ANDROID confusion

[insanityslimit]

hey guys, I am a b. tech cse student from NIT - Trichy. I want a smartphone powered by android and have short - listed the Moto Milestone, Nokia N900(i don't mind the fact that it runs Maemo) and HTC Legend.

I would love to customize the phone and am aware of the fact that Maemo is better suited for this. I feel that a physical QWERTY keypad is better than the touchscreen one. Any suggestions on which one to go for??? Am awaiting the launch of Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S PRO. Would it be advisable to wait for the launch of these phones? I can stretch my budget to a maximum of 27-28k. I need the phone to be coupled with a good camera, since it would be extensively used as a digicam substitute.

Another part of me suggests me to go for a basic android handset like the Samsung Galaxy Spica(i5700) and for an ebook reader like the Sony PRS - 600, since it would be of much use to read e-books and .pdf files. If you suggest me to go fort the latter option, can you suggest me where I can buy the PRS - 600(other than buying abroad via ebay, since i do not have a credit card) as it is not officially available in India. I live in Chennai. Please HELP!!!

[gopi_vbboy]

dude android phones dont sell lot in india

fyi
i had only one shop i,e reliance digital in hyd selling android and not all model of spica wer ther
i was costly too 2-3k more than xpected

better buy 5800xm

[neerajvohra]

Originally Posted by gopi_vbboy

dude android phones dont sell lot in india

fyi
i had only one shop i,e reliance digital in hyd selling android and not all model of spica wer ther
i was costly too 2-3k more than xpected

better buy 5800xm

oh dude..you are comparing 5800xm with andriod phones..specially Spica..I hope Sriharsha_Madineni doesn't see this thread !!

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by insanityslimit

hey guys, I am a b. tech cse student from NIT - Trichy. I want a smartphone powered by android and have short - listed the Moto Milestone, Nokia N900(i don't mind the fact that it runs Maemo) and HTC Legend.

I would love to customize the phone and am aware of the fact that Maemo is better suited for this. I feel that a physical QWERTY keypad is better than the touchscreen one. Any suggestions on which one to go for??? Am awaiting the launch of Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S PRO. Would it be advisable to wait for the launch of these phones? I can stretch my budget to a maximum of 27-28k. I need the phone to be coupled with a good camera, since it would be extensively used as a digicam substitute.

Another part of me suggests me to go for a basic android handset like the Samsung Galaxy Spica(i5700) and for an ebook reader like the Sony PRS - 600, since it would be of much use to read e-books and .pdf files. If you suggest me to go fort the latter option, can you suggest me where I can buy the PRS - 600(other than buying abroad via ebay, since i do not have a credit card) as it is not officially available in India. I live in Chennai. Please HELP!!!

Can you please elaborate a bit more on customization? Is it just modding and installing apps or are you going to use the source code to change few elements of the OS?

Given that you have 28k at hand, I would suggest you better wait for Galaxy S. It has killer hardware and it would definitely get Android 2.2 upgrade. Another good thing is that Samsung has released the source code of this phone's OS to community which means you will se lot of modding for this phone. In case it is a bit urgent for you and if you are not that much bothered about support, you can get Google Nexus One (phone that developers love to have due to the phone being first in line to get Android updates) or HTC Desire. You need not buy them locally. you can order them from ebay. Take Kalpik's help to find out good dealer (or power sellers) that sell Nexus One or Desire.

If it is urgent for you and if you do need support, look for HTC Legend or Motorola Milestone or N900. The only problem with Milestone is below average qwerty keypad (though the touchscreen qwerty is very good). Do remember that N900 can only be fun for initial few days/weeks (and not to forget it's PITA build). Compared to what is happening on Android, the activity on Maemo is minimal and the number of apps too is very disappointing. Get this phone only only if you are linux nerd and you know the OS in and out.

Just forget about Spica. Spica will be a bit basic for your budget.

---------- Post added at 08:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 AM ----------

Originally Posted by gopi_vbboy

dude android phones dont sell lot in india

fyi
i had only one shop i,e reliance digital in hyd selling android and not all model of spica wer ther
i was costly too 2-3k more than xpected

better buy 5800xm

what kind of suggestion is this? the OP is living in Chennai. phones not selling well in HYD doesn't mean that it is the same with other places. And 5800XM when the op has budget of 28k?

