All Things Android - Apps, Phones, Tablets - Discussion

Verizon's big trio appears on Cellebrite system, HTC Vigor, Google Nexus Prime and Motorola DROID HD

So for us Verizon customers, which 4G/LTE phone do you want? The Vigor, Prime or DROID HD? What I'm curious about are the specs that aren't mentioned like the processor/chipset, camera sensor/lens, audio chipset, and how customizable they will be (ie. easiness to root, number of ROMs, quality of ROMs, etc.).

HTC Vigor: 4.3" 720p screen, dual core 1.5GHz (Snapdragon MSM8660?), Qualcomm Adreno 220, 1GB RAM, 16GB int. storage, Beats Audio, 1620mAh, Android 2.3

Google/Samsung Nexus Prime: 4.65" 720p (SAMOLED+?), dual core 1.5GHz (TI OMAP4460 or Exynos?), 1GB RAM, 16GB int. storage, 2000mAh, Android 2.4 (ICS)

Motorola DROID HD: 4.3-4.5" 540p SAMOLED, dual core 1.2GHz (TI OMAP4430?), 1GB RAM, Kevlar casing, Android 2.3

 

So the one with 'HD' in the name is the only one without an HD screen?

 

Snapdragon has it's own audio DAC which is the same for every Snapdragon device that's based on that model SoC. Beats simply makes audio profiles for the hardware. Samsung's Exynos uses Yamaha, Hummingbird uses Wolfson. With OMAP you have a choice, but Motorola has chosen, in every single OMAP phone they've released, the TI sourced DAC/PMIC... which, IMO, is really bad. TI's design is flexible there, though. Tegra uses exclusively Wolfson... not the high-end Wolfson like Hummingbird though.

8MP is seemingly standard ATM for high-end devices, seeing as how it's a high enough MP count, so now they can focus on actual picture quality. Samsung's got it down pat, and HTC's close. Motorola still has issues, even though they have decent MP ratings. Their camera modules or their software is just bad... The camera on the Atrix is horrible.

The Nexus device will be unlockable, but will ship locked... just like all the Nexus devices. The Motorola device will ship locked, and since it's Verizon, good luck on getting that unlocked. The Samsung will ship unlocked, like they always have. Samsung has a new policy of counting how many kernel flashes you've done through a new bootloader.

Processor on the Droid will almost certainly be OMAP4. The Nexus Prime, I'm not sure of since the news of the updated Exynos chipset. They may go with Exynos seeing as it's the most powerful thing on the market ATM, and it's standards based unlike Tegra. You'll NEVER see a Tegra powered Nexus. The Vigor will be MSM8660. HTC is the most predictable company ever.

LMAO!

 

@HAL : There is absolutely no background noise on my phone's headphone jack, plugged into my stereo with the phone volume all the way up (playing no sound) and the stereo volume up loud, nothing (same with music playing too ) woohoo

Though sound quality does seem less than my Vibrant, unfortunetly but expected. still not unacceptable though with an EQ

 

Ill take the Nexus Prime any day over the other two.

 

Extra EMI shielding FTW!

 

How is the Snapdragon audio DAC? Not a big fan of the beats software stuff that's currently out but if it makes it better than I'll count that as a plus. Reminds me of the software from Soundblaster - crap lol. I guess no Hummingbird this time around Heard that there are issues with Exynos on NA LTE networks, but we'll see when it launches what they use. In your last part, are you referring to one of those as the HTC since you talked about the Nexus and Samsung, which are one in the same...

 

Eh, it's decent enough... provided the drivers have improved. Beats have definitely added better sound profiles though. There's no problems with Exynos and LTE, it's just the basebands. Exynos is designed with an HSPA+ Intel X-Gold 21.1Mbps baseband. In the interest of cost they went with Snapdragon with a matching Qualcomm integrated LTE baseband for the Hercules. But yea, I got carried away with the Samsung part... the Prime will be Samsung.

MAJOR point though... Massive Security Vulnerability In HTC Android Devices (EVO 3D, 4G, Thunderbolt, Others) Exposes Phone Numbers, GPS, SMS, Emails Addresses, Much More

 

Indeed, I've been quite happy with my Triumph. I'm running an N64 emulator on it with no trouble...the Intercept could barely handle Angry Birds.

