Hi, this is a nice forum you have here.
I've actually lurked around since last year when I got my first smartphone - an Optimus V through Virgin Mobile - and decided to hack the bejesus out of it. These forums made it incredibly easy for my newb self to bend the phone to my twisted will and within a day or two I was even able to get Sprint data coverage while technically out of Virgin's area thanks to a PRL change. With internet calling, this doesn't even feel like the crippled thing it's meant to be.
So why did I finally register? While the Optimus was a great first phone, I find myself ready to look into getting my second phone. Now that I've gotten comfortable with the smarter features of this phone it's just getting too small and slow - it's time for me to move on. Looking for a worthy successor to what I believe is/was a great all-around entry model, I saw the One V and Evo V on Virgin Mobile's website and both seem to enjoy fairly solid reviews. However, Virgin Mobile's website seems to indicate that they've dropped their $25/month plan (300 talk minutes, unltd. text and data) for use with new phones even though I seem to be grandfathered with the Optimus. Since total cost is one of my biggest considerations I've looked into other carriers.
Here's where the barrage of questions comes in:
Cricket came up and looks like it has the golden $25/mo 300 talk, unltd. text and data plan I currently enjoy. Despite thorough reading, I find myself with further questions. Is a Cricket branded phone any more difficult to hack than VM's? There seemed to be a few issues with my Optimus V due to specific branding and I don't want to hit any brick walls due to that. How is Cricket's data coverage - is it going to provide 3G at the $25/mo price? Can I use nonbranded/offbranded phones with Cricket? VM and Cricket both look to have similar/identical coverage maps; being in Green Bay, Wisconsin means that I can be going to the store and fall in and out of roaming. With VM it's no problem to receive calls in roaming coverage, but it looks like Cricket would actually charge me for that kind of thing... does my area make it particularly prohibitive? Would I be able to get out-of-area data coverage with Cricket via hacking magic like I have with Virgin Mobile?
How are the newer phones? I don't have 4G coverage in my area so that's not really a draw but do 4G devices automatically have 3G connectivity as well? Is the One V worth the $199? My biggest complaints about the Optimus are the camera and battery life. The pictures and video are basically trash even with a perfectly clean lens, and though I run with minimal power use and can play 8-10 hours of music on the Optimus between charges on a 1500 mah battery, I have maybe 2-4 hours if I'm using the data connection.
Is there another cheaper/better carrier that I've missed, considering I'm extremely budget-oriented? Since multicore processors are the new hotness in phones am I better off just getting a high capacity replacement battery for the Optimus V and waiting some amount of time until the technology cycle poops out something even better than the current offerings? Which device is destined to win in the eventual cellphone vs. tablet war?
Yeah, I say hello with style.
I've actually lurked around since last year when I got my first smartphone - an Optimus V through Virgin Mobile - and decided to hack the bejesus out of it. These forums made it incredibly easy for my newb self to bend the phone to my twisted will and within a day or two I was even able to get Sprint data coverage while technically out of Virgin's area thanks to a PRL change. With internet calling, this doesn't even feel like the crippled thing it's meant to be.
So why did I finally register? While the Optimus was a great first phone, I find myself ready to look into getting my second phone. Now that I've gotten comfortable with the smarter features of this phone it's just getting too small and slow - it's time for me to move on. Looking for a worthy successor to what I believe is/was a great all-around entry model, I saw the One V and Evo V on Virgin Mobile's website and both seem to enjoy fairly solid reviews. However, Virgin Mobile's website seems to indicate that they've dropped their $25/month plan (300 talk minutes, unltd. text and data) for use with new phones even though I seem to be grandfathered with the Optimus. Since total cost is one of my biggest considerations I've looked into other carriers.
Here's where the barrage of questions comes in:
Cricket came up and looks like it has the golden $25/mo 300 talk, unltd. text and data plan I currently enjoy. Despite thorough reading, I find myself with further questions. Is a Cricket branded phone any more difficult to hack than VM's? There seemed to be a few issues with my Optimus V due to specific branding and I don't want to hit any brick walls due to that. How is Cricket's data coverage - is it going to provide 3G at the $25/mo price? Can I use nonbranded/offbranded phones with Cricket? VM and Cricket both look to have similar/identical coverage maps; being in Green Bay, Wisconsin means that I can be going to the store and fall in and out of roaming. With VM it's no problem to receive calls in roaming coverage, but it looks like Cricket would actually charge me for that kind of thing... does my area make it particularly prohibitive? Would I be able to get out-of-area data coverage with Cricket via hacking magic like I have with Virgin Mobile?
How are the newer phones? I don't have 4G coverage in my area so that's not really a draw but do 4G devices automatically have 3G connectivity as well? Is the One V worth the $199? My biggest complaints about the Optimus are the camera and battery life. The pictures and video are basically trash even with a perfectly clean lens, and though I run with minimal power use and can play 8-10 hours of music on the Optimus between charges on a 1500 mah battery, I have maybe 2-4 hours if I'm using the data connection.
Is there another cheaper/better carrier that I've missed, considering I'm extremely budget-oriented? Since multicore processors are the new hotness in phones am I better off just getting a high capacity replacement battery for the Optimus V and waiting some amount of time until the technology cycle poops out something even better than the current offerings? Which device is destined to win in the eventual cellphone vs. tablet war?
Yeah, I say hello with style.
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