Android Phones from DSE

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miamiheatfan

259 posts

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#73408 13-Dec-2010 23:54

Hi guys,
So far I've bought my phones from parallel imported.
I currently have an unlocked N95.

I plan to sell it to get a new low budget android (aprox $400-500 max)

I've been looking at the LG P500 from DSE , what do you guys think of it ?
sound quality any good ? (with headphones on)

NOw my question is:

All those phones sold under Vodafone or 2Degrees...are they locked to the network AND do they load the phones with the super ugly custom Voda or 2Degrees skin/OS (vodafone live etc etc) ?

Because they did that with the Voda N95.

Also is the box or package altered to Vodafone specific in anyway ?

richms

28168 posts

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#416858 14-Dec-2010 00:35

No phones in NZ are locked, the commerce commission interfered with that when vodafone last started to do it. Thanks for no free handsets comcom..

I dont recall any horrid vodafone branding on either the 845 or the $800 one I had a play with recently.

Richard rich.ms

Ragnor

8219 posts

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#416860 14-Dec-2010 00:55

Vodafone 845 has some vodafone apps you can't uninstall eg: 360 people etc otherwise seems pretty clean and mostly default android stuff.

You can always flash with a custom rom to get rid of the vodafone firmware. Mr Edition is good I hear.

miamiheatfan

259 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#416991 14-Dec-2010 11:43

What about the LG Optimus P500?

Has anyone bought that phone from DSE ?

So what does it exactly mean when it's sold under Voda or 2Degrees ? Difference in box/package ? logo etc. ?

kyhwana2

2566 posts

Uber Geek

#417019 14-Dec-2010 12:23

Some of the vodafone ones have vodafone stuff on them. But if you do a bit of research, you can find out if they're rootable or get a custom ROM for it.

Spong

1005 posts

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#417354 14-Dec-2010 23:14

miamiheatfan: What about the LG Optimus P500?

Has anyone bought that phone from DSE ?

So what does it exactly mean when it's sold under Voda or 2Degrees ? Difference in box/package ? logo etc. ?

I bought the Optimus P500 from DSE in the weekend for $404, and got the 2D $150 top up credit as per the current 2D promotion. I see they've now continued the special and dropped it further to $399. It came with absolutely no 2 Degrees branding or settings. It comes with a sheet advising how to download APN settings etc as a text message via the SIM applications menu on your 2D SIM (very straight forward). This is my first taste of Android after owning an iphone 2G for 3x years plus various Nokias. Very very impressive little phone and everything runs pretty smoothly and fast. Display is a little smaller than my iphone 2G and not as sharp, but for the money, very impressed indeed. Comes with NDrive 10 Navigation and a screen mount so no map downloads required. Not up to the standard of my Navman, but workable.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

miamiheatfan

259 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#417364 14-Dec-2010 23:31

Hi Spong, thanks alot for the reply

Looks like i might get this phone after all.

One last question to confirm: It doesn't come with any sim card right ? Because i've got my voda sim already.

NZRobin

161 posts

Master Geek

#417382 15-Dec-2010 00:29

After seeing your post I went onto Pricespy and found out how great DSE price was. So I went in to DSE Wairau Park yesterday and bought the last one they had. With the free $150 top up its got to be one of the best no plan smart-phone deals around. On top of that it came with a 2Gb micro-sd card pre-installed.

Very impressed so far. Still learning my way around. Finding the option button useful for that. Haven't figured out yet whether hitting the go back button is turning the apps off or if they are still running in the background as most of the pre-installed apps don't seem to have a close button! Could have done with a much more comprehensive manual rather than the little start up booklet in the box. After-all not everyone is a phone geek. My old phone was a 1st generation Nokia 1100 that could only receive but not send text with my 2Degree sim-card. My previous Vodafone sim wasn't even Vodafone live capable!

The swipe texting system is at the moment interesting. I think that as I get to know it it'll get quicker and easier to use. It's lucky the accuracy can be turned down as my fat fingers can easily register the wrong letters. The lower the accuracy setting the more forgiving the swipe system is and the more time it'll spend trying to figure out the word I'm trying to type giving me suggestions if I've mashed it up badly. It even figures out a space is needed between each word and puts it in automatically.

