Apps I want to get into Android Development. Should I get a backflip or wait or an android tablet?

[brettdavis4]

I want to get into mobile development (iPhone and Android). I'd like to have 1 apple device and 1 droid device. I'm currently an iPhone owner and I'm planning on upgrading to an iPhone 4. Right now I could get a backflip for free if I got another phoneline/upgraded a phone. I know it would cost me an extra $30/$40 a month to do this. I'm open to doing this, it would be nice to have a backup phone.

I could get a backflip or I could wait for an android tablet. Does anyone know when an android tablet will be available?

 

[mkeath]

I want to get into mobile development (iPhone and Android). I'd like to have 1 apple device and 1 droid device. I'm currently an iPhone owner and I'm planning on upgrading to an iPhone 4. Right now I could get a backflip for free if I got another phoneline/upgraded a phone. I know it would cost me an extra $30/$40 a month to do this. I'm open to doing this, it would be nice to have a backup phone.

I could get a backflip or I could wait for an android tablet. Does anyone know when an android tablet will be available?

Why not get a Nexus One? You could get one used or new (your choice). You don't need a SIM card for it to work. It just won't work on the cellular network. If Apple didn't decide the micro SIM is the way to go, you could swap out the SIM card between the two. Also the Nexus One will get software updates before everyone else.

 

[cp1]

Is the backflip one of the phones that won't let you install any apps that didn't come from the market? Seems like a terrible developer's phone.

 

[Jacob Malliet]

I agree with cp1, the Droid would be very good, its what I use, or the Nexus One

 

[2FR35H]

Samsung Galaxy S is the fastest of the android phones all currently I recommend that but its not officially released yet in America but you could buy from europe online though because they have it released already.

Or Sign up for the google developer account and they will give you a developers phone to work with but you may have to pay for the phone and to be a google developer you have to pay them $25 so that when you are done you can put it in the market.

 

[mkeath]

Samsung Galaxy S is the fastest of the android phones all currently I recommend that but its not officially released yet in America but you could buy from europe online though because they have it released already.

This is a terrible suggestion. If you are hell bent on staying with AT&T, get a N1. If it's too expensive, just get the Aria. If you don't mind waiting and you are willing to err against caution in that you may not be able to side-load apps (the aria has an easy work-around) or get software updates or have a terrible phone, wait for the Samsung Captivate.

 

[2FR35H]

This is a terrible suggestion. If you are hell bent on staying with AT&T, get a N1. If it's too expensive, just get the Aria. If you don't mind waiting and you are willing to err against caution in that you may not be able to side-load apps (the aria has an easy work-around) or get software updates or have a terrible phone, wait for the Samsung Captivate.

Explain yourself how is the Galaxy S a terrible phone. Its faster than N1 and has more storage than N1. A better screen etc.

Why is everyone hell bent on samsung? cut them a break this is a great device through and through and there is no denying that. Also the hardware isn't as faulty as htc's hardware.

 

[mkeath]

Explain yourself how is the Galaxy S a terrible phone. Its faster than N1 and has more storage than N1. A better screen etc.

Why is everyone hell bent on samsung? cut them a break this is a great device through and through and there is no denying that. Also the hardware isn't as faulty as htc's hardware.

I am saying that Samsung has a long and notorious history with not having good phones and not updating them. Didn't the Behold II get it's 1.6 recently? Maybe if Samsung proves itself once the phone is released that it's a good product and that it will get a 2.2 update, I would suggest it to a developer. However, since HTC has a good reputation with good hardware and relatively quick software updates, and the N1 gets updates before any other phone, I can only recommend with absolute certainty the N1 or the Aria with preference to the N1. Also I didn't say that the Galaxy S or the Captivate were bad phones. I thought it was implied that it was hypothetical.

EDIT: Ugh I just saw that you were referring to the Galaxy S with your latest reply. I was thinking of the Captivate. Anyways, along with all of the reasons I mentioned above, the Galaxy S is a Euro phone, which means it won't work with AT&T 3g. It will also be more expensive than the N1 or Aria since it's being imported. He also mentioned that it won't be his primary phone and something that would just be a spare, something that the Galaxy S (and admittedly but less so the Aria and N1 would be too) is major overkill for. He is also going to use it primarily for development purposes. You don't need the most blazing fast phone to use for testing apps, especially if that isn't your main phone.

Also, OP, you could get a dev phone if you register as a dev. http://market.android.com/publish/signup

 

[kevin@teslacoilsw]

I'd say either get an Nexus One or a Droid.
The dev phone is $400, not worth it.
Nexus One is a really sweet phone and will be able to run all the latest software.
Droid is a really popular phone so it's probably what most of your users will have. Also it has a keyboard but can be used without it, so you can test both ways.

I have a Nexus One as my actual phone as well as a development machine, and a Droid (without service) dedicated to development/testing.

 

[Delicious]

new here and thinking of getting into the coding side of things on android, atm I have the HTC Desire/Moto Droid.

Surely the desire would be a decent dev phone?

 

[A.Nonymous]

Can't you test out apps virtually? Or is that generally a bad idea for some reason? I'm also new to dev so I'm interested in knowing.

 

[cp1]

You can use the emulator on the computer. It's much cooler doing it on the phone though

 

[ChristianKl]

However, since HTC has a good reputation with good hardware and relatively quick software updates,

Quick software updates? My hero still runs 1.5 (Europe).

24 months a 30$ is a price of 720$ for a device. It isn't free anymore than credit cards provide free money.

 

[nikolai]

How can you test your developing apps on an AT&T side-loading locked phone unless your root the phone or load your "in-development" app onto the market place?

 

[A.Nonymous]

How can you test your developing apps on an AT&T side-loading locked phone unless your root the phone or load your "in-development" app onto the market place?

I think in that case you'd be stuck testing on a virtual device.