1564 replies to this topic

[jayhoz]

Then get the Maxx. You won't be cutting edge (see comparison) on some specs, but you'll be the envy of everyone tethered to an outlet at the airport.

[EddieYost]

Then get the Maxx. You won't be cutting edge (see comparison) on some specs, but you'll be the envy of everyone tethered to an outlet at the airport.

The RAZR Maxx must have ICS by now, right? The chart in that link indicates GB (2.3).

[jayhoz]

The RAZR Maxx must have ICS by now, right? The chart in that link indicates GB (2.3).

Yes. It now has ICS.

[TallerThanPedroia]

The new Razrs ship with ICS and supposedly get Jellybean by the end of the year. Here's a quick unboxing of the Razr HD:

http://www.droid-lif...itial-thoughts/

If the Razr HD Maxx had come out before these Nexus rumors, I'd have jumped all over it immediately. My Droid X is driving me bonkers and I really, really want that great battery, so I probably still will but it'd be nice if the rumors stopped being rumors already so I can actually compare.

[PC Drunken Friar]

My G Siii won't receive picture messages from an iPhone...anyone run into this trouble?

ALso, I can't copy and paste anymore, the browser (chrome and dolphin) always crashes

[smastroyin]

Iphone interaction comes through very weird. I assume this is some stupid shit that apple ans samsung have done in their continuing quest to put their whiny bitchpants ahead of the consumer.

[hunter05]

My G Siii won't receive picture messages from an iPhone...anyone run into this trouble?

ALso, I can't copy and paste anymore, the browser (chrome and dolphin) always crashes

Yeah, there are threads around the internet about the C&P problems. The only solution I have seen involves having your phone rooted and clearing out the clipboard cache. I haven't read anything about Samsung addressing it.

[smastroyin]

Nexus 4 was announced kind of quietly. Seems like a weird step for them:

- non-replaceable battery
- no SD card and only 16 GB of internal storage
- no 4G

Yet it does have:
- wireless charging built in
- NFC (Android Beam)
- 4.7" screen
- superfast Snapdragon processor

And a very attractive price point - $299/$349 (8/16GB) for an unlocked contract free phone. It is HSPA so AT&T and T-mobile users will be able to use it.

There's a lot of talk that this phone while being rolled out in the UK and US is really for China and India, and that a bigger feature set phone will be coming on its heels - i.e. get the base tech established, then upgrade the feature set. Although I'm guessing one reason there is no LTE is that battery can't take it. So I think the next full featured Nexus will probably be a Moto (given that Google bought the business), it is just taking them a while to nail it all down.

Curious move.

[behindthepen]

Good article on Verge about why no LTE.

http://www.theverge....not-have-4g-lte

It's hard to not be Apple or Samsung and build a world phone with LTE.

[Fratboy]

The Nexus 4 is built by LG, though.

My RAZR Maxx is an LTE world phone, and that functionality saved my bacon in Canada on vacation this summer. I lived on Yelp and Google Maps.

[Dernells Casket n Flagon]

The Nexus 4 is built by LG, though.

My RAZR Maxx is an LTE world phone, and that functionality saved my bacon in Canada on vacation this summer. I lived on Yelp and Google Maps.

There's CDMA coverage across most of Canada.

[smastroyin]

It may be hard but I don't know that this device is enough for them to break the mold and change the paradigm and 700 other cliches. I don't know that it is even much of a step up from the year and a half old Galaxy Nexus. Hence why I agree with the thought that this is their attempt to establish a firm footing in the Pacific Rim and India.

[Seven Costanza]

I will most likely end up getting a 4 in a few weeks as long as reviews of it don't absolutely pan it. The unlocked nature of it is very appealing (swapping international sim cards during travel would be very nice) and quite frankly I'm sick of Verizon's bullshit. I'm eligible for an upgrade with Verizon in a month, but that'll cost me 30 bucks, plus if I want to get a phone on subsidy, I lose my grandfathered unlimited LTE. Since it's just me on my plan and I generally exceed 2GB a month in data, I don't want to pay exponentially more for less service, nor do I want to pay 600-700 bucks for a non subsidized phone in order to keep the unlimited LTE. As it is right now, I pay roughly 75 bucks a month, and that's with a 22% discount. I can get the $70/ month prepaid with TMobile and get 5mb of HSPA+ speeds, and not worry about being stuck for 2 years.

Only question really I have is if I should wait out the end of my Verizon contract or just pay the ETF. I'll be done with the contract in March or April therabouts, but my Thunderbolt is really starting to suck ass.

EDIT: I've had a Nexus 7 for a few months now, and absolutely love it. Google Now (and jelly bean in general) is very cool, and I absolutely love the stock Android experience. Getting the latest updates first is something that is a selling point for me.

