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I switched to Android


Neil P

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I think I've decided as of now that I'm going to buy an Android phone next time around. I'm eligible for an upgrade in December, I think. So it's still a ways away for me. But I'm making the decision now. As of today, I'd probably go with a Galaxy S4* since the S3 is supposedly such a good phone. If Google puts out a new Nexus phone (the 4 came out in November, right?) by then maybe I'll go for that. The reason I don't want the 4 is because I really want an LTE phone and from what I've seen it's HSPA+ (or what AT&T calls 4G but isn't LTE**). It's a very tempting phone though. Maybe I'll head out to the AT&T store and see what the phones feel like.

 

I'm really really interested in Google Now. I know people here will probably spontaneously combust from sending so much data to Google, but it looks so useful. I use a lot of Google stuff already anyway, so deeper integration will be nice. I could get a Nexus 4 now I suppose, and maybe sell my current phone (iPhone 4S)...is that even something you can do with a subsidized phone? Gazelle is offering $205 for a 4S right now. Getting off the upgrade treadmill sounds really nice too...

 

Apple would have to really do something great with the 5S to get me to stay. The biggest reason for me not to switch is that I've spent so much money in Apple's ecosystem already. Slice tells me I've spent $1,125 in iTunes--of course, that doesn't differentiate between apps and music.

 

*obviously the S4 isn't announced yet, but it's expected soon.

**I'm seeing conflicting stuff, saying that HSPA+ should be at least close to LTE speeds. My iPhone 4S says it's "4G" but I don't get near LTE speeds. LTE is faster right?

 

Update: I switched!

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securitybreach

LTE is usually faster than HSPA+ but it also depends on the coverage where you live. Theoretically, you should get between 4-8mbps on HSPA+ and 10-20mbps on LTE but this also depends on where you live. For instance where I live, AT&T's LTE speeds are generally 8mbps and HSPA+ is about the same.

 

That said, I would personally go with the Nexus 4 (just ordered one for myself the other day) as it has a quad core cpu and 2gb of ram (top of line as of current). Plus it is a pure (unlocked) Android device from Google so you get the latest Android updates as soon as they are released unlike non-Nexus phones which rarely get any updates (unless you install a custom rom). For instance, HTC just released an update for my old Inspire 4G which brought it from Gingerbread to the ancient ICS. Of course, I was already running JellyBean (using a custom rom) on the phone before I got rid of the it.

 

After owning a Nexus 7, I do not think I will ever buy a non-Nexus device. The control, power and openness of pure android is unmatched by any manufacturer. Plus Nexus devices are dev friendly so they are always easy to root and customize unlike certain manufactures which make it very difficult to root their devices with overly locked bootloaders (like the Motorola Atrix, HTC Inspire and others).

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How does buying a Nexus phone work? Like with AT&T I mean. If I bought a phone from AT&T they'd have the SIM card with it. What SIM do I use since the Nexus comes unlocked? Do I just call AT&T and get (and presumably pay for) a SIM from them? Is the Nexus 4 only available from Google Play?

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Guest LilBambi

It's great to try different things. And you could always get an iPad or iPod Touch if you still want to take advantage of the Apple ecosystem sometimes. ;)

 

I can tell you that our son loves his Galaxy S3.

 

I absolutely love my iPhone 4S (VZW) but it doesn't do LTE. We can't get LTE at home anyway, so in many ways that is a moot issue for us at this time.

 

Adam said he has been very impressed with the LTE coverage he is currently (just started getting recently) on his iPhone 5 on AT&T where he works. Thing is it's not available where he lives yet.

 

I think Apple will need to do quite a bit to keep some folks. There are many great reasons for moving to Android. I will not be doing that with my phone any time soon. But our son is sending me an inexpensive knockoff Android tablet so I can play with Android too.

Edited by LilBambi
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securitybreach

How does buying a Nexus phone work? Like with AT&T I mean. If I bought a phone from AT&T they'd have the SIM card with it. What SIM do I use since the Nexus comes unlocked? Do I just call AT&T and get (and presumably pay for) a SIM from them? Is the Nexus 4 only available from Google Play?

