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Smartphones

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ericthered

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #195 on: September 18, 2012, 03:58:34 PM »
Ok, my crap HTC phone is broken, again...you say "Boogedy-boogedy-boo" to the screen and it breaks...Yes, I do actually sit and make creepy noises at my phone, instead of on my phone...so, I want to get a better phone...Now, I don't use many apps, except for the Chinese dictionary, I don't use twitter or QQ or any social media on my phone...essentially, I want to buy a good phone that can go online, which I can use Pleco's dictionary on, take pictures with and it will not break if you scowl at it. Was wondering if it was worth it buying an iPhone 5, or if I should simple buy the now much cheaper iPhone 4S or should I go with Samsung instead. Nokia and HTC can both pucker up and smooch my pale, Danish bum. So, smartphone users, enlighten the ignorant mind of a most technologically baffled teacher.
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Calach Pfeffer

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #196 on: September 18, 2012, 04:54:08 PM »
http://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_4_is_the_most_reliable_yet_breakable_smartphone_out_there-news-2065.php

A smartphone is a large piece of glass you carry around in your pocket.
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Stil

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #197 on: September 18, 2012, 07:03:57 PM »
If you use Pleco, make sure that you can transfer your purchase from Android to iPhone (different versions of the software) before buying an iPhone. In China the iPhone 5 is not available yet so the iPhone 4S prices with not be at their cheapest for awhile.

How much are you willing to spend? The Samsung Galaxy III looks like a good phone. If you only care about Pleco and other dictionaries, think about a cheap non-smart phone and an iPod touch. Much cheaper in terms of buying the hardware but mostly in monthly fees.
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piglet

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #198 on: September 20, 2012, 02:45:34 AM »
People keep telling me that if you buy the Samsung in China you can't access all kinds of stuff, so I am wondering if it isn't better if I just wait and buy one at home in January? Also afraid someone will sell me a fake. I am as confused,bewildered and bothered as ETR.Maybe I don't even NEED one? I have an Ipod touch I use for accessing the NET,email.Pleco,google maps etc and a crappety crap ancient unwired Nokia.  mmmmmmmmmm
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Fozzwaldus

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #199 on: September 20, 2012, 05:12:12 AM »
Quote from: piglet on September 20, 2012, 02:45:34 AM
People keep telling me that if you buy the Samsung in China you can't access all kinds of stuff, so I am wondering if it isn't better if I just wait and buy one at home in January?

yes that's true. you can't access TONS of apps from google play, so your 'play' is very limited. not-such-a-smart-phone
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Stil

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #200 on: September 20, 2012, 05:18:49 AM »

Will it matter if you buy one at home? Is the reason you can't access Google Play etc... because of the software is not included here or because it's blocked?
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piglet

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #201 on: September 20, 2012, 09:46:33 PM »
Stil I was under the impression that it's cheaper here than at home but if I can't access a ton of apps then I would rather pay a bit more...I am just getting confuseder and confuseder  mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
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Calach Pfeffer

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #202 on: September 20, 2012, 11:28:44 PM »
Google Play is screwed in China for business and political reasons. I'm under the impression you can get apps from Play, but only if they're free versions. Apps you pay for aren't allowed. Not sure if that's right though. There are in any case a great many apps stores within China. They feature mostly pirated apps. The whole who pays for what and how do developers keep developing story is an interesting one, but for Android users who aren't as cavalier about malware as the Chinese, I imagine it's awkward.

Disclaimer: I don't use Play or Chinese app stores. I use google to find downloadable apks online and sideload. Which brings us once again to the wise and sagacious observation once made by the venerable Stil: if you like to tinker, get an Android phone; if you want something that just works, then iphone yourself.

I'm pretty sure in fact there are apps you can get for an Android phone that will give you full access to Google Play from within China. But, as with everything Android, you have to tinker, in this case root and probably then sideload an apk.


It's actually kind of interesting how China is making itself into a whole separate Android ecosystem.



ETA: The TechinAsia Top Ten List of Apps Store alternatives in China
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Monkey King

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #203 on: September 20, 2012, 11:36:03 PM »
Yeah, you can still get a lot of Android apps by 'other' routes if you are persistent.

http://as.baidu.com/

http://www.gizchina.com/2012/08/14/20-ways-to-get-free-android-apps-downloads/
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The Local Dialect

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #204 on: September 27, 2012, 11:01:24 PM »
Ok so I'm finally jumping on the smartphone wagon, like 3 years after everyone else.

I don't want an iPhone. I'm looking at doing one of those deals where you trade in minutes for a phone. I'd like a Samsung but it looks like what's available are maybe NOT Galaxy phones, but something else? They are smartphones ... but lower end? I don't know.

There is also a very impressively priced Lenovo phone on offer, the A698T. Are these phones crap or is it worth a try?
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Calach Pfeffer

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #205 on: September 28, 2012, 12:24:38 AM »
A698T? Is that this'n?

Disclaimer: Wild Ass Guess...

Lenovo appears at the moment to be going with the "乐" branding in China, their Lephone, which as far as I know is comprised of their S2 and K800 and variants. I don't know if the product line's especially coherent, though. They have a buttload of technical variations on offer. They all seem kind of cheap and cheerful.

Cheap in the case of Chinese phones doesn't always means crap at the moment. The homegrown Chinese smartphone makers seem across the board to be sacrificing profit for market share, so they're offering pretty good tech for relatively modest prices. However... less than a 1000 yuan for an Android 4.0 phone...

My ***WILD ASS GUESS*** is it could be okay, but it won't be as pretty.
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The Local Dialect

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #206 on: September 28, 2012, 12:37:32 AM »
Thanks CP. That's the one.

I think I am going to give it a shot. China Mobile, my provider, is doing a deal where if you put 960rmb of minutes into your phone, they give you the phone for "free".

Just researching for like, an afternoon (very thorough, I know), I can tell there are loads and loads of relatively affordable smartphones from Chinese makers, all sorts of brands I've never heard of. And I am a bit skeptical, but, you know, I am not that picky about this sort of shit and if it sucks I'll give it to my dad who is technologically inept and bite the bullet and get something nicer.

Lenovo is a well established brand at least and perhaps what they're doing is trying to break the Samsung/iPhone hold on the market by offering something the average Zhou can afford. Plus -- 国货！It is a Chinese brand, and that plays well with the nationalists these days.
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old34

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #207 on: September 28, 2012, 12:39:44 AM »
Two good (English) websites for the state-of-the-(sm)art in China:

http://www.gizchina.com

http://micgadget.com

Check 'em out before you buy.
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Calach Pfeffer

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #208 on: September 28, 2012, 01:01:20 AM »
As far as budget Chinese smartphones go, the Huawei G300 is supposed to be good. Seems to be in the 1000 yuan range too.

Against the A698T it's less bang for the buck though, and not Android 4.0, and not China Mobile branded. I'll be interested to hear how the A698T works out.
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The Local Dialect

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #209 on: September 28, 2012, 02:36:24 PM »
So, another noob question about this whole smartphone bidness.

What sort of packages do you guys have for your 3g internet? It seems China Mobile offers a lot of options, from 150M all the way up to 20G (per month). I don't imagine I'll be using my phone to do loads of downloading, streaming movies or anything of that sort, but mostly surfing the web, playing games, just regular stuff. The cheapest package is 5rmb a month, the most expensive (the 2G) is 100RMB a month. 20G isn't available to me, I don't know how much it would cost, presumably a lot. So maybe something in the middle?  
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