Getting a phone

[miffy495]

Yeah, that sounds about right. I want to call and text, and am suspicious that having access to twitter at all times may make me start to actually use the account that I've posted about 50 times to in five years. I'm not looking to do a tonne of things with it, I'm not particularly plugged in to things and have not a lot of interest in becoming so. I'll probably end up with a fairly low data plan, which is fine because I would like to have access to maps when I'm out in my car (I am kinda prone to getting lost). Actually, I'm with you on the car too. I have a 15 year old Toyota and it's great, so I'll keep using it until it's not. The 15 year old car thing means that nothing will plug into it, but I have a "car ipod" (an ipod which the headphone jack doesn't work on anymore that will play plugged into my car through the cigarette lighter) and that suits me just fine while I'm driving. My girlfriend has the same phone as you and likes it well enough, and also a new Galaxy tablet, so our household already being on that ecosystem is what made me lean towards the s4 in the first place. More convenience than anything else. I think I will probably end up going with the Galaxy s4 for now, and later on when I have a big boy job I'll worry about switching if I'm unhappy with it. Canada just this week outlawed phone plans longer than two years, so it won't be a long wait if I want to switch anyway.

 

Thanks for all the tips, everybody. I will likely unlock the phone thanks to all of your advice, install ScummVM on it, play through DOTT, maybe Full Throttle, and then only ever text and call again until my plan runs out. Still, all the advice is very much appreciated and I've learned a hell of a lot more about these things than I started with thanks to your responses.

[eurotransient]

Ooooh I know this as good as anyone! (Ereyday I'm reading da engadget an typin up this in en renderm axence).

 

Root root root!

 

Unless you're getting a stock Android phone (highly recommended) root that shit and use Cyanogen mod! The purpose isn't realy to "power user" but to get the damned updates on time or rather all if ever you can.

 

Also, don't bother with Samsung, only the ignorant tend to go with them (not that they're THAT bad, just not the best), the only reason they've the market share they do is marketing. Their phones are never particcularly well made. The HTC One is a better phone all around, with a better camera, stereo speakers, better build quality, and is just as fast, and you can get it with stock android, meaning every OS update you want is yours to have immediately without rooting your phone or any of that shit. It's too bad HTC didn't catch onto the "advertising" thing and will be closed soon, but with stock android your updates come directly from Google, so that shouldn't bother you.

 

I had to admit I've been a bit tempted to give an Android phone a go and the HTC One really, really intrigues me. One thing I'm curious about, though, is that I get the impression a lot of the camera and sound features are software based. If you root the phone, would that hurt the phone's features in any way?

[JonCole]

I had to admit I've been a bit tempted to give an Android phone a go and the HTC One really, really intrigues me. One thing I'm curious about, though, is that I get the impression a lot of the camera and sound features are software based. If you root the phone, would that hurt the phone's features in any way?

 

Rooting would not affect those features, as it doesn't change the OS or the function of any working apps at all. Even if you wanted to install a custom ROM, most developers would simply copy-paste those elements of Sense into the ROM so that these kinds of functions work. For instance, when I had an HTC Rezound I had my choice of ROMs that either had none of HTC's extra features (or in other words, completely stock) or ones that integrated all of the features like Beats Audio Processing into the package of apps they so desire to bundle into the ROM.

[TheLastBaron]

I got a Galaxy S4 yesterday and rooting it took maybe 5 minutes total.  I haven't messed with it much, I'm mostly glad I was able to keep my unlimited data on Verizon after upgrading without too much hassle.

[miffy495]

I'll be picking one up tonight after I get my girlfriend from class, I believe. Can you let me know what you did to get it to work? Never tried anything like that before (at least not since custom firmware on my first gen PSP), but if it really is that simply I'm completely down.

[TheLastBaron]

There's a program on the android developer forums that does everything.  I think it's specifically for the Verizon model, but if you have a different provider there's another tool posted by the same guy.

