The OV is the best phone VM has

[EarthnFire78]

So today while buying the top-off card, I ask the sale person at Best Buy just how popular the OV is. He said it is VM best phone (which I happen to agree with), so why is VM replacing the OV with the ZTE?

 

[arnold1997]

Sorry to be such a noob but what is ZTE?

 

[CuriousNoob]

ZTE is that other phone? Like ZTE Blade?

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[EarthnFire78]

Sorry to be such a noob but what is ZTE?

This is what the phones look like.

My neighbor has a ZTE phone and it is built very cheaply, and breaks easily, like a drop from 10" cracked the display.

 

[LeslieAnn]

I haven't seen or heard anything that says the OV is being retired.
Look how long the intercept has been around.

 

[sellers86]

I haven't seen or heard anything that says the OV is being retired.
Look how long the intercept has been around.

It would be stupid for VM to do that. I honestly don't see why they would. Maybe they will replace the intercept with it

 

[arnold1997]

This is what the phones look like.

My neighbor has a ZTE phone and it is built very cheaply, and breaks easily, like a drop from 10" cracked the display.

Oh thanx lol

 

[EarthnFire78]

I haven't seen or heard anything that says the OV is being retired.
Look how long the intercept has been around.

My niece has the Sprint version, and talk about a crappy phone, so I hope that is the one being replaced.

 

[DizzmalDan420]

I'm certainly happy with my OV. My previous phone was the HTC Wildfire S through T-mobile. Aside from the disappointing fact that since my Wildfire was newer it couldn't be rooted, I loved the phone. T-Mobile has absolutely worthless service in my area so I decided to give VM a try. Wouldn't mind having the VM version of the Wildfire S.

My friend and his wife got VM Samsung Intercepts a few months ago. Talk about junk.. Their phones were so sluggish and generally unstable as to be only a few baby-steps above unusable. I rooted them and put new ROMs on and it helped alot, but still a crummy phone in my opinion.

 

[EarthnFire78]

I'm certainly happy with my OV. My previous phone was the HTC Wildfire S through T-mobile. Aside from the disappointing fact that since my Wildfire was newer it couldn't be rooted, I loved the phone. T-Mobile has absolutely worthless service in my area so I decided to give VM a try. Wouldn't mind having the VM version of the Wildfire S.

My friend and his wife got VM Samsung Intercepts a few months ago. Talk about junk.. Their phones were so sluggish and generally unstable as to be only a few baby-steps above unusable. I rooted them and put new ROMs on and it helped alot, but still a crummy phone in my opinion.

How did you root the phone, tried that with my nieces phone and it failed, I may just get her the OS rather the rooting her current one.

 

[cole2kb]

If these are the devices we have to look forward to, I might be done with Virgin. Hell, I'd let them charge me a one-time fee if I could bring my own device and agree to no support (which wouldn't be a stretch for me since I would never expect a carrier to offer tech support for rooted / ROMed devices).

 

[LeslieAnn]

If these are the devices we have to look forward to, I might be done with Virgin. Hell, I'd let them charge me a one-time fee if I could bring my own device and agree to no support (which wouldn't be a stretch for me since I would never expect a carrier to offer tech support for rooted / ROMed devices).

There is actually a growing number of people doing this, but it's an extreme option.

Virgin just needs to let it happen. There are actually signs that it could be coming, they will now let you activate the sprint Optimus S on Virgin, so the possibility of letting more phones on is possible. Boost has unofficially been doing it for years.


They seem determined to put Virgin at the very bottom of pre-pay, which is fine, but someone needs to inform them that unless they offer something better than they are (cheaper plans and/or better phones), T-mobile is going to really put the hurt on them with their byod prepay plans.

 

[DizzmalDan420]

How did you root the phone, tried that with my nieces phone and it failed, I may just get her the OS rather the rooting her current one.

I used InterceptRoot.apk found here: Intercept Root Apk and Recovery flasher - Android Forums

It's a root/recovery installer all in one.

 

[cole2kb]

There is actually a growing number of people doing this, but it's an extreme option.

Virgin just needs to let it happen. There are actually signs that it could be coming, they will now let you activate the sprint Optimus S on Virgin, so the possibility of letting more phones on is possible. Boost has unofficially been doing it for years.


They seem determined to put Virgin at the very bottom of pre-pay, which is fine, but someone needs to inform them that unless they offer something better than they are (cheaper plans and/or better phones), T-mobile is going to really put the hurt on them with their byod prepay plans.

I can bring my own device to Boost? T-Mobile coverage in my area is awful. I also read a little about flashing an Evo 4G to Virgin but haven't really been able to find a clear set of instructions / pros and cons.

 

[kcls]

I can bring my own device to Boost? T-Mobile coverage in my area is awful. I also read a little about flashing an Evo 4G to Virgin but haven't really been able to find a clear set of instructions / pros and cons.

