Android phones, apps and tablets

Don't know if anyone else has the XKCD browser app, but whenever I exit it, I see the HTC logo on a white screen and the Android home screen 'relaunches'. I wonder if it's just geeks being trolls and making it happen or if it's a bug in the app.

I get that sometimes, since upgrading to 2.3. I think it's the phone UI crashing out or something.

Mine does that after an Angry Birds session...
#tryingtogetthreestarsoneverylevelforaboutthefourthtimeover

Giff gaff also just launched mobile data only plans for tethering etc.

The only additional top ups I've had to pay on my phone £10 bundle is for calling 0845 numbers if I've been to lazy to find the geographical line.

I'm going to go to the "Everything Everyone Eveywhere Blah blah blah" shop at the "mall" in a bit. I'll take a look at their phones and if I get the bug, I'll pick one up. The problem with moving to giffgaff is I lose my T-mobile street cred. Whenever I've renewed they've given me a new current gen phone for free + a cheaper or better tariff on an 18 month contract because I'm a "valued customer." That could be BS, but who knows. Almost 5 years on the same provider, paying on time every month, using it overseas (which I assume they make good money from), often going just a little above my tariff allowance....

Actually, it would take me probably three years on giffgaff to "save" the money for a current generation phone. (My current bill is usually around £22 a month, and I would only need the £10 tariff on giffgaff. I would save about £150 a year).

Am I missing something?

If T-Mbile provide you with a new phone on an 18 month agreement, that works out to (say) a £450 pound phone sliced 18 times, so £25 per month.

Therefore, if they are happy to give you a handset for £22 (£3 less than the apparent cost of the phone, I'd say go for it.

Otherwise you have £10 a month of GiffGaff, plus £25 of phone payment.

just got cold called by vodafone wanting me to come back to them, and I'm due an upgrade with o2. Currently have an Old Iphone 3, so would kind of want an Iphone 4, but might consider a Samsung Galaxy SII. Does anyone have any advise as how to negotiate the best deal for myself or any experience of playing off the providers against each other to barter them down?

I want a 12 or 18 month contract, 300 or more mins, free phone, unlimited texts and 500 data usage, for under £30. Does this seem unrealistic?

You're probably better off just asking for what you want and being blunt about it - if they offer you something less, pause, say 'ok, thanks I'm going to check some other prices' and see what happens; I can't imagine it will require any finessed negotiation skills.

If you tell T-Mobile you want to leave they will pass you to retentions team , tell them what you want and for how much.

My experience was that they initially refused to give me a Galaxy S2 for price/terms I wanted then later 2 days or something before number was to port to Giff Gaff called me back and said "yeah OK".

I went to Giff Gaff anyway

Tips on the bestest Galaxy S2 rom?

Motorola Razr or Samsung Galaxy Nexus?

Think I'm going with the nexus personally. Had 2 HTCs and I'm getting a bit bored of sense now, and it seems like ice cream sandwich is a really big step forward experience wise. I'll also be looking forward to getting updates straight away as opposed to having to wait for manufacturers to release their version.

^ yeah agreed, I am due an upgrade this week but might hold out for the Nexus - my only concern is that there is no SD card storage on it

Yeah, it is a bit of a pain, guess google are trying to simplify things by moving towards in-built only storage. Think i should be alright with 32gb, although I would definitely prefer the option of expansion.

Samsung uk did tweet this - http://twitter.com/#!/samsunguk/status/127047614087696385
Although its most likely that whoever wrote this just got it wrong, it could be that there are going to be more region specific differences than just hspa+ / lte. Not going to hold out too much hope on that one though!

Think it's only 16Gb though, non?

there are both 16 and 32gb models

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/10/microsoft-collects-license-fees-on-50-of-android-devices-tells-google-to-wake-up.ars

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2450mAh-HIGH-Capacity-Gold-BUSINESS-Rechargeable-Battery-HTC-DESIRE-HD-ACE-/310347159411?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item484221d773#ht_3527wt_1218 has anyone got any experience with these batteries? any god, or am i better sticking to rubbish battery life?

Came back from the pub and workmate was on the phone saying "want an android tablet for 130 quid" so I said ok.. now own an Archos 101..

http://www.archos.com/products/ta/archos_101it/index.html?lang=en

they're reduced at HMV.

I still want the Sony.

Yeah, I figure for that money it'll be nice to mess about with.

I just bought VB's old ThinkPad, does the job nicely.

Bit heavier than that Archos mind.

Which HMV hippy?

Bought one on the way home, impressed for 129 quid.

Uninstalled their weird version of the market and the bundled crappy apps and put the proper market on and it's all good so far.