Database Users

Is running Android on the Vogue worth getting a new one?

My Vogue is on it's last leg, now the touchscreen has stopped working. I'm wondering if you guys think it'd be worth the $100 to get a new Vogue from Sprint using the insurance or if I should switch plans (I'm on SERO now) and get the Pre or Hero.

Joey Link said:
My Vogue is on it's last leg, now the touchscreen has stopped working. I'm wondering if you guys think it'd be worth the $100 to get a new Vogue from Sprint using the insurance or if I should switch plans (I'm on SERO now) and get the Pre or Hero.
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Click to collapse
dude i would just get the hero! these roms aren't bad but its not the same as the real thing

I'm considering it, but right now I pay $50 per month for 1200 anytime minutes and unlimited everything. For 1000 minutes on a plan that qualifies for the Pre or the Hero it'd be $79.99, or $360 more per year.

Joey Link said:
I'm considering it, but right now I pay $50 per month for 1200 anytime minutes and unlimited everything. For 1000 minutes on a plan that qualifies for the Pre or the Hero it'd be $79.99, or $360 more per year.
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yeah it sux that the good phones have the redicoulus plans

There's nothing like the real thing. I'm getting an android phone as soon as Verizon gets them in.

Just to add my two cents, I agree with everyone else... get a real android phone if you can.

sounds like you have the $50 SERO plan. I've got the $30 one, and yeah I'm just as torn as you. It's hard to weigh recurring cost against coolness, just depends on your priorities. IMHO, the cupcake android builds are pretty darn good for everyday use, but they are still not perfect, people still have some problems. My plan is to wait for another year to see if someone figures out a way to get an android phone onto a SERO plan, because in my current financial situation (I'm a poor medical resident supporting a family of four on a solo house officer's salary) I can't justify the increase in recurring cost. In another three years when my salary undergoes a substantial increase I may consider dumping my SERO plan, but even then I may find the extra costs hard to justify for a phone, no matter how cool it is. Plus, by then SERO rules may have changed, there may be more cool phones like the TP2 that are allowed on it (did I associate the word cool with a win mo phone?!?), etc etc.
You've got to figure out how much the coolness and stability and full useability of the real deal (full GPS, full bluetooth, accelerometer, digital compass) is worth to you and balance that against your personal finances, no one can do that for you.

id say no, the vogue is outdated, buy a real android based phone like the hero. thats what im doing in 3 weeks.

Wait... Hero can't be used on SERO? Says who?

I switched over to a Hero. i already had an everything plan, so no change in my recurring costs. IMO, the hero just adds a bit more speed, stability and screen response to what we have on the vogue. I actually turned Sense UI off, don't use the widgets and it eats the battery pretty good. My new phone looks very similar to my old one!
But I am a geocacher, so the compass is what really made me update.

craig0r said:
Just to add my two cents, I agree with everyone else... get a real android phone if you can.
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ditto. lol

I am not 100% sure but the plan that replaced the SERO isnt too bad and I think the HERO woks on it. It has the all mobile-to-mobile is free and if you go family and two phones the price is comperable.

Man, it doesn't work on SERO?! That's messed up!

stinkbud said:
I am not 100% sure but the plan that replaced the SERO isnt too bad and I think the HERO woks on it. It has the all mobile-to-mobile is free and if you go family and two phones the price is comperable.
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except in one big area, that is price. Sprint SERO 500 $30 a month, EPRP (everything plus referral program) EP w/ data 500 is $60. The comparable SERO vs ERPR EP w/ data 1000 minutes are $50 vs $80. Yes, Hero works on EPRP, but no, prices are not comparable. This is why SERO users hold on to their plans like they are gold . . .
silex said:
Man, it doesn't work on SERO?! That's messed up!
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sprint has decided to restrict new cool phones from being able to be activated on SERO plans. Boo to them, but that's what we've got. Go read as SprintUsers, there's a lot of info on there. Interestingly, new win mo phones are fine on SERO, so even sprint thinks they are not cool . . .

Nexus One or EVO 4G?

