[Q] Replacing a Wildfire with a 8S - Windows Phone 8s by HTC

I currently use a HTC Wildfire, it's durable but has a tendency of being slow and crashing a lot lately. It runs CM7, but that's not the point.
The point is that I'm looking at new phones, and the 8S seems to be what I'm looking for. I tried one in a store and I instantly fell in love. Everything felt so smooth (couldn't test durability, because, well, store employees don't really like you dropping phones on the floor; besides the wildfire ones were accidental)
So, is the 8S worth it to replace my trusty ol' Wildfire? I use the Wildfire mostly for some light browsing, music listening and communicating, which WP8 shouldn't have any problem with (pretty much every app I use has a WP8 version, so that's no issue).
Also, has anyone here got any experiences with durability? I also hear things about instability with big SD cards (I have a 32GB one, which I'm obviously going to put into the new phone).

Related

Iphone 3gs vs htc desire..

The thread its all about.
I love my 3gs, mainly because its huge amount of 3d quality games, instruments, prank apps and other apps.
But the desire aint expensive and i can trade it for my iphone.
Its a real hard choice. The desire has a superb screen, but the iphone is more smooth and offers more games.
What would you do and why?
And are there already some quality 3d games for android?
About 3 months ago I bought an iPhone 3gs, mainly because of boredom.
3 days ago I received my Desire as a free upgrade.
The iPhone is a fantastic unit, but I'm bored with it already. I feel tied in. I can't mod it how I'd like to, and tbh it isn't worth the price.
The Desire has captivated me, frustrated me, but engaged me more than the iPhone did.
Ebay is about to get another iPhone for sale.
Why has the desire frustrated you?
I switched from the HD2 (nightmare) and i havent found a single thing wrong with the phone - i actually love it
in answer to your question you seem more concerned about apps rather than the actual phone so i think you should stick with your 3gs, i mean the android marketplace has many apps, but not really like pranks apps and stuff
if you want an overall all round great phone id definitely recommend the desire!
How is the graphic performance of the Desire compared to the iPhone 3GS? Because the 3GS has a dedicated graphics chip (powerVR SGX) where the Desire only has its 1Ghz Snapdragon. I'd like to play some 3D games on it aswel.
I think you'll get a biased opinion here... but I've had a couple of less zealous iPhone owners who've had a play with my phone concede that they actually quite like the Desire and they might even prefer to have one*. I've not bothered with any 3D games so I couldn't comment on that, but there seems to be plenty of games in the Market.
* Steve Jobs's flying monkeys will no doubt be on to them already.
Having moved from winmob to Android, I can honestly say the HTC Desire is simply an amazing phone. Android is such a breeze and it just works, no more lag or soft reset.
You have to remember the Android market is still very young, so it will grow in time.
The best 3D game I have been playing is 'Raging Thunder II - Lite edition', it is a racing game which you control by using the accelometer, best thing is it is free!
Technically the Snapdragon in the Desire is more powerful when it comes to 3D gaming but due to the higher res screen the performance ends up being more or less the same. At the moment the iPhone has a very slight lead in 3D performance but when FroYo is released and OpenGL2 is put out for the Desire we can see a big improvement.
Very simple, if you want a massive range of apps, that are of good quality, including good games etc, then go iPhone hands down. If you prefer to tinker with your phone, flash roms, adjust the looks etc, go android. Coming from both winmo and iphone, there are many apps I sorely miss that were on the iPhone that I can't get on the desire, BUT there are many things I can do with the desire that I had no chance of doing on the iPhone (eg. downloading rss feeds including videos and audio files from the phone). I also feel a lot better not having to rely on iTunes for transferring files etc. It was a nightmare for me when I didn't have access to MY computer, therefore I could not transfer files to it....
Apple do absolutely nothing for me, I wouldn't notice if they were not there.
I had a iphone and a hd2 both of which got listed on ebay within a few days of me receiving my desire. iPhone had more apps but bring on android 2.5 and the app emulator
cgrec92 said:
Why has the desire frustrated you?
I switched from the HD2 (nightmare) and i havent found a single thing wrong with the phone - i actually love it
in answer to your question you seem more concerned about apps rather than the actual phone so i think you should stick with your 3gs, i mean the android marketplace has many apps, but not really like pranks apps and stuff
if you want an overall all round great phone id definitely recommend the desire!
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Same here, my HD2 has just come back from HTC as a referb due to ongoing issues with the screen. All replaced and the HD2 is now fine but its on Ebay. I think the desire is totally what I wanted the HD2 to be. As for the Iphone I borrowed a mate's for a few days as I was going to get one. He told me to try it first. I loved it but got bored quick, yes its lovely to look at, IE the build quality. But it still has faults, IE still needs to be rebooted from time to time. Things such as trying to use MP3's as a ringtone, whilst its possible to convert or buy from Apple. The Android isnt a direct replacement yet, but I have a feeling Android will get there as more developers join. For me I wanted something different to what everyone else has got, the Iphone is just following the herd.

Thinking about buying a HTC Desire..questions first though!

Hey guys, i'm looking to buy a phone in the near future, and have 3 options in my price range (a trade in for my Touch HD with a broken memory card slot..). I'm looking at the Nokia N900, HTC Desire or iPhone 3G (not 3GS).
I'm heavily swayed towards the desire - the screen looks amazing, the build quality looks good..and it runs Android which I've wanted for a while..
Now I don't actually have an internet bolt-on with my contract (I am an O2 UK Customer), so browsing isn't the most important feature, though I do regularly use available Wi-Fi connections. I'm guessing in that respect, the N900 is the one to go for?