 

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2301720

 

I just downloaded the zip which was a folder with a bunch of stuff in it and then just dragged the folder to my desktop and opened it and there's a file called RUN_ME that you run and everything else you can ignore, you won't have to touch it.  The hardest part was that you have to have you phone in developer debugging mode which is normally straight forward, but I couldn't find out where to enable it.  It turns out what you have to do is go to Settings, then the More tab, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click the About Phone option.  Scroll down to where it says the build number and just tap on it a little bit, I think like 7 times or so, and you'll get a little message saying the Developer Options tab is now available.  I don't know why they didn't just have it available form the start, but that's how to do it, and in the options there's just a box you check to enable debugging.  

 

Once you have debugging enabled you just plug your phone into the pc with the usb cable and run the "RUN_ME" file and it just pops up a window with a menu and numbered options.  just hit 1 and it will start doing everything, with occasional "press any key to continue" prompts and a couple things where a window will pop up and directions which are really simple like just "press start".  There are 3 total things to do form the menu, options 3 and 4 are just different options for recovery modes, I think 3 is ClockWorkMod which is the most popular, but TWRP does the same thing.  like I said the whole process of going from 1-3 took me maybe 5 minutes and it's super straightforward.  One thing I noticed is that the process requires rebooting the phone a couple times, which happens automatically, but once or twice after rebooting the prompt stayed at "waiting for device" or something.  I unplugged the usb cable and plugged it back in and it detected the phone.  I guess when the phone booted back up with the cable already plugged in my pc wasn't noticing it.  Anyways, once you finish it will let you know you're done and that's it.  

[Erkki]

My iPhone 3GS's GPS device recently stopped working and Wi-Fi seems to be getting weaker too. I decided to buy another used 3GS (will get it tomorrow). It's a really good phone, although some of the software is a bit slow with iOS 6.

 

I'm not a guy who switches phones often (had a Siemens ME45 for 7 years, then got a PDA/Phone that only lasted a year before it broke, and then got the 3GS), and I don't like the thought of paying several hundred euros each year or two for a new one. So only going to spend 100€ this time to replace my broken one with the same model.

[SecretAsianMan]

Don't know if you got the phone or not miffy, but the current Humble Bundle is once again Android themed.

[Erkki]

Crap, I didn't manage to buy that 3GS, it also had non-functional GPS.

 

I'm now also thinking of switching to Android and getting either Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One. Lets say I buy a normal one with the manufacturer's custom UI crap... Can I change to stock Android later?

 

Also, will I be able to share the internet connection of my Android phone to my iPad (over bluetooth or whatever)?

[osmosisch]

Google sells Android stock versions of both the HTC One and the S4 apparently. Getting stock android onto a manufacturer-sold one will never be as easy as that.

 

Are you also considering a Nexus? I've heard great things about both the 3 and 4.

[Nachimir]

It's worth getting one you can buy with a stock ROM rather than carrier/manufacturer shitware.

[Gormongous]

Yeah, half the reason I rooted my phone was to flash it with a stock ROM that didn't have two hundred extra megs of AT&T bloatware, at least five of which were pay-to-unlock versions of free apps like Google Maps.

[Erkki]

Google Play doesn't sell devices in my country I thought of buying one from US while I'm there, as the phones there are much cheaper, but it seems the US phones have different 4G frequencies. It would be too bad to buy one with non-working-4G just as my local carrier opened their 4G network all over the place.

[osmosisch]

At least your country is awesome in other ways!

 

If you want a no-fuss stock Android experience that leaves the Nexus 3 or 4 as options then, or are those also not available? I'm extremely happy with my Nexus 3 for what it's worth.

[Erkki]

Hmm... wow, Nexus 4 has a way lower price than those top of the line phones, and I could go to my nearest local carrier's shop right now and buy it. Yestreday I briefly considered waiting for next iPhone (esp. if it will have NFC). My sister needs a new phone as well, maybe I'll buy this now and give it to her if I decide I want a 4G phone.

[Erkki]

At least your country is awesome in other ways!

 

Also "best 4G coverage in Europe" apparently, which is why it would be a bit sad to get a non-4G phone. But then, I've been ok with 3G so far.