what phone did you get lag on? I'm sure some of the cheap ones don't perform well (but who would buy those anyway! :p)

BTW,

The recent ones are the lucky onces ;) My hero has its fair share of lag.

Nokia N900 it's possible install most of all OS from other phones, even windows xp, vista or mac OS (lags a lot.)