Edited by Seven Costanza, 01 November 2012 - 07:53 AM.

[mt8thsw9th]

There's CDMA coverage across most of Canada.

The implication is he could remove the SIM card given it's a world phone. You can't do that with regular CDMA phones.

[Hextall]

Google Now (and jelly bean in general) is very cool, and I absolutely love the stock Android experience.

About a month and a half ago, Best Buy had a deal to extend a contract and get a free Galaxy Nexus (after $30 activation fee... fu Verizon), I jumped on that and a couple weeks afterward Verizon updated the phone to Jelly Bean. Google now is exponentially more useful on the phone than the Nexus 7 (I have one as well). I rooted the phone this past weekend (trivially easy with the root tools available on XDA... the process wipes the phone though), and I'll be able to get any put any upgrades on the phone via XDA (and way ahead of Verizon.. if they even are going to upgrade the GNex anymore... FU verizon).

I am pretty bummed the new nexus won't be available on Verizon (mostly because the ETF will kill me after extending my contract 6 weeks ago).

If it matters, android police did a post yesterday (or the day before) looking at all the various carriers that the new nexus will be available... both pre-paid phones and contract phones. breaks it all down pretty nicely:
http://www.androidpo...-and-post-paid/

[Spaulding Smails]

Anyone have any experience extending and upgrading through Amazon? I'm thinking of getting the Galaxy S3 for Verizon and it appears $50 cheaper to do it through Amazon. Am I missing anything?

[jayhoz]

I did my previous Verizon upgrade through Amazon wireless. I had no issues. It was seamless.

[Spaulding Smails]

Great, thanks.

[Dernells Casket n Flagon]

The implication is he could remove the SIM card given it's a world phone. You can't do that with regular CDMA phones.

Was responding to the "world phone saving his bacon in Canada". I do a lot of international travel and can only use world phones from Verizon, but it's not necessary up north.

[mt8thsw9th]

Was responding to the "world phone saving his bacon in Canada". I do a lot of international travel and can only use world phones from Verizon, but it's not necessary up north.

It's incredibly expensive to roam with a Verizon CDMA phone in Canada. Having the ability to swap out a local SIM will save you a ton of money visiting there. We're talking savings in the hundreds.

[smastroyin]

I certainly sympathize with wanting to get away from Verizon. As happy as I am to be grandfathered into unlimited data for at least the next two years, part of me wishes they hadn't honored it so I could have walked away.

Their latest OTA for the S3 has fucked up my location services and NFC/Sbeam - has anyone else noticed this? I'm going to go complain this weekend, I'm sure I'll get nowhere.

[behindthepen]

the same thing happened on my RAZR MAXX. the location services have been screwy for months now, and bitching in the Moto forums has produced nothing.

[PC Drunken Friar]

Has Sandy affected Verizon service in Mass.? I can only connect to ANYTHING when i am connected to WiFi.

[Seven Costanza]

Not at all for me here in Boston.

[Blacken]

I don't have one yet, but I got some hands-on time with the Nexus 4 today. Ho-lee shit is it nice. I want. I want it now.

Buy this phone. Except for suckers still using Verizon. For you: jealously wish you could buy this phone.


(Favorite part: at AT&T or T-Mobile postpad plan prices versus prepaid, the cost of an unlocked Nexus 4 straight from Google will pay for the difference in about three months.)

[Foulkey Reese]

I don't have one yet, but I got some hands-on time with the Nexus 4 today. Ho-lee shit is it nice. I want. I want it now.

Buy this phone. Except for suckers still using Verizon. For you: jealously wish you could buy this phone.


(Favorite part: at AT&T or T-Mobile postpad plan prices versus prepaid, the cost of an unlocked Nexus 4 straight from Google will pay for the difference in about three months.)

Sigh. Got an upgrade in January that would have been perfect for this phone.

[Seven Costanza]

I don't have one yet, but I got some hands-on time with the Nexus 4 today. Ho-lee shit is it nice. I want. I want it now.

Buy this phone. Except for suckers still using Verizon. For you: jealously wish you could buy this phone.


(Favorite part: at AT&T or T-Mobile postpad plan prices versus prepaid, the cost of an unlocked Nexus 4 straight from Google will pay for the difference in about three months.)

TELL ME MORE.

Laggy at all? Just read Engaget's review and they said next to the Optimus (virtually identical) the quadrant scores, battery life and responsiveness were all noticibly less.

I want this phone very much, but am very scared to leave Verizon to the unknown that is T Mobile.

I'M SO CONFUSED AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

Edited by Seven Costanza, 02 November 2012 - 12:58 PM.

