yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Questions and Answers] subuim:
is there a way to buy a mid range phone & convert to STOCK android

Hi

Good day folks

I've been an iPhone user for long. Presently I'm using an iPhone 6. I've been wanting to test an android. My search lead me to various forums where I was advised that stock android is the safest, least troublesome. With a budget of $250 - $ 300 (Max Max) I was told Nexus 5x is an option.

Unfortunately, where I live, (I live outside USA.)adding shipping etc, LG nexus 5x, 6 etc were above budget !

So, I'm here with the question, "...is there a way to buy a reasonable phone within $250-$275 budget (+$25 shipping) & convert to stock Android ? if yes, Which phone and how ? how easy / cumbersome ?

What do I use my phone for

Need to have :

- Very clear TROUBLE FREE working (much more than features !!)

- Normal phone Calls (of course !), phone book, messaging

- Browsing & E mail (pop / exchange - hotmail)

- Photos & video - but good workable stuff would do, i'm NOT some pro here !

- some You tube & Google maps

- some soc media like FB, Whatsapp etc

- around five inches screen, decent clarity

Nice to have

- Having a note taking app and some "office - Wordprocessor, Spread sheet support"

Not worried much about brands or looks or features.

TIA for tips and experiences

PS : I'm new here, already got redirected once !, so IF this is the wrong forum, please direct me (again).

Regards

Subu

---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:29 PM ----------

are these phones available online on amazon or the like ?

I'm very much interested in an Android as my second phone and don't mind experimenting with such "good" ones

thanks in advance for your recos and suggestions

regards

Subu
[General Questions and Answers] :
Oneplus X is a great midranger with near-stock android. That might suits ur needs :)
[General Questions and Answers] sirradf:
is Iphone SE worth it?
[General Questions and Answers] subuim:
thanks !!

---------- Post added at 03:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:31 PM ----------

I'm reading some good reviews about XE

That would be a great phone to use, but its above my budget and I already have a iPhone 6

that's the main reason i'm looking for Androids '!!
[General Questions and Answers] renaltosonylevi:
Before you settle on a phone you might like to purchase it would be a good idea to mention what network you want to connect to in case there are compatibility issues.

Assuming that there are no compatibility issues the one x is a great choice. Also note that there are 3 different variations depending on network requirements.
[General Questions and Answers] MrNellow:
Suggestion for development

Hi guys,

I am planning to start to develop mobile apps and games. Most important thing for me is developing universal apps that includes Android, iOS and WP.

At the moment I have a LG G4, a LG G Flex2 and a Nokia Lumia 920 (and a iPad 3 - My cousin has a iPhone 6S Plus which I can anytime borrow).

For sure I want to change my Flex2. It is a good phone, but cannot satisfy me totally.

I prefer Nexus phones, because I can go into Android N.

These are my plans:

1) Trade LG G Flex 2 and pay extra for Motorola Nexus 6 + Trade LG G4, Lumia 920 and pay extra for Lumia 950 XL/

2) Trade LG G Flex 2 and pay extra for Huawei Nexus 6P, so I can keep LG G4.

3) Trade LG G Flex 2 and pay extra for Lumia 950 XL, so again I can keep LG G4.

I am open for ideas, but please do not suggest me Samsung or HTC. I just don't like them at all.

Please give me some suggestions.

Thanks in advance.
[General Questions and Answers] subuim:
thanks

i wish to use it outside USA on 3G, 4G networks

could you pl give the names / #s of these variations ?

this is what I am looking at (now) : OnePlus X Dual Sim - 16GB, 4G LTE, 3GB RAM

the seller description looks very close to the 16 GB version in this link http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_x-7630.php

REGARDS

SUBU
[General Questions and Answers] bg260:
Hello,

Let me preface by saying that I may be looking for a device that doesn't exist.

I currently have a Verizon Galaxy S4( rooted, but still has a locked boot?.

I also have a T-mobile Galaxy S2. Great for installing custom ROMs, but development is waning I think?.

So now I am looking for a tablet that will be an answer to both of the problems.

I have researched and the Nexus 7 is very close. Here's a brief list of what I'm looking for.

1. External Storage (ROMs storage)

2. At least 2 GB RAM

3. Extensive past and ongoing development.

4. 16GB Internal Storage

5. Minimal if any bloat including /system/app?

6. Really enjoy the amoled screen but not a deal breaker.

7. Decent to great processing speed.

8.Good battery life... ( an oxymoron when combined with 7, from what I understand).

