So I am wanting a new android device..
The aria pops up for a few reasons.
1. It has gained huge praise.
2. It supposedly has great battery life!
3. It is relatively cheap for off of contract. (339$ on amazon)
I was just wondering if anyone could tell me anything bad about it.. I hear that it has a bad speaker.. or that bad speakers are a problem.. That is the only "constant" i've seen for it besides stuff that people argue over..
I was wondering if anyone out there had this phone and the captivate and could give me a break down of which one goes faster while doing the same things..
Like if your playing robo defense on aria and captivate which one goes faster? Which one do you find last longer over all normally?
Even paying full price for the device should I consider just paying another 160$ or so and getting the captivate? For some reason I find myself looking and thinking the Captivate is a better deal with an upgrade vs the free aria..
But, the aria feels like a better deal off contract.. (I could be wrong here.. but, feel free to agree/disagree)
To be honest I would love to get a captivate but, I am worried that in the future.. the Aria could possibly receive more updates than captivate.. I am not against samsung products mind you, they make spectacular hardware and I'm usually happy with it right out the box..
However, even if captivate gets 2.2... What about 2.3? I can see aria getting 2.3 and captivate being left behind... However, I see captivates hardware more likely to support a 3.0 than the aria.. but, that doesn't matter if samsung won't do it..
I do realize the captivate is a gorgeous phone with a lot of advantages.. but, I'm due for an upgrade in feb.. I really want a better phone than my pay as you go neon (i'm on contract just using a cheap cellphone since my last got washed). And by feb they will probably have something all around better than captivate anyway..
Although it does slightly annoy me.. I'm not a fan of otter box but, I was kinda hoping they might have a defender series case for the aria..
So I think it just makes more sense to buy the cheaper one now.. and then later on... grab the best of the best in terms of upgrade.. (see if I can make the aria last a year or two.. and if I can't.. well just upgrade later then..)
The HTC Aria is a fantastic phone, I own one and I too purchased it because of the low price tag, and because I'm still locked into a contract with AT&T. Right off the bat, you're going to have to acknowledge that the Android phones AT&T carries arent going to measure up to some of the more expensive phones sold by other carriers, but if you're stuck with AT&T you may as well enjoy your phone right?
The key difference between the Aria and the Captivate is size. The Aria has a somewhat tiny screen, don't get me wrong, its plenty screenspace, its just that Android phones are notorious for their large touch screens. From my experience, the HTC Aria has one of the best touch screens I've ever seen. Its ultra responsive, and typing with the stock keyboard (If you dont want to use Swype) feels natural and easy. The Samsung Captivate is of the Galaxy S line of phones, all of which come with their new AMOLED screens, which, in a nutshell, have fantastic contrast and anti-glare, and blacks that are so deep, you cant distinguish the screen from the phone. It doesnt really sound fantastic, and before I'd seen one in real life I thought it was just another LED gimmick, but they are BEAUTIFUL screens, my father bought the Captivate to smite me for saving up all summer for an Aria (lol), and its a beautiful phone. Typing is easy and the touch screen is very responsive, though for some reason I still think the Aria has a better touch screen.
As far as the processors go, yes, the Aria runs a 600mhz processor, while the Captivate is running the new Snapdragon 1ghz. The thing is, apples to apples, they're phones. The Aria has all the power it needs, its a small phone that only has to draw so many pixels, and calculate so much, so the 600mhz in comparison to bigger processors is absolutely fine, if you're a speedfreak like myself, you may be put off by not having the fastest, sleekest phone, but its amazing nonetheless. The Captivate 1ghz processor is, well, fast lol. It can handle a lot and the phone comes preloaded with Live wallpapers and a beautiful UI from Samsung.
I'm not really sure what else I can say, but really, just buy whichever you can afford. If you dont want to fork over the 500 odd dollars for the Captivate, theres no need to "settle" for the Aria, you can still love it
Whichever you buy, they're both amazing phones, so just get whichever one you're comfortable buying.
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Sorry I kind of rambled, as far as you asking what's BAD about the Aria? Nothing really, the speaker sounds fine, I mean yeah, if you try playing a movie off of it, its going to crackle because phones simply cant handle bass very well, but for calling and playing ringtones and notification sounds (i.e., doing everything a phone should) its a high quality speaker. If you want to listen to music or watch movies, the sound is bearable, but you'd probably want to have some headphones just in case. Oh and the Aria doesnt support Live Wallpapers by default, nor does it come loaded with Swype. It also has Wifi Tethering disabled, and loading apps that arent on the market is disabled by AT&T, but you can solve these problems:
By rooting your phone you can:
-WiFi and USB Tethering
-Sideloading apps (non-market apps)
---Swype
---Live Wallpapers
However, sideloading apps is possible if you have a computer, just install the Android SDK and put the app files in the 'tools' directory inside the Android SDK and using the command "adb install filename.apk" to install non-market apps from your computer.
Snow Fox,
Thanks for posting this. I'm much the same situation that you are in with my Tilt2. Only have an entire year to go before I'm eligible for an upgrade. I've been playing with XDAndroid and would love get a full blown Android device.
While I had been holding out to see WP7 (and At&t) had to offer, the more I learn about WP7 the less I'm liking it. So its either the Captivate, Aria, or a used Nexus One.
There is something else for you to consider... check with your local At&t store, the last I enquired the rep told me that IF you have a good record of paying your bills on time, they can give you a deal of $75 over the listed contract price. So if the Aria lists for $129, you could get it for $184.
