Android Handset owners - give me your views !

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mainlydata

60 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#81051 7-Apr-2011 12:11

Woke up this morning to find my old Nokia has died

Looking to replace it with an Android based handset - would appreciate some recommendations from owners. My ignorance is broad and deep

Here are the things which are important to me (I appreciate some of these are dependent upon apps you install but it's just to give an idea of the type of thing I use it for)

* Ability to use WLAN where available
* Good roaming capabilities
* Multi-day battery under light usage
* Good keyboard - I've got big hands ! (either physical or decent sized virtualized)
* Only occassional web browsing
* Don't want to re-install/patch the OS supplied with it
* Available off the shelf in NZ
* Preferably < NZD500, certainly < NZD700

Anyone like to suggest a candidate phone

[Also if there's some drop-dead-must-have feature on your current phone which I haven't mentioned but you couldn't live without would you mention that too ?]

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60 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#456341 7-Apr-2011 12:14

Don't know how I forgot to mention this.

After using it to talk - email is the most important thing I use the phone for. If I could find a phone that did that well off the shelf that would be great.

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#456343 7-Apr-2011 12:18

Galaxy i5503t
* Wifi good
* Good roaming capabilities - good on XT, average on 2degrees/voda, ie 3g doesn't work in all places
* Roughly see a day with light useage
* Keyboard is too small for my fingers
* Fine for web browsing
* Fine with it's current OS
* Available off the shelf in NZ
* Got it for $249

Galaxy i5700
* Wifi good
* Good roaming capabilities - good on 2degrees/voda, doesn't work on XT
* Round 1.5-2 days light usage on stock 2.1
* Keyboard is fine, 3.2" screen size helps
* Fine for web browsing
* Fine with it's current OS
* Available off the shelf in NZ/From NZ Online retailers
* Got it for $389

Galaxy S
* Wifi Excellent, wifi tethering is great too
* Good roaming capabilities - Good on 2degrees/voda, need the i9000t for XT
* See 2-3 days with light useage now on 2.3, with 2.1/2.2 you see a bit less
* Keyboard is excellent
* Excelent for web browsing
* With it's current OS 2.1, is good, although gets a bit laggy after a few apps are installed. 2.3 is just round the corner though and is as simple as plugging the phone in. Just hope Telecom/Vodafone update their carrier packs and get it the updates out to NZ phones. My UK based phone gets them a few months earlier.
* Can be found on special for round 650-799...wait for the Easter specials, hopefully someone will do a good deal(Noels were $749 at the cheapest on special) I paid 1024 for mine last June though. And with the Galaxy S II coming up, there will be some extra good deals on the Galaxy S

Oh and email from 1.6-2.3 is good :)
I use Gmail and email all the time. And most days also use Google Talk, for any contacts who have it

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

Kiwi1971

696 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 9

#456354 7-Apr-2011 12:48

With regard to the keyboard.
Once you have the phone, you have a lot of choices with regard to these.
I currently use SwiftKey which learns your common sentence structure so it you find you use the same phrases in a lot of emails or texts, it will begin to pop the usual next word and 2 other words that most commonly follow the word you typed as well as the normal predictive text stuff. I find that I can sometimes type a whole sentence with just one press for each word as it accurately guesses what my likely next word is.

Swype is an easy one, you don't tap as such, you drag your finger across the keys that have the letters of the word you want [in the right order] to type and it is pretty accurate at guessing what you were going for. I think it might also learn your common words but I am not 100% on that.

There will undoubtedly be other keyboards with large keys if you have larger fingers but if that's the case then something that moves away from actual tapping might be preferable.

Let us know what you end up with.

DLS

Kiwi1971

696 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 9

#456355 7-Apr-2011 12:51

vinnieg:
Galaxy i5503t
Galaxy i5700
Galaxy S

Big Galaxy fan I see

I'm on my second HTC [Windows Mobile then Android] and have found them pretty good also.
I imported mine so I can't really comment on where you would get the best deal of the shelf.

Is anyone making a bad Android phone currently, that might be useful to know?