9. Here's the kicker...<$200

10. Wifi only.

11. Good repository of stock firmware would be nice.

Hope it's not too much to ask for, every time I get close the external storage seems to always be the problem.

Doesn't have to be state of the art, just need it to become a "flashoholic", if I so desire.
[General Questions and Answers] Mokiwipeout:
The deal breaker is basically the very low budget...

Otherwise, there are many devices which do pretty much all the things you mentioned.
[General Questions and Answers] bg260:
[MENTION=4986223]Mokiwipeout[/MENTION]

That and the external storage, the Nexus 7 met a lot of my criteria. I have an old and outdated pc and would rather download zip to sdcard. Any suggestions on something close to my budget?
[General Questions and Answers] Planterz:
nVidia Tegra K1.
[General Questions and Answers] bg260:
Thanks. Also got to thinking about going with USB OTG as an alternative to sdcard.
[General Questions and Answers] MrNellow:
I have another idea about my issue,

Trading Both LG Phones for Nexus 6 and V10 or LG G Flex2 for Nexus 6P?

Please help me...
[General Questions and Answers] tampitzel:
Hello everyone, and kudos to the OP, this thread is exactly what I was looking for.

My Nexus 5 seems to have a battery issue lately (probably broke it by fast charging it) and I`m also a bit disappointed that the new Android N will not be developed for this device as well.

With this in mind, I`m thinking about getting a new phone. I am super jealous at the iPhone SE because it`s an awesome 4 inch device with 6s specs, however, I don`t like iOS and I think Google Now is freaking awesome.

My Nexus 5 is a bit hard to use with one hand so this is why I would like to migrate to a smaller device. Here is what I want from my phone:

1. 4 - 4.5 inch display size at most (4 would be ideally).

2. Decent specs (Snapdragon 810, 3-4 GB RAM, at least 32 GB storage, mabye SD CARD, but not mandatory).

3. Decent camera, not top, but good enough for normal pictures.

4. As close to stock as possible

5. Marshmallow - probably asking too much with this one :)

Thanks!

Dan
[General Questions and Answers] Marco2G:
The frustration is real

Hello everyone

I have a Nexus 6 right now and it's frustrating me beyond words. It's small things like there not being an option to block numbers and large things like the battery draining like a pimp with a crack whore attach... well, you get the point.

My ideal smartphone probably doesn't exist: I'd like a phablet with hardware keyboard. I'd like it to have vibration that threatens to break my leg. I'd like the battery to last a whole day no matter what I do. I'd like it to NOT be so ridiculously thin that you actually need a case to prevent it from slipping out of your fingers. Front facing speakers for my youtube enjoyment would be nifty.

So I started thinking about alternatives: Perhaps a tablet with keyboard? I could rock a manbag if needed... but how do you take that to the bathroom at work? ;) How do you just pull it out when a relative spouts political nonsense and you need to prove him wrong? It's just not the same. I thought about solving the fact that most tablets can't make or receive calls by using a SIP service and redirecting my mobile number to the SIP number.

Then I started thinking, hey you know what would be cool? Having a bulky compute brick you lug around but using basically a 5.5 inch screen with a flipout keyboard as a terminal. All it needs is wireless connectivity to allow for the display and input to be transferred. But again, you don't lug the bag to the bathroom, do you?

Basically, I'm just reeeeaally tired of touch screen input. That **** sucks and it hasn't gotten any better during the years.

I've also thought about having a Nokia 3210 like device for making phonecalls that supports LTE and wifi tethering and using an old Phablet without SIM for pure internet access. However, I have yet to find such a device.

Furthermore, I thought about fricking gluing a bluetooth keyboard to a phablet for crying out loud but there seem to be no quality bluetooth keyboards on the market in that size.

