Graham S Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Just wanna jump onto this one... Finally got my first Android phone at the weekend due to giving up waiting for a white iPhone 4. As I didn't wanna get stuck in a 18-24 month contract and probably end up missing out on an iPhone 5, I went and got a Orange San Francisco. £99 on PAYG. Being on O2, I had to get the phone unlocked, which I found a website offering this service for free and an instant unlock code, which worked perfect.. Now, after that was done, it was then off to Gav's (a 5 second walk next door:)) to work his magic on debranding/rooting to 2.2 (from 2.1 running stupid Orange crap!). He certainly knows his shit! Thanks dude... Anyways, phone is now running a custom ROM (is that the right words Gav?) and would honestly say is a fantastic phone. For £99 its a very cheapy feeling phone but the screen/touch input is, hate to say it.... definately iPhone 3G/S level, at least. Since Gav's sorted it, the battery life has increase by at least double and still going strong! As for an Android V iOS.... Well, the biggest arse ache for me, as Gav said is iTunes.. Biggest load of baby gravy ever. I hate it with a passion. I hate the way I had a iPhone, an iPod etc and its SOOO hard to not either wipe each/all devices and to have different things on both. Overall ease of use, iOS may just pip the android OS but it certainly is growing on me. I love the way there are ALOT more features to android and so much more can be done with it. Simple things like angry birds.. The wife has my old 3G and has to pay 59p for it where-as I got that and seasons, for free.. I'm sorry, silly things like that are really do bug me. Apple need to loosen up a bit I think and stop looking at making bigger wallets and think more of the user and end experience. On a plus note for iOS i'd say the app store is alot nicer and easier to use than the andriod market and the overall look of the iPhone 4 does look and feel like a nicer phone than any of the droid phones, which for most of us i'm sure, is what makes us buy a phone in the first place? Although, I'm liking the look of the Desire HD! As for the Windows phone 7, I think the look of those tiles is enough to put me off without even going any further into the phone. Personally, i'd rather look at a nice pic of my car or kids than stupid coloured boxes, sorry... tiles Big thanks again to Gav for being so gimp and knowing what all that mumbo jumbo on the screen means (even if its upside down;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 ....and knowing what all that mumbo jumbo on the screen means (even if its upside down;)) Yup, still makes me chuckle that the blade is built upside down and they flip the screen in the software Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 Google/Motorola start demoing 3.0 (Honeycomb) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/07/honeycomb_tablet/ http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20101206/googles-andy-rubin-shows-off-prototype-motorola-tablet/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinlexusV8 Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 ..... As for the Windows phone 7, I think the look of those tiles is enough to put me off without even going any further into the phone. Personally, i'd rather look at a nice pic of my car or kids than stupid coloured boxes, sorry... tiles .... I though the same too ... but trust me the screen and UI on a WP7 device is very well though through and the most advanced. From the adverts I thought it is just tiles and looks bland and who wants squares on the home screen. But actually it is not. The home screen is a living and breathing thing. The tiles have animations and they update on the go. Example if I listen to an album then the Music Hub gets the wallpaper of the last listened album n the wallpaper also animates. Same is the case with the images hub. The peoples hub always animates between your social network contacts images. Also it is the most customizable compared to iOS screen. You can pin an app, a hub, a contact, a pic, a map with address, a website, to the home screen. Look how the lock screen looks on my phone. Not bad for the first version and the updates are coming thick and fast. I only pay £22 per month on my phone on a 2 month contract. Quite a lot of phone for £22 I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham S Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Google/Motorola start demoing 3.0 (Honeycomb) http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x27/lifeatmost/GadgetGallery/motorola-motopad-android-30.jpg http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/07/honeycomb_tablet/ http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20101206/googles-andy-rubin-shows-off-prototype-motorola-tablet/ How do all these companies get away with such a blatant iPad rip-off? Looks nice though, but thats cause it looks like an iPad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham S Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 I though the same too ... but trust me the screen and UI on a WP7 device is very well though through and the most advanced. From the adverts I thought it is just tiles and looks bland and who wants squares on the home screen. But actually it is not. The home screen is a living and breathing thing. The tiles have animations and they update on the go. Example if I listen to an album then the Music Hub gets the wallpaper of the last listened