Hey Gforum, I posted this in Q&A Saturday & http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/200765-question-day-get-evo-wait-something-better.html but am looking for more honest, experienced community feedback->market insight so I post it here now:
Amazon's current price is $99.99 (with new service plan+activation fee credit for up to $36 through 11:59 p.m. PDT October 18, 2010) & Sprint's ETF is listed at $200 through month 4 minus $10/mo prorate thereafter so I'm finally considering pulling the trigger on it but would appreciate some community feedback here.
The ETF is important since I want to know the exit strategy & potential total cost of ownership & have Wi-Fi available 90% of time so not sure that 10% MIA is worth $80+/month for 24 months (let's call that ~$2,000).
Frankly I would dump the EVO in a heartbeat when a handheld comes out with similar specs + projector (battery challenge yup yet I wouldn't be surprised to see a follow-up to the Samsung Beam soon).
Questions:
1) Order Question-Will Amazon let me enter Sprint Service Discount Codes & anyone care to share something better than 10% that is easy to use or must one call Sprint after order?
2) Is Wi-Fi reception still an issue for EVO?
3) Still SD card issues?
4) Video+Audio recording quality still questionable (compression codec issue-as photos seem quite nice)?
Is the following what I should expect or can it be improved:
HTC EVO Video test - Part I
HTC EVO Video test - Part II (Golden State Bridge)
HTC EVO 4G Camera Test - Part III (Front-facing camera)
iphone 4 vs. HTC EVO vs. Flip UltraHD video test
Smartphones HD Camcorder Video Samples (long)
Many Thanks,
Its a phone. Not a life changing purchase.
supchaka said:
Its a phone. Not a life changing purchase.
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If it was just a phone, I wouldn't bother..
I'm looking for feedback on a handheld computer with carrier phone functionalty..
If Sprint wasn't requiring user to sign a 24 month contract costing owner thousands of dollars or it worked on many carriers it would be an easier call.
Thanks for the smile supchaka but I'm looking for a bit more market insight..
If you're looking for a phone that'll last you through the next two years I wouldn't get the EVO. Aside from having a large display and some nice features (HDMI, 4G, kickstand, FFC), it's a pretty dated device. The phone is almost half a year old, and even when it was released, the GPU was already old and out performed by it's peers. The camera is not that great either but then again HTC almost always lags behind with that.
There's no doubt that I'd recommend to wait; but if you're set on Sprint you might have to wait a couple of months before something high end comes out.
Award Tour said:
If you're looking for a phone that'll last you through the next two years I wouldn't get the EVO. Aside from having a large display and some nice features (HDMI, 4G, kickstand, FFC), it's a pretty dated device. The phone is almost half a year old, and even when it was released, the GPU was already old and out performed by it's peers. The camera is not that great either but then again HTC almost always lags behind with that.
There's no doubt that I'd recommend to wait; but if you're set on Sprint you might have to wait a couple of months before something high end comes out.
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That's what the critic in me is skeptical about hence ETF talk but I'm surprised not to see more options on the horizon..
I was hoping the camcorder quality could be improved upon by now.
Shouldn't we have heard more about devices to become available by the holidays as I'm not sure I want to wait another 3,4,5,6 months..
Appreciate the feedback,
As Martin Cooper said, today's cell phones do a lot buy don't do any of them well. Who's Martin Cooper? Just the inventor of the cell phone.
I figure if I need a video camera I'll get my video camera. If I need a real camera I'll get my SLR. My phone will do in a pinch.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
You are usually given a chance at least once a year to get out of the ETF. Just wait till Sprint changes some policy in the contract and you are given 30 days to walk out.
Sprint also offers the cheapest rates compared to the other big name carriers. Just open a a small savings at a credit union and save 10% of your bill. Go online and find a sprint referral link and you'll be saving 15%... if you know someone that works at Chase, then try to work with them so you could be saving 24%.
There will always be something better in the future. If you wait for the next big thing, you might hesitate and wait or the next thing to follow that.
As far as your other questions, I have never had SD problems, wifi problems, or any issues taking pics or video. If anything, my phone has become a great tool for me on my jobsite.
overclockxp said:
As Martin Cooper said, today's cell phones do a lot buy don't do any of them well. Who's Martin Cooper? Just the inventor of the cell phone.
I figure if I need a video camera I'll get my video camera. If I need a real camera I'll get my SLR. My phone will do in a pinch.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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I don't really buy that argument, the real appeal is that it's a convergence device.
surrealmethod said:
You are usually given a chance at least once a year to get out of the ETF. Just wait till Sprint changes some policy in the contract and you are given 30 days to walk out.
Sprint also offers the cheapest rates compared to the other big name carriers. Just open a a small savings at a credit union and save 10% of your bill. Go online and find a sprint referral link and you'll be saving 15%... if you know someone that works at Chase, then try to work with them so you could be saving 24%.
There will always be something better in the future. If you wait for the next big thing, you might hesitate and wait or the next thing to follow that.
As far as your other questions, I have never had SD problems, wifi problems, or any issues taking pics or video. If anything, my phone has become a great tool for me on my jobsite.
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I hear you regarding its potential utility. While I would be on the watch for such an out of ETF I shouldn't count on it so I'll assume ETF worst case scenario. I should be able to add Sprint discount after purchase even if Amazon doesn't let me right ?
Now "Availability: Usually ships within 8 - 9 business days. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com." is kind of a bummer..
I guess the contracts don't mean much to me because I've been with sprint for as long as I can remember. I get an additional 20% off through my work so I'm not going anywhere. I have 5 lines and they all have different expire dates so I can grab a new phone pretty much whenever. Take an upgrade and swap the number. Also being a premiere customer they give you yearly upgrades on the primary line.
So I didn't take into consideration other peoples scenarios may not be the same as mine. I'm very grateful for that now because historically I haven't kept a phone for more than about 6 months
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
SMARTPHONEPC said:
I don't really buy that argument, the real appeal is that it's a convergence device.
