[Q] Trying to decide Galaxy Nexus or wait (T-Mobile) - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Edit: I apologize - this goes in the Q&A Forum. Please move it.
I've had my HTC G2 (Desire Z) for about 15 months now. I've been happy with it - the phone seems indestructible. I love being able to change ROMs any time I get bored with it. But the screen size, low resolution (480) and speed is bothering me more and more. I tried ICS on it, and it was too laggy to use.
I've been eyeing the Galaxy Nexus for the past month - watching the prices fall on Amazon. They are about $550 now, $650 if I want to buy direct from Amazon. There are a few versions, one says no warranty, one says international warranty. If I buy from Amazon, I at least have their 30-day return - not sure about the 3rd party sellers.
Important to me are screen, resolution, speed. In that order.
On one hand, I could just keep waiting and waiting for a better T-Mobile device, but I just don't see a compatible one coming soon. The Galaxy S2 HD would fit the bill, but I don't see it as T-Mobile compatible. The S3 won't be out for a few months. The One-S is not 720p (while the One-X is). I think these facts are all correct.
So, my assessment is that for the next few months, the Galaxy Nexus might be the best phone I can get right now for T-Mobile.
My reservations are (1) lack of US warranty, (2) lack of SD slot.
The lack of the slot doesn't bother me much from a storage standpoint - I don't keep a ton of media on my phone anyway. But I worry about the rooting/ROM issues. Should it concern me that there is no SD slot?
I'm leaving for a trip on Friday, and I could order today and have it tomorrow.
So, given my situation, does this look like a good buy? Should I get the Amazon version over the other third party vendors ($100 difference).
Thanks for the advice.

Warranty is very important. Negri and Expansys fulfills their warranties and both are well-known companies.
Negri:
DEFECTIVE ITEMS: A defective item may be returned for repair within 25 days of date of purchase. If an repair is not possible we will offer a refurbished replacement. If this is not available you will be offered a store credit toward a future purchase. If you would prefer a refund (instead of a store credit), you may request a full refund, minus shipping charges. The exchange process typically takes 8-10 days to complete. Every (Non Carrier Branded) device comes with a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer. After 25 days our exchange/return policy has expired, you should contact the manufacturer for repair or for warranty replacement or exchange, if your device qualifies for this. Please contact the manufacturer to determine if the device you hold is covered under their warranty. If you would like to send your device to us to send to the manufacturer you are free to do so. Please request an RMA. This will delay the warranty process by 1-2 weeks and you will be charged shipping to and from the manufacturer. You will need the original invoice from us in order to have your item repaired or exchanged by the manufacturer. Warranty varies by manufacturer, but typically warranties are valid for 1 year from purchase. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST request an RMA in order to return any device.
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Click to collapse
Expansys:
That will depend on what country you live in, what site you buy from and where the product is sourced. Not an easy answer to that one I'm afraid.
In any case, on the Samsung phones you will get 1 year warranty through Expansys, so you can always contact us if you are in need of a repair.
http://www.expansys-usa.com/ft.aspx?k=253310&page=1
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I would go with either of those two choices for buying a Galaxy Nexus. Negri offers for $595 and ships from Las Vegas, NV... Expansys offers the phone for $599 and ships from Chicago, IL.
As far as "lack of SD slot" this is very misleading. Let's think of it this way (most new phones are in this case),
When they say "SD slot" they mean external "hard drive space." The phone itself is equipped with "internal hard drive space" so it's like the same format as the iPhone. It doesn't have a SD card slot, but the phone itself has internal hard drive space.
And no while factory wiping, it will not wipe your phone's "sdcard (internal hard drive)." Everything remains intact, it'll pretty much be a "sdcard" that is irremovable with a size of 16GB (some of that space will be reserved for the Android OS so you don't get exactly the 16GB btw).
In my opinion, it's definitely worth it... this phone will last a long time. And I don't think T-Mobile will be getting any good phones, their upcoming phone is the Samsung Galaxy Blaze 4G.. which isn't that good. Phone itself is bootloader unlocked (fastboot oem unlock) supports HSPA+ (4G) on T-Mobile. What's there not to like? Updates coming from Google, strong developer community, very active forum, a lot of accessories to choose from.
Expansys: http://www.expansys-usa.com/google-nexus-prime-android-smartphone-unlocked-16gb-224148/
Negri: https://negrielectronics.com/samsun...galaxy-nexus-black-unlocked.html#.T2DE4L9SRq0

Thanks for all of this great advice.
Any reason not to buy direct from Amazon (other than price)?
I'm in Chicago, so I would pay sales tax is I ordered from Expansys.
The other 3rd party vendors that have Prime shipping are:
Global Mobiles
BlutekUSA
Yapper
Pavilion Electronics
The Wireless Circle
Any of those sound familiar?
I don't mind paying a bit more for peace of mind, so paying the Amazon premium might be worth it.
Thanks again for the advice.
zephiK said:
Warranty is very important. Negri and Expansys fulfills their warranties and both are well-known companies.
Negri:
Expansys:
I would go with either of those two choices for buying a Galaxy Nexus. Negri offers for $595 and ships from Las Vegas, NV... Expansys offers the phone for $599 and ships from Chicago, IL.
As far as "lack of SD slot" this is very misleading. Let's think of it this way (most new phones are in this case),
When they say "SD slot" they mean external "hard drive space." The phone itself is equipped with "internal hard drive space" so it's like the same format as the iPhone. It doesn't have a SD card slot, but the phone itself has internal hard drive space.
And no while factory wiping, it will not wipe your phone's "sdcard (internal hard drive)." Everything remains intact, it'll pretty much be a "sdcard" that is irremovable with a size of 16GB (some of that space will be reserved for the Android OS so you don't get exactly the 16GB btw).
In my opinion, it's definitely worth it... this phone will last a long time. And I don't think T-Mobile will be getting any good phones, their upcoming phone is the Samsung Galaxy Blaze 4G.. which isn't that good. Phone itself is bootloader unlocked (fastboot oem unlock) supports HSPA+ (4G) on T-Mobile. What's there not to like? Updates coming from Google, strong developer community, very active forum, a lot of accessories to choose from.
Expansys: http://www.expansys-usa.com/google-nexus-prime-android-smartphone-unlocked-16gb-224148/
Negri: https://negrielectronics.com/samsun...galaxy-nexus-black-unlocked.html#.T2DE4L9SRq0
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Click to collapse

volcs0 said:
Edit: I apologize - this goes in the Q&A Forum. Please move it.
I've had my HTC G2 (Desire Z) for about 15 months now. I've been happy with it - the phone seems indestructible. I love being able to change ROMs any time I get bored with it. But the screen size, low resolution (480) and speed is bothering me more and more. I tried ICS on it, and it was too laggy to use.
I've been eyeing the Galaxy Nexus for the past month - watching the prices fall on Amazon. They are about $550 now, $650 if I want to buy direct from Amazon. There are a few versions, one says no warranty, one says international warranty. If I buy from Amazon, I at least have their 30-day return - not sure about the 3rd party sellers.
Important to me are screen, resolution, speed. In that order.
On one hand, I could just keep waiting and waiting for a better T-Mobile device, but I just don't see a compatible one coming soon. The Galaxy S2 HD would fit the bill, but I don't see it as T-Mobile compatible. The S3 won't be out for a few months. The One-S is not 720p (while the One-X is). I think these facts are all correct.
So, my assessment is that for the next few months, the Galaxy Nexus might be the best phone I can get right now for T-Mobile.
My reservations are (1) lack of US warranty, (2) lack of SD slot.
The lack of the slot doesn't bother me much from a storage standpoint - I don't keep a ton of media on my phone anyway. But I worry about the rooting/ROM issues. Should it concern me that there is no SD slot?
I'm leaving for a trip on Friday, and I could order today and have it tomorrow.
So, given my situation, does this look like a good buy? Should I get the Amazon version over the other third party vendors ($100 difference).
Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing about the Nexus device is that it's always going to have the most development and get software updates first. I've had every phone on T-Mobile including the Nexus S and from experience if you hate skins and don't like waiting for development or updates then go for the GNex. I can't stand anything besides a Nexus device and I learned that the hard way, went through about 30 phones last year and I stuck with my Nexus S until I could afford my GNex.
If you don't mind skins and waiting for AOSP/CM9 to come out for the phone you decide to get then I would either wait for the GS3 (which might not be available until later in the year) or the One S, it has QHD and Super Amoled which are both pretty cool, I can't really go back to LCD after coming from SAMOLED screens.
The GNex I'd say fits all your important requirements and if you plan to hold onto a phone for a while, I'd say go for it, it's THE best phone on the market now, many people might argue that, but I've seen about 9/10 tech sites praising it and saying how great it is. Don't get me wrong it has its flaws, but it's pros definitely out way the cons compared to other phones on the market. PURE AOSP, timely updates, great development(Morfic, Franco, OGDobber, Roman-AOKP, Ezekeel, and a lot of other very talented devs). Get the GNex, you won't be disappointed. As far as the lack of SD card, you can put a good amount of media on 16gb and if you can't there is always Google music and swapping out songs and what not. I've learned to live with it since owning a Nexus S for about 6 months. Also internal is going to be faster than external, so I think a lot of new phones are starting to adopt the internal flash rather than external. It's my favorite Android phone and I've had a lot of them, lol I don't see me getting rid of it until the next Nexus ;D.

