Singapore Expats

The phone is selling in the US for $350, but the cheapest I've found here without a plan is $700+! Anyone have an idea where or how to get it cheaper?

By mail order from the US?

Mail from US is your best bet. I just got a Nexus 7 tablet, and I couldn't find an easy way to trick them into selling it to me here. You'll have to VPN to the US and then find a US shipping address and credit card.

If you're extremely keen on it, I'm likely going there in a month. Maybe we can work something out.

Was looking into getting one myself. You can try whymobile and mobile square (google them). They're going for under 700 in those stores. There are also people online who are selling theirs for under 500 for practically new units, subject to inspection of course.

@zzm9980: Could you pm me about your trip? I'm seriously considering taking you up on your offer.

I bought one right before I came here. Love it, but not for $700.

Maybe signup on http://www.myus.com/ for the shipping address and paypal it?

You might want to have a look at the Samsung Galaxy S3 instead, as it seems to compare quite favourably with the Google Nexus Phone:

http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung ... deo-96114/

The carriers here have thie S3 as a mainstream model, so if you want to sign up (or renew) for a 2 year contract the initial cost will obviously be lower than buying it standalone.

Alternatively, if you don't want to sign/renew a contract, you could try looking for a used Google Nexus Phone or Samsung Galaxy S2 (also an excellent device, with a dual core CPU like the Nexus, whereas the S3 has a quad-core processor) on places like Craigslist, HardwareZone, etc. But beware of scammers though if you go down that route.

The S3 is better hardware, but you're not guaranteed OS updates. That's the biggest problem on Android, and the Nexus is the only model pretty guaranteed to get all updates the hardware can support. There's already a significantly newer version of Android out than what is coming on the brand new S3s.

Also, the cost difference is huge. Nexus is about half the price for an unlocked model/non-subsidized model.

Good points. I really like Samsung phones (currently using a Galaxy Note), but Samsung are very slow with software updates. Many people, myself included, end up rooting the phone (there's that word again) and installing a custom ROM. One shouldn't have to do that of course, but that way you start to get the best out of the hardware, which really is excellent IMO.

Mi Amigo wrote:Good points. I really like Samsung phones (currently using a Galaxy Note), but Samsung are very slow with software updates. Many people, myself included, end up rooting the phone (there's that word again) and installing a custom ROM. One shouldn't have to do that of course, but that way you start to get the best out of the hardware, which really is excellent IMO.

Having been an iPhone owner and now a Galaxy S2 owner, I can say that while IOS has it shortcomings, Android plainly sucks in too many ways. The Samsung hardware is great, some of the apps are very good... but c'mon... runaway apps that run the battery down (including the bloody OS itself)? Or complete screen freeze that requires the battery to be removed? The need to load alternate launchers and, text, and email clients because the native apps are so thin? Stinking ads in way too many apps? Annoying glitches like forgetting preferences? Memory management so shitty that apps quit working without the OS telling you about issues? I've become so pissed off at Android that I'm within a frog's hair of going back to the hated Apple... just waiting for a Windows 8 phone.

Strong Eagle wrote:

Mi Amigo wrote:Good points. I really like Samsung phones (currently using a Galaxy Note), but Samsung are very slow with software updates. Many people, myself included, end up rooting the phone (there's that word again) and installing a custom ROM. One shouldn't have to do that of course, but that way you start to get the best out of the hardware, which really is excellent IMO.

Having been an iPhone owner and now a Galaxy S2 owner, I can say that while IOS has it shortcomings, Android plainly sucks in too many ways. The Samsung hardware is great, some of the apps are very good... but c'mon... runaway apps that run the battery down (including the bloody OS itself)? Or complete screen freeze that requires the battery to be removed? The need to load alternate launchers and, text, and email clients because the native apps are so thin? Stinking ads in way too many apps? Annoying glitches like forgetting preferences? Memory management so shitty that apps quit working without the OS telling you about issues? I've become so pissed off at Android that I'm within a frog's hair of going back to the hated Apple... just waiting for a Windows 8 phone.

And if I may add, confirm for yourself how wanting the Android OS is. Grab your favorite 10" Android tablet. Bring up the maps. Put it next to the new Apple iPad. Bring up the maps on the iPad. Select the same address on each. Now SCROLL with your finger... there is no comparison.

Now, bring up the browser... select the same website... like the 2012 Olympics... scroll down... watch the difference.