[Blacken]

I don't have one in hand, so I can't tell you the battery life, but the phone was fantastically constructed and felt snappy as hell. That said, even if the battery life is worse I'm not buying an Optimus; I refuse to deal with carrier-locked shit and I refuse to deal with providers who crap up stock Android with their own "unique touches" (which are more like unique kidney punches). The new Optimus has a locked bootloader, too, so if you want to install a stock AOSP there's some poo in yer eye.



Seven: I wouldn't buy it from T-Mobile. I plan on buying it unlocked from Google for $350 (it's $200 with contract). My current prepaid T-Mobile plan is 100 minutes/unlimited data (fast download for up to 5GB)/unlimited texts for $30 a month, with a $0.10/minute overage on voice. A similar prepaid plan with more minutes is like $50/month on AT&T.

T-Mobile's 500 minutes/unlimited/unlimited postpaid plan is $85/month, and AT&T's is between $90 and $100.

Edited by Blacken, 02 November 2012 - 01:24 PM.

[Seven Costanza]

I have no use for Sense or TouchWiz or any of that crap. I want pure Android, and I don't want to have to fuck with the phone to get it. I absolutely would buy it unlocked- no way am I entering in to any sort of contract with T Mobile. I'm in downtown Boston 90% of the time, but I just worry about TMobile's service around here. I see conflicting reports all the time and don't really know what to believe. I really wish I could test drive it for like a week before I make a decision, but alas.

I don't think there's any way I could stay under 100 minutes a month unfortunately. I'd do the $70 unlimited talk/text and 5GB plan. I found some folks who did the math and if I could keep it under 500 minutes a month the $30 plan would work with the 10c/min overcharge, but given that there's no free nights and weekends on that plan, I don't know if I could really do that. I want to stay away from VoIP and shit as well. I use over 2gb a month in data.

Do you find the HSPA+ speeds available here in Boston to be at least comparable to LTE? I don't need LTE per se, but would like something a tad faster than Verizon 3G.

Edited by Seven Costanza, 02 November 2012 - 01:42 PM.

[Blacken]

I never had a problem with 3G speed, so I can't really evaluate that one. HSPA+ is fast enough for anything I do. I find coverage pretty good in the Boston area - occasional slow data in spots, but generally good enough for me to tether my laptop and work for a few hours without an issue.

You might want to consider AT&T prepaid. Their coverage is probably a little better, and I think they have a 450-minute plan or something for prepaid.

(The moral of the story is, postpaid plans are for people who can't do math.)

Edited by Blacken, 02 November 2012 - 01:53 PM.

[behindthepen]

it's not perfect, but I suggest using
opensignal.com
to compare coverage and speeds for most major cities.

[Seven Costanza]

Ah, based on what I can see, the only prepaid option on AT&T for a smartphone is 65 bucks a month for unlimited talk/text and 1gb data.

btp- I actually have used that site based on your recommendation in the Tmobile thread which was quite helpful. Based on that and Blacken's experience here in the same area, I should be ok. I'm just trying to mentally talk myself out of this, but I can't.

Edited by Seven Costanza, 02 November 2012 - 02:00 PM.

[Tim Naehrings Girl]

I pay 69 a month with Sprint for unlimited data and a huge # of minutes. Minutes only count towards landlines so I never come close to using them up.

[Blacken]

I'm glad Sprint works for you, but I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole for the same reason Verizon is a no-go. Both are CDMA (MetroPCS is too) with special phones built for their networks. For the most part you're reliant on the carrier, not the phone manufacturer, for updates, which is probably not a big deal for someone not posting in this thread but if you're interested in the newest and shiniest phones the lack of updates from Sprint/Verizon is probably a pretty big minus.

Also, contracts. Contracts are crap and I'm really glad Google is doing what they can to make them less and less attractive options for consumers.

[TallerThanPedroia]

Nothing about the Nexus 4 has given me buyer's remorse for getting the Maxx HD two weeks ago.

[Blacken]

Motoblur, Verizon, still not Android 4.1--let alone Android 4.2, and the performance/UX difference between 4.0 and 4.1 is huge--and you haven't got a whack of buyer's remorse? WAT.

(Also, the new inductive charging stuff for the Nexus 4 is fucking awesome. I want four of the chargers. And a pony.)

Edited by Blacken, 05 November 2012 - 10:55 AM.

[TallerThanPedroia]

What's wrong with Verizon? Apart from getting a signal everywhere I travel to?

Jellybean is on its way and I was upgrading from a Droid X so I'm currently enjoying the wonders of ICS quite a lot.

Maybe I don't know what I'm missing but I've never had any annoyances with Blur. I quite like how everything works on the Maxx HD so far. Except the changes to the alarm, but I think that's Google, not Motorola.

Oh, and I didn't plug in my phone between leaving work on Friday and arriving this morning. Plus it's pretty.

[FL4WL3SS]

I don't have one yet, but I got some hands-on time with the Nexus 4 today. Ho-lee shit is it nice. I want. I want it now.

