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Hello guys,
I currently have my good, old, HTC Hero but I think it's time for a change. Is the Motorola Defy worth buying?
I am interested in the following:
1. is it easy to have custom roms?
2. any chance to have a working Gingerbread ROM?
3. are those 512 Mb of RAM enough for these days?
4. should I consider buying Defy or should I just look for another phone?
What's the best Quadrant score you know for Motorola Defy? My record is 428.
Thanks!
If you can wait, I suggest getting the Motorola ATRIX when it comes out at the end of February.
Swyped from my HTC Desire running LeeDrOiD 2.3d with Tapatalk.
I can wait, my Hero is pretty decent at this time. Hummm, but what if the ATRIX will cost 3x or even 4x more than Defy ( I could get a Defy for 240 Euro / 333 AUD )? What's the price that ATRIX is supposed to have at launch?
kastraverde said:
Hummm, but what if the ATRIX will cost 3x or even 4x more than Defy ( I could get a Defy for 240 Euro / 333 AUD )? What's the price that ATRIX is supposed to have at launch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly $599 off contract with AT&T, but it won't be outdated for quite a while yet
.
Swyped from my HTC Desire running LeeDrOiD 2.3d with Tapatalk.
Hummm. I hope it will be available worldwide. When I bought my Hero I did so just because my desired phone at that moment, Motorola Droid, was not available in Europe. Right after I bought my Hero, Motorola launched Milestone. I kinda regret not buying the Milestone.
Anyway, my first 4 questions at the first post are still still waiting for some answers, guys. Thanks!
kastraverde said:
Hello guys,
I currently have my good, old, HTC Hero but I think it's time for a change. Is the Motorola Defy worth buying?
I am interested in the following:
1. is it easy to have custom roms?
2. any chance to have a working Gingerbread ROM?
3. are those 512 Mb of RAM enough for these days?
4. should I consider buying Defy or should I just look for another phone?
What's the best Quadrant score you know for Motorola Defy? My record is 428.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think the ram would be enough for a while, I've seen people posting quadrant scores 1100-1590, the other plus side is the price and the ruggedness of the phone, I'm considering one myself.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
This phone has done nothing but surprise me. i have a samsung epic that is mine personally and the defy is actually owned by my work. This phone easily went head to head with the epic in performance (until the epic got ext 4 hack), and in some cases has actually performed better (ex dungeon defender refused to install on the epic for a long time but have been playing on the defy since it was released).
The only down side is the locked bootloader that makes custom roms (including a GB rom) almost impossible, however there is a great group on here that is willing to help you customize the phone.
kastraverde said:
I am interested in the following:
1. is it easy to have custom roms?
2. any chance to have a working Gingerbread ROM?
3. are those 512 Mb of RAM enough for these days?
4. should I consider buying Defy or should I just look for another phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Not really, due to the encrypted bootloader - it is possible but it makes things much more difficult than on other handsets.
2. Almost certainly not until the bootloader can be decrypted in some way or Motorola release it themselves.
3. Yeah, plenty.
4. You're the only person who can answer that.
Brumble said:
Think the ram would be enough for a while, I've seen people posting quadrant scores 1100-1590, the other plus side is the price and the ruggedness of the phone, I'm considering one myself.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Mini Info, and my RAM is at a constant 50MB (sometimes less) out of an available 476MB. This phone really knows how to handle stuff. Get it!
512 mb ram is enough to run every application
Standart Quadrant Score is 800 ~ 1000
I see a Guy with a Sense Rom, JIT and OC to 1200 mhz he get 2000+
Hell yeah
sent from my DEFY using XDA App
Yes. Very nice device.
i have an HTC Desire but we got the kids Defys .... must say im very impressed with the defy ... go for it
I got my Defy a couple of weeks ago having spent many hours flashing and re-flashing my Hero with the fantastic roms and kernels built by erasmux, elelinux, radu, Cronos and the others. I have to say I was initially a bit disappointed that I couldn't do the same with my Defy. I did root it and started to tweak it a bit, but to be honest it's such a brilliant phone that there isn't the same imperative as there was with the Hero. For the money you can't get better, and I'm amazed that it's not more widely known. If you read the reviews it's been universally admired, and I've not been disappointed. The screen is outstanding, it's as tough as old boots and it flies, even with Motoblur on it. And if you don't like Motoblur, just remove the widgets and you'll hardly know it's there. It's also a good size - more manageable than some of those 'high-end' phones (Desire HD, Samsung Galaxy S etc) and just as capable.