Do any of you have any idea how I could solve any of my dilemmas? Frankly, if I was rich, I'd have them build me a double wide nokia communicator 9000 with normal aspect ratio screen and speakers instead of the side buttons, an epaper screen on the front and a Lenovo Trackpoint with a full OS installation of Windows or Linux, but alas, I'm not wealthy...
[General Questions and Answers] MrYoan:
Hey guys, I'm in a big dilemma :D I can get on very cheap Galaxy S3 LTE in exchange for my Galaxy A5 (not 2016), but there is something that I can't understand:

Which SoC is more powerful? Snapdragon 410 is 64-bit but as far as I know, 32-bit Android is used in Galaxy a5, I really don't know why. I searched comparison between Snapdragon 410 and S3 Lte SoC (I don't remember the exact Exynos model), but I really didn't understood something. I had s3 lte just before i bought A5 and I think it performed far more better than snapdragon 410, especially in games, but I'm waiting other opinions. :)

Personally, I like S3 LTE more because of the better screen ppi and the little bigger screen. Also the form..I'm more comfortable in using s3 instead of A5, it feels like a aluminium plate in my hands, It feels so cheap somehow. :D

Just to mention that whatever my choice is, my next phone will use cm13, both phones have it, I'll not stay on the slower stock with touchwiz. :)
[General Questions and Answers] lu99ke:
Was going to say this ;)

I have Nexus 7 and still recommend it

---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:31 PM ----------

Xperia Z compact.... Z3 has Sd 801.... But Z5 has 810

---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------

Ummmmm..

http://www.androidcentral.com/blackberry-priv-review
[General Questions and Answers] bg260:
http://www.xda-developers.com/introducing-the-xda-labphone/

[emoji1]
[General Questions and Answers] netlag:
Boost Mobile Flip/Clamshell + Android

Anyone aware of something that is even portable to the Boost Mobile network that is Android and Flip/Clamshell configured.

With all of the press I have heard over time about the F351-Reeko , Samsung SM-G9198, Sharp Aquos K Flip, LG Wine, Gionee W909, etc being released in Asian markets figured someone would know here.

Trying to move someone from a Sanyo SCP3810 Mirro. Was at some point considering a Lenovo A588T, or Samsung Array/Montage like phone to establish basic gmail , contacts, and calendar syncing.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
[General Questions and Answers] Marco2G:
Woah, BlackBerry made an Android device?! Okay, this I need to get my hands on and see. Thanks.
[General Questions and Answers] leveller-err:
Hi. Registered here to ask for advice, appreciate if someone can take a couple of minutes to recommend me a phone.

As long as I remember, chinese phones always had 2 SIM cards. But it seems that recently there is a trend with these phones to have slot for SIM card and another slot for either SIM card or memory card – so you cannot use two SIM cards AND memory card in the same time – just two out of those three. It’s just stupid and counter-productive, I don’t understand why that, but it put me off of several phones I liked and wanted to buy, especially Homtom HT6, which seems to be an excelent device, but unfortunatelly, no space for 2 SIM + memory card... :mad:

Anyhow, here is my issue: I’ve had THL T6S for more than a year; quite good phone, I’ve been mostly satisfied, but now it’s time for upgrade. But I cannot find the appropriate phone – I think each one I liked has the issue above – I cannot use two SIM cards in the same time with memory card…

I would appreciate if you can recommend me, if you know, the phone with following specs; obviously, I'm looking for chinese phone available to buy online:

– Budget price, somewhere to 120 $, it can go up to 140 or 150 if phone is good and I like it, but lower the better; no way I'm paying more than 150 $ for the phone.

– TWO SIM cards AND memory card in the same time is a must!

– LED notification for missed calls and new messages (THL T6S has it, so I don’t see the reason newer phones not to have it, so it's also a must).

– Screen 5.5 inches. If I don't find anything suitable with this screen, might consider 5.0 or 6.0 inches, but right now, I'm looking for 5.5 inches screen.

– Android 5.1 or 6.0.

– 2 GB RAM (I have no problem if it has 3 GB, but 2 GB is sufficient; I don’t want 1 GB); ROM is irrelevant, no need for big ROM.

– Battery – the bigger, the better, preferably 4,000 mAh, or so.

Thanks!
[General Questions and Answers] stub20000:
Hi all, I get my phone through my work however I have broken my current Samsung note 4 and I'm looking for something to get me by until the next nexus devices are released (fancy going stock android rather than touchwiz). I have been looking at cheap chinese phones however I'm struggling to find decent and honest device comparisons as I would ideally like something just as nippy and smooth (lots of chrome tabs open, quick changing of apps etc) as the note 4. I have been looking at the ulefone power 4g as I would like to stick to a minimum 5.5" screen and I like the idea of the battery size on it but I've read mixed reviews, also when people say its fast I'm not sure what they are comparing that to.

anyone got any other suggestions or do you think the ulefone power would suit?