You'd think that an OS that was "designed for the smart phone" could keep up with IOS... but it doesn't... it's jerky... it's delayed. Lots more work to do.

My wife and I went Friday to look at tablets... gave ourselves 3 hours for a thorough research... 15 minutes into dinking around with Android tablets, we fire up the Apple... no brainer... sooooo much better user experience.

Android 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") introduced Project Butter to address that. As for your phone woes, I'd blame Samsung TouchWiz for that.

nakatago wrote:Android 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") introduced Project Butter

Do these companies have a something like a Creative Department for Silly Names?

Strong Eagle wrote:

Strong Eagle wrote:

Mi Amigo wrote:Good points. I really like Samsung phones (currently using a Galaxy Note), but Samsung are very slow with software updates. Many people, myself included, end up rooting the phone (there's that word again) and installing a custom ROM. One shouldn't have to do that of course, but that way you start to get the best out of the hardware, which really is excellent IMO.

Having been an iPhone owner and now a Galaxy S2 owner, I can say that while IOS has it shortcomings, Android plainly sucks in too many ways. The Samsung hardware is great, some of the apps are very good... but c'mon... runaway apps that run the battery down (including the bloody OS itself)? Or complete screen freeze that requires the battery to be removed? The need to load alternate launchers and, text, and email clients because the native apps are so thin? Stinking ads in way too many apps? Annoying glitches like forgetting preferences? Memory management so shitty that apps quit working without the OS telling you about issues? I've become so pissed off at Android that I'm within a frog's hair of going back to the hated Apple... just waiting for a Windows 8 phone.

And if I may add, confirm for yourself how wanting the Android OS is. Grab your favorite 10" Android tablet. Bring up the maps. Put it next to the new Apple iPad. Bring up the maps on the iPad. Select the same address on each. Now SCROLL with your finger... there is no comparison.

Now, bring up the browser... select the same website... like the 2012 Olympics... scroll down... watch the difference.

You'd think that an OS that was "designed for the smart phone" could keep up with IOS... but it doesn't... it's jerky... it's delayed. Lots more work to do.

My wife and I went Friday to look at tablets... gave ourselves 3 hours for a thorough research... 15 minutes into dinking around with Android tablets, we fire up the Apple... no brainer... sooooo much better user experience.

... But apart from that, everthings hunky dory, right?

The trouble with Android devices is that you have to fiddle around with them (often for some considerable time) in order to get them to work the way you want. For normal people who just want something that works out of the box, I have no hesitation in recommending an iPhone or iPad - they are excellent devices in their own way, no question. For abnormal, nerdy people like me who (usually) enjoy the challenge, Android has a lot more flexibility. It's good and bad at the same time - for example, I don't like the idea that Apple can tell me what I can or cannot do on a piece of hardware that I might own, so in Android, I can look at the filesystem, install any apps I like, etc., etc. The downside is of course that I could also turn the thing into a copmplete dog's breakfast (or worse still, a brick) if I didn't know what I was doing.

It's good that we have the choice. As a weirdo Android user, I actually like my Galaxy Note phone and Asus Transformer Prime tablet. They are working great for me, although it did take a little while to get them that way. So I can also see the advantage of just buying an Apple device and getting on with your online life (as Mr Jobs & co. deemed it should be).

As for Windows 8... Well, time will tell, but I don't think I'll be rushing to be an early adopter.

JR8 wrote:

nakatago wrote:Android 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") introduced Project Butter

Do these companies have a something like a Creative Department for Silly Names?

Names are usually subjects to the whims of whoever calls the shots. Often, such names are internal but sometimes, they get out.

FYI, the next android version is rumored to be called "key lime pie." So, cupcake, donut, eclair, froyo, gingerbread, honeycomb, ice cream sandwich, jelly bean, key lime pie. They wouldn't say, though, why they let it out.

Ubuntu, for example, is an adjective-animal alliteration naming scheme and in alphabetical order and the company chairman, Mark Shuttleworth, picks the names: karmic koala, lucid lynx, maverick meerkat, natty narwhal, oneiric ocelot, precise pangolin, quantal quetzal.

JR8 wrote:

nakatago wrote:Android 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") introduced Project Butter

Do these companies have a something like a Creative Department for Silly Names?

Blame Google. The Android release names are always candy / sweet food related (Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich, etc.). I wonder what else they have lined up; perhaps they'll start on the Monty Python box of chocolates one day, e.g. crunchy frog.