Can't recommend it highly enough.
shorticus said:
I got my Defy a couple of weeks ago having spent many hours flashing and re-flashing my Hero with the fantastic roms and kernels built by erasmux, elelinux, radu, Cronos and the others. I have to say I was initially a bit disappointed that I couldn't do the same with my Defy. I did root it and started to tweak it a bit, but to be honest it's such a brilliant phone that there isn't the same imperative as there was with the Hero. For the money you can't get better, and I'm amazed that it's not more widely known. If you read the reviews it's been universally admired, and I've not been disappointed. The screen is outstanding, it's as tough as old boots and it flies, even with Motoblur on it. And if you don't like Motoblur, just remove the widgets and you'll hardly know it's there. It's also a good size - more manageable than some of those 'high-end' phones (Desire HD, Samsung Galaxy S etc) and just as capable.
Can't recommend it highly enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give it some time and the development of roms will pick up because its such a great phone.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Brumble said:
Give it some time and the development of roms will pick up because its such a great phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There'll still be the bootloader issue though.
Until Motorola follow through on their promise to find an alternative solution to encrypting the bootloader that's more hacker-friendly, if indeed they ever bother to do so, we'll be stuck with custom ROMs that are based on the same version of Android as the official ROMs.
Step666 said:
There'll still be the bootloader issue though.
Until Motorola follow through on their promise to find an alternative solution to encrypting the bootloader that's more hacker-friendly, if indeed they ever bother to do so, we'll be stuck with custom ROMs that are based on the same version of Android as the official ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but like i said give it time, nothing is going to happen in an instant.
I just got a quadrant score of 897 running at 1ghz. Nothing major. I could get 1500s easy if my gf didn't install so many games anyway, the phone is worth buying and is waterproof as it claims to be
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
How does Defy handles Flash?
I would say no, if you can wait then wait a bit!
Encrypted boot-loader means you have to hope Motorola release updates. Wait and see of Motorola change their policies about bootloader, they *may* do it after that youtube comment went wild all over the internet and they responded, but they may not either.
I will never ever buy a phone that is locked out this way. Right now all new phones released by Sony Ericcson and Motorola have locked bootloader. So if I were you I'd stick to HTC or Samsung.
I mean look at something like HTC HD2 or HTC Desire, these phones are now pretty old but have multiple gingerbread ROMs, cause they are fully hackable. of course anything that is a Nexus is also hackable and the Galaxy S range from Samsung is good also.
If I needed a phone right now, I'd be looking at the following:
- Google Nexus S
- Samsung Galaxy S
- HTC Desire HD
- HTC Desire Z
They are all known to be hackable and recent models and will perform better than a Hero.
How does the Defy+ compare to Xperia Mini Pro and Ray phones. I want to recommend to my cousing sister.
We looked at Ace, Wildfire S, Xperia series, Ray, Galsxy SLCD (I have this one)
Defy+ seems to have good features at a fair price. Is the phone good?
jesrani said:
How does the Defy+ compare to Xperia Mini Pro and Ray phones. I want to recommend to my cousing sister.
We looked at Ace, Wildfire S, Xperia series, Ray, Galsxy SLCD (I have this one)
Defy+ seems to have good features at a fair price. Is the phone good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think below the 20k range Defy plus is the best .. for the features and its cost..
It counts only if u are ready to root ur mobile ..
Because Motorola sucks in giving software updates and most probably it will remain in GB only ..
Apart from these ..its the best ..Life proof
My vote goes for DEFY+, too, because of the superior build quality.
Besides that, no official ICS update is a minus, but CM9 will be available soon enough. On the stock Gingerbread, DEFY+ does everything and opens everything. Really, everything works! That's why I loved it from the beginning.
Other than stock, there are some stable CM and MIUI versions available for it and they will improve the experience further, with good looks and better speed, you know how it goes...
One more huge plus is that "Lifeproof" feature It's true. (Read the short story in my signature )
Cheers!
@kanna91 and @niksy+, thanks for the replies.
My sis is not going to change ROMS, maybe I can do it for her once initially. I have experience with flashing my Galaxy SLCD, don;t know if this would be similar.
Which ROM is recommended?
I would advise you to try the latest stable CM7.1.0-11. That's what I use and it's stable for the average user. (no need for troubleshooting skills and such)
I cannot say anything about MIUI or similar.
I don't think your sister is a great gamer. The stock ROM is enough. Is not as speedy as Cm7 but it has less bugs. And the battery is better. I tried CM7 but I come back to my default ROM (in Romania 2.3.5 it the official one). Just root it, delete 7player, task manager, cardio trainer and zinio and install RAM manager from android marker. The free version has just balance profile but is enought. Is not a app killer because this drains bat but optimise the RAM usage (less lag). Believe me, it works. The developer is one of us, a XDA member.
For CM7, you should wait for the final version.