Max price around £150 I'd say, although I'm probably asking the impossible for that price :)

thanks
[General Questions and Answers] MrNellow:
Thanks for no help...
[General Questions and Answers] pkb_always4u:
A bit out dated but go with Lenovo K3 Note. Price 115-125 USD and ticks all the boxes you desired.
[General Questions and Answers] Planterz:
What would a used 16gb OnePlus One run in UK (or even a 64gb?)

---------- Post added at 02:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 AM ----------

That sounds like a decision you can make only for yourself.
[General Questions and Answers] stub20000:
thanks for the reply, I did look at the one plus one's they are almost £250 though, around $350, I'm looking more in the $200 range
[General Questions and Answers] Planterz:
Well, you can get used ones for $200 here (US), but that's here, not there, which is why I asked. How about an LG G3 or Flex 2? They can be had for pretty cheap here.
[General Questions and Answers] stub20000:
bloody UK, they are over budget as well, both around £200. think might go for that ulefone or the cubot h1, both seem to get decent reviews and I suppose its only for 6 months (let hope I have hair after that!).

thanks again
[General Questions and Answers] leveller-err:
Thanks for taking time to reply! Well, it has nice features, but only thing of concern is battery - review at GSM Arena says:

So I'll skip it, I guess. After two weeks of searching for suitable phone, I think I'm giving up, and I'll check in several months, hope some new models will get launched in the meantime.
[General Questions and Answers] omfal:
I have a LG G2, but I would like an update to a device with Marshmallow.

I can choose Galaxy S6 at 300 Eur (used) or Nexus 5X at 320 Eur (new).

Nexus has faster security updates

S6 has more memory, better camera and performances, better battery, better display.

How slow is Samsung with security updates? everything else seems in favour of the S6.

If I have to install a custom kernel only to get security updates (like for stagefright, as I did on the G2 with dorimanx kernels) I would be fine, I can do it.

Thanks
[General Questions and Answers] Murdod:
Dual boot Tablet with Core M CPU?

Does anyone know if there is any Windows 10 / Android dual boot tablets out there which have the Core M CPU and not the Cherry Trail x7-8700?

I see the Teclast X16 Power is a true dual boot but has the cherry trail..

I like the look of the Cube i7 Stylus with Win 10 and Core M CPU.. but it appears to run Android via emulator and not true dual boot. Does anyone know if Android-x86 runs on this device (or on any core m device) and I could perhaps dual boot...

I'm looking for a decent windows tablet (NOT a surface) that does a good job of running Windows for the work/xbox streaming as well as switch over to Android when needed.

Thinking Teclast is my best option currently?
[General Questions and Answers] prichm1992:
I happen to know exactly one person each, one with the 5x, one with the s6. They both adore their devices, and they seem to be similar in speed/power. The s6 gets a couple of hours less screen on time, but they both love their phones. If it were me personally, I'd go for the Nexus. It'll always be first in updates and it's camera out-performs the s6 in low-light. The s6 always captures more detail though in proper lighting.

Read some reviews on both, see for yourself. If I could have found a 32gb Nexus 5x for the price I found my s6 active at ($220 USD for a refurb) I'd have chosen the Nexus.
[General Questions and Answers] woook:
after a lot of searching i found 2 phones that i want

LG G4 and Xiaomi Remi Note 3 Pro 32GB

battery and the audio quality( over headphones) are the most important things for me

Xiaomi wins in battery ( 4000mah it's a lot, and users seems to enjoy battery life on it ) and price,

still i can't find anything about audio through headphones ;/

maybe there is anyone that used both phones? or anything about sound quality in Xiaomi Redmi note 3 pro?

Thanks
[General Questions and Answers] Entropy69:
Moto G 3rd gen, moto x play or ????

Morning all

Looking to replace a broken s4 mini for the mrs and my also my ailing s3. Don't really want to spend more than £250ish and have been looking at the moto g or moto x play or maybe even oneplus2 or elephone p9000.

Any thoughts on what I should go for or alternative suggestions greatly appreciated. Is the moto x worth the extra dollars over the G?

Important factors for both me and the mrs are battery life and camera quality.

Thanks in advance good people :)
[General Questions and Answers] servin42:
Budget Friendly and Hackable?

