Switching from Palm on Sprint - what is the best phone?

[ronald600]

Current Pre user myself. When I tried everything at Sprint currently I liked the Nexus S the best. I was able to type faster and more acurately than the physical keyboard on the xprt (surprised me really). I'm holding out for the Photon because I've read so many negative things about the Nexus S signal strength. The SGS2 is definitely a better phone spec-wise, I personally think the Photon looks easier to hold with it's cut corners and it'll be cheaper they say.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to jumping off the sinking ship known as webOS. I'm just glad I didn't invest a ton of time into developing webOS apps like I had thought I would. Time to become an Android developer.

- Phil -
(BoraWare on PreCentral)

Phil
I feel your pain about webOS
In fact im still trying to figure out why those of us coming over from the Treo and Pre forum had to register all over again.
It is anoying that the Replenish has a better keyboard than the XPRT.
As much as I want a physical keyboard.
The Photon appears to be on paper to be the closest phone to date to a Pre/Pixie phone

 

[Puzzlegal]

The Photon looks like a fine phone, but how is it any more like a Pre or Pixie than any other Android? It appears to be a large fast slab.

 

[gonk24]

The hardware is as only good as the software, and touchwiz is not very good.

This is the main reason I opted to get the Evo3D yesterday and not wait for the Within. I'm also coming from a Palm Pre and so far I'd giddy with this phone. It's great. There is a learning curve of course with Android vs webOS (keep trying to use gestures for everything), but it's going well so far. After watching videos of Touchwiz in action vs Sense there's no way I could use Touchwiz. Just looks ugly and I don't want to navigate ugly all the time.

 

[ronald600]

The Photon looks like a fine phone, but how is it any more like a Pre or Pixie than any other Android? It appears to be a large fast slab.

For starters
It's one of the few android phones that actually comes with as much memory as the Pre/Pixi's do
It is very hard to come from a phone that has 8 or 10 gig of storage which holds data and programs and no that you have to go out and buy an 8 or 16 gig card just so you can get your data transfered to your new phone.

Dont get me wrong
Im still holding out for a phone with the memory of a Pre/Pixi and a physical keyboard

 

[ibejack96]

Right now, Evo 3D is undoubtedly the best phone on Sprint, with or without the 3D. The bootloader's due to be unlocked too, if you're into that kind of thing. However, if you don't mind waiting, I would suggest waiting for the next Nexus phone. Ice Cream Sandwich will actually support multiple cores, so the OS will actually take advantage of the hardware. Also, you'll always have the latest version of Android. Since Nexus phones are developer phones, you'll always get the cool apps that don't work on most other phones (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) Finally, Nexus phones are the most hacker-friendly as well. They come with an unlockable bootloader, and you'll never have to worry about whether you can have custoom ROMs or not, and they're pretty easily rootable, too. Whatever you do, remember that you can try something and take it back within 30 days if you don't like it.

 

[Starfinder]

This is the main reason I opted to get the Evo3D yesterday and not wait for the Within. I'm also coming from a Palm Pre and so far I'd giddy with this phone. It's great. There is a learning curve of course with Android vs webOS (keep trying to use gestures for everything), but it's going well so far. After watching videos of Touchwiz in action vs Sense there's no way I could use Touchwiz. Just looks ugly and I don't want to navigate ugly all the time.

I have read, can't remember if it was on another thread, or as review, that the SGII has a new version of Touchwiz that is better than the previous version and is now a plus for the phone and not a minus. Anyone know anything about the new version?

If Touchwiz isn't great can you replace it with another skin (I'm guessing that this is another word for user interface that sits on top of the Android operating system?)
Can you do this right away or do you have to wait for one to be developed?
Since this phone is available in Europe, have customized add ons already been developed?
Is there a skin that has multi tasking and cards similiar to Palm Pre's Webos?

I am pretty competent when it comes to figuring out tech issues, however, I am not a developer. Is it easy to root (change UI?) your phone?

I went to a Sprint store and played with a few of the Android devices. They are much faster than my Pre (even though at the store only 3g was available.) I also liked the screens and having a bigger keyboard (that is the thing I hate the most about my Pre.)

My concern after playing with them is that I always had to go back to the main screen to do another function (check out the web after using the camera, ex.)

 

[srkmagnus]

@mojo you can change the UI without hacking the phone. The UI is designed into a launcher. There are replacements on the market. Search for adw launcher or launcher pro and find themes. It will give you an idea of what can be done.

Also, you can long press the home button to pull up the 8 most recent apps. It may not be as quick as webos, but it gets the job done..

 

[Starfinder]

@mojo you can change the UI without hacking the phone. The UI is designed into a launcher. There are replacements on the market. Search for adw launcher or launcher pro and find themes. It will give you an idea of what can be done.

Also, you can long press the home button to pull up the 8 most recent apps. It may not be as quick as webos, but it gets the job done..

8 most recent apps seems reasonable enough.

I think I need to root it to add the ability to make it a mobile hotspot without paying the extra fees to Sprint. Is that the case?

 

[ronald600]

8 most recent apps seems reasonable enough.

I think I need to root it to add the ability to make it a mobile hotspot without paying the extra fees to Sprint. Is that the case?

Do you mean be a mobile hotspot that others can use or just plain old tethering?
If all you want to do is tether there are several apps available that dont require the phone to be rooted

 

[Puzzlegal]

What's the difference? Is it whether you use a USB cord or wifi, or does it have to do with the number of devices, or what?

 

[rdearth53]

What's the difference? Is it whether you use a USB cord or wifi, or does it have to do with the number of devices, or what?

You can tether via USB without root, using a multitude of apps, or get free wifi tethering if you root.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[Puzzlegal]

You can tether via USB without root, using a multitude of apps, or get free wifi tethering if you root.

Awesome! Maybe I will consider getting some sort of tablet after all. Do you know which of the wifi tablets can be tethered with USB? I would not feel like I was breaking my contract with my cell phone carrier if I didn't root the device and just used "standard" stuff.

(Or maybe I am putting the cart before the horse. I haven't even decided for sure that I am jumping to Android, and certainly haven't settled on an Android device, yet.)

 

[droid1294]

get the sgs2

 

[yodatom10]

EVO 3d

 

[scribe4food]

When I made the jump from the OG Pre, I swam to safe shores with the HTC EVO 4G. That is the phone I still use. I'm eligible for an upgrade as a Sprint Premier Customer, but didn't want to waste it on the EVO 3D. I'm holding out for the Samsung Galaxy S2 series. Although, i wish it had a physical dedicated camera button.


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