Moving on...operating systems. Anyone had experience with Maemo? (N900 operating system). What is it like? Does it hang or crash much..i'm coming from Windows Mobile 6.1 so I know how annoying it can be having to constantly restart your mobile phone.
One of, if not THE most important things to me is the music player. My iPod got stolen, so i've been using my Touch HD for a while now, and while the quality is okay, the music player drains the battery something crazy..whats the HTC Desire like with say 3-4 hours music playing on average a day, and moderate telephony (mostly SMS, with a few phone calls)? Anyone had experience with the N900? From reviews i've read that the iPhone 3G does well here..but alot of people I know who own one, don't agree..but they've had their iPhones a long long time, and use alot of applications..their batteries could well just need replacing.
Anything else anyone wants to comment to help my decision? In looking at reviews HTC Desire seems to come up top..but how does it relate to the average user? I do occasionaly engage in some geeky activities with my mobile phone...but it's more important to me as just that - a Mobile Phone.
Any views are welcome, I look forward to hearing your replies!
Many thanks in advance!
Amar
P.s. If you're heavily biased to any of the handsets (I know..i'm posting in the HTC Desire section) please try to give as objective an opinion as you can!
Non biased you won't get a lot of love here for iPhone!
I've been using my desire very heavily since I got it a month ago (usually bored of things before 30 days but this thing is just amazing) and the battery is pretty good. I charge it every night anyway but thats mainly because I have it running white noise to help me sleep (really works). I would say if I used it the same as I used to use my touch hd then it would probably last me 2 to 3 days. Also dont forget that you can carry a spare battery with the desire and you can't with the iPhone. Spare batteries are pretty cheap, usually less than 20gbp.
I play a lot of music on it and think that the whole music experience is very good. Some people say that the volume is not loud enough but I find that with decent headphones its perfect for me on about 80 to 90%. Played through my car stereo it sounds fantastic. Not had a lot of experience with the iPhone music interface but the desire one does everything I want it to and if I need more there are plenty of aps that can replace the default player.
If you really are a geek then Android really is the only option. There are so many ways to waste your time on the desire its frightening. In the last month I have barely touched my desktop and that very rare for me.
As far as WiFi access goes the desire is permanently connected to my router. I do have mobile net too but only use that when out and about.
If your choice was between desire and iPhone 3gs I would still choose the desire. You are choosing between desire, iPhone 3gs (can't comment on the other one I have no experience with it) then I can't see any competition really.
Android gets better and better and is still very young.
zzleezz said:
I would say if I used it the same as I used to use my touch hd then it would probably last me 2 to 3 days.
I play a lot of music on it and think that the whole music experience is very good. Some people say that the volume is not loud enough but I find that with decent headphones its perfect for me on about 80 to 90%. Played through my car stereo it sounds fantastic. Not had a lot of experience with the iPhone music interface but the desire one does everything I want it to and if I need more there are plenty of aps that can replace the default player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2-3 days?! My Touch HD only goes for about a day...then again...i've abused the battery by leaving it on charge overnight...can't do the battery any good I suppose!
Volume isn't an issue, I own a portable amplifier (PA2V2..search it on eBay). On a side note, it's highly recommended to buy a portable amplifier.. I've not seen my music the same way since!
Thank you zzleezz..I think i'm pretty much decided already now! Apps and geeky goodness is what I look for in a phone haha..
I think now it's just between N900 and the Desire, though I already know I'm going to choose the Desire haha... I'm just one of those people who like to know for definite before they invest!
Also..as a newbie to Android, are there a lot of free apps? I am but a lowly student! The on-line Android App store won't let you check..you have to browse it from an Android Phone to see it properly..
I recently just got a HTC Desire and my girlfriend has a Nokia N900.
I have never seen my girlfriend's N900 crashing but there was a bit of slowdown when a few GBs of songs are transferred into the phone. It was alright after a reboot. For multimedia, I think I would say N900 is the best. It has got good speakers and camera.
The hardware keyboard is pretty nice as well.
However, I don't like the resistive touch screen. I find it really hard to use compared to capacitive touch screen.
Battery life on N900 is pretty good. Perhaps better than the Desire.
For operating system,
I see Maemo as something in between Symbian and Android. There are some similarity between them.
FOr the HTC Desire,
I've only had it for 1 day+ but I'm loving it.
Battery on Desire is definitely better than my previous HTC HD2.
Everything is smooth and fluid. Installing/uninstalling apps never take more than 5secs each, which you don't see in N900 or Windows mobile.
I never use my phone as a mp3 player as I have an Ipod classic. So I can't comment on that.
Never had an Iphone before. Can't comment on that as well.
In all,
unless you really really like a hardware keyboard, better speakers, slightly longer battery life, I would suggest you skip the N900.
unless you are really an Iphone fan, I suggest you skip iphone as well.
Do some research on HTC Desire's bugs, shortcomings, disadvantages.
If you can live with that, I would suggest you get the Desire.
Since it has got better specs than the other 2 phones as well.
What about the motorola milestone if you want a hardware keyboard and android?
what is this stuff with white noise to sleep?
Thats a constant noise which may remind you of Rain, its helpful ti block other noises if you want to take a nap...even if it's loud, YouTube wont find it disturbing, you'll rather find it peaceful and calming
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
If you want a multimedia phone and you are not willing to geek around it you should go for the iPhone. As an ex iphone user i would say that it's a perfect user-friendly, foolproof phone, which would hardly leave you on the road without multimedia (of course if you don't thinker it much, it's software is quite fragile). But that's just it - iPhone is only for multimedia (at least for me). Most of the apps are just plain copy of another app on the appstore and they sux. I've found just 1-2 which i liked much (one RISK clone and a Google analytics app).