I bought the Nexus One last February, with a two year Tmobile account.
I attended the Google I/O conference last week, and Google was kind enough to give me a Sprint HTC EVO 4G! The EVO comes with one month of free unlimited calls and unlimited data. On June 20th I must get a paid sprint account if I want to keep using the phone.
I live in Phoenix, AZ.
Now I have to decide which one I want to use as my primary cell-phone. If you were me, which would you use as your main cell-phone, and why? The Nexus One or the EVO 4G?
- Greymarch
I write about the Nexus One, and other smartphone tech at my website:
http://www.greymarch.com

You'll be paying $350 I believe if you cancel your T-Mobile contract, so that's probably not a good idea.
*AND*
You can sell your Evo now on Ebay for $1200.
The logistics of the situation (regardless of the phone comparisons) make it a pretty easy decision imo

evo is superior hardware but u are at the mercy of sprint for OS updates (they said froyo wouldnt be available till after 2nd quarter of 2010 at the earliest). the nexus ones main advantage over any other phone (including other android phones) is that it is not tied to any carrier and gets updates first.
the main advantage that the evo has is the 4g which is not available in most areas... also, from my tests, tmobiles 3g+ hspa is about on par with 4g wimax in speed (i have clear's 4g wimax service on my laptop.. so alot of 4g's speed advantage is negated by early tech and low coverage and its a HUGE battery killer (my netbook goes from 8hrs battery life to 4hrs battery life left when i turn on 4g)
so personally i would keep my nexus but yeah the evo still has the better hardware.... so if u want the better hardware and dont care too much about early 4g coverage and dont need android updates asap the evo would be better

Evo has a sweet package of hardware, nice camera, HDMI out, 4g WiMax (if it is available in your area) and a larger screen.
But, Nexus one is going to get the 2.2 Froyo first and it might be months for it to be available on Evo, if you are not rooting it.
I would say use Nexus One until you get FroYo on Evo.
PS: Until Nexus One gets GingerBread

Paul22000 said:
You'll be paying $350 I believe if you cancel your T-Mobile contract, so that's probably not a good idea.
*AND*
You can sell your Evo now on Ebay for $1200.
The logistics of the situation (regardless of the phone comparisons) make it a pretty easy decision imo
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Click to collapse
e
I opened the packaging for the EVO 4G, and I have been using the phone for the past few days. Also, there are quite a few attendants of the Google IO conference who are also trying to sell their EVO 4G. It is no longer selling for $1200 on ebay. Not even close.

subramanianv said:
Evo has a sweet package of hardware, nice camera, HDMI out, 4g WiMax (if it is available in your area) and a larger screen.
But, Nexus one is going to get the 2.2 Froyo first and it might be months for it to be available on Evo, if you are not rooting it.
I would say use Nexus One until you get FroYo on Evo.
PS: Until Nexus One gets GingerBread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Saturday I installed Froyo on my Nexus One. Very nice OS upgrade.

greymarch said:
e
I opened the packaging for the EVO 4G, and I have been using the phone for the past few days. Also, there are quite a few attendants of the Google IO conference who are also trying to sell their EVO 4G. It is no longer selling for $1200 on ebay. Not even close.
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Click to collapse
Even still, if you switch from T-Mobile to Sprint:
A) Pay an ETF to close the T-Mobile account.
B) You keep both lines open and pay $50-$80 times TWO per month.
I'd probably choose the Evo, but it just doesn't make sense with your contract.

Paul22000 said:
You'll be paying $350 I believe if you cancel your T-Mobile contract, so that's probably not a good idea.
*AND*
You can sell your Evo now on Ebay for $1200.
The logistics of the situation (regardless of the phone comparisons) make it a pretty easy decision imo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely dump the Evo for $1200 (or what the market will bear)
Use part of that cash to buy out of the T-mo contract
Now free to sign a new contract - or not - or buy an Evo outright once it's commonly available, with money left in your pocket.
For the record, N1 will get my vote over any other phone on the market.
Why? Who else has Froyo working today?

