4G Android phone megathread

zenter

indian sweet
SoSH Member
Oct 11, 2005
5,641
Astoria, NY
Root and rom and you will have no problem.
Even though many many people here CAN do that, many would prefer not to. I have had the SGS2 for a whole 3 weeks and haven't rooted - I rooted my Captivate within a week.

I am pretty disappointed by the thickness of the Rezound. It's a beast specs wise, but it doesn't look like I'll be getting a slimmer device if I dump my Thunderbolt for it. Plus it has a lower battery rating than the Nexus and Razr so I imagine I will be compelled to buy another Seidio extended battery for it.
Not sure why the device is so much thicker given the lower battery capacity. For anyone interested in this, I'd worry that it would have a very low battery life due to the use of LCD versus AMOLED.
 

Three10toLeft

New Member
Oct 2, 2008
1,560
Asheville, NC
Even though many many people here CAN do that, many would prefer not to. I have had the SGS2 for a whole 3 weeks and haven't rooted - I rooted my Captivate within a week.


Not sure why the device is so much thicker given the lower battery capacity. For anyone interested in this, I'd worry that it would have a very low battery life due to the use of LCD versus AMOLED.
Yeah, I can see how most people wouldn't. I just went ahead and rom'd my phone after having three Android devices. I used to think it was to intimidating but now I couldn't imagine using iOS again, the versatility is amazing.

In regards to the screen technology, that's another reason why I assume an extended battery will be necessary with the Rezound.
 

Caspir

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
6,886
Even though many many people here CAN do that, many would prefer not to. I have had the SGS2 for a whole 3 weeks and haven't rooted - I rooted my Captivate within a week.
Why would you root the SII right now though? There's no dev community whatsoever, the ROMs that are available suck*, there's LOS issues with both the ROMs and kernels, and there aren't even any interesting hacks available (unless disabling the camera shutter is important to you). I know these things take time, so I'm giving the phone about another month to come through with some legitimate development or I'm selling it and switching back to an HTC device. I love this phone, it's the balls, but I also love fucking around with devices, and this one appears to be an "it just works" smartphone, which is awesome, but not what I'm looking for. I had a new ROM on my Incredible every week, sometimes switching around throughout the day, new themes constantly, etc., and I miss that. The one thing that gives me pause is the wretched battery life of HTC phones. I do not miss carrying my charger around at all times with my Incredible, and getting 12-16 hours on a single charge with heavy use is just awesome.

*Once there's a system dump and everything is available to the devs, I'm hoping this will change.
 

Seven Costanza

Fred Astaire of SoSH
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2007
3,016
Why would you root the SII right now though? There's no dev community whatsoever, the ROMs that are available suck*, there's LOS issues with both the ROMs and kernels, and there aren't even any interesting hacks available (unless disabling the camera shutter is important to you). I know these things take time, so I'm giving the phone about another month to come through with some legitimate development or I'm selling it and switching back to an HTC device. I love this phone, it's the balls, but I also love fucking around with devices, and this one appears to be an "it just works" smartphone, which is awesome, but not what I'm looking for. I had a new ROM on my Incredible every week, sometimes switching around throughout the day, new themes constantly, etc., and I miss that. The one thing that gives me pause is the wretched battery life of HTC phones. I do not miss carrying my charger around at all times with my Incredible, and getting 12-16 hours on a single charge with heavy use is just awesome.

*Once there's a system dump and everything is available to the devs, I'm hoping this will change.
I'd be more than happy to sell you my stock Thunderbolt in a month when the Nexus Prime comes out.
 

Caspir

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
6,886
I passed on the Thunderbolt when it was brand new and Verizon started stalking me to try and force an upgrade/2 year commitment. I definitely don't want it now ;) HTC is just much more root friendly than Samsung and Motorola. It's a bit of a shock coming to a phone that I can't alter every which way yet.
 

Seven Costanza

Fred Astaire of SoSH
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2007
3,016
I passed on the Thunderbolt when it was brand new and Verizon started stalking me to try and force an upgrade/2 year commitment. I definitely don't want it now ;) HTC is just much more root friendly than Samsung and Motorola. It's a bit of a shock coming to a phone that I can't alter every which way yet.
Yeah, didn't quite think you'd bite... :lol:
 

Foulkey Reese

foulkiavelli
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2006
21,795
Central CT
Conflicted Foulkey? So whats on your list? This and the Razr? There will always be a newer cooler phone on the horizon. How are you going to decide when to jump?
Oh I'm definitely getting the Nexus Galaxy when it comes out in a few weeks. Just would have been nice to have a month or so before I started second guessing myself.