I hear you regarding its potential utility. While I would be on the watch for such an out of ETF I shouldn't count on it so I'll assume ETF worst case scenario. I should be able to add Sprint discount after purchase even if Amazon doesn't let me right ?
Now "Availability: Usually ships within 8 - 9 business days. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com." is kind of a bummer..
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Just wanna say, I get your in depth thinking about a purchase, but really you are just thinking to much into it. Like others have touched on, in a short time the Evo will be old news. The phone that takes its place will be old news by summer next year. Phone tech is what, 4 months now? Just do as a ton of us do, pick a phone that suits you best for the time being. Because you'll want the new device next year. I thought the sprint hero was bad ass last year. But the Evo this year is badass. Either satisfy your urge for awesomeness now, or wait a couple months and be the first with the new end thing.
Sent from my Evo
You can always wait for better product, or you can buy the Evo today and enjoy it now. It's just matter of preference.
My gripes are poor battery life, extra 10 bucks monthly fee, and poor glass adhesive on LCD (I had glass lifting problem, and got a replacement after 2 week usage), but what it can do still out weighs the negatives.
Yes, the Evo is 6 months old, but it still can do and look better than many recent models that's out there right now.
FYI, I glanced at Epic at the store when I bought Evo on 10/1, and wasn't sold at all since it was very close to Touch Pro 2's look.
Really the only thing that really holds back the EVO is the GPU. Even the original Droid outperforms it. To invest into that NOW, not mention the next year or two, is just not a smart move when you can wait a few more months for something that is more future proof. If it weren't for the GPU I'd be saying the same thing as the last two posters but... I can't.
Just FYI the above only really applies if and when you game on you phone. I have quake and the major gameloft titles, but I have to say in the end I personally would never buy a phone based on its ability to play games.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
If you're not a gamer, the GPU thing really makes little to no difference. Then again if you're really into games you'd probably use dedicated hardware for that, like a DS or PSP.
The only games I find myself playing on my phone are simple, but addictive arcade style games. Bejewled, tetris, angrybirds and solitaire for the most part. Hardly taxing on the GPU!
The big screen will still be big, even 2 years down the road. It will still be a great device for browsing the web, checking email and messaging, and the GPS functionality is top notch. I'm really not worried about the device being horribly antiquated too soon, and 4G is only just starting to pop up around here so my experience has been consistently getting better.
creyc said:
If you're not a gamer, the GPU thing really makes little to no difference. Then again if you're really into games you'd probably use dedicated hardware for that, like a DS or PSP.
The only games I find myself playing on my phone are simple, but addictive arcade style games. Bejewled, tetris, angrybirds and solitaire for the most part. Hardly taxing on the GPU!
The big screen will still be big, even 2 years down the road. It will still be a great device for browsing the web, checking email and messaging, and the GPS functionality is top notch. I'm really not worried about the device being horribly antiquated too soon, and 4G is only just starting to pop up around here so my experience has been consistently getting better.
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It's not only about games. How will the GPU hold up once Android gets more UI intensive (and it will)? I'd rather be on the safe side.
No matter what phone you get it will be outdated soon after you purchase it. What do you want from a phone. Evo does everything I want since it is rooted.
I do like 3D graphics but I currently don't really game on them. Honestly I haven't seen one engaging enough to hold my attention for more than a few minutes & if I did I'd still probably feel like I was wasting time (idle guilt)..
However I do like shooting videos which is the main reason I considered the iPhone 4 but in the end I vastly prefer the open customizability of Android & integration with google services not to mention larger screen (hopefully I won't regret its 16 bit color). I'll likely have to develop for both platforms.
Only reason I use an iPhone 3GS now is because it was a gift but I'm mostly bored with it. I gather most on these forums are not entirely bored with their EVO..
I do wonder how pervasive tablets will become and to what extent they will take over smartphone functionality..(at least an EVO still fits in a shirt pocket)
Award Tour said:
It's not only about games. How will the GPU hold up once Android gets more UI intensive (and it will)? I'd rather be on the safe side.
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Are you currently using an EVO? I do think there will be some cool market developments but unless there is news in the next 24 hours, I may not want to continue waiting.
BTW, Are the Sprint Taxes & Surcharges laughable? -Thanks
SMARTPHONEPC said:
I do like 3D graphics but I currently don't really game on them. Honestly I haven't seen one engaging enough to hold my attention for more than a few minutes & if I did I'd still probably feel like I was wasting time (idle guilt)..
However I do like shooting videos which is the main reason I considered the iPhone 4 but in the end I vastly prefer the open customizability of Android & integration with google services not to mention larger screen (hopefully I won't regret its 16 bit color). I'll likely have to develop for both platforms.
Only reason I use an iPhone 3GS now is because it was a gift but I'm mostly bored with it. I gather most on these forums are not entirely bored with their EVO..
I do wonder how pervasive tablets will become and to what extent they will take over smartphone functionality..(at least an EVO still fits in a shirt pocket)
Are you currently using an EVO? I do think there will be some cool market developments but unless there is news in the next 24 hours, I may not want to continue waiting.
BTW, Are the Sprint Taxes & Surcharges laughable? -Thanks
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Yes, I'm currently using a EVO, got it in June and will trade up once a new high end HTC Android (and maybe the WP7 TP7) phone hits Sprint.
Edit: This post illustrates the GPU gap between the EVO (Nexus One has the same GPU), it's competitors (PowerVR - Galaxy S shown here but Motorola uses a version that is inbetween the EVO and Galaxy S), and current HTC phones. Ask yourself if you want to get stuck with specs which are already WAY behind.
Award Tour said:
Yes, I'm currently using a EVO, got it in June and will trade up once a new high end HTC Android (and maybe the WP7 TP7) phone hits Sprint.
Edit: This post illustrates the GPU gap between the EVO (Nexus One has the same GPU), it's competitors (PowerVR - Galaxy S shown here but Motorola uses a version that is inbetween the EVO and Galaxy S), and current HTC phones. Ask yourself if you want to get stuck with specs which are already WAY behind.
