HTC Merge in Alltel stores NOW!

[discostrings]

Merge GSM unlocked pictures

All right, here are the pictures. Let me know if I should change these to links instead of embedding them. On a side note, I'm definitely going to be less critical of crappy pictures of gadgets I see online. It's harder to get the focus and lighting right than I thought...

Here's the back of the Merge with the AT&T SIM in it.

Here's the message when I turned it on and turned airplane mode off:

CDMA options is available when "Global Mode" is set.

Selecting GSM Mode:

Now set to GSM/UMTS Mode. Options now available.

Notifications after changing the mode. Note the signal indicator is different from the CDMA one in shot 2:

Any more free cases for early Merge adopters/experimenters? ; )

 

[Phil Nickinson]

lol. So what's the verdict? Can you make a call/use data? It work if you set it to GSM-only?

 

[discostrings]

The verdict is it's unlocked because I put a SIM in it and it didn't ask me for an unlock code. At least that's how I understand SIM-locking on Android to work after a bit of research. I mostly use CDMA so it's not my area of expertise.

Of course it can't send voice or data because the SIM from the Nook can only connect to the Barnes & Noble book store. But the fact that the phone didn't ask for an unlock code should mean it's unlocked.

 

[discostrings]

Have either of you tried the hotspot yet?

Yes, and I can confirm that it doesn't work. The computer can connect to the phone's hotspot and sometimes receives a LAN IP (according to the computer, not the hotspot app), but the connection is not shared and it never receives any data. I tried lots of different settings as well as manually setting an IP but I didn't get anywhere. I get the feeling that the built-in Wi-Fi Hotspot app requires some carrier set-up (so they can charge a fee for it...) that Alltel hasn't done.

However, I can confirm that USB tethering works just fine! Windows doesn't know of drivers but they're included in the HTC Sync set-up package on the SD Card. If you don't want to install HTC's Sync software you can just run the installer, which first installs the drivers, then cancel the Sync installation. It does install Adobe Air and some other crap, though. Tested on Windows 7 64-bit.

 

[jtowndawg]

Same thing for me with the hotspot. Laptop connects but it gives me a connection problem that said the conection was to slow.

 

[jtowndawg]

However, I can confirm that USB tethering works just fine! Windows doesn't know of drivers but they're included in the HTC Sync set-up package on the SD Card. If you don't want to install HTC's Sync software you can just run the installer, which first installs the drivers, then cancel the Sync installation. It does install Adobe Air and some other crap, though. Tested on Windows 7 64-bit.

Did it ask you for a password for the tether? It acts like a dial up connection then wants a password.

 

[jtowndawg]

I went to Alltel today because they have the Milestone X for sale now and I could take back my Merge and get it. After spending a little time with it I knew I couldn't give up my keyboard for it. Blur is just..... Now I know what every one was talking about how bad blur is and how HTC has is right with sence. I would like to try a nexus phone to see how a pure google phone is but I now know I can never live with blur.

 

[discostrings]

Did it ask you for a password for the tether? It acts like a dial up connection then wants a password.

No, it doesn't ask for anything. I plug in the phone and change the mode on the phone to USB tethering mode. In the tray on the Windows box, an icon for a new network appears. At first it has the warning triangle over it, but it goes away relatively quickly and the connection just works.

The first time, I think the computer may have indicated it didn't recognize the phone when I put it in tethering mode and I may have had to go into device manager to point the "Android Phone" under "Network adapters" to the drivers that HTC Sync installed. I can't recall whether that was for this or something else I recently did though.

 

[Thig]

I went to Alltel today because they have the Milestone X for sale now and I could take back my Merge and get it. After spending a little time with it I knew I couldn't give up my keyboard for it. Blur is just..... Now I know what every one was talking about how bad blur is and how HTC has is right with sence. I would like to try a nexus phone to see how a pure google phone is but I now know I can never live with blur.

I am with Alltel and will be getting the X or the Merge within the next week. It will be my first Android so I am curious, can you give more details about why Blur is so bad. The Droid X is a very popular phone so I am trying to find out why Blur is not liked by so many people.

 

[jtowndawg]

AsThe X is great hardware wise. It is faster, has a bigger, screen hdmi, and dlna. I'm sure some other things that I am missing but I LOVE the keyboard on the merge. Coming from a blackberry it is a must for me. I downloaded swype and have been typying on the screen thinking I might be able to get used to it. For the hardware I might have given up the keyboard but then came blur. It is not as user friendly and seemed like an older OS but they are both 2.2. It doesn't have as many widgets. You can't pinch on the home screens and see all of them at the same time. Now if you wanted to you could down load widgets and a different launcher. I think that is what most people do that has moto. It is a very nice phone but I couldn't give up the keyboard for it. The nice thing is you have 30 days to try one out. So if you think you might have not picked right one take it back try the other. Then take it back and get the first one if it still wasn't what you thought it would be.