HTC Sensation XE branded or unbranded

[tlewisuk]

Hi Guys,

I have almost narrowed my first Android down to the HTC Sensation XE. I prefer the HTC because of the UI.. Could be tempted over to the Motorola RAZR mind you!

Anyway, I have seen some threads around branded or unbranded phones, and I hear of issues with unbranded phones on UK carriers not getting a good signal, or the 3g is slow, and I have been told the branded phones firmware was changes to suit the network, is that true?

I have to say my preference is to get an unbranded phone, as the Sensation is low on memory, and I don't want the little memory used up with nonsense from Vodaphone/ O2.

Also is it true that unbranded phones benefit from updates via HTC?

Thanks in advance for your help!

tlewisuk

 

[sleepingseason]

Well, I got my original Sensation through Vodafone and then lost it on a bus about a month later. I bought a sim-free Sensation as a replacement (through Amazon), but my phone now has branded firmware - I can't remember whether this was the case out of the box, or whether Vodafone pushed it to my device in a software update. It would be good to find out if that's possible or if I just bought a branded device sim-free.

As for your queries about possible problems with unbranded devices, I'm afraid I don't have the knowledge to answer. Unbranded devices are meant to get their updates straight from the manufacturer, yes, but I've found that Vodafone is generally pretty quick to push their updates (they've had a two, maybe three, day lag in the past, IIRC).

On the subject of carrier bloat, the situation here in the UK isn't nearly as bad as it is in the US. My Vodafone firmware comes with a music app and branded app store, in addition to software to allow tech support to remotely fix your phone, but that's it. It would be nice to get rid of the music and app stores, but in all honesty they're not very intrusive and don't pose much of a problem at all.