I might switch from the Desire - advice - Nexus One General

After seeing stock 2.2 android on a nexus one I was blown away, HTC really have ruined android with their "sense UI".
They removed all the app transitions, and the 3d app drawer, and skinned the default apps with a hideous green and black scheme.
Also they have gone to extraordinary lengths to prevent rooting - rooting is possible but a large number of people are bricking their desires, which is hampering development.
So, I'm thinking of switching to a Nexus One. A couple of questions:
What's the best way to get the Nexus One sim free in the UK? I have looked around for answers but those are old threads, with the exchange rates changing there may be a better way of getting one now.
And how are the touch sensitive buttons? From what I have heard they can be unresponsive at times.
Thanks

Best way is still www.google.com/phone as far as I am aware.
As for the capacitive buttons, they're not unresponsive, just you need to press near the top of the graphic rather than bang in the middle. You get used to it pretty quick.

I did just that! I mean switching from Desire to N1 in the UK.
I got my HTC Desire with 20 quid a month plan from T-Mobile. I sold it for 350 in a month and got a brand new Nexus One for 420 from eBay. It was still sealed and all.
If you order it from Google, it will end up costing you about 450 with all taxes + you'll have to wait longer.

Rusty! said:
Best way is still www.google.com/phone as far as I am aware.
As for the capacitive buttons, they're not unresponsive, just you need to press near the top of the graphic rather than bang in the middle. You get used to it pretty quick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you got your from there then? How much did it end up as overall?
I understand it's around £450 including tax and shipping

Total including shipping and VAT, but without the massively expensive charger came to £412.
Then I went to ASDA and bought an 80p shaver plug that I use with the supplied US charger.

I am not too familiar, but i think it may be possible to remove sense UI from the desire, so it would essentially be a slightly modified nexus one, minus the ability to root easily, or easy access to froyo. Not for everyone though.

You can't remove it, but you can install Launcher2 and use that instead.

Rusty! said:
You can't remove it, but you can install Launcher2 and use that instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure you can disable Sense UI.... Its in options somewhere, search for it.

AVForums have a great and healthy classifieds area - I actually bought my N1 from there a week or two after it launched (the guy I bought from goes through phones like crazy!) - practically brand new, already rooted and cost me less than £400 - no shipping headaches or looming customs threats
Not sure if there are any N1s for sale right now, but it can't hurt to head on over and check!

Karolis said:
I did just that! I mean switching from Desire to N1 in the UK.
I got my HTC Desire with 20 quid a month plan from T-Mobile. I sold it for 350 in a month and got a brand new Nexus One for 420 from eBay. It was still sealed and all.
If you order it from Google, it will end up costing you about 450 with all taxes + you'll have to wait longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds great, I am always wary of buying of ebay though. Are you missing anything moving from the Desire?
Rusty! said:
Total including shipping and VAT, but without the massively expensive charger came to £412.
Then I went to ASDA and bought an 80p shaver plug that I use with the supplied US charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not as expensive as I thought, did you get an invoice at a later date for tax?
LevitateJay said:
Pretty sure you can disable Sense UI.... Its in options somewhere, search for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't sadly. On older phones you could turn off the sense home screens, but not on the Desire. I use a different launcher but that doesn't solve the other problems I mentioned.
r2001uk said:
AVForums have a great and healthy classifieds area - I actually bought my N1 from there a week or two after it launched (the guy I bought from goes through phones like crazy!) - practically brand new, already rooted and cost me less than £400 - no shipping headaches or looming customs threats
Not sure if there are any N1s for sale right now, but it can't hurt to head on over and check!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that, I'll check it out!

samac92 said:
Not as expensive as I thought, did you get an invoice at a later date for tax?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the VAT invoice that bumped it up to £412 came 2/3 weeks later. Still, spread the cost a little I guess.

samac92 said:
You can't sadly. On older phones you could turn off the sense home screens, but not on the Desire. I use a different launcher but that doesn't solve the other problems I mentioned
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try installing "Homeswitcher" first, this is a tool to switch Launchers.
and then install "LauncherPro" or "HelixLauncher2" then configure your Home switcher whether your default launcher should be HTC Sense or "any other launcher".
I prefer Helixlauncher2, as it is very close to the original Android launcher from N1.

din0_22 said:
Try installing "Homeswitcher" first, this is a tool to switch Launchers.
and then install "LauncherPro" or "HelixLauncher2" then configure your Home switcher whether your default launcher should be HTC Sense or "any other launcher".
I prefer Helixlauncher2, as it is very close to the original Android launcher from N1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I do use launcher pro, but as I was saying this doesn't solve the other issues.
I prefer launcher pro to Helix as Helix doesn't have the fade in/out of apps which I like

samac92 said:
That sounds great, I am always wary of buying of ebay though. Are you missing anything moving from the Desire?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I liked text selection implementation on Desire better and also date/time inputs. That's all I miss about it. Now a big fan of Sense UI
Regarding buying on eBay, there's almost always buyer protection for expensive items, so basically the money is held by PayPal for a certain period of time and it's really easy to return the item if there are any problems with it.
There were no problems with mine whatsoever.
Just make sure the buyer has over 100 ratings and that his overall percentage is really high (98-100%) and that no one complained about the same item before.