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I played with an EVO on launch day for a couple hours, wasn't sold on it but I think it's significantly better now with updates+2.2 (except its camcorder output sadly).
That link was cool, would have liked to see how it ran on Nexus also but it appears better GPUs are coming to high end smartphones for reasons beyond gaming..
Are the Sprint Taxes & Surcharges -not- laughable then? No complaints about Sprint? Thoughts on WiMax->2 vs LTE?
I'm surprised there isn't more on the following (wonder if I could happily wait without more news):
Gorgeous, mysterious, EVO-ish HTC device headed for Verizon
HTC Desire HD heading to Verizon Wireless?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/verizon-scoop-extravaganza-motorola-venus-with-portrait-qwerty/
Desire HD looks nice (hope they don't omit the kickstand for USA):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9WbNkWQGxU&NR=1
Next gen EVOs coming soon-before new year-roadmaps-carriers-must know?
Related
My mind is made up, I need this phone. And I need it as soon as it hits US Shores (well maybe not immediately, a month after the launch it usually shows up online for 50 bucks.)
But what will I do about one of the best features on my Touch Pro? The Flash!! I was just using it now as I was checking out the storm outside - without thinking!! Hit the PTT button, nueLight pops open, smash the bright button, and I'm good to go.
So... possible to install a flash onto the Touch Pro 2? Like maybe something mechanical that just lives on the back of the phone? Or some kind of handheld keychain light that is close to the power of the Touch Pro's LED Light?
I'm really upset by this one. More upset than losing the Front Facing Camera in the US. My only hope is AT&T puts it in like they do with the keyboard and PTT button (yeah not gonna happen I know)
*cries*
you can use one of the ~100 display -light applications out there...
displaying a white screen, at maximum brightness...
I too will miss the flashlight aspect, but for taking pictures it doesn't do jack.
i don't know guys. we know that HTC is playing us by removing these features. I've actually been playing close attention to acer m900 reviews on pocketnow.com because it has basically the same or better specs than the touch pro 2, and it had the U.S. 3G bands, and its cheaper to buy off of clove right now. I hated e-ten products, so I'm curious to see if Acer made e-ten any better. The only scarey thing is leaving wonderful supportive arms of xda-dev.
doctajay said:
i don't know guys. we know that HTC is playing us by removing these features. I've actually been playing close attention to acer m900 reviews on pocketnow.com because it has basically the same or better specs than the touch pro 2, and it had the U.S. 3G bands, and its cheaper to buy off of clove right now. I hated e-ten products, so I'm curious to see if Acer made e-ten any better. The only scarey thing is leaving wonderful supportive arms of xda-dev.
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It's an interesting device, especially the fingerprint scanner (/dpad/mouse ). Pocketnow noted the cheap feel of the construction (thank you eten) their unboxing and hardware tour (new this morning), and despite their early opinion, I'm pretty sure I'm going to like the TP2's keyboard better (use Fn to get comma and period ). And of course, no TF3D. This will be my first winmo, and TF3D is the bait in the trap. It's a dealbreaker for me.
But I don't plan on buying a TP2 on day 1, I plan on waiting for a price decrease, so it's to my benefit if other TP2 lovers jump ship for the competition as it will put more price pressure on HTC.
thehyecircus said:
So... possible to install a flash onto the Touch Pro 2? Like maybe something mechanical that just lives on the back of the phone? Or some kind of handheld keychain light that is close to the power of the Touch Pro's LED Light?
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Click to collapse
This may be just what you're looking for:
http://www.phonephlash.com/meet.html
Never tried, but found it when I was considering getting a touch hd. Good luck.
Heh, that's a unique item. I wonder if I could... fit it under the case somehow...
And yeah, I wouldn't trust a non-HTC smartphone at this rate unless it's the iPhone, and I can't use a phone without a keyboard or multitasking. XDA is also such a great, practically life saving group that I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be sitting blindly in Windows Mobile world, wondering why the hell my phone is so slow.
<3 XDA
thehyecircus said:
(well maybe not immediately, a month after the launch it usually shows up online for 50 bucks.)
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uhhh. 50 dollars? iiiii think not. look at the G1, its not even down from 150. oh, nevermind, its 149.99. My point being, i highly doubt the TP2 will sell for 50 after a month, even with a contract. not in the US, anyway, idk about other countries. but, i think youre dreaming a little. Start saving your money! i know i am. :].
josh_prayyforplagues said:
uhhh. 50 dollars? iiiii think not. look at the G1, its not even down from 150. oh, nevermind, its 149.99. My point being, i highly doubt the TP2 will sell for 50 after a month, even with a contract. not in the US, anyway, idk about other countries. but, i think youre dreaming a little. Start saving your money! i know i am. :].
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I'm prepared to wait 6-12 months , but I'm hopeful that because the TP2 is releasing right on the cusp of a technology hop--with the snapdragon pushing the speed limit quite a bit, and with a number of direct competitors like the m900 and n97 and x2 and with a lot of similar buns in other ovens--the TP2 won't take as long to succomb to price pressures. The only problem is, it's an incredible phone, so if there's any justice in the world for HTC, the price should start climb after launch, not fall. I'm anti-justice for this particular round.
$50 is pie in the sky, but I assume he was going for hyperbole. I imagine Amazon will have it down at least $100 off whatever the initial 2 year contract price starts out as within 6 months. In a year, it might well drop within spitting distance of $150 total--where the Fuze was last I checked.
I actually plan on going prepaid, so I have no intention of signing a new contract. So a lot of those price drops won't help me. Still I'm hoping it debuts w/o contract at an even $700 (around what Clove charges) and drops to $550-600 in 6 months or less.
My last phone was the TP1 and I loved the flashlight. Two weeks ago I bought the TP2 and never noticed the lack of flashlight. Today I tried to make a picture in the dark and couldn't find the flashlight option, now I know why
There are a couple of threads on this out there, but I wanted to make a Poll.