volcs0 said:
Thanks for all of this great advice.
Any reason not to buy direct from Amazon (other than price)?
I'm in Chicago, so I would pay sales tax is I ordered from Expansys.
The other 3rd party vendors that have Prime shipping are:
Global Mobiles
BlutekUSA
Yapper
Pavilion Electronics
The Wireless Circle
Any of those sound familiar?
I don't mind paying a bit more for peace of mind, so paying the Amazon premium might be worth it.
Thanks again for the advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I helped please press the thanks button. It's the very least you can do ... the reasoning why you wouldn't buy it from Amazon is for warranty purposes. Amazon themselves are not selling Galaxy Nexus, it is third-party vendors. On contrast, Expansys & Negri are both trustworthy and will fulfill your warranty.

I got my GN from newegg and it comes with a 30 day refund/90 exchange period.
Coming from an SE X10, the phone is a much nicer overall experience. The colors are better and smoother, but the screen clarity isn't what I was hoping for. Apparently, AMOLED screens are prone to some pixel grit at low brightness and I'm experiencing very light ghosting issues. Unfortunately, my eyes are really sensitive to seeing the grain.
As for the warranty, Samsung USA has been fairly craptastic about servicing gray-market phones, which is pretty deplorable considering the Nexus name, so you're better off paying the premium with a vendor that will facilitate RMA's or go with Squaretrade if your very concerned about it. On the brightside, I haven't read about a lot of phone-breaking problems that would require repair beyond some units that have some serious banding and ghosting that lasts upto 15 seconds.
On the otherhand, X10's had some wdiespread problems with broken usb ports, but their warranty support was great.

will.m said:
I got my GN from newegg and it comes with a 30 day refund/90 exchange period.
Coming from an SE X10, the phone is a much nicer overall experience. The colors are better and smoother, but the screen clarity isn't what I was hoping for. Apparently, AMOLED screens are prone to some pixel grit at low brightness and I'm experiencing very light ghosting issues. Unfortunately, my eyes are really sensitive to seeing the grain.
As for the warranty, Samsung USA has been fairly craptastic about servicing gray-market phones, which is pretty deplorable considering the Nexus name, so you're better off paying the premium with a vendor that will facilitate RMA's or go with Squaretrade if your very concerned about it. On the brightside, I haven't read about a lot of phone-breaking problems that would require repair beyond some units that have some serious banding and ghosting that lasts upto 15 seconds.
On the otherhand, X10's had some wdiespread problems with broken usb ports, but their warranty support was great.
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Click to collapse
You might want to try using a kernel featuring Ezekeel's Color Control. Here's a link explaining it, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1521195 I personally don't have a problem with the screen but check it out and it might help with your problem

Thanks everyone for all the useful input.
I ordered from Newegg. I like that they have 90 days protection (though it is through a third party), and then I added in the $59 one-year ServiceNet policy. Hopefully I won't need it, but it might help in a bind.
The phone was $579. I'll have it on Monday, I think.
Now I have to learn a new rooting procedure. And get used to ICS!
Thanks again.

volcs0 said:
Thanks everyone for all the useful input.
I ordered from Newegg. I like that they have 90 days protection (though it is through a third party), and then I added in the $59 one-year ServiceNet policy. Hopefully I won't need it, but it might help in a bind.
The phone was $579. I'll have it on Monday, I think.
Now I have to learn a new rooting procedure. And get used to ICS!
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check stickied threads for rooting. It's relatively simple.
1. Get ADB drivers
2. bootloader mode
3. fastboot oem unlock
4. done.... now flash clockwork recovery (fastboot flash recovery recoveryname.img)
5. download rom/kernel/gapps -> flash in cwr -> done.
Congrats on your purchase. Newegg is really good when it comes to shipping so you might get it this week depending on where you're located.

Thanks. Just got my phone and am doing my homework.
Can I use 4Ext or do I need CW?
I'm on a mac, so I won't be using that GNex toolkit. I have the ADB drivers already installed on my mac from my last root for my G2.
zephiK said:
Check stickied threads for rooting. It's relatively simple.
1. Get ADB drivers
2. bootloader mode
3. fastboot oem unlock
4. done.... now flash clockwork recovery (fastboot flash recovery recoveryname.img)
5. download rom/kernel/gapps -> flash in cwr -> done.
Congrats on your purchase. Newegg is really good when it comes to shipping so you might get it this week depending on where you're located.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

At this point, I would say jump on GS3.

Something to keep in mind, the GN is PENTAband. If you ever move or something and Tmobile has terrible coverage, you can more than likely get Walmart's 45 dollar per month plan (using ATT) and still get HSPA+ service.

I'd say wait for the 'Universe Nexus'.
LoL.
However, if you can't wait that long, I'd get the Galaxy Nexus.
I have one. It was purchased for me as a gift on Amazon and you won't regret owning one.
I love this phone.
Having said that, there's a lot of Hype about the new 'One' series phones from HTC and the SGS3.
Are they worth the wait? Probably, but there's always gonna be a 'next' new phone just on the horizon. So don't wait too long
Good luck.

Considering my GNX arrived an hour ago, I'm going to stick with that for awhile.
It is now bootloader unlocked and rooted.
About to put CWR on and then probably AOKP.

Related

is this phone worth $200?

i bought one from ebay is it worth it?could i have gotten a better one?
condition is mint no scratches or anything
hey,
i bought the phone a few month ago for about $300...
and of course you could have gooten a better one...
But here's the BIG BUT:
-when you want to have a hardfware keyboard then theres only one other phone...the desire z (about $600)
-if you dont need the keyboard then u could get the HD2 if u want it to hgave windows mobile
-or you could get the desire wich in my eyes is a high end device without any limits for now...
--->but thats all a matter of what you want to spend for a new phone...
but i can only tell you that it is a great phone i use it every day and its just great to have the keyboard...
and for that price $200 you couldnt get a better phone then this one!
just flash a cusom rom and the phone is just awesome!
nick
Not a bad price; was it a 'bid' or 'buy it now' option?
I was lucky to snag one with a bunch of accessories (including 2 batteries, 3 cables, 2 AC chargers, a spare battery cover, extra stylises, & an Otterbox) in mint condition for about $150 shipped. It was a buy-it-now sale, so I assume that I got that deal because the seller really didn't know what it was worth. The seller was changing carriers and just wanted to get rid of the phone.
Since the phone has been discontinued and the new Windows 7 phones are out, the prices are coming down quickly. I'm not ready to jump into a W7 device, so I'm happy with my purchase.
Keep reading the forums and, if you're brave about customizing it, I'm sure you'll be happy with this device, too. Enjoy!
Debbie
the-nj said:
hey,
i bought the phone a few month ago for about $300...
and of course you could have gooten a better one...
But here's the BIG BUT:
-when you want to have a hardfware keyboard then theres only one other phone...the desire z (about $600)
-if you dont need the keyboard then u could get the HD2 if u want it to hgave windows mobile
-or you could get the desire wich in my eyes is a high end device without any limits for now...
--->but thats all a matter of what you want to spend for a new phone...
but i can only tell you that it is a great phone i use it every day and its just great to have the keyboard...
and for that price $200 you couldnt get a better phone then this one!
just flash a cusom rom and the phone is just awesome!
nick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what phone could i have gotten for $200 better than this?i thought this was the max
DebbieNY13 said:
Not a bad price; was it a 'bid' or 'buy it now' option?
I was lucky to snag one with a bunch of accessories (including 2 batteries, 3 cables, 2 AC chargers, a spare battery cover, extra stylises, & an Otterbox) in mint condition for about $150 shipped. It was a buy-it-now sale, so I assume that I got that deal because the seller really didn't know what it was worth. The seller was changing carriers and just wanted to get rid of the phone.
Since the phone has been discontinued and the new Windows 7 phones are out, the prices are coming down quickly. I'm not ready to jump into a W7 device, so I'm happy with my purchase.
Keep reading the forums and, if you're brave about customizing it, I'm sure you'll be happy with this device, too. Enjoy!
Debbie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it was at buy it now price
And thank you for replying
Well, after reading this thread, I decided to buy one off ebay too. Then to see how the xdandroid stuff is working...
bought my tp2 before they hit the U.S for $600,been pleased ever since.You got one for $200,you got lucky,great buy
Was it an unlocked device? It wasn't a BAD price, really but I don't know if I would consider it a great one either. The phone is a bit on the slow side these days, but not excessively so. They are still selling new Android phones with even slower CPUs. But it's no Snapdragon either. The hardware keyboard is nice. I thought about moving to a Focus with WP7 but I really don't like the soft keyboards and I am not impressed with the Quantum.
So, yeah, not a real helpful post, but the TP2 remains one of if not the overall best WM 6 device out there. AT&T is still selling it for $199 and you would be locked into a 2 year contract for it so if you got it for $199 I suppose you did okay. Especially if, as previously mentioned, you aren't adverse to a bit of out of warranty modding and custom ROMs.
Avatar28 said:
Was it an unlocked device? It wasn't a BAD price, really but I don't know if I would consider it a great one either. The phone is a bit on the slow side these days, but not excessively so. They are still selling new Android phones with even slower CPUs. But it's no Snapdragon either. The hardware keyboard is nice. I thought about moving to a Focus with WP7 but I really don't like the soft keyboards and I am not impressed with the Quantum.
So, yeah, not a real helpful post, but the TP2 remains one of if not the overall best WM 6 device out there. AT&T is still selling it for $199 and you would be locked into a 2 year contract for it so if you got it for $199 I suppose you did okay. Especially if, as previously mentioned, you aren't adverse to a bit of out of warranty modding and custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it was unlocked