For a girl, Xperia Ray looks better than Defy. I asked my girlfriend and she told me that. For me, as a male, Defy looks better. Also, Ray will receive ICS update...official. But that's not very important for a girl: she will want a good looking phone, without functionality problems.
A girl, huh? My girlfriend likes my DEFY+, but wants a RAZR MAXX
Best ROMs I know about are MIUI Pikachu Edition and CM White Rabbit Edition. I'm getting 3 days battery life with Pikachu.
Anyway, I don't know, really... I don't like pointing people in the wrong direction :/ I've set up my phone real nice now, but it took a while and, like you said, your sister won't be up for that...
All I can say is that DEFY(+) is a really well built phone.
If I was going to buy an Android now, I would choose a phone with unlockable bootloader,
from a brand that could guarantee upgrade for at least Ice Cream Sandwich.
Get MIUI. Chicks dig it.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
royale1223 said:
Get MIUI. Chicks dig it.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, would be mu recommendation as well if you want to install a ROM (alone because of the beautiful UI.design). Although there are less ROMs for the Plus (compared to the og Defy) I think the Pikachu Edition should work fine, installing ROMs on the phone is super easy.
If possible, I'd go into a store and try these phones, look which suites her needs best.
It is a nice phone with a good price, not really sexy but reliable. Speed is acceptable, camera is ok. The screen is bigger than the one one the other phones you mentioned (except Galaxy S which is better overall imho).
mrolp said:
If I was going to buy an Android now, I would choose a phone with unlockable bootloader,
from a brand that could guarantee upgrade for at least Ice Cream Sandwich.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the point: SE Xperia Ray has unlocked bootloader and official support from Cyanogen Mod too. Also, it will get ICS officially.
Defy+ is still not directed supported by XDA developers. If you install an MIUI should get the correct batt file for correct battery monitor. Pikacku edition have some stupid bugs like gallery cannot delete pictures.
My advice is to ask your sister what phone likes more (design and construction). Than purchase it. Purchasing any of them is all right. Both have vanilla roms, both are well designed and so on. Also, see that Sony Ericsson received 4 iF design awards.
I've tested a Ray before purchasing Defy+ but I preferred Defy+. Also, before it, I owned a Defy.
Hey guys I have a question for you users of the GN... have any of you went from a RAZR to it? How does everything work? I know it has ICS and I am dying to get it on my RAZR, but I was just wondering if you guys can help me decide on which phone to either keep or if i should get the GN?
I own both, I prefer the gnex, much much better development support, and IMO more fun to use.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
can you elaborate? I'm an android noob (iPhone convert) and never have rooted, etc on my android phones...
The GNex is much more hacker friendly which allows you to work with the OS of the phone. Motorola has a reputation of locking their phones down like fort knox so you cant mess with the internals.
So what are some good things about like rooting and roms? Like I said.. NOOB
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Droid Razr = LAG LAG LAG!
GNexus = 0 Lag, Super smooth and very snappy
There are soooo many comparisons of these two phones on the internets.
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
matesims23 said:
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google search the benefits of rooting.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
matesims23 said:
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
having "administrator" access to the phone ...
flashing custom roms with more software development and features
root apps such as LBE privacy guard (must have for me)
fun
doing anything you want with the phone, you are only limited by your knowledge or lack there of
One way to look at it is when Google builds Android they build it for the Nexus models. Then they release the code, the other manufactures then modify the code to work with their hardware.
Now since you are on the Verizon version they modify google's code for their network so you would not have the 100% pure code, only about 98%. It would be purer than Motorola's build.
Also the Razor is a closed platform hardware wise. This is a really good video about the Razor. http://www.xda-developers.com/android/droid-razr-unboxed-the-xda-way-xda-tv/
I think I'm gonna try the nexus
Sent from my DROID RAZR
matesims23 said:
can you elaborate? I'm an android noob (iPhone convert) and never have rooted, etc on my android phones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting (completely different from jail-breaking), allows the user to run super user commands on their cell phone. Super user commands and apps generally have much more access to system files, allowing for overclocking (if the kernel supports it), free wifi tethering, and so on. Unlocking the bootloader allows for flashing custom ROMs on the device. Flashing can be done on a locked device, but no kernels (hence no overclocking) can be flashed. This also causes custom ROMs without their own kernel to generally be less stable than those for an unlocked bootloader device. Rooting is necessary for any Android power user, though a bootloader unlock may not always be necessary. Custom kernels often provide massive boosts to performance and add new features, so it is strongly recommended.
Thanks that helps a ton!!! That's the answer I was needing
Sent from my DROID RAZR
matesims23 said:
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting gives you admin access to your phone so you can do whatever you want. We'd never buy a computer without admin access, should be same on a phone.