OK I won't write up a huge essay but I'll give you my quick opinion.
In march I upgraded from an old motorola L6 to the backflip, AT&T's very first android phone! I really loved that phone. Soon I became frustrated because the poor little guy only runs android 1.5 and I was unable to install many of the cool apps that I would read about. after waiting for about three months, to see if the backflip could get rooted by someone I caved in. I went down to AT&T and bought myself a brand new Aria, I had to pay the full price since I had used my upgrade on the backflip and I was passed the 30 day return period.
I was trying to decide between a Nexus One or the Aria. I chose the Aria because I thought it would be a great phone to have for a year or two while a really great phone came out on my carrier. It wasn't SUPER pricey like the N1 would have been, and it can really handle anything that you throw at it. To this day I haven't regretted buying my Aria.
I <3 my Aria.
I won't list the cons with the Aria, as I just got mine yesterday and haven't had time to really investigate the minor issues against it, so here's the reasons I did use my upgrade credit to get one:
#1 It's smaller and significantly lighter than the Fuze it has replaced. I have no ass, and without a belt, quite simply, the fuze pulls my shorts down. TMI, I know, but there you go. Anyway, the aria is so much lighter and compact that I have found I forget which pocket I put it in. The ladies are thankful for the reduction in appearance of "plumber pants".
#2 Despite the slower processor, it still does everything I need it to do with the utmost of smoothness. No more second guessing whether it detected my actions, pressing again, only to have it catching up to do things I didn't actually want. My Fuze does that a lot!
#3 It's ultimately as hackable as any other HTC phone on here, with a gaggle of devoted phone nerds anxious and ready to apply the latest mod, patch, or fix, there WILL be plenty of life left to exploit in it's features and OS (at least until the next contract re-up anyway).
#4 Lastly, despite the lower resolution of the screen and smaller size relative to other phones, a cell phone will likely never be central to my TV/movie watching experience no matter how good or large the screen, nor will I ever worry too much about games. There are simply far better devices available devoted to such entertainment such as a PSP. And while some phones may be approaching that level of sophistication, they all appear to be doing it at the expense of reason #1.
The Galaxy is too big and too expensive in my book, making the extra performance simply not worth it.
I'd prefer to buy my phone outright used versus extending my contract 2 years. After researching online, for my first android device, I was definitely going to buy a captivate until I saw an Aria for $150 on craigslist. I picked up the Aria and have since used a galaxy s and I couldn't justify the price difference. The galaxy feels cheap, I don't like touchwiz, and I'd prefer HTC over Samsung.
I'd definitely check craigslist before buying new. I thought my price was a fluke but I've been using CraigsNotifica, on my aria, and I've seen several arias under $200.
There's really nothing bad about the aria imo. The captivate is probably better for games/mobile entertainment due to screen size & processor, but those aren't high up on my priority list. I can't feel a difference in speed in everyday use, plus theres a perfectly working version of cyanogenmod out for the aria already.
Related
Hello friends. I have had my hd2 for about a month and a half now and I have not gotten close to it. My last phone purchase before the hd2 was the g1. I fell for that phone in about an hour. I felt it was at that tome the best phone I had ever had and it was nice and snappy. I had it for 2 years and had no issues ever. Then the touch screen got numbed and it decided to work on and off. I was going to run out and get a new one but I decided that I should just get a newer model. I knew it was going to be htc but the hd2 rePly stuck out foe me. Huge screen Wich felt good in my bear claw hands. And it is so sexy. Hardware is top of the line. I thought I was golden foe at least another 2 years. Yea right. I can't stand this phone. The touch input is not responsive enough to let me type at the speed I feel comfortabl at. And the web browser is not even in the same leauge as the one on the g1. I feel that I got a phone that wasn't me. I feel so bad and it hurts bad. The problem is that I bought it cash on a whim when it was sold out all over for $600.I know a bit high but what can I do. I felt it was fair I figure two years of use is less than a dollar a day for top notch hardware was ok. But this phone is not working for me. I feel bad when I say. Windows mobile killed the hd2. Htc should release some android for this. It seems that windows mobile isn't really the best for me. It may be great but I just fell for android. Now I have this horrid phone and I don't even like it. I actually just got an iPhone 2g and I like it more. And I hate the iPhone but what can I say. I found someone who will take my hd2 and give me a 16gb 3gs and a samsung behold 2. Seems pretty good. I can sll the build for a couple dollars maybe 150 ish and then sll the 3gs for around 400 maybe and then get me a nexus one or maybe I will just hold on to th cash and wait for htc to release another great android phone for tmobile. And no the mytouch slide is not htc top for tmobile I hope. Maybe I should wait till end of summer for some special and then use my renew credit. Tmobile is my only choice. Common tmoble be tops in android again please. The only affordable provider that has 3 lines unlmt talk for $99. I can't leave them
ericm115 said:
Hello friends. I have had my hd2 for about a month and a half now and I have not gotten close to it. My last phone purchase before the hd2 was the g1. I fell for that phone in about an hour. I felt it was at that tome the best phone I had ever had and it was nice and snappy. I had it for 2 years and had no issues ever. Then the touch screen got numbed and it decided to work on and off. I was going to run out and get a new one but I decided that I should just get a newer model. I knew it was going to be htc but the hd2 rePly stuck out foe me. Huge screen Wich felt good in my bear claw hands. And it is so sexy. Hardware is top of the line. I thought I was golden foe at least another 2 years. Yea right. I can't stand this phone. The touch input is not responsive enough to let me type at the speed I feel comfortabl at. And the web browser is not even in the same leauge as the one on the g1. I feel that I got a phone that wasn't me. I feel so bad and it hurts bad. The problem is that I bought it cash on a whim when it was sold out all over for $600.I know a bit high but what can I do. I felt it was fair I figure two years of use is less than a dollar a day for top notch hardware was ok. But this phone is not working for me. I feel bad when I say. Windows mobile killed the hd2. Htc should release some android for this. It seems that windows mobile isn't really the best for me. It may be great but I just fell for android. Now I have this horrid phone and I don't even like it. I actually just got an iPhone 2g and I like it more. And I hate the iPhone but what can I say. I found someone who will take my hd2 and give me a 16gb 3gs and a samsung behold 2. Seems pretty good. I can sll the build for a couple dollars maybe 150 ish and then sll the 3gs for around 400 maybe and then get me a nexus one or maybe I will just hold on to th cash and wait for htc to release another great android phone for tmobile. And no the mytouch slide is not htc top for tmobile I hope. Maybe I should wait till end of summer for some special and then use my renew credit. Tmobile is my only choice. Common tmoble be tops in android again please. The only affordable provider that has 3 lines unlmt talk for $99. I can't leave them
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Sounds like Verizon is a better choice for you phone wise, and t-mobile is your choice for coverage and pricing.