And here is the link to list of dealers in Hyderabad selling HTC phones (around 34 dealers):
http://www.htc.com/in/where_to_buy.a...derabad&page=0

and for chennai : http://www.htc.com/in/where_to_buy.a...Chennai&page=0

[FilledVoid]

dude android phones dont sell lot in india

Lol???? This comment I find seriously a joke. Considering the huge array of android cells presently available in the market you just crack me up.

From what you are saying the little town of Kottayam in Kerala has more stores than that of the city you are in which I find very very hard to believe.

[kalpik]

For that budget, i'd suggest you wait for Samsung Galaxy S.. I hear the launch is imminent next week

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by FilledVoid

Lol???? This comment I find seriously a joke. Considering the huge array of android cells presently available in the market you just crack me up.

From what you are saying the little town of Kottayam in Kerala has more stores than that of the city you are in which I find very very hard to believe.

actually, looks like he didn't search much. A peek into manufacturer's webiste gives huge list of dealers in Hyderabad and his search looks to be confined to stores like mobile store, univercell etc. Even in bangalore, the non-chain multibrand store are selling more Android devices and devices from more brands while stores like univercell, mobile store are licking Nokia, SE and Samsung's feet.

[dreamcatcher]

LOL@the comment. XD

Btw, i suggest you go for an ebook reader+phone. Nothing beats an ebook reader when it comes to "reading". Have used the kindle(my uncles) and viewing text on it is a pleasure.

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by dreamcatcher

LOL@the comment. XD

Btw, i suggest you go for an ebook reader+phone. Nothing beats an ebook reader when it comes to "reading". Have used the kindle(my uncles) and viewing text on it is a pleasure.

oh yes, this is very well possible (if you can get it from abroad). A HTC Hero with ebook reader can still keep the costs below 30k and can give a very good experience.

but the only problem with these ebook readers is portability and availality. Sony PRS-600 is really difficult to find in India and Kindle will burn not just your pocket, but your shirt too

I was very comfortable with ebook reading on ipod touch using apps like Stanza, kindle for iphone, ipdf. All that you need is a phone with atleast 3.5" display (though a 4" display would be perfect) and you are good for ebook reading.

Originally Posted by dreamcatcher

LOL@the comment. XD

<<<<<<< stale comment >>>>>> Acutally, it's more of Nokia and Samsung. While stores like Univercell and mobile store in few part of bangalore have never heard about latest phones from SE and HTC, stores like Vasanth communications are selling new phones like x10 mini, aino, satio and all HTC, blackberry phones. Pretty ironic you see

[dreamcatcher]

Errr. SE is still the 2nd largest manufacturer in india. I dunno where u get your stats from. Sansung in india is generally preferred for its low end touchscreen market. As for the high end market i have seen more n97s and satios than the omnias put together. Anywys, not something ii would expect u to comprehend though. SE is a big name in india and with the inclusion of low end phones like spiro and zylo its share will grow. Also being announced is a 6k touchscreen running proprietary OS which should be a seller too.

Anywys to the OP. I personally have. 4" phone and if u can get a good deal with a nook/kindle i suggest u go for it. Thanx.

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by dreamcatcher

Errr. SE is still the 2nd largest manufacturer in india. I dunno where u get your stats from. Sansung in india is generally preferred for its low end touchscreen market. As for the high end market i have seen more n97s and satios than the omnias put together. Anywys, not something ii would expect u to comprehend though. SE is a big name in india and with the inclusion of low end phones like spiro and zylo its share will grow. Also being announced is a 6k touchscreen running proprietary OS which should be a seller too.

Anywys to the OP. I personally have. 4" phone and if u can get a good deal with a nook/kindle i suggest u go for it. Thanx.

Did a bit more digging and both the views are just partially correct it seems.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news...-india/562001/

Nokia, HTC and RIM hold 90% of smartphone market in India.

also, SE is far from being 2nd largest manufacturer in India. Samsung took that position way back. Both in India and global sales.

http://www.entrepreneurheat.com/2010...s-it-hot/4124/

1. Nokia
2. Samsung
3. LG

And I thought I was seeing more SE phones than LG phones but however LG sold more phones than SE (which makes both of us wrong).

also, check this out : http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS22333410

SE is not even in the top 5 in Q1 2010. they are put in "Others" category as they are not selling enough phones.