[Q] $349 Galaxy Nexus or wait for new Nexus Phone?

Let's start with what would be my dream phone:
- minimum 4.65 inch screen, preferably not Pentile display, but not a dealbreaker
- 64 GB internal memory (iphone does it, why not android phones?)
- Micro SD slot capable of additional 64 GB (or 128! even better!)
- Tegra 3+ or Exynos 5450 (no, NOT the dual-core 5250, i want the beast quad-core 5450 on the new ARMv15 architecture)
OK story time:
My AT&T upgrade's coming up next month, which means I can FINALLY get rid of the iPhone 4 32GB. Say what you will, but it was a good upgrade coming from a very old Blackberry Curve, and she served me well these past two years, but I've outgrown Apple and its walled garden a year ago.
Here's the thing, I've been disappointed with the recent releases on AT&T, here's why:
1) Samsung Galaxy SIII - no 32 GB version, Touchwiz, snapdragon processor, slow to update
2) HTC One X - no Micro SD card, Sense (although I hear it's great), Beats overrated, same snapdragon processor
3) Samsung Galaxy Note - Y U NO HAVE ICS YET?!... also, i don't need a phablet since i have a Tab 10.1 and the upcoming Nexus 7, so a smaller display would be ideal.
*-- Yes, I'm aware I can root/flash custom ROMS which would deal with the update & custom skin issue, and I do have CM9 on my 10.1, but I'm looking to move to a phone similar to a Nexus, that offers the pure Google experience. --*
On that note, yes, I just sprung for the Nexus 7, and that's made me seriously consider the Galaxy Nexus with its reduced price, pure Google experience, and it updates software way faster than carriers do. The thing is, I'm not a huge fan of some things about the GNex:
Galaxy Nexus Unlocked Negatives (in my opinion):
1) The dated hardware (Texas OMAP processor, which disappointed me even at the press release),
2) smaller HDD (only 16 gb, not fun to downgrade, even if I am coming from Apple),
3) lack of Micro SD (I use Google Music and have about 30 GB of music on it, but I like using the offline feature so I don't constantly have to stream and abuse my data plan, and that requires more space than the GNex is offering).
That $349 price point is just SO intriguing though, and I am an avid user of Google content and purchase regularly through the play store, so I will absolutely be getting an android phone, the question is when.
So thoughts? If you were in a similar situation, would you just spring for the GNex now with that $349 unlocked goodness, or wait for a potential new Nexus phone to be introduced around the holidays? Something's gotta compete with the iPhone 5, right?
Here's my plan. I already use a GNex as a daily driver and I plan on picking up another to do modding/hacking on. Then, when the new Nexus device(s) arrives I am going to sell my daily driver GNex and buy a new one to use. I will keep my "testing" GNex as it will be more than capable a year from now.
But to put it into perspective to your situation, I would just wait if you don't have the luxury of having two phones. Technically, I really can't afford two phones but I have given up drinking, smoking, and sugary drinks to compensate for my "Tech" addiction. Or you could just spring for the GNex now for the lower price point and wait until the new Nexus has a price reduction before moving on. I guess it's all about patience and prioritizing your wants/needs.
I have a GNEX a very early adapter and I paid almost $700.00 so at $349.00 it's a steal. With that said you can always get an International version of the SG SIII and if you don't like touchwiz just root it and install a custom rom. It's very easy to do.
See, there's so many variables.
I love the idea of the GNex, and 4.1 will probably be amazing on it, but if a newer, better phone is expected to come out for the holidays and I can use my upgrade subsidy to get it for about $299, then that would be perfect (no plans on leaving AT&T at the moment, I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan, and I'll be damned if they take that away from me).
Sure, I could buy it, then sell it later, but do I essentially want to rent the phone for a few months and lose at least $100 in the process?
I could always keep it as a backup phone, perhaps as a testing phone as you mentioned. But is the GNex worth it? If you have a large amount of media as I do, won't your data plan suffer because you'll always have to stream it?
I can see how the GNex would be useful if I ever decided to buy a Nexus Q (God knows why I'd do that now, needs GTV baked into it). Have it as a backup remote perhaps. Hmmm.....
joe767 said:
I have a GNEX a very early adapter and I paid almost $700.00 so at $349.00 it's a steal. With that said you can always get an International version of the SG SIII and if you don't like touchwiz just root it and install a custom rom. It's very easy to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SGSIII International I don't believe works well with AT&T, right? Even if it does, it's extremely expensive ($500 range last I checked). I'm trying to stick to about $350 tops (aka GNex is the most I'd pay for a phone).
Already spoke about rooting & custom ROMs. I'm really feeling the idea of the pure google experience right now, so it's Nexus or bust, I think (pending better arguments from more experienced board members)
Just ordered one for my buddy since the price is awesome.
Here's a Pro/Con list I'm coming up with. Remember, this is me coming off an Apple phone, so a lot of stuff y'all are used to, I'm not.
Pros:
- Would get cheap, using eBay Instant Sale promotion, I'd get $300 for the iPhone (it's pristine, been in an otterbox since unboxing. Even the otterbox is in good condition!)
- Access to all Google content I've purchased, and continue to purchase
- Jelly Bean
- Pure Google Experience I'm currently looking for (a la Nexus 7, which I purchased)
- Much faster updates than if I bought through a carrier
- Turn-by-Turn Nav
- Price for no-contract phone would be roughly the same if I was upgrading to a new phone with AT&T (If I recall correctly, I got my 32 GB iPhone for $299)
- Buying the phone means I still keep my upgrade eligibility for AT&T
- Can always have as a back-up phone, or as a back-up remote for Nexus Q if I ever purchase something like that
- Much larger display than what I'm used to, and the display is still one of the top 3 in the market currently, hands down.
- I can live without a new phone for a while, which means I can wait for some crazy beast phone.
Cons:
- Need to buy a new FM Radio adapter (2005 accord = no aux port)
- Smaller Storage (32GB iphone vs 16GB GNex)
- No Micro SD slot
- Not quad-core (yes, I'm aware of the "dual-core just as good" argument, and I don't care. Blame it on my testicular insecurity, whatever you want lol)
- Could become outdated soon by potentially newer Nexus model or new Samsung/HTC/ASUS phones coming out in the holidays (just 6 months away)
- The no-contract thing doesn't give me any benefit, as I have a grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plan with no desire to lose it
I'll add more stuff as I think of it, or as people mention in subsequent posts.
Dolfan058 said:
See, there's so many variables.
I love the idea of the GNex, and 4.1 will probably be amazing on it, but if a newer, better phone is expected to come out for the holidays and I can use my upgrade subsidy to get it for about $299, then that would be perfect (no plans on leaving AT&T at the moment, I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan, and I'll be damned if they take that away from me).
Sure, I could buy it, then sell it later, but do I essentially want to rent the phone for a few months and lose at least $100 in the process?
I could always keep it as a backup phone, perhaps as a testing phone as you mentioned. But is the GNex worth it? If you have a large amount of media as I do, won't your data plan suffer because you'll always have to stream it?
I can see how the GNex would be useful if I ever decided to buy a Nexus Q (God knows why I'd do that now, needs GTV baked into it). Have it as a backup remote perhaps. Hmmm.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Variables, exactly. I don't even buy phones on contract anymore so I don't even think about that aspect.
As for media content, using a phone without expandable storage just takes extra preparation, which I don't mind. I switch out playlists and things like that weekly when I'm around WiFi.
live4nyy said:
Variables, exactly. I don't even buy phones on contract anymore so I don't even think about that aspect.
As for media content, using a phone without expandable storage just takes extra preparation, which I don't mind. I switch out playlists and things like that weekly when I'm around WiFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm about 90% set on getting the GNex, just want to do some last minute fact checking and really make sure I'm ready to do this.
What changed my mind??
I recently found out about Ebay's Instant Sell promotion. To celebrate the GS3 release, Ebay's buying the iPhone 4 32GB for $300. Mine's in pristine condition due to being in an otterbox for the entirety of its life, I even have the original iPhone 4 box it came in.
I'd still have the upgrade feature for phones that come out next year, and it holds me over till my true superphone comes out. I'm so close to buying it lol, just want to make sure I'm making the right decision haha
Dolfan058 said:
I'm about 90% set on getting the GNex, just want to do some last minute fact checking and really make sure I'm ready to do this.
What changed my mind??
I recently found out about Ebay's Instant Sell promotion. To celebrate the GS3 release, Ebay's buying the iPhone 4 32GB for $300. Mine's in pristine condition due to being in an otterbox for the entirety of its life, I even have the original iPhone 4 box it came in.
I'd still have the upgrade feature for phones that come out next year, and it holds me over till my true superphone comes out. I'm so close to buying it lol, just want to make sure I'm making the right decision haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm not going to tell you what to do, that's a decision you'll have to make. But I will say this, I was using the HTC One X before the GNex and I'm getting ready to sell the One X so I can have the second GNex, if that tells you anything. Of course, that's me and everyone is different. Good luck in making your decision.
At $399 when I bought it last month, it was a screaming deal. I have absolutely no regrets, I was originally waiting for the GS3 and considered the One S.
Won't I need a SIM card adapter?
Optional questions that don't belong here:
1) any ideas on FM Radio transmitters? (I have an 05 Accord, no AUX input unfortunately).
2) Should I get a case? Dropping phones freaks me out, especially since I have tile in the house
3) Any other accessory recommendations? Micro-USB preferred, as they will then work with the Nexus 7
yup, just get a microsim to sim adapter. i have one for my ATT iPad sim i now use in my thinkpad tablet and my ps vita (sold all of my ipads). here's a link:
http://microsim-shop.com/
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm also looking into getting a Nexus, and I have a few questions:
How common is the banding/burn-in problem? (I don't leave static images on the screen for long, but I'm worried about this because a lot of people seem to be complaining about it and saying it happens in only 3 days)
How is the multitouch , as in, does it track your fingers well, and how many fingers max? (I'm asking cause the android phone I'm on now has major issues with multitouch)
Do most 3D games run smooth? (max payne, gta, nova, spiderman, etc...)
What are your personal gripes with the phone?
I really appreciate you answers, sorry if I'm asking too much, I just want to be sure about buying, $350 seems "too good to be true" for a phone this good lol.
I think these questions can best be answered in this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1642801
Thanks
FNM