Although T-mobile has some andriod phones the other carriers have the top android/droid phones other than the nexus one. Now you have to find out what one is bigger to you and then figure a solution for the other. HTC will never give this phone anroid but it might be ported by a developer. But doesn't look like any time soon.
Its called the galaxy S. I really think its coming to tmobile just wait for it.
bwest411 said:
Its called the galaxy S. I really think its coming to tmobile just wait for it.
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x2. if you're gonna stick with t-mobile and want to stick with a device that has premium hardware like the hd2, wait for the galaxy s to come out. 4" screen, front camera, rear camera. Super AMOLED display.
i also upgraded from a both a g1 and a mytouch to an hd2. however, i'm not on the same boat as the OP of this thread. i have grown to like win mo 6.5 more and more and have made all the necessary tweaks to make the hd2 the way i want it to run and look in terms of theme and performance.
perhaps you should try flashing a rom or find the necessary .cab files such as cookie's home tab to help you change your mind about ditching this phone.
ryan562 said:
x2. if you're gonna stick with t-mobile and want to stick with a device that has premium hardware like the hd2, wait for the galaxy s to come out. 4" screen, front camera, rear camera. Super AMOLED display.
i also upgraded from a both a g1 and a mytouch to an hd2. however, i'm not on the same boat as the OP of this thread. i have grown to like win mo 6.5 more and more and have made all the necessary tweaks to make the hd2 the way i want it to run and look in terms of theme and performance.
perhaps you should try flashing a rom or find the necessary .cab files such as cookie's home tab to help you change your mind about ditching this phone.
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Exactly. I had mixed feelings about this phone when I first got it, and felt the same way you did. I paid full price for it (because of my hatred for contracts) and felt like I had made a huge mistake and instantly wanted to buy a Nexus One so I could shelf this device. But as I got more involved with the development community and tried different ROMs and 3rd party apps, I began to love it, not only is the performance better, but it is much sexier than it was. I still plan on buying a Nexus One (fandroid ) but by no means am I going to excommunicate myself from this device.
WinMo 6.5 was like an ugly girl with a great personality. You want nothing to do with her until you get to know her
But seriously, do not give up on this phone before testing everything out with it
Thanks for the responses.
I think that i have found the main issue with my phone. I have spbshell on it and i feel restricted. I think im going to just try and make my own rom. with what suites me. I also realized that i have a phone fetish or something. In my collection i have a G1, MyTouch 3g 1.2, iPhone 2g, HTC Hero, HTC HD2, Samsung Behold 2. I have to many phones. most recent was the iPhone 2g and it is not as bad as i thought. i was thinking of getting a iPhone 4 but i cant. I need to find a way to make this hd2 work for me. I hate the battery life also. o well,i guess i could just make a small 2000mah battery pack. that would fix things.
again thanks
Seriously dude, check out some different ROMs, and try Cookie's Home Tab. CHT actually mods the stock Sense interface, which is likely to work much better/smoother, and with less restrictions. Most of the ROMs available get rid of all the bloatware, and add speed/stability to the device.
I was in the same situation as you... and was seriously considering returning my HD2 and picking up the N1 instead. However, after installing several tweak apps and flashing Dinik & Miri's new ROM, I'm VERY satisfied. Works smooth, looks great, and has a lot of the features that I wanted from Android.
It really pays to do your homework, and spend some time modding your device... it takes time and trial/error to figure out what works best for you, but I'm sure you can get your HD2 running as you hoped it would. Just spend some time scouring these forums, and you'll find lots of good info on how to get the most out of your device. It can be a bit overwhelming, as a lot of the info is scattered throughout different subforums, but I'm confident you can find what you're looking for.
Also, it would help to know what mods/tweaks you've done to your HD2 so far, so we make recommendations on what you can do to make you happy with it (I.E.- ROM version, .cabs installed, etc.)