 

You just buy the phone and either put in your sim card if you already using a MicroSim and if not, you have two options: you can buy a sim cutter online and cut your normal sized sim down or you can pay up to $15 at your local AT&T store and they will give you a MicroSim. The reason I said up to $15 is because some users have reported that they were able to get one for free at their local AT&T. You can also get the MicroSim beforehand and just activate it when your phone arrives so you can have it ready when your phone arrivess.

 

The Nexus 4 is only available at two places, either on contract at Tmobile or unlocked from Google Play. The phone comes unlocked so you can use it on any GSM network including AT&T, Tmobile, StraightTalk (prepaid), etc. All you have to do is put in your sim and power up the device. Then your good to go....

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Also, the speed difference between HSPA+ and LTE mean very little when your account is capped. It does not matter if you can download 40Mbps if your account is capped at 2-3gb a month. Web pages and apps are very fast and without any stutter even on 3G networks. HSPA+ and LTE are great if you live in countries without mobile caps, otherwise it is just a gimmick and does not effect or reflect actual browsing speeds. For people in the US (besides Sprint), having fast download speeds matter very little when your mobile broadband is capped monthly.

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Guest LilBambi

Yes, that is true. It just makes it easier to go over your limit. But on the other hand, having faster access when you are in areas where it's available can keep you less time twiddling your thumbs if you have a big download for, say updates for game apps, etc.

 

Double edged sword for sure! Especially for those of us who are capped unmercifully.

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securitybreach

Yes, that is true. It just makes it easier to go over your limit. But on the other hand, having faster access when you are in areas where it's available can keep you less time twiddling your thumbs if you have a big download for, say updates for game apps, etc.

 

Double edged sword for sure! Especially for those of us who are capped unmercifully.

 

Well luckily app updates can run while you do other things so there is no waiting per se.

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securitybreach

Depends on your time schedule. ;)

 

Good point but if you are like me, you will usually be connected to wifi networks (at home and work) so this is not really an issue. I have mine setup to only download updates over wifi. It keeps my bandwidth down and I can update when I choose versus automatic updates.

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How does buying a Nexus phone work? Like with AT&T I mean. If I bought a phone from AT&T they'd have the SIM card with it. What SIM do I use since the Nexus comes unlocked? Do I just call AT&T and get (and presumably pay for) a SIM from them? Is the Nexus 4 only available from Google Play?

 

AT&T does not care if you upgrade or not.

 

 

You will still have your contract and will not be eligible for an upgrade price until the contract expires.

 

I've never been charged for a SIM card, and I've done some serious phone swapping in the past.

 

:-)

 

Adam

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I placed the order last night. I also asked AT&T to unlock my iPhone, but I very strongly doubt they'll do it. If I was off contract they might, but being on contract they probably won't. Unless they decide to be generous (as if). I'm going to sell the iPhone either way, just unlocked would be worth more I suppose. Hopefully I can get $350 for the phone + some cases and the elevation dock I have. Any suggestions on how/where to sell it? NextWorth said they'll give me $235. A friend told me about swappa.com, where I can set my own price and add in the extra stuff. There's also eBay but I have no feedback, and craigslist but...craigslist scares me.

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securitybreach

I would sell it on Swappa. I have bought and sold a few phones on swappa. They use paypal so you get your funds before you ship the device out. It works well and is simple.

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Boy, I made a quick turn from the start of this thread to yesterday (all of two days). In the OP I said I would go to Android when my contract was up, now I'm waiting for Google to ship my Nexus 4 (how long did yours take, securitybreach?)

 

I think I am going to use Swappa to sell my iPhone, which I'm now protecting like it's the last human baby on earth. It would be a real bummer if I somehow damaged it now that I'm like a week away from selling it. It's (back) in an Otterbox Defender. Also, AT&T already got back to me (even though they said it would take 5-7 business days) and said no to my unlock request. I figured they would. I guess I could call them and try to convince them I'm going to Europe and want to use a European SIM while there, but I don't know if it would be worth the effort.