But if you want a phone, with a bit more power, to be able to do stuff you are used on your pc (if you use pc), then go for the Desire. I had it for a week now and I could say that it blows away the iPhone for me. Wouldn't go back apple's way again ... (well if they don't release a free blowjob accessory for iPhone,pod,pad... ))
Also if you go with iphone, forget easy management of songs, but you already know that from your ipod (as the big difference here is that for managing songs on iPhone, you NEED itunes, it's not detectable as flash-drive).
Search for white noise on the market, there is a paid one and a free one. Free one does fine for me, rain sound on low and I sleep like a baby
unrealnet,
I even disagree that the iPhone is good as a multimedia phone.
I think there's nothing easier than just copying music onto the device, the Desire will put it into your library within seconds (or less). That's soooo much easier than having to go through iTunes (which, IMO, is a virus and you can't avoid it if you use an iPhone).
There are great media players for Android that are much better than the iPod app on the iPhone (the stock one is okay also, but there are really good ones on the Market, like MixZing). Alternative players are forbidden on the iPhone anyway, whereas you have a choice of great players on Android.
And that brings me to my next point: On the iPhone, unless you jailbreak it (which brings new annoyances), you can't have alternative players, you can't play any other formats than Apple's (whereas on Android, you can play pretty much anything with the built in players or an app from the Market).
I think there's not much more to say. You've used Windows Mobile, that means you know about all the possibilities an open system gets you. It's the same with Android, you can do pretty much anything you like.
What's not the same is that unlike Windows Mobile, Android just works. It's smooth, it's stable, it doesn't annoy you like WinMo does.
That said, I think there can only be one answer: Get the Desire.
I also just recently switched over from WinMo and I'm amazed by this phone. I also had an iPhone some time ago, and it really can not compare to the Desire in any way.
Everything that the iPhone does, the Desire does as well - and better - and most importantly, it does sooo much more... I wouldn't say it does more than Windows Mobile, but at least it does not annoy you.
It's like the combination of Windows Mobile and the iPhone: It just works fast, smooth and stable like an iPhone, but it does much much more like Windows Mobile.
shaundalglish,
I've noted the problems on the software and syncing.
iPhone can play aac, mp3, wav which ... in my opinion are ... let's say most used formats. I can hardly see myself playing flac on the phone
As for the iPhone as media device - may be you have missed the part to feel the phone as a whole without jerking around with external players. I can say that iPhone's ipod is one of the best multimedia players (in means of organizing) music. As for the Desire it's right next to it. If I can represent it in numbers iPhone's iPod is 100% and desire's (stock) is 99.8%.
So once again - if you are an user who wants just to use the stuff, and not worry about some hidden "features" here and there, you should go for the iPhone, but you would loose all the customization that Android gives you.
If you want to have control to make your phone, really YOUR phone, then definitely go for Desire! It's THE phone I can barely leave it out of sight, just because i love to look at it soo much. *inlove* ^^
I've now had my Desire for at couple of weeks, and I think it is a fantastic smartphone
One of the great things about Android is, that it just works out of the box, while giving you a rich user experience as well as a very high level of customization. As a longtime WinMo user myself I was a bit sceptical in switching to Android, but have not regreted it once since. One of the things that really maid my day was the efficiency and easyness of the Facebook and Google Account synchronization I have never been able to achieve on WinMo. Android has a beautifully designed GUI, all the way throughout the system, which was one of the main selling aspects of the iPhone, and in my opinion was entirely missing on WinMo (different interface in all apps, the quick transition between modern cool graphics layer to Win 95 like sms interface and so on). One real advantage of Desire (and any almost any phone in my opinion ) over the iPhone is of course the freedom you get by not being limited to do everything through iTunes and having free access to the phone's memory.
As for the phone itself I can say that the battery life is satisfactory, you can't really expect more from such a feature packed phone, I have personally developed a pattern where I charge my phone every night, so it has never been a problem for me. There are however some things you can do if you want to get a longer battery life. These are things such as turning the background data off, installing an automated taskkiller which periodically kills the unnecessary apps running in the background, turning off the location service (the phones manages the GPS power state), turning off WiFi etc... Android runs fluently, on the 1 GHz Snaprdagon CPU, actually noticably faster if you compare it with the HTC Legend.
I have tried to use the phone as a media player for a day (I usually use my Sony Walkman) and I can say that the battery life is reasonable, while the built in music player is fast and intuitively simple (I still haven't found how to add a song a playlist in Windows Media Player ), however one thing the player lacks is an equalizer. The phone is great for watching youtube or other online video (Flash works smoothly), the sound from the built in speaker is however not of the best quality. iPhone's or any Sony Ericsson's W series speakers are better.
So my general verdict here is: go get the Desire, you will not regret it
It's like the combination of Windows Mobile and the iPhone: It just works fast, smooth and stable like an iPhone, but it does much much more like Windows Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a_sandhu said:
2-3 days?! My Touch HD only goes for about a day...then again...i've abused the battery by leaving it on charge overnight...can't do the battery any good I suppose!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nonsense... The phone knows when to stop charging, in fact most modern phones charge to 100% then completely stop charging until it drops down to 95% then charges back to 100%, etc.
Ok here's my simple explanation:
If you don't want/can't spend that extra day to learn how your phone works and how powerful it is and you don't care about getting into a closed ecosystem and pay 20-30% more for the same (actually maybe less) features, do get an iphone.
also if you care mostly about stylish appearance do get an iphone.
Otherwise get any other smartphone.