I took the plunge and traded it, I got a great deal. 1 iPhone 3GS and a Nexus one with a cracked screen. Now i have repaired the nexus one. I am happy with my trade. The HD2 had power but i didn't like it, not very fun to use. The 3gs is great and the nexus one is also great. true smaller screen but the ui is much better on both the iphone and nexus one. I wish tmobile would have something lined up for next year that is better than the incredible. If not i see no reason to stay with them. my contracts up in 3 months and they don't really have anything they could offer me to stay. plus the prepaid unlimited all on tmo network for $60 looks nice.
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I honestly love the HD2 and sleep with it nightly. But everyones different and uses different features. How you liking being a Machead?
ericm115 said:
I took the plunge and traded it, I got a great deal. 1 iPhone 3GS and a Nexus one with a cracked screen. Now i have repaired the nexus one. I am happy with my trade. The HD2 had power but i didn't like it, not very fun to use. The 3gs is great and the nexus one is also great. true smaller screen but the ui is much better on both the iphone and nexus one. I wish tmobile would have something lined up for next year that is better than the incredible. If not i see no reason to stay with them. my contracts up in 3 months and they don't really have anything they could offer me to stay. plus the prepaid unlimited all on tmo network for $60 looks nice.
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Sprint carries the HTC EVO 4G, which is the same as an HTC HD2 except running Android, with an 8mp camera that can shoot video in 720p.
I must admit I wish I had signed for that instead, but I'm stuck for 2 years.
Evo's a great phone I just feel it came out at the wrong time. I think by Christmas it will be old news and we may see dual core's. Had it come out at the same time as the HD2 I would be liking it better.
Should I hold off on getting the Aria in the hope of ATT picking up a High-end HTC Android device like the desire? I just having a feeling that I could be waiting awhile and I am ready to move to Android right now.
I have the HTC Touch HD fully modded to Sense and WInMo 6.5 but I am just ready to switch.
I have played with the Aria and I am just concerned with the Screen size. Its smaller than the one I have now.
Another concern is the battery life but I figured I would flash ATT bloatware battery draining stuff off the phone. Would it make a difference?
I just need help making my decision. I ahve played with it and it is zippy and fun except for the super sensitive dedicated buttons below.
Shival said:
Should I hold off on getting the Aria in the hope of ATT picking up a High-end HTC Android device like the desire? I just having a feeling that I could be waiting awhile and I am ready to move to Android right now.
I have the HTC Touch HD fully modded to Sense and WInMo 6.5 but I am just ready to switch.
I have played with the Aria and I am just concerned with the Screen size. Its smaller than the one I have now.
Another concern is the battery life but I figured I would flash ATT bloatware battery draining stuff off the phone. Would it make a difference?
I just need help making my decision. I ahve played with it and it is zippy and fun except for the super sensitive dedicated buttons below.
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have you checked out the Samsung Captivate?
I've checked it out but the UI turns me off and since having an HTC Device, I don't think I could ever change. HTC has soooo much community support and the updating could keep the phone relevant long after it should be.
I read the post between the two. I just cannot get past the Captivates UI.
I'm in the same exact boat as you. I LOVE the packaging of the Aria - its rugged appearance with the rubberized grip, and the metal shiny trimmings on it. I think it looks a bit better than the Iphone 4 and way better than the samsung captivate. But the captivate kind of blows this phone away in terms of hardware, and when I was using the browser on the Aria in the AT&T store today, it seemed sorta glitchy. It wouldn't respond to double taps or zooming in sometimes and it seemed like it had to load a lot more than the captivate. I'm also really drawn to the Sense UI, as I currently have a TP and I like the sense. I don't know if I trust Samsung yet with all the HTC support out there... I'm also hoping for AT&T to pick up some slick HTC android device, but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon..
I was in the exact same boat a couple weeks ago. I ended up going with the Aria and I honestly don't regret it in the slightest. I'm not sure what your plans are as far as rooting and what not, but I have a clean eclair rom (No SenseUI) flashed and it runs even quicker than it did when I got it. I can't complain about battery life, I can always make it through the whole day (except the first couple, couldn't put it down ) and have some battery to spare, you may have issues when you initially get it, but you'll quickly see the reason is everything that auto-syncs does so VERY frequently and you can simply lower that time and see an improvement.
I have used the Captivate and it is quite impressive, but I also found the UI leaving something to be desired. And again, I don't regret buying my Aria over it (I'm still within the 30 day period in which I could potentially exchange my phone).
As far as waiting for another, I personally wouldn't hold my breath. I'm quite suprised AT&T has received what they have so far, I was beginning to think jumping ship would be my only way to get a decent android. My advice if you are truly torn, would be hold out as long as you can, keep an eye on any updates as far as AT&T and Android (I frequently use Google News sorted by date for this, quite effective) and when you can't wait any longer, go with the Aria/Captivate and hope you'll get lucky within those 30 days and get a release
aria has been my first jump to android from many years of htc winmo devices. Although the samsung has more impressive hardware, who's to say when it will be as customizable as HTC devices or rooted (if ever). The community support for HTC devices is unmatched and that alone is a selling point for me.
The aria is a SNAPPY device, I say it blows any previous devices I've had in the past and is by far the best phone I ever owned. I even like the small form as I was tired of carrying around bulk large devices (att tilt2). It's absolutely the best web browsing device I've owned to date. I've not experienced the lagged someone else mentioned and honestly am quite impressed with the speed of the entire device (including data speed.. clearly BLOWS away all my previous phones)
I got lucky, I was ready to ditch comcast so I when I walked into the att store I signed up for uverse (got a great deal) and ended up getting the phone for 99 bucks with no contract extension, so it was a no brainer for me.