greymarch said:
I bought the Nexus One last February, with a two year Tmobile account.
I attended the Google I/O conference last week, and Google was kind enough to give me a Sprint HTC EVO 4G! The EVO comes with one month of free unlimited calls and unlimited data. On June 20th I must get a paid sprint account if I want to keep using the phone.
I live in Phoenix, AZ.
Now I have to decide which one I want to use as my primary cell-phone. If you were me, which would you use as your main cell-phone, and why? The Nexus One or the EVO 4G?
- Greymarch
I write about the Nexus One, and other smartphone tech at my website:
http://www.greymarch.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can sell the evo and make up for the etf and sign up with sprint for another evo and probably make a few bucks out of it

I'd get the Nexus One. Early reviews of the EVO have it being slower than the incredible with the same processor. I guess the time to render images on a screen that size slows things down.
Plus the nexus will always get updates first, and I prefer the stock UI over Sense.
Also, the HD2 and EVO are just too big in my opinion. The Nexus one has a perfect feel for a phone in my hand.

EVO its already rooted and theres a bunch of great devs who are getting it so you should see froyo on there in no time

Ill keep the nexus one and wait for the next "Google phone"

I would take evo except I don't like sprint coverage.

Honestly, I think the EVO is just too big. And I have pretty big hands. I can fit it in my hand alright, but it's just a little uncomfortable, I feel like I really have to gorilla grip it if I want to make sure I've got a good hold. The nexus is the perfect width, and fits in my hand the way I expect a phone to.
Don't get me wrong, the screen on the EVO is great and wonderful and everything, but I don't know if it's worth being over encumbered.
Just my 2 cents.

I would use the nexus as the primary phone. It's perfect build quality materials and such a classy device with metal build and teflon coating. The hardware is very similar, same CPU, RAM, screen resolution, etc. I'd keep the nexus and sell the evo if given the choice. Or use evo as a web tablet.

miketlo said:
You can sell the evo and make up for the etf and sign up with sprint for another evo and probably make a few bucks out of it
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moneywise, this is the best choice. I also think the Evo 4G is waaaay too big for my needs. I am extremely happy with my nexus one on tmobile. And the first-in-line for the next couple updates is also a major perk for me.
On the other hand, 3G coverage is a lot better for sprint compared to tmobile. if you are at all worried about coverage, and you dont live in a decently sized city, that may be the clincher.
As for me, im in Kansas City, and we're getting 4G this summer (supposedly) and i would have definitely stuck with sprint had the Evo 4G not been a huge ass monster of a device (literal size-wise).

If you care about saving money: Go with the N1 (I pay $34/mo for data and voice compared to a whopping $80 minimum you would pay with the Evo)
If money isn't an issue: Go with the Evo

ap3604 said:
I pay $34/mo for data and voice
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How?

ap3604 id like to know how as well @[email protected] and does that include text?

IcerJo said:
ap3604 id like to know how as well @[email protected] and does that include text?
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Click to collapse
i do the same.tzones plan with texting and voice (1000 mins) for around 40 a month including tax.

Incredible to EVO

So I am sure a lot of us Incredible owners have fresh 2 year Verizon contracts. When I signed up they told me I had 30 days to decide if I wanted to keep it.
I LOVE my Incredible, but now the EVO is coming out just before my 30 day window to switch. It is basically the same exact phone with a larger screen and I am very tempted.
Is anyone else in the same boat? And if so what made you decide one way or the other.

I will add a view points I am considering.
EVO +
Sprint will cost about $10 less a month vs Verizon
Larger Screen
LCD screens do not get burn in. I am reading that AMOLEDs do, a lot of nexus one users are reporting it.
Already Rooted
Option to disable SenseUI
Sharper looking text
Front camera
Incredible +
Better network coverage
Smaller in pocket
Screen has better colors
Optical pad(EVO has no optical pad or trackball)
Smoother video recording
Possibly better battery life?!

The fact that I'd have to pay 350 to cancel my contract, then buy the phone through Sprint and start a new contract and loose my 5-6 years of service I've had through Alltel/Verizon.
It's not worth it IMO to cancel and then pay to get the phone. If my contract was over however, I would have considered going to Sprint and getting the Evo. But in actuality to get the equivalent plan that I have on Verizon, it would cost alot more if I pay for the 4G...and IMO if you get that phone, and don't pay for 4G, it's a waste (unless you truly don't use apps or web).
Edit: But in the end it comes down to what you truly want.

