Optimus Black? Desire S? Galaxy SL? DEATH?!?!?!?

Hola amigos! :))

I am planning to buy a new one with these features:

1. Budget? 15-20k
2. Display type and size? at least 3.2" (preferably close to 4"), capacitive, not TFT
3. Form Factor? bar, slider, flip? bar
4. Preferred choice of brand? HTC, Nokia, Samsung, LG
5. Preferred input method (QWERTY, touchscreen, numpad, touch-n-type). Touchscreen
6. What camera option you want? at least 5 MP, Flash, autofocus, front camera for video calls
7. Preferred operating system? Android 2.3, iOS, WP7 (in that order)
8. Preferred connectivity options 3G, Wi-Fi
9. Preferred applications (Flash, Swype, GPS, etc)? Maps is a BIG requirement, full flash support in browser
10. Primary use of handset (multimedia, camera, mails, internet, gaming etc)? Music, photos, internet
11. Any specific mobile phones in consideration? Optimus Black, Desire S, Galaxy SL, Wildfire S, Defy
12. Any other info that you want to share ahem…look below!

Now, I don't have an iPod nor a digicam and I'm looking for a phone which can (somewhat) serve these roles well within the specified budget. The phone has to be stylish and smart, and should support multi-tasking well, hence Android is the preferred choice. I'm not sure if Symbian is quite upto the mark, esp. since its on its deathbed (Nokia would be shifting focus to WP7 soon).

I am certainly gonna use up the 32GB memory.

Problem: I've heard Android phones don't have good battery life?

I have always used sub-10k phones, now want a serious upgrade. I am a rough user (I know you're thinking about Defy)-phones sometimes slip out of my big hands or I accidentally sit on them :\

I have been researching, but something or the other is missing in each of my choices, listed below in order of preference currently:

1. LG Optimus Black
+ has ALL the features I want
+ 4” screen
+ I recently had a hands-on demo and the phone looks amazing!
- Digit has pooh-poohed its battery life in their review…”barely lasts a day”
- camera/music is just about average

2. Desire S
+ Sense UI
+ Good audio quality, decent camera
- A bit over my budget (23k), Galaxy SL has all its features at 19k

3. Wildfire S
+ Sense UI
+ Not very costly
+ Gingerbread
- Small screen
- No HD recording
- Hardware might not support Gingerbread smoothly

4. Galaxy SL
+ Samsung service
+ 4” screen
- No camera flash

- 7961875 phones in the market with the Galaxy name
- I have heard the battery backup is very poor

5. Defy
+ rugged
- its Motorola, I don't know how good their service would be
- No Gingerbread, no HD recording, TFT screen. I am not game for Custom ROMs either

6. Nokia N8 or X7
-Shall I even consider Symbian?

Confused bigtime….help me out!!!

If you're more into Multimedia then consider Nokia X7. Why? Read this thoroughly : Nokia X7-00 review: The stealth xpress - GSMArena.com

Since you want a good-looking phone which is stylish too. Plus you arent gonna tweak your phone with custom roms....then take a look at iphone 3gs @19k

In android also check out the "nexus S"

Empirial said:
If you're more into Multimedia then consider Nokia X7. Why? Read this thoroughly : Nokia X7-00 review: The stealth xpress - GSMArena.com

X7 is currently overpriced. 17k-18k is the right price for it.

@OP: given your requirement, I would suggest you to check these instead:

1. Google Nexus S (google experience, decent camera, good display and battery, good music quality, loads of custom ROMs, updatus prime)
2. Nokia N8 (dolby digital plus, HDMI out, 12mp camera with best sensor found on mobiles, best navigation software)

None of the HTC devices are music centric. They suck at this department. audio quality is okay while camera quality is average too.

M

guru_urug said:
Since you want a good-looking phone which is stylish too. Plus you arent gonna tweak your phone with custom roms....then take a look at iphone 3gs @19k

In android also check out the "nexus S"

@ guru_urug: dude why are you suggesting iphone 3gs? its outdated and APPLE IS DUMPING ALL THE OLD STOCKS INTO INDIA. Apple also did that with the IPAD...when the IPAD 1 was almost EOL it then bought it to india at a 34k price which is way too high for a old product..We feel it prestigious when apple launches something new in India..

Dude please realize you are suggesting some very old garbage like the iphone 3gs..

DONT MISTAKE ME BUT THIS IS A FACT EVERYONE KNOWS

We Indians are fools...we just get carried away by the brand( like apple) and we feel it a kind of boon when apple prices some of their old garbage at such a low price(like iphone 3gs for 19k)...Iphone 3gs is clearly outdated and please remember "APPLE IS DUMPING THEIR old stock at such a low price to clear off its old stock"

I dont understand why many people are against the galaxy sl.. I am using it and really find no problems(even with the gps there is no problem)..its really a good value for money phone..

