Iphone or Andriod: Which first smartphone for Oxy?

IMO

Iphone = if you want a fast reliable phone that just works out the box and works very well.

Android = less stable especially with apps, but heavily customizable and can be super fast. But requires setting up, so more geeky and can be very annoying.
 
Windows Phone 7 = If you want a fast reliable phone that works out of the box. Its UI is really slick and nice to use. More so that the Iphone, or Android :)
 
Since the OP only wants to check emails and go on the internet then there is no need to get an iphone.

If you are not sure and don't want to get tied down to a 24 month contract, I would advise getting the San Francisco and then 6-9 months later you will know what you use/need from a phone.

By then we will see if Windows phone 7 has caught up and any future updates.

So I would say to get the san francisco, have a taste of android, then get a windows phone 7 mobile.
 
flapjackboy said:
Unless of course, you want to do things like oh, I dunno... make phone calls.
Click to expand...

Do you own one? I do. I can report it makes calls perfectly; in fact, I've had less dropped calls on it than I had on my Nexus One.

As for the OP, best bet is definitely to go with a lower end Android phone. There's no point in paying for the fluff/polish/extra stuff on a higher end phone if you're not going to use it, so Orange SF sounds perfect to me.
 
The orange phone seems like a safe bet to see if I like the smartphone idea. It's cheap and means I won't be tied into a 18/24 month contract... If I think it's brilliant and want more I could relegate it to a spare phone and go mental on a new phone when they are released.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how easy is it to "unlock" this orange phone? Then root it, then install android 2.2?

Wouldn't the android 2.2 UI be non orange branded once I have manually updated it to 2.2?

Can all this unlocking wizardry be done the same day the phone is delivered? or do I have to jump through hoops?

EDIT:

Checked my current o2 sim only monthly contract and I don't get any data allowances... then I found out tesco do mobile phones rofl

http://www.tescomobilepaymonthly.com/product-page.aspx?Tag=1d4c0e9f-675e-411f-8400-dd424cb8f9d9&so=1

Is Tesco good for phone signal?

I'm very wary of the term "unlimited", what tarrif do you guys recommend? I would prefer a set limit rather than "unlimited" so I know where I stand each month.
 
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Oxy said:
On a scale of 1 to 10 how easy is it to "unlock" this orange phone? Then root it, then install android 2.2?

Wouldn't the android 2.2 UI be non orange branded once I have manually updated it to 2.2?

Can all this unlocking wizardry be done the same day the phone is delivered? or do I have to jump through hoops?
.
Click to expand...

It's pretty darn easy and can be done as soon as you get it. Yes it will be orange debranded which is great, as the orange rom is super slow and can't even play mp3s.
 
Dear Mr Oxy,

If you go for the San Fransico then we will be in the same boat.

As far as I am concerned everything up to flashing the phone is easy.

The only bit that will differ will be the rom that you use, as imo I would want to get the absolute latest version, rather than the version in the guide.

Did you check out the GiffGaff tarriffs?

Im going to take a look at Tesco, as a comparison.


This is a post written by 'randal24' in the San Fransisco thead:

randal24 said:
In fact...

Could a mod or the OP stick this in the first post please?

Cheers


--

Disclaimer - All information lifted from the Modaco ZTE Subforum, kudos and thanks to the original contributors in the linked threads. All I've done is collate their findings, insights and useful information in this post. Everything links to Modaco threads as files are updated often, so deep linking is pointless.

:: Orange San Francisco Android Smartphone ::

sfmainshot.png


First stop for anyone wanting to know more beyond the below is the Modaco ZTE Blade subforum.

Spec

  • Android 2.1 Eclair
  • Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz processor
  • 512MB RAM
  • UMTS 900/2100 MHz
  • GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz
  • HSDPA (3G+)
  • 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus
  • 3.5" WVGA (800x480) OLED capacative touchscreen
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g
  • Bluetooth
  • FM radio
  • GPS
  • Accelerometer
  • Digital compass
  • Light sensor
  • Proximity sensor
  • 116mm / 56.5 mm / 11.8mm
  • 130g
  • 4 hours talktime (lol - agreed!)
  • 9 days standby (lol - agreed!)
Full review here.


Unlocking

Everything you need in the link below, didn't want to cross link on this site as I'm not sure if it breaks the rules or not.

Full details found here.

Process:

  1. Use the dialler and enter this to see your IMEI: *#06# (don't press Call!).
  2. Get your unlock code from the site above.
  3. Double-check you used the correct IMEI number -- it's free to retry!
  4. Turn off your phone.
  5. Open the back.
  6. Remove the battery.
  7. Remove the (Orange?) SIM card.
  8. Insert a SIM card from a different operator.
  9. Replace battery.
  10. Replace back.
  11. Turn on phone.
  12. (If prompted, enter any PIN number that you may have set on the new SIM.)
  13. Now you should be prompted to enter the unlock code. Do it carefully!


Superboot/root

Rooting is the process to gain full control over the phone, and allows you to install applications that require root access and those not signed or approved by Google. This is similar to the iPhone jailbreak in a way. Other things you can do once rooted include Apps2SD, tethering, backups, custom ROMS... blah blah.

More information here explaining why you should root, and here.

How to full details here.


  • Download r3 Superboot for ZTE Blade - DOWNLOAD (ROMraid Load Balancing) - MD5: 03105bbbf5120535c8921075822a1b67
  • Download fastboot if you do not have it already.
  • Turn off your phone and take out the battery. Unplug the phone from the PC / charger.
  • Replace the battery and turn the phone back on with 'volume up' held. The device will stay at the 'green android' screen.
  • Plug the phone into the PC.
  • Extract the fastboot zip file.
  • From a command prompt (at the directory containing these new files!) run 'fastboot-windows flash boot boot.blade.superboot.mcri.r3.img' (subsituting 'fastboot-mac' or 'sudo fastboot-linux' as required)
  • When this finishes, from the command prompt run 'fastboot-windows reboot' (again substituting 'fastboot-mac' or 'sudo fastboot-linux' as required)
  • Done!