Buy this phone. Except for suckers still using Verizon. For you: jealously wish you could buy this phone.


(Favorite part: at AT&T or T-Mobile postpad plan prices versus prepaid, the cost of an unlocked Nexus 4 straight from Google will pay for the difference in about three months.)

I still love my SII, but I'll be due for an upgrade in another 6 months - it's guaranteed that my next phone will be an unlocked Nexus. I'll be interested to see if they make the next Nexus a Motorolla phone, but I'm sure it's not too far away.

[Blacken]

What's wrong with Verizon? Apart from getting a signal everywhere I travel to?

That you're still on ICS is one thing; because Verizon (and Sprint) require special drivers for their nonstandard hardware means that manufacturers are generally slower and worse about updating--the Galaxy Nexus updates were through Verizon instead of Google, and it showed.

That you're stuck on a non-portable CDMA network is another (and while some CDMA/LTE phones can go to GSM networks, most can't). I can (and have) taken my GSM phone down the street to another provider for a lower rate/better deal. Verizon is the quintessential American wireless provider: shitty and loves their lock-in. Not that other providers don't, but other providers can't lock you in unless you choose to let them.

Jellybean is on its way

Whereas Nexus devices have had it since about two weeks after its release (except on--yep--Verizon). And the difference between 4.0 and 4.1 is stark in terms of user experience.

For serious: Nexus-branded devices on GSM networks are pretty much the way to get the most out of your Android stuff.

[TallerThanPedroia]

Whereas Nexus devices have had it since about two weeks after its release (except on--yep--Verizon). And the difference between 4.0 and 4.1 is stark in terms of user experience.

A difference I will doubtless appreciate even more having played with 4.0 in the interim, instead of jumping from 2.3 to 4.1. B)

I understand the appeal of the Nexus brand, and the announcement made me hesitate for a while, but that particular phone doesn't seem special enough that I regret not waiting for it. My main (and severe) aggravations with my Droid X were slowness/choppiness and the battery. I'm beyond happy with the upgrade in both areas and if Jellybean takes that further, great!

[BrazilianSoxFan]

This is interesting:

How To Enable 4G LTE On Google Nexus 4

As nice as this must be for Nexus 4 owners to hear, there is one huge “if” condition involved with enabling 4G: it only works if you’re on a wireless carrier that uses spectrum included in Band 4. As of typing, this includes Telus, Rogers and Bell in Canada, as well as AT&T in the US in some regions. Other wireless carriers in the US, Europe and Australia use different bands, so the majority of Nexus 4 owners are out of luck.

This is why Google/LG didn’t announce support for 4G LTE as a feature in the Nexus 4: it only supports a very small fraction of wireless carriers.

[bsj]

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is awesome. Letting go of my good old original Evo was hard, but it was time. And this phone is fucking insane. Love me some jelly bean!

[Blacken]

My N4 shipped today. Most of the backorders seem to be cleared.

[Tim Naehrings Girl]

I just got the Samsung Galaxy S III yesterday. I love it, but to be honest I am terrified of it. Any suggestions or tips that would help me? The first thing I want to figure out is hwo to change the keyboard, I hate the one it came with.

[deconstruction]

I just got the Samsung Galaxy S III yesterday. I love it, but to be honest I am terrified of it. Any suggestions or tips that would help me? The first thing I want to figure out is hwo to change the keyboard, I hate the one it came with.

What terrifies you? Are you new to android?

I switch between Swype (for one hand entry; free beta here) and Swiftkey (for two; costs a few bucks).

[BrazilianSoxFan]

If you can grab the 4.2 update (I don't know if there is any mod for the SIII with it right now), you get the Swype functionality.

Before 4.2 I used Swiftkey and really liked it.

[Spaulding Smails]

I would also suggest the Go Keyboard.

[Blacken]

If you can grab the 4.2 update (I don't know if there is any mod for the SIII with it right now), you get the Swype functionality.

The Android keyboard is still kind of shitty in 4.2, though; I still use Swype Beta on my devices. I find that a lot of the value in the Swype keyboard is the easy long-press functions, which the stock keyboard lacks.

[BrazilianSoxFan]

It's been a while since I last used Swype, but what long press functions? On the stock keyboard I get the qwerty line to numbers, the "." to other symbols, the emoticons, input methods on the space bar and if I hold one of the suggested words I get a whole bunch of possible words.

Swype has more? I may have to take a new look at it...

[Blacken]

The stock 4.2 keyboard long-presses to variant letters, not to numbers (I just checked). On the Swype keyboard, a long-press is equivalent to hitting the symbol key, then the corresponding key. An even longer long-press gives you a popup with the letter, the standard symbol (or number), the extended symbol, and the variant letters.

Edited by Blacken, 01 December 2012 - 09:52 PM.