album n the wallpaper also animates. Same is the case with the images hub. The peoples hub always animates between your social network contacts images. Also it is the most customizable compared to iOS screen. You can pin an app, a hub, a contact, a pic, a map with address, a website, to the home screen. Look how the lock screen looks on my phone. Not bad for the first version and the updates are coming thick and fast. I only pay £22 per month on my phone on a 2 month contract. Quite a lot of phone for £22 I think. http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=123900&d=1291750174 Yeah thats nice, I could do a lock screen on my iPhone like that 2 years ago! I'm assuming you meant 24 month contract not 2 month.. Basically my cheap android has paid for itself in less than 5 months of your £22 contract! Not having a go at you dude, it just really isn't 'doing it' for me as yet... But I did have a play with the desire7 thing in the O2 shop and i'm still yet to be convinced. I may have another proper look in a couple of months. Maybe, I think i would help if you could make the tiles smaller and not 'fill' the screen with them and then give you an option of putting your own wallpaper on rather than black or white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 I though the same too ... but trust me the screen and UI on a WP7 device is very well though through and the most advanced. From the adverts I thought it is just tiles and looks bland and who wants squares on the home screen. But actually it is not. The home screen is a living and breathing thing. The tiles have animations and they update on the go. Example if I listen to an album then the Music Hub gets the wallpaper of the last listened album n the wallpaper also animates. Same is the case with the images hub. The peoples hub always animates between your social network contacts images. Also it is the most customizable compared to iOS screen. You can pin an app, a hub, a contact, a pic, a map with address, a website, to the home screen. Look how the lock screen looks on my phone. Not bad for the first version and the updates are coming thick and fast. I only pay £22 per month on my phone on a 2 month contract. Quite a lot of phone for £22 I think. http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=123900&d=1291750174 He's doing it again. Make him stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creative Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Using the ADW Launcher, is it possible to have the bluetooth/wireless/3G/GPS widget control buttons? Not the bar one, the individual button ones that are available from "Widgets/Settings" when adding on the regular Froyo? have look on the market for droidmania toggle widgets. I have bluetooth, wifi, network and ring/vibrate on mine. edit: Heres what the widgets look like. Only ones I have found and actually liked AND work as they should! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 have look on the market for droidmania toggle widgets. I have bluetooth, wifi, network and ring/vibrate on mine. Cheers bud, I did find a couple but I ended up giving up. There are too many un-useable wigets for me to change over so I am back to stock. I really really liked a few of the options too. I just don't want to be without the people widget, music widget, friendstream widget etc etc etc. I did search for alternatives but they are mostly crap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted December 21, 2010 Author Share Posted December 21, 2010 Just installed a gingerbread release on my droid, WOW, it is much quicker. Off to find which bits don't work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creative Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Just installed a gingerbread release on my droid, WOW, it is much quicker. Off to find which bits don't work lol I have only just got my OTA 2.2.1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRalphMan Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Just installed a gingerbread release on my droid, WOW, it is much quicker. Off to find which bits don't work I'm holding off until there is a more stable version of GB for the Desire. TBH I like my Sense interface, so don't really want to lose it. I'm still loving my current Froyo ROM and now I've got my home grown GPS Speedo application working I'm a happy bunny. It still needs to be polished and features added, but when it's ready I'll put it up here for you to rip it to bits.. Just in case it doesn't come across I love my Desire.. Open to tinkering and I can easily write stuff for it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytotheB Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 Modded Froyo 2.2.1 is out (sorry if already said). I am flashing my Galaxy S right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 http://www.techspot.com/news/41896-android-passes-iphone-in-the-us.html Android passes iphone in numbers (Although it is a little skewed since android is on multiple platforms whereas iphone only really has 3 iterations, ignoring iphone 2g) Notice the microsoft drop Not sure where nokia/symbian is though as they are classed as smart phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 But is that total subscriber numbers, or the much-touted registration rate of new users? