just bought a Photon, need some guidance, 1st time android user.

[10-Dee-Q]

hi, i just a bought a motorola Photon for my CDMA number .
im a long time user of Blackberry, and iPhone
i still use my Blackberry 9900 for my GSM number
and traded my iPhone for an iPad

anyway, this is my first ever android device.
so can you guys tell me what should i do with it to make my experience with this platform be better ?
eg:
how to upgrade to latest firmware or software
hot to maximize the phone capabilities
and how to install games and apps ?

please pardon me as i never use any android device before so i'm quite "blind" here
but I'm into tweaking the phone that i had
i've jailbreaked my iPhone and my iPad and i've upgraded my Blackberrys several time over the years , so i guess I'm not so novice in this gadgets world.
i just need some guidance

thank you so much

 

[tirith]

Firmware and such can be done from the home screen menu - setting - about phone. Games and apps can be found in the play store. Anything else, feel free

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[KahneFan]

Re: just bought a Photon, need some guidance, 1st time android us

When downloading apps/games, since you are new to Android, try to keep an eye on 1) How many others have downloaded it, and 2) the rating. If you're looking at an app which has 200 downloads with a 3 rating or less, you may want to wait. However, if you're looking at an app with 5M downloads with 4.5+, it should be a no-brainer that it is safe.

A couple of things which may make your experience more "fun", check out the different "launcher" apps. This will replace your entire "desktop" of your phone with a program which allows you to theme your phone and make it your own. The background is all still Android, launchers really only change the top layer look and functionality. Check out the apps section of the AC forums. You will probably come across apps your didn't even know you wanted.

 

[10-Dee-Q]

Re: just bought a Photon, need some guidance, 1st time android us

okay, thx for the reply
what is the best launcher recommended for photon ?
and also what is a must have software?
do i need anti virus ?

and also , can i install games / apps to SD card ?

 

[KahneFan]

Re: just bought a Photon, need some guidance, 1st time android us

okay, thx for the reply
what is the best launcher recommended for photon ?

Funny you should ask, I asked the same question when I got my MoPho. See the results Here

and also what is a must have software?

I also asked that question when I started HERE. And, now that I've had my phone for a while, I realize, everyone was accurate when they said... it depends. Because it really does depend on your needs. A couple of useful apps I have come across are "Callinformer" - displays more caller if info from your address book when someone is calling. "Addonsdetector" - gives some GREAT information about the apps you install. "Beautiful Widgets" is good if you like to a good clock/weather widget on your home screen. "Enforced Stream Silencer" (google it) is good, if you want to mute the HORRIBLE camera sound on the MoPho. The "Go" team has many cool add on widgets to their launcher. Opera or Boat are 2 good browsers. Other than that, it really depends on what your needs are.

do i need anti virus ?

I have never had a virus attack, but again, I only try to DL apps with large amounts of DL's and a good rating. If you are DL'ing apps which are not trusted (or even pirated [shame shame]), you probably will want to look at a AV suite of some sort. If you happen to have Kasperky's on your computer, they sometimes will bundle a free mobile version.

and also , can i install games / apps to SD card ?

Yes, you can transfer games to your SD, but with 8G of internal memory, you probably won't need to. Keep in mind, with the MoPho, the internal memory is also referred to as the SD card, even though it's a "built in" SD card.

 

[tirith]

As for anti virus, I've been using android phones since they first came out and haven't ever gotten anything to worry about...

Swyped from my Photon using t-talk.

 

[10-Dee-Q]

Re: just bought a Photon, need some guidance, 1st time android us

okay thx for the advices

I'm thinking to load a ROM
can anyone give me idea which one to load ?
i want the most stable build

should i flash with STOCK rom or Custom ROM ?

and which version ?
thank you.

 

[BergerKing]

Re: just bought a Photon, need some guidance, 1st time android us

For now I'd recommend getting familiar with the stock system and then decide what you need change. There are people, enthusiasts, who will tell you you've GOTTA have the latest, or do this and that. Get comfortable before you try to jump off a cliff.