You can't get the Evo, without paying the 4G extra $10

You can cancel your contract within the first 30 days. Without penalty. Maybe a restocking fee at most.
Verizon:
450min & Unlim txt $59.99
Unlim data $30
Total: $90+tax&fees
Sprint EVO plan.
450min & Unlim txt & data $69.99
EVO $10
Total: $80+tax&fees
Source: http://www.androidcentral.com/how-do-you-feel-about-evo-4g-pricing

You forgot to put under the Evo, limited 3G

If Sprint had any reception where I live, I'd do it. Seems like it'd be a fun phone to get and not a bad price point either.

My opinion, for what it is worth
I would not do it simply because when we (VZW) starts deploying LTE with 100mbps 4g and passes Sprint's slower WiMAX deployment, HTC will have an even cooler and faster unit (I know this because I have seen a proto of it that was here at corperate a few days ago, just a plastic model with no name yet but it looks cooooooool, salesmen) you will be kicking yourself for having to flop back to get the new one. Also look at if Sprint has deployed WiMAX where you are anyway, probably not. Also coverage, what good is it if call quality suffere ????

madman34 said:
I would not do it simply because when we (VZW) starts deploying LTE with 100mbps 4g and passes Sprint's slower WiMAX deployment, HTC will have an even cooler and faster unit (I know this because I have seen a proto of it that was here at corperate a few days ago, just a plastic model with no name yet but it looks cooooooool, salesmen) you will be kicking yourself for having to flop back to get the new one. Also look at if Sprint has deployed WiMAX where you are anyway, probably not. Also coverage, what good is it if call quality suffere ????
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That's a good point. I would weigh my options if I were in his position. He's gonna need to find out who provides the best coverage. I'd recommend a one year contract.

Comes down to network coverage and quality. Both are great phones. But I'll stick with Verizon. Nation wide LTE by 2013. They have the pls and the means. Not to mention the incredible is perfect for me. I don't video chat with anyone. Overall the evo isn't that much more appealing that I'd want it over the incredible. Oh almost forgot... I don't want an enormous phone.
-------------------------------------
Sent from HTC Incredible via XDA Tapatalk App

The way I look at it, I got a heavily subsidized device and a hefty ETF.
I paid $99 (bought through Wirefly, $149 and $50 cash back from Bing). The ETF is a two year deal, prorated, at $350 from the start and working it's way down.
If I want out halfway through, I have to pay Verizon $175. Add $99 to that, and the cost of the phone to me is $274. Chances are I can sell the phone for close to that to another Verizon subscriber.
I'm playing wait and see for a year - if Sprint's 4G is for real and can hold up to the network traffic, I'll bite. If not, I'm safe.

I wouldn't be so sure your ETF works that way. I know AT&T was $5 a month prorated. So if you went 23 months and canceled your original $180 etf would cost you $65. I know that is how mine worked last month when I paid $90 after 18 months.

I'm willing to change phone like underwear for the right device and I have decided to hold off for now. Some of the biggest factors currently are
- no 4g in my area anyways
- nobody else I know has the front mounted cam for video calls
- size
I had the HD2 for a little over a week and let me tell you, beautiful piece of hardware but its approaching being to big at 4.3". I am thinking something at 4" would be a little better. Even a 3.7" screen is fine height wise, just seems like the Incredible could be wider IMO

Htc hd2 -- $48.88

Sick to my stomach
http://www.tmonews.com/2010/06/walmart-selling-htc-hd2-for-48-88/

amazon
Amazon price: $49.99 (with new service plan)

I would have done this, except I couldn't add a line through amazon.