RogerPodacter said:
Rooting gives you admin access to your phone so you can do whatever you want. We'd never buy a computer without admin access, should be same on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand now ... been doing a ton of reading about roms and such
Sent from my DROID RAZR
I have both as of this minute and I will sell one of them soon. I prefer the gnex but damn does it poor signal compared to my razor.
I don't even have service on my gnex in areas that I have 2 bars on my razor.
I just flashed leaked radios on my gnex and it didn't help. I only use 3g as no 4g at home yet.
I will prob keep the gnex though and hope for a signal fix cause the gnex is faster and just a nicer phone IMO.
...radios? your on the verizon nexus right? arent the leaked radios just for the sprint phones?
The Nexus line is Google's own idea of what an Android device should be; they are the ONLY handsets that are supported directly by Google. Consequently, Nexus phones have an Apple-like software support cycle (say what you want about Apple, the 3GS got iOS 5 before my Droid Charge even got Gingerbread) and huge dev support. Keep in mind that a Nexus phone is never designed to push the bleeding edge; it may have some neat new features, but they're never designed to be powerhouses (some say the N1 was, but IMO it was just in the right place at the right time). A Nexus device is the bone stock Android experience, an exemplar to the rest of the manufacturers on just what an Android device should be.
To summarize:
1.) The absolute best official software support you can get in the Android world, and among the best 3rd party dev support. While some devices released this year will be lucky to get ICS and/or Jelly Bean, you can pretty much rest assured that the GNex will go well into Key Lime Pie officially.
2.) Internal hardware chosen for STABILITY and EFFICIENCY, rather than bleeding edge, untested (and usually buggy) performance. That said, while it isn't cutting edge, the GNex has very solid hardware, and performance is always snappy and smooth.
3.) Usually has some neat perks that most other phones don't have. In the Gnex's case, it's the BEAUTIFUL 720p AMOLED+ display, NFC support, the ultra-fast camera, and of course Ice Cream Sandwich.
After using a plethora of other non-Nexus Android devices, I got absolutely fed up with the apathy that the manufacturers and carriers have toward updating their handsets. The last straw was, as I mentioned, my Droid Charge. Even though Verizon considered it the flagship 4G LTE phone well into last September, it was released with an out-of-date OS to begin with (Froyo; GB had been out for well over half a year already). It didn't get GB until after it had been replaced as a flagship phone, and then was (and remains) ineligible for an update to ICS even though ICS was released only six months after the Charge was released! What the hell is that!?
Never again. Nexus or bust. Trust me, you'll be happy with the GNex.
This helps me a ton.. trying to trade now
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Sorry if this has already been asked, but how is the Samsung Glide? I have been using an HTC Status (ChaCha) for years, and just recently rooted. I liked the form factor and keyboard, but the internal memory was miserably limited, even after rooting and getting rid of bloatware, moving apps to SD, etc. The sound from the speaker was pretty poor too (I am aware that Beats audio can be installed to rooted phones ... have yet to try that) and putting the SD card slot underneath the battery is awkward. I have gotten a handle on Android's strengths and weaknesses (Gingerbread) so I will have a better idea of what to expect for my next phone. I definitely prefer a physical keyboard, and most Android based phones do not have one, or have poor specs. The Captivate Glide seems to measure up. I have read the specs GSM Arena gave on this phone,and it seems pretty good. It claims that it has Flash. Is this Adobe Flash, or something along the lines of HTC Status' Flash Lite? I definitely want Adobe Flash support, even if Adobe plans to end future support. I have an LG Neon lying around, a basic phone with a slide out keyboard ... it was okay, but for some weird reason only recognized one key input at a time, which made playing video games like Galaga miserable, even though the graphics were quite close to the arcade. I need to be able to press more than one key input at a time! I am also interested in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean, neither of which would likely run very well on the Status, if they even can run. I have read of Glide users having a lot of problems with ICS. Should I wait for another phone with ICS preloaded, or just wait for a better Glide optimized ICS or Jelly Bean? Finally, how easy was it to root this phone? Rooting the Status was a real pain, as the HTC Dev software was getting me nowhere, by claiming the rom version is not supported ... even after the AT&T update. I bought the XTC Clip and couldn't get it to work, until a friend of mine got it working right (stick the flex cable in real tight in the SIM slot) and put on CWM and SuperUser. Somehow it did not unlock the carrier though. Anything like this for the Glide? How is the battery life?
Hello DearestLeader (that's an interesting choice of nickname given the origin of the devices being discussed!)
There are a few threads reviewing the device. I've played with one prior to giving it (SGH-I927R) to my girlfriend, so I won't be able to comment on all aspects of the phone.