Hi all,

I wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions for a used or budget friendly new phone that meets the following conditions:

- removable battery - this is a must; several of my older phones are running great for my son because I could replace the battery

- microSD slot - again, absolute must; I snap pictures all the time, and would love to be able to dedicate some space to music again

- LTE-capable on T-Mobile network

- not a huge phone - my current MotoX is a perfect size for me; I might be willing to go a little bigger though

- unlockable bootloader and custom ROMs available - this is not a must-have, but it would be nice to know I could pass this on to my son or wife at some point

- ideally under $100, maybe $150 if its new

Background: I moved to T-Mobile after years of paying through the nose for AT&T, and renewing every two years to get a "free" phone. The end result of which means the last three phones I've had, as far back as 2011, all had some really nice features. Specifically, the cameras were all 8+MP; large resolution screens, but not huge phones; decent support for custom ROMs. That changed when I got my last phone, the original MotoX, and I've kicked myself ever since. The lack of a microSD card was fine, I ended up not using my phone for music and I was able to keep my photos backed up automatically with the Sweet Home app. The lack of a removable battery, now that the phone is in its third year, is starting to wear thin; the phone usually dies half to two-thirds of the way through my day. And the fact that I have a model with a locked bootloader means Lollipop is the last update I'll probably get on this phone.

I've seen some decent deals on phones that are newer Verizon models, meaning they should be usable on T-Mobile, but most of the ones that I've found have issues with locked bootloaders because they're originally for Verizon.

I've seen some Blu phones, and some of them seem to fit the bill, but I'm wary of trying something "off-brand" when I can't seem to find a good development community easily.
[General Questions and Answers] Planterz:
If you're willing to go "old", a Galaxy S4 would work well. It's a bit bigger than the Moto X, but is thinner and weighs exactly the same. The hardware on the S4 could be called "aged", but is still capable and powerful enough to do anything you'd want it to. The camera is pretty good, and the bootloader is unlocked and there's plenty of development, both with modified TouchWiz ROMs and custom AOSP/CM ROMs. My daily driver is an S4, inside which I've got a 200gb microSD card and 3000mAh Zerolemon battery.

Some people might scoff at buying a phone that's 3 generations old, but the fact is that it's still great phone, and far better than any "budget" phone that you could buy new. If you look on Swappa, you can find plenty of "good" condition used ones for under $150, and brand new ones for around $200 or so. Compare that to a Galaxy Core or Grand with less RAM, storage, lower resolution, crappy camera, and weak processor/GPU.

The S5 is obviously a better device, but it's bigger, heavier, and there's less development.

The only reservation I would have about recommending these devices is that neither have band 12 LTE, which might be something to consider if it's available in your area.
[General Questions and Answers] servin42:
Looked into the S4 yesterday, but I came across the S4 Active. Its a little bigger than the MotoX, and except for the camera has about the same specs as the S4.
[General Questions and Answers] Planterz:
S4 Active was an AT&T phone, and will have a locked bootloader.
[General Questions and Answers] servin42:
It looks like though that if I can get it rooted, FlashFire will work to push a custom ROM, or am I mistaken? I've used FlashFire before on my Kindle, bricked one, but the newer versions seem to be more stable, and I've successfully flashed CM and SlimLP on both of my kindles using it.
[General Questions and Answers] paysen:
I need a new tablet for my car. It will replace my navigation system from BMW, hidden in the dashboard where the old display was. Charging via cable, so a good battery lifetime is not important.

What it needs to have is

-bright display

-fast processor

-USB OTG

-GPS

-Root support

That's all. I would buy the nexus 7 2013 but they seem to have a lot of problems lately, and you can only get it refurbished as google decided to take it off the store and maybe there is a better alternative which I can't find.

Mediapad x2 7" seems to be good, but it would be sad to hide such a beauty in a car.
[General Questions and Answers] Planterz:
I can't help you with FlashFire. You should check out the AT&T specific S4 forums. Safestrap might be an option as well, but it seems like an unnecessary PITA when you can simply get a T-Mobile one with unlocked bootloader (it won't be "rugged" like the Active though).
[General Questions and Answers] netlag:
No suggestions for phones like the F351-Reeko , Samsung SM-G9198, Sharp Aquos K Flip, LG Wine, Gionee W909 that could work on the Boost Mobile system?