I wonder if the outright purchase price has dropped any? At this pricing it would have been worthwhile for me to renew my contract and get roped into the $30 a month data plan.
I outright purchased my HD2 since over the course of the 2 years that my contract would have been extended, the extra $10 a month for the data would have eaten up the savings of getting the HD2 subsidized.
Just the cost of being an early adopter

What the hell.
dropped $150 in what, 2 months?

rickyoon.vegas said:
What the hell.
dropped $150 in what, 2 months?
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It's quite sad really. Majority of the people who get the HD2 in the USA are not people who know what Windows Mobile is, and for the most part, get frustrated when they treat it as a phone, instead of a personal computer (SENSE's imperfections is partly to blame for this, which is why I never recommend SENSE to people). I can honestly vouch that the majority of people who got this phone got it because the screen is bigger than the iPhone (and that it is supposed to be T-Mobile's iPhone). That's about it.
Because of this, I"m pretty sure TMobile is experiencing so many returns/complaints from people who have little to know knowledge about Windows Mobile. Therefore, I'm getting the feeling that T-Mobile is starting to think that it's not worth it and is deciding to just push the stock out ASAP (lock whoever they can for the next 2 years), or what's left of it, keep a couple of thousand in stock for return/repair/warranty issues, and call it quits soon (which might lend proof to the upcoming rumor that T-Mobile is ending HD2 soon in July).
It's really sad, because the T-Mobile's HD2 is one of the most solid phones I have ever held in my hand which no cracks, crease, or squeaks. It is a hardware marvel in so many respects it puts a lot of other phones to shame.
Windows Mobile is an OS that is for a very niche market, because it requires a certain finesse and tolerance that a majority of users simply do not have (I give credit to Apple for making a device that works well for the features that it has). Windows Mobile phones are part phone, part personal computer, and part software-gadgetry-hobby for the tech enthusiast.

rickyoon.vegas said:
What the hell.
dropped $150 in what, 2 months?
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Click to collapse
as above said, its probably because it is becoming a headache for them. I bet they've had hundreds of returns because people have come here, flashed the wrong thing and bricked it, plus thousands more who simply dont get the phone, and have no clue how to start to understand it.
As a line of phones its probably somewhere between a great moneymaker and a support nightmare for tmo.

Sheesh, cut the price I paid in HALF! The nerve....
($99 from Wirefly at release)
As for why, well, I noticed a lot of HD2 commercials from HTC leading up to the release of Evo, then haven't seen any HD2 ones at all after that. Understandable for HTC, but bad for TMO, and it's affiliates. Perhaps lower prices are trying to pull the interest back to the "older" phone.

I got mine at launch at wal-mart - it was $149, so this is a $100 price drop

Shame those of us who paid 350+ can't get some of that cash back lol.

Not to mention that the resale values on eBay will DIVE when we want to sell ours in a year and possibly upgrade. Prices people are paying for used Nexus One's and Apple 3G's is insane! Fortunately paid about 75 in May through Letstalk.com with a coupon so I can definately get that back in a year. At the time Tmobile was charging 199 with a new service agreement. Their return rate must have been like a tidal wave. Amazing that a month ago people couldn't even get this phone as it was constantly on backorder! Guess a software/radio upgrade from Tmobile is now going to be out of the question?!!!
Agree that is a great phone with some minor software flaws but the hardware has been flawless. Look over at the EVO forum and many are have issues with screen delams, bleeding of backlight, badly grounded screens that repond even when touching the kickstand. My HD2 has been perfect - no flexing, dead pixels or button problems.

hd2
i didnt even pay for mine yet. tmobile billed me 130 and i have to pay two payments of 25 bucks so 200 total but they credited me 50 so it was only 150 now i havent had a fone in about month cuz i thought id be paying 25 extra for 6 months and now the fone is cheaper then i got it for with an extra 50, i think im going to call them and try to get my price adjusted !! its going for a third of what i am supposed to pay i might threaten to leave tmobile again or something

just be happy you all got it so much cheaper than the rest of the world to start with. An extra 100 dollars is chicken feed.

Lawl. I would love that the HD2 gets discontinued. It'll make us remaining T-Mobile HD2 owners stand like the few and the proud.

PoisonWolf said:
Lawl. I would love that the HD2 gets discontinued. It'll make us remaining T-Mobile HD2 owners stand like the few and the proud.
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HA! That's what I think as well! It'll be like the "Hard to get your hands on" phone.

Really? The Few, The Proud, The HD2 Owner.
It's still just a phone at the end of the day. I just hope that I will now be able to pick up a second HD2 cheap to experiment with when an Android port becomes available.