[MetalheadGautham]

Well... I think THE phone which I have seen dominating the Indian market lately is the Nokia 5233. @ 6.8K, it seems really hard to beat..

I've seen BMTC Drivers use it in Bangalore.

I think this is the cheapest a "current-gen" smart phone os has ever been made available at (winmo 5 @ 6k when winmo 6 was around or symby 7-series or 8-series when 9 was around don't qualify).

That's what managed to really push Nokia's cause.

As for Samsung's sudden gain, its because of their low end touch screen phones. As demonstrated by LG, lot of market exists for touchscreen phones that are not smartphones. Infact, bundled app wise they equal smart phones enough to convince the average guy to go for it.

LG's main thing is (actually was) its ultra low end phones. An year back, it had the maximum features under 2.5k budget,

But yeah, another thing I forgot to mention about samsung was its Guru series phones. Seriously, memory card, vga cam, bluetooth, java all under 2.4k makes most ppl go for it.

Unlike Nokia, Samsung and LG, Sony's low end, which is the fastest selling segment, seems to have no new additions recently to attract a hoard of customers, the way samsung has.

Back on topic: What is the reason behind getting Android or Mameo ? Is it simply customizability or are you a linux fan ? If the later, N900 will indeed make a good buy. If you just want easy customizabilty then stick to some android phone.

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

Well... I think THE phone which I have seen dominating the Indian market lately is the Nokia 5233. @ 6.8K, it seems really hard to beat..

I've seen BMTC Drivers use it in Bangalore.

I think this is the cheapest a "current-gen" smart phone os has ever been made available at (winmo 5 @ 6k when winmo 6 was around or symby 7-series or 8-series when 9 was around don't qualify).

That's what managed to really push Nokia's cause.

As for Samsung's sudden gain, its because of their low end touch screen phones. As demonstrated by LG, lot of market exists for touchscreen phones that are not smartphones. Infact, bundled app wise they equal smart phones enough to convince the average guy to go for it.

LG's main thing is (actually was) its ultra low end phones. An year back, it had the maximum features under 2.5k budget,

But yeah, another thing I forgot to mention about samsung was its Guru series phones. Seriously, memory card, vga cam, bluetooth, java all under 2.4k makes most ppl go for it.

Unlike Nokia, Samsung and LG, Sony's low end, which is the fastest selling segment, seems to have no new additions recently to attract a hoard of customers, the way samsung has.

very well put. This sub 10k touch phone segment was kind of given a good push by Samsung and LG with Star and Cookie but is now taken over by Nokia (52xx series). And even in sub 7k segment, 6303 and 5130 are selling really really well.

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

Back on topic: What is the reason behind getting Android or Mameo ? Is it simply customizability or are you a linux fan ? If the later, N900 will indeed make a good buy. If you just want easy customizabilty then stick to some android phone.

yes. want to know what exactly the OP meant by cusomizing.

[dreamcatcher]

Ah just checked.SE's market share in May2010 is 9.3 compared to Samsungs 12.3.% Now that SE is back in profit, the scenario should change in the next coupla months.LG is at 2.5%
Smartphones arent a major selling factor in India. Brand is.

Maemo isnt as customizable as people think.there are a lot of bottlenecks in the system. Unless of course you are a developer and can extract the core files off the system and work on them to customize it according to your own interests. You can access the registry in the N900 and tweak it to your convenience which is a bit hazardous in Android phones.

[gopi_vbboy]

i mean android are not sold in many shops i have seen....

some dont even know spica models..just stare


i dont think the service will also be good when there is no demand for android atleast here

not arguing abt android but there are no sellers here when i wanted to purchase one

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by gopi_vbboy

i mean android are not sold in many shops i have seen....

some dont even know spica models..just stare


i dont think the service will also be good when there is no demand for android atleast here

not arguing abt android but there are no sellers here when i wanted to purchase one

just a lame comparison by me. Do you think that Mercedes will have bad support just because not many sell them in India and not many use them ?

btw, did you check with the dealers mentioned on HTC's or Samsung's "where to buy" webpages or did you just randomly asked few mobile stores in Ameerpet etc.