The desire is at the moment one of thee best value/price handset, I think
I think you'd be foolish to get anything other than an iPhone. It just works. The sound quality on the desire is pretty bad in my opinion. Appears that listening to music is pretty high up on your agenda? Your speakers may make it louder but the quality just ain't there. Plus you wanna use it as a phone. Another reason for getting an iPhone. You don't want missed calls that go straight to answerphone right? The aerial stack on the desire is pretty poor in my opinion. Furthermore many people have trouble with the desire switching from 3g to H to E pretty much constantly even when the phone is not moving. And many people it appears have to reboot there phones to get Internet connected. These latter issues don't effect everyone but they do effect many. I love my desire for many reasons. But I don't think it will suit your needs by the sound of it.
Dunbad said:
I think you'd be foolish to get anything other than an iPhone. It just works. The sound quality on the desire is pretty bad in my opinion. Appears that listening to music is pretty high up on your agenda? Your speakers may make it louder but the quality just ain't there. Plus you wanna use it as a phone. Another reason for getting an iPhone. You don't want missed calls that go straight to answerphone right? The aerial stack on the desire is pretty poor in my opinion. Furthermore many people have trouble with the desire switching from 3g to H to E pretty much constantly even when the phone is not moving. And many people it appears have to reboot there phones to get Internet connected. These latter issues don't effect everyone but they do effect many. I love my desire for many reasons. But I don't think it will suit your needs by the sound of it.
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Click to collapse
Enggg???? I don't agree with these comments at all; i don't know about the loudspeaker 'cause i don't use it but sound quality through my own earphones is just as good as my i-pod so sound quality is NOT an issue. I often listen to music and the player apps are really good, just as good as i phones and the ability to just dump music onto sd card (even straight from internet or bluetooth or wirlessly from pc) is very comfortable and handy!!
No probs at all with internet here, not one single one and anyway, from what i heard you're sticking to wifi so 3g is no issue for you anyway!
I've had an iphone, it was amazing when it came out but the desire has caught up and overtaken.
And the N900, mmmm, never tried one but from the vids i've seen on internet, it looks quite cool!
blah blah blah
get a desire
I don't even think its fair to compare the iPhone with the Desire. The Desire is so much more versatile, powerful, and customizable.
I use the device to watch youtube clips and movies and listen to Mp3. I think the sound quality is excellent. As I understand it you cannot multi-task on an iPhone? So you cannot surf and listen to mp3s? Also no flash on Apple. I can watch flash on my Desire, and its also due flash 10.1 which will be even smoother. iPhone will never see flash.
Dunbad said:
I think you'd be foolish to get anything other than an iPhone. It just works. The sound quality on the desire is pretty bad in my opinion. Appears that listening to music is pretty high up on your agenda? Your speakers may make it louder but the quality just ain't there. Plus you wanna use it as a phone. Another reason for getting an iPhone. You don't want missed calls that go straight to answerphone right? The aerial stack on the desire is pretty poor in my opinion. Furthermore many people have trouble with the desire switching from 3g to H to E pretty much constantly even when the phone is not moving. And many people it appears have to reboot there phones to get Internet connected. These latter issues don't effect everyone but they do effect many. I love my desire for many reasons. But I don't think it will suit your needs by the sound of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunbad, seems the Apple brainwashing worked on you
I never have problems with switching between wifi/HSDPA/3g its seemless. Only time I have a problem with internet is in the middle of Thetford Forest where I also have problems making voice calls as there is no signal
Aerial stack on my Desire is better than my old touch HD and also better than my wifes Legend.
Music quality is great, had a friends ipod touch next to my desire the other night and we played the same track through the same set of headphones for a perfect comparrison. The ipod was a lot louder, going into the range of being able to damage your hearing, the desire could get to the stage where it was just on the loud stage but nowhere near as loud as the ipod. Not a problem imo, and historically HTC have limited output on the headphones of their phones. On my old touch HD I was able to adjust the limit in the registry, im sure it will be only a matter of time before some bright spark shows us how to change the setting in android
I wonder what network the "many" people quoted above are on, might be worth finding out. I am on vodamoan (perfect signal, great coverage, bad 500m FUP on data).
The sound quality on the Desire is just fine. I have no issues with it. Android is an amazing moble OS. I have messed around with iPhones a bit... and I really don't get why people like the iPhone OS so much. In my opinion pretty much anything running Android is better then an iPhone. As for the n900... it was a very nice idea, but Maemo never went anywhere. Maemo is pretty much a dead OS. There is a new OS being made by Nokia/Intel called Meago I think it is. It's rumored that the n900 will get this if it comes out. By the time it does though, the hardware on Tue n900 which is already aged will be so far behind it would be pointless to get one. Android has a lot of useful apps so far, and its improving rapidly. It already has things that no other mobile OS does. Android is the way to go right now... and the Desire is one of the top Android phones. Nothing else is really too superior to it currently.
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Sent from my HTC Desire

HTC Desire or the Samsung Galaxy S i9000

Hi Guys,
Don't know if I should be posting this here but I'm at a loss, I have in my possession the HTC Desire and the Samsung i9000 both brand new, and I want to keep one and sell the other.
PROBLEM IS I have no clue which to keep and which to sell. Both have their pro's and con's yet I need to make a decisions and...FAST lol as I need the money!
What do you guys reckon? Any help would be needed!
Thanks!
Rolphez
I probably go for the desire as I dont like the iphone lookalike of the samsung galaxy.
And if you need the money you'll probably get more for the samsung as its just released in Australia.
The GPS on the Desire is amazing... where as on the Galaxy S, all I've heard is reports of how bad and useless it is... that made my mind up when I almost bought one
Thanks for the input I'm leaning more towards the desire at the moment yet the screen and sound on the samsung are heaps better
What I mainly don't like about the samsung is the unneeded samsung crap they include in their rom.