Considering a refurb 8.4

I should have had one from Amazon (KLAMP) yesterday, but FedEx failed to deliver. I also had a refurb Yoga Tab 2 8-inch direct from Lenovo's Outlet. It had more defect's than a new Yugo did. Then i thought to look to see if Samsung had an outlet. They do, but it's a bit more expensive than Amazon ($220 vs $250).
Question: Is there any reason to think Samsung Outlet refurbs are any better than you can get from Amazon? Like maybe Samsung cherry picks the best and wholesales the rest?
Another consideration might be Samsung's return policy on refurbs is for defects ONLY. With Amazon I can return it even if I think it smells funny (Like a new Yugo).
Personally I would buy new, for several reasons
1. Free shipping, usually on amazon refurb stuff they charge shipping and by the time it all adds up it's close to new price anyways.
2. Warranty, new ones have a 1 year warranty , used ones are probably 90 days (I could be wrong though).
3. Battery life, if you buy used you could be getting an 1+ year old model meaning the battery life is considerably less then a new one.
4. who knows what the previous owner did to it, they could of flashed it tripping knox, opened it up, or had problems with it.
so yeah I suggest spending the little extra to get a new item, less headache.
Groupon has refurbs for $200 with a 90 Samsung warranty.
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-samsung-galaxy-tab-pro-16gb-or-32gb-tablet-5
HKSpeed said:
Groupon has refurbs for $200 with a 90 Samsung warranty.
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-samsung-galaxy-tab-pro-16gb-or-32gb-tablet-5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my luck. I'm not in one of those "select cities." :crying:
wellersl said:
Just my luck. I'm not in one of those "select cities." :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you need to be in a select city to order a Groupon Goods item. They ship the item like any other online vendor. You can skip the screen to select a city, or input the nearest major city to you.
I purchased a refurb 8.4 via groupon a few months ago. I didn't really need a tablet (use a Sony e-reader for books which is WAY WAY better, plus wife has an iPad). I learned long ago (thanks to wife's ipad), that tablets are only for "consuming" things. For me that is Netflix, Tivo (when i'm "working" in my office), and sometimes forum reading. So I wasn't interested in purchasing a $300-400 tablet, so a refurbished 8.4 for $175 on Groupon was good.
It has been reliable, and no major issues other than the stupid Samsung edits to android. My only issue is that I now use it for iRule and that software always hangs. It isn't a samsung issue, i think, as others have had the issue.
'
Thanks to FedEx's incompetency, I now have two Samsung Glaxay Tab Pro 8.4's (refurbished). Trying real hard not to compare them to my Nook HD+, they are both functionally perfect. Except for -
The WiFi. (These results are with both units freshly booted after being fully charged and all updates.)
Ping times on one is very good (<40ms). One the other is poor (triple digits).
Download speeds on both is very good.
Upload speed on the one with good ping is poor.
Upload speed on the one with poor ping is very good.
Should I be concerned about the long ping on the one? Because otherwise, the Upload/Download speeds are as good or better than my phone and HD+.
EDIT: I don't know if everyone knows this, or if I just had a minor epiphany, but I was using Ookla's Sppedtest. Always had. On a whim, I don't know why really, I downloaded SpeedSpot and something interesting happened. The tab withe long ping times, doesn't have such long ping times any more. Still 2-4ms longer than the other tab. And the other tab now has download/upload speeds in line with the first tab. Can't explain it. Just sayin'. Probably has to do with how the code is written. Curious though...

I am giving up my Note 7 and I am considering the HTC 10.