So, right now I'm using my old HTC Hero with CM 6.1, and I love it. Rooting my phone made me fall in love with my smartphone all over again (it's my first smartphone).
So for those of you Sprint people, they told me that I can upgrade right now or when my contract is up, it won't matter: I will get the Evo for $200 with a new contract.
Before we dive in, do you know if this is really the cheapest option from Sprint? I am aware I could probably just buy an Evo from Ebay or something of the sort, but I'm a bit worried about doing that. Anyone has experience getting Evo somewhere else and can share?
I use my phone for a lot of things.. internet, calling, texting, games, even as a flashlight sometimes. I got myself an extra battery for this phone but I assume I will need a new one for the EVO. I see people asked about battery life, but seriously, I don't expect my phone to stay alive for more than 8 hours or so with all these apps running.
Next, what I like about the EVO is the better camera, and the fact that it has flash (I use my phone for pictures). Front facing camera is nice, haven't used it before, is it really worth it? Is chatting with it smooth, or is it slow as sh*t?
Keyboard - I used to hate the touch keyboard because it would freeze for split seconds and writing something would be frustrating. I still find it annoying to use the touch screen for typing because the buttons are so small. I have a feeling the evo would help with that, but perhaps I should wait for something with a real keyboard? Anyone knows of a good model that's suppose to come out, and when?
4G - I live in New York city. Anyone from around here knows if 4G is really available, or it just exists in very specific locations? Is it much faster? How do you like the fact that you can maintain data connection while making a call, is it a big deal? I don't barely actually use my phone for talking. I count on Gchat and texting.
Speed - There are speed issues with my phone right, especially when I run intense apps (angry birds is very choppy, for example, and Pandora can hang the entire system up), does the Evo take care of that?
Size - It's a big phone. To be honest, the weight and the size do not attract me, but I do realize that a bigger screen will be better to work with and might aid with the keyboard issue. Thoughts?
Rooting - How hard is it? I think CM runs on the EVO if memory serves right. I Rooted my Hero so I assume doing it to the EVO would not be much harder. Thoughts?
So yeah, these are some points I'm considering. Should I get it? And is there a cheaper (good!) way to get it?
Thanks for reading!
you posted in evo forum, expect biased answers, that said
you will love an evo! I had a hero first, still do. the batteries are the same,
the keyboard on the hero wasn't very accurate so typing was frustrating, on the evo it is splendid,
rooting is a breeze with unrevoked
no slowdowns at all for any apps, in any situation, I've been downloading while streaming pandora and playing games with no issue,
I highly recommend it, the evo changed the way I think of smartphones
I would wait to the end of march and see what sprint announces
Swyped from my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO
I would wait as well. Some new phones should be coming out shortly
Sent from my Evo while i should be working
I doubt an Evo 2 will come out anytime soon. So yes. The new phone coming out is most likely the HTC Arrive, which is the HTC 7 Pro. That aside, the Evo is just f*cking awesome. Also for individual line upgrade, Amazon says $180 with free 2-day shipping: http://wireless.amazon.com/dp/B003N9B3CY
CTIA is soon. Sprint announces new phones at CTIA. So I would wait. Unless you want to buy one off contract on Ebay.
WAIT for something better.. This bad ass brick will soon be replaced and become just a plain old acme brick soon
I have a bad feeling Sprint isn't gonna have much this year as far as Android devices go... we will see. An Evo 2 would be bad ass or a dual core Samsung.
Sent from my Evolutionized Evo!
I don't care if Samsung comes out with a quad-core phone. I'm not touching that **** after what happened with the Galaxy S line.
they better come out with something that will at least compete with others phones (like the droid x::evo) otherwise they will have many unhappy customers who cancel and leave... hell they charge $10 for a premium phone now, how premium will the HTC EVO be come this Spring? (I don't want to pay for a "premium phone" when its outdated)
anyways sorry for the semi rant.. im slightly upset with sprint and their actions right now.
CTIA is guaranteed to give us something good. I am hoping for a Galaxy S2 or something equivalent. But then again... Sprint has been known to let you down. Tough call.
masterfuel said:
they better come out with something that will at least compete with others phones (like the droid x::evo) otherwise they will have many unhappy customers who cancel and leave... hell they charge $10 for a premium phone now, how premium will the HTC EVO be come this Spring? (I don't want to pay for a "premium phone" when its outdated)
anyways sorry for the semi rant.. im slightly upset with sprint and their actions right now.
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You aren't paying $10 for a premium phone. You are paying the $10 for the premium data package, and All smartphones on the sprint network will be paying the exact same fee, its not isolated to the Evo, Shift, or Epic, it will encompass the blackberry's and all other android phones that sprint carries.
On topic of best deals for the EVO, check RadioShack's online wireless store. It's going for $149.99 with free activation on new/upgrade subs. Or in-store, they require a trade-in of any old working phone with a charger to get the $149.99 price (check with your local stores if the deal still available).
IMHO, with all the new phones coming out, I would wait. I love my Evo, but I wouldn't get locked into a new 2-yr sub on a phone that is around 4mos shy of being a year old.
I would wait. EVO is nice but nothing compared to what other carriers are getting (Optimus). Hold out for a dual core device (hopefully from HTC).
Sent from my Unleashed EVO using XDA App
Product F(RED) said:
I don't care if Samsung comes out with a quad-core phone. I'm not touching that **** after what happened with the Galaxy S line.
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Click to collapse
I agree with this. Samsung left a bad taste with me after having my epic with GPS issues, dropped keys and no 2.2 (till just recently)
Sent from my Evo while i should be working
Give Dropbox a try for easy file sharing. Use my referral link and help me get more space!*http://db.tt/6qeoiYa
heck yea its amazing i was skeptical too till i played with one
I love my Evo. That said I think it would work perfect for everything you listed except for one. The Evo's camera pretty much sucks.