The Htc sense is brilliant but I must admit the touch responsiveness is far better on the samsung.
Hard choice!
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
rolphez said:
Thanks for the input I'm leaning more towards the desire at the moment yet the screen and sound on the samsung are heaps better
What I mainly don't like about the samsung is the unneeded samsung crap they include in their rom.
The Htc sense is brilliant but I must admit the touch responsiveness is far better on the samsung.
Hard choice!
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always root the samsung and remove the crap
Or just use a different launcher...
In videos I saw, Samsung Galaxy's CPU was performing noticeabley better, especially in 3D apps.
The Samsung should have aproximately 3x the 3D performance that the N1 and the Desire has.
Due to the 3D chip they're using.
hard choice indeed, i imagine the galaxy camera is also better, maybe if you remove all the bloatware from the galaxy it will be more responsive
it's also better outdoors?
i think galaxy, but it all depends on your needs, init!
btw i luvs me desire
well, galaxy s got super amoled and better gpu...everything else is same or better on desire. lame UI on samsung and i rly dont believe in samsung updates, after seeing what happened to i7500... imho desire
I have almost the same predicament.
I currently have a HD2 and I was so dissapointed that software wise, it was at the end of it's life. I thought that was a stupid faux-pas on the part of HTC and feel incredibly let down, as a lot of HD2 owners do. It looks like Android isn't ever going to be a viable option on it, and if it were, it would probably be a half-working shell.
So, thanks to O2 Ireland changing pricing in my contract, I was able to get out of my 18 month contract by 16 months on it so I bought a desire. The first thing I noticed, was that sense was nowhere near as polished as on the HD2, but I can live with that.
To cut a long stgory short, the network I was sold the phone on was utterly useless for data (Meteor) so i cancelled that contract, and tried to get the desire on voda. There were none in the shop, but the salesman in carephone warehouse in Ennis, kindly offered to sell me a samsung s i9000 on the proviso, that if if didn't like it, I could take it back and get a desire (as long as I made or received no calls/texts) so I stuck a disabled voda sim in and use it via wifi.
I instantly hated the Galaxy s because of 2 things. The blatent Iphone look, and the cheap plastic build quality of it. I can see that chrome outer edge looking worn in no time at all. Build wise, this is the worst phone i've come across. The battery cover is so thin and flimsy, and it's polished plastic so just inviting scratches and finger marks.
Anyway, 1st impressions aside, The User interface was just awful, But I have to say, that now i've installed launcherpro, and fancy widget I am really enjoying the phone.
I have a few days to choose which one to finally end up with (the Desire, or the Galaxy) and at this point I am torn.
I think what worries me most with the Galaxy, is updates. There will be an update to android 2.2 sometime in the far future, but I've heard others say thats the end of the official road. That in itself doesn't bother me, as long as newer versions of droid can be put on it. I think thats where most peoples concerns with this phone are. The desire has a company behind it with a better (but not always in the case of the HD2 and a few others) track record of updates, and there is a much larger community of cooks and enthusiasts for the desire.
The info out there at the moment on the Galaxy is sketchy. I've read people talking about how any cooked rom is only made from an official rom. Does that mean that when droid 3 comes out, that this phone is left behind? Does the same stand for the Desire?
Sorry for the long post.
Dave
PS. I just remembered my other MAJOR grievance with the Galaxy s. You have to use Samsungs proprietary software to access the phone via your computer. On the Desire, I just plugged it in, and could instantly see the sdcard. Not tried it with linux, but I suspect the galaxy won't be seen. Think I just made my mind up... Or maybe not.. Aargh
Thank you all for the replies, and I don't mind the long replies Dave, it's always best to hear such experiences as it helps me make a decision.
Here are my Pro's and Con's of both devices:
Starting with the Cosmetics:
1. The Build Quality of the Desire is by Far better than the I9000 - the i9000 feels like a toy rather than a phone.
2. The Desire looks much better than the Samsung i9000 - The whole reason I moved to Android is to forget the much hated (hatred is a personal opinion) iPhone look I don't want to be reminded by it again!
3. The Samsung i9000 is lighter than the Desire and although I actually didn't mind the lighter weight, my hand preferred to feel something solid rather than a piece of plastic. (I have to admit the HTC legend is my preferred phone as far as solid design is concerned!)
4. Samsung has a bigger screen than the Desire, and it's definitely brighter or cripier with it's Super AMOLED but pixel count is the same, and the 3.7" is more than enough in the Desire.
Moving on to other stuff...
5. I played some nice 3D games on the Samsung and I must admit for those who are into gaming, it's brilliant, I don't really care about such games i'm more into word games and stuff which the Desire manages to perform just fine in running them.
6. Using Swype input on the Samsung is much better than the desire, although I did manage to install Swype on the Desire and it works fine, but Samsung is more responsive it was just a pleasure to type on it.
7. Samsung's rubbish crap software on it is annoying and I seriously can't be bother rooting and installing custom Roms on it, I'd rather do it on the Desire - simpler and have a bigger variety of ROMS and updates...
8. I think I just convinced myself - Desire it is! LOL But i'll continue a little, GPS works much better on the Desire...
9. HTC is a much better mobile phone company for android systems (my opinion anyway)
10. Sound is better on Samsung than on Desire.
11. Samsung gives you 2GB space to install your apps on Desire gives you on 512MB but I believe this hurdle can be easily passed through A2SD.