If you're buying outright, another, more expensive (500$ outright) model that might be worth looking into is T-Mobile USA's recently announced Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G (SGH-T699). Same screen, worse camera (5MP versus 8MP for the 927), DC-HSPA 42 instead of HSPA 21, and a Snapdragon S4 Krait SoC instead of a Tegra 2. And it does support AT&T bands as well.
The ICS update for the Glide was just pulled from Kies, which indicates another build is on its way, likely fixing the issues reported here.
Rooting is easy: switch the phone to download mode, install CWM with Odin, install superuser zip of your choosing.
Unlocking is easy provided you're rooted and know how to use a hex editor.
If you're with Sprint, they released a new qwerty physical keyboard android called Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE. Comparable stats to our glide but it does have ICS preloaded.
I came from a Sony Ericsson k850i and couldn't live without buttons so I grabbed the Glide. It had a rough start not being as popular as other devices. We didn't get an official otterbox case or get official cyanogen mods but in the last few months, devs/testers/community really banded together and we have quite the support. We may not have ICS 100% but the hardworking devs and testers will take care of that. JB seems like a dream but who knows, someone just may surprise us.
Like Darkshado said, rooting & unlocking is fairly easy. There are many guides in the development sub-forum. Battery life was crap on gingerbread but improves quite a bit when on ICS. The only problem I've ever had was very minor GPS finding issues but I don't use it extensively so it was negligible.
With the ICS update, the Captivate Glide is a spectacular device. :good:
There were several major issues with Gingerbread (compass orientation incorrect, general lag and instability, poor bluetooth audio quality and battery life, etc) but they've all been resolved by the update and the community.
The screen, while not the highest res (800x480) is AMOLED and looks great. The CPU, while not quad-core, is still plenty fast, and it has 1gb RAM. Onboard storage is pitiful, but add a 32gb SD card and swap /mnt/sdcard with /mnt/sdcard/external_sd, and your primary storage can become up to 64gb.
It's not LTE, but it is still pretty quick. On Rogers in Canada I get ~5mbit/s down and 2mbit/sec up, which is totally respectable.
It's also a very cheap device now, since it is somewhat dated. Honestly, I can't recommend another keyboard phone more highly.
My $0.02.
bottom line, captivate glide is best phone available with physical keyboard.
even before ICS, i was highly please with the performance.
camera pics are GREAT
until they come out with a quad core phone with a physical keyboard, the only other phone i'd consider right now is a galaxy note.
i love this phone :good:
Thanks for the replies!
I will have to stick with AT&T, as I am on my mother's plan and not only she but several other people I call or text regularly are on AT&T too.
I did try out the phone at the AT&T store and it was nice. However, the sales rep said units sold after August 26th will not run Adobe Flash (the in store unit did not have it but was downloadable from Google Play and ran great). He did have people returning units for lack of Adobe Flash (I do not ask if these folks tried rooting or if they even bothered to download from Google Play). If Flash is good to go, without rooting (have to wait to see if there are no defects lor serious flaws like frequent unexpected reboots before rooting, as my warranty would be void) then I am getting one.
ericpeacock79 said:
bottom line, captivate glide is best phone available with physical keyboard.
even before ICS, i was highly please with the performance.
camera pics are GREAT
until they come out with a quad core phone with a physical keyboard, the only other phone i'd consider right now is a galaxy note.
i love this phone :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worse case you could probably sideload the Flash apk onto the phone.
Remember that root's not supposed to void your warranty, there were some XDA portal posts about this iirc. Either way its nothing that a DIY stock re-flash wouldn't solve.
I have to stick with AT&T for the same reason. I love this phone though, but I just can't get used to the physical keyboard. My girlfriend texts and uses my phone sometimes and she loves the physical keyboard though. Overall its a good phone and I would recommend it to anyone wanting an android with decent specs.
sent from my captivate glide running ICS (NardROM 0.4 Rooted)
I have the unlocked (and of course rooted) Samsung Galaxy Captivate Glide that I picked up used (but still in very good condition), and I can tell you that purchasing the phone (either old or new) is worth it, IMO. I like the fact that this phone have the hardware keyboard, decent organic LED screen, dual-core superscalar out-of-order Cortex A9 processor, and good 8MP camera. 4GB on-board storage didn't stop me from getting it. Loving this phone.
There is also few Android phone with the same hardward keyboard setup - try browsing through your favorite PC part internet store like Newegg as they sells both locked and unlocked smartphones nowaday too.