I have a release day Evo, so maybe the newer ones are a little better, but unless the pictures I have taken were in bright daylight they are almost unusable.
http://www.studentrate.com/STUDENTR...deals/Sprint-Student-Rate-Member-Discount--/0
Not sure if studentrate still offers $69.99 Evos.
ATM The Evo is the best phone for Sprint. If you want to wait for something better you can. Personally this is the best phone I've ever used. While it is on par or a little worse than some of the newer phones coming out, its been a year and they are finally catching up.
You also have to take into consideration how much longer the Evo is going to stay ahead or on par with these phones. We might be seeing Gingerbread and Sense 2.0 but that might be a long shot.
If you aren't having any issues with your Hero, I'd say stick with it for a few more months. See what comes out.
Thank you everyone, for the honest opinions. I got a lot of info.
Well, it's about a month later now, and I'm still on my HTC Hero. I just found out about the $10 extra, which I will be paying if I upgrade. My girlfriend has a big family plan on T-mobile, and after calculations, it seems I will be saving about $20 a month using a phone under her name, on T-mobile.
Of course, this means I need to ditch Sprint. I don't feel too bad after being on the Network for a year and being charged for extra if I want to upgrade. No serious official updates for their phones either, thank god I rooted mine, the best thing I've ever done to it.
I checked the T-mobile 2G today, and wasn't that impressed. I liked the keyboard, but the specs are not as good as the EVO. By the way, what are these issues I'm hearing about the EVO's camera? it's 8MP, how come it's so bad? I only have 5mp now, and so does the 2G. What are the specific issues you guys are having?
Right now I am going to find out just how much it will cost me to get out of Sprint, and if it's worth it (buying a new phone on T-mobile will cost me $100 extra over an upgrade in Sprint). What are some of the good T-mobile phones you guys think are good? Camera with flash is important to me, and so does screen size - two things I really like about the EVO. I do want a big screen. I would also like a keyboard if possible.
Anything changed in the market? New amazing Spring phones I'm not aware of, or T-Mobile? I am specifically interested in HTC, I'm not a big fan of Samsung or Motorola.
beholder121 said:
Thank you everyone, for the honest opinions. I got a lot of info.
Well, it's about a month later now, and I'm still on my HTC Hero. I just found out about the $10 extra, which I will be paying if I upgrade. My girlfriend has a big family plan on T-mobile, and after calculations, it seems I will be saving about $20 a month using a phone under her name, on T-mobile.
Of course, this means I need to ditch Sprint. I don't feel too bad after being on the Network for a year and being charged for extra if I want to upgrade. No serious official updates for their phones either, thank god I rooted mine, the best thing I've ever done to it.
I checked the T-mobile 2G today, and wasn't that impressed. I liked the keyboard, but the specs are not as good as the EVO. By the way, what are these issues I'm hearing about the EVO's camera? it's 8MP, how come it's so bad? I only have 5mp now, and so does the 2G. What are the specific issues you guys are having?
Right now I am going to find out just how much it will cost me to get out of Sprint, and if it's worth it (buying a new phone on T-mobile will cost me $100 extra over an upgrade in Sprint). What are some of the good T-mobile phones you guys think are good? Camera with flash is important to me, and so does screen size - two things I really like about the EVO. I do want a big screen. I would also like a keyboard if possible.
Anything changed in the market? New amazing Spring phones I'm not aware of, or T-Mobile? I am specifically interested in HTC, I'm not a big fan of Samsung or Motorola.
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See: http://www.androidcentral.com/sprin...ils-leaked-expect-evo-3d-evo-view-4g-and-xoom
CTIA is this coming Tuesday. Sprint's presentation is hours long. I'd be sure to keep your eye out on here and other tech news sites for what Sprint announces. If that Evo 3D becomes a reality, I'd imagine anyone would want to hold out for that instead of acquiring the Evo now only to have the Evo 3D replace it in months.
Furthremore, if looking into T-Mobile and leaving Sprint (which, as a biased member, I would be against!), keep in mind that at 3:15 PM EDT, a merger between AT&T and T-Mobile was announced, the former acquiring the latter.
Considering this month we have some nice phones being released on Verizon, I would suspect many of you will be upgrading to something new.
What will you be doing with your Incredible? Trading or selling? If so, what did it go for and by what means?
Sent from my Inc HD
Marcismo55 said:
What will you be doing with your Incredible? Trading or selling? If so, what did it go for and by what means?
Sent from my Inc HD
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I have to keep mine for a bit unless I buy the Rezound outright (which I'm sure is going to happen ), but I think I'm going to just keep it for sentimental reasons even when replaced. This Dinc is my first foray into the smartphone world.
The phone is giving me no true reason to replace it either. It just keeps doing what it is supposed to do/needed.
I totally understand as my Inc is my first smartphone as well. I just need a a phone with a bigger screen and headphones will be nice too .
I have an AMOLED and my gf has an LCD Inc so I'm sure one of them will be sold. Just not sure how much and where to sell.
Sent from my Inc HD
there's a marketplace right here on xda where you can probably get a fair deal from this community
I read the Incredible still has a value of anywhere from $50-100...AMOLED versions at least~ Don't quote me
Samsung Omnia was my first smartphone....garbage, and then this came and blew everything away.
I will be keeping my AMOLED Incredible, especially since Samsung did a huge Music Video on its AMOLED technology, so I can sport that haha - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EirK6cD-s0c&feature=related
Unless they have some breakthroughs in battery technology with these new phones, I refuse to be easily swooned into switching. With light/medium usage, I'm getting 1-2 days of battery life, and considering the Incredible can still run every single app/game that I personally want to use flawlessly, I desire battery life over other stats.
When that sad day comes, I'll probably either sell it, give it to my wife if she wants it, or keep it to play with.
I feel no great need to switch. My phone works great.
Sure the other things sound good, but mine works exactly the way I want it to. Then again, every phone I have had I have had for longer than the average phone user because I do not like switching them.
