Android Good phone to buy and how to unlock?

[Zorua]

You can... if you are happy with them you can buy second hand locked to rogers or fido they are the same. I really recommend buying your device used. It really depends what you are looking for but google <phone> specs and you got them.

minimum specs to have a enjoyable android experience:

Known brand(Sony, LG, Samsung, HTC)
Android 2.2 (to have tethering)
800mhz processor
4GB base memory(some will be used by android based rom)
1gb ram
5 megapixel camera with a flash

Sorry but what you've written is utterly useless. First of all, Froyo can run fine even on 200 mb of ram. Secondly, why exactly would an Android phone have an 800mhz processor and 1 gb ram in the same phone? What is it going to do with all of that ram when the CPU will severely bottleneck it anyway? And uh, Froyo is almost 3 years old now. You can't have an enjoyable experience with THAT dated an OS knowing how fast things have progressed. Also, 4 GB base memory? You'll have what, 1.3 GB of available userspace? And exactly what can you do in that? Install 10 apps and listen to like, 2 songs? Lol.

 

[J-Machine]

be careful when buying carrier phones. I dont know about the rest of the world but in Canada most phones have the sim card encased in a metal shielding that is welded onto the device to prevent it from being removed.

 

[Magsor]

Sorry but what you've written is utterly useless. First of all, Froyo can run fine even on 200 mb of ram. Secondly, why exactly would an Android phone have an 800mhz processor and 1 gb ram in the same phone? What is it going to do with all of that ram when the CPU will severely bottleneck it anyway? And uh, Froyo is almost 3 years old now. You can't have an enjoyable experience with THAT dated an OS knowing how fast things have progressed. Also, 4 GB base memory? You'll have what, 1.3 GB of available userspace? And exactly what can you do in that? Install 10 apps and listen to like, 2 songs? Lol.

You can do pretty much anything with a 'dated' android as you call it. Maybe froyo can run fine but if you have a buch of apps running you are gonna sweat.
OP is well intelligent enough to understand by himself that if he buys a better cpu his phone will be faster...
and 1.3gb is a lot of space if you are gonna install a bunch of apps that take 30mb each!!!
Not everyone needs a Galaxy S3. You can do much with a 100$ phone.

 

[Zorua]

You can do pretty much anything with a 'dated' android as you call it. Maybe froyo can run fine but if you have a buch of apps running you are gonna sweat.
OP is well intelligent enough to understand by himself that if he buys a better cpu his phone will be faster...
and 1.3gb is a lot of space if you are gonna install a bunch of apps that take 30mb each!!!
Not everyone needs a Galaxy S3. You can do much with a 100$ phone.

You can do much doesn't equate to being an enjoyable experience.

 

[kirbymaster101]

I think I'll go with the Nexus 4 unless someone recommends something better? Was wondering if I can get like an unlocked phone in a place like Chinatown. My friend got is HTC phone and from what I see it works really well.

Now, I heard they use sd cards as extra memory? Just wondering can I launch apps and games and watch videos and play music off the sd card or does it have to first get installed in the internal memory of the phone?

 

[Joe88]

the nexus 4 doesnt have a microsd card slot so you are screwed with expandable memory
apps now are now pretty much limited to on phone memory only, the ability to move to sd has been removed (starting with 3.2 I think on mostly every single device) you can force move apps to the sd card with titanium backup but its glitchy
movies, music, pics, ect... can be put anywhere

 

[chyyran]

For some android phones, a root will simunlock the device as well, or allow a script to simunlock it, just thought I'd mention this. Do some research at XDA to see what the extent of the effects of rooting for a phone.

 

[kirbymaster101]

I think I'll go with the Nexus 4 unless someone recommends something better? Was wondering if I can get like an unlocked phone in a place like Chinatown. My friend got is HTC phone and from what I see it works really well.

Now, I heard they use sd cards as extra memory? Just wondering can I launch apps and games and watch videos and play music off the sd card or does it have to first get installed in the internal memory of the phone?

oh, so what phone currently has the sd card?

 

[kirbymaster101]

For some android phones, a root will simunlock the device as well, or allow a script to simunlock it, just thought I'd mention this. Do some research at XDA to see what the extent of the effects of rooting for a phone.

thanks! I'll sure do!

 

[kirbymaster101]

Srry for triple posting but my friend recommended me the Samsung Galaxy S3 and I saw it was only for $200. Do any of you own/prefer this phone?

 

[zachtheninja]

If you're going to play a lot of emulators, and you don't mind an older phone, Sony's xperia play is around $200 new, unlocked, on amazon.

The galaxy s3 is reasonably powerful, but the build quality is a little weak for a high-end device. If you can deal with plastic, it's a good phone.

 

[kirbymaster101]

If you're going to play a lot of emulators, and you don't mind an older phone, Sony's xperia play is around $200 new, unlocked, on amazon.

The galaxy s3 is reasonably powerful, but the build quality is a little weak for a high-end device. If you can deal with plastic, it's a good phone.

build as in it has a higher chance of breaking right? I'll probably go with the galaxy s3 then.

 

[Deleted User]

I would also be wondering how to root one by any chance? also is it as easy as jailbreaking an iphone?

The Galaxy S III-I have it. I'm assuming you're in Canada since you said fido. You can get one for around $400 on Kijiji-maybe even less. It's free to unlock HERE, rooting it is easy as pie HERE, there are literally hundreds of different custom roms for it, and it can be overclocked to 2.1gHz dual core VERY easily HERE. That makes it the fastest phone to date and the only one I've been able to emulate the Nintendo DS (HERE) on at close to 60 fps (or atleast in PKMN Myster Dungeon Explorers of Sky anyway). It's amazing. TRUST ME, MY EXPERTISE IS OVER AT ANDROID. I've owned every Android phone starting with the SGS II other than the Note II and all of the IPhones other than the IPhone 5. I settled for this one and I shall upgrade to the SGS IV when it comes out. Because of your budget, I'd say get the SGS III. Galaxy S III i747M or any other i747 model only for these links.

EDIT: BE CAREFUL!! THESE LINKS ABOVE ARE ONLY FOR THE SGH-I747 MODEL OF THE S3. IF YOU FLASH IT ON SOMETHING ELSE-IT WILL BRICK. IT HAPPENED TO ME AND I HAD TO PAY $90 TO GET IT FIXED. YOU CAN FLASH THE ABOVE TO ANY i747 MODEL (ALL AT&T, BELL, ROGERS, TELUS, FIDO). WIND, SPRINT, INTERNATIONAL i9300 ARE ALL DIFFERENT. SO BUY THE i747 MODEL. THAT WILL WORK WITH FIDO.

 

[jax604]

be careful when buying carrier phones. I dont know about the rest of the world but in Canada most phones have the sim card encased in a metal shielding that is welded onto the device to prevent it from being removed.

What you meant is carrier that uses cdma network, like verizon and sprint doesnt have sim card slot. Nothing to do with sim card being wielded into phones. As far as i know, not only Canada uses the cdma phones....

 

[Joe88]

verizon does have simcards and slots on the phones,
and all you do is push it inwards and it will popout just like a mircrosd card

 

[kirbymaster101]

In all honest opinion, hows the galaxy nexus? Is it that bad or would I be satisfied by it. Because my friend ran ssb64 and it ran so perfectly i was amazed.