The official Android thread (discuss Android OS and supporting phones here)

[Griff3n]

I was wondering if you guys could recommend me a smartphone...

I'm looking for something between R2000 and R3000. It just has to run WhatsApp and preferably not be a touchscreen. I don't really need a camera or anything fancy, as I said, I just want to use IM and Facebook on it.

I took a look at Samsung's Galaxy Ace, but I'm not too hot for that phone, as I have a history of crappy Samsung phones. HTC and Nokia have some great phones, but they don't run Android.

So I guess what I'm asking is this:

1. How do HTC and Nokia's OS' hold up against Android?
2. Recommend me a phone that falls between R2000 and R3000 that can run WhatsApp smoothly.

I would recommend an HTC any day of the week. HTC sense is great. I am not a fan of Samsung either but they make good low end smart phones. If you are not that into touch you best option [and it pains me to say this] is a Blackberry. If When you do decide that you dont like blackberry the Samsung Ace is a good phone.

GSM Arena is fantastic if you have an idea of what you are looking for. I did a search for your price range
The HTC One V is a really good phone as well.

HTC runs Android. And until my screen cracked my HTC Desire was the best phone ever.

Did you ever get that screen fixed? Youtube is a great resource and ebay.

[Spindleshanks]

Excellent! Thanks Wesley and Griff3n.

I looked at the Nokia E6 a bit and it really looks like a superb option for me, though HTC has a pretty sweet bit of tech in the One V...

Okay, you guys definitely narrowed it down. Fanks sirs!

[Toxxyc]

May I enquire as to why you are reluctant to enter the wonderous world of touch-screen displays, and therefore to miss out on the wonders of what is known as "ANGRY BIRDS"?

[Spindleshanks]

Meh. It's too gimmicky for me and besides, nothings beats the feeling of a real knob under the finger.

:}

[x-scon]

I can't imagine sacrificing any screen real estate to add buttons. Touch screens and their keyboards really have improved a lot. Don't knock it before you thoroughly tried it out. I don't see the need for physical buttons at all any more. I love my Galaxy S2! ;)

[maxdamage]

Meh. It's too gimmicky for me and besides, nothings beats the feeling of a real knob under the finger.

:}

I have a Samsung Soul(SGH-U900V vodafone ruined version) which has a small touchscreen to navigate the phones menus,etc.. but I find typing\working on my dad's motorola defy is easier because of the big touch screen and navigating the menus can be bit of a pain because I struggle to get it to recognize my finger touches.

As much as I like my phone touchscreens can be fun to work on.I find android phones like the Samsung Pocket to be pointless as I find it difficult to type on its small screen...I do find the Android os to be extremely lacking in proper phone features that phones like mine have by default which is annoying.

[gordanfreeman50]

I realised today why I love my android device. I can do ANYTHING with it. I had to move my PC downstairs away from my dads study. The problem is our router is in his study. And my PC does not have WiFi. Luckily I have an AOKP Rom on my I9000 so I just connect to the router and plug the phone into my PC and select USB tether. The speed is not great but enough for browsing the web.

[gordanfreeman50]

My cousin got a Galaxy S3 yesterday, and let the shouting commence, I don't like it.

I much prefer my original Galaxy currently running Jellybean.
I don't like how the corners are rounded, I don't like all the touch wiz features that cause lag. I don't like thickness and overall design.

While we were there I played with a Galaxy Nexus as well. Obviously its instore so still running ICS (I dont know how cellphone stores can be so uninformed about the product they sell). And I realised what I hate most of all on the S3 is the fact that samsung has taken the very mature looking ICS and made it slow and cartoonish.

The only addition I would have made to my phone is an NFC chip. Not a flash even, or an LED indicator. My phone is not for taking pictures. I have a camera for that .My phone is for quickly snapping a pic. And on my phone htey look decent. LED is not needed as ICs and JB use BLN and it works just fine.

Overall my next Android device will be a nexus device (or an unbrickable device like my I9000).
I like where Google is going with Android, I hate what Samsung is doing to it. I know they need gimmicks like tapping the top of the phone to get to the top of the contacts list but I dont need it.

I just wish I could get a Nexus 7 :(

[Legion]

My cousin got a Galaxy S3 yesterday, and let the shouting commence, I don't like it.

I much prefer my original Galaxy currently running Jellybean.
I don't like how the corners are rounded, I don't like all the touch wiz features that cause lag. I don't like thickness and overall design.

While we were there I played with a Galaxy Nexus as well. Obviously its instore so still running ICS (I dont know how cellphone stores can be so uninformed about the product they sell). And I realised what I hate most of all on the S3 is the fact that samsung has taken the very mature looking ICS and made it slow and cartoonish.