Also i dont understand why everyone suggest the htc desire when everyone one knows that the battery life of HTC is HORRIBLE...

Sorry if I have been harsh... but I want the people to realize not to waste money on old stocks..

Im sorry if you feel my suggestion was baseless. I was thinking from the pov of OP's requirement. Even though the 3GS is old, it handles modern games well. Also It comes factory unlocked.

"It still has something to offer for price sensitive buyers. Although the iPhone 3GS has a 600MHz processor and a 3.5-inch multitouch screen, it supports Apple's latest iOS 4.3, and Apple has pledged support for its upcoming iOS 5 for the device."
I AM NOT AN APPLE FANBOY.( look at my avatar) I know all about apples marketing tactics too

Im all for android devices and I know that the 3GS is still overpriced. I was just giving a suggestion. And if you have read some of the other threads, iphone 3gs has been suggested by others too, when the OP requires a no maintainance OS with a stylish,good-looking phone. Im giving OP idea of all possible options available. IMO galaxy SL, nexus S and Desire S are good deals. Nexus S and Desire S will get next android flavor. So maybe OP should consider that if custom Roms are not going to be installed.

M

guru_urug said:
Im sorry if you feel my suggestion was baseless. I was thinking from the pov of OP's requirement. Even though the 3GS is old, it handles modern games well. Also It comes factory unlocked.

"It still has something to offer for price sensitive buyers. Although the iPhone 3GS has a 600MHz processor and a 3.5-inch multitouch screen, it supports Apple's latest iOS 4.3, and Apple has pledged support for its upcoming iOS 5 for the device."
I AM NOT AN APPLE FANBOY.( look at my avatar) I know all about apples marketing tactics too

Im all for android devices and I know that the 3GS is still overpriced. I was just giving a suggestion. And if you have read some of the other threads, iphone 3gs has been suggested by others too, when the OP requires a no maintainance OS with a stylish,good-looking phone. Im giving OP idea of all possible options available. IMO galaxy SL, nexus S and Desire S are good deals. Nexus S and Desire S will get next android flavor. So maybe OP should consider that if custom Roms are not going to be installed.

dude sorry if I hurt your opinion.. but I just used your post as a quote thats it.. I know many of them in the forum are suggesting the 3gs...So I just gave a general opinion...

Dude just I want everyone to know apple's cheap tricks on dumping old stocks..IPhone 3gs was launched long time back and was eol when the iphone 4 was launched..Iphone 4 was launched in India after almost one year..and apple knows that we will get carried away by the brand and will dump all their old stocks here...Cheap tricks by apple for selling the Iphone 3gs..

If it still has a 600mhz arm cortex processor.. then almost every other phone in this range have 1ghz proessors and better RAM and better cam etc..a nd see the scrren only a 320X480 screen.. thats even worse than nokia's resolution..Every other in this range has a 480X800 screen...

PLEASE DONT WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS MONEY ON OLD STOCKS LIKE THE IPHONE 3GS..Apple is cheating Indians with cheap tricks like this..

Empirial said:
If you're more into Multimedia then consider Nokia X7. Why? Read this thoroughly : Nokia X7-00 review: The stealth xpress - GSMArena.com

well...yes, feature-wise X7 makes a lot of sense for me...good cam, music, lifetime free maps, big screen, probably rugged too, since its Nokia and its metal. What concerns me is-the average hardware and battery life. Wildfire S matches it at a much less price-with Gingerbread. And how would its (both phones) speed be if I fill up a 32GB memory card to capacity?

guru_urug said:
Since you want a good-looking phone which is stylish too. Plus you arent gonna tweak your phone with custom roms....then take a look at iphone 3gs @19k

In android also check out the "nexus S"

3GS is outdated now, esp. with iPhone 5 about to come, and Nexus S doesn't pack as many features for the price. Good advice still

desiibond said:
X7 is currently overpriced. 17k-18k is the right price for it.

@OP: given your requirement, I would suggest you to check these instead:

1. Google Nexus S (google experience, decent camera, good display and battery, good music quality, loads of custom ROMs, updatus prime)
2. Nokia N8 (dolby digital plus, HDMI out, 12mp camera with best sensor found on mobiles, best navigation software)

None of the HTC devices are music centric. They suck at this department. audio quality is okay while camera quality is average too.

Agree with X7 price. I feel Nexus S, although as good as its sound n image quality can be, lacks some basic features for its price. N8 is all X7, without Anna and a smaller screen.

