

Ask HN: Which Android Phone to Buy? - dpapathanasiou

Is the Nexus One from Google the best choice? Or, should I consider another device from Verizon, etc. instead?<p>Ideally, I'd like to have a simple pay-go plan, as opposed to a fixed cost per month.
======
jackowayed
I have an Incredible. Sense (HTC's UI tweaks) is very nice, and I thought it
was a must have, but I played with someone's Nexus One, and I think it's fine.
In some ways I prefer the stock UI, and getting all of the updates instantly
would be really nice. (I'm still waiting impatiently on Froyo, which will come
"in the 2nd half of the year" or when someone figured out how to root the
Incredible :) )

I'm not sure how pay-as-you-go would work, but you definitely can be without a
2-year contract if you buy a Nexus One. (Though you probably could just pay
full price to get an Incredible or the like and also do that.) If I had to
guess, I'd say that people's pay-as-you-go data rates will be really high
(since most people with pay-as-you plans don't have smartphones) that it won't
be worth it. But if you do want to go that route, look at different companies'
rates and see if it'll work.

I really like my Incredible, and I'm glad I got off AT&T since I'm heading to
Silicon Valley in the fall, but I kind of wish I had gotten a Nexus One so I
could get Froyo. It's going to be awhile 'til I get it, and when I do, it
probably won't have WiFi hotspot, so I'm going to have to use PDANet or the
like if I want tethering.

Here's the rundown of pros and cons as I see it:

* Nexus One--Get updates immediately without carrier interference. Nice hardware. Stock Android.

* HTC Incredible--Basically the same hardware as the Nexus One. 8MP camera instead of 5. Verizon. Takes awhile to get new Android versions.

* HTC EVO--Big screen, but also big physically (you have to carry it around in your pocket everywhere, remember). Apparently has pretty bad battery life. Have to be on Sprint. Same Sense pros and cons as the Incredible.

* Droid X--Also big like the EVO. Verizon. Pretty similar to it spec-wise. Has a special Motorola-branded Android, so also will probably be slow to get new updates. I generally consider HTC to make better hardware than Motorola. Hard to know too much since it's not out yet.

* Droid 2--hard to know too much since it's not out for awhile, but you probably don't want it unless you have to have a physical keyboard. You probably don't need one. The correction is pretty nice, and lately I've been using Swype, which allows me to type pretty fast.

If I were you, I'd get the Nexus One unless you really prefer Sense to stock
Android or really prefer Verizon to AT&T/T-Mobile, in which case I'd get the
Incredible.

~~~
megablast
Ever since people started talking about the battery problems on android
devices, this is what I have been most concerned about. Apple, with the new
iPhone addresses this issue with the iPhone 4, but android phone makers just
seem to be making devices with bigger screens, with nobody trying to bring out
a device with a better battery.

~~~
jackowayed
My Incredible's battery is at least as good as my old 2G iPhone.

One advantage of the Android phones is that you can actually open them up and
swap in a new battery (just like with every phone in the world besides the
iPhone). So if you really find that it's a problem, you could buy a 2nd
battery and take that with you sometimes. It's not optimal, but it would work.

~~~
jrockway
Also, the Android phones are trying to hit a price point, and usually skimp on
the battery. Buying an aftermarket battery can greatly improve battery life.

(The Evo 4G ships with something like a 1400mAh battery, but you can get
1900mAh batteries that will fit in the same space.)

------
technomancy
I got a Nexus One because the idea of a device that imposes restrictions
against the user on the behalf of the manufacturer or carrier is deeply
offensive.

It's possible to root most other high-end Android phones in order to install
something like Cyanogen, but you're fighting against the current in those
cases. If the exploit used to root it gets "fixed", then you might have
trouble in the future. Plus you're supporting a fundamentally broken model.

tldr: software freedom is kind of a big deal.

~~~
Scriptor
Are you using it with T-Mobile? If so, how is their service?

~~~
technomancy
The best thing about T-Mobile is going to a big tech conference where AT&T's
network is floundering and getting a great signal to rub in the iPhone users'
faces.

On a more serious note, I've only used it in SF and Seattle, but it's great
there. I only pay $40/mo for unlimited data. (No minutes since I use VoIP.)

