Oh but I do love my phone

[BigV]

Yes, and mine.

Nice move, wtg.

[SteveDallas]

So, UT, have you done any development? I'm working on a modest Android app. It's been an interesting experience, given my background as a casual perl kludger, to go all java.

Is your phone rooted? If so you may have even more options for the tethering.

[Undertoad]

I would like to develop for it, but I fear I won't be motivated without someone asking for it... although nobody will ask for it if I haven't developed something already... hmmm.

So far I've gotten everything I've ever needed without root and I imagine part of that is because this is a pure ICS experience. No vendor cruft.

[SteveDallas]

Last year our daughter was playing in a softball league with no scoreboard. We were looking for a good scorekeeping app and didn't find one. So I wrote one. I'm refining a bit this year... going to throw it out and see if anybody bites.

[BigV]

UT, and others

I am on the edge of deciding to buy a new phone. The one I'm looking at is the HTC Evo V 4G, from Virgin Mobile. Because of Virgin Mobile. They have a pay as you go no contract minimum voice minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data plan starting at $35 per month. And that phone up there has Ice Cream Sandwich.

What do you think of the phone, the carrier, etc? I can make room in my budget for a fixed $35/month. And having a phone again would be nice, would make my life a bit easier and the lives of some of those dear to me easier.

[Undertoad]

It's a combination of things

-> Virgin Mobile is Sprint
-> The HTC Evo V 4G is the HTC EVO 3D, released a year ago
-> The HTC Evo V 4G uses the WiMax network for its 4G speed capability. It cannot do LTE.
-> Sprint first went with WiMax, but stopped as LTE is a better choice of 4G speed technology.
-> WiMax may not be available to Virgin Mobile beyond 2012. I don't know if they have a contract for it past that... and Sprint is running away from WiMax as fast as it possibly can. And the company that runs the WiMax network is expected to fail at some point.

Bottom line: they offer these prices and plans strategically. In this case it's because this phone will inevitably change back into a pumpkin be a 3G phone only. So when the ads scream at you "4G!!!* ... *where available", they mean 3G and a phone whose value will drop to zero in six months.

Does that really matter? Depends on what you want to do. No Apple phone can do 4G networking, at least for another few months. Sprint is only just now turning up its LTE network. If you find you like fast data you can then buy another phone. (!) On the other hand, new streaming services such as Spotify are the wave of the future. LTE is like having WiFi wherever you go and that is an awesome thing, but at the same time, you can have a pretty nice life without it... ask everybody.

[glatt]

I don't know anything about that phone, but my wife has that $35 Virgin Mobile plan and loves it.

The data is claimed to be unlimited, but I'm not sure if that's true. Perhaps it's unlimited, but you only get so much per month at the higher speeds, and then once you exceed that amount, you get dropped down to lower speeds for an unlimited amount.

In any event, my wife doesn't stream video or music on the phone, and she hasn't run into any problems with hitting any limits. She spends all day on her phone on FB and Words with Friends and texting and stuff like that. I think it's when you start streaming a lot that you might run into problems.

She has the LG Optimus Slider and it's pretty good, although the camera isn't anything special and the battery barely lasts a day. But the slide out keyboard kicks ass. Or you can type on the screen if you are so inclined.

[BigV]

thanks guys!

I have this phone now. Next step is to install/configure Google Voice so I can talk via data and conserve the strictly limited voice minutes. This phone does have some very nice features, including the ability to be a hotspot for up to five devices. Woot!

[limey]

The personal hotspot thing is teh ossome! I've got that on my Nokia C8 (though I had to pay a little for the software). It'll transform my accommodations choices when I'm travelling to the 'stans as I'll no longer feel constrained to stay in the business hotels that say they offer wifi (and often don't)!

[BigV]

I am currently striving mightily to bend google voice and sipdroid to my will. I want to send and receive calls over my unlimited data connection, not over my limited "minutes" connection.

Gah.

[BrianR]

I am currently researching phones and plans.

I have AT&T now and have for years. I am due for an upgrade on all three phones. My wife is looking at switching to Verizon.

They both offer a lot of phones and packages.

IMO, AT&T is in the lead right now. Decisions are on hold until I get home and see what kind of signal improvements have been made. I always use my phone but never seem to look at the signal bars.

We shall see. I may need to install a cell signal amplifier.

Phones are not chosen but I kind of like the Samsung Galaxy. My needs are quite different than hers.

More to follow, but I am rereading everything UT has posted.

[Undertoad]

Tonight I listen to Holy Fuck on Spotify and it calms me, clarifies me.

I am for the last night, away from home. Holy Fuck provides me with a musical outlet that can bring me clarity. It is joyful. It is centering. It is home.

[BigV]

still don't have google voice and some SIP provider dialed in on my phone so I can make voip calls on my unlimited data plan. I am open to suggestions by any and all as to how to do this. I've read the threads in the android fora and it's not ... I'm doing something wrong. Or I'm doing many things wrong. But I could use some help. Anybody?

[Clodfobble]

Between a Father's Day sale and a contract renewal, I ended up with a free HTC One S, my first new phone in probably 5 years.

I'm liking it way more than I thought I would.

[chrisinhouston]

I'm making the big switch from Apple to Android as soon as the phone I want becomes available. I've had an iPhone 3GS since they came out with AT&T and am eligible for an upgraded phone. So, after careful consideration and research I've decided to go with the new Samsung Galaxy sIII. Only problem is they still aren't available from my carrier, AT&T at least at the stores; I could preorder one and it might arrive before the stores get theirs but ordering on line is a hassle if you don't want your plan to change. I'm grandfathered in with the old unlimited data plan and a 200 text message/month for $5 which is all I need. So I guess I will just have to wait a week or 2 more.