Make sure you get the "T-Mobile" versions, since it has both 900 and 2100 3G banding, where as the AT&T only has the 2100 for you guys on the otherside of the pond. Granted, 2100 is more popular over there, but some do run on 900, especially in Asia.

The capacitive buttons are kind of unresponsive at times and I do prefer the physical buttons over them. Also it's pretty irritating when I'm playing Pacman, using the scroll ball, and my finger slightly touches the home/menu button and ruins my game. I wouldn't say it's a deal breaker in any way but the physical buttons are a lot better IMO.

You may want to check out the buy/sell/trade forums at howardforums as well. When I was looking for an N1, I saw quite a few go up for sale at decent prices there.
Also, regarding the touch sensitive buttons at the bottom, as another member said, you just have to press towards the top of the button to get them to work. It took me about an hour to get used to pressing them and now I never have problems with them.

thanks for all your replies guys.
i'm still debating whether to do it or not - the price difference between selling my desire and buying the n1 could be over £100
but if i end up bricking my desire than thats a bigger loss

the earlier versions of the nexus one the touch buttons weren't really responsive but they have long since fixed that error if you want a nexus one sim free in the us go to google.com/phone and order it from there. its funny that ur thinking about switching to a nexus one cuz i wanted to test out the desire before froyo. still thinking of getting one to see how it runs. i have some questions for you regarding the desire. how would i get one sim free here in the usa

Related

Evo unboxing video

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/05/20/htc-evo-4g-unboxing-and-initial-impressions.html - intomobile
http://www.droiddog.com/android-blog/2010/05/noahs-evo-4g-unboxing-and-hands-on/ - phonedog
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-evo-4g-first-impressions-unboxing-video-2086335/ - slashgear
....
I have to admit that I'm guilty of watching all those vids including any other one I could find like the one on engadget
Granted they are all about the same but they all still get me pumped about this phone... Evo FTW!!
wow nothing in the box but a charger and instruction book.thats jus dissappointing from HTC or SPRINT,could have at least added a soft gel case or a pouch.and i heard front facing camera its no use and i dont even know when wimax coming to new york.
GHOST99K said:
wow nothing in the box but a charger and instruction book.thats jus dissappointing from HTC or SPRINT,could have at least added a soft gel case or a pouch.and i heard front facing camera its no use and i dont even know when wimax coming to new york.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you seem disappointed with this phone man
GHOST99K said:
wow nothing in the box but a charger and instruction book.thats jus dissappointing from HTC or SPRINT,could have at least added a soft gel case or a pouch.and i heard front facing camera its no use and i dont even know when wimax coming to new york.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds like its time for a diaper change
GHOST99K said:
wow nothing in the box but a charger and instruction book.thats jus dissappointing from HTC or SPRINT,could have at least added a soft gel case or a pouch.and i heard front facing camera its no use and i dont even know when wimax coming to new york.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Three things
1. Most HTC products contain nothing more than that. We're getting the HTC Evo for $200 locked/$450 unlocked. That's a ridiculously good price. Do you really want them to bump the price up by including accessories most people would hardly ever use? There's no way I would use a soft gel case, personally. They don't include headphones because the phone uses the same jack most MP3 players do nowadays, so they know people will use their own anyway.
2. What does the front facing camera have to do with anything? They aren't able to use it to its full extent yet because that feature hasn't been activated.
3. New York is getting 4G sooner than you think. There's a reason the launch party was held in New York City; the entire state is likely a target for coverage sometime this year. Do you really think you have it that bad? A lot of us aren't getting 4G until the end of the year, if we're lucky, and we're still stuck paying the $10 Evo tax.
There really isn't much to complain about.
Mecha2142 said:
Three things
1. Most HTC products contain nothing more than that. We're getting the HTC Evo for $200 locked/$450 unlocked. That's a ridiculously good price. Do you really want them to bump the price up by including accessories most people would hardly ever use? There's no way I would use a soft gel case, personally. They don't include headphones because the phone uses the same jack most MP3 players do nowadays, so they know people will use their own anyway.
2. What does the front facing camera have to do with anything? They aren't able to use it to its full extent yet because that feature hasn't been activated.
3. New York is getting 4G sooner than you think. There's a reason the launch party was held in New York City; the entire state is likely a target for coverage sometime this year. Do you really think you have it that bad? A lot of us aren't getting 4G until the end of the year, if we're lucky, and we're still stuck paying the $10 Evo tax.
There really isn't much to complain about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come the guy @ Best Buy said there's no extra charge for the 4g when i asked? he just checked my acct and say, "you are in fact eligible to upgrade"
Mecha2142 said:
Three things
1. Most HTC products contain nothing more than that. We're getting the HTC Evo for $200 locked/$450 unlocked. That's a ridiculously good price. Do you really want them to bump the price up by including accessories most people would hardly ever use? There's no way I would use a soft gel case, personally. They don't include headphones because the phone uses the same jack most MP3 players do nowadays, so they know people will use their own anyway.
2. What does the front facing camera have to do with anything? They aren't able to use it to its full extent yet because that feature hasn't been activated.
3. New York is getting 4G sooner than you think. There's a reason the launch party was held in New York City; the entire state is likely a target for coverage sometime this year. Do you really think you have it that bad? A lot of us aren't getting 4G until the end of the year, if we're lucky, and we're still stuck paying the $10 Evo tax.
There really isn't much to complain about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had three HTC phones: T-Mo Shadow, Blackstone and HD2. Each came with charger, USB cord and case or pouch. The Blackstone and HD2 were Euro...maybe a continental thing.
Really, looks like a sprint thing to me. What else are they skimping on?
My HD2 is better all the time.
Yeah, from what I hear, phones overseas are pretty freaking expensive.
Regardless, Sprint most likely neglected to include any additional accessories to keep the cost of the phone down. I'm still glad they did it.
wow some people seems to be pissed of off my post.im not really dissappointed with the supersonic at all jus wanna get my $ worth cuz im re-entering sprint again.i had sprint before and i got screwed over 3 lines and my credit went down the drain after that.sprint jus scares me with their bill.then again u guys did clear few things up for me and yea still getting it in the 5th at bestbuy.
GHOST99K said:
wow some people seems to be pissed of off my post.im not really dissappointed with the supersonic at all jus wanna get my $ worth cuz im re-entering sprint again.i had sprint before and i got screwed over 3 lines and my credit went down the drain after that.sprint jus scares me with their bill.then again u guys did clear few things up for me and yea still getting it in the 5th at bestbuy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
holy punctuation batman!