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app
You can also buy a Bluetooth keyboard that's originally made for ipods that I seen once, they work for Android too I'm sure if you really want or need a keyboard. I use my touchscreen more personally than my slider, except on chrome for some reason has a bug? And let's me use my screen keyboard maybe 20% of the time.. odd but lol
Samsung SGH-i927:
CWMR Touch v4.0.0.1
Keyboard fix
Superuser 3.2r3 ARM Optimized
Samsung SGH-i897:
A work in progress…
Stock & Rooted (need kernel and update)
hazard1nc said:
You can also buy a Bluetooth keyboard that's originally made for ipods that I seen once, they work for Android too I'm sure if you really want or need a keyboard. I use my touchscreen more personally than my slider, except on chrome for some reason has a bug? And let's me use my screen keyboard maybe 20% of the time.. odd but lol
Samsung SGH-i927:
CWMR Touch v4.0.0.1
Keyboard fix
Superuser 3.2r3 ARM Optimized
Samsung SGH-i897:
A work in progress…
Stock & Rooted (need kernel and update)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I experienced that bug on chrome a well. Kinda sucks that the soft keyboard would not display.kept having to pull out the hardware one for quick searches. That's why I switched to dolphin.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927R using xda app-developers app
I love this phone
I came from HTC g2 phone t-Mobile. I got this phone used off ebay in great condition. The company I work for is on att and I wanted a physical keyboard. Not too many to choose from. I use both on screen & physical keyboard equally. Rooting was a snap and am so happy with ics. Before ics I used dman's Inception v2 rom and loved it. Now I'm using nardrom 0.4 and hope dman comes out with a v3 rom. I'd recommend this phone to any one who likes the choice of a physical keyboard.
If you need a physical keyboard, GSM service, and want a powerful phone, there really aren't many other options. I say get it, I love mine.
I've been wondering about this myself. I love the Epic 4G, but I don't want to go back to Sprint, and I'm not too thrilled with Cricket (I don't love them nor hate them, they'll do for now). So I figure, get a Captivate Glide, unlock it, and go to Net10 or Straight Talk. The Captivate Glide appears to be a sort of unofficial successor to the Epic 4G, so it seems logical. Plus since its GSM I can take it with me whenever I travel outside the United States.
rogernizzLe said:
Like Darkshado said, rooting & unlocking is fairly easy. There are many guides in the development sub-forum. Battery life was crap on gingerbread but improves quite a bit when on ICS. The only problem I've ever had was very minor GPS finding issues but I don't use it extensively so it was negligible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I do use the GPS very extensively, so this is giving me pause in getting this phone.
EpicMikeNC said:
Well I do use the GPS very extensively, so this is giving me pause in getting this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the Rom you are using for GPS. I have found GB to work great with the GPS but ICS is a little lack luster as it connects but only after about 10 minutes. Please be patient as a lot of people have mixed results and I am curious with CM9 or possibly CM10 with GPS once those roms are out of alpha.
JB
dudejb said:
Depends on the Rom you are using for GPS. I have found GB to work great with the GPS but ICS is a little lack luster as it connects but only after about 10 minutes. Please be patient as a lot of people have mixed results and I am curious with CM9 or possibly CM10 with GPS once those roms are out of alpha.
JB
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Ah okay. See the most I was going to do to a Captivate Glide when I get it would be to root it. So basically if I root it I should go ahead and get a rom, preferably the one you mentioned (GB), until something better comes along. I have no problem waiting, and if GB is a good fix in the meantime, well problem solved.
GB is not a rom per say but I meant Ginger Bread which is what it has installed by default. There are many GB Roms available I recommend OSIMOOD but I am sure many will recommend others. I have never had an issue with GPS on any of the available Gingerbread Roms. Only people that had issues with GPS and GB are not in North America and then you will have to do some tweak for it to work. Some have got that working and some have not. I am sure that is where you saw many posts on GPS for the glide having issues. Just go back and see those posts as to where the people are from. ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) on the other hand has some issues where it can take a long time to connect but as I said before some people are working on this.
JB
I use gps all the time on my Glide. The most issues I've had is a few time I've had to turn gas off and back on 2 or 4 times in a row.
But that only happened a few times in 5 months.
This ia using both the stock GB and the stock ICS , and after rooting ICS.
Overall, i would give GPS on my Glide 9.5 out of 10
Sent from my SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app
dudejb said:
GB is not a rom per say but I meant Ginger Bread which is what it has installed by default. There are many GB Roms available I recommend OSIMOOD but I am sure many will recommend others. I have never had an issue with GPS on any of the available Gingerbread Roms. Only people that had issues with GPS and GB are not in North America and then you will have to do some tweak for it to work. Some have got that working and some have not. I am sure that is where you saw many posts on GPS for the glide having issues. Just go back and see those posts as to where the people are from. ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) on the other hand has some issues where it can take a long time to connect but as I said before some people are working on this.