^^ Optimus Black should get gingerbread update soon. if you can wait, check if it fixes the battery problem. also check XDA's Optimus Black section if the battery problem can be fixed, else Nexus S looks like a good alternate as you don't want to play with custom roms.

Sam said:
^^ Optimus Black should get gingerbread update soon. if you can wait, check if it fixes the battery problem. also check XDA's Optimus Black section if the battery problem can be fixed, else Nexus S looks like a good alternate as you don't want to play with custom roms.

Yes, Nexus S is very good option and you don't have to wait for the updates like other Android phones does. As you are not interested in custom roms, I would suggest to go for Nexus S.

PS: There is no phone as complete phone, else no one will upgrade and sell the old ones. You have to compromise on one of the features or the others. Just figure out urself, which one is on the top priority and which one the least and then make a decision outta it. Good luck.

this "old stock" talk is srsly not true, there are older versions of droids and iphones on the market that offer great value despite being older iterations
from the options you mentioned, the Wildfire is as dated as it gets, its a very satisfying piece if you get it at a killer price
the "stylish and smart" begs the iPhone 3G tho, the device gets forgotten when you put on the apps

Sam said:
^^ Optimus Black should get gingerbread update soon. if you can wait, check if it fixes the battery problem. also check XDA's Optimus Black section if the battery problem can be fixed, else Nexus S looks like a good alternate as you don't want to play with custom roms.

The LG guy told me that Gingerbread update is available...I have to go to their service centre and get it done. Need to check online if it solves the battery issues.

Nexus S is a viable option...but isn't Galaxy SL better overall? Does it have Gingerbread?

dreatica said:
Yes, Nexus S is very good option and you don't have to wait for the updates like other Android phones does. As you are not interested in custom roms, I would suggest to go for Nexus S.

PS: There is no phone as complete phone, else no one will upgrade and sell the old ones. You have to compromise on one of the features or the others. Just figure out urself, which one is on the top priority and which one the least and then make a decision outta it. Good luck.

The concept of Nexus phones is that they get Google updates first? So it means OS upgrades or what? I'm a bit confused here.

only one thing for u,get Desire S

MetallosaurusRex said:
The LG guy told me that Gingerbread update is available...I have to go to their service centre and get it done. Need to check online if it solves the battery issues.

can be done at home easily.

MetallosaurusRex said:
Nexus S is a viable option...but isn't Galaxy SL better overall? Does it have Gingerbread?

depends what better mean for you. better maybe equal to better processor & GPU or maybe curved screen or HD video recording.

MetallosaurusRex said:
The concept of Nexus phones is that they get Google updates first? So it means OS upgrades or what? I'm a bit confused here.

yes. with NS you don't need to worry about manufacturers releasing new version of Android build for it. but till the hardware allows.

Sam said:
yes. with NS you don't need to worry about manufacturers releasing new version of Android build for it. but till the hardware allows.

All latest updates that are supported by the hardware of Nexus S will be released first by Google and later followed by HTC, Samsung etc for their phones.

Its not yet over :grin:

Later on, you can follow custom roms for non release OS updates which will not be available by Google officially. So on both sides you will get the beautiful cherry.

I would go with Nexus S as well.
Samsung Galaxy SL shouldn't even be in your list IMO, unless FM Radio is your priority.

Sam said:
^^ Optimus Black should get gingerbread update soon. if you can wait, check if it fixes the battery problem. also check XDA's Optimus Black section if the battery problem can be fixed, else Nexus S looks like a good alternate as you don't want to play with custom roms.

The LG guy here told me that GB upgrade is available, but XDA forums say it'll be around october. Anyways, as per XDA, the low battery life is due to s/w issues, apps that keep running in the background even if its on standby. So I suppose would be fixed in 2.3 update or I can disable those myself.

dreatica said:
Yes, Nexus S is very good option and you don't have to wait for the updates like other Android phones does. As you are not interested in custom roms, I would suggest to go for Nexus S.

PS: There is no phone as complete phone, else no one will upgrade and sell the old ones. You have to compromise on one of the features or the others. Just figure out urself, which one is on the top priority and which one the least and then make a decision outta it. Good luck.

Terabyte said:
I would go with Nexus S as well.
Samsung Galaxy SL shouldn't even be in your list IMO, unless FM Radio is your priority.

About the Nexus suggestions, 16GB is too less. As I mentioned earlier, it'll serve all my music and camera needs as I don't have an iPod or a digicam. And I don't want to spend 23k on Desire S if I am not getting good enough sound and photo quality, which many of you mentioned earlier is the case with HTC phones. In that case, I might as well buy Wildfire S (32GB, 5 MP, flash, Gingerbread) and save 10k.

