Cheapest way to experience Android? (NextG preferred)

Alfonzo · 13th April 2011, 10:34 AM

What's the cheapest phone I can buy to experience the latest Android OS?

I've had 3 iPhones, and I'm a bit bored, keen to try something new. One of the guys I work with has a Desire Z which looks pretty swish, but I don't really want to outlay $600 in case I don't gel with the Android environment.

I was just looking at Wildfires on eBay, as they seem to be around $280 new - but further reading seems to show that Gingerbread doesn't work on them?

Zzapped · 13th April 2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfonzo

What's the cheapest phone I can buy to experience the latest Android OS?

I've had 3 iPhones, and I'm a bit bored, keen to try something new. One of the guys I work with has a Desire Z which looks pretty swish, but I don't really want to outlay $600 in case I don't gel with the Android environment.

I was just looking at Wildfires on eBay, as they seem to be around $280 new - but further reading seems to show that Gingerbread doesn't work on them?

You could buy my HTC desire for $400.00

alexb618 · 13th April 2011, 10:37 AM

those cheap huawei android phones seem pretty good but i dont think they will work on nextg

clandestino · 13th April 2011, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfonzo

What's the cheapest phone I can buy to experience the latest Android OS?

I've had 3 iPhones, and I'm a bit bored, keen to try something new. One of the guys I work with has a Desire Z which looks pretty swish, but I don't really want to outlay $600 in case I don't gel with the Android environment.

I was just looking at Wildfires on eBay, as they seem to be around $280 new - but further reading seems to show that Gingerbread doesn't work on them?

I think you really need to borrow a friend's phone for a few hours if you are really worried about not "gelling with the android environment".

Otherwise you could be wasting precious $$$.

sanjay · 13th April 2011, 12:06 PM

the samsung galaxy 5 is $179 on telstra prepaid.

Tobes1990 · 15th April 2011, 8:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanjay

the samsung galaxy 5 is $179 on telstra prepaid.

Not a bad little handset this one, comes with Swype but the screen isn't worth writing home about. If you can stretch to the Wildfire and then put custom ROMs on it it's probably worth the extra money for the bigger capacitive screen.

Oppressa · 15th April 2011, 8:30 AM

I was going to recommend Amazon... didn't they allow you to emulate any app/game online to test it out? Can't find it now.

hak · 15th April 2011, 11:39 AM

2nd hand htc hd 2 next g version omg....... best bang for buck and ppl are throwing them away

android gingerbread
android froyo
android CM7
windows phone 7 (with NoDo update coming soon)

and lots of updates

Alfonzo · 16th April 2011, 5:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zzapped

You could buy my HTC desire for $400.00

Haha, still a little too much I'm willing to commit. If I like the OS I'm thinking I'd sell the iPhone off and invest in a Desire Z, or pending reviews this Galaxy S II when it comes out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clandestino

I think you really need to borrow a friend's phone for a few hours if you are really worried about not "gelling with the android environment".

Otherwise you could be wasting precious $$$.

The funny (or not so funny) thing is that I don't actually have any friends who do have HTC's. My one friend that was/is pro Android is living in Germany at the moment, and has been converting me via Facebook.

I've had a bit of a play with my colleague's phone, but mobile phones are much more personal than they used to be, so I do feel a bit weird playing around - that and I don't want to accidentally change stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanjay

the samsung galaxy 5 is $179 on telstra prepaid.

Nice suggestion, might check that out more.

Khalil · 16th April 2011, 8:55 PM

There is a telstra branded android phone for $99, not setting the world on fire but decent for a $99 phone.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...59344&p=9#r164

http://www.telstra.com.au/shop/perso...h?SMSESSION=NO

gbh · 18th April 2011, 4:07 PM

Liking this thread, thanks.
As an Android virgin looking to buy a device, can anyone point me to a matrix of each HTC android device with it's hardware and OS upgradability capailities?

Smegenstein · 18th April 2011, 4:13 PM

gbh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...ndroid_devices
is that what you are after?

bl4ck32 · 18th April 2011, 4:20 PM

or u could download eclipse and setup an AVD (android virtual device). When you develop apps in eclipse, it lets you setup and play with a fully functional virtual android phone...well functional enough to see what the layout is like, and play with it all if u want.