[sriharsha_madineni]

I was in HYD just a few days ago and saw numerous Android phones being sold in most of the shops and I myself interacted with numerous Android phones @ Croma in Jubilee hills. Be it X10, HTC's offerings etc...
Even saw some exclusive HTC stores on the way. So availability is not an issue at all.

Gopi where do you live??, HTC hasn't got any presence in Rayalseema region. Even in HTC site all the retail shops you find are either in HYD or in Coastal Andhra Region.

[gopi_vbboy]

i am in hyd...i was talkin abt months ago...donno now

[neerajvohra]

Originally Posted by sriharsha_madineni

I was in HYD just a few days ago and saw numerous Android phones being sold in most of the shops and I myself interacted with numerous Android phones @ Croma in Jubilee hills. Be it X10, HTC's offerings etc...
Even saw some exclusive HTC stores on the way. So availability is not an issue at all.

Gopi where do you live??, HTC hasn't got any presence in Rayalseema region. Even in HTC site all the retail shops you find are either in HYD or in Coastal Andhra Region.

Here u got the real answer..@gopi_vbboy already told you initially ?? Man I was just watching this thread.

@insanityslimit decided now ??

[sriharsha_madineni]

sigh!!!!! some people never change.

@OP

I suggest you wait for Galaxy S, but since it hasn't got camera Flash and you want to use it as digicam substitute, consider SE X10 too.

Regarding your other options, carrying two devices everywhere is a big headache ( from my exp with iPod touch & mobile Phone)

Since both X10 and Galaxy S have 4inch screens, you can happily read pdf docs on them. Though readability on 6 inch screen of PRS 600 is a different thing all together, atleast you don't have to carry two devices everywhere.

And yeah no matter what anyone says, Spica is any day better than 5800 for me
what more would anyone expect from a 12k phone !!!!

[sujoyp]

My bit of exp..although i am bit late for discussion

I have helped people selecting mobiles..maximum people just dont want Samsung or LG or HTC...

They only want Nokia and SE..

And yes Apple iphone have the most craze among public...they think that its the best

We can only advice them, but its there money ultimately.

[insanityslimit]

thanx for the posts ppl.... i find myself leaning towards the Moto Milestone. Galaxy S is an awesome phone, and is high on my probables list but if the launch gets delayed i'll have to settle for the milestone.... It's really a pity that Sony hasn't released its e-book readers here

@ MetalheadGautham:
i am a bit of a linux fan....

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by insanityslimit

thanx for the posts ppl.... i find myself leaning towards the Moto Milestone. Galaxy S is an awesome phone, and is high on my probables list but if the launch gets delayed i'll have to settle for the milestone.... It's really a pity that Sony hasn't released its e-book readers here

@ MetalheadGautham:
i am a bit of a linux fan....

Do remember to test out the Milestone's keypad. It has got mixed reviews. If you liked razer like flat keypad without much keydepth, you will like Milestone's keypad.

anyways, just wait for Galaxy S. This phone looks seriously good.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by insanityslimit

thanx for the posts ppl.... i find myself leaning towards the Moto Milestone. Galaxy S is an awesome phone, and is high on my probables list but if the launch gets delayed i'll have to settle for the milestone.... It's really a pity that Sony hasn't released its e-book readers here

@ MetalheadGautham:
i am a bit of a linux fan....

Welcome fellow linux fan

I suggest then you WAIT for better devices to reach the stores. There are lot of interesting things lined up.

[kalpik]

Galaxy S confirmed for a June 16th Launch (this Wednesday)

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by kalpik

Galaxy S confirmed for a June 16th Launch (this Wednesday)

512MB RAM + 1GHz Processor = app pwnage
What's the expected price btw ?

[kalpik]

Around 30k.. This phone has the best hardware of any android phone as of yet

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by kalpik

Around 30k.. This phone has the best hardware of any android phone as of yet

Yeah seriously.
But what about HTC EVO 4G ?

[kalpik]

^^ Its *much* better than Evo!

Better processor, *much* better GPU, *much* better screen, better audio quality, better touchscreen response

---------- Post added at 10:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 PM ----------

HTC has been facing a lot of issues with their phones recently! http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/h...sponsive-scre/

[sujoyp]

people say that galaxy S have the best gaming hardware till date
Galaxy S rocks