Hello everyone it's been a while since I have posted anything on a HTC section. I am currently have the Note 7 and well I have to give it up. I was considering the S7 but there is practically zero roms for it due to the locked boot loader. I wanted to get some feedback from the community and see if your current experience and thoughts are on the 10.
I love trying out new roms, currently in love with TEKHD roms.
What do you guys like about the phone? Pros and cons. If you could go back, Would you consider the S7 despite the locked bootloader or buy a different phone?
The v20 is out but I am not digging the phone, mainly for the price point. Only reason to consider the S7 and S7 Edge is due to the free 256gb SD Card and 100 bucks in credit from samsung. Oh and lastly, I don't see a HTC 10 for tmobile, is there a reason for that?
F9zSlavik said:
Hello everyone it's been a while since I have posted anything on a HTC section. I am currently have the Note 7 and well I have to give it up. I was considering the S7 but there is practically zero roms for it due to the locked boot loader. I wanted to get some feedback from the community and see if your current experience and thoughts are on the 10.
I love trying out new roms, currently in love with TEKHD roms.
What do you guys like about the phone? Pros and cons. If you could go back, Would you consider the S7 despite the locked bootloader or buy a different phone?
The v20 is out but I am not digging the phone, mainly for the price point. Only reason to consider the S7 and S7 Edge is due to the free 256gb SD Card and 100 bucks in credit from samsung. Oh and lastly, I don't see a HTC 10 for tmobile, is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't get the S7. I had it for 4 months and was not happy with it, even though overall it's a great phone. I would DEF get the HTC 10 over it. The camera on the S7 has slightly more detail than the 10's, but the 10's is more color accurate (as is the screen vs. S7's). The sound quality during calls was not that great on my S7 (locked from T-Mobile). I have the Sony Xperia XP right now and even w/o VoLTE (incl. HD Voice) it still sounds WAY better. The single speaker on the S7 is the worst ever too. I mean it really sux! lol The HTC 10 also has cool features like double tap to wake & sleep, smart call handling/auto answer calls (answer calls by simply picking up phone while it lays flat and lifting it to your ear; no need to swipe screen anymore), etc. The audio technology on the HTC 10 is WAY better b/c they put in more money on it and everyone thinks it sounds the best! I listen to a lot of music on premium headphones, and I know the 10 won't disappoint (I tried it out for a week). If using a digital connection to the S7 for headphone listening, because of a USB driver issue, it will make your music skip like every 3-5 min. I really DON'T miss that! lol
Also, HTC is VERY cool with ppl unlocking its bootloaders. So since you like flashing ROMs, that's another plus with getting a 10.
The HTC 10 is currently on sale 'til next Monday for $150 off. The only down side is they're out of 2 of the 4 colors (available on unlocked models only) until most likely after the sale ends. So right now there's only the black and silver ones available, but both are nice too. I had the One M8 in silver a couple years ago and it was great phone! And they've only gotten better since, though I hope the HTC 11 moves that fingerprint sensor from the front and INTEGRATES it into the side Power button the way Sony does it, and then also move that bottom facing speaker back to its rightful place at the bottom front. We'll see. Still, the 10 is great though.
The 10 didn't sell well enough for T-Mobile to keep it in stock I guess, so you can only buy it from HTC or maybe Amazon (etc) online now? I guess SOME T-Mobile stores have it in stock still, but you'd have to call and find them, and there may not be any around you that do. The good news is, HTC actually CARED enough about their customers (unlike Sony Mobile) to get the unlocked HTC 10 certified with T-Mobile for their VoLTE (which includes HD Voice) and Wi-Fi Calling services, so you WILL get both of those features on even the unlocked one. I say get the unlocked one b/c more color options + you'll get updates faster cuz they won't have to go through T-Mobile first to get configured before deployment.
On top of all that, you get HTC's Uh-Oh Protection plan. The first year is covered with that (for free) for broken screens or water damage, and if you DON'T use it, you get a $100 credit off the purchase of a future HTC One series phone. More details here. A sweet deal if you ask me.
Hope that helps!
RockStar2005 said:
I wouldn't get the S7. I had it for 4 months and was not happy with it, even though overall it's a great phone. I would DEF get the HTC 10 over it. The camera on the S7 has slightly more detail than the 10's, but the 10's is more color accurate (as is the screen vs. S7's). The sound quality during calls was not that great on my S7 (locked from T-Mobile). I have the Sony Xperia XP right now and even w/o VoLTE (incl. HD Voice) it still sounds WAY better. The single speaker on the S7 is the worst ever too. I mean it really sux! lol The HTC 10 also has cool features like double tap to wake & sleep, smart call handling/auto answer calls (answer calls by simply picking up phone while it lays flat and lifting it to your ear; no need to swipe screen anymore), etc. The audio technology on the HTC 10 is WAY better b/c they put in more money on it and everyone thinks it sounds the best! I listen to a lot of music on premium headphones, and I know the 10 won't disappoint (I tried it out for a week). If using a digital connection to the S7 for headphone listening, because of a USB driver issue, it will make your music skip like every 3-5 min. I really DON'T miss that! lol
Also, HTC is VERY cool with ppl unlocking its bootloaders. So since you like flashing ROMs, that's another plus with getting a 10.
The HTC 10 is currently on sale 'til next Monday for $150 off. The only down side is they're out of 2 of the 4 colors (available on unlocked models only) until most likely after the sale ends. So right now there's only the black and silver ones available, but both are nice too. I had the One M8 in silver a couple years ago and it was great phone! And they've only gotten better since, though I hope the HTC 11 moves that fingerprint sensor from the front and INTEGRATES it into the side Power button the way Sony does it, and then also move that bottom facing speaker back to its rightful place at the bottom front. We'll see. Still, the 10 is great though.
The 10 didn't sell well enough for T-Mobile to keep it in stock I guess, so you can only buy it from HTC or maybe Amazon (etc) online now? I guess SOME T-Mobile stores have it in stock still, but you'd have to call and find them, and there may not be any around you that do. The good news is, HTC actually CARED enough about their customers (unlike Sony Mobile) to get the unlocked HTC 10 certified with T-Mobile for their VoLTE (which includes HD Voice) and Wi-Fi Calling services, so you WILL get both of those features on even the unlocked one. I say get the unlocked one b/c more color options + you'll get updates faster cuz they won't have to go through T-Mobile first to get configured before deployment.
On top of all that, you get HTC's Uh-Oh Protection plan. The first year is covered with that (for free) for broken screens or water damage, and if you DON'T use it, you get a $100 credit off the purchase of a future HTC One series phone. More details here. A sweet deal if you ask me.
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called several stores and none of them have it. I know I can go directly to HTC and buy it but I can not afford to pay the full retail price. I was hoping I could finance it through tmobile. ;/ I might just have to stick with my trusty Note 5 or opt for a S7 or S7 Edge which I just found out have practically zero modding community
F9zSlavik said:
I called several stores and none of them have it. I know I can go directly to HTC and buy it but I can not afford to pay the full retail price. I was hoping I could finance it through tmobile. ;/ I might just have to stick with my trusty Note 5 or opt for a S7 or S7 Edge which I just found out have practically zero modding community
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I C.
If you have Amazon Prime like I do, you could sign up for their Amazon Prime Store Card (log in to Amazon to see details). I got it sometime ago, and it lets you pay off any item at or over $149 over 6 mos interest-free, or at/over $599 12 mos interest-free. That's what I'm using now actually to pay off my Sony Xperia X Performance actually. Prices will vary here though and you HAVE to make sure not the get the int'l ones off Amazon b/c 4G LTE doesn't work on them. (Read the descriptions before buying.)
HTC.com DOES have a monthly financing option as well through PayPal. They say you get a $250 line of credit if approved, but when you go through the application process, it appears they raise it to cover the FULL price of the phone. You'll get 6 months to pay it off, interest-free. Select "PayPal Credit" in checkout to see that option on the HTC site.
Both options will require a credit check, which is not a big deal if you haven't recently applied for a credit card or credit of some kind and are in good standing. Even if you have applied once or twice recently, it should be fine. Look at the details of both and then make your decision.
P.S. See my last post again. I added some stuff like the Uh-Oh Protection part right when you replied.
Hope that helps! F Samsung! lol
F9zSlavik said:
Hello everyone it's been a while since I have posted anything on a HTC section. I am currently have the Note 7 and well I have to give it up. I was considering the S7 but there is practically zero roms for it due to the locked boot loader. I wanted to get some feedback from the community and see if your current experience and thoughts are on the 10.
I love trying out new roms, currently in love with TEKHD roms.
What do you guys like about the phone? Pros and cons. If you could go back, Would you consider the S7 despite the locked bootloader or buy a different phone?
The v20 is out but I am not digging the phone, mainly for the price point. Only reason to consider the S7 and S7 Edge is due to the free 256gb SD Card and 100 bucks in credit from samsung. Oh and lastly, I don't see a HTC 10 for tmobile, is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched from Note 7 to HTC 10, so far the phone is blazing fast. Haven't experienced any lag of any kind unlike Note 7. When typing on the Note 7 you experience the input lag and you have to uninstall apps in order to make the phone fast. While htc 10 you don't have to delete apps to make the phone fast it's already fast. The only thing i miss from the note is the big screen and Samsung pay. Watching videos on the 10 is good experience especially with the loud speakers. So yeah if you can find the 10 in a store I highly recommend getting it.
L-NANG said:
I switched from Note 7 to HTC 10, so far the phone is blazing fast. Haven't experienced any lag of any kind unlike Note 7. When typing on the Note 7 you experience the input lag and you have to uninstall apps in order to make the phone fast. While htc 10 you don't have to delete apps to make the phone fast it's already fast. The only thing i miss from the note is the big screen and Samsung pay. Watching videos on the 10 is good experience especially with the loud speakers. So yeah if you can find the 10 in a store I highly recommend getting it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with L on the lag. My S7 lagged ALL the time. Funny how a phone with 4 GBs of RAM and an 820 processor is slower to load things up than my Sony Xperia X Performance, which only has 3 GBs of RAM. And yes, all the reviews indicate that both music and call quality is crystal clear on the 10 (which was the same for the previous One series phones by HTC).
I'll admit that Samsung Pay was kinda cool to have, but I'd never stay with Samsung just for that. That's literally the ONLY thing I miss about my S7. lol
Yes check the stores but seriously consider that PayPal Credit option too via the HTC site. That's what I would do. Plus by buying it through their site you get that Uh-Oh Protection, which you WON'T get if you buy it through T-Mobile or even Amazon. And if you don't use Uh-Oh, that's $100 off your next HTC phone, saving you even more money in the future.