RiffyDivine said:
Shame those of us who paid 350+ can't get some of that cash back lol.
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Got that right. I just paid $400 less than a month ago without any plans

toygixxer69 said:
Got that right. I just paid $400 less than a month ago without any plans
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Click to collapse
I paid $450 the first week of April for mine. But I don't have a contract to worry about and I am still using my t-zones service for $5.99 a month. So still worth it to me.

PoisonWolf said:
It's quite sad really. Majority of the people who get the HD2 in the USA are not people who know what Windows Mobile is, and for the most part, get frustrated when they treat it as a phone, instead of a personal computer (SENSE's imperfections is partly to blame for this, which is why I never recommend SENSE to people). I can honestly vouch that the majority of people who got this phone got it because the screen is bigger than the iPhone (and that it is supposed to be T-Mobile's iPhone). That's about it.
Because of this, I"m pretty sure TMobile is experiencing so many returns/complaints from people who have little to know knowledge about Windows Mobile. Therefore, I'm getting the feeling that T-Mobile is starting to think that it's not worth it and is deciding to just push the stock out ASAP (lock whoever they can for the next 2 years), or what's left of it, keep a couple of thousand in stock for return/repair/warranty issues, and call it quits soon (which might lend proof to the upcoming rumor that T-Mobile is ending HD2 soon in July).
It's really sad, because the T-Mobile's HD2 is one of the most solid phones I have ever held in my hand which no cracks, crease, or squeaks. It is a hardware marvel in so many respects it puts a lot of other phones to shame.
Windows Mobile is an OS that is for a very niche market, because it requires a certain finesse and tolerance that a majority of users simply do not have (I give credit to Apple for making a device that works well for the features that it has). Windows Mobile phones are part phone, part personal computer, and part software-gadgetry-hobby for the tech enthusiast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man u said what i would have

ouch
wow that hurts..i paid $250.00 for mines but it sucks how the price dropped. but i am happy i got it and because of the hd2 i was able to learn so much more on this website about how everything works and...thats priceless
Paten said:
I paid $450 the first week of April for mine. But I don't have a contract to worry about and I am still using my t-zones service for $5.99 a month. So still worth it to me.
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[Q] For those who own one, would the N4 be a good fit for me?

Hey guys, been reading a bunch of reviews and have been wondering about which phone to get for my upgrade. Coming from a T-Mobile G2 (HTC Desire Z), I've really been struggling between all the flagships like S3, Note 2, N4, and even the new Nokia. Some facts:
- I'm on T-Mobile Classic Plan, so an N4 upgrade would cost $200
- No, I don't plan on switching from T-Mobile any time in the near future
- I'm a student, so there is WiFi in 90% of the places I go
- I intend to use the phone primarily for texting, social media, and news
- I don't game on my phone and my music library is under 50 songs
- I am very satisfied with the build quality of my current phone, I have only dropped it 1-2 times in 2 years, but would prefer a phone that can survive a fall or two
- I want a phone that is built to last the next two years before I can upgrade again
If anyone who owns an N4 can tell me if it seems like a good fit for me, I would greatly appreciate it! Reading reviews and posts about specs like AMOLED vs. LCD and benchmarks really doesn't translate into real world use for me.

It seems like a good fit for you. I would just get a case to help project the phone.

Go Nexus 4 if you want the best Android ever built...and also for Development, mods, and etc if you love flashing roms by some of the best devs on xda we have it all here...
other than that go Note 2 its a beast just like the N4 but without all the extra I posted above....

You should probably know that the price is $199 down and 20 payments of $15. The phone will cost you $499.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.

Should last 2 years easily, as Google gives updates for a full 2 years. The hardware is top notch as well, so it won't lag behind. I certainly recommend the N4

estallings15 said:
You should probably know that the price is $199 down and 20 payments of $15. The phone will cost you $499.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.
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Click to collapse
It is? Huh. I thought the down payments applied for people on the Value Plan and the Classic Plan subsidizes the phone cost so you only pay the initial down payment. Could be wrong though.
Well, for $500 bucks ($300ish if I wait a month or so I suppose) a Nexus 4 doesn't seem nearly as attractive anymore.