12. Samsung comes with 16 GB Storage...which, though it's a good thing, yet you can buy a 16 GB micro SD for the Desire...Problem solved
Yea, the list can continue, but these are my thoughts...it is a hard decision to make...but i think weighing the pro's and con's...Desire beats the Samsung despite it being inferior with some of the hardware specs, I'm sure HTC will release something soon to match or surpass Samsung...
btw, just a lil question...how better is sound on galaxy s? i got desire, but i got no samsung to compare them
just curious, since im mainly using phone(other than phoning ^^) as mp3 player
For me, The perfect Android phone would be the HD2. I am appaled they wasted such a superb device on a dead OS. To double the insult, they will not offer a WM7 update path (I realise that's down to M$ but thats no damned excuse to someone who bought it thinking it would be future proof for a year or 2)
I love the size of the HD2's screen (but hate the touch input, it's very poor), thats why I was drawn to the Galaxy S. The screen is simply superb. Even using the stock droid keypad, the experience is much better than the HD2 and Desire combined. It is a pleasure to use the keypad, and swype performs really well. The desire by comparison is dull and boring. The colours don't jump out at you, and it's impossible to use in daylight.
I read all your pro's and con's and can only agree with you (apart from the sound, as I haven't compared them. I don't bother with mp3's etc.)
I think I am definately leaning more towards the Desire at this point. Technically it isn't as good. The screen is poor when compared against the Galaxy S. The buttons are clunky and unintuitive (The touch sensitive buttons on the Galaxy S are it's best feature IMHO), and the power button positioning is a pain in the the you know what! But it is likely to be much better supported by the community, and the company and thats important to me, as I fully intend to get back into developing again. The Galaxy S's onboard storage of 8 or 16GB is a major plus, but as you said a Micro SD card fixes that (although slower).
I'm going to investigate the rom cooking side of the Galaxy S now to to finally make my mind up. I saw a thread asking for £9.95 to access an online kitchen, but I thought that was against the principals of the community. Can't stand people trying to make money out of other peoples knowledge. If thats the kind of thing to expect from the average Galaxy S developer, then HTC it is
I decided on the Desire as it was voted and chosen by multiple sites best mobile phone of last year. Also got an HD2 just because it looked fantastic and will probably be the last wm6.5 phone - lots of apps I like still not on Android.
It's simply a fantastic phone with great community support. Owning it 2 weeks I've already rooted it, got apps2sd+, froyo (defrost), now froyo with sense (djdroid)...
I loved the HD2 when it worked, it went back to HTC for a no quibbles change of motherboard as it was constantly rebooting. My experience with Samsung customer service and support has not been great I must say (have an Omnia). Battery was never satisfactory, gps fix terrible, TomTom was not working first 6 months as Samsung's gps implementation was plain bad...
A friend got the Samsung, waiting him to break it so I can say 'told you so'...
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
I decided on the Desire too. The GPS on the Galaxy was unuseable. It's a great device, but I think i'm going to get much more mileage out of the desire. So took it back today, and got a shiny new desire.
dave wroe said:
...The Galaxy S's onboard storage of 8 or 16GB is a major plus, but as you said a Micro SD card fixes that (although slower).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to mention, 32GB MicroSD's soon to be coming down in price! And performance wise, I doubt you will be able to notice a difference on a decent class.
Think you chose the better deal with the Desire, just for the overall quality it gives you, even in its relatively small stature... I wanted the Evo, it's not in the UK, the Desire is a perfect stepping stone till we get 4G, although a stepping stone as is any phone.
I think Desire it is for now, until HTC release a new better device...until then I don't think the Samung i9000 is worth it (even with all it's pro's)...I have a brand new one with me for sale...anyone interested?!
Unless you really use the 3D chip from the Galaxy S I would go for the Desire. Samsung's phone quality is rubbish, the Galaxy is no exception.
As said the GPS is very poor, while the Desire's is very good. The processor itself isn't much better than the Desire's. And if you get even one update on the Galaxy you should be happy.
The SUPER AMOLED is a bit nicer but that's mainly because the Desire has a relatively cheap AMOLED screen. It won't help you much in direct sunlight although they claim it will.
The resolution is the same and personally I think 3,7" is a better phone size than 4".
I agree with you on that one...
One thing struck me from using the Galaxy S is the screen quality and touch responsiveness compared to the desire. The Galaxy S pisses over the desire in this department. Add the better Camera and camcorder and I was actually thinking of moving from the desire to the Galaxy. I use the phone for a lot for navigation duties so to hear that the GPS is lacking is a real shame. Is it a hardware problem or something that can be fixed by an update that it will probably not receive by the sounds of things?

Trading Desire for Galaxy S - good deal?

I already posted in the marketplace, but I wanted to hear your opinions, current Desire owners. I've been really worried with this device lately, mostly because of the hardware limitations it has. It costs almost the same as the SGS but it has a very weak GPU for today's high-end smartphone standards, it doesn't have a real multitouch (and I was shocked and felt scammed by HTC when I found out, I can't even play some modern shooters). The screen on the SGS is way much better (super amoled and bigger screen, my Desire has SLCD, enough said). I also have very limited internal memory and most Sense updates aren't supported because of this, I'm sick of app2sd or data2sd scripts that slow down the phone (don't tell me it doesn't, cause it does, class 6 card and I'm still getting lags when installing or deleting apps).
What I'm worried about on this trade, is the build quality on the samsung (I heard its kinda crappy), the sense UI (I will probably miss it, I tried several non-sense ROMs on and rolled back to Sense after a day or two), the missing camera flash (it's ok tho...) and I heard there are some issues with the GPS (which may be fixed with a custom ROM).
I'm also wondering if samsung will have an official update for gingerbread on their galaxy S, it would be a deal breaker if they wouldn't release it
Overall I feel pretty scammed with this device. Like I said, I payed a lot of money when it came out to find out that it doesn't even have multitouch, wth?