I would just get HTC Aria!
I have been hoping to get an Android phone. However, many of the Android phones available in the market are just too big for my liking.
The HTC Aria is nice on size and specs. Definitely my choice. However, I do not live in the US, and HSDPA 850 and 1900 is not supposed in my country. Sigh... no 3G support for me.
I think there's nothing wrong with settling down with the Aria as many of us have. It's all user preference...if you like a big screen and high end specs, go with the Desire, smaller screen and lower tech specs (but not to be underestimated!), Aria.
Today I had an epiphany. LOL not really. I keep reading about everyone saying their phone is the best. The truely best phone out there is whatever my carrier allows me to purchase that I can "AFFORD". I have the Aria. I wanted the Captivate but right now $199 is not in the budget. Plus it has/had problems that we all know At&t could care less about. The Xperia looked good but also released with way outdated software. Again At&t could care less. The WM7 phones look ok and are cheap at least at best buy. I would love to be able to buy an unlocked phone of my choice, but I am not in a posistion to drop $500 on my ideal phone. So back in October when BestBuy had free phone Fridays I chose the Aria. Or should I say Best Buy chose it for me. LOL. I am verry happy with the phone. All of the ROMS here make it even better and I am thankful for that. I would like one of these 4" screen phones but right now I am stuck at 3". So the BEST PHONE out there is chosen by my carrier and my wallet sad to say. Although my wallet limits what I can get I still kind of wish phones and carriers were not linked together
What's wrong with the Aria? It's small, so the 600mHz processor acts like a 1 gHz processor--there's no lag. Once it's rooted, hey, it can be whatever you want it to be. I love the phone because it's small & powerful.
Nothing wrong with Aria
tribestros said:
What's wrong with the Aria? It's small, so the 600mHz processor acts like a 1 gHz processor--there's no lag. Once it's rooted, hey, it can be whatever you want it to be. I love the phone because it's small & powerful.
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Frankly there is nothing wrong with the Aria. I just have screen size envy. LOL Ironically I did not give it a thought originally. I wanted the biggest baddest handset out there. You know its a guy thing. I like my aria a lot. I did not write the post to dis the Aria as much as people talking about the best phone is their phone. After reading a lot of forum posts I think the Aria was the better choice. The Captivate does not seem as easy/friendly to work with for mods. So I would recommend the Aria. I do not really care that much if I have the biggest Di.. er I mean phone. Just that I can work with It. My Computer skills are average for what someone can learn on-line
i just wanted a htc android att phone... thats why i got the aria
I'm thinking about returning my Fascinate in light of the Verizon iPhone. Would it be worth it? Being stuck on 2.1 waiting till 2013 for Gingerbread forever sucks!
1.4hitachi said:
I'm thinking about returning my Fascinate in light of the Verizon iPhone. Would it be worth it? Being stuck on 2.2 forever sucks!
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I wouldn't get this iteration of the iPhone. You'll be stuck on it for the next two years, missing out completely on the next gen device that will come out in the summer.
there isn't a phone that you can walk into the VZW store and buy right now that is better than the Fascinate. You can argue that the Droid inc, Droid X and droid 2 are all superior in some way, but in terms of hardware, speed, and form-factor there isn't a better all around device today. In a month or two, that could very well change, but if you take it back today, what are you going to get?
nmyeti said:
there isn't a phone that you can walk into the VZW store and buy right now that is better than the Fascinate. You can argue that the Droid inc, Droid X and droid 2 are all superior in some way, but in terms of hardware, speed, and form-factor there isn't a better all around device today. In a month or two, that could very well change, but if you take it back today, what are you going to get?
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Yeah, I owned the Droid inc and returned it for the Fascinate, that was a good decision I think. The X is too big and has a tumor, and the Droid 2 is just a faster version of the OG Droid.
Very Good points. Thanks.
nmyeti said:
there isn't a phone that you can walk into the VZW store and buy right now that is better than the Fascinate. You can argue that the Droid inc, Droid X and droid 2 are all superior in some way, but in terms of hardware, speed, and form-factor there isn't a better all around device today. In a month or two, that could very well change, but if you take it back today, what are you going to get?
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I kind of agree with you on the VZW part. The Fascinate IMO is the best Android handset on Verizon, for the the reasons that you also listed above. However, having been using an iPhone 3GS until recently, there are also some benefits to switching over to iOS. Personally, I find a lot more that I like about the Android platform compared to iOS. I also have a problem with having to use a device where a CEO is determining what I want from a phone, but it does have its upsides.
However as a Fascinate owner, there seems to be this feeling of being left behind and inadequate. Samsung is more focused on releasing new devices with Froyo already installed, than actually releasing the damn update on our current phones. What's the point in buying the Fascinate today if in not even half of a year there will be a better version of it running wild? At least with the iPhone you know that you will get timely updates and a new version won't hit stores until at least a year later.
Now, one could argue that rooting your SCH-I500 and flashing a custom ROM can make you feel less concerned with having to have the 2.2 update on the phone, but even the mod development on this phone feels somewhat weak (No offense to the Fascinate devs, I know you guys are awesome and doing all you can to save this phone). I'm just calling it how I see it. I've used, rooted, and modded an Epic 4G and that device has a way more active community with more variety in mod selections.
