Mobile Phone thread - please include links to good deals

[Brad]

Would that sort all the update problems out too? ie getting updates when there released, not when the poxy carriers decide to let you have them after after so called "testing, code name for putting crap into it".

Don't think so. You're kinda on your own once you go down this route. As an example I had to enter all the t-mobile PAN details manually before it'd give me a 3G data connection. As long as you are slightly tech savvy this is excellent though IMO. You don't auto-get possibly bug-ridden updates. You get to decide when you want to update.

It is possible for example to put Android 2.2 on a San Fran but at the moment there are a few problems so I'm holding off. If mobile providers were able to give really good support for their phones then I'd be more wary but in my experience they are universally next to useless when you have a problem so you'll get better support from the community.

[fishbowlhead]

Don't think so. You're kinda on your own once you go down this route. As an example I had to enter all the t-mobile PAN details manually before it'd give me a 3G data connection. As long as you are slightly tech savvy this is excellent though IMO. You don't auto-get possibly bug-ridden updates. You get to decide when you want to update.

It is possible for example to put Android 2.2 on a San Fran but at the moment there are a few problems so I'm holding off. If mobile providers were able to give really good support for their phones then I'd be more wary but in my experience they are universally next to useless when you have a problem so you'll get better support from the community.

Kinda what i was thinking so thanks for that. Its one area that apple have got spot on, take the updating out of the hands of the carriers in order to make sure your market isn't fragmented as android has become.

I wonder how MS will handle WP7 updates, hoping for the apple route personally. Have to say though after having a good go of WP7 im really liking it, more so than android and IOS, its just so dam slick!

[elaniel]

Elan, how're you getting on with your HD7? I'm on O2 too and can get it for £30 a month, but with very little internet allowance. I'm also toying with moving to Virgin for a Wildfire, unlimited web @ £20. Can you show us a pic of your phone to show how big it is? I carry 2 phones around and most are too bulky. Anybody got a Wildfire? Any good?

As long as you have 750MB you will be safe. It's about 10-15MB a day it seems to be using (as I'm a regular user). I can't really get a picture of the phone. The only camera I have is my phone It's bigger than an iphone, let's just say that.

[phillai]

FullSpecWarrior, glad ya love the San Francisco like I do.

I am the same, I am wanting to install 2.2 but I'm holding out until they sort out all the bugs.

I wish they would hurry though as I'm dying to slap all my apps on my 8gb SD card!

[Family Fry]

Elan, how're you getting on with your HD7? I'm on O2 too and can get it for ?30 a month, but with very little internet allowance. I'm also toying with moving to Virgin for a Wildfire, unlimited web @ ?20. Can you show us a pic of your phone to show how big it is? I carry 2 phones around and most are too bulky. Anybody got a Wildfire? Any good?

Heres a pic of my HD7.

Arkedo O.M.G game.

Since I don't own another phone I can't do side by side but it measures, H 12 cm x W 7cm.
I am really enjoying it I only have a few dislikes, Camera button doesn't feel nice to press at all. Also maybe I am being a noob and not looked it up, possible lack of customisation on the front page tiles, I still have stock market on the front page and when do I ever check the stock market, so you need to scroll your list of apps to pick something like photobucket or twitter rather then being able to stick them onto front page, grr.
Voice recognition works a treat even with my scottish tones, Call Wife Mobile.....Calling Wife Mobile, job done.
Will enojoy it a lot more when I get my new Orange contract in December and can pop on the 3g/network/mms stuff, at the moment I am just using my BB via router and it gets very hot and after while feels like my hand is melting.

[elaniel]

If you hold your finger on the tile for a few seconds you don't want you can remove it by pressing the top right corner of the tile. Just press the little pin.

Same for adding other apps onto the main page. Just hold those tiles and it will say "Pin to start."

You can also move them around by holding the tile down and dragging it to where you want it.

[Family Fry]

Thanks for that, I decided to do some light manual reading last night and read about pin/unpin it start guide DOH!

[Brad]

FullSpecWarrior, glad ya love the San Francisco like I do.

I am the same, I am wanting to install 2.2 but I'm holding out until they sort out all the bugs.

I wish they would hurry though as I'm dying to slap all my apps on my 8gb SD card!

Put 2.2 on this morning. All good so far. Well, actually quite a few hiccups. I've overcome all of them and am super happy but i wouldn't recommend it for the faint hearted!!!

[Brad]

Ok there's actually quite a lot broken in this 2.2 build, worst thing is the phone will randomly jump to 100% cpu usage and requires a reboot to fix. I've reverted to 2.1 (I actually had a brick for about an hour, quite scary).

[Number45]

So just to clarify, I need to buy the handset (along with a £10 top up card) and then I can completely unlock and get rid of all Orange branding and use it with a Vodafone pre-pay SIM?

[phillai]

So just to clarify, I need to buy the handset (along with a £10 top up card) and then I can completely unlock and get rid of all Orange branding and use it with a Vodafone pre-pay SIM?

Yup, you can do that or you can buy it from play.com for the same price minus the £10 top up and in white or grey... I so wish I waited for the white one!

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/17454615/Orange-San-Francisco-Android-Pre-Pay-Pay-As-You-Go-Mobile-Phone-Inc-Free-10-Airtime-White/Product.html

[phillai]

If any of you guys needed pursuading whether to get the San Francisco phone or not, I've just done a small (taken with my ipod touch) HD video of my android setup.



I just love how I can customise what I want and put all the stuff I like to see daily on the homepages.

This is the next best thing to a jailbroken iphone's (cydia) Lockscreen.

[tofu]

Whats browsing like on the San Fran, is it sluggish?. Does Flash work as well too?

Thanks

[bash]

The san fran looks nice enough but 1ghz is slow enough on my nexus one after a few apps installed, couldnt live with 600mhz. Sorry, but Im a power using whore

[Number45]

Yup, you can do that or you can buy it from play.com for the same price minus the £10 top up and in white or grey... I so wish I waited for the white one!

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4...e/Product.html

Thanks for that link!

EDIT: For the power hungry types, this is for Mrs 45 who's currently using a beaten up Nokia E51.