The Android Sham

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H2O

H2O

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I really like Android, I love the idea of rooting your phone and getting the maximum performance from it, customizing it to your needs and keeping yourself updated even if your manufacturer does not release the latest update.

The thing is in all this development on Android with various processors, graphic units and different types of displays have left the average buyer confused to say the least. The companies which create these phones are also not helping the cause of simplifying things, maybe they could explaining the difference between ARM v6 and v7. But, zilch! They are trying to cash in as you would expect a private company would.

In all this rat race for apps and development, we have lost out on basic telephony.

Yes, Android handles that very well...etc...etc.

But, do you realize that this has completely destroyed the mid-range(8k to 14k) segment. You have to make a compromise and get a laggy interface, sacrifice on sufficient battery life, stick to smaller displays and what not. I don't really understand, what is happening?

I'll give you my example, 1.5 years back, I got the Nokia 5233 for a modest 6.5k. Though I want to upgrade today and spend a maximum of 12k, think there is no decent Android phone which is worth upgrading too. They all have their own share of issue from low resolution displays to lag in the interface and especially the battery life(Most of the phones don't last a day). There is not one phone which I feel is worth the upgrade.

My requirements are simple, I don't need a phone which plays all the games and scores high on the benchmarks.
I need something with which I can get 2 hours of talktime, the capacity to send and recieve about 40-50 texts everyday, use whatsapp for 15mins and use facebook/browse the internet for 20mins with some music here and there and a camera good enough for a few random pictures on a single charge. But, there is nothing which currently fits the bill. The only phone which I would consider would be the Samsung Glaxy Ace, which itslef is nuilt on a 1 year old platform.

The Blackberry's seem to get most of this work done, but they charge an obscene Rs. 400 a month for activating BIS.

What are the manufacturers doing? Why don't they actually work on an Android distribution and customize it enough, so that they are effective on these phones.
 
What I dont understand is, why do you need a BIS for a blackberry? Why cant you use a normal plan?

As far as the Androids are concerned, its an evolving platform. with ICS and more upgrades, it can mature into something good.
 
Spend a couple of extra 1000 rupees and get the Defy. Everything you ever wanted and more. Among the best telephony, best dev support, very decent battery life.

Android is not a sham, its a step in the right direction.
 
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Other then the whatsapp part, I would suggest you to look at samsung wave 2. Good camera, good basics, and battery life better then most androids. Also with prices falling we might have symb phones like nokia e6 and 603 within that range. If you want android only then defy although old is still your best bet .
 
Okay now look at it from a manufacturers point of view.

If HTC, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson gave their lower end phones even a high res screen, it would shorten out the gap between there higher end phones and flagships. They HAVE to cut down on certain features like screen size, cameras, build quality, software features so as to lower prices and in many ways force people to buy better versions of their phones. This has happened in one way or the other to every phone and its parent company over the years.

Eventually all of it will get filtered downwards. Newer cheap phones are getting the latest versions of Android, decent graphic chips, good build quality (save for Samsung), better UI, etc. I can already newer gen phones slowly crawl towards 1Ghz+512mb RAM which is more than enough for Android.
 
@ OP do you need opinions for what device to buy? or you are just in mood to bash Android?

as already suggested Defy meets your requirements and for the android bashing.. tell me a better platform providing all these features and having solutions at all budget segment.

If you need something like nokia 5233, nice resolution and weak internals.. get the Dell XCD 35
 
Agree with OP to a large extent

Android HAS killed off the mid range smartphones

There arent any "No Compromise" phones like the N79 available in the sub 15k range anymore
 
People justifying corporates as their own babies. Jeez.

What the @OP said is very true. Honestly i have felt like that too. I am about to buy a phone. actually from last 2 months I am trying to replace my N97 mini. Budget is max 15k and plus any money i get by selling the nokia. N97 mini was around 19k when i bought. Kinda Top end. If i have to buy a Top end phone now, u all know the prices. which i will never spend on a phone. 25~30k for a phone? no way.

And worst of all. I have NOT seen a <=15K android phone give BRILLIANT(Or Good, Or average. Yup for <=15k I expect that) out of the box experience. just too complicated. See I am all in for custom ROMS, I do for my tablet. But I am paying this much, why cant the company provide them? Till 15k i say ALL phones are in the same boat, Just average.

At least when it was symbian, iphone, RIM etc. We had TONNES of choices. Now few inches of screen and few more MB's of Ram. that's the difference between getting a phone till 15k. Not everyone wants to change phone in every 4 months. :(. Just sad.
 
The question is, why get tied to Android? If no Android phone suits your requirements at your budget, why not look beyond Android and settle for a Symbian or WP7? Focus should meet all your criteria at around 14k.