Personally, if I was told that I could exchange my Fascinate for the iPhone 4 when it releases I would jump on that. However, If I was told that I could exchange my Fascinate for the Droid Bionic when that launches, I would be much more excited.
As noted, the Fascinate even with 2.1 is still a fantastic phone. If you are smart, you'll keep what you have (or trade/ebay) to keep your upgrade for later this year when all the LTE dual core Androids come out that will blow away anything out currently and even the next iPhone coming in June/July (as it won't have LTE).
I would return it and just get a cheap feature phone off craig's list and use that sans contract until the Motorola Bionic comes out, and then sign your contract with the phone discount. Wish I still had this option. May try to sell my Fascinate on craig's list and see if I can get 50% of the cost of a Bionic to just buy it out right. Im tired of Samsung and their bull ****. I can deal with updates no coming out. But when you code your phone so poorly that even the dev community can't work with it to fix your laziness and inability to release updates, well that is just too much for me.
Yes, most definitely. Return it, and get a Razr.
superchunkwii said:
As noted, the Fascinate even with 2.1 is still a fantastic phone. If you are smart, you'll keep what you have (or trade/ebay) to keep your upgrade for later this year when all the LTE dual core Androids come out that will blow away anything out currently and even the next iPhone coming in June/July (as it won't have LTE).
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Yeah i can't wait to see the battery life on a dual core :/
Z an B son!
zachsx said:
Yeah i can't wait to see the battery life on a dual core :/
Z an B son!
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Considering all the current smart phones have about 1500mah batteries and the specs released for the upcoming dual core have 2000mah batteries along with better/more efficient OSs etc, I'm thinking the battery life will be about the same.
Battery life may even be better on the targa2 based phones as they probably will have a lot more time "at rest" since they are capable of doing a lot more work per clock cycle.
Personally i am holding out till a dual core, lte phone comes along in the form factor i want.
Wait for dual core. Iphone 4 is outdated by the time March hits.
Rockin' DJ05, Minimal Icognito, Clocked at 1.3Ghz
spotmark said:
Yes, most definitely. Return it, and get a Razr.
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Razor FTW! I had one of those back in 07', I thought it was bad a$$.
Yeah, being on the latest version of android would be nice. But, honestly, I don't know that having a newer version of android would impact how I use my phone. Flash support will be nice but I rarely find my self on websites that require flash while browsing on my phone. certain apps require 2.2, but I don't use those. The speed bump might be the biggest difference (for me, at least).
I'm sure we'll get updates either from the devs or from samsung that will bring us to the newer versions of android. But, Before you got making a drastic change in phone hardware just ask yourself if that is really going to change your phone activities or how you use it. For me, it really won't.
my 2 cents.
I'm in the same boat. I just got my Fascinate 3 weeks ago (leaving a little over 1 more week to return it under the 30 day guarantee), and I love it; it's the first smart phone I've owned. However, I can't help but feel the iPhone might be a better choice.
For me, the selling points for Android were Google Voice integration and free wifi hotspot capability. After researching these, I believe they are both now possible on the iPhone. I didn't even consider an iPhone before because I didn't want to deal with AT&T's network, but on Verizon, it is pretty tempting.
I also hate Steve Jobs and the general iPhone mindset--that everything is perfect as-is without allowing for any changes. With jailbreaking, however, I feel like most things on the Android become possible. I'm under the impression that the iPhone can do essentially everything that Android can, with a better/larger selection of apps and games. Maybe I'm wrong...it'd be great if someone who has previously owned an iPhone could point out its flaws to change my mind.
In the end, I'm sure I'd be happy with either device, regardless of my decision. But with 2 years to go, I want the best experience possible. The Fascinate has been great, but Samsung's apathy toward updates is a big turn-off. If it weren't for jt/birdman/etc. and their work on Gingerbread, I might have switched already.
theBNich said:
I'm in the same boat. I just got my Fascinate 3 weeks ago (leaving a little over 1 more week to return it under the 30 day guarantee), and I love it; it's the first smart phone I've owned. However, I can't help but feel the iPhone might be a better choice.
For me, the selling points for Android were Google Voice integration and free wifi hotspot capability. After researching these, I believe they are both now possible on the iPhone. I didn't even consider an iPhone before because I didn't want to deal with AT&T's network, but on Verizon, it is pretty tempting.
I also hate Steve Jobs and the general iPhone mindset--that everything is perfect as-is without allowing for any changes. With jailbreaking, however, I feel like most things on the Android become possible. I'm under the impression that the iPhone can do essentially everything that Android can, with a better/larger selection of apps and games. Maybe I'm wrong...it'd be great if someone who has previously owned an iPhone could point out its flaws to change my mind.
In the end, I'm sure I'd be happy with either device, regardless of my decision. But with 2 years to go, I want the best experience possible. The Fascinate has been great, but Samsung's apathy toward updates is a big turn-off. If it weren't for jt/birdman/etc. and their work on Gingerbread, I might have switched already.
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Click to collapse
Personally, I'd stick with what you got so you don't get trapped into iOS apps and iTunes (which I loathe). GB will be out soonish from this community and Samsung will eventually get 2.2 out if you want to stay unrooted.
The phone is a great phone and the only feature you'll really be lacking is the front camera/video calls. If that is really important to you, then maybe get the HTC Thunderbolt as it comes out soon.