~~~
rphlx
How did you get a plan w/o voice mins? Every carrier fears those like the
plague.

~~~
technomancy
I don't know about other carriers, but T-mobile actually makes it pretty
obvious. T-mobile seems a lot less consumer-hostile regarding these kinds of
things than either AT&T or Verizon in my experience.

[http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Cell-Phone-
Plans.aspx?cat...](http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Cell-Phone-
Plans.aspx?catgroup=Internet-Email-cell-phone-
plan&WT.z_shop_plansLP=Internet_email)

Though it looks like the $40/mo plan now has a 5GB cap; I got mine when it was
unlimited.

------
byoung2
It depends on what you want/need to do with your phone.

If you travel internationally, The Nexus One is a great choice because it's
GSM. You'll have to put up with T-Mobile/AT&T in the states, but when you're
abroad, just pop in a foreign SIM card and you're good to go.

If you want the fastest internet with no caps, look at the EVO from Sprint.
With 4G speeds from 3-6Mbps in about 2 dozen cities and a hotspot supporting
up to 8 devices, you can almost use it as your only internet connection at
home.

If you do a lot of texting/emailing, the Droid from Verizon is about the best
Android phone around with a slide out keyboard, plus you get a reliable
network to back it up.

I guess in the end you have to decide what you want and go from there...

~~~
yoden
Also, the Droid X will launch in August or so, so if you go that route you may
want to wait a few months (it also doesn't have the droid's fiddly d-pad.

~~~
megablast
There is always a new android phone coming out, which is bigger and better
than the last. Some people like this, some people don't.

~~~
jrockway
There is always a new iPhone coming out, which is bigger and better than the
last. Everyone seems to love this.

~~~
masklinn
That's sufficiently not true as to be completely false.

~~~
mkramlich
Douglas Adams? Dude, welcome back from the grave.

------
bdb
The right answer is Nexus One on T-Mobile. I am not a huge fan of tmo's
coverage here in San Francisco, but they have the best plans for what you
want, I think.

Nexus One because it's unlocked and also: it's the phone that Google employees
use most therefore your phone will run the newest builds/features before
everyone else's.

When you get it: immediately root it ("fastboot oem unlock"). If you want to
do it later, it will wipe your data first. And then toss the latest Froyo
build on there - you will have to Google around to find it, but it's really
good.

~~~
extension
The big problem with the N1 is the _terrible_ touch screen. Quite often it
won't register a touch on one or both axes and the "multi-touch" is a lie.

~~~
cowmixtoo
I have to agree here. I love my N1 but the 'touch' part blows.

~~~
phuff
I'm thinking about getting an Android phone and like the idea of the
unlockedness of the N1. Does the touch part suck enough that it makes it
overly difficult to use the phone? I had a G1 before and it seemed usable
enough...

~~~
GvS
I have unlocked N1 with Cyanogenmod and haven't noticed any problems with
touch screen. I had G1 before and N1 is better, more sensitive.

~~~
phuff
Thanks!

------
cageface
I like my droid. The keyboard is great for things like this post. It's fast.
The screen is lovely. The integration with google services is smooth.

TBH I was a bit worried that I'd regret not getting another iPhone but I'd
never go back to that world now.

------
SingAlong
I highly recommend Desire. Sort of a no-glitch phone. And it comes with the
same class of 1ghz processors that most of the recent phones have come with.
If you don't mind the delays in getting the newer versions of Android unlike
nexus one, then go for the Desire.

I would insist of getting a phone with 1ghz (or faster if available)
processors and around 512mb (N1) or 576mb (Desire) ram. That way you could be
sure that these phones would get an upgrade to newer versions of Android and
would be able to run them properly.

And going by manufacturer's commitment to offering upgrades to newer versions
of Android, I would rank Google on top, HTC next and the others follow.

Maybe HTC delayed the Hero update for close to 1yr, but they did release an
update.

P.S: HTC's site isn't cluttered like the other manufacturer sites. Easy
navigation to support and updates pages on their site is a must for me (which
is why i hate Nokia's site).

------
chmike
The HTC Desire is a better Nexus One becaus HTC fixed many issues. I have mine
for a week now and I am very impressed by its usability. The only problem left
I could find is the speaker that distort sound when too loud. Not so good for
the ring tones. Reagrding battery lifetime, 3g and especially wifi or GPS must
be turned off when not using them. Otherwise it is true that the device won't
last more than a day. Wifi is the worst battery drain.

------
goodside
I have a Droid on Verizon. Do not let the keyboard influence you too much,
because it sucks. I almost always use the onscreen keyboard instead of
bothering to open it. The only situation where I ever use the keyboard is for
games that benefit from having physical buttons, Tetris clones in particular.
Everyone seems to think that a keyboard is a make-or-break issue for them, and
I felt exactly the same way until I actually had one.