You, as Desire owners, would you trade your phone for a galaxy S?
Love HTC Desire
Nope and what games are you talking about?
I think the most graphic intensive game i have on my Desire is PES 2011?
How many apps do you actually need?
I love the extensive support for HTC Desire here at XDA.
Running MIUI rom on a class 2 sd card and yes I get the occasional lag which probably means some apps didn't close properly.
My Desire has the AMOLED screen.
friedkimchi said:
Nope and what games are you talking about?
I think the most graphic intensive game i have on my Desire is PES 2011?
How many apps do you actually need?
I love the extensive support for HTC Desire here at XDA.
Running MIUI rom on a class 2 sd card and yes I get the occasional lag which probably means some apps didn't close properly.
My Desire has the AMOLED screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shooters like nova or modern combat don't work properly because Desire doesn't have true multitouch screen. Aside from that, some gpu intensive games don't run smooth.
If you need your phone for games, go for the sgs, I believe user experience is much more than simple specs though and that's why I went for the desire.
I think a whole new desire or other gsm smartphone line will be released soon after the evo 3d
If you still have Desire in your hand, I say, can you wait for some time?
At least until Samsung Galaxy S2 or any other new Android phones from the next generation, those with dual cores proc, are already in the market.
I know Galaxy S or Desire HD is better than Desire but it is not really a major improvement (in my opinion).
Thing is, I don't have much money to spend. If I would be getting a newer phone I would definitely get the Desire HD or something, but SGS is close to price on second-hand and it would be an easy trade. My next phone will be bought next year, I get a new one every 2 years. I was just thinking to this exchange atm. The lack of a true multitouch is really pissing me off.
lvnatic said:
Thing is, I don't have much money to spend. If I would be getting a newer phone I would definitely get the Desire HD or something, but SGS is close to price on second-hand and it would be an easy trade. My next phone will be bought next year, I get a new one every 2 years. I was just thinking to this exchange atm. The lack of a true multitouch is really pissing me off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm...if you aren't really in need of having a new phone, I think Desire can still serve you well until next year..but..if you can get a good price for a second hand Galaxy S or Desire HD and also if you can get a good price for your current Desire..well...it is also not a bad idea...
lvnatic said:
What I'm worried about on this trade, is the build quality on the samsung (I heard its kinda crappy), the sense UI (I will probably miss it, I tried several non-sense ROMs on and rolled back to Sense after a day or two), the missing camera flash (it's ok tho...) and I heard there are some issues with the GPS (which may be fixed with a custom ROM)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mate's got a Galaxy S and it does feel flimsy when held next to my Desire. It's really light in comparison and although some could argue in it's favour, personally it just doesn't feel like it has the same build quality. I'd worry if it was dropped but then that's nothing a good case wouldn't fix I suppose.
The screen isn't noticeably better in normal use but I've got an AMOLED Desire, I haven't seen an LCD to compare to.
The lack of Sense and Sense widgets is really apparent and if, like you said, you don't like non-sense Roms then it could be an issue. This is still Android though of course so with a little patience you could still customise with apps that give a similar appearance if not quite exactly the same experience.
All being said, it is a nice piece of kit and it is better in graphic intensive games. There's no denying it's value for money. It would take quite a bit more to persuade me to swap my Desire for it though.
lvnatic said:
You, as Desire owners, would you trade your phone for a galaxy S?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. I've used samsung I5700 recently, a much cheaper phone, but I have enough of samsung for a while I already can tell that I don't really like sense and will switch to CM. I hate glossy plastic . Instead of app2sd I will use link2sd with custom hboot.
I imagine if not samsung someone will port gingerbread to i9000 and if you want good MT you probably need to switch anyway
lvnatic said:
I already posted in the marketplace, but I wanted to hear your opinions, current Desire owners. I've been really worried with this device lately, mostly because of the hardware limitations it has. It costs almost the same as the SGS but it has a very weak GPU for today's high-end smartphone standards, it doesn't have a real multitouch (and I was shocked and felt scammed by HTC when I found out, I can't even play some modern shooters). The screen on the SGS is way much better (super amoled and bigger screen, my Desire has SLCD, enough said). I also have very limited internal memory and most Sense updates aren't supported because of this, I'm sick of app2sd or data2sd scripts that slow down the phone (don't tell me it doesn't, cause it does, class 6 card and I'm still getting lags when installing or deleting apps).
What I'm worried about on this trade, is the build quality on the samsung (I heard its kinda crappy), the sense UI (I will probably miss it, I tried several non-sense ROMs on and rolled back to Sense after a day or two), the missing camera flash (it's ok tho...) and I heard there are some issues with the GPS (which may be fixed with a custom ROM).
I'm also wondering if samsung will have an official update for gingerbread on their galaxy S, it would be a deal breaker if they wouldn't release it
Overall I feel pretty scammed with this device. Like I said, I payed a lot of money when it came out to find out that it doesn't even have multitouch, wth?
You, as Desire owners, would you trade your phone for a galaxy S?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had a sgs fascinate and i hated it. yes the gpu is better and its noticable but the touchwiz ui sucks. plus super amoled kills sucks your battery life quickly. with 3 hours screen on, youll b at 20%. plus flashing custom roms and stuff can b a chore. odin is alot more tricky to play with then your providers ruu. id suggest the desire hd or wait 4 the desire s. there r things i miss about my sgs. but im happy with my desire. sense ui cannot b beat. 10minutes with touch wiz and youll understand what i mean
The GPS chip on the SGS is utterly ****. No two ways about it and no fix for it as it's a hardware design fault. Can't be used for driving navigation as it's only accurate to about 50-100m when moving.
