Android's best value phone

[ReBirth]

I wanna buy a new phone. Yes it's android, what else? Win-phone no java. I lost my old phone so I think it's the time to get one. I have budget for $140. With that much my google-fu hits Samsung Galaxy mini, pocket and Y.

So what is your recommendation? Any of you want to share exp with those three models? Or you have another option?

[ReBirth]

>_>
<_<
^_^

[h3ckboy]

I personally got the optimus me, and I like it. The screen is a little small. It was like 140 iirc. But I hve friends and they don't mind the mini.

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[ReBirth]

Optimus is great, but it's expensive

[Nate]

Galaxy Nexus. Do it.

[ReBirth]

Galaxy Nexus. Do it.

That's good, but I'm looking low price here

[h3ckboy]

I think you are looking at wrong optimus,  my optimus me was like 140 $ unlocked online.

[tom]

Huawei phones are cheap.

[R.D.]

I have a simliar situation. I do it like this:

• Save up money ( 600 €)
• Buy Samsumg Galaxy S III
• Be happy for the rest of my life

Dunno if you can wait that long, but I would do it I have a super old phone while waiting for my new own. But in the end I will have a pretty badass phone and I don't need do buy a new for a long time

Edit:
Aaaaand you dont want a pure Android phone if you want do develope for it. Better have a "User-Phone".

[ReBirth]

I think you are looking at wrong optimus,  my optimus me was like 140 $ unlocked online.

I'm confused. Nexus is Samsung's and Optimus is LG's right?

Huawei phones are cheap.

Trauma on china product

Dunno if you can wait that long, but I would do it I have a super old phone while waiting for my new own. But in the end I will have a pretty badass phone and I don't need do buy a new for a long time

Edit:
Aaaaand you dont want a pure Android phone if you want do develope for it. Better have a "User-Phone".

I consider that too, throw away $30 first for a nerdy phone and save up until I can get Android 4
What do you mean by "pure android" and "user-phone"?

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[princec]

Buy a Nokia 3310 for $2, and a Raspberry Pi Your phone and nerd programming needs both met! If necessary, tape them together.

Cas

[princec]

more seriously ... the best value Android phone is still, I think, the Galaxy S2, and if you wait a couple of weeks, it'll be somewhat cheaper when the S3 comes out.

Cas

[davedes]

Related question:
What is a good and cheap Android tablet/device (not necessarily a phone) purely for the sake of Android game development?

[R.D.]

@ReBirth
a User-Phone would be a Samsung Galaxs S2 or S3. A phone which was changed be the manufacturer. It gives you a closer look to how you games would run on a phone a lot of people using.

A pure phone is afair the nexus. It has the ra Android. Nothing changed, just Android.

@davedes
Oh well... That is based on what you target. There are a lot of cheap tablets, but performance is bad. Then there are pads like the Galaxy Tab (Damn that sounds like I'm a Samsung Fan xD). Again I would look after a device which a lot of people have. That gives you a good view on problems you need to solve (Well until today my only convern is memory but if you not creating instances all the time, without pooling you should be fine).

[ReBirth]

@princec
Both S2 and Raspberry ideas are great However finding $2 3310 will be hard. I had one in past, but it's already up there.

@R.D
Oh I see, thanks.

Guess everybody recommend to save up and buy "expensive" phone. Also no one has exp with Galaxy mini, pocket nor Y. This becomes clearer now.

[pitbuller]

Huaweis are cheap and powerfull but for testing you need some Samsung with bad specs.

[Gjallar]

I dont know how that works in other countries, but if you seal a two-year contract here in austria, you get a Galaxy S2 for ~125€

[ReBirth]

@Gjallar
I know that kind of contract. It's also available for Nexus too. Unfortunately nothing like that here. There's once although, for iPhone but you only get cut off $30 I think.

@pitbuller
I put out Huawei option, cause they have bad looking screen

[Giovanni]

@Gjallar
I know that kind of contract. [...] Unfortunately nothing like that here.

Those contracts are nothing you would miss. You are bound to those contracts for long enough to fully pay the phone back. You pay the same price, maybe a bit more if things go bad, just over a longer amount of time. Buying phones without contracts is a lot smarter in my eyes.


What about the Samsung Galaxy S? It should be quite cheap now.

[princec]

I'd hold out just another week and see what the S2 drops to. The S2 has the best screen, most powerful CPU and most powerful GPU, and most RAM, and most storage, in its class, and yet doesn't cost significantly more or less than its rivals. It's just an awesome computer in your pocket. Easy to root, too. Ish.

Cas

[Gjallar]

Those contracts are nothing you would miss. You are bound to those contracts for long enough to fully pay the phone back. You pay the same price, maybe a bit more if things go bad, just over a longer amount of time. Buying phones without contracts is a lot smarter in my eyes.


What about the Samsung Galaxy S? It should be quite cheap now.

I disagree, in case you need a new contract anyways.
Mine ran out last month so I'll pick up a new one (paied 15€ a month, now probably 20€ a month but with the addition of unlimited download) and get a new phone for 0€ or significantly cheaper.

[ReBirth]

How long does it take for ICS to snatch ginger's throne? I see some model deosn't provide "upgradable" label.

[OverKill]

Samsung Galaxy Gio

[badlogicgames]

I'd hold out just another week and see what the S2 drops to. The S2 has the best screen, most powerful CPU and most powerful GPU, and most RAM, and most storage, in its class, and yet doesn't cost significantly more or less than its rivals. It's just an awesome computer in your pocket. Easy to root, too. Ish.

Cas

It also has the most badly broken audio drivers.

[princec]

They seem to work perfectly for me, latency issues aside.

Cas

[ReBirth]

Samsung Galaxy Gio

My sister said that too. She happened to borrow her friend's and find out good. I consider this option because "good" word came from common user.