It better be going for a couple years you get it.
-Dual core? I don't need no stinking dual core!-
I can't wait to upgrade come January (when my upgrade is). Not that I don't love my inc, but getting a front-facing camera, higher resolution screen, better CPU, more RAM is all very appealing to me. Probably going with the Galaxy Nexus, but with the way VZW has been playing with us, who knows when it will actually be released here
EDIT: Never actually answered the OP's question. I'll probably be selling it whether here on XDA, Swappa, or ebay. I have an AMOLED Inc in great condition (been kept in a case for its whole life) and a 1500 mah HTC battery. I hope to get somewhere around $125 for it, I think it's worth it.
I had an OG Droid--but it's lacking in RAM. It seems like it gets slower every day.
I didn't want to spend money on buying a Galaxy Nexus at full retail, (my phone upgrade isn't available until April).
So, I bought a used Droid Inc--rooted it, installed Condemned on it, and love it. This is a nice phone.
EDIT: Oh yeah, I'll probably give it to my sister or mom when I get a new phone. Who knows?
As long as it runs my tower defense games and functions as a great music storage and auto monitor I'm keeping it.... Will just keep the new phone in the pocket.
I'm on Page+ so probably won't be upgrading for a bit.....it's my first HTC phone and I love it.
I'm definitely keeping it as a really good audiogalaxy, google music streaming mp3 player with the wifionly script running for at work. Why not and it will help the battery on my new phone by not using it to stream music.
Keeping mine for now as well. They are selling at a decent price though, used incredibles selling for 100$+ on eBay.
There is a 2nd generation LTE chip coming out soon, I'll be waiting for that. Suppose to fix the battery life issue in the current generation chips.
Although the specs of the current phones are impressive, the fact that Rezound and Razr are locked, AND the fact that the GNEX, Rezound, Razr all have bad battery life compared to the HTC INC are all reasons why I'm not in a rush to toss my trusty incredible out just yet.
And yea I haven't found an app or game that runs poorly on my modified incredible, and there's no 4G here either, so honestly no reason at all for me to switch.
The day is coming though, just waiting for the right phone.
My DINC is turning into an MP3 player and scapegoat for development
I would love to keep my incredible, but could probably use the money. We still have an android printer tablet and two hp Touchpads.
BTW is it true that if your phone dies and you activate a dumb phone to get you by you could lose your unlimited plan?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
T-Keith said:
BTW is it true that if your phone dies and you activate a dumb phone to get you by you could lose your unlimited plan?
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that sounds about right, because if you activate a dumbphone it automatically removes the data plans since dumbphones don't run on those data plans.
Once it's removed it can never be readded.
adding a 32gb sd and keeping it as a wifi tethered navigation and music player.
T-Keith said:
I would love to keep my incredible, but could probably use the money. We still have an android printer tablet and two hp Touchpads.
BTW is it true that if your phone dies and you activate a dumb phone to get you by you could lose your unlimited plan?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Well I have an EnV setup on one of my lines with Unlimited Data from last year (i think..it was awhile ago) but keep in mind that phone doesn't use the same data package as our Inc.
I called today to get my sister-in-law's phone activated on that very same line and it will indeed have unlimited data. The key is to use one of those not too dumb phones lol.
POQbum said:
that sounds about right, because if you activate a dumbphone it automatically removes the data plans since dumbphones don't run on those data plans.
Once it's removed it can never be readded.
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That isn't accurate. I broke the screen on my incredible and used an old LG chocolate for a bit while I waited for parts to fix it. Obviously didn't have data on that phone but retained unlimited data when I reactivated my incredible. Just have to call and talk to them, I think you have up to 30 days to reactivate a device that can use your unlimited data plan.
My contract is up in August and because sprint barely works where I now live, I will be jumping ship to verizon.
I have been planning on picking up the GSIII when I jump, but the last few days the Galaxy Nexus has been looking better and better.
I know that specs wise the GSIII blow the G'Nex out of the water but the dev community on the G'Nex looks pretty awesome and tehre are tons of people building 4.1 roms already.
Specs aren't everything and I know that *most* gnex owners are loving their phones but it's hard to pull the trigger on a phone that is already 8 months old.
Also, I would wait for the next Nexus phone but my girl's contract is up around the same time and we're gonna hop on a family plan. She has a awful Droid 2 and can't wait to get an iPhone. :-/
The only real downfall to the Nexus is no Gorilla Glass. It's only the scratch resistant so it you drop it it's most likely done for.
No GG would be a deal breaker IMO.
I would go with the GSIII, i was at the sprint store today and held the Galaxy Nexus(which I was sure I was switching to when I could) Next to the GSIII and the absolutely beautiful screen, the extraordinarily light weight, the melty buttery smoothness. The GNexus just couldn't compare. If you have to pick now I would go GSIII. IMO
well at the same time, if your going to verizon, there has been alot of news about verizon locking the sgsIII bootloader so no root. but that only matters if your wanting to root.
source #1:
droid-life
source #2:
android-central
but then that doesnt mean it wont, or hasnt been rooted. just means might be a little harder to do than with other carriers.
It would appear there is already a guide for rooting it, i didnt read it, but just something to consider...
guide
no you're not crazy for jumping ship, per se. If the phone service does not work where you're at most of the time, then what are you paying for?
As for phone choices, if you root, I think that takes some heavy consideration. Also, since the SG3 just came out, the community is still building. The Nexus has had about four month start. With all the major carriers taking SG3, it'll come. It'll just have Verzion's quirks.
I would also look at the long term. Assuming you go with the low price you can get, you're looking at phone you'll have to two years. Thus, which phone will be able to handle what you want to do now, and what you think you'll want it do in say, eighteen months. Thus, also specs are not everything, in the long term, they could be important. Developers will design with faster hardware in mind in the future. See the Evo 4g development versus newer phones such as Evo 3D or LTE.