Clockwork Mod Howto

Clockwork Mod is a means to backup and restore your phone to/from SD. It's also a very good mechanism for apply ROMs, updates and patches. It is heavily used in deployment of custom ROMs on Modaco.

Full details and guide here.

Custom ROMS and Installation

Master thread of custom ROMS and Guides - Great thread!

Direct links to ROM threads, highly recommend reading the above thread through as it links to them all. The choice of what you go for is entirely up to you, so people have more luck with some ROMs than others. The Modaco ROMs seem to be most popular, but development appears to have slowed a little (until the 2.2 release yesterday 01/12/10).

Direct links to ROM threads.

2.2
Modaco 2.2 Alpha r2 (warning, alpha!)
FLB's 2.2 Beta
Frankish 2.2

2.1
r4 Modaco 2.1 ROM
BladeVillain ROM
Hungarian Hedgehog 2.1 ROM
Stock ROMS

Other Stuff

USB Drivers
Cases + Screen Protectors
HTC IME Keyboard Repack
Click to expand...
 
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Dunks said:
Yeah, I've never heard of anyone making a call using the iPhone 4G. Oh wait, yes I have...

Troll.
Click to expand...

I was merely responding to the "It works out of teh boX, LOLOLOL" argument that is frequently trotted out regarding Apple devices.

My point was that it doesn't always work "out of the box".
 
flapjackboy said:
My point was that it doesn't always work "out of the box".
Click to expand...

Of course it always works out the box, the problem is not karge andlthough can be seen as annoying they still work fine.


Edit- if you're on an o2 contract you can get a data addon for ~£6
 
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The best thing about the Android/iOS conundrum is that there isn't (for the vast majority of people at least) a wrong decision. The iPhone4 is heavily overpriced compared to the competition, but it will still be worth a lot of money second hand in a couple of years when it's upgrade time. It's also an extremely natty looking and well-constructed bit of kit.

My opinion is that the iPhone is a really good middle of the road all-rounder but depending on your priorities there are Android phones that might better suit.
 
AcidHell2 said:
Of course it always works out the box, the problem is not karge andlthough can be seen as annoying they still work fine.


Edit- if you're on an o2 contract you can get a data addon for ~£6
Click to expand...

Think it will be easier to simply change my tariff to this one:

http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffs/simplicity/smartphone/1_month

Seems reasonable to me. Any opinions?

is 500mb enough to browse overclockers forum, bbc site, check play/amazon, msn, facebook etc etc?
 
mulpsmebeauty said:
The best thing about the Android/iOS conundrum is that there isn't (for the vast majority of people at least) a wrong decision. The iPhone4 is heavily overpriced compared to the competition, but it will still be worth a lot of money second hand in a couple of years when it's upgrade time. It's also an extremely natty looking and well-constructed bit of kit.

My opinion is that the iPhone is a really good middle of the road all-rounder but depending on your priorities there are Android phones that might better suit.
Click to expand...

I primarily want it for instant messaging, e-mail, a calender and a 'to-do' list type feature.
 
AcidHell2 said:
Of course it always works out the box, the problem is not karge andlthough can be seen as annoying they still work fine.
Click to expand...

If the number of people having reception problems is non-zero then no, it doesn't always work out of the box. It does not matter how large the problem is, the fact that there is a problem is enough to render the claim "works out of the box" as worthless.
 
Been looking at Tesco's my self.

I think GiffGaff will be better for you.

Have you seen their tarrifs?

Unlimited internet!

https://giffgaff.com/buy

Although for me, Im lookjng at the £10 range, and Tesco *seem* to have a better deal, but Il need to confirm with some one over the phone.


Tescos is confusing, they have two seperate pages saying two different things!


Sources:

http://www.tescomobilepaymonthly.com/product-page.aspx?Tag=1d4c0e9f-675e-411f-8400-dd424cb8f9d9&so=1

http://direct.tesco.com/buyersguide/mobile network.aspx
 
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flapjackboy said:
If the number of people having reception problems is non-zero then no, it doesn't always work out of the box. It does not matter how large the problem is, the fact that there is a problem is enough to render the claim "works out of the box" as worthless.
Click to expand...

except it does work out the box, it's a drop in signal, not a total collapse of signal. In other words it still works and functions, still makes and receives phone calls out of the box.

wow those giffgaff tariffs look great, they use the o2 network don't they?
 
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1 month contract
£10 Tariff 1 Month Contract (500 minutes plus unlimited texts and data.)
£10.00
per month

This Tesco one seems a good deal, what provider backs them? Are they hard work to cancel?
 
Oxy said:
1 month contract
£10 Tariff 1 Month Contract (500 minutes plus unlimited texts and data.)
£10.00
per month

This Tesco one seems a good deal, what provider backs them? Are they hard work to cancel?
Click to expand...

O2 network as far as I know. Same as GiffGaff.

Its rolling monthly contract so canceling would be as easy as saying Im not topping up this month or ever, thanks!
 
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Oxy said:
I primarily want it for instant messaging, e-mail, a calender and a 'to-do' list type feature.
Click to expand...

There are many, many cheaper alternatives than an iPhone for this then! :) Any Android phone would do all this and more.

The iPhone has definitely got a massive 'Apple Gadget' premium shoved onto the price.
 
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