Also, don't worry about your return period as you can easily sell the phone for upwards of $400 on Ebay/Craigslist and simply buy someones phone you want out right down the road when they launch. Such as in 6mos or so when all the far better dual core LTE devices launch.
superchunkwii said:
Personally, I'd stick with what you got so you don't get trapped into iOS apps and iTunes (which I loathe). GB will be out soonish from this community and Samsung will eventually get 2.2 out if you want to stay unrooted.
The phone is a great phone and the only feature you'll really be lacking is the front camera/video calls. If that is really important to you, then maybe get the HTC Thunderbolt as it comes out soon.
Also, don't worry about your return period as you can easily sell the phone for upwards of $400 on Ebay/Craigslist and simply buy someones phone you want out right down the road when they launch. Such as in 6mos or so when all the far better dual core LTE devices launch.
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I don't care at all about a front camera; until it is much more common and the people that I talk to have one, it is on the bottom of my priority list. What do you hate about iOS apps? I have an iPod, and I personally think iTunes is a decent interface for music syncs. It certainly beats what I use to transfer media to my Fascinate right now, which is manual file copying. Maybe I'll give MediaMonkey a try soon.
theBNich said:
I don't care at all about a front camera; until it is much more common and the people that I talk to have one, it is on the bottom of my priority list. What do you hate about iOS apps? I have an iPod, and I personally think iTunes is a decent interface for music syncs. It certainly beats what I use to transfer media to my Fascinate right now, which is manual file copying. Maybe I'll give MediaMonkey a try soon.
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iOS apps are fine, except I do believe there are far more free versions on the Android market.
I loathe iTunes as its a resource hog. I refuse to allow it on my machines.
Android allows you to use whatever software you want and you simply copy paste the media over to your phone. May not be automatic (yet I'm sure Google is working on this) but, that is not a concern to me and I am good with copy/paste.
superchunkwii said:
iOS apps are fine, except I do believe there are far more free versions on the Android market.
I loathe iTunes as its a resource hog. I refuse to allow it on my machines.
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I hate itunes and it's probably the #1 reason that I don't use an iphone. There is nothing specifically wrong with the iphone 4, but honestly who wants to sign a 2 year contract on something that is already about a year old when a new version will be out soon?
I bought my Droid inc back in April when it launched. VZW was kind enough to replace it with a SF after I had some issues with my 3rd DINC. I've got an upgrade i'm saving for when something really compelling comes out and i can tell you, the iphone 4 isn't compelling.
I have 2 different people I know that own iPhone 4s and I have had to use them at one point or another (to look something up and my phone was at my desk). I can say that I will definitely NEVER EVER go back to a 3.5 inch screen. They seem soooo small now. I don't think I would even consider a 3.7 inch screen at this point. I think 4 inches is the smallest I will ever go, and the 4.3 on the Droid X and Evo are probably pushing the upper region.
After CES and MWC seeing new phones being announced. Like for example the Motorola Atrix and The new Galaxy S II. I would still want to get the Nexus S probably because of the stock android. Is this normal, are there any other people that feel the same way as I do?
Alopez_45 said:
After CES and MWC seeing new phones being announced. Like for example the Motorola Atrix and The new Galaxy S II. I would still want to get the Nexus S probably because of the stock android. Is this normal, are there any other people that feel the same way as I do?
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I watched all of CES and I've been following MWC a bit more loosely but not a single one of them makes me want to give up my Nexus S. If you could keep my SNS I'd love to have an HTC Pyramid on top of it but just for poops and giggles. The SNS is the best phone I've owned and I love it.
I feel the same way as you do, but you can also run stock on a Galaxy S II or Motorola Atrix, with Custom ROMs. Of course, it won't be the same as with the Nexus S.
I just like the Nexus s as a whole. What I mean to say with that is that stock Android and updates from Google isn't the only thing I like about the Nexus.
I feel the same. I haven't seen anything that I would want instead of my Nexus S. Vanilla Android beats all
I feel the same..
while i like direct upgrades from Google in the SNS
i really like the hardware codec support for all the media files from the SGS2, and the dual core, and 1GB RAM, and the larger 1650mAh battery, and the 8 mpix camera with the flash, and the microSD support, and NFC, and BT3.0, and...
it's a really hard decision to make, forfeit direct upgrades to get all the goodies vs. keep direct upgrades, and have no goodies
the moment of truth will come when the AWS t-mobile model 1700+2100 hit the runway then i'll let me greed decide
None of these new phones are appealing to me at all.
I'll only buy into the Nexus brand from now on. This phone has been everything I've ever wanted from an Android device.
AllGamer said:
while i like direct upgrades from Google in the SNS
i really like the hardware codec support for all the media files from the SGS2, and the dual core, and 1GB RAM, and the larger 1650mAh battery, and the 8 mpix camera with the flash, and the microSD support, and NFC, and BT3.0, and...
it's a really hard decision to make, forfeit direct upgrades to get all the goodies vs. keep direct upgrades, and have no goodies
the moment of truth will come when the AWS t-mobile model 1700+2100 hit the runway then i'll let me greed decide
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and super amoled+. I'm looking forward to a 4" variant, if they make one.
Love my Nexus S. The hardware, the fact that is supported straight from Google, everything about it.
I'm not saying i'm not curious about the new dual core devices, but think about that for a minute: our single core phones go through a day - day and half with a 1540mA battery. Imagine the talk/standby time of those new phones with only 1650 and 1900 mA batteries. When sth just comes out, usually needs work. Like Win7, dual core phones, the android when it ws first launched.