Nexus S = Rip off?

Hey guys, ordered this in the UK but I'm hearing so many bad things about it.
No Gorilla glass
GPS problems
Feels cheap
Plastic
Crap camera
.....and so on!
£549 quid this cost me and feels like with all the comments it's only worth half that.
To those who own the handset, what's the build quality like and is it simply a good handset to justify the price?
Thanks
£549 is definitely far too much in my option. Simply because it's nearly £150 more than it's being sold for in the US.
My N1 set me back £412 after shipping and taxes.
Rusty! said:
£549 is definitely far too much in my option. Simply because it's nearly £150 more than it's being sold for in the US.
My N1 set me back £412 after shipping and taxes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm trying to stop myself from cancelling the phone and just picking up a Desire HD, seems like I get more for less money if you get me.
recklesslife85 said:
Hey guys, ordered this in the UK but I'm hearing so many bad things about it.
No Gorilla glass
GPS problems
Feels cheap
Plastic
Crap camera
.....and so on!
£549 quid this cost me and feels like with all the comments it's only worth half that.
To those who own the handset, what's the build quality like and is it simply a good handset to justify the price?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can really understand your point, but this is google's phone, it will be updated constantly and all problems rectified quickly, i think it was rushed out for christmas..... HTC phones or Samsung phones are also not without their problems, and i think we are looking at the negatives too much without enjoying the many positives.
549 IS a rip off, thats understood... But we have to understand that the 330 pounds plus VAT & Shipping from the US will add to the price. There is no doubt that this phone is the best Android phone to date, we just need to give Google time to iron out the errors.
GPS is working fine with 98 percent of devices, which sort of falls into line with what we see with other devices.
When you get your phone, enjoy your purchase, and then wait for the next nexus, which will probably be next xmas to upgrade again. I have told myself now that nexus phones are the only way to have a good google experience. HTC phones have major build quality and hardware flaws, and coupled with there inability to even put a decent screen on their flagship device should be seen as showing exactly what they think of their customers. LCD on the Desire HD = Joke. It looks like someone threw domestos bleach over the screen from an off straight viewing angle, lol
Enjoy your device man... Because there is nothing better atm Well at least untill the next Nexus drops;P
JD
I got mine in US. It is no Rip Off this is by far the best Android far i have used and i just came from a NexuS One. It is a good phone Im enjopying every moment of it. People just want too much. Even if it had all the stuff u mentioned people would STILL cry. You would'nt understand until you have it in your hands on it.
The price in the US is $529 which is £340.78. How much is the VAT, 17.5%?
The correct price in the UK should be £400.42.
shrivelfig said:
The price in the US is $529 which is £340.78. How much is the VAT, 17.5%?
The correct price in the UK should be £400.42.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Add around 50 quid for each phone to ship and CPW's large cut,
the phone's fair price should be 499.99
But alas, we do not live in a fair world.
JD
Thanks for all the messages guys.
The price is rather shocking here in the UK 'like everything' so I'm kind of used to that. Sounds very cheaply built which I find very, very worrying for the price.
JupiterDroid said:
I can really understand your point, but this is google's phone, it will be updated constantly and all problems rectified quickly, i think it was rushed out for christmas..... HTC phones or Samsung phones are also not without their problems, and i think we are looking at the negatives too much without enjoying the many positives.
549 IS a rip off, thats understood... But we have to understand that the 330 pounds plus VAT & Shipping from the US will add to the price. There is no doubt that this phone is the best Android phone to date, we just need to give Google time to iron out the errors.
GPS is working fine with 98 percent of devices, which sort of falls into line with what we see with other devices.
When you get your phone, enjoy your purchase, and then wait for the next nexus, which will probably be next xmas to upgrade again. I have told myself now that nexus phones are the only way to have a good google experience. HTC phones have major build quality and hardware flaws, and coupled with there inability to even put a decent screen on their flagship device should be seen as showing exactly what they think of their customers. LCD on the Desire HD = Joke. It looks like someone threw domestos bleach over the screen from an off straight viewing angle, lol
Enjoy your device man... Because there is nothing better atm Well at least untill the next Nexus drops;P
JD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said...I also decided to get Nexus phones from now on too....
recklesslife85 said:
Thanks for all the messages guys.