Razr looks great, but I would much rather have the pure Android ICS experience.
 

teddykgb

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
11,025
Chelmsford, MA
For you droidheads:

Are there any current android phones using microsims as opposed to regular sims? The Recon Live Ski Goggles are the perfect mix of many of my obsessions, and i'm going to fork over crazy amounts of cash to use them when I ski. But they integrate with android only, so i'd want to pick up an android phone at least to use on ski trips. Since I'm an iphone guy, i have a microsim, and I'd prefer to not mess around with an adapter if I don't have to. I think the newest phones will come with one, but buying one of those off contract will be absurd, is there anything older that I can hope to buy used?
 

Foulkey Reese

foulkiavelli
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2006
21,795
Central CT
$111.11 for the Droid Razr today on amazon.

So incredibly tempting.

God damn I wish the Galaxy had a launch date.

http://wireless.amazon.com/Motorola-RAZR-Android-Verizon-Wireless/dp/B0061OQJTK/ref=sh_br_ph_1?ie=UTF8&transaction=INDIVIDUAL_NEW&sr=1-1-entd&qid=1321023033060

Edit: That price is for a new account only. It would be $249 for an existing Verizon customer. I'll pass.
 

Barbara

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
3,126
Real Virginia
Got my Bionic about a month ago and I love it - especially since we now have 4G in the area. The extended battery was on sale for half-off and I haven't come close to running low. The only case available for the phone with the extended battery is pretty sucky and I need to search again to see if anything has come out. I don't like the position of the power button (on left top) - just awkward for me to reach when holding it with one hand - and I don't like the way you have to swipe down to see if calls or texts, but all in all just minor annoyances. Have not experienced one freeze or other OS type issue.
 

Three10toLeft

New Member
Oct 2, 2008
1,560
Asheville, NC
Just got a Rezound today to bump off my Thunderbolt.

Verizon is running a promo where you can return any phone purchased after November 15th up until January 8th. Or sometime in January, not sure on the exact date.

So if the Nexus Galaxy turns out to be a killer, I can just return it. But I don't think I'll have to worry about that, this screen is beautiful, and the device is ripping fast.

All together, with an extended battery, two cases of screen protectors, a case some other microfiber cloth thrown in to make me eligible for some deal Verizon was running, I paid $370 for the Rezound. Now I'll trade in my Thunderbolt since I bought it with the buy back program at Best Buy and have $350 to stack on to my BB gift card to put towards a new TV. Yes.... Yay me.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,368
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6h5JSojJN3Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

JerBear

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 11, 2006
1,582
Leeds, ME
Verizon Galaxy Nexus for $200? On the 29th? Seems awesome but farfetched.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/verizons-lte-enabled-galaxy-nexus-priced-at-200/
 

Three10toLeft

New Member
Oct 2, 2008
1,560
Asheville, NC
Starting to notice some issues with my Rezound.

For some reason, it's been getting VERY hot while I am at work. So hot that I actually felt it through my pocket and figured I should turn it off. It's happened a couple times now. My battery life seems to have dropped quite a bit as well. I took it off the charger and I was dead within 6 hours. I played some games, but that was about it. Nothing extensive.

I might have to return it to Verizon, but I want to wait to see when the Nexus actually ships before doing so. I figure Verizon will only give me one return, and I don't want to get another Rezound and then be stuck with another lemon.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,368
Starting to notice some issues with my Rezound.

For some reason, it's been getting VERY hot while I am at work. So hot that I actually felt it through my pocket and figured I should turn it off. It's happened a couple times now. My battery life seems to have dropped quite a bit as well. I took it off the charger and I was dead within 6 hours. I played some games, but that was about it. Nothing extensive.

I might have to return it to Verizon, but I want to wait to see when the Nexus actually ships before doing so. I figure Verizon will only give me one return, and I don't want to get another Rezound and then be stuck with another lemon.
Sounds like you may have an app that has gone rogue. If you check your battery usage stats after it has drained quickly is there anything out of the ordinary in there?
 

Three10toLeft

New Member
Oct 2, 2008
1,560
Asheville, NC
Sounds like you may have an app that has gone rogue. If you check your battery usage stats after it has drained quickly is there anything out of the ordinary in there?
That was my initial thought as well, but nothing is out of the ordinary as far as app usage. It's pretty weird, I first noticed this when I started using my extended battery one day when I went to work. It got so warm that I've ditched the extended battery now and have just been rolling with the the stock unit. But the battery life is terrible now. My phone has been pretty much idle throughout the night, I pulled it off the charger around 2 AM. I'm now down to about 62% battery with very minimal usage. The display is the number one thing depleting my battery according to the battery usage.
 