Also, how dare you like the girlfriend go apple. Show her the true power of the greenside, LOL.
lovekeiiy said:
no you're not crazy for jumping ship, per se. If the phone service does not work where you're at most of the time, then what are you paying for?
As for phone choices, if you root, I think that takes some heavy consideration. Also, since the SG3 just came out, the community is still building. The Nexus has had about four month start. With all the major carriers taking SG3, it'll come. It'll just have Verzion's quirks.
I would also look at the long term. Assuming you go with the low price you can get, you're looking at phone you'll have to two years. Thus, which phone will be able to handle what you want to do now, and what you think you'll want it do in say, eighteen months. Thus, also specs are not everything, in the long term, they could be important. Developers will design with faster hardware in mind in the future. See the Evo 4g development versus newer phones such as Evo 3D or LTE.
Also, how dare you like the girlfriend go apple. Show her the true power of the greenside, LOL.
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Yea, the more I think about it the more I think that the GNex is the way to go. The GSIII has some great hardware specs and amazing software features but I know it's just a matter of time before I get bored with touchwiz and go AOSP.
Either way the phone will be rooted but I love the idea that I can almost instantly be on the cutting edge of android roms with the G'Nex. The hardware isn't a big deal. A nicer camera and screen would be great but then again, the camera and screen on my evo have been just fine for me for the last two years.
As for the girl, i tried...Not surprisingly, her crappy droid2 (purchased BEFORE we started dating...I would have never let her buy that ) started slowing to a crawl and getting AWFUL battery life so I backed it up, rooted (pain in the ass) and installed CM7 on it. She likes it but still wants an iPhone bc she's a nursing student and has all her medical dictionary's on her ipad and she can run them on an iphone at the hospital. Ah well, can't win them all
Just in case anyone is reading this...
Does anyone know if I can buy a used phone (thunderbolt or something like that), sign a new verizon contract and activate the phone and then get a discount on another phone down the line?
I'm having trouble pulling the trigger on the G'nex when I could wait a few months and potentially have my pick of a few different nexus devices.
Wanted to start a unusual Poll thread about
Why we buy the latest and greatest phones and whats the motive or reasoning behind it?
Not just about the galaxys or s4..even any device...
Whats become the selling point for you as a "INDIVIDUAL" in your case for instance?
Like many of us phone junkies admit we have had to have it the day it drops.. whats the biggest reason and is it a sickness.
Do our old phones really not do what a phones meant to do at the end of a day? just because a new one has taken its place?
Maybe its cause of the new look
Maybe it's due to the rumored batt life
Maybe its a new design
And maybe its just a habit
For me its about the always improving batt life of upcoming devices. ..
Old phones were plagued with batt life issues i believe now we are overcoming that.
Also for me and the s4 it wasnt the cam that sold me I felt the ir blaster was a very unique feature.
What's your reason?
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
I'm a tech junkie so I love having the latest and greatest. I also recently became hooked to root and flashing roms/mods and the development on my previous phone (S3) slowed down a lot. So here I am lol
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
lojak29 said:
Wanted to start a unusual Poll thread about
Why we buy the latest and greatest phones and whats the motive or reasoning behind it?
Not just about the galaxys or s4..even any device...
Whats become the selling point for you as a "INDIVIDUAL" in your case for instance?
Like many of us phone junkies admit we have had to have it the day it drops.. whats the biggest reason and is it a sickness.
Do our old phones really not do what a phones meant to do at the end of a day? just because a new one has taken its place?
Maybe its cause of the new look
Maybe it's due to the rumored batt life
Maybe its a new design
And maybe its just a habit
For me its about the always improving batt life of upcoming devices. ..
Old phones were plagued with batt life issues i believe now we are overcoming that.
Also for me and the s4 it wasnt the cam that sold me I felt the ir blaster was a very unique feature.
What's your reason?
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
It's almost like a compulsion. I rarely impulse buy and I can take weeks to finally decide on my purchases. I read reviews, speculations, I memorize the specs of all my choices and compare them. The compulsion part comes in because once I get the idea in my head that I really want something I will find a way to get it; I'll make myself believe I need it... I actually almost hate when it comes time to buy a new toy because I put so much time into the pre-purchase. On the other hand, it's also a type of rush. As far as selling points go, it's usually something small and trivial that makes me decide which way to go. Buying my 1st droid I was torn between an LG Nitro and the GS2. I had my mind made up that I wanted the S2 and while in-store I played with both of them. I liked the LG's screen a little bit better and that was the one I bought. The whole reason I got the S4 is because around January I had decided I was going to buy the S3. I had already worked out a deal with a friend to buy his and everything; then I realized the S4's release was very near. In fact, the purchase of this device was the easiest one I've made in quite some time because I had already done the legwork and research on the S3, The hardest part was waiting for release... then deciding which carrier's version to buy, whether to switch carriers or buy outright, etc etc.
Its better to be addicted to new technology then crack. Haha really though it's a hobby for me. Something I enjoy. One can have the fastest and newest features. Plus I like to learn about new technology and development.
Sent from My S4 in BEASTMODE
My current phone, a Galaxy S 1, has super slow NAND, and that affects performance quite alot with newer apps being larger than they were 3 years ago.
I use my phone more than any other device I own. I haven't played my PS3 in months and I barely use my tablet. I chose to buy this device because I wanted to get rid of my Galaxy Nexus before it became obsolete. I work and purchasing something like this does not have an effect on my finances because I can afford my gadgets. I know some people just have to have the latest even if it they have to change their lifestyle in order to do so.