The price is rather shocking here in the UK 'like everything' so I'm kind of used to that. Sounds very cheaply built which I find very, very worrying for the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does feel that way. But the perfomance is just out this world. It actually deosnt feel THAT cheap though
Reasons not to get the Desire HD
May not get Honeycomb officially (will defo get 2.3)
Internal and external speaker problems, and very quiet. Internal speaker has high static jolts when calling over 2g. This is also the same for the Desire Z.
Heavy phone over a large area, 160g.
Scratch the metal back and your phone devalues without possible rectification.
Terrible screen, big but blacks are very bleached and also you have a white hue over the phone when viewing from an off straight angle.
Horrible battery cover, gap in the back part + easily bends and warped....
JD
Smilez_c said:
It does feel that way. But the perfomance is just out this world. It actually deosnt feel THAT cheap though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, been having a dodgy hour or two thinking about the phone cause I'm snowed in off work. Hahaha
I'll wait and judge when it's in my hands but I appreciate all the good comments guys.
The Super AMOLED screen will awe and amaze you. Fricking gorgeous.
I've also got an iPhone 4, Nexus One, and even a Galaxy S i9000. The Galaxy S and Nexus S are by far my favorite screens. I've also compared them to Desire HD, Droid X and a few others. The MyTouch 4G is the only thing that comes close in my opinion, followed right behind by the iPhone 4, but the iPhone's 3.5" is just too small.
Also, this phone is fast! Screw benchmarks, they're not real-world "feel" of the phone. Out of the box, this NS is as fast as my "lag-fixed" modded overclocked Galaxy S, which has posted Quadrant scores of 2200+.
JupiterDroid said:
Add around 50 quid for each phone to ship and CPW's large cut
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shipping? From where? It's not made in the US. Shipping from Asia to the UK should be the same as shipping from Asia to the US.
CPW is the UK version of Best Buy. The $529 is including BB's cut, the £400 should be including CPW's cut.
The correct price should be £400. Personally I'd be willing to pay £450, or even £500 if I got it now, before the 20th.
distortedloop said:
The Super AMOLED screen will awe and amaze you. Fricking gorgeous.
I've also got an iPhone 4, Nexus One, and even a Galaxy S i9000. The Galaxy S and Nexus S are by far my favorite screens. I've also compared them to Desire HD, Droid X and a few others. The MyTouch 4G is the only thing that comes close in my opinion, followed right behind by the iPhone 4, but the iPhone's 3.5" is just too small.
Also, this phone is fast! Screw benchmarks, they're not real-world "feel" of the phone. Out of the box, this NS is as fast as my "lag-fixed" modded overclocked Galaxy S, which has posted Quadrant scores of 2200+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now this is a guy to listen to lollol
Experience aplenty
Im sure you will love your device, and the build quality does not look cheap at all to me?
The lightweight feel is how a phone should be, trust me, i have had a 180g desire z for the past two months and my hand really knows about it
JD
shrivelfig said:
Shipping? From where? It's not made in the US. Shipping from Asia to the UK should be the same as shipping from Asia to the US.
CPW is the UK version of Best Buy. The $529 is including BB's cut, the £400 should be including CPW's cut.
The correct price should be £400. Personally I'd be willing to pay £450, or even £500 if I got it now, before the 20th.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has big factory's in the USA as well, and if its made in South Korea i bet 1000000's that the USA have big deals with them for tax free importing. I still maintain that 499 pounds is a fair price...
I would be buying mine from my pal ogdobber in the usa but i need to make a purchase in the uk and have an imei number on the reciept to fulfil my requirements for my free insurance with my bank.
Love this phone, and love google
JD
My NS is out for delivery now and I can't wait. I had to return the HD7 after 13 days becuase I could not stand the screen and talk about build quality, the battery cover didn't even line up so you could see the SIM card through the giant gap in the back.
recklesslife85 said:
Cool, been having a dodgy hour or two thinking about the phone cause I'm snowed in off work. Hahaha
I'll wait and judge when it's in my hands but I appreciate all the good comments guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Reckless
Spoke to CPW customer services at 14:00
Stock expected Sunday for Monday shipping
Should be with you Tuesday at the earliest... You better start shovelling that snow dude
JD
DooLocsta said:
My NS is out for delivery now and I can't wait. I had to return the HD7 after 13 days becuase I could not stand the screen and talk about build quality, the battery cover didn't even line up so you could see the SIM card through the giant gap in the back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep it was the same with the HD, gonna add that to the list of defect with the phone
Where do you live pal? Your in the USA i presume?
JD
If you're unsure, and own an N1, wait till it gets it's 2.3 OTA update, then go and compare it like for like with an NS in your local CPW.
I plan on doing that even though I'm pretty certain I don't want to get an NS heh

Should I get a DZ?