Hohumhurrdurr said:
It is? Huh. I thought the down payments applied for people on the Value Plan and the Classic Plan subsidizes the phone cost so you only pay the initial down payment. Could be wrong though.
Well, for $500 bucks ($300ish if I wait a month or so I suppose) a Nexus 4 doesn't seem nearly as attractive anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was under the impression they only offered it with value plans. I'm probably wrong.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.

Hohumhurrdurr said:
Hey guys, been reading a bunch of reviews and have been wondering about which phone to get for my upgrade. Coming from a T-Mobile G2 (HTC Desire Z), I've really been struggling between all the flagships like S3, Note 2, N4, and even the new Nokia. Some facts:
- I'm on T-Mobile Classic Plan, so an N4 upgrade would cost $200
- No, I don't plan on switching from T-Mobile any time in the near future
- I'm a student, so there is WiFi in 90% of the places I go
- I intend to use the phone primarily for texting, social media, and news
- I don't game on my phone and my music library is under 50 songs
- I am very satisfied with the build quality of my current phone, I have only dropped it 1-2 times in 2 years, but would prefer a phone that can survive a fall or two
- I want a phone that is built to last the next two years before I can upgrade again
If anyone who owns an N4 can tell me if it seems like a good fit for me, I would greatly appreciate it! Reading reviews and posts about specs like AMOLED vs. LCD and benchmarks really doesn't translate into real world use for me.
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Click to collapse
I have nexus 4, note ii and siii with me. To answer your questions first thing you want to decide is, are you going to do lot of flashing and rooting and tweaking on your phone? If yes then stop thinking and get nexus 4 right away. There is no better option if you wanna do that. No need to even read further. If not then i would recommend note ii. There are multiple reasons for that. 1) you said you are not going to play lot of games on your phone. Note ii and nexus 4 are similar in many aspects but gpu. Nexus 4 gpu is much much better and hence much better gaming. As gaming is not your concern it would be fine... 2) You are going to do lots of texting, social media and news. In these cases bigger screen comes in handy. Also according to some reviews note ii performs much better with html 5 benchmarks than nexus 4. Also features like pop up browser and all comes in handy. Speaking from experience. 3) You are a student. S-pen might help you a lot for taking notes and all. 4) Nexus 4 has gorgeous build quality. But great things comes with great responsibility. you have to be careful with this device with glass on both sides.
This video might help you a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cZp6YGBEW0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I use both the phones. I have to have one working phone for my business and other reasons. And i also love to do all the rooting and flashing roms. I learnt the hard way not to do this on same phones. I love both phones for completely different reasons.
Hope this helps...
Forgot to add one thing. I am not anal about the displays and color rendering and all. I personally like note ii display. Not for colors and all. I am no professional or expert on all that. I just like bigger screen. Hehe..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

It's offered with the classic plans as well. I can confirm that I paid $200 for mine with a two-year extension.
estallings15 said:
I was under the impression they only offered it with value plans. I'm probably wrong.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.
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Mandatory prepaid post
I think it's mandatory when someone posts a thread like this for someone to suggest they go prepaid. I guess I'm that guy. So, why not go prepaid?
On the cheapest classic plan, you're paying $70 per month for 500 minutes and 2GB of 4G data. Over two years, that's:
$70*24 + 200 = $1,880.
If you want more minutes or data, of course you're paying more.
You can do Straight Talk and get a T-Mobile SIM card and pay $45 per month. Unlimited voice, uncertain amount of data but probably at least 2GB per month. You buy the phone from Google, of course.
$45*24 + 350 = $1,430.
If you don't like Straight Talk, you can try Solavei for $49 per month or possibly the new Go Smart mobile for $45. They offer at least 4GB of high speed data per month.
And if you end up not liking their service or network, you can switch to AT&T's network any time you want.
The savings are significant enough that I'd seriously consider waiting a month or two to get my phone.