Same. If I could find a clear set of instructions on flashing an Evo to Virgin, I'd do it in a heartbeat. As of yet, I've yet to find one, let alone one that tells me what works and what doesn't. Plus then I'd have to learn to mod Evo ROMs to work with it on VM. Oh well.

Tapatalkin it from my IHO CM7.2'd, MIUI Themed Optimus V

 

[cole2kb]

Well, a YouTube video send me crawling through threads on XDA, it's basically taking the ESN from your OV and "donating" it to the EVO using CDMA Workshop, QPST and something else (been way too long since I've touched any of that.) Along with writing some other settings, and using APN Backup to write data settings to the Evo. However, this was one post in a mess of a thread and most of it went over my head, honestly.

Would EVO 4G work on the Boost Mobile Network - Page 10 - xda-developers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em_TC5AzMXI

Also saw another video with a Nexus S 4G running on VM with the same process.

 

[ehoser]

I haven't seen or heard anything that says the OV is being retired.
Look how long the intercept has been around.

When the OV and Slider were on sale last month the comment said "until Feb 14 or while supplies last". Made me think there were going to stop selling them.

 

[sellers86]

When the OV and Slider were on sale last month the comment said "until Feb 14 or while supplies last". Made me think there were going to stop selling them.

think of it like this. when things are on sale, more people are going to buy them. The more people that buy them, the more likely they are to run out of phones until the next shipment. I know how this works, i work at a pizza joint

 

[LeslieAnn]

I can bring my own device to Boost? T-Mobile coverage in my area is awful. I also read a little about flashing an Evo 4G to Virgin but haven't really been able to find a clear set of instructions / pros and cons.

Several people have managed to do it, however sometimes it takes a few calls to find someone willing to as it's either not supposed to be done, or many of their tech support people are not aware that they can. Usually half a dozen calls at various times of the day nets someone willing.

There is also several people who use donor phones and close the settings and put them on boost that way. If you look on Craigslist for your area, look up Boost in cell phones, odds are you will find a few people offering the service and/or phones already done. Typical cost is what the phone would run (used) plus $50-$100, a local here was recently offering a near new Evo 3d flashed to Boost for $300. I gave serious thought to it.

Pros..
The Evo rocks
cheap
The 8meg camera is as good or better than my 10meg Cannon point and shoot (seriously!)
Easy to use keyboard (bigger screen so your fingers fit better)
Makes Iphones look dated
Awesome audio
wireless N capable
400meg internal storage

Cons..
Not easy
Could get you fined/jailed or lose your account
No 4G
Battery life is not better than the OV
Getting to the sdcard is a hassle.
I keep bumping the search button lately

Same. If I could find a clear set of instructions on flashing an Evo to Virgin, I'd do it in a heartbeat. As of yet, I've yet to find one, let alone one that tells me what works and what doesn't. Plus then I'd have to learn to mod Evo ROMs to work with it on VM. Oh well.

You won't find a completely clear set of instructions because of the legalities and the fact that every phone and every donor phone is slightly different.

If you want easy, the Galaxy S 2 can be done in minutes (so I hear, but the phone isn't cheap), the Evo and Epic usually cannot.

As for what works and what doesn't...
4G will probably never work, but if you stick to CM7 and CM9 everything else works (though CM9 has some issues still), other roms only lack mms. If you know what you are doing, tweaking CM7 and CM9 takes 5 minutes and a few post flashers to patch some of the more popular CM roms. The patch works on any phone with cm7 and cm9.

Well, a YouTube video send me crawling through threads on XDA, it's basically taking the ESN from your OV and "donating" it to the EVO using CDMA Workshop, QPST and something else (been way too long since I've touched any of that.) Along with writing some other settings, and using APN Backup to write data settings to the Evo. However, this was one post in a mess of a thread and most of it went over my head, honestly.

The process involves pirated software, violating Virgins terms of service, and possibly violating state and federal laws. You can also brick both phones.

As for the details;
Discussing it is a bannable offense here and at most forums, which is exactly why you won't find a complete guide online and why the few guides out there are cryptic. It has to be to avoid getting the thread deleted and banned.


For those still considering it...
Virgin has the One V coming (which is faster than an Evo, remember, it's 2 years old now), plus in 4-8 months you can expect a few other phones since 4g is coming to Virgin (and the 4g on the Evo will probably not be compatible). There is also evidence that the Epic is coming to either Boost or Virgin. In other words, unless you are desperate, you should probably wait and see what is going to happen.

 

[cole2kb]

I thought that cloning was legal as long as you're not doing it to double up on activated phones or anything. I probably won't try it, because I don't have the money to throw down for two handsets if I can't get the one activated, and if Virgin is going to get something worthwhile, I'd be willing to look past my strong desire for a keyboard. I finally figured out a nice customization for Perfect Keyboard on my OV, so typing on a 4" screen instead of the OV's 3.2" would probably be enough for me.

I haven't seen anything about VM getting the Epic, only those crappy looking ZTE phones. Fingers crossed. Boost coverage doesn't look very good in my area so I'd rather not switch.