Now, if I could just find a sucker to buy that thing off me... ^___^

 

O_O...Better keep that in mind.

 

Aww, I really liked the feel of the HTC too. Oh well, scratch one off the list. If Motorola isn't easily rooted and modifiable, then I guess Nexus wins by default. Now all I need is a Wolfson audio DAC (even the lower end one, as long as we get some Voodoo magic, though I fear chances are small that this will happen )! I'm sure the CPU and GPU will be sufficient with either the Exynos or TI.

 

As I said before, I'm pretty sure the OMAP 4 is the reference SOC for ICS and the Prime, or so I've heard from several sources. I've heard that Google apparently likes the flexibility and reliability of TI.

I'd go for the Neuxs Prime alone knowing I'll be the first with ICS, and that it'll receive a lot of Google and developer support. That, and NFC. I may get into Android dev if I get it.

 

TI isn't at a very flexible spot ATM, manufacturing wise. Their SoC's are great though. GloFo is screwing up again. That and TI wants to pull away from their fab agreement with Samsung. Samsung is too preoccupied with Apple's orders to care much about TI's tiny order.

TI used to have much more power with semiconductor manufacturers, but since summer of last year, they've lost a LOT of that power to Samsung. Samsung has probably gotten better yields of 28NM chips than GloFo or TSMC, so far.

While the Prime might be OMAP4, and by sources it has about a 75% likelihood, it could also be Exynos. Samsung was sampling their 28NM SoC designs a while back, so they've had ample time to ramp production for the Nexus Prime's release.

 

Exciting! I can't wait to see how things pan out in a few weeks.

 

To say I'm excited would be an understatement.

Creepy Palm Lady. She's back. (well maybe not the same lady, but the creepy-ness factor is still there in full force)

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k6mQ6VN4Wp8?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k6mQ6VN4Wp8?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width='640' height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

 

Looks like I'm going ahead with the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0. I am even going to use it as a replacement for my point and shoot camera and see how that works out.

One question though, looking for micro SDHC card. Will Class 10 make a difference? Any recommendations for specific one? Looking at 16GB, but may go with 32GB.

 

Class 10 will make a difference if you're running apps off of it. If your just using it for storage it wont matter much.

 

With the G-Player 5.0, if you're having to run apps off an SD, you've got WAY too many apps. LOL

For just music, I'm hard-pressed to find any noticeable difference in a class 2 and a class 10. The initial file transfer takes a bit longer, but it still works without issue or lag while playing.

 

I *might* but a ripped movie or two on it occasionally. But sounds like a Class 4 won't be an issue. So in other words, find the cheapest?

 

Well, go with a reputable brand. Nothing like having an SD card fail... all your stuff, GONE. I learned my lesson there a while back...

 

Thanks. Looking at a couple basic games too. Galaxy on Fire 2 looks spectacular. Was looking for a space Freelancer type game, that seems to be it. Also looking for a simple turn based strategy game. Sure I can find something.

Can't wait now. Supposed to have same CPU as the Galaxy S2, the "hummingbird" which is supposed to be pretty potent GPU-wise. But you probably know better. This is new territory for me.

 

It is a Hummingbird CPU, yeah but that's the same as the original Galaxy S, not the S2.

It's still a very good CPU though, with a very powerful GPU attached to it.

 

Thanks for that. I'm excited. Although I'm getting mixed feedback on whether the camera is 3.0MP, 3.2MP, or 5.0MP? I am going to try and use this as my camera too. 99.9% of what I do is quick snapshots or short vids of my kids. So don't need anything too fancy.

 

It's 3.2MP.

Here are the specs.
I know it says Galaxy S Wi-Fi as opposed to Galaxy Player but it's just another name for the same device.

 

Anyone know of a good time-lapse camera app for Android?

 

Where can I find a cheap, off contract (decent) android phone?

 

I looked for one of those a while back... I'm interested as well if anyone knows of one.

Define: cheap

 

preferably around $100, maaybe a little more. A captivate would be cool, or something around the same quality.

 

The Captivate is still considered at least semi-highend. Used on XDA they go for around $150-$180. Unless you get one that's been through hell, then you'd see it around $100.

Pretty much anything with a Cortex A8 or better is going to be over $150.

The best ARM11 device I can think of would be the HTC Aria, but IDK how much those are ATM.

