Hi everyone. I've been reading this, and other, Android forums for several weeks trying to learn more about Android and the various devices available. I've been using (now antiquated) iPhone 3G since 2009 and was set on an iPhone 5 but thought I would look into trying something different this time around. I've been doing a LOT of research but have yet to find a phone that really grabs me. The only phone I've found I really like is the Asus Padfone2, but that isn't available in the U.S., at least not without paying way more than I'm willing to.
I've been looking at the Nexus 4, Galaxy S3, HTC One, Motorola Atrix, and occasionally looked at the Sony Xperia. None of them have really grabbed me. My biggest issue is bloatware and all the modifications carriers and manufacturers do to Android. On the other hand, I'm not against rooting the phone and installing a custom ROM. I jailbroke my iPhone so I'm not against modding a phone at all. I would just like to start with a clean slate.
Almost settled on a Moto Atrix HD, but I have read that although it's an 8gb phone, it only has close to 4 gb available for use. I did like that the OS didn't seem to be tinkered with too much. S3 is great, but it looks and feels a bit cheap in the hand. TouchWiz (and HTC sense) is just too cluttered looking for me. Otherwise it's a pretty slick phone. I love the concept of the Nexus phone, but am waiting to see some reviews first. I am a bit concerned about LG's build quality, and an early review knocks the call quality (I do need my phone to be a good PHONE as well!).
Two questions I have - If a phone has a "locked" bootloader, does this mean it can't be rooted? Are their any Android phones that one should stay away from if I wish to root in the future? Also, why do carriers screw with Android and "bloat" it with junk no one wants? I understand Android is open source, but the thing I liked about Apple is that they don't allow carriers to do this, and software updates come through Apple and there is no waiting. It would be great if Google could find a way of tempering this a bit.
If anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate it! I'd like to settle on something soon. I've been itching for an upgrade for quite a while. I value a clean, efficient UI, good call quality and fast data speeds. Don't really use my phone for games nor do I store a lot of media on it.
I've been looking at the Nexus 4, Galaxy S3, HTC One, Motorola Atrix, and occasionally looked at the Sony Xperia. None of them have really grabbed me. My biggest issue is bloatware and all the modifications carriers and manufacturers do to Android. On the other hand, I'm not against rooting the phone and installing a custom ROM. I jailbroke my iPhone so I'm not against modding a phone at all. I would just like to start with a clean slate.
Almost settled on a Moto Atrix HD, but I have read that although it's an 8gb phone, it only has close to 4 gb available for use. I did like that the OS didn't seem to be tinkered with too much. S3 is great, but it looks and feels a bit cheap in the hand. TouchWiz (and HTC sense) is just too cluttered looking for me. Otherwise it's a pretty slick phone. I love the concept of the Nexus phone, but am waiting to see some reviews first. I am a bit concerned about LG's build quality, and an early review knocks the call quality (I do need my phone to be a good PHONE as well!).
Two questions I have - If a phone has a "locked" bootloader, does this mean it can't be rooted? Are their any Android phones that one should stay away from if I wish to root in the future? Also, why do carriers screw with Android and "bloat" it with junk no one wants? I understand Android is open source, but the thing I liked about Apple is that they don't allow carriers to do this, and software updates come through Apple and there is no waiting. It would be great if Google could find a way of tempering this a bit.
If anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate it! I'd like to settle on something soon. I've been itching for an upgrade for quite a while. I value a clean, efficient UI, good call quality and fast data speeds. Don't really use my phone for games nor do I store a lot of media on it.