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securitybreach

Boy, I made a quick turn from the start of this thread to yesterday (all of two days). In the OP I said I would go to Android when my contract was up, now I'm waiting for Google to ship my Nexus 4 (how long did yours take, securitybreach?)

 

Well I ordered mine on Feb 16th and I received it on Feb 22nd even though it was scheduled to arrive the 25th.

 

Of course, Google did not notify me that the item was shipping until the day of arrival. If I did not have an UPS shipping alerts notification (its free), I would of never knew it was coming. So I ended up getting 1 day shipping after it left their shipping hub.

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Wow, that's speedy. 8 or 16GB? I have the shipping alerts too. I sometimes get UPS notices and I can't even remember what's coming. A sign I buy too much (apparently unnecessary) stuff online, I guess.

 

Did you have to sign for it? The times I've bought stuff from Apple, they require you to sign (in person, you can't sign the slip and have them leave it). I inevitably had to go to the depot myself to pick it up. They would always attempt a delivery after I left for work! (I think UPS lets you change delivery times, but for that you have to pay--and those were FedEx anyway)

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Well I ordered a 16gb version but you will know that is is the Nexus 4 as it will say:

Shipper: GOOGLE ANDROID CO UPS-SCS

Delivery Commitment: by End of Day

UPS Service:UPS 2nd Day Air

 

Also, if you have a UPS account(shipping alerts) you can easily select Release Authorization and they will leave the package without requiring a signature. This is universal for all packages unless you disable it again.

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Oh nice. Usually it's a generic "amazon" shipper that gets me. I order way too much stuff from them (I have Prime). UPS has never required a signature from me, as far as I know. Only FedEx

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securitybreach

Oh nice. Usually it's a generic "amazon" shipper that gets me. I order way too much stuff from them (I have Prime). UPS has never required a signature from me, as far as I know. Only FedEx

 

By default, I believe Google requires a signature unless you click Release Authorization on your UPS account.

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I don't see that in the options. Looking on their help page, I do see this:

As a UPS My Choice® Member, if you live in an area where UPS requires a signature for package delivery, you can change your preferences to Authorize Shipment Release for your UPS home deliveries. To request an authorized shipment release for your deliveries
  • Log on to ups.com
  • Select Access UPS My Choice under the Tracking tab
  • Select the Preferences link
  • Select the Authorize Shipment Release option on the Preferences page
  • Select Save Changes

This request applies to all UPS home deliveries except those sent Delivery Confirmation Signature Required.

 

Note: The Authorize Shipment Release option will not be available from the UPS My Choice Preferences page if you live in an area where a driver typically releases your packages without a signature. Additionally, certain delivery change options may not be available due to the nature of the package and at the request of the shipper.

Every package I get from the is left without a signature, so maybe I live in an area where it isn't required?
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securitybreach

Hmm, I would still check to make sure you have that option enabled. Most items do not require signatures, as I order stuff all the time, but higher priced items may need a signature if the company(google) asks that it be required. Google does require signatures on their packages unless you opt out via UPS.com. They required a signature on the Galaxy Nexus (I ordered for my niece , my Nexus 7 and the my Nexus 4 needed one. Of course, I authorized the release via UPS.com so I did not have to sign anything but I only enabled it once I seen where Google required a signature.

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In the rare cases that FedEx requires a signature (shipper designated), I will log on to the site with my account and tracking number and tell FedEx to hold at the local center. I then pick it up on the way home or something. If I know my wife will be here, I am covered. ;)

 

Adam

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Do they allow that? Usually the CC requires it be shipped the address of record for that card. At least till you are a repeat customer of theirs.

not in usa, and that is probably not a creditcard requirement. i've made plenty of orders where they don't even ask for the security code.
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Guest LilBambi

Sounds like they are getting lax again. That can't be a good thing...at least for first orders from a given company. If you call, I can see that, but an online order...not so much.

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Sounds like they are getting lax again. That can't be a good thing...at least for first orders from a given company. If you call, I can see that, but an online order...not so much.

 

Some companies will let you ship to an address other than the billing address, while others will not. Dies it open the door to fraud? Sure, but it also gives you options when it comes to things like gifts, etc.

 

Adam

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