 

Whats XDA? should I look around there for a device?

 

Gah that's so....soo patronizing. I'm a GUY and I'm insulted.

 

There happens to be a local classifieds site that has phones for reasonable prices (used), and I can meet the people selling in person. If I were to do this and looking at a phone, what would I look for to make sure it works properly?

 

If it's a CDMA phone make sure it has a clean ESN.

Otherwise, inspect the screen (look for dead pixels), look for dents and scratches in the casing/screen. Flip on all the wireless indicators (WiFi/Bluetooth/GPS/etc..) and make sure they're functional. Then place a test call and make sure the earpiece/speaker is ok. If it has a camera flash, try to test it (I've seen some go kaput).

Past that, use your instincts.

 

Alright, thanks for the help. My girlfriend needs a smartphone (for her work), but she has a year and a half left on her contract (AT&T), and she needs help finding one, which is the reason I'm asking for your help. I'm kinda new to the whole phone scene. When she asked if I could help her find a new laptop I was all over that, but now she needs a phone and I'm clueless.

Since she's on AT&T, doesn't that mean it's a GSM device? Is their a way I can make sure that hasn't been stolen? How would I make sure the code is clean?

 

NP! AT&T is a GSM only carrier. CDMA devices are the only ones that are actually "deactivated" after being stolen. By "deactivated" I mean their ESN has been placed on a black-list.

On GSM it doesn't matter. It will work regardless. You can only hope you're not buying a stolen device. Consider who the device seems to be coming from... very expensive devices don't just fall into anyone's hands. Also, if they're selling the phone for someone else, be cautious. 75% of the time that means it's hot. Ask if they have any of the original manuals or the box, for "warranty" reasons.

 

So, I read this morning on a VM discussion board that the Motorola Triumph may not actually be a Motorola phone at all, but actually some cheap Chinese phone re-branded as a Motorola device. People are saying that the USB port on the phone being upside down is evidence of this, and it means that the Triumph will likely never be updated to Gingerbread.

What do you make of it, HAL?

 

Alright. Sounds good.

+rep

 

Well, you have to consider what's inside the phone. It's a Snapdragon device. Most of the cheap Chinese crap are pitiful ARM11 Rockchip devices, and you'd be able to immediately tell whether your phone was a counterfeit or not. Since you say you can run N64oid without issue, that's a clear indication that it's nothing but a Snapdragon or better. N64oid is an extremely taxing app on your CPU/GPU/RAM.

As it stands though, it could actually be a Chinese phone that was "Americanized". BUT, it's still a Motorola device. It carries a Motorola logo and is subject to Motorola's warranty and terms. If there were large-scale counterfeiting going on, Motorola would have issued at least a public statement to return them. Also, the USB port can be situated any way necessary, as long as it retains the USB functionality as per spec. My Atrix's USB port was upside down compared to my Samsung devices.

Will you see Gingerbread on the Triumph? IDK for sure. MVNO's are really an unknown to me as far as updating their Android devices. You yourself saw how long it took to get Froyo on the Intercept. We are talking about two completely different classes of device though, between the Intercept and the Triumph. The Triumph could run Gingerbread without batting a lash, whereas the Intercept probably couldn't since it's short on RAM... and CPU power. One thing IS for certain though: you have a Snapdragon device. With the particular SoC you have, the MSM8655, it's almost the most AOSP compatible device out there. Development wise, the MSM8x55 devices are probably the easiest to work with... so custom software is a given. Seems CM7 and MiUi are already up and running with devs already making custom kernels. I see a LOT of activity for it here:

Triumph - All Things Root - Android Forums

 

If it helps any, the USB port on the OG droid is "upside down" too. And that's definetly not a rebranded phone.

 

Hmm. I guess it's a Motorola thing. *shrug*

I do know that they're really picky about what charges their devices though. The Bionic, for instance, won't charge past 80% on anything but the Motorola charger. Plus certain batches are even picky about which USB cord you use... Motorola or other. But since the Triumph is a Qualcomm based device, it comes with Qualcomm's default PMIC, which isn't picky about anything.

Just more reasons I think PMIC's should be standardized.

 

That's pretty poor - over here stolen handsets get blacklisted and all our network are GSM-based.