I don't have much to add other than I was in your shoes looking to replace my Note 7 and I'm happy I got the HTC 10.
I didn't even know what fast was until I got this phone.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
I had a tough decision between the Note 7 and the HTC 10 before I bought my device. It was before we knew they were all catching on fire, so I was seriously considering the Note 7 as well as the 10.
I pay full retail price on my devices, and money is tight so I have to be quite picky. I'm VERY happy that I chose the HTC 10 myself. The sunshine s off process is amazing, and worth every dime, you don't even have to bother with the bootloader unlock basically, if you go s-off, which I recommend in most cases of users (I have a theory for really wreckless people and s off, it's like drunk drivers, just put them in their own lane, they'll eliminate themselves)
For me, I only full with Android and run devices that I can root and flash on, it's my hobby, and kind of like my cars, I won't pay for something I can't tinker with or fix things I don't like, at least have the option.
While the HTC 10 hasn't been the largest device for custom rom quantity as far as development goes, I think the development quality is better than a lot of devices with way more roms available.
If you don't like HTC sense, and enjoy the HTC interface, I'd recommend a different device personally. You can eliminate HTC sense and run nova launcher, but the base of the rom will be HTC.
The kernels available for the device, if you enjoy flashing and tuning custom kernels, are awesome. All of the kernels I've tried from the development section ran really well, so it's not one of those cases where there's only a few options and they all suck, as some other devices have had, all of these rom and kernel developers have done outstanding.
Now for screen size, if you're buying the Note 7 for a huge screen, I would consider if it's going to be a problem that you only have a semi-huge screen. In my opinion, the screen size is perfect, I can reach everything easily and I don't have huge hands, and the fingerprint reader on the front of the HTC 10 is the ONLY fingerprint reader I've ever used consistently because it's the only one that's ever been implemented so well.
Charlies,
My "bootloader unlocking/rooting" days began & ended 2 years ago with my HTC One M8. At first I loved the extra freedom that comes with that world, but after a while I didn't like it so much b/c you have to do everything manually, so when I upgraded to the Sony Xperia Z3 later that year, that era was done with. Still, I got to upgrade my sound on my T-Mobile M8 from BoomSound to the Sprint Harman/Kardon sound using that process to obtain an H/K mod someone had extracted from the Sprint version. It def made a noticeable improvement in sound quality at the time, and I loved it! I too did the S-Off thing too (but not using Sunshine, I found another way that was free) as it was required in addition to unlocking the bootloader and rooting in order to install that mod. So I guess I was wreckless? lol
I feel like HTC is the only brand that not only lets you unlock the bootloader w/o penalty, but actually SUPPORTS the practice too.
Yes, when I had the HTC 10 that one week in June I recall the fingerprint sensor functioning very well too! I HATE phablets, so the HTC 10 is definitely what I'd go with over the Note anything. lol
F9zSlavik said:
Oh and lastly, I don't see a HTC 10 for tmobile, is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked version is GSM; T-Mo and AT&T are GSM. That's the version I have and I use Ting, which uses T-Mo & AT&T.
Unlocked version direct from htc, nice warranty, unlock support, most recent RUUs available for download, $150 off won me over. I like the phone so far (only had it a week).
Wife loves it. We wanted the Note 7 but we also wanted to live. The Pixel, the S7, and the V20 just aren't worth the cost to us.
Rolo42 said:
Unlocked version is GSM; T-Mo and AT&T are GSM. That's the version I have and I use Ting, which uses T-Mo & AT&T.
Unlocked version direct from htc, nice warranty, unlock support, most recent RUUs available for download, $150 off won me over. I like the phone so far (only had it a week).
Wife loves it. We wanted the Note 7 but we also wanted to live. The Pixel, the S7, and the V20 just aren't worth the cost to us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After that 1 year "Uh-Oh Protection" warranty ends, and you decide you want to keep it beyond the first year, you can do what I did which was get PRIVATE phone insurance for your phone. The 2 best ones are Square Trade and Worth Ave. Group. I went with Worth Ave. Group b/c I liked that they cover thefts too, though not malfunctions. Square Trade is the opposite. But if something goes wrong, just crack the screen and Worth Ave. will replace it anyway. lol And Worth is cheaper too.
Not everyone wants to get a new phone within a year of buying their last one, and not everyone wants or likes a carrier phone, so this is a great option for those people!
RockStar2005 said:
After that 1 year "Uh-Oh Protection" warranty ends, and you decide you want to keep it beyond the first year, you can do what I did which was get PRIVATE phone insurance for your phone. The 2 best ones are Square Trade and Worth Ave. Group. I went with Worth Ave. Group b/c I liked that they cover thefts too, though not malfunctions. Square Trade is the opposite. But if something goes wrong, just crack the screen and Worth Ave. will replace it anyway. lol And Worth is cheaper too.
Not everyone wants to get a new phone within a year of buying their last one, and not everyone wants or likes a carrier phone, so this is a great option for those people!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Insurance is to cover something one cannot afford to replace. If that's the case, then one shouldn't be buying phones one cannot afford!
Otherwise, my MIL-STD-810G-tested case is my "insurance".
Rolo42 said:
Insurance is to cover something one cannot afford to replace. If that's the case, then one shouldn't be buying phones one cannot afford!
Otherwise, my MIL-STD-810G-tested case is my "insurance".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. I guess people shouldn't be buying homes and cars either. lol Just because I can afford something doesn't mean I wanna pay full price to replace it.
Hey, if you decide to get the HTC 10 let me know and I'll pm you a $150 off coupon code that HTC gave me.
In regards to the OP,
If you have the cash to dish out on an unlocked HTC 10 then you will definitely not be disappointed. At this point, HTC is one of the most 'modding friendly' companies left... next to buying a Nexus of course.
But if you don't have the cash i'd recommend getting a refurbished M8. They can be had for $90-$150. My son uses my old M8 now so I keep it updated... currently have S.Team's latest rom. Only areas where my 10 outshines the M8 is the Camera, DAC, & some gaming. In terms of day-to-day performance though, they are identical
Rolo42 said:
Insurance is to cover something one cannot afford to replace. If that's the case, then one shouldn't be buying phones one cannot afford!
Otherwise, my MIL-STD-810G-tested case is my "insurance".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either way, insurance is only beneficial if the phone being replaced is fairly new. I've never tried any private insurance so I can't speak on that. But, you have to meet the deductible (up to $199) to get a phone replaced. You'd be better off using that $199 towards a better phone
chrisz5z said:
Either way, insurance is only beneficial if the phone being replaced is fairly new. I've never tried any private insurance so I can't speak on that. But, you have to meet the deductible (up to $199) to get a phone replaced. You'd be better off using that $199 towards a better phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is only worth doing on a new device. I'll agree with you there.
$199? Maybe if you're insuring from AT&T. My insurer, Worth Ave. Group, only charges $50 for the deductible. And my phone is pretty new (purchased in mid to late June).
RockStar2005 said:
Yes, it is only worth doing on a new device. I'll agree with you there.
$199? Maybe if you're insuring from AT&T. My insurer, Worth Ave. Group, only charges $50 for the deductible. And my phone is pretty new (purchased in mid to late June).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, carriers is what I was referring to... AT&T and Verizon specifically. If it appears to be a manufacturer defect both will replace it for free even after the warranty expires. Ironically, Verizon is a little more lenient than AT&T in that aspect. I'm gonna look into Worth Ave. Group though. I skimmed through the link you gave & so far seems like decent way to go.
RockStar2005 said:
[...] I too did the S-Off thing too (but not using Sunshine, I found another way that was free) as it was required in addition to unlocking the bootloader and rooting in order to install that mod. So I guess I was wreckless? lol
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please elaborate. Sharing is caring.
chrisz5z said:
Yea, carriers is what I was referring to... AT&T and Verizon specifically. If it appears to be a manufacturer defect both will replace it for free even after the warranty expires. Ironically, Verizon is a little more lenient than AT&T in that aspect. I'm gonna look into Worth Ave. Group though. I skimmed through the link you gave & so far seems like decent way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Yeah Square Trade won't cover theft, but will cover defective phones, where Worth Ave Group is the opposite. To me, if the phone goes bad, I'll just take a hammer to the screen and be done with it, since Worth DOES cover accidental damage and/or cracked screens. lol
I think Worth offers the best bang for your buck too. Plus they have an A+ rating with the BBB. Not much more you can ask for.
---------- Post added at 04:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:22 PM ----------
samisax said:
Please elaborate. Sharing is caring.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey samisax,
I wish I could give you specific information, but the fact is, that was 2 years ago, and I don't remember exactly what I did or how I did it. I just know that in order to install the Harman/Kardon mod that was exclusive to the Sprint HTC One M8 "Harman/Kardon Special Edition" phones (the M8 phones had all the SAME hardware, but Sprint H/K M8s had this software no other carrier or even HTC's unlocked phones did, until this guy created a mod from that software) onto my T-Mobile One M8, I had to unlock the bootloader, root the phone, AND switch "S-On" to "S-Off". The S-Off part was I THINK the hardest? I just remember it took me a few tries and I was up 'til like 2am one night doing it, but then right there I FINALLY got it, and was able to install the mod (amongst other things, but THAT was my priority). I remember definitely noticing an improvement in the already great sound, and being quite happy with the results. And now Harman/Kardon stereo systems are being put into Mercedes Benz cars. lol
I have no interest in going through all that again though. It was a cool "adventure" for 3-4 months there, but then I got tired and what was fun at first started feeling more like work. You have to maintain everything manually when you unlock the bootloader and/or root I learned, and I stopped enjoying that after a while. Not long after.... the Sony Xperia Z3 finally came out, and so I switched to that after about 6 mos with the M8....... and that (Z3) is arguably the best phone I ever had. I had S7 (Samsung.........mehh lol), the HTC 10 for like a week, and now the Sony Xperia X Performance. But the battery life on my Z3 TRUMPS those newer phones in that arena. I think it's really cool though that HTC is so supportive of and pro-modding. They clearly care more about their customers (esp U.S. customers) than Sony Mobile does. I'm seeing that more and more. As mentioned in my one post in this thread, HTC offers the Uh-Oh Protection Plan (and pays you $100 off your next phone if you don't use it)..........they made sure to activate the fingerprint sensor in the U.S. versions of the 10................they made sure to meet T-Mobile's certification requirements for VoLTE (including HD Voice) & Wi-Fi Calling on their unlocked phones................they release their phones in a TIMELY manner in the U.S......................these are all things Sony Mobile is unwilling to do. So in 2017 I may very well switch back. We'll see.