Android in many ways is like Windows. N number of manufacturers use Android as the OS of their phones, and it is near impossible to put limits on the type of hardware it should run on. Still, just like Microsoft took several years to produce an OS that can run smoothly in even the most basic hardware, Android will also mature over a period of time. In my opinion, it is wrong to blame Android for destroying the mid-range phones. Blame it on the manufacturers for not incorporating decent hardware, and for not customizing ANdroid to suit their mobiles.

Else, open your field of view, and look for non-android mobiles. You will get decent ones in your budget. There is no a lack of choice.
 
m-jeri said:
People justifying corporates as their own babies. Jeez.

What the @OP said is very true. Honestly i have felt like that too. I am about to buy a phone. actually from last 2 months I am trying to replace my N97 mini. Budget is max 15k and plus any money i get by selling the nokia. N97 mini was around 19k when i bought. Kinda Top end. If i have to buy a Top end phone now, u all know the prices. which i will never spend on a phone. 25~30k for a phone? no way.

And worst of all. I have NOT seen a <=15K android phone give BRILLIANT(Or Good, Or average. Yup for <=15k I expect that) out of the box experience. just too complicated. See I am all in for custom ROMS, I do for my tablet. But I am paying this much, why cant the company provide them? Till 15k i say ALL phones are in the same boat, Just average.

At least when it was symbian, iphone, RIM etc. We had TONNES of choices. Now few inches of screen and few more MB's of Ram. that's the difference between getting a phone till 15k. Not everyone wants to change phone in every 4 months. :(. Just sad.
Click to expand...

The phones capabilities had not expanded to acceptable portable browsing machine and high quality gaming few years back..

Now a phone like galaxy SL within 16K can do all that, and there's only one unreleased game - GTA that needs dual core phones, for everything else its good enough.

Earlier we didn't have Google releasing a new OS every 6 months and the hardware update cycle was also longer, agreed thats the better way for end users.
 
Sanav3 said:
The phones capabilities had not expanded to acceptable portable browsing machine and high quality gaming few years back..

Now a phone like galaxy SL within 16K can do all that, and there's only one unreleased game - GTA that needs dual core phones, for everything else its good enough.

Earlier we didn't have Google releasing a new OS every 6 months and the hardware update cycle was also longer, agreed thats the better way for end users.
Click to expand...

What u said is not a blanket answer, if u were trying for that.

As a user this trend is bad. Atleast for countries like india, for people who buy with their own earned money. See in Western counties 200~300 $ or Euros is not that HUGE of a amount. Ofc the purchasing power is very high. Still they have benefits like getting a new phone when lost and what nots in that contract period. And they get a TOP OF THE LINE phone. Here we have to spend like 25~30k for a high end phone. U know that like monthly income for a huge amount of people in india.

I think in one thread few days back. I think the Meizu thread, someone said how the Apple and Samsung suddenly become the TOP tech companies in last 5 years, in regard to production costs.

I will never say that the phone should not go out of style or better ones shouldnt come in 6 months. It will. It should. But to bring quality phones with good user experience for a fair price. At that NO ONE can say otherwise but nokia always delivered. Android till date, No. iPhone well, those who can spend 40k on a phone, dont bother with price like I do.
 
@people bashing Android. I have never been a fanboi, I have always appreciated quality when due though. The N series phones died out bcs of the way phones are being used. But still today if you wanted, you get a s^3 series phone. The only thing that phones back had better were cameras. But new age devices like Defy captures decent imagery and fits thee purpose.

"A few inches of screen, a few bumps in processing speed"? Really dude? Screens today are like 4 times bigger and better. and processors the same. You dont need "Top-Line phones" to enjoy the best of the world. Get the mid range phones and do everything you want and still have room to expand the usage. Today Phones are much more focused on user experience. If android wasnt arnd, the only best user experience phone would be iPhones. Now how much do THEY cost? :P
 
dhruvrock2000 said:
@OP Get the Samsung Focus .. Great large high rez display , latest OS , very fast , does everything you asked. Go WP7 !
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I'm currently thinking about the Nokia E6(If it gets the Belle update) or the Samsung Focus(though I'm worried about losing out on warranty.)
comp@ddict said:
I think the Moto Defy is the phone to be had right now for your budget.
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Motorola Defy has its own share of problems. The issue with Motorola is that it will not update its phones and this has continued from a long time.
logistopath said:
The question is, why get tied to Android? If no Android phone suits your requirements at your budget, why not look beyond Android and settle for a Symbian or WP7? Focus should meet all your criteria at around 14k.
Android in many ways is like Windows. N number of manufacturers use Android as the OS of their phones, and it is near impossible to put limits on the type of hardware it should run on. Still, just like Microsoft took several years to produce an OS that can run smoothly in even the most basic hardware, Android will also mature over a period of time. In my opinion, it is wrong to blame Android for destroying the mid-range phones. Blame it on the manufacturers for not incorporating decent hardware, and for not customizing ANdroid to suit their mobiles.
Else, open your field of view, and look for non-android mobiles. You will get decent ones in your budget. There is no a lack of choice.
Click to expand...