~~~
Zak
The Droid's keyboard is awful. The keys are flat and require quite a bit of
pressure. I recently spent some time using an LG Ally, and found that it's
almost always worth opening to use the physical keyboard.

~~~
desigooner
Droid 2 is much better

~~~
Zak
I've heard rumors to that effect, and I'm really hoping it's true. There isn't
a current high-spec Android phone with a real keyboard, and I want one. Have
you actually handled one?

~~~
detst
I haven't held one but the picture I saw looks much better.

[http://www.droid-life.com/2010/06/10/exclusive-first-
photos-...](http://www.droid-life.com/2010/06/10/exclusive-first-photos-of-
the-motorola-droid-2/)

------
dotBen
I'm onto my 3rd Android, an HTC EVO. The screen is amazing - yes it is big and
makes the phone big but I don't really find that a problem in my pocket.

My Sprint plan is $60/month for unlimited data, texts, calls to mobiles, calls
at weekends... the only metered calling is landlines during the working day,
which I have 500 mins/month on. That for me is = unlimited all the way
through.

The 4G is amazing, although not available yet in SF.

Reported battery problems are solved if you install custom ROMS (which you'll
want to do anyway to get root, wifi tethering at no extra cost, etc)

~~~
d2viant
From what I understand, Sprint's service is not really 4G, it's WiMax that has
been rebranded.

<http://community.sprint.com/baw/message/141144>

~~~
nicholasreed
I just tested "4G" in Chicago on an Evo and it is blazing fast. The Evo's
hotspot ability and screen clarity are amazing! Also, the fact that I pay $50
less per month vs Verizon for great coverage and fast data makes the whole
experience even better.

------
jchonphoenix
I wouldn't bother with getting a slide out keyboard. If you install Swype,
your typing speeds can be faster than it is with a phone keyboard.

~~~
ryandvm
Definitely. Swype is amazing. I'm using the beta right now, but when they
decide to start asking for money I'll pay.

~~~
byoung2
I think their plan is to charge royalties to cellphone makers to include the
technology in their phones.

------
superk
I have both the Droid and Nexus One. Nifty keyboard aside, Nexus One is a much
better phone hands down. Lot's of instability problems with the Droid, and
performance overall is much slower (and the keyboard while neat does make the
device heavier and clunkier).

~~~
bockris
FWIW, I have essentially 0 stability problems with my Droid. (Can't speak to
superk's other points because I haven't played with a Nexus One.)

~~~
superk
I have the GSM version - branded as the Motorola Milestone - so that could be
a factor. But Droid's instability problems have been reported before (ie. this
56 page thread:
[http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1587731-Official-...](http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1587731-Official-
Motorola-Droid-Problem-Issues-Thread))

------
durbin
Italian prepaid users get 2.6 GB of data for € 10.00/month. Best rate in the
US for prepaid data is AT&T’s $20 for 100 MB,36X more.
<http://twitter.com/martinvars/status/16928415972>

Hooray Free Markets and invisible hands! Don't get me started on US Broadband.

------
GVRV
Samsung Galaxy S, it's not getting as much attention as HTC or Motorola
phones, but it's still got the features. Plus, it's available for the cheap
(about $59 per month with 1GB data transfer here in Australia)

~~~
Osiris
It's coming to the U.S. on both AT&T and T-mobile. The Super AMOLED screen is
supposed to be very good and Samsung is holding out on shipping AMOLED's to
HTC and others in order to keep them for the Galaxy S variants. I'm pretty
tempted by this one, until I read that dual-core phones are on the way
(Cortex-A9, maybe Tegra 2).

------
martythemaniak
The one thing I would definitely say is get one of the new, high-end ones -
Droid / Droid 2, Droid Incredible, Droid X, Nexus One, Galaxy S and Evo.