If nav is important to you then don't do it.
I don't know why you're having trouble with the Desire, just flash a new ROM and be done with it. If you can't be bothered, get the crappy DHD or the SGS.
Good deal? No period...
But then again I'm sure if you ask on SGS forum they'll tell you otherwise... I wouldn't change my desire for anything on the market right now...
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
If the performanc eof the desire is not enough just buy a class 10 microsd card of over 8gb and you will see a big difference in operating speed with any custom roms.
trade
can i trade my galaxy s i9000 w/ miui 2.3.3. rc3 for your desire
debateable?
Ihave the desire and my wife has the galaxy s,i do actually like the s,but more for its screen size not hardware or os. sense is a bonus for a phone i find,but its your preference,im running insertcoin 2.0.0 a2sd at the moment,roms,really do extend your love of a phone. Though roms are out for the galaxy...
but end of the day..................MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND?
Afaik the sgs is basically a desire with a better gpu and a bit newer cpu. If you don't care too much about games you should go for the desire since it has better software, better build quality, better support and last but not least better devs here on xda

From Desire to HOX, what is your experience....

Dear HOX and previous Desire Owners,
Since, you held onto your Desire for two years and finally taken the plunge and chose the HOX. What are the differences you had experienced so far in your ownership of the HOX compared to your Desire. Will you keep your HOX for another two years? I'm still holding onto my Desire for another month or two till the bugs and glitches are ironed out till I take the plunge for the HOX.
I got my One X yesterday, and yes i came from the Desire. Imo it feels like the desire, but larger, and abit thinner The only thing to get used to would be the large screen. R.I.P one handed using
I will probably use my One X for 2 years like the desire, this ones seems to be a really good one i'd say.
Hi guys, I've retired my 2 year old Desire yesterday. I'm very happy with the HOX. When I powered it up and started using it, the feeling was better if I compare the first start of my Desire, and I will definitely use it for a couple of years =)
I am finding everything slicker and faster, although there are a few minor bugs... which do not detract from the experience. The main thing I am enjoying is downloading all the apps I liked the look of and not worrying about space on the phone. I have downloaded loads and I still have plenty of room. So far I am not regretting my decision in the slightest.
I agree with what Fletch said, installing all those App's you had to uninstall from the Desire once the memory issue's started is great. Thing's I miss from the Desire, one handed text input, apart from that I couldn't be happier. The OX is an absolute diamond of a phone regardless of the minor software issue's. I got the Desire not long after launch & at the time is was a great phone & pissed over my old iPhone 3g but the step-up in class from the Desire running the HTC Dev Gingerbread to the OX running ICS is a huge leap forward both in terms of software and hardware. The camera destroy's most if not all of what's currently available in a phone, the screen is something to behold, the slim design & lightweight feel makes it feel like you have something from a Sci-Fi movie in your hand. The Gorilla Glass & glossy finish to the sides of the phone just seem so right.
It's even cheaper to buy your accessories, apart from the official HTC branded hardware. I paid £40 for 2 decent cases for my Desire 2 years ago, this week for less than half that price I've ordered 3 cases & an in-car holder!
Hi,
I'm also comming from the Desire and the one thing that is realyy frustrating me is the WIFI connection.
with the "old" desire I had a perfect connection at home and work. now with the one X, it sucks!
many times no connection at all, and if I have a connection, it is really slow
five1234 said:
Hi,
I'm also comming from the Desire and the one thing that is realyy frustrating me is the WIFI connection.
with the "old" desire I had a perfect connection at home and work. now with the one X, it sucks!
many times no connection at all, and if I have a connection, it is really slow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be an issue with your phone - I have noticed an even faster connection on mine due to the HOX's ability to use the N protocol.
with regards to the wifi - there are some settings relating to 'maximum performance' and turning off the wifi when the screen is off. Might want to have play with these and see if it helps? I've found the wifi to be pretty standard really.
I came from a Desire and love the HOX. The battery life could be better but when you consider the screen and power behind it that's fairly understandable. Typical that I waited for ages to see what the SGSIII specs were like but I'm happy enough with the HOX to not care too much. A few bugs need fixing but I'll give the OTAs a month or so to come out before rooting.
my only problem is with 2 white flashing pixels, but only on grayish surface. i have tried pixel fixer, but it did not help. any advice?
Space...
fletchem said:
I am finding everything slicker and faster, although there are a few minor bugs... which do not detract from the experience. The main thing I am enjoying is downloading all the apps I liked the look of and not worrying about space on the phone. I have downloaded loads and I still have plenty of room. So far I am not regretting my decision in the slightest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fletchem,
Yes, the storage space on the Desire is horrible as all of us are always thinking what REALLY good apps need to be installed and passing on the so so quality apps. Glad you don't ahve to care about storage space anymore.
for me...its like between a hyundai and a bmw
processor speed, graphic, display, storage, camera.... all at a different level
Did anyone notice a difference in signal strength?
huwwatkins said:
Did anyone notice a difference in signal strength?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the mobile networks, yes. I'm finding that it's not quite as sensitive as my Desire was. In places where I'd have a no bar signal on my Desire I probably won't have any signal on my HOX.
WiFi however is pretty much the same.
i too just upgraded from Desire and enjoy the larger screen, much smoother /faster experience. everything is perfect.
IMO, Desire is still a very good phone, what kills it is lack of true multi-touch. if it has that and using a good optimized rom, i could easily use it for another year.
I was still happy with my desire apart from the memory and the worn out hard keys and would not have upgraded otherwise. This is more powerful and connects to the hdtv via media link. I can't see it becoming obsolete within 2 or more years.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

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