I used my old phone as a count-down timer alarm but haven't found that feature. At the moment I'm setting alarms instead. Of course there is always the apps store to check out. I believe the phone can load apps onto the SD card which means your only limited by the processor. Another Android phone I was interested in before this one was released, only allowed apps to be loaded to it's on-board memory.

There's a couple of extensive reviews on GSM-Arena and Phon-Arena websites.

Equinox IT

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NZRobin

161 posts

Master Geek

#417383 15-Dec-2010 00:31

And no, it doesn't come with a sim-card.

Spong

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#417385 15-Dec-2010 00:46

Yes as an Android virgin, I've been down much the same path as you, and haven't read the manual yet. You may like to download a free task killer app like "Advanced Task Killer" from the market, as strangely I've found the same that it's pretty much impossible to close some programs. Multi-tasking doesn't seem to kill performance though. Pleased to see some of my iphone favourites or equivalents were there in the market also, e.g. Shazam, Skype, WiFi buddy, Speed test, Currency Converters etc. Interestingly, wifi interenet speed absolutely blows my iphone 2g away, despite running on the same 54g network. Haven't done a 3G speedtest yet, as I'm still running it with a spare 2D SIM. My fingers are too big for the keyboard also, and I'm going to try a couple of alternative keyboard apps. Haven't got the knack of Swype yet. Copied my 2GB card to an 8GB card and no problems yet.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

old3eyes

9119 posts

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Subscriber

#417438 15-Dec-2010 08:31

richms: No phones in NZ are locked, the commerce commission interfered with that when vodafone last started to do it. Thanks for no free handsets comcom..

I dont recall any horrid vodafone branding on either the 845 or the $800 one I had a play with recently.

You really want to see locked handsets in NZ?? Your nuts..

Regards,

Old3eyes

lokhor

2858 posts

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#417448 15-Dec-2010 08:53

For those with the LG P500 there's a section on XDA forums dedicated http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=836

I think there's a guide to enable JIT which will increase the speed considerably.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

richms

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#417599 15-Dec-2010 13:17

old3eyes:
You really want to see locked handsets in NZ?? Your nuts..

If it means they are free like in the UK, then yes. Plus there is always a man at the markets with the latest gadgets to unlock and reflash them if needed ;)

Richard rich.ms

langers1972

1039 posts

Uber Geek

#417612 15-Dec-2010 13:46

richms:
old3eyes:
You really want to see locked handsets in NZ?? Your nuts..

If it means they are free like in the UK, then yes. Plus there is always a man at the markets with the latest gadgets to unlock and reflash them if needed ;)

The ones that are free in the UK are not locked as they're on the pay monthly plans, the PAYG ones generally are and you have to pay for those.

The pay monthly phone are basically offered as carrots to get you to sign to a particular network so they subsidise the handset cost in order to snare you're monthly spend for 12/24 months

Brendan

716 posts

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#417619 15-Dec-2010 14:07

richms: No phones in NZ are locked, the commerce commission interfered with that when vodafone last started to do it. Thanks for no free handsets comcom..

I didn't know that.

Yes, thank you commerce commission, I do NOT want our handsets locked to a provider, and NO, they are not really free are they (you'd be locked into some expensive contract anyway).

talisker

65 posts

Master Geek

#417622 15-Dec-2010 14:10

richms:
old3eyes:
You really want to see locked handsets in NZ?? Your nuts..

If it means they are free like in the UK, then yes. Plus there is always a man at the markets with the latest gadgets to unlock and reflash them if needed ;)

But you do get free phones here - what's the problem? i.e. vodafone 845 free from VF if you take a particular 24 month plan. You could argue that the free phones here aren't as good as the free phones in the UK, but that applies to many things due to the small size and lower level of competition in the NZ market. For example, Kiwibank are currently trumpeting a 2.99% rate on credit card balance transfers. 0% is common in the UK. But I'd rather live here.