Well, the thing is Android seems to be the only place to go as Samsung Focus, would mean me losing out on warranty. The only other phone I can think of is Nokia e6 and Nokia 701, though both are beyond my budget.
Sanav3 said:
@ OP do you need opinions for what device to buy? or you are just in mood to bash Android?

as already suggested Defy meets your requirements and for the android bashing.. tell me a better platform providing all these features and having solutions at all budget segment.
If you need something like nokia 5233, nice resolution and weak internals.. get the Dell XCD 35
Click to expand...

I'm not here to tell you about getting a better platform. I'm sorry but for a price for 6.5k that too about 1.5 years back the Nokia 5233 does quite a job, while compared to todays phones like the Galaxy Y.
Manufacturers should be responsible enough to customize Android so that it would suite each segment. That's what Amazon did with the Kindle Fire, though it is still not perfect, but given another revision I'm pretty sure it would be.
hahahari said:
Spend a couple of extra 1000 rupees and get the Defy. Everything you ever wanted and more. Among the best telephony, best dev support, very decent battery life.

Android is not a sham, its a step in the right direction.
Click to expand...

Everyone here needs to stop praising this device. It looks ugly to say the least.
 
H2O said:
Everyone here needs to stop praising this device. It looks ugly to say the least.
Click to expand...

Ok. thanks for your view. I will now personally report any post that recommends Defy. Maybe ask the admin to put up an announcement banning using the words defy on the forum. Maybe you should give us a complete list of what you consider to be a good phone and those will be strictly adhered to by everyone recommending someone a phone on techenclave.

On a serious note though, don't buy Android if you don't like it? It can't be that tough. I have owned a 5233 and if I switched on whatsapp (continuous GPRS), the battery life I got was less than what i get on my android phone with edge always switched on. I get 1.5 days of battery life with moderate usage and that's fine by me. unless someone lives in a jungle, i don't see why that's a problem.

maybe they could explaining the difference between ARM v6 and v7. But, zilch
Click to expand...

I am sorry, but I missed the last interactive session by Nokia explaining the difference between the... oh wait 434Mhz processor on all their s60v5 phones. or by blackberry explaining the difference between the processors on their devices.

Budget is max 15k and plus any money i get by selling the nokia. N97 mini was around 19k when i bought. Kinda Top end
Click to expand...

Everyone has different requirements, it is difficult to please everyone with a phone. You consider n97 mini a good top end phone of its time. I used it and found it horrible, even at that time, wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. So? I don't go around flaying it. I don't buy symbian phones.

At least when it was symbian, iphone, RIM etc. We had TONNES of choices. Now few inches of screen and few more MB's of Ram. that's the difference between getting a phone till 15k
Click to expand...

I am sorry, did iPhone and RIM suddenly disappear? And Nokia itself sounded the death knell of symbian when they tied up with microsoft. And when did you have tonnes of choices with the iPhone and that too under 15k?
 
dhruvrock2000 said:
@OP Yup the E6 is scheduled to get the Belle update. Also consider the C6-01 ? That should also be getting Belle
Click to expand...

I won't consider the C6-01 as I have problems using the onscreen keyboard with that screen size. 3.5 inches seems to get the job done.
manu1991 said:
Ok. thanks for your view. I will now personally report any post that recommends Defy. Maybe ask the admin to put up an announcement banning using the words defy on the forum. Maybe you should give us a complete list of what you consider to be a good phone and those will be strictly adhered to by everyone recommending someone a phone on techenclave.

On a serious note though, don't buy Android if you don't like it? It can't be that tough. I have owned a 5233 and if I switched on whatsapp (continuous GPRS), the battery life I got was less than what i get on my android phone with edge always switched on. I get 1.5 days of battery life with moderate usage and that's fine by me. unless someone lives in a jungle, i don't see why that's a problem.

I am sorry, but I missed the last interactive session by Nokia explaining the difference between the... oh wait 434Mhz processor on all their s60v5 phones. or by blackberry explaining the difference between the processors on their devices.

Everyone has different requirements, it is difficult to please everyone with a phone. You consider n97 mini a good top end phone of its time. I used it and found it horrible, even at that time, wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. So? I don't go around flaying it. I don't buy symbian phones.

I am sorry, did iPhone and RIM suddenly disappear? And Nokia itself sounded the death knell of symbian when they tied up with microsoft. And when did you have tonnes of choices with the iPhone and that too under 15k?
Click to expand...

Nokia and Blackberry have always kept their focus on usability of their device. Not advertise their processors and memory capacities. Lets see you recommend a good phone, below 15k.

Oh and about the Defy bit, dude seriously. I'm sorry to have struck a chord between you and your beloved phone. I call'em as I see'em and according to me the Defy is ugly, also with no 2.3 update(don't even go into rooting) officially, I do not see buying a soon to-be extinct device.
 
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