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 In complete comparison to the Win7 device -> http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?227205-Windows-Phones-7-Series&p=3006318&viewfull=1#post3006318 Mel got herself a desire HD today and what a different device it is. Considering it must share similar components to the HTC Win7 device, it is a night and day difference. The device is VERY quick in comparison, and is noticeably quicker than my desire. It arrived from Orange and was quick rooted and returned back to a stock firmware. I'll put the orange appshop package back on later . I've not gone with gingerbread on this device, since it will be Mel's primary device, and it has a nice stable 2.2 on there. The market has the usual assortment of apps so nothing new there, that said the market does get a bit of a make over on the graphics, so that isn't a bad thing. Usual array of apps have been installed, titanium backup and xbmc remote, the rest is up to her. During initial setup it does come with a transfer app and it pulled everything from her crackberry 8900, so big tick in that area for the normal end user. Construction on the phone is very nice, and well thought out. Single piece aluminium body, with simcard and memory card at the bottom, and the battery on the side, FINALLY hotswapping on the sdcard can be done without having to resort to trickery. Screen wise, nice big screen on it, not as defined as the iphone obviously, but the extra large screen MORE than makes up for it I think (Inches count boys ), utilising a much larger area of the device (similar to the windows version, but at least android uses ALL the screen). Being android, the rest is pretty much covered I guess in other threads. Okay, so the device is a bit on the bigger size compared to an iphone/desire, BUT smaller than a streak or samsung tab Not my pics.... http://static.product-reviews.net/wp-content/uploads/htc-desire-hd-size-comparisons.jpg http://blog.phoneslimited.co.uk/files/2010/09/htc-desire-hd-pictures.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I'm tempted... but I think it's just a bit too big for me. Upgrade next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Graphics look kinda stretched to me...it's a problem with bigger screens - more space to fill, but no extra stuff to fill it with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 Just got the LG B dual core phone in today :) Not got my mitts on it yet, but will give a quick review when I get a chance. http://www.knowledge-porch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/lg-b-android.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Buttons of an HTC, design of an Iphone 4. Not into the designing much are they lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soop Dogg Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Anyone know when the UK equivalent of the HTC Thunderbolt might be available? 4g, 8GB emmc + 768 RAM, 32GB preinstalled microSD card(!!) 1GHz processor and 8Mp camera with a 1.3Mp front facing camera for using the preinstalled skype. My contract is up in August/Sept, so I'm hoping.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Anyone know when the UK equivalent of the HTC Thunderbolt might be available? 4g, 8GB emmc + 768 RAM, 32GB preinstalled microSD card(!!) 1GHz processor and 8Mp camera with a 1.3Mp front facing camera for using the preinstalled skype. My contract is up in August/Sept, so I'm hoping.... Not for a while, the thunderbolt is a 4g/lte device. I've not seen it on any of the roadmaps yet for the UK. Looks very similar to the desire HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Wife is due her upgrade, this thread was a good read. Being thinking about getting an Android phone, currently an iPhone user and have been since the original 2G came out. I personally find a lot of these phones as iPhone rip off's. The OS does seem a lot easier to change around on the Android phones but the Apple build (as mentioned) feel far superior not to mention the apps which seem a lot more professional on the iPhone. I currently have a Blackberry for work and do tend to test some phones so I'll updated when I get my hands on the latest phone. At the moment I am thinking of getting the Samsung Omina 7 (with Win7) though tempted to Android rather than the Win7 route. Also don't understand why people get so frustrated with iTunes? I find it so easy, I just either buy a song on iTunes & then when I sync my phone it sync with my library so now when I sync my iPod all 3 devices have the same up to date songs. No need to fiddle with drag & checking stuff has copied other, just connect & it auto syncs. Also bung a CD in, copy to library & then sync devices... easy peasy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soop Dogg Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Not for a while, the thunderbolt is a 4g/lte device. I've not seen it on any of the roadmaps yet for the UK. Looks very similar to the desire HD. Similar, but the thunderbolt has some new features such as the front facing camera. Hoping it comes up on the radar in the next 6 months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creative Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Anyone know when the UK equivalent of the HTC Thunderbolt might be available? 4g, 8GB emmc + 768 RAM, 32GB preinstalled microSD card(!!) 1GHz processor and 8Mp camera with a 1.3Mp front facing camera for using the preinstalled skype. My contract is up in August/Sept, so I'm hoping.... interesting.......... but then so is this: qR94jbFC1XQ iphone killer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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