I currently have a HTC Hero (GSM) and still have a more than 1.5 yrs on my contract and was wanting to get a newer phone since my Hero is getting annoying with random reboots and lag. I can potentially get a DZ for ~$200 and was wondering if it was still a good choice and can/will last the remainder of my contract without getting laggy/unreliable. I want a physical keyboard so it is either a DZ or BB Bold =\
Thanks for the help.
Bold sucks. If you want a good qwerty phone thats new, you can try motorola droid 3. Amazing specs!
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
evilcuber said:
Bold sucks. If you want a good qwerty phone thats new, you can try motorola droid 3. Amazing specs!
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but that's a CDMA phone. Since OP is thinking about a DZ, that means he's on GSM.
Stargazer418 said:
Since OP is thinking about a DZ, that means he's on GSM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MentalDeath said:
I currently have a HTC Hero (GSM) and ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just thought i'd point that out ;D..
on topic, GO FOR IT! i was in the EXACT situation as you but 6 months ago. Given the same situation now, i'd still go for the DZ. I NEED a hardware keyboard and we don't have the mt4g up in the north. Though you probably could just order one in from the states, but the DZ is much better than the mt4g IMO. There is no other phone out there IMO that beats the DZ in terms of capability, design and inclusion of a hardware keyboard.. that is.. until the G3 comes out =p
side note: DO NOT get a BB.. ANY sort of BB.. NONE of their batteries last past a year and they tend to crap out just outside of the mfger's warranty period. All my friends who have BBs love it for BBM for the first 6 months, then it starts crapping out and i laugh in their faces because android is king.
MentalDeath said:
I currently have a HTC Hero (GSM) and still have a more than 1.5 yrs on my contract and was wanting to get a newer phone since my Hero is getting annoying with random reboots and lag. I can potentially get a DZ for ~$200 and was wondering if it was still a good choice and can/will last the remainder of my contract without getting laggy/unreliable. I want a physical keyboard so it is either a DZ or BB Bold =\
Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if its DZ vs. BB Bold its not even a question to get the DZ. Definitely wouldn't pay over $200 for one this late in the game though, make sure you get a good deal.
Thank you all for the feedback I really appreciate it and now I really want this phone once again (I wanted it really badly when it first came out)
martonikaj said:
if its DZ vs. BB Bold its not even a question to get the DZ. Definitely wouldn't pay over $200 for one this late in the game though, make sure you get a good deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well $200 is the best deal I've found so far (on Kijiji) the person says it is brand new since they got it from a warranty claim.
MentalDeath said:
Well $200 is the best deal I've found so far (on Kijiji) the person says it is brand new since they got it from a warranty claim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea brand new $200 is about right. Used/roughed a bit is worth less obv.
martonikaj said:
Yea brand new $200 is about right. Used/roughed a bit is worth less obv.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright awesome, here's hoping they response to my msg asap.
Athrun88 said:
Just thought i'd point that out ;D..
on topic, GO FOR IT! i was in the EXACT situation as you but 6 months ago. Given the same situation now, i'd still go for the DZ. I NEED a hardware keyboard and we don't have the mt4g up in the north. Though you probably could just order one in from the states, but the DZ is much better than the mt4g IMO. There is no other phone out there IMO that beats the DZ in terms of capability, design and inclusion of a hardware keyboard.. that is.. until the G3 comes out =p
side note: DO NOT get a BB.. ANY sort of BB.. NONE of their batteries last past a year and they tend to crap out just outside of the mfger's warranty period. All my friends who have BBs love it for BBM for the first 6 months, then it starts crapping out and i laugh in their faces because android is king.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mom has the blackberry bold and she has gone through about 6 or 7 of them, for your own sake, just dont.
MentalDeath said:
I currently have a HTC Hero (GSM) and still have a more than 1.5 yrs on my contract and was wanting to get a newer phone since my Hero is getting annoying with random reboots and lag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, do it! I did the exact same thing as you in late June. I had my Hero (from TELUS) for about 14 months at that point, and picked up a DZ locally for just under $200, unlocked. Rooting it is a bit hairy compared to the Hero, but a good exercise to go through. My DZ was originally purchased from Bell, the guy I bought it from had it on his Rogers account, and now I'm using it with my TELUS SIM. I sold my Hero and accessories for $150, so net upgrade cost was $50 and I avoid having to renew my contract.
Funny, I upgraded to Desire Z also after having a HTC Hero for 1,5y
I would recommend DZ, I use it over a month now and i'm satisfied.
The only thing is of course the battery life, but it depends on how intensive usage you plan.
The keyboard is OK, only thing I miss is directional arrows (pretty uncomfortable to use the d-pad when you have hands on keyboard). Don't worry about the dedicated number row, it's not needed. You can write numbers with Fn key on with no problem.
martonikaj said:
Yea brand new $200 is about right. Used/roughed a bit is worth less obv.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Retail or with contract??
DoubleYouPee said:
Retail or with contract??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am pretty sure he is talking about buying privately.
Anyone want to sell me a DZ for ~$200? No one on Kijiji is responding to me
MentalDeath said:
I am pretty sure he is talking about buying privately.
Anyone want to sell me a DZ for ~$200? No one on Kijiji is responding to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the private sellers on eBay/CL/Kijiji are pricing their secondhand DZs around $250 to $300 or so. I lucked out with an eBay seller who setup an auction with no reserve and no BIN, and not many people bidding on it, so I managed to get it for just under $200. Local pickup too, so I could verify it worked with my SIM.
There are a few DZs up for auction right now from Canadian sellers, sitting at around $100. Make sure you're not bidding on an "as-is" phone.
http://tinyurl.com/3fsu3we

