Is there a Android for me? Plz help.

[Qandroid27]

I am sure you get nothing but annoying requests for help in buying decisions, so I really would appreciate any insight those of you who know the Android world better than I do can offer.

So I am in a slightly unusual position: philosophically I am an Android user. I am an open-source advocate, and fear the version of the internet that Apple?s silo?s will create. (Otherwise the answer to my question would be I-pod touch & crappy phone). I want to buy an Android, I think they are the future of mobile devices and I have the money! But?.

I do not really need a smart phone as much as a mobile device. If they can be the same thing, then great: (I have been using a Windows Mobile HTC device but it is dying). I love having access to the internet via WiFi ? but not enough to pay monthly for the ability to do that anywhere. I love the calendar. I am looking forward to a device with a thriving app market.

I want everything the Android has to offer and am a complete convert. Except for two problems:

1) I am stuck on AT&T for various boring reasons ? although I am out of contract.
2) I do not want/need a data plan.

If there was an Android equivalent of the Ipod touch I would buy that. If the nexus one was not still more expensive than my computer, I would buy it.

My question is: Any recommendations?

I can see two possibilities: An unlocked AT&T phone other than the Nexus one? (Do these exist, are any of them any good?)

Buying the AT&T Aria for full price ($229) ? is it worth it at this price ? the apps that exist not through the market ? are they all data-apps or will I miss them? Is it even a good enough Android phone that it will last me 2 years?

Thanks again for any insight!

 

[cloak.n.dagger]

The Dell Streak is out (in Europe) but you can still buy it and it's unlocked...

Dell Streak review -- Engadget

5" screen makes it a nice pocketable tablet device...

 

[terpitude71]

i will say this: i think any android phone requires a data plan, and you would want one anyway to us the full capabilities of the os and its various apps

 

[Beezzy]

If you don't want data why do you want an android phone? Makes no sense. Almost everything uses the data feature.

Thats like wanting a Dodge Viper then letting it sit in the garage cause you don't wanna pay for the higher octane gas. It doesn't do ****.

But the Aria is $379 (No Commitment) HTC Aria (TM) Cell Phone - Wireless from AT&T

 

[Qandroid27]

As I said before, I need the basic PDA functionality and I'm philosophically opposed to Apple. From what I'm seeing here though the Android OS does not yet have a device for me.

I wanted to check before I locked myself into a contract for a Blackberry or broke down and bought an Ipod touch.

I'm still open to more comments if anyone has em! But Thanks to those of you who responded. Hopefully the market will be wider in two years!

 

[makya53]

I'd your plan is up brake away from at&t. Transfer your number but what good is a smart phone without data.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[Qandroid27]

I use data - I just spend 98% of my life in a Wi-Fi environment. It's not worth a monthly fee for me to have it the last 2% of the time.

 

[takeshi]

i will say this: i think any android phone requires a data plan, and you would want one anyway to us the full capabilities of the os and its various apps

1. Carriers require data plans, not the devices themselves. There are obvious caveats but most Android devices will work just fine without a data plan.
2. Not everyone uses the full capabilities of what they buy. How do you know what the OP wants? He stated that he doesn't want a data plan.

Thats like wanting a Dodge Viper then letting it sit in the garage cause you don't wanna pay for the higher octane gas. It doesn't do ****.

Poor analogy. There's no equivalent for WiFi with the Viper. And devices are definitely functional without data. They're singificantly more useful, in general, with data but they're not incapacitated without it.

I wanted to check before I locked myself into a contract for a Blackberry or broke down and bought an Ipod touch.

At&t will force you to get a data plan with the BB so that's out.

If you're considering the Touch then any WiFi-equipped Android device (doesn't need to be compatible with at&t) will also work.

 

[Qandroid27]

The advantage of the BB through ATT is that since I already have a smartphone with them that does not have a data plan, I can sneak into the loophole that lets me buy one without a data plan again.

That does not remain true if I want to take advantage of the rebates etc... that drop the Aria's pricepoint down to a reasonable level. So BB wins if there's no good Droid option simply because they are older and thus cheaper on their base price.

Anyone have a recommendations for a decent quality wifi-equipped android that's been out long enough I can get it used on ebay or something for a sub $250 pricepoint?

 

[SeeK]

I have no idea what phones you can get where in the US - the system you have with phones only being available on certain networks makes no sense to me. If possible, I'd probably say a Hero or a Wildfire would satisfy your needs. Both are midrange phones with good battery life, WiFi and Android 2.1. Wildfire'll get 2.2 in the months ahead. Both should easily be obtainable for less than $250, that's close to what you'd pay for a new Wildfire.

 

[Melon Bread]

Any Android Tablet

Amazon.com is now selling the Archos 7 Android Tablet for $199!

Product Features
8 GB capacity for about 4000 songs, 80,000 photos, or seven full-length movies
Seven hours of video or 42 hours of audio on a single charge
Seven-inch TFT LCD touchscreen with 800x480 pixel resolution, 16m colors
Supports H.264/MPEG-4/Real video codecs in AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, and FLV file formats; MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, OGG, FLAC
One-year limited warranty