JB
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I see. So when I get a Glide, I can either leave it alone (let it stay on GB and not update it to ICS), or root it to stock GB. If I do the latter then I can get roms made just for the GB.
Ever since I lost my HTC G2 I've been searching for a replacement for all my emulator gaming. I read about the Xperia Play and this sounds exactly like what I'm looking for.
- I wouldn't be using it as a phone. I've got my HTC One S for that (I'm with T-Mobile). I would only connect through WiFi.
- I would mainly use it to play emulators. I don't care too much about marketplace games that I can play on my normal phone.
- I would most likely be rooting the phone in order to erase all of the unneeded apps and free up more space. I don't know much about custom ROMs or bootloaders but I might look into that as well. Anything that would increase the phone's performance without shortening its lifespan.
My question is does it matter which model I buy? I see the R800x listed online for as low as $80, and the R800i in the $200 range. Why is the R800i so much more expensive? Does the phone need to be unlocked? Are there any flaws/hardware issues/annoyances in general that I need to know about?
Thanks for any help. I know you guys get these questions a lot but I couldn't find the specific answers I was looking for after searching.
Shouldn't matter. I'd go for the Verizon play. Around $80 on eBay and you unlock the bootloader for free. Just be aware that there are not as many choices to roms for the Verizon model. Good romz are definitely out their for the Verizon play.
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
Do not buy the R800x. Lack of support roms, terrible sound quality in the speakers (missing xloud another Sony feature), missing sony stock applications (true sony experience), less users, stuck on 2.3.3 firmware, and lack of developers. Take it from who owned an R800x. Right now my r800x is spare parts for GSM xperia play. Verizon xperia play is worth less than the R800i and R800a last time i checked for verizon xperia play $60. R800i and R800a is still go over above $100.
Thanks for the input! It sounds like the R800i is the one that I should get then. Unfortunately the price is a bit high right now, I'm going to have to continue looking around until I can find one a bit cheaper. How good is the hinge on the game pad? The G2's keyboard was notoriously bad and would not stay closed.
You know, I have two version of this phone...
R800i gets stock SE experience with 2.3.4 OS, you can get max 230 RAM (Fresh instal)...
R800x gets stock vanilla GB experience with 2.3.3 OS (ugradable to 2.3.4), you can get max 270 RAM (Fresh instal)...
Cause R800x get vanilla OS, it's smoother to playing games, but you will lose SE taste...
And I have read that R800x user can unlock bootloader on sony website like R800i...
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app
Heres the one thing nobody mentions the differences between the R800x and R800i. You can not use any GSM GB roms on the R800x they are incompatible. The R800x will boot but you will have a black screen.
You know, I have two version of this phone...
R800i gets stock SE experience with 2.3.4 OS, you can get max 230 RAM (Fresh instal)...
R800x gets stock vanilla GB experience with 2.3.3 OS (ugradable to 2.3.4), you can get max 270 RAM (Fresh instal)...
Cause R800x get vanilla OS, it's smoother to playing games, but you will lose SE taste...
And I have read that R800x user can unlock bootloader on sony website like R800i...
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Click to collapse
Would you recommend the R800x over the R800i from a purely gaming standpoint? What would I be missing from the stock SE?
Heres the one thing nobody mentions the differences between the R800x and R800i. You can not use any GSM GB roms on the R800x they are incompatible. The R800x will boot but you will have a black screen.
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What are GSM GB roms?
kMakoid said:
Would you recommend the R800x over the R800i from a purely gaming standpoint? What would I be missing from the stock SE?
What are GSM GB roms?
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I listed them on you lose timescape, xloud, bravia engine, custom roms, custom kernel, wifi connection on the R800x is weaker, weaker speaker sound, google servies dont work on R800x 2.3.4 firmware. List goes on and on.
kMakoid said:
Would you recommend the R800x over the R800i from a purely gaming standpoint? What would I be missing from the stock SE?
What are GSM GB roms?
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Click to collapse
If i JUST play game, I will stand to R800x...
But if I want better conection n optimized OS for hardware, I will stand for R800i, custom OS n more tweak is more than R800x...
GSM GB ROMs is only for GSM phone or R800i...
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app
If you only use it for gaming, the R800x is a great deal, better than most PMP that cost more.
You can unlock the bootloader of the R800x free from Sony website in order to flash custom kernel and roms. The R800x have less roms than the GSM version, but unless you specifically like to flash roms or want to use ICS and JB, it's not necessary since they both have poorer performance than stock/stoc-based Gingerbread roms, which by far are still the ideal choice for best performance on this device. You might to want install custom kernel to overclock though. You probably only need to root it to delete some bloatwares.
