Android Help! [Picking a handset]

[Latour]

Alright guys, I need some help picking an Android handset. To be honest, I've pretty much narrowed it down to the Samsung Galaxy S or HTC Desire, but any opinions are welcome.

-- I really would just like a high end Android phone, hopefully fairly future proofed, I don't want to need to buy a new one in a few months time
-- I really love Sense UI on the HTC Desire (and other phones), but the super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S is beautiful.
-- Living in Canada, Droid X, Incredible and the HTC Evo aren't options, so yeah.

I had looked at the HTC Legend, but the Desire seems just to be a better version of it for the most part, and the Motorola Milestone's specs seem to be a bit outdated now, so I'm not really interested in that as of yet.

Any experience/issues/success stories about the phone would be great... Since none of the people I hang around with use anything but iPhones, I can't really get any help from them, so hopefully some of the folks around here can ;-)

[-mastercasino-]

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[Recursion]

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No, just no, that's not even Android.

I have a Desire and would highly recommend it, and it's extremely likely it will be getting the next few major Android releases, the camera is great (and will soon have 720p video recording unlocked in the next Android update), the screen looks fantastic (AMOLED ftw) and it's an all round nice phone to use, so much so it's fairly hard to get a hold of one in the UK. :)

[Latour]

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I want an actual browser. :\


No, just no, that's not even Android.

I have a Desire and would highly recommend it, and it's extremely likely it will be getting the next few major Android releases, the camera is great (and will soon have 720p video recording unlocked in the next Android update), the screen looks fantastic (AMOLED ftw) and it's an all round nice phone to use, so much so it's fairly hard to get a hold of one in the UK. :)

Thanks for the relevant response.

I'm really interested in the Desire. I've heard a few comments about it being slightly sluggish and contradicting ones saying it isn't in the least, just wondering, what's your experience like? Based on the specs, and the specs of other Android phones it really shouldn't be as far as I know, but still...

The fact that it's likely to be getting the next few updates is a major win. That's something that worries me about the Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung dosen't have the best track record in terms of updating their phones. AFAIK, the original Galaxy is still stuck on 1.5 :eusa_eh:

[Recursion]

If you open a lot of apps and they carry on running in the background, yes it does get slow, but I run TasKiller so whenever I turn the screen off it closes all the open apps (you can tell it to ignore some), because of this mine is never slow :)

I had a G1 before this and it was very slow, but the Desire loads apps instantly, I can switch between home screen as fast as possible with no lag and 3D games always run properly.

[HotelUser]

I also live in Canada so I share your pain. I spent over $700 to get a Nexus One from the United States!

I would most likely, if I were to do it again, buy the Nexus one from the States again. That, or an Xperia which I believe Rogers carries with us.

ALSO NOTE: Bell Mobility (if you're with them) will tell you you need a data plan. THIS IS LIES! REGARDLESS of what the Bell support fools say, you can just get the fun 20 browsing bundle which gives you unlimited browsing for like $5 cheaper than one of their crappy 500mb dataplans.


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THAT IS NOT A SMART PHONE. THERE IS NOTHING SMART ABOUT THAT PHONE.

[Latour]

If you open a lot of apps and they carry on running in the background, yes it does get slow, but I run TasKiller so whenever I turn the screen off it closes all the open apps (you can tell it to ignore some), because of this mine is never slow :)

I had a G1 before this and it was very slow, but the Desire loads apps instantly, I can switch between home screen as fast as possible with no lag and 3D games always run properly.

Running 3D/resource intensive apps without lag is definitely a big deal, thanks for mentioning that. Also, I've heard several people mention TasKiller, I'll be sure to get that.


I also live in Canada so I share your pain. I spent over $700 to get a Nexus One from the United States!

I would most likely, if I were to do it again, buy the Nexus one from the States again. That, or an Xperia which I believe Rogers carries with us.

ALSO NOTE: Bell Mobility (if you're with them) will tell you you need a data plan. THIS IS LIES! REGARDLESS of what the Bell support fools say, you can just get the fun 20 browsing bundle which gives you unlimited browsing for like $5 cheaper than one of their crappy 500mb dataplans.


$700.00, ouch. But the lack of contract would be a plus I suppose.
Are you able to sign up for that plan online, cause that'd be really nicee. Data browsing is niceeee.

The Samsung Galaxy S would be on Bell, so that could be nice. But the HTC Desire (or Triumph as it'll be called) on Telus will have HTC Sense UI, which is hotttt.

Thanks for your input, guys.

[HotelUser]

I HIGHLY suggest NOT getting a contract right now! There are four or five new phone companies like mob city and wind coming to Canada that are offering stupid cheap plans (like there's a plan my brother was telling me about which is simply $35 smackers a month for unlimited everything mostly) and of course we're getting Google Voice soon too.

Set the plan up online. Then call them and ask them to add the fun browsing bundle on. Tell them you have a crappy phone, like a razor or something :)


Running 3D/resource intensive apps without lag is definitely a big deal, thanks for mentioning that. Also, I've heard several people mention TasKiller, I'll be sure to get that.



$700.00, ouch. But the lack of contract would be a plus I suppose.
Are you able to sign up for that plan online, cause that'd be really nicee. Data browsing is niceeee.

The Samsung Galaxy S would be on Bell, so that could be nice. But the HTC Desire (or Triumph as it'll be called) on Telus will have HTC Sense UI, which is hotttt.

Thanks for your input, guys.

[Flisker]

I'd highly recommend the HTC Desire, it's basically HTC's own branded version of the Nexus One. Tom practically said all the great features of it! I absolutely love the Desire.

[Latour]

Don't they confirm what kind of phone you have, or whatever? If that really is possible, it'd something I'll keep in mind.

Also, I'll look in to the new Carriers... just depends where their coverage will be I suppose, cause if it's good, the price sure can't be beat it looks like.

[HotelUser]

I'd highly recommend the HTC Desire, it's basically HTC's own branded version of the Nexus One. Tom practically said all the great features of it! I absolutely love the Desire.

It's twin the Nexus completely shocked me. The screen's a beast, and the battery lasts all day. I'm connected to the internet tethering through it right now (with tethering built into the Android 2.2 OS) and 1/2 my HxF posts are made from my N1.

[Latour]

I'd highly recommend the HTC Desire, it's basically HTC's own branded version of the Nexus One. Tom practically said all the great features of it! I absolutely love the Desire.

I'm really starting to lean toward that. Even when comparing some of the specs to the high end American only ones (ie Evo, Droid X) it matches in most cases (except for the camera, which I really don't care about).

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@HotelUser

Just wondering, how does the screen fair in sunlight? The Super AMOLED was one of the things making me lean towards the Galaxy S, but if the Desire's screen (which is similar to the Nexus One's) holds up fine... well it's something to keep in mind.

[HotelUser]

I'm out of town actually and have been sitting outside using it quite a lot. It's perfectly visible outside, and you can even set the phone to autobrightness, which detects how bright to make the screen when you go outside :)


I'm really starting to lean toward that. Even when comparing some of the specs to the high end American only ones (ie Evo, Droid X) it matches in most cases (except for the camera, which I really don't care about).

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@HotelUser

Just wondering, how does the screen fair in sunlight? The Super AMOLED was one of the things making me lean towards the Galaxy S, but if the Desire's screen (which is similar to the Nexus One's) holds up fine... well it's something to keep in mind.

[Latour]

That's great news. I'll be using this phone a lot, especially come September with going to school and what not, I was really worrying about how the screen would perform in the bright light.