PortlandSoxFan

Father of Idontgiveafuckism
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
I don't have an upgrade available until 12/28; I'm not getting the Nexus until they have fixed the 'Bionic (or most 4g phones for that matter) losing data randomly' issue. Since my wife is getting my Bionic, I am NOT dealing with her complaining about that.

On the bright side,when I do finally get the Nexus, perhaps I won't have to pay the 'early adopter' tax...Bionic is already $100 cheaper than when launched.
 

Seven Costanza

Fred Astaire of SoSH
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2007
3,016
On the bright side,when I do finally get the Nexus, perhaps I won't have to pay the 'early adopter' tax...Bionic is already $100 cheaper than when launched.
Just to hammer this point home... I paid 300 bucks for my Thunderbolt the week it came out. I bet you can get it for free at this point.
 

Foulkey Reese

foulkiavelli
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2006
21,795
Central CT
My Droid X actually just broke. The Home button is shot and barely works now. A Friday release would be perfect.

Looks like I'll be going back to the Droid 1 until then.
 

Foulkey Reese

foulkiavelli
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2006
21,795
Central CT
And since posting three times in a row is so cool, I will say that the 12/9 release date has been confirmed.

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/12/06/breaking-verizons-equipment-guide-updated-galaxy-nexus-release-date-of-december-9-is-official/
 

Corsi

isn't shy about blowing his wad early
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 3, 2010
12,955
Boston, MA


Not necessarily the post I wanted to start the day with, but in the span of 15 minutes, multiple sources reached out because they were informed that the Galaxy Nexus is no longer launching on December 9 (this Friday). I’m still in shock that this could happen after the entire U.S. Verizon staff was informed that the 9th was the day, but then again, I’m not sure anything should surprise us when it comes to this phone anymore.

Is Big Red just trolling us? Stay tuned as we dig for confirmation. Keep as rumor for now, and try not to completely freak out.
http://www.droid-life.com/
 

OCD SS

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
How much of a difference is there between the Verizon model and the ATT-band version that I saw at Best Buy a couple weeks ago?

Display models usually suck, but I was pretty disappointed with the cheap plastic feel of the hardware, and the curved screen wasn't curved as much as it seems like the ends had been dented up a bit.
 

Caspir

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
6,886
The SII doesn't have a cheap feel, and it definitely doesn't have a curved screen. I was going to consider the Nexus even though I think "pure Google" is nothing special, and kind of boring to boot, but at this point I'm just laughing at how bad Verizon ducked the dog on this thing. I wasn't buying it, but I'm definitely going to wait for the next HTC phone before I even consider making a switch.
 

behindthepen

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
6,236
Section 41
The story I've heard is that the nexus was delayed because lte went down this week.
I've been a vzw fanboy for a really long time, but I have been very disappointed with lte.
 

PortlandSoxFan

Father of Idontgiveafuckism
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
The story I've heard is that the nexus was delayed because lte went down this week.
I've been a vzw fanboy for a really long time, but I have been very disappointed with lte.
It is pissing me off. Yesterday I came this close to throwing my phone out the window; I had zero data connection (with 2 reboots) my entire 90 minute ride home yesterday. When I am in an LTE only area (NYC, etc) it is fine. But when I switch from one data type to another, I almost ALWAYS lose it.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,368
Is this what is causing my Mobile Network settings to keep changing. I see I have no data connection. I then go into settings>wireless & Networks and Mobile Network is unchecked. Why would Mobile Network get unchecked on its own?
 

Montana Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 18, 2000
8,881
Twin Bridges, Mt.
Because of this additional delay I'm gonna pick up the 4s and give it a try for a week. I like the smaller size and KGB's post comparing the 2 was helpful.
 

Seven Costanza

Fred Astaire of SoSH
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2007
3,016
Is this what is causing my Mobile Network settings to keep changing. I see I have no data connection. I then go into settings>wireless & Networks and Mobile Network is unchecked. Why would Mobile Network get unchecked on its own?
This happens to me all the time- although I'll have a full LTE signal and often the 'Mobile Network' is unchecked. Makes no sense, but I can still stream adult videos really fast, so I don't question it. You have a Tbolt, no?

LTE and data in general have been real shitty the last few days- parroting what you all have been saying. Has been OK today however.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,368
This happens to me all the time- although I'll have a full LTE signal and often the 'Mobile Network' is unchecked. Makes no sense, but I can still stream adult videos really fast, so I don't question it. You have a Tbolt, no?

LTE and data in general have been real shitty the last few days- parroting what you all have been saying. Has been OK today however.
Yes. I have a tbolt. It is rooted and I'll on Bamf Soab 1.3.