[Q] Worth to buy HD2, yet? ~ $450 :D

Hello.
I'm a computer student, a poor computer student! who can change his phone every 2 years! I earn money with hard student working. It's time to change now, I've a (crappy) LG Arena KM900 for 2 years and I cant really ignore this piece of wasted money anymore. Short story...
Is it reasonable to buy a HD2 for about 450 USD?! Here I can find used HD2 for $330 too but who cares, I can't trust other people (and their great used phone!).
---------
Another option is Galaxy S, I9000 with exactly 455 USD, no used one found. Now what you think? I can also have a Moto Milestone (used) for $290. Here we don't access to int postal & payment services so just forget amazon, ebay and...
- I've enjoyed changing my Arena theme with some geeky tricks! so HD2 with all of this roms and os selections...
- I'm afraid of HD2 production to be stopped and I miss my dreams phone! else I really don't care of new phones with 8 cpu cores or 12mp cameras!
- My current phone dpesn't have bluetooth PAN ability which is used for using phone internet connection on PC. does HD2 have this?
- I'm a fan of wp7, can I count on HD2 with this os? what about battery life?!
- is is reaaly so BIG that I can't put it in my jeans pocket?
Thanks you
Hello,
First of all,
-Yes, the HD2 does have bluetooth PAN.
-WP7 has some bugs on the HD2 which briefly are:
+*Multitouch does not work properly.
+*Compass is not working with Mango (until now).
+*There seems to be a lot of people struggling with the battery life. (however I have not had that).
+*The speaker's sound is horrible.
-It's big when you are using it, and small when you are to put it into your pocket (it's not that big).
Also, you have to be aware of two things:
The HD2 has two major issues, one being the touchscreen, some devices lose their touchscreens after an amount of time.
The second thing is, the End button may wear off for frequent use or become too hard to press, and sometimes this may also cause the screen to become unresponsive.
(correct me if I'm wrong)
My opinion,
For a two years old device, $450 can get you something better. But if you can get it less, I'd definitely recommend getting one .
But the HD2 is still the best for me, and I don't think I'm changing it, not at least for another year .
You can get a used HTC HD2 for ~$150 and ship it to wherever you live
Marvlesz said:
My opinion,
For an almost 3 years old device, $450 can get you something better. But if you can get it less, I'd definitely recommend getting one .
But the HD2 is still the best for me, and I don't think I'm changing it, not at least for another year .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so old, sir! It released 2009 november, so it's exactly 2 years old...
pappt said:
Not so old, sir! It released 2009 november, so it's exactly 2 years old...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct. However, I counted it as 2009 YOP and now we are almost 2012.
More like $200.00 I STILL HAVE MINE EXACTLY 2YRS OLD
Marvlesz said:
Hello,
First of all,
-Yes, the HD2 does have bluetooth PAN.
-WP7 has some bugs on the HD2 which briefly are:
+*Multitouch does not work properly.
+*Compass is not working with Mango (until now).
+*There seems to be a lot of people struggling with the battery life. (however I have not had that).
+*The speaker's sound is horrible.
-It's big when you are using it, and small when you are to put it into your pocket (it's not that big).
Also, you have to be aware of two things:
The HD2 has two major issues, one being the touchscreen, some devices lose their touchscreens after an amount of time.
The second thing is, the End button may wear off for frequent use or become too hard to press, and sometimes this may also cause the screen to become unresponsive.
(correct me if I'm wrong)
My opinion,
For a two years old device, $450 can get you something better. But if you can get it less, I'd definitely recommend getting one .
But the HD2 is still the best for me, and I don't think I'm changing it, not at least for another year .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, very useful answer
So you say if I buy an unused device then take care of that then still I may have problems with screen & buttons?
Let's make it clear, I'm on my decide for HD2, it's about one whole year that I'm reading reviews and following software improvements... this topic is actually a try to forget all those fresh and stylish gadgets
But! if you think HD2 will disappoint me then which phone should I buy instead? to me SGS is also attractive, you know, because of it's roms & customizations + great hardware.
Should I forget HD2 because of it's old hardware and expensive price in my country? then I think it's better to wait and buy a NOW DAYS phone when I have enough money?! or you have a better offer...?
More like $200.00 I STILL HAVE MINE EXACTLY 2YRS OLD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and you're still happy with this monster?
if you were me then what?
Hey myview.ir ,
i bought my own HD2 5 days ago for 230 $ on Ebay.
It was declared as "nearly new without any scratches".