So, i think i'm gonna wait a while before trying a new device.
Google Nexus S rules...
For the most part, I agree. There's nothing so appealing to make me want to ditch my current Nexus S, however, understand what "stock Android" means.
Yes, you get the latest Google updates, and you get the unhampered Android experience, but just be aware that Android is riddled with glitches ranging from minor annoyances to some pretty major issues. (Just to name a few off my head: keyboard issues, home screen icon and swiping issues, gallery issues, rebooting issues, SMS and MMS issues...)
As long as you understand that being on the Nexus line means you're essentially the "beta tester" for Google's Android iterations, then you shouldn't be disappointed. I'm just sharing my personal experience. I found many things critical about the Android experience on previous phones, but always had OEM skins to blame. On the NS, that excuse is invalid.
I too am fairly disappointed with all of the new phones (including the NS to an extent).
Atrix = Plastic, and has Moto's locked down bootloader (major negative, and if it wasn't so locked down, I may have made an exception for its cheaper build quality).
Inspire 4G = Nothing too impressive, still has HTCs horrible mic and speaker quality and probably a ****ty digitizer/touch screen.
HTCs entire new lineup: No dual core? No gingerbread for the Incredible? Minimal upgrades at best.
SGSII = Plastic.
Nexus S = Plastic.
I may be old fashioned, but can anyone other than HTC make a $600+ Android phone that isn't plastic? Or what? Combine HTCs metal build, Moto's excellent speaker quality, Samsung's sensitive touchscreen, and then tack on the true Google experience -- and there you have it, the perfect Android device.
Until then, the iPhone still has an edge over Android with their polished build quality. I'm probably going to get attacked with fanboi'ism (even though I've owned 3 Android devices in the last 2 years), but whatever... it's true... There always seems to be trade offs with Android devices, whether it's build, or OS fragmentation - it drives me crazy.
I'm going to be picking up an Android fun to bum around with, and it's most likely going to be the Nexus S when and if it arrives to Rogers, just because it's the next iteration of the Nexus One. I'll put up with the cheap build quality (I'll try really hard not to drop it) and call it a day.
Ill stay with my Nexy Sexy
DigitaL BlisS said:
Combine HTCs metal build, Moto's excellent speaker quality, Samsung's sensitive touchscreen, and then tack on the true Google experience -- and there you have it, the perfect Android device.
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I 100% completely agree in that point
why it is so hard for all the manufacture to put all the best stuff together and make a perfect phone?
seems like every manufacture only specializes in 1 thing, but not the rest of the phone.
personally i wanted a phone for work and fun, so the Nexus S fit the profile, just a bit disappointing in the reception area, and speaker, it serves better as a PDA than a phone
for my girl i got her a Moto because it's radio and speaker perfect, it will always get a signal, it was designed as a phone, and it works as a phone
I must say I regret dropping $600 on this phone at the eve of dual-cores. It is not that the Nexus S is "bad"; sure 2.3 isn't 100% bug-free but the phone itself is great. I just find it really dumb of me to purchase a phone with single core when dual-cores are right around the corner.
P.S. Atrix might have a lot of things going for it, but the most major innovation I find in the Atrix is the huge battery and great battery life, without sacrificing phone size (in regards to thickness).
I'm sold on the idea of a google backed phone. Now I just need to save up for one of these and find a way out of my contract with sprint. I am just tired of the run around with updates between carrier/mfg. I think I am over the need for having the latest and greatest and can settle down with one device for a while until the newest nexus comes around. A small trade off in my opinion as I will still have the latest OS and support from great devs and plenty of time to save for the next one. Last plus for me is being able to get on a month to month service and no more contracts. I'm on my way over guys, just saving up some cash then its on ;-)
sent by an Epic4g through the cosmos
Have you seen the LG Optimus 2X reviews? Force closes and crashes left and right... talk about half baked.
DarkAgent said:
I must say I regret dropping $600 on this phone at the eve of dual-cores. It is not that the Nexus S is "bad"; sure 2.3 isn't 100% bug-free but the phone itself is great. I just find it really dumb of me to purchase a phone with single core when dual-cores are right around the corner.
P.S. Atrix might have a lot of things going for it, but the most major innovation I find in the Atrix is the huge battery and great battery life, without sacrificing phone size (in regards to thickness).
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So far none of these new phones make me want to give up my NS either.
Atrix - locked bootloader
SGS2 - too big, not a fan of the design - I want a search button!
LG 2x - its an LG lol
I may change my mind once I get to play with these phones
Alopez_45 said:
After CES and MWC seeing new phones being announced. Like for example the Motorola Atrix and The new Galaxy S II. I would still want to get the Nexus S probably because of the stock android. Is this normal, are there any other people that feel the same way as I do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I have a Nexus S and it's awesome. Stock Android is the only way to go.
I'm not gonna lie. I'm still thinking of getting one, even with all the phones on the horizon. My upgrade from T-Mobile isn't until July. Tax return is burning a hole in my pocket... If only they had a car dock like the Nexus One...
DarkAgent said:
I must say I regret dropping $600 on this phone at the eve of dual-cores. It is not that the Nexus S is "bad"; sure 2.3 isn't 100% bug-free but the phone itself is great. I just find it really dumb of me to purchase a phone with single core when dual-cores are right around the corner.
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Would it be dumb to get a dual core phone with QUAD CORE phones right around the corner?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App