Not what your looking for, but its free to play with

SaTaN · 18th April 2011, 4:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khalil

There is a telstra branded android phone for $99, not setting the world on fire but decent for a $99 phone.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...59344&p=9#r164

http://www.telstra.com.au/shop/perso...h?SMSESSION=NO

dont skimp too much on the phone though, you dont want to be turned off because you tried the lowest specced phone you could find and then complain about it being slow

Smegenstein · 18th April 2011, 4:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaTaN

dont skimp too much on the phone though, you dont want to be turned off because you tried the lowest specced phone you could find and then complain about it being slow

QFT

Why not get a new phone on of Telstra's "Freedom" plans?

13th April 2011, 10:34 AM	#1
Alfonzo Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Carindale, BrisVegas Posts: 10,844	Cheapest way to experience Android? (NextG preferred) What's the cheapest phone I can buy to experience the latest Android OS? I've had 3 iPhones, and I'm a bit bored, keen to try something new. One of the guys I work with has a Desire Z which looks pretty swish, but I don't really want to outlay $600 in case I don't gel with the Android environment. I was just looking at Wildfires on eBay, as they seem to be around $280 new - but further reading seems to show that Gingerbread doesn't work on them? __________________ tweet

13th April 2011, 10:37 AM	#3
alexb618 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: adelaide Posts: 5,714	those cheap huawei android phones seem pretty good but i dont think they will work on nextg __________________

13th April 2011, 12:06 PM	#5
sanjay Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Prospect, Adelaide, SA Posts: 13,028	the samsung galaxy 5 is $179 on telstra prepaid. __________________ 2003 Mitsubishi Magna TL VR Limited Edition \| 5sp Auto, 17" Enkei Ralliart Alloys Over 120 Successful Trades on OCAU - Most Recent: dche5390, Rugal, Tornhelm, ummmz, darknight84, bumography, b4sk3tb4ll3r, marktadros, MoveIt, Maxknott, NoBooze, bnyboy, Stooge007, caddy, the_rick, Soupratt, Doktor, Logik47, KraniX, Talisman, start, gizmo_melb, Omarko, Arkanite, WooKiE_MaN, PM for full list

15th April 2011, 8:30 AM	#7
Oppressa Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,906	I was going to recommend Amazon... didn't they allow you to emulate any app/game online to test it out? Can't find it now. __________________ Sydney On Sunday (café review site). 1971 Beetle Resto thread and progress gallery Main: Cooler Master Elite 342, i7 3930K, Corsair H80, Rampage IV GENE, Corsair 4x4Gb 2133Mhz DDR3 Dominator GT, 5870, OCZ Vertex 3 MAX IOPS 120Gb, 1Tb Western Digital Green, 2 x Pioneer DVR-212 HTPC: Silverstone SST-GD01S-MXR, i3 540, Scythe Big Shuriken, ASRock H55M-GE, 2 x 2Gb DDR3 1333, 7Tb of storage, Pioneer Bluray BDR-206

18th April 2011, 4:07 PM	#11
gbh Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sydney Posts: 2,008	Liking this thread, thanks. As an Android virgin looking to buy a device, can anyone point me to a matrix of each HTC android device with it's hardware and OS upgradability capailities? __________________ Trades: n00by, hikaru78, rdorman, axxian, VR4hore, hotmx83, bangmango plus about a million others that i have forgotten over the years.

16th April 2011, 8:55 PM	#10
Khalil Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 833	There is a telstra branded android phone for $99, not setting the world on fire but decent for a $99 phone. http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...59344&p=9#r164 http://www.telstra.com.au/shop/perso...h?SMSESSION=NO

18th April 2011, 4:13 PM	#12
Smegenstein Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hobart - TAS Posts: 1,225	gbh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...ndroid_devices is that what you are after? __________________ 2500k @ 4.5 (Bench @ 4.8)\|\| ASRock Extreme4 Gen 3 Z68 \|\| 4 x 4GB GSkill Ripjaws \|\| 128GB Crucial M4 \|\| 2TB Cuda \|\| HIS 7950 Currently Stock (Bench at 1100/1575) \|\| Corsair AX750M \|\| Coolermaster HAF 932 Advance

18th April 2011, 4:20 PM	#13
bl4ck32 Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: adlaide Posts: 4,345	or u could download eclipse and setup an AVD (android virtual device). When you develop apps in eclipse, it lets you setup and play with a fully functional virtual android phone...well functional enough to see what the layout is like, and play with it all if u want. Not what your looking for, but its free to play with __________________ C:\ C:\dos C:\dos\run run\dos\run