Windows Mobile gave out a compleate speaking time of 5 Minutes!
Go out and search a nice looking HD2 on Ebay, buy it with Paypal and you'll be happy with it (of course, install Android 2.35 with Sense like this one:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1298188 ).
I'm a "poor" student too - so don't waste your money for buying things like new smartphones
I also bought mine for 230$ Its really great phone I moved from SE x10 just one week ago. I took me like 1 day to learn how to install, modify nand to be able to install android but I figured it out and when I saw rom with sense 3.5 for the first time ever I said it was the best move I could do Hd2 has much bigger community and roms works much better :] Already installed shadowgun and guest what? It works really great smooth and fast so the question is why wouldn't I love this phone?
thank you Cadilac & sab3r
I'm in love with this device, mainly because of of that it's not a phone like any others, yes my friend recently bought a shiny xperia arc s wich is really great looking and he is so happy with that but I'm not of that type! It's vivid, anyone who stayed with HD2 has a reason and it's freedom, oh ah :]
ok. Shopping from ebay is a normal thing for you, but here in my country if you want to have a $100 paypal payment then you have to pay $130! we don't have paypal or visa or master here, whoahh :\
prepareing for $450 deal
I'm crazy. huh!
This is an amazing phone, after 18 months I still don't want to change it despite being an early adopter in most things (which is always tough on my low salary!). I'd definitely recommend this phone, but as others say, look at the $230-250 range of prices. Good luck!
Sent from my DL Desire v4.32.44.12 using XDA App
Love my HD2. Best phone ever!!!!!!!! Recently broke my phone. Got a new one for $150. Cant bet that......lol
Also got to say - love this phone - play with it more than I use it!
Also dropped it a few times, cracked the small glass covering the camera lens but it seems to take better photos now.
450$ is far too much. I bought it new 340€ last year at a mall
less than 300$ can be reasonable.
Ok!
Thank you all, I'm still in love. Some people said to me about battery problems with HD2, compared to i9000 sgs. My current phone is horrible on this field and if HD2 has a weak battery then it's deal breaker for me! I know, it's a smartphone with massive screen and some energy eater parts inse but lets compare it to other HTC devices, like dhd or newer sensation...
and yeah, "berrutti" said that it's too much for a dated gadget. I don't know, maybe best thing I can do is going to the city shop and ask both HD2 & i9000 and play with them some minutes then trust my feel! I's hard to decide, fresh young device with well-known old hero.
XDA-Developers Market Forum
I bought a used T-Mobile HD2 right here on the XDA-Developers Market Forum for US$200, which included shipping. I suggest you try this as you can be fairly sure about who you are dealing with and their trustworthiness.
Because of my location any worlwide service will cost so much, if I want a used HD2 with $250 then it will finish $370 for me!
I've found some local used devices which doesn't have any additional cost, bust I don't know sellers! here I've listed them:
- HD2 with one year of usage, price: ~ $320
additional tools: 2 batteries & 8GB memory card
http://alldigitall.ir/specs.aspx?pid=2795
- HD2 with 2 years of usage, price: ~ $345
additional tools: TV cable & case
http://alldigitall.ir/specs.aspx?pid=2805
- Samsung galaxy S with 4 months of usage, price: ~ $370
http://alldigitall.ir/specs.aspx?pid=2804
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so,
I'm thinking!
myview.ir said:
Because of my location any worlwide service will cost so much, if I want a used HD2 with $250 then it will finish $370 for me!
I've found some local used devices which doesn't have any additional cost, bust I don't know sellers! here I've listed them:
so,
I'm thinking!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still might be worth your time to put an ad on the XDA-Developers Market Forum, as this is a worldwide forum, and just like you, not all members are in the US. There is a chance you could find someone in Ireland, or nearby in Europe, who has an HD2, and then your shipping charges would not be so high.
HD 2
I was very much like you and when i eventualy got my HD2 I wished I had done it sooner. It is the ultimate in customisation have broken the first one my fault i had to buy a replacement straight away that was a month ago . I didnt even consider any other phone. Just try to get a good price and see who has got one here it is international here look at the signatures
Mark
If you're in the US, try cowboom. I just bought a used one from there for $130US. the price increased to $140 a day later.
2 minor scratches on top. Buttons look worn out only if you look at it very closely. otherwise, it looks perfectly fine. I put WP7 on it and it's amazing. Also works a zune player (similar interface). runs as smooth if not smoother than my brand new htc sensation with android.