Samsung causing irreparable harm. End of an era? Perhaps.

In spite of my best intentions, and really attempting to remain loyal to Samsung during a decidedly rough time for the company, I am being completely abandoned by Samsung. Do they care? Not at all. Do they think the loss of one (more) customer is significant? It would appear not. That attitude is not really great, but it's understandable. If we, the consumers are in a bad way over this, and we certainly are, depending on your particular circumstances, then it's not hard to imagine how messed up thing must be for those Samsung employees that are dedicated and we rightfully proud of the N7.
It's a nightmare for all. That being said, we the living still have to work and play and go on with our lives. I sat on a fence for a week, just paralyzed - I was in denial, I realize; "this can't be... it just can. not. be...
But acceptance is one of the steps I think, and with that in mind I came up with a plan. Trading the Note 7 for an S7 or S7 Edge was not an option. I already HAVE an S7 (work phone) and an S7 Edge (personal phone that I kept when upgrading to Note 7. Besides, neither is a Note. I sold my Note 4 when I got the N7. The S7 Edge is a beautiful phone. It's just not a NOTE. Different usage case.
So I decided, with my options disappearing, that a Note 5 was the best (least worst?) option available to me, as sad as that appears. The Note 5 has the newer build methods and materials, though it's not as balanced, nor as slick as the Note 7 was/is (or as slippery) and I sure don't have to list why it's a weak substitute in this space, but it IS the closest thing to a N7 in a Note Series phone. So I decide to bite the bullet and live with half the internal memory, no water resistance, a smaller battery (but not prone to meltdown at least) etc.
Guess what? No Note 5 to be had. There's obviously SOME around since a guy posted that Verizon got him one for about $375 or so - but AT&T? Nope. Nada. They must have divested themselves of them knowing that NOBODY would want one with the N& selling alongside it. Whoopsie. Bad call. Note 5 would be more popular today than when it was new on the market.
So I tried Samsung. Thinking I would give them a really hard time and hopefully get them to GIVE me one until a new model - ANY new model phone comes out. I have gotten stuff in the past when a company is trying really hard to keep customers.
Guess what? No Note 5 to be had here either. SAMSUNG got rid of them all, at least all the ones in the sales channel. So both AT&T and Samsung can't get me ANY model note phone, including prepaid devices or refurbs (why the rep thought she could find a Prepaid Note 5 is a joke in itself.
To add (another) insult to (yet more) injury, the AT&T rep tells me "You can use the S-Pen on the S7" I kindly explain to her why that is not so, no Wacom digitizer, thus no S-Pen, but she INSISTS! Sher READ IT SOMEWHERE (therefore it MUST be true, right?) So, since I HAVE an S& and 2 S-Pens (one kept back from the 1st N7 recall) I tell okay, let's TRY IT! HEY! Guess what? (I say that a lot here, don't I?) It DOESN'Y WORK! WHAT A SURPRISE! I am SO disappointed. But she tells me (wait for it) You must be doing something wrong. My documentation says a stylus works with the Note 7. FACE PALM (when what I feel like doing is reaching through the phone line and (expletive deleted)
So yeah. Truly without a viable option. And the sad part is, I didn't even WANT the damn Note 5 very much, but was willing to make the best of it, AND stay loyal to Samsung, and buy yet ANOTHER Samsung Phone next year. They keep this up they will be competing with HTC and Motorola on phone sales again. You can't stay at the top of the tier when you a) have no product to sell at that level, and b) Give your (potentially loyal) customers no way to remain so, despite their willingness to work with you.
Based on these realizations I have to believe Samsung will reap exactly what they are sowing today which is big losses of sales, loss of market share, and loss of loyal customer base. It doesn't get much worse than that. But fret not. Even these extremes wouldn't send me over the dark side of the apple.
Note 5's for ATT are everywhere. Have you looked at Amazon lately? BH Photo?
My search was really fruitless. No Verizon Note 5's anywhere except at Verizon, where I would have to pay as much as the Note 7 costs while simultaneously losing my Upgrade status and be stuck with it for 24 months to boot.
So I feel for you but only half as much as I feel for me.
Yes but I need AT&T to GIVE the NOTE 5 to me. I dont want to buy one, lol! I would, under the right circumstances give up the NOTE 7 (sob!) but there's no way I am using up an upgrade or the GO TO on an N5. It has to just be a placeholder, not a replacement for N7.
Just to ask:
Have you tried calling Samsung's Note 7 department based in Colorado? The number is 855-291-6255 - no matter who you first speak with ask for the Note 7 department in Colorado. If you get any grief over it tell them you had called earlier (a little white lie) and you had been on hold with that department for an hour or so and got disconnected and nobody has called you back.
I know of 13 people personally that have used that method to get a full retail refund of the purchase price on their Note 7 devices: 5 of them with AT&T, 4 of them with Verizon, 3 with T-Mobile, and 1 with Sprint. How do I know? Because I gave them that number and those instructions last week after I saw the number posted over at Reddit with the same info and instructions.
Now, as of this minute Samsung might be doing things a bit differently, I don't know, but 5 (2 from AT&T, 1 from Sprint, 1 from T-Mobile, and 1 from Verizon) of those 13 people I provided the number and info too already got their refunds this week (they told me when their checks arrived). They also returned their devices to their carriers and were told to either keep them or wait for Samsung to send the return packaging.
It sure can't hurt to give 'em a call and see what happens. If you're successful and you get the refund congrats, now you'll have money to go buy whatever phone you want (given that if you were under contract with the Note 7 purchase you'd be paying that off if required, some carriers are just writing off those losses at this point).
I read the other day that the Note is only good for about one or two percent of their phone sales, so while it bites, it's probably not biting them as much as it should be, resulting in a general feel among people that they don't care. Or that's my guess at this point.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk
br0adband said:
Just to ask:
Have you tried calling Samsung's Note 7 department based in Colorado? The number is 855-291-6255 - no matter who you first speak with ask for the Note 7 department in Colorado. If you get any grief over it tell ...
It sure can't hurt to give 'em a call and see what happens. If you're successful and you get the refund congrats, now you'll have money to go buy whatever phone you want (given that if you were under contract with the Note 7 purchase you'd be paying that off if required, some carriers are just writing off those losses at this point).
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Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it, but I think you may have missed the entire point of my long winded tale... I don't WANT a REFUND. AT&T will give me a refund, take back the device, shut down the extra line I assigned it and all that. None of which helps me in any way. What I need is a NOTE PHONE. Having sold my perfect condition NOTE 3 and Note 4 after grabbing the Note 7, I have nothing to fall back on and no way to GET a NOTE PHONE. Having a refund leaves me without the phone I need and no reasonable replacement. Thanks anyway, though.
So you're trying to get a Note 5 for free? You think they're just going to do that? After all of this mess?
You said AT&T couldn't find one to sell you... so what is is, you are trying to get one for free, or you can't find one to buy? Apparently you CAN buy one. https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-N920C-Factory-Unlocked-Galaxy/dp/B013WACF4S?th=1
This has sucked for everyone affected. Personally I've been through two Note7's and ended up with a S7 Edge. If I wanted a S7 Edge I would have pre-ordered it when it came out. I stuck with Samsung because I use their features across all my other Samsung devices. Those devices include a NotePRO 12.2 (my laptop), Note 10.1 2014 (retired - now primarily my TiVo remote), Galaxy View (my portable home and away TV), and Gear S2. I use SideSync, S Note (including the Windows app), Scrapbook, Samsung Link, Samsung Pay, and Samsung's browser (ad free w/o root) and wasn't prepared to give those up. My non-Samsung device choices on AT&T amount to the LG V20 (too big for its screen size, not enough sizzle) or iPhone 7 (I'm not changing eco-systems). So I'm keeping the S7 Edge until the S8 comes out which will most likely be a Note7 with beefier specs and no S Pen. I'll hope for a Note8 in the fall and then I'll move from the S8 to it.