From this bunch, it depends on which carrier / features you want. Some of them
are physically larger, some have slide-out keyboards, etc etc.

~~~
enjo
For my money the Incredible is tops. I love the form factor. Feels good in
hand. Very similar form factor (and DPI) to the iPhone 4.

------
billymeltdown
I've been told by a friend, who's opinion on these matters I dig, that he got
his hands on an HTC Legend and said it was "Android done right." I think the
HTC Incredible is available now and is of similar design, user interface wise.
Apparently the HTC folks are making a lot of head-way there.

I've read some rough review and commentary about the EVO, think you might want
to do your homework there.

------
Jake541
Yes, the Nexus One is a great choice for the parameters you listed. It's a
powerful phone with a lot of life and it will likely get Android updates
rather quickly as it's a "Google" phone.

Your only choice for pay as you go will essentially be T-Mobile. Forget the
Incredible, it's a great phone but it doesn't meet your second criteria.

------
rodh257
I just got a Samsung Galaxy S, it's a great phone. I was looking at the
Nexus/Desire before this but when I saw it I ran with it, bought pre-ordered
and got it imported.

The 4" Super AMOLED screen has better constrast ratio and response time than
the iphone4, but not as good a resolution. From what I've read (haven't seen
an i4) this means iPhone is better for text, but videos / pictures should look
better. It has a 1ghz hummingbird processor, which is supposed to be the
fastest out. 720p processor, 8/16gb internal memory, front facing camera.

Its android 2.1, with 2.2 on the way, has wifi tethering, samsung has touchwiz
enhancements which I find to be pretty decent (but don't like the menu screen
so just downloaded a loader to change that)

the phone is very thin, my main complaint is that it looks like an iPhone so
people keep asking me if its the new iPhone...

------
luke_s
About a month ago, I ordered a HTC desire online from the UK (I'm in
Australia). So far I couldn't be happier with it! The screen is large and
responsive to touch. The entire experience is snappy, and the modifications
HTC has made to the default Andriod look and feel work well. I highly
recommend the desire.

------
brk
I had the Moto Droid on Verizon. Hated it, too many little poorly implemented
things (IMO).

I just got an HTC Incredible a few days ago, and so far it's very tolerable.

Android stil does not, IMO, have the usability and polish of the iPhone, but
the HTC UI is pretty good overall.

------
zackola
I'll pay you 10 dollars to take my G1.

~~~
peregrine
Have you by chance installed any of the custom roms on it yet? Makes the G1
feel like a new phone, still the best phone I've ever owned.

That said mine is definitely showing its age and I'm excited for my contract
to be up this August.

~~~
Andys
I love my G1. It feels solid.. yesterday I dropped it down a flight of
concrete steps and its fine!

~~~
zackola
It's definitely a solid phone. When I got it (pre-order) I was worried about
the hinge for the screen, but it's held up remarkably.

------
joanou
I really like my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide. It is the right form factor for me
and has a usable keyboard. Only 600Mhz but plenty fast and will be much faster
when Froyo is available later this year. Plus I tether it via usb cable when I
travel. The network speed is quite good in my area 1.5Mbps up and down.

I looked at the EVO, but it was too big and power hungry for my liking. And I
didn't want to root the phone to "fix" it. Great screen though.

------
alec
I looked into buying a used Droid off ebay and doing pay-as-you-go on Verizon;
no luck, you must have a $30/month data plan to use a smartphone on Verizon.

~~~
eduardo_f
You are looking for Page Plus Cellular. Pay as you go on Verizon's network.
That's what I do on my Droid. 50 MB limit on data though :(

------
sandGorgon
buy one that is supported by Cyanogenmod. Period.

This will reasonably guarantee you that you wont be left out in the cold, when
the new ubercool Android release is out.

In general, I have found Cyanogen releases to be better in terms of
flexibility as well (CyanoGen "Spare Parts" app)

As on today, the options are Nexus One, G1/Magic, Desire, Evo, Droid, Slide,
Hero (maybe only CDMA)

------
dminor
Times sure have changed: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1055913>

------
thethimble
Would it be worth waiting for the next iteration of Android phones to come
out?

What's the next "big" Android launch supposed to be (the next HTC EVO)?

~~~
ZeroGravitas
All the Samsung "Galaxy S" models are being announced for the US right about
now, some available immediately, some in the next couple of months.

<http://www.engadget.com/tag/GalaxyS/>

Key features common to the range are the Super-(i.e. works in sunlight)-AMOLED
screens and the 1GHz Hummingbird SoC (basically the same as the iPad/iPhone 4
except the iPhone 4 is downclocked).

But you get the choice of carrier and hardware keyboard, 3G/4G etc. that you'd
expect.

------
lleger
iPhone 4 is the best mobile phone on the market — period.

~~~
lleger
This was downvoted because?

~~~
CrazedGeek
A. The poster wanted to know the best Android phone to get- chances are, he's
already looked at the iPhone and decided it wasn't for him (or wants to
develop for Android or something).

B. You gave absolutely zero support as to why you think the iPhone's better
than any of the Android phones.

C. Also, you come off as a fanboy.

~~~
lleger
A. "Or, should I consider another device from Verizon, etc. instead?"

B. An opinion was asked and an opinion was given. I didn't proffer anything
beyond what was requested.

C. And you and the people who downvoted me come off as Android fanboys.

~~~
CrazedGeek
The context to A implies a different Android device, not anything else. Also,
it's pretty clear that the OP wanted _reasons_ for going with one phone over
another.

~~~
runjake
Do not feed the troll.

------
billymeltdown
Oh, Google doesn't appear to be developing Nexus One any further,
unfortunately. So, IIWY, I'd avoid it.