Otherwise, X7 can be a good option as it has good music and photo capabilities.

Guess I'll weigh my options and run the good old MBA tool...SWOT analysis! :lol:

MetallosaurusRex said:
About the Nexus suggestions, 16GB is too less. As I mentioned earlier, it'll serve all my music and camera needs as I don't have an iPod or a digicam. And I don't want to spend 23k on Desire S if I am not getting good enough sound and photo quality, which many of you mentioned earlier is the case with HTC phones. In that case, I might as well buy Wildfire S (32GB, 5 MP, flash, Gingerbread) and save 10k.

Otherwise, X7 can be a good option as it has good music and photo capabilities.

Guess I'll weigh my options and run the good old MBA tool...SWOT analysis!

I was in same situation where camera was not my priority as I always feel to carry digicam for such needs.

I purchased optimus one (for my Android needs) and iPod 4g 32gb (for my music,video and gaming needs). No matter how less you handle your Android device, it would still be less in terms of battery when you love music and videos.

Since, optimus one is old now let it stay outta topic. If you are thinking to buy Wildfire S, why not go with a combo like Wildfire S plus iPod 32gb if you are ok with carrying two devices. I hope this will suffice all your demands.

I'd still recommend Nokia X7. If you're not willing to pay around 20k for Symbian device then wait for a month.

dreatica said:
I was in same situation where camera was not my priority as I always feel to carry digicam for such needs.

I purchased optimus one (for my Android needs) and iPod 4g 32gb (for my music,video and gaming needs). No matter how less you handle your Android device, it would still be less in terms of battery when you love music and videos.

Since, optimus one is old now let it stay outta topic. If you are thinking to buy Wildfire S, why not go with a combo like Wildfire S plus iPod 32gb if you are ok with carrying two devices. I hope this will suffice all your demands.

I thought the same, but if I am buying an mp3 player, I would like it to have my entire music collection (150 GB) and thats gonna be Cowon X7 because of the superior audio quality (I am an audiophile). That can wait for now.

Empirial said:
I'd still recommend Nokia X7. If you're not willing to pay around 20k for Symbian device then wait for a month.

Well....you mean price drop? And any idea when is Nokia launching its WP7 phones and are they gonna be better than Symbian and Android?

P

Nokia X7 is Overpriced at 20K . The launch price should have been 16 to 17 K . Add some cash and get a Galaxy S or Desire S . Its a thumb rule in india to buy the product which is selling the best .

MetallosaurusRex said:
Well....you mean price drop? And any idea when is Nokia launching its WP7 phones and are they gonna be better than Symbian and Android?

I've no idea about Nokia's WP7 phones but let me assure you that No Andriod Phone {Within 20k} can beat N8 & X7 in terms of Camera Performance & Audio Quality. If you can stretch your budger upto 23k then buy Samsung Galaxy S as the Audio Quality is as good as Nokia Phones but the only fly in the ointment is that it emits a slight hiss so if you prefer clean audio output like me then Nokia makes sense.

hmm...so Nokia is good for music and photos than Androids.

Do you guys see any lag in the performance of X7 if I am having data up to 32 GB? This is considering its limited h/w spec.

So now, the tradeoff is-good camera/music vs the usability of Gingerbread

Also, I read somewhere that you can actually fill up double the data in a phone than is specified. So, 64 GB can be put on 32GB phones? :-?

Empirial said:
I've no idea about Nokia's WP7 phones but let me assure you that No Andriod Phone {Within 20k} can beat N8 & X7 in terms of Camera Performance & Audio Quality. If you can stretch your budger upto 23k then buy Samsung Galaxy S as the Audio Quality is as good as Nokia Phones but the only fly in the ointment is that it emits a slight hiss so if you prefer clean audio output like me then Nokia makes sense.

Apply voodoo fix for Nexus S and you will see what exactly sound quality an android phone within 20k can produce. Nokia phones are meant for camera phones, nothing else.

MetallosaurusRex said:
hmm...so Nokia is good for music and photos than Androids.

Do you guys see any lag in the performance of X7 if I am having data up to 32 GB? This is considering its limited h/w spec.

So now, the tradeoff is-good camera/music vs the usability of Gingerbread

Also, I read somewhere that you can actually fill up double the data in a phone than is specified. So, 64 GB can be put on 32GB phones?

Offcourse, be ready for lag if you are going to use Symbian Anna. Dont quote on this until you have X7 or X7 review unit. Ask desiibond, he also using a review unit of X7.

tradeoff would be goodcamera (Nokia) vs all (Android)

I dont think you can put 64gb on 32gb phones. If you found anything about it, do enlighten us too.