If it's made by the likes of Huawei or ZTE then the build quality etc would be just as good as Motorola themselves.
Being made in China or by a Chinese company doesn't have the automatic negative connotations it had 10-15 years ago.

 

If I recall, the last Huawei smartphone I used was at the T-Mobile store, the Comet.

Motorola has crap for build quality, but I think saying that Huawei is on par with Motofail is not a correct assertion. The Huawei Comet was *the* worst fail in a smartphone that I have ever seen.

 

We're not talking about Razrs here. The build quality on Moto's Android phones is fine. My original Droid is still in one solid piece with no play in the keyboard slider at all.

 

The only Motorola Android phone that I've used that doesn't have crap build quality is the Droid 2 Global and my Cliq XT was alright too for a cheap phone, and actually creaked and bent less than the Atrix.
Great for your Droid though, that must be a fairly rare find. Every single original Droid I've ever seen or used regardless if it's in a store or someone's personal phone, they've all had embarrassing amounts of play in the slider. It happened so often that I wonder how you can have one that doesn't...

 

Well that's good to know, thanks fellas.

Mind you, I'm not complaining about the phone. Regardless of where it came from, it's been showing me nothing but killer performance.

With regards to the USB charging thing, I've kinda noticed that. It charges on the included USB cable with no trouble, whether it's plugged into my computer or the included AC adapter. In the car, though, I use a 3rd party charger with the cable that came with my old Intercept (since the Triumph's cable is too short to be able to use the phone in the car while charging it), and it's very finicky. If the plug gets bumped in certain directions, it will stop charging, and will only start again if I completely yank it and plug it back in.

The only other issue I've noticed is with the GPS; it takes an awfully long time to lock on when I use it for the first time after a reboot, around 5-10 minutes or so. But once it gets a fix on my location, it stays that way until the next time I reboot, even if I don't use Navigation for another 24 hours.

And every now and then, when I turn the screen on, it looks almost completely white, but this goes away if I lock it again, wait a second or two and try again. No idea what's up with that.

Good to see CM7 getting worked on...I think I'll hold off until they get GPS and the front camera working properly.

 

Are there any GSM LTE phones on the horizon besides the Galaxy II and HTC Holiday? I know Verizon has plenty but I don't want to give up unlimited data especially with ATT LTE proliferation so close. I really wanted a phone with a screen no larger than 4" but from the looks of it I may not have a choice if I want LTE.

 

Moto has always been finicky about chargers. Trying to charge my old RAZR with my dad's Blackberry charger would actually bring up an error message on the screen.

 

I've used an increasingly large number of Android handsets by second-tier manufacturers (ZTE, Huawei, Alcaltel, INQ) and there are none that spring readily to mind as having had poor build quality.
I'm not saying they're anything special either but the handsets certainly have never struck me as flimsy - the areas where second-tier manufacturers struggle to compete are the software and the aesthetics of their handsets IMO.

And yet I've never found a USB charger my Defy wouldn't work with, how odd.

 

This isn't from experience, but the Comet's front plate thing around the buttons... the bit that looks like it was peeled off of a Razr, does actually appear to have a tendency to peel off. It's like a sticker that they used instead of actually building it into the plastic.

*calls up images of Mc Donald's happy meal toys having better quality...*

My Cliq XT's charger worked with my Optimus T's charger, and vice versa. Our HTC android phone's charger also works with our D2G, and vice versa. Heck, even the charger for the Nexus S and Samsung Focus work on our Motorola phones as well.

I think the HTC phone... I think we have the Incredible...has an upside-down charging port that throws everyone for a loop the first few times they try to charge it.

 

Motorola, in the US, is very heavily invested in the CDMA market. Particularly Verizon's network. Those are the phones I'm referencing, and they're internals are markedly different than their GSM counterparts. That, and VZW has partial control over the hardware. They want you to buy the Verizon or Motorola branded USB charger, so they build the kernel with specific voltage flags that keep you from using anything but.

You have to remember that devices sold in the US are usually much different than the International devices. Look wise and functionality wise. Plus since Verizon mandates all the Droid phones to have locked bootloaders, you won't be changing those voltage flags either.

Motorola doesn't really have enough GSM presence in the US to matter. I think, aside from CDMA devices, Motorola and Sony Ericsson have about the same amount of market share.