The only addition I would have made to my phone is an NFC chip. Not a flash even, or an LED indicator. My phone is not for taking pictures. I have a camera for that .My phone is for quickly snapping a pic. And on my phone htey look decent. LED is not needed as ICs and JB use BLN and it works just fine.

Overall my next Android device will be a nexus device (or an unbrickable device like my I9000).
I like where Google is going with Android, I hate what Samsung is doing to it. I know they need gimmicks like tapping the top of the phone to get to the top of the contacts list but I dont need it.

I just wish I could get a Nexus 7 :(

I was a bit worried about the SGS3.
The hardware looked up to spec.
Lets wait to see what rom developers say.
I personally hate those round edge's.

[Toxxyc]

My cousin got a Galaxy S3 yesterday, and let the shouting commence, I don't like it.

No hating here. I dislike the phone as well. Specs are sharp, but nothing justifies them. I've still got a normal SGS, and that's pretty sweet. To me, best phone in the Samsung range to take would be the SGS2. It's more than strong enough, looks very good and has decent battery life. SGS3 isn't something I'd be interested in.

[echo]

I have a SGS3 and I absolutely adore it. Everything about it is perfect: Huge screen, super battery, lightning fast everything. Never been happier with a phone.

[Legion]

Let me just point out to people here.
The nexus devices will always have the best roms.
Source is fully open.

[gordanfreeman50]

Legion if you stumble upon a place where I can buy a Nexus 7 for a reasonable price please tell me :)
And echo I am sure you have a lot of reason to be happy. It is arguably the best phone in existince. I just realised that I prefer vanilla android. Or AOKP Roms anyway. But alas not sure if this is android but anyway when i upgrade next year I want to use my SGS as gaming console media remote etc. Can I strap on the cooler from my old asus 8600 to the back of the phone to keep it cool while emulating N64 all day?

[Legion]

Legion if you stumble upon a place where I can buy a Nexus 7 for a reasonable price please tell me :)
And echo I am sure you have a lot of reason to be happy. It is arguably the best phone in existince. I just realised that I prefer vanilla android. Or AOKP Roms anyway. But alas not sure if this is android but anyway when i upgrade next year I want to use my SGS as gaming console media remote etc. Can I strap on the cooler from my old asus 8600 to the back of the phone to keep it cool while emulating N64 all day?

lol.. disable the radio. "airplane mode"
And she should not get so hot.
Will do, because I'm looking for one myself.

[gordanfreeman50]

Thanks legion. Keep me posted!
I really like what Google is doing. The IO event was enlightening, Google Glass. Amazing that such technology exists today. Trying hard not to compare to Apple but their conferences this year seemed to consist of "we made these new screens". It just seems as though Apple has less direction without Steve (may he rest in peace).
I love that google shows products when bugs are still present. They show us what is possible. Just my opinion, I may be completely incorrect and opiniated

[Legion]

Look steve did some great stuff.
"i loved my apple ][e computer"

But there are many people why have done even more and received nothing.
Without using google try to tell me who made the C language.
A man that was never celebrated, yet it's still the most popular programing language today... even on android.

Steve has some insight.. but the I-phone is a rip off of the LG Prada.

[gordanfreeman50]

....Without using google ....

I see what you did there! ;)

[Wesley]

Off-topic, Steve was a marketer and did have a great deal of mechanical and electronic knowledge on his own, so its not like he only designed Apple's products and marketed them, he had a hand in the technology inside them too. Many people who claim to not like Jobs aren't aware that he was actually a lot more geeky than we give him credit for - working for HP back in the early days isn't something to be played down. In the end he understood people like he did technology, and played both those strengths to give the public what they wanted initially, and then made them want what he was offering later. (a lot of people don't make the distinction between the two)

But back to the Nexus family, I'd get one if I could afford it. I played with a Galaxy Tab 7.0 over the weekend while in Graaff-Reinet (still running Froyo, the horror) and found the relatively stock Android OS to be a pleasure. If I ever got a tablet for myself, it'd be the Nexus 7".

Without using google try to tell me who made the C language.
A man that was never celebrated, yet it's still the most popular programing language today... even on android.

Its not like Stroustrup was completely forgotten, though. AFAIK, everything that changes in C++ runs through him first. That's unlike Torvalds, who basically just let Linux take a course on its own, but is better remembered.

[Wesley]

Flash Player removed from the Google Play store

If you’re running an Android device and wanted to play Flash-based games or wanted it enabled in your browser, you have a few hours left to download it off the Google Play store before Adobe takes it off the service. Citing a decline in the amount of websites using Flash to deliver content, Adobe no longer sees its Player being a player in the mobile space again, at least not for smartphones or Android tablets.

Linky

[Legion]

Flash Player removed from the Google Play store



Linky

Interesting... i wonder how this will effect games that use it in the core engine.