MetallosaurusRex said:
hmm...so Nokia is good for music and photos than Androids.

Do you guys see any lag in the performance of X7 if I am having data up to 32 GB? This is considering its limited h/w spec.

So now, the tradeoff is-good camera/music vs the usability of Gingerbread

Also, I read somewhere that you can actually fill up double the data in a phone than is specified. So, 64 GB can be put on 32GB phones?

I am testing X7 currently. Design and build wise, it is just terrific and nothing else comes close. Audio quality is top notch, so it the UI performance (no lag whatsoever). But there are some issues.

1. Price: seriously overpriced right now.
2. Battery: battery life is not that impressive and you cannot replace the battery (seals unibody style build)
3.it will lag with a 32gig memory card (atleast when you are accessing music or any application that will make use of the memory card). to negate this, you need to get an SD card with high throughput/datarate.

right now, I would either pick N8 or O:Black or N:S for a budget of 20k. if you can extend just a bit, D:S would be perfect.

N

Empirial said:
I've no idea about Nokia's WP7 phones but let me assure you that No Andriod Phone {Within 20k} can beat N8 & X7 in terms of Camera Performance & Audio Quality. If you can stretch your budger upto 23k then buy Samsung Galaxy S as the Audio Quality is as good as Nokia Phones but the only fly in the ointment is that it emits a slight hiss so if you prefer clean audio output like me then Nokia makes sense.

using galaxy S here and no such hiss as you mentioned. Sound quality is top-notch..just dont use the crap earphones bundled by samsung.

noob said:
using galaxy S here and no such hiss as you mentioned. Sound quality is top-notch..just dont use the crap earphones bundled by samsung.

and if necessary, apply voodoo patch to make it sound even better.

desiibond said:
I am testing X7 currently. Design and build wise, it is just terrific and nothing else comes close. Audio quality is top notch, so it the UI performance (no lag whatsoever). But there are some issues.

1. Price: seriously overpriced right now.
2. Battery: battery life is not that impressive and you cannot replace the battery (seals unibody style build)
3.it will lag with a 32gig memory card (atleast when you are accessing music or any application that will make use of the memory card). to negate this, you need to get an SD card with high throughput/datarate.

right now, I would either pick N8 or O:Black or N:S for a budget of 20k. if you can extend just a bit, D:S would be perfect.

ok...that was quite helpful!

you expect a price drop on that any time soon? also, how bad is the battery backup? is it like O:Black, which "barely lasts a day"?

MetallosaurusRex said:
ok...that was quite helpful!

you expect a price drop on that any time soon? also, how bad is the battery backup? is it like O:Black, which "barely lasts a day"?

not sure when the price drop will happen. it lasted till yesterday night (drained almost completely by 9pm) on heavy internet use (EDGE and Wi-Fi), connected to EDGE all the time and the widgets pulling updates from internet.

ok...I assume your phone charge was since morning. so with all the updates running in the background, 9 pm is okayish (not good, but manageable).

Also, how much a 32GB mem card with a high datarate cost, and from where I buy it? I'm sure the usual marketplace retailers won't have any idea about it.

So, I guess I can narrow down my choices to X7 or Desire S. If I want to buy for less, Defy or Wildfire S. Trust me, I really rough up my phones! The lesser the financial pinch everytime, the better! :\

MetallosaurusRex said:
ok...I assume your phone charge was since morning. so with all the updates running in the background, 9 pm is okayish (not good, but manageable).

Also, how much a 32GB mem card with a high datarate cost, and from where I buy it? I'm sure the usual marketplace retailers won't have any idea about it.

So, I guess I can narrow down my choices to X7 or Desire S. If I want to buy for less, Defy or Wildfire S. Trust me, I really rough up my phones! The lesser the financial pinch everytime, the better! :\

I dropped X7 from a 3ft height, it fell on the floor and not even a single scratch.

you will need something like this:Flipkart.com: Transcend Memory Card 32 GB SD 32GB Class 10: Memory Card

not sure if this one is microSD in SD adapter as only microSD cards will fit with X7.

ok!
About maps, it says Ovi maps is lifetime free. But I still would have to get a data connection, right? Sorry for the n0obish questions...this is gonna be the first smartphone that I'll buy

I dont think so. Ovi Maps is GPS based

I think if u install the some 96 MB OVI map pack then u can explore without data conection...but u will get just the basic routes...not much info...