As for flaws, the screen brightness is a bit weak and sometimes barely or not visible under direct sunlight and the screen might get dirt underneath, depending on how much lints are in your jean pockets. Some people broke or worn out the flex cable (that connect between the motherboard and screen) overtime due to sliding out the gamepad too much, but I had 3 different Plays and never had the issue.
My preferred version is the ATT R800at, its compatible with the R800i roms, and after sim unlocked its compatible with T-Mobile 3G in some area.
eksasol said:
If you only use it for gaming, the R800x is a great deal, better than most PMP that cost more.
You can unlock the bootloader of the R800x free from Sony website in order to flash custom kernel and roms. The R800x have less roms than the GSM version, but unless you specifically like to flash roms or want to use ICS and JB, it's not necessary since they both have poorer performance than stock/stoc-based Gingerbread roms, which by far are still the ideal choice for best performance on this device. You might to want install custom kernel to overclock though. You probably only need to root it to delete some bloatwares.
As for flaws, the screen brightness is a bit weak and sometimes barely or not visible under direct sunlight and the screen might get dirt underneath, depending on how much lints are in your jean pockets. Some people broke or worn out the flex cable (that connect between the motherboard and screen) overtime due to sliding out the gamepad too much, but I had 3 different Plays and never had the issue.
My preferred version is the ATT R800at, its compatible with the R800i roms, and after sim unlocked its compatible with T-Mobile 3G in some area.
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I might have to check out the R800at now, I really like the blue case. Thanks for all the info!
The R800at is the version that one can't unlock the bootloader from Sony website. Though WotonServer is supposed to be able to unlock both of the sim and bootloader.
There is the new thing in US about being illegal to sim unlock carrier locked device, but if you buy it used out of contact it doesn't matter.
But even the stock rom rooted and bloatwares remove is enough if you don't plan to unlock or flash anything.
Sent from XDA app
I have the R800x and only use it for gaming.
I have a Galaxy S 3 for my smart phone and don't even have Verizon phone service. I unlocked the bootlader back when you had to pay using the test point method. Since I don't use this as my phone I don't care at all about google sync issues which only affect Android 2.3.4.
I was able to flash the ftf 2.3.4 rom and then since my bootloader is unlocked I rooted that by flashing superuser with a bootable recovery. Doom kernel test v02 works as well since I don't use my phone for cell service I don't care that doom test kernel v02 breaks 3G. As long as wifi works I am good, which it does. With that I can overclock to 2ghz if I want but the stock kernel has been fine for me for everything.
I have not noticed any issues with the speakers though I cannot compare to other models. They are better than the single speaker in my galaxy s 3 I think due to the fact the speakers are more forward(or downward) facing than a typical single speaker smartphone, though I usually use headphones anyway.
The nice thing about the Verizon version to me is Gingerbread is basically stock Android and there isn't much bloat to worry about.
If you unlock your bootloader there are a couple JB roms like slim bean and one other called zeus rom or something that work well enough and are pretty much AOSP but for compatibility the 2.3.4 rom has been great.
Due to the Verizon one being CDMA you WILL pay less for a nicer unit.
One thing to note is that there is some sort of screen protector thing that comes pre-installed (that scratches very easily, smudges easily and doesn't feel as nice as going without) and if you take that off the brightness of the display will be better. There are comparisons if you just search. It's kind of hard to tell that protector is even on there when you get it because it is installed really well.
All in all I am happy with the R800x. It is basically a super powered PSP Go with a better screen resolution. (If you don't play PSP games anyway ) It runs every emulator I can think of just fine which is what I primarily use it for in addition to games like Final Fantasy 3 or FF Dimensions (using the app GameKeyboard to map touches to the physical keys of course )
P.S. I upgraded to 2.3.4 because Final Fantasy Dimensions doesn't work on 2.3.3.
P.P.S. My Vita will replace the Xperia Play if it ever gets hacked enough. That would be a beast of a gaming machine if it was fully unlocked.
P.P.P.S If you like to chronically flash and test new ROMS the R800x is NOT for you.
So I found a listing for an R800 AT&T 4G unlocked on ebay. What does unlocked refer to in this case? Would I have any issues with the new law that just took place?
kMakoid said:
So I found a listing for an R800 AT&T 4G unlocked on ebay. What does unlocked refer to in this case? Would I have any issues with the new law that just took place?
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It is most likely mean sim unlocked. Unless the buyer specifically state bootloader unlock.
The law is really not enforceable anyway and it only apply if you buy it AT&T through a contract as I recall, even if you do no one is going to bother you.
With locked bootloader, you can root, install CWM and the NXT Lite rom for this device, its the smoothest possible experience (imo) so you don't have to worry about bootloader unlock unless you really want to.