Like OP I had Note5 I was fine with. If the Note7 never came out I would have kept it and waited for what followed the S7-series. I do like the S7 Edge though and like the edge features I grew accustomed to on my time with the Note7. Since I do use S Note heavily I picked up a Tab A 8 with 4G and S Pen that I imported from Malaysia. It's a nifty small little tablet that's great for taking notes and it's on 6.0 so has the Note7's S Pen features. When I only want to carry one device I forward my calls from my S7 Edge to it and I can send and receive MMS on it using AT&T's unified messaging.
So I've exchanged phones three times, have a phone I wouldn't have chosen, and had to buy a tablet I wouldn't have needed. Sh!t happens. Samsung didn't want what happened to happen and neither did AT&T. I'm loyal to Samsung and Note devices especially so I'm just rolling with it. Of the over a dozen Samsung devices I own or owned this is the first time I've been let down. Assuming this incident has taught them humility their future products will be the best designed, best tested, and best QC'd on the market.
It is what it is.
Wow this thread truly makes my head hurt....
Let me make sure I get this right.
You are fully aware you can get a refund... for the FULL RETAIL AMOUNT of the phone, but don't want to do that, because you want AT&T or Samsung, to give you a Note 5... as a matter of principle???
There are PLENTY of Note 5 devices available for sale, at a MUCH lower price than the Note 7.
So you are UNWILLING to get a refund, and use that money to BUY a Note 5, and use the rest of the money for whatever you want.
This makes Z. E. R. O. sense. Please tell me I am missing something here, but getting around your generic rant and getting to the details was a bit difficult. End of an era? Like others have stated, the Note is a small percentage of their total sales. Until S7s and S7 edges start catching on fire, the era will continue just fine.
svache said:
I read the other day that the Note is only good for about one or two percent of their phone sales, so while it bites, it's probably not biting them as much as it should be, resulting in a general feel among people that they don't care. Or that's my guess at this point.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk
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I read the other day that the Earth is in fact flat and not round after all <- True story!
The Phone Company said:
I read the other day that the Earth is in fact flat and not round after all <- True story!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for that insightful contributing post.
poor_red_neck said:
Wow this thread truly makes my head hurt....
Let me make sure I get this right.
You are fully aware you can get a refund... for the FULL RETAIL AMOUNT of the phone, but don't want to do that, because you want AT&T or Samsung, to give you a Note 5... as a matter of principle???
.
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Click to collapse
I can understand their point because I have gone through the same dilemma.
I had a Note 4 I was relatively happy with, but starting to get long in the tooth. I tend to get a phone every 2 versions if the new version is reasonable (so went from N2 to N4 for example). I never considered the N5 as I have a pretty full SD card and no way am I giving up running that.
So the N7 specs came out, and it was everything I wanted. Fork out the huge $1350au and pre ordered it. The rest of that chapter is well known (2 perfect Note 7s in 4 weeks).
Now, with what is assumed to be total abandonment of the Note 7 series, what are my options?
1-full refund-ok, but then I need to get a phone (N4 is now being used by my wife)
2-S7/S7E with gift card style refund ($450/$350au).
I forked out the $ to upgrade to a phone I really wanted. Now I have to still lose some of those $ to get a phone I never really wanted, nor would have considered.
The only resolution I can see is to have Samsung provide a loan device and re-release a Note/SPEN model again with SD card ASAP, or allow the cheap purchase of an inferior model and a discounted purchase of the new model when it becomes available. I will certainly be somewhat out of pocket over all this, plus not being able to use the phone I really was wanting to buy.
I have decided instead to get the closest phone to the N7, the S7E, with the Samsung offer in au it is basically getting it for $100 less, and hopefully it will have good resell value when the next N series comes out (but I haven't sold a phone in a long time now, always handy to keep older phone just in case!)
I never certainly planned to buy two new phones so soon!
I think buying the N5 at this stage is a massive compromise for most (esp with so little on board storage and no SD slot), I would think anyone taking this route now is doing it temporarily to keep them going to the next N release and thus 2 phones purchased when really they were after just 1, thus why we get all these threads. The N7 is almost perfect, anything else is a compromise until the N7 comes back into sale again (as N6+ lol).
Sent from my SM-N930F using Tapatalk
I will still buy another samsung phone most like the next s8. Yes, i need to return the phone twice. But i got a few valuable free gifts. And got a full refund at the end. Not even iphone will do that. If you do the math, Samsung basically just gave me a travellers charger, a wireless charge, a power bank for free. So, why not getting the s8 next year, you won't have anything to lose
br0adband said:
Just to ask:
Have you tried calling Samsung's Note 7 department based in Colorado? The number is 855-291-6255 - no matter who you first speak with ask for the Note 7 department in Colorado. If you get any grief over it tell them you had called earlier (a little white lie) and you had been on hold with that department for an hour or so and got disconnected and nobody has called you back.
I know of 13 people personally that have used that method to get a full retail refund of the purchase price on their Note 7 devices: 5 of them with AT&T, 4 of them with Verizon, 3 with T-Mobile, and 1 with Sprint. How do I know? Because I gave them that number and those instructions last week after I saw the number posted over at Reddit with the same info and instructions.
Now, as of this minute Samsung might be doing things a bit differently, I don't know, but 5 (2 from AT&T, 1 from Sprint, 1 from T-Mobile, and 1 from Verizon) of those 13 people I provided the number and info too already got their refunds this week (they told me when their checks arrived). They also returned their devices to their carriers and were told to either keep them or wait for Samsung to send the return packaging.
It sure can't hurt to give 'em a call and see what happens. If you're successful and you get the refund congrats, now you'll have money to go buy whatever phone you want (given that if you were under contract with the Note 7 purchase you'd be paying that off if required, some carriers are just writing off those losses at this point).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seen the reddit site where people were talking about this refund process. So you know people who have confirmed getting a full retail check back already? I wanted to take this route with my sprint note 7 but I didn't want them to de activate my phone once I call to get the box sent. Rather it be blacklisted once I take it off my account when I get the return box.
As stated, the 13 people I provided that info to were "OK" with getting the refund from Samsung. Since I made that post one other person got their check already as well so it seems to be the course to take. Samsung might change things as I mentioned so the only way to know is call it and see what happens.
Can't speak for any blacklisting going on, all I keep hearing are rumors and the occasional report from someone that says their device has been blacklisted but there never seems to be any way to verify those stories. If the carriers actually publish statements that they plan to blacklist the Note 7 (which is within their rights to do since it's their networks) then I'll attach some more credence to it at that time but I don't expect it anytime soon if it ever does.
Samsung has said they'll accept returns through December 31, 2016 so, after that we'll see what happens with the carriers too I guess.

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