Its always better to use EDGE with OVI maps...it works wonderfully

Went and had a hands-on experience of the X7 at Nokia Priority Store. Must say, the phone is a looker! I haven't seen any 4" phone which looks better than this, not even the Optimus Black.

Now, coming to the performance-The screen looks excellent and is responsive. QWERTY keyboard works well. Tried the maps, navigation and it was on par with Google maps IMO. I don't know which of the two-Google or Ovi maps, contain more details. Camera flash is good, pics are great (except when you click text/pages, because of lack of focus). Speaker quality is good and I suppose headphone quality must also be good (through headphones). Video viewing was great...the 4" screen is a joy to look at.

There was a sales rep. esp. kept for X7. Nokia are promoting X7 as a "Gaming Phone". Tried loading NFS Shift and it took a full min. or so to load! Thats the h/w limitation though...there was no issue playing the game.

Now, I enquired and kept on pestering him; got this info:

Meebo beased N9 should be coming in 1-2 months
The new smartphones would be based on Windows Phone 7, don't know when though

MetallosaurusRex said:
Went and had a hands-on experience of the X7 at Nokia Priority Store. Must say, the phone is a looker! I haven't seen any 4" phone which looks better than this, not even the Optimus Black.

Now, coming to the performance-The screen looks excellent and is responsive. QWERTY keyboard works well. Tried the maps, navigation and it was on par with Google maps IMO. I don't know which of the two-Google or Ovi maps, contain more details. Camera flash is good, pics are great (except when you click text/pages, because of lack of focus). Speaker quality is good and I suppose headphone quality must also be good (through headphones). Video viewing was great...the 4" screen is a joy to look at.

There was a sales rep. esp. kept for X7. Nokia are promoting X7 as a "Gaming Phone". Tried loading NFS Shift and it took a full min. or so to load! Thats the h/w limitation though...there was no issue playing the game.

Now, I enquired and kept on pestering him; got this info:

Meebo beased N9 should be coming in 1-2 months

The new smartphones would be based on Windows Phone 7, don't know when though

1. the audio output using IEM is just superb. much much better than anything else inside 20k (better than N900's and X10's and O:B's)
2. Ovi maps IMO is much much more detailed and the drive voice guided navigation is unmatched. I loaded swype and never looked back at stock qwerty. Prediction is very good.

MetallosaurusRex said:
There was a sales rep. esp. kept for X7. Nokia are promoting X7 as a "Gaming Phone". Tried loading NFS Shift and it took a full min. or so to load! Thats the h/w limitation though...there was no issue playing the game.

long load time are mostly due to software issues. a new updated version should fix these.

MetallosaurusRex said:
The new smartphones would be based on Windows Phone 7, don't know when though

most likely November-December 2011. or Q1 2012 to be safe.

N

Sam said:
long load time are mostly due to software issues. a new updated version should fix these.

Nop. He is right that's a H/W issue. 680 MHz processor.

NainO said:
Nop. He is right that's a H/W issue. 680 MHz processor.

but X7 have Broadcom GPU. & also how is CPU related to loading times?

N

^^^ and how is GPU related to loading time???
Loading time is CPU dependent not GPU.
My Samsung Wave loads NFS Shift much faster than my friend's Nokia N8.

Sam said:
but X7 have Broadcom GPU. & also how is CPU related to loading times?

check the video of the same game loading on SGS or other droids with powerful GPU.

and also check video of the game loading on ace and other shitty droids.

NainO said:
Loading time is CPU dependent not GPU. My Samsung Wave loads NFS Shift much faster than my friend's Nokia N8.

well then it is a CPU problem i guess.

desiibond said:
check the video of the same game loading on SGS or other droids with powerful GPU.

CPU or GPU? Naino is talking about CPU. you about GPU. confused.

i read that the whole load of the new breed of Symbian S^3 based mobiles is on the GPU. it does have around 32Mb of dedicated graphics memory of which 20Mb is used by apps or so.(link). but the link between GPU & CPU maybe bottleneck the whole loading process.

PS: yet to check the video but was X7 running the HD version? i played the plain version & loading takes little longer than other similar games.

Sam said:
well then it is a CPU problem i guess.

CPU or GPU? Naino is talking about CPU. you about GPU. confused.

i read that the whole load of the new breed of Symbian S^3 based mobiles is on the GPU. it does have around 32Mb of dedicated graphics memory of which 20Mb is used by apps or so.(link). but the link between GPU & CPU maybe bottleneck the whole loading process.

PS: yet to check the video but was X7 running the HD version? i played the plain version & loading takes little longer than other similar games.

CPU. SoC to be precise. as a powerful CPU might load the game faster but will make it crawl without good GPU.