I love customizing my phone, but now that I have this device I don't feel the need to. I wish I had bought the Nexus 4 instead. They have a very active community that is all about helping each other out and they are very loyal to their brand. Seems like most of the people who I have seen in the T-Mobile section are teenagers.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
I'm buying a new phone when my old one breaks or becomes too old/slow/buggy for my needs. And I always buy the top of the line models just because I think they'll serve me longer. For example I don't really need a quad core cpu now, but in 2 years from now it might become a minimum requirement to run Google Maps.
lordcheeto03 said:
It's almost like a compulsion. I rarely impulse buy and I can take weeks to finally decide on my purchases. I read reviews, speculations, I memorize the specs of all my choices and compare them. The compulsion part comes in because once I get the idea in my head that I really want something I will find a way to get it; I'll make myself believe I need it... I actually almost hate when it comes time to buy a new toy because I put so much time into the pre-purchase. On the other hand, it's also a type of rush. As far as selling points go, it's usually something small and trivial that makes me decide which way to go. Buying my 1st droid I was torn between an LG Nitro and the GS2. I had my mind made up that I wanted the S2 and while in-store I played with both of them. I liked the LG's screen a little bit better and that was the one I bought. The whole reason I got the S4 is because around January I had decided I was going to buy the S3. I had already worked out a deal with a friend to buy his and everything; then I realized the S4's release was very near. In fact, the purchase of this device was the easiest one I've made in quite some time because I had already done the legwork and research on the S3, The hardest part was waiting for release... then deciding which carrier's version to buy, whether to switch carriers or buy outright, etc etc.
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Click to collapse
Feel just like you man. I have had almost 40 different phones in the past few years. Any high end phone I have probably bought....drives the wife crazy. Funny thing is that I'm not an impulse shopper with anything else but phones. I can walk to the AT&T store right now and chances are I'm walking out with something new.....so I try to avoid them lol
Sent from my GT-I9505G using xda premium
I bought it for the prompt and timely updates from Samsung and T-Mobile.
I'm still in therapy trying to figure out what the cause of this 'have to buy new device sickness' is. I'll post back in a couple of years when I get off the couch
But seriously, I enjoy having a newer version of my current device because it's something new, even if the changes are subtle. But I've always gotten the newer version usually months later, mostly due to not being eligible for a subsidized device under contract for 22 months, for example, with Sprint. But with T-Mobile, I'll be able to get the newer device when available due to their 'No Contract' option with annual eligibility for a new device, and twice a year eligibility for newer devices with the 'Jump' program, although newer versions of the same device, S2-S3 and S3-S4 for example, drop once a year. My last few devices have been Samsung upgrades. But I can change manufactures if the model warrants it, and then it would be possible to upgrade maybe twice a year. But Samsung Galaxy series have been berry, berry good to me
With the above being said, you'll NEVER see me waiting on a line outside the store waiting to get a new device the day it comes out, and obviously you won't see me in a tent overnight or for days on end waiting to be one of the first to get a new device. Now that's a Sickness, imho :silly:
I'll wait a few days or weeks until the device is available without the lines, or when it's back in stock.
Now back to the 'couch' already in session lol!
I bought the phone because I am a huge fan of the newest technology. I skipped on the one simply because the button layout, HTC sense, and the screen being a tiny bit smaller. Having the latest technology intrigues me (and poor impulse control lol) to buy these new gadgets.
As of now I'm really only interested in Samsung and Nexus devices unless something else over shadows those. There's no real good reason for upgrading every time a new phone is available for me. A phone from a year or two ago would suffice but I just have to have the latest and greatest. Its definitely an American mentality.
It's easier to click "thanks" than type it.
I'm still using my Galaxy S1 and after 2.5 years the battery is almost gone.
The phone has become really slow and hangs a lot.
Thus, I just ordered a new S4
I had a LG G2X for over 2 years. Always hated the camera and screen size, but when it first came out it was good. Got slower and slower over the months. Got to the point where if I downloaded an app over 30mb it wouldnt run on the phone so I gave up on it. Looked up all kind of reviews of the S4 for about 2 months before I dished out the cash for it.
The things that one me over were:
Camera
IR Blaster
Performance specs
& Support I THOUGHT it was coming with.
stevessvt said:
I bought it for the prompt and timely updates from Samsung and T-Mobile.
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Click to collapse
Hahaha. Then you bought it for the wrong reasons. Lol
current phone g2x POS , dead pixel (so line on the screen), intermittent Bluetooth cut out when backlit buttons light up or go out. and general nvidia/lg crappy build support for drivers.
going to s4 on the 16th as soon am my contract is over. root remove bloat and be happy.
i replace a phone when it no longer dose what i need it to do. g2x issues gps / Bluetooth , forced to use stock roms if you want to be able to make calls and having working Bluetooth if you made the mistake of updating the base band to get gps working.....been waiting for my contract to be done for the last 2 months i can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel 8 more days and i can retire the g2x to become a backup mp3 alarm clock and gps nav device...
For me its a hobby to get new phones. I havent use any phone for more than 6 months.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda premium
I LOVE tinkering and twiddling with my devices. I generally keep a phone over a year or until a badly thought out mod kills it, but last phone had next to no development. I kinda splurged on this one. It's my first very high end one and I LOVE it. Made me realize that almost all the mods I've been doing on various phones were to get them closer to the level this one is.
wanna hear a story i work at a cellphone retail store my boss love iphones
the first time i got a phone was a blackberry slow as **** then i went to sprint and got 2 option the 4s or the galaxy s2
i went with the s2 of course i hate iphones
since then i learn about rooting,flashing etc
xda has the best customer service lol
since then i had the s2,s3,note 2 and now the note 3
why i buy samsung phone easy to customize root,removal battery and sd card
im a music junkie and no other phone has what Samsung phones offer,
i play with all new device since i work in a cellphone retail but in the end samsung for me
sorry for my bad english and bad grammar
Well I have always purchased Android phones, and I picked up the Galaxy S4 after my Galaxy Nexus bit the dust.. switched to T-Mobile to get the unlimited data and I've been incredibly happy with them so far
I like to have the it phone so people admire it, and ask me to customize theirs.
To make $ rooting and flashing it has to be a phone a lot of people have.
For me it's been g1, g2, Hercules, s3, s4. Samsung will likely have the next one: s5
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app