DLS

semigeek

1606 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

#456357 7-Apr-2011 12:55

vinnieg:

Galaxy S
* Wifi Excellent, wifi tethering is great too
* Good roaming capabilities - Good on 2degrees/voda, need the i9000t for XT
* See 2-3 days with light useage now on 2.3, with 2.1/2.2 you see a bit less

Did you do 2.3 through root?

sittingduckz

689 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 288

ID Verified

#456358 7-Apr-2011 12:57

Galaxy S +1

I'm not a complete idiot, I still have some parts missing.

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

mainlydata

60 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#456669 8-Apr-2011 10:37

Thanks to all of you for responses - esp vinnieg for details of various phones. The good news is I found that with a bit of paperclip usage I can make my old phone work (On/Off button had disintegrated) so I can put off buy at least for a few days . Will take a look at the phones mentioned. Thanks again.

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#456674 8-Apr-2011 10:46

semigeek:
vinnieg:

Galaxy S
* Wifi Excellent, wifi tethering is great too
* Good roaming capabilities - Good on 2degrees/voda, need the i9000t for XT
* See 2-3 days with light useage now on 2.3, with 2.1/2.2 you see a bit less

Did you do 2.3 through root?

Yeah through Odin, then rooted. I didn't have a problem with the maps as some people on Gingerbread have(ie taking up all the battery) and my Latitude seems good still :)

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#456678 8-Apr-2011 10:55

Kiwi1971:
vinnieg:
Galaxy i5503t
Galaxy i5700
Galaxy S

Big Galaxy fan I see

I'm on my second HTC [Windows Mobile then Android] and have found them pretty good also.
I imported mine so I can't really comment on where you would get the best deal of the shelf.

Is anyone making a bad Android phone currently, that might be useful to know?

DLS

haha yeah, Galaxy and HTC for me :) brilliant phones, also had a nexus one for a week, brilliant phone!

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

pando

235 posts

Master Geek

#456707 8-Apr-2011 12:07

If you want a proper qwerty keyboard look no further than the Desire Z http://www.clove.co.uk/htc-desire-z

* WLAN
* Good roaming
* Easily 2 days usage
* Good flip out k/b
* HTC support :)
* Not sure on NZ availability though as I bought mine offshore for ~$690 delivered

Personally if emailing is your big thing that you really do need a physical keyboard as being able to access all the punctuation and symbols quickly is so much easier and you don't have to worry about auto spell screwing up words. The added benefits of a slide/flip out k/b is it gives you a full screen view (no virtual k/b taking up the screen) and better grip if you like two thumb typing.

mainlydata

60 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#456709 8-Apr-2011 12:20

@pando - coincidentally I had found this one myself just today. Towards the upper end of the price range but I did find it appealing.

When you say 'HTC Support' is that good ... not sure if you're being sarcastic ?

Regarding NZ availability it seems that eking have them ...

http://eking.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=254

... don't know anything eking but they *seem* to be a NZ supplier

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

Kiwi1971

696 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 9

#456713 8-Apr-2011 12:26

mainlydata: @pando - coincidentally I had found this one myself just today. Towards the upper end of the price range but I did find it appealing.

When you say 'HTC Support' is that good ... not sure if you're being sarcastic ?

Regarding NZ availability it seems that eking have them ...

http://eking.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=254

... don't know anything eking but they *seem* to be a NZ supplier

NO, not NZ based. Eking are based out of Hong Kong. I got my HTC Desire from them. Arrived in about 8 days after it was apparently held up by HK customs. Service was OK but when it wouldn't update to 2.2 they didn't seem to care and even went as far as to warn me not to update it as 2.2 is not good and causes problems.

The phone had chinese keyboard and other stuff that wasn't needed so I just rooted it and installed a custom ROM.

DLS

pando

235 posts

Master Geek

#456716 8-Apr-2011 12:34

Clove delivered within 5 days.

The Z is in Australian stores if you're going that way but I went clove when the NZD was buy 48p and did very well.

Personally I do think HTC have good support. It comes with 2.2 standard and an over the air update to 2.2.1 came out last month and 2.3 is in the pipeline but TBH the standard 2.2 with sense UI has everything I need and runs very well.

hazza87

352 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#456743 8-Apr-2011 13:44

Am I missing something or is the Huawei X5 not the obvious choice in this price range?

itxtme

2102 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 557

#456752 8-Apr-2011 13:57

hazza87: Am I missing something or is the Huawei X5 not the obvious choice in this price range?

+1 screen size with Swype is awesome :)

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