Yes, its a fact that h/w specs of X7 are inferior to the phones in that price range.

I have no idea about Windows Phone 7. Anyone can tell me its advantages/disadvantages over Android and Symbian?

I'm asking this because of this

MetallosaurusRex said:
Yes, its a fact that h/w specs of X7 are inferior to the phones in that price range.

I have no idea about Windows Phone 7. Anyone can tell me its advantages/disadvantages over Android and Symbian?

I'm asking this because of this

The UI is damn smooth and yet not too simple like iOS.
You need not worry at all about the phone becoming laggy or the apps not being compatible, thanks to strict manufacturing rules laid down by MS
The apps are less right now but few weeks/months from now, there will be many and they actually work better on WP7 than on android or symbian.

-ves:

1. depends on zune client for transfers but given that you can do wireless sync, shouldn't be much of a problem
2. too much of sideways scrolling and sometimes, there is too much of text.

So what do you suggest? Shall I wait for Nokia's WP7 to come to India? What would be the approx. release time?

Some concerns about:

battery life
music quality
camera
battery life
maps

I assume WP7 is better than Symbian in all ways?

MetallosaurusRex said:
So what do you suggest? Shall I wait for Nokia's WP7 to come to India? What would be the approx. release time?

Some concerns about:

battery life

music quality

camera

maps

I assume WP7 is better than Symbian in all ways?

most of these (except maps) depends on h/w and not on s/w. Nokia has always pioneered most of these like music quality, camera, maps.

Imagine Nokia X7 running WP7, powered by Tegra or Snapdragon. h/w wise, this is better than many mid-range devices and though I liked S^3 on this one, many feel that it is outdated. WP7 should make it one heck of a phone.

desiibond said:
most of these (except maps) depends on h/w and not on s/w. Nokia has always pioneered most of these like music quality, camera, maps.

Imagine Nokia X7 running WP7, powered by Tegra or Snapdragon. h/w wise, this is better than many mid-range devices and though I liked S^3 on this one, many feel that it is outdated. WP7 should make it one heck of a phone.

But these WP7 specific limitations look disturbing :\

No system-wide file manager
No Bluetooth file transfers
No USB mass storage mode
Limited third-party apps availability
No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
Too dependent on Zune software for file management and syncing
No video calls
New ringtones available only through the Marketplace
Music player lacks equalizer presets
No multitasking
No copy/paste
No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune software)
No sign of free Bing maps Navigation so far
No internet tethering support
No handwriting recognition support

(copied from GSMArena)

MetallosaurusRex said:
But these WP7 specific limitations look disturbing :\

No system-wide file manager

No Bluetooth file transfers

No USB mass storage mode

Limited third-party apps availability

No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser

Too dependent on Zune software for file management and syncing

No video calls

New ringtones available only through the Marketplace

Music player lacks equalizer presets

No multitasking

No copy/paste

No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune software)

No sign of free Bing maps Navigation so far

No internet tethering support

No handwriting recognition support

(copied from GSMArena)

some of these are fixed with Mango while some are restrictions that will never be fixed and are fixed using hacks. Like I said, it won't offer the flexibility of Android. This OS sits between iOS and android.

btw, who is using handwriting in the era of capacitive touch?

Microsoft Previews Next Release of Windows Phone: â€œMangoâ€ to deliver smarter and easier communications, apps and Internet experiences and bring Windows Phone to more customers around the world.

ok...thanks for the link. I still believe Android is for the longer run, more futuristic than WP7 or Symbian. Looks like I still have some time to go before I decide :\

Well, Xperia Mini pro is out for around 15k. It has better specs in (almost) every department than the Wildfire S

...and I am waiting for Nokia's WP7 phones to arrive

Just read: Is Defy+ gonna be out soon? Any price predictions and what features would it have? Desibond?

MetallosaurusRex said:
Well, Xperia Mini pro is out for around 15k. It has better specs in (almost) every department than the Wildfire S

...and I am waiting for Nokia's WP7 phones to arrive

Just read: Is Defy+ gonna be out soon? Any price predictions and what features would it have? Desibond?

There are lot of Motorola's droids that never made to India. Till it is officially released here, I wouldn't speculate.

ok...enough waiting for WP7. I guess its sometime they arrive in the market and I should now go with the popular choice that is Android.

With extensive searching on Android phones with good sound and camera quality in 20k...I have shortlisted Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo. Guess I have to stretch my budget to a few grands more. Anyone has any idea of its exact price (street and online)? Would it be sensible to buy it if its price is close to Optimus 2X? I am sure its audio and cam quality is better than Desire S(5MP), with Desire S probably having better UI.