Good phone for the wife?

So we are looking in to switching from Verizon to T-Mobile, currently the wife's # is out of contract and I have been looking into phones I like the price tag of the Nexus 4 and if it where for me I'd get it no questions but it's for the wife. The only phone she has had is an iPhone 4s so I'm wondering if this would be a good replacement? I've looked at some extensive reviews and I'd say yes, but I wanted more of a long term opinion would you guys or gals have your significant other (non techy individual) use this phone?
bucket81 said:
So we are looking in to switching from Verizon to T-Mobile, currently the wife's # is out of contract and I have been looking into phones I like the price tag of the Nexus 4 and if it where for me I'd get it no questions but it's for the wife. The only phone she has had is an iPhone 4s so I'm wondering if this would be a good replacement? I've looked at some extensive reviews and I'd say yes, but I wanted more of a long term opinion would you guys or gals have your significant other (non techy individual) use this phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think that xiaomi red ice for you wife is the correct phone!
it costs around 150$ and it includes miui v5 with android 4.2.2 and they are always updating!
is a chinese brand but the quality is so good and the screen is made by AUO the same as apple!
http://www.xiaomi.es/#!xiaomi-redrice-general/c1kk2
My wife thought the phone was a little to thick for her to use with one hand comfortably. (No jokes please).
Her last 2 phones were a HTZ Rezound and a Motorola RAZR M. She said she has no idea how people use phones with bigger screens then that but then she held the HTC ONE. Well needless to say, she ended up with the HTC ONE. It felt thinner and narrower in her hand then the N4.
Could she have used the N4, yes but another one of her requirments was a good camera...
As long as the size is okay for your wife and based on her other requirements in a phone, the phone itself and the software just running stock 4.3 work perfect. With older versions of Android I would usually say you really would need to tweak it for the average user to enjoy it but 4.3 is running better then ever and can pretty much please anyone just running stock. Heck, I am running stock and don't feel the need to change right now to a custom. Only tweak I really needed was to make the Nav bar smaller and it is perfect now!
bucket81 said:
So we are looking in to switching from Verizon to T-Mobile, currently the wife's # is out of contract and I have been looking into phones I like the price tag of the Nexus 4 and if it where for me I'd get it no questions but it's for the wife. The only phone she has had is an iPhone 4s so I'm wondering if this would be a good replacement? I've looked at some extensive reviews and I'd say yes, but I wanted more of a long term opinion would you guys or gals have your significant other (non techy individual) use this phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without hesitation!!
I got one for mine and she loves it...I left it all stock, but did root it as she likes to change fonts like the weather changes...IDK why but I'm not going to ask her...Sometimes you're better off not knowing why
It took her a little getting use to the size difference. Had a 4s and an Atrix 4g.
Now she wouldn't go back. No lagging runs smooth as glass...speaking of which
If you do get her 1 I'd recommend getting a case right away as they are a slippery phone and glass front and back.
AS for the camera not being outstanding...it's a phone 1st and foremost, and takes some decent pics with a little tweaking.
There is a thread showing off some pics in the general section...Link Here
The price vs performance ratio can't be matched right now.
No contract crap, updates before any other phones, you own a quad core phone outright for a couple hundred $$.
Deal!!
Good Luck!!
I swear to God that when I read your post I read: "Good phone OR wife" hahahahahaha
That happens to a lot of people in here... including myself... if we get a good phone, we may lose our wives! hahahahahaha
Like mentioned by one of the previous users, Android 4.3 has come a long ways. For the first time, I am actually running the stock ROM (with root and a few modifications). For the average consumer, the N4 is a very viable option, ESPECIALLY at the current price of 199/249.
Size could be a concern and the HTC One is definitely a better design for folks who have small hands, but I think the N4 is by no means uncomfortable. Having come from a HTC Sensation and Galaxy Nexus, the phone feels better in my hands than either of the two previous devices.
8gb are gone now, only 16gb($249) is currently available. Just ordered one saturday and shipped today. Hopefully im not disappointed when i get it
1slow4G said:
8gb are gone now, only 16gb($249) is currently available. Just ordered one saturday and shipped today. Hopefully im not disappointed when i get it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is definitley nothing to be dissapointed with! Coming from an S3 I don't miss it at all. With the wife having an HTC ONE, it is a great device for her but I would personally take an N4 any day.
Stock Android with quick updates just cannot be beat! Also, I do not even understand why they made this phone in an 8GB version. Talk about limiting a device and what you can do with it. What is there like 4-5GB of usable space when it is all said and done.
Good thing for people buying one today that there are no 8GB ones left. You will be happier with the 16GB which is still kind of pushing the low end size of memory but is at least somewhat do-able.
[email protected] said:
There is definitley nothing to be dissapointed with! Coming from an S3 I don't miss it at all. With the wife having an HTC ONE, it is a great device for her but I would personally take an N4 any day.
Stock Android with quick updates just cannot be beat! Also, I do not even understand why they made this phone in an 8GB version. Talk about limiting a device and what you can do with it. What is there like 4-5GB of usable space when it is all said and done.
Good thing for people buying one today that there are no 8GB ones left. You will be happier with the 16GB which is still kind of pushing the low end size of memory but is at least somewhat do-able.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the insight.. and yeah i love the phone overall, based on the reviews, videos, pictures online. The only thing that can really disappoint me are the negative things i keep reading online, major issues with it. Some on top of my head are: "Sleep of death", "Reception really bad", "call buz", "battery Leaking" "Red light of death" all of those make me not want the phone LOL. I know this does not mean ALL devices come with these problems, just saying I would hate to recieve a Lemon Lol
Well it looks like we might have to put the switch on hold her car is acting up and I fear it will need a transmission.. I did the math and if I buy out of our Verizon contract for the other 2 lines we would end up saving around $250 in the first 15 months that's after paying $450 to end the contract. And that's with getting 3 new phones on tmoble. Might just get a G2.
bucket81 said:
Well it looks like we might have to put the switch on hold her car is acting up and I fear it will need a transmission.. I did the math and if I buy out of our Verizon contract for the other 2 lines we would end up saving around $250 in the first 15 months that's after paying $450 to end the contract. And that's with getting 3 new phones on tmoble. Might just get a G2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your wife's contract has ended can't you just unlock the iphone? It would save money, even though I hate iphones
pepdavies said:
If your wife's contract has ended can't you just unlock the iphone? It would save money, even though I hate iphones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't work. While you can unlock the iPhone 4s from other carriers you can not from Verizon, unlocking a verizon phone only let's it work international nor on local networks. Unless I missed something bc I'd be all over that if someone has info I don't.

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