dan in la said:
I think it's mandatory when someone posts a thread like this for someone to suggest they go prepaid. I guess I'm that guy. So, why not go prepaid?
On the cheapest classic plan, you're paying $70 per month for 500 minutes and 2GB of 4G data. Over two years, that's:
$70*24 + 200 = $1,880.
If you want more minutes or data, of course you're paying more.
You can do Straight Talk and get a T-Mobile SIM card and pay $45 per month. Unlimited voice, uncertain amount of data but probably at least 2GB per month. You buy the phone from Google, of course.
$45*24 + 350 = $1,430.
If you don't like Straight Talk, you can try Solavei for $49 per month or possibly the new Go Smart mobile for $45. They offer at least 4GB of high speed data per month.
And if you end up not liking their service or network, you can switch to AT&T's network any time you want.
The savings are significant enough that I'd seriously consider waiting a month or two to get my phone.
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Maybe? I'm not sure what the costs boil down to in the end, but I know that my whole family (5 people) is is on the Classic Plan with my father simply adding 4 other lines to his plan. I believe additional lines have significantly lower costs, but thanks for the heads-up, I'll check out the costs.

It seems like a good fit BUT you are wasting money staying on the classic plan, you'd be better off paying $300 for the phone and switching to the $30 prepaid or straight talk.
The build quality is better than the G2 by a good margin, I have a G2 and that hinge is janky, but don't expect the N4 to survive multiple drops without a case. The N4 will be the most up to date phone for the next 2 years, that is available today, you might be looking for something else in a phone but to me that was important.
I was fully expecting to spend $650 on a phone, I was going to buy the iphone 5 off contract and still will but it'll be 6mos from now, so I could have bought any of the flagship phones right now and IMO the N4 is the best choice out of the current crop of android phones.
---------- Post added at 11:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 PM ----------
Hohumhurrdurr said:
Maybe? I'm not sure what the costs boil down to in the end, but I know that my whole family (5 people) is is on the Classic Plan with my father simply adding 4 other lines to his plan. I believe additional lines have significantly lower costs, but thanks for the heads-up, I'll check out the costs.
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Click to collapse
With tmo usually the 2nd line is cheap to add ($10 or less) but on the 3rd/4th/etc line it is usually the same $10 add on fee plus whatever the data/texting costs are (for me to add a third unl data/taxting line was going to cost ~$50 total.) I would definitely sit down with your dad and see if tmo is really giving him the best deal a lot of people still aren't taking the long view with phone contracts (sure the phone is $200 to start but it costs you an exxtra $2k over the course of 2 years.) AND tmo charges you ~15% in tax, I negated that with a 15% plan employee discount but still with prepaid you can avoid it altogether.

It seems like a good fit for you.

The G2 is pretty old.. you'll have to get used to the lack of a physical keyboard (I used to have a Nokia N97 before switching to touchscreen keyboard).
Hm, if you like flashing roms and having the ability to customize your phone, then I would say N4 is a good fit. Since you're on a classic family plan then having one additional line is just $10 more plus data (do you have family texting bundle?). If you don't mind putting more money down, then I would suggest to not buy it not from t-mobile as it's the exact same phone as what google offers, but the price is so much higher. As long as you don't mind with dealing with buying from third parties. You can either save your upgrade for when the iphone 5 comes out and perhaps resell that at a higher value, or to get something like galaxy s3 now to resell. Also, if you speak with a tmobile loyalty rep over the phone, you may be able to get a phone for less than the standard price since you'll be upgrading.
The N4 definitely has a nicer feel to it, though I don't know how well it will survive against falls due to the front and back glass. But.. you stated you rarely drop your phone so that's good .

i think jalshah05 makes some pretty good points when it comes to the note ii. i mean you get the best of both worlds or a tablet and phone. i had an s3 and it was awesome........until i accidentally dropped it face first onto concrete the day before i was about to sell it. =(
i was able to get a hold of the N4. aside from at&t not recognizing the phone officially and not getting the 4g speed i was paying (i finally switched over and get out of at&t), it's a pretty solid phone. you just have to be careful if you don't have a case since the glass could crack if dropped (some people reporting that). i guess the big thing is that you'll always have first dibs on any android updates that come out. if you like to flash different roms, i guess that won't make much of a difference.
but i'm like you. i don't game much. mainly for texting, calling, web surfing, social media, random internet apps (like looking up movies or sports scores) and i couldn't be happier.

go with Nexus 4!