MetallosaurusRex said:
Well, Xperia Mini pro is out for around 15k. It has better specs in (almost) every department than the Wildfire S

...and I am waiting for Nokia's WP7 phones to arrive

Just read: Is Defy+ gonna be out soon? Any price predictions and what features would it have? Desibond?

Defy+ is the same as the Defy but with a 1GHz processor and Gingerbread. Also still doesn't have a front camera, otherwise a really good package.

MetallosaurusRex said:
ok...enough waiting for WP7. I guess its sometime they arrive in the market and I should now go with the popular choice that is Android.

With extensive searching on Android phones with good sound and camera quality in 20k...I have shortlisted Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo. Guess I have to stretch my budget to a few grands more. Anyone has any idea of its exact price (street and online)? Would it be sensible to buy it if its price is close to Optimus 2X? I am sure its audio and cam quality is better than Desire S(5MP), with Desire S probably having better UI.

Well, not considering Defy or WP7 anymore. I am now considering Xperia Neo, Ray, Optimus 2X and probably Desire S. Sites say Xperia Neo is "coming soon" and I see the prices around 24k :-x

Anyone saw a better price?

I see that Ray and Neo have exactly the same specs, except for Ray's smaller screen. I guess small screen wont let me enjoy Android as much? Does Optimus 2X have good enough audio quality?

Why don`t you look into the original Galaxy s?Awesome audio quality and a great screen!

N

MetallosaurusRex said:
Does Optimus 2X have good enough audio quality?

(Reviews say) Its average!!!

Well, yes. But the audio numbers look excellent (GSMArena). May be they can perform better with the better earphones that I have. Lets c. Of course, cam is good and build quality is good.

Xperia Neo and Ray will take a month or more to come to market, asked the Sony World guys.

So, I have more or less finalized on O:2X, for the performance and features it has for a few grands extra. I believe it to be a future proof phone! If anyone has any strong suggestions against it, please speak now as I am gonna buy it tomorrow probably

^^Are you o.k with rooting,flashing etc?If yes,buy it!

Not really ok with rooting/flashing. I guess Gingerbread (and then ICS) would be enough to make me happy.

You're saying this because LG UI sucks?

Techtree : The device's sound quality is also good, but not as impressive as its rivals. It's reasonably loud through the earphones, but the onboard speaker's performance is disappointing. The sound only comes out of one speaker grille, while the second remains quiet. Interestingly, the latter houses a microphone instead of a speaker. Thankfully, the bundled earphones are great, which breaks the ritual of shipping Androids with
bad accessories. FM radio is present, and its
interface gives you the nostalgia of good old radio.

Tech 2 : Even with Dolby Mobile audio enhancement and SRS Virtual Surround sound, that’s capable of reaching quite high decibel levels, the Optimus 2X, was just about average in the quality department. The bass levels were heavy and resounded well with a good set of earphones. Higher and mid range frequencies, depending on the preset selected, proved to be just a little sharp for my taste but not enough to make it uncomfortable. On the whole, although the Optimus 2X can dish out some seriously loud tones, you’re going to need a much better headset to cope with the levels. The bundled set is not designed to handle the handset’s full audio capabilities.

Techradar : The audio quality on the LG Optimus 2X is acceptable, though not ground-breaking. The addition of a quick Virtual Surround option can boost some audio, but it's not for everyone. With the volume turned right up, there can be a bit of distortion in the high end of songs, but it's not too much of a problem.

Bought LG Optimus 2X

ok...so after a LOT of research and analysis, I went ahead and increased my budget a bit, and bought the LG Optimus 2X! There is no phone as a perfect phone, but what the heck, you can always make your phone future proof! :-D

With my music and camera needs, coupled with Android experience on an insanely fast phone, O:2X seems to be the best choice.

Pleasant surprise:
As you'd read in the earlier posts, my budget was 20k max. I went out in the market (Pune) and couldn't find it less than 25.5k anywhere. Hotspot had it at 24k (and I dont trust Saholic), but was out of stock (and I'm sure had it been in stock, it'd been 25k+). So came back home puzzled :\
Saw a price of 24.5k on Letsbuy, applied a coupon and voila, I got my O:2X for an awesome deal at 23.5k!!! :doublethumb:

They say it'll be delivered in 4-5 business days. Can't wait to get my hands on it now!!! Thanks everyone, esp. Desiibond, for your valuable suggestions and eye-openers :-D

Here's my review:

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/mobile-monsters/146393-my-lg-optimus-2x-review.html#post1492616

buddy, go for wave ii... good multimedia, fast browsing, screen quality, incredible camera, etc.... not apps though...