Looks like I'm returning my Aria :(

[Donatron]

It's such a shame cuz I really grew to like this phone. Despite it's weaker specs, it performs so well that you can't even notice the difference. And although I do envy the larger screens of the Desire/Incredible/N1, I've come to really like the small form factor of the Aria.

But Unfortunately, according to recent articles, the Aria's hardware prevents it from ever getting Gingerbread. So it won't receive any OS updates after Froyo. It wouldn't be as much of an issue if Gingerbread were coming out a year from now, but it's coming out by the end of this year. That's only six months into the phone's life. That's way too soon to become obsolete when on a 2-year commitment.

 

[Darkeligos]

What the hardware isn't powerful enough to run Gingerbread? Shit that is gonna screw over alot of people.

If that isn't the case couldn't you just root it?

 

[MSGNYC]

You do realize that those articles are mearly rumors correct?
How many false rumors has the android community experienced to date?
Like the dozen+ Android phones confirmed to be going to AT&T passing through FCC over the pat 2 years?
We got a Backflip and now finally the Aria. lmao

 

[Cronis]

you do realize ginger isn't going to show up till the near end of the year... and att probably wont get phones with ginger till.... Q2-Q3 of next year?

Also ginger is going to be more of a graphics UI update (3D effects etc thus the higher hardware req, think live wallpapers) then actual system stuff from the looks of it.

eh live in the now.... if your waiting for the next big droid update... you will always be waiting.

 

[Ambictus]

To each their own, but at this point no phone that is out or being released in the near future is guaranteed to get Gingerbread. I know a lot of people disagree with me on this, but... Once we get Froyo what do you foresee coming in Gingerbread that is ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE?? If you like the phone as is why return it because it's likely not going to get something that might be better?

Also, if you like Sense then you likely won't want Gingerbread. Google is saying they're going to try to have a more consistent ui experience across all manufacturers which means no custom UIs. I'm excited to get Froyo but if it doesn't come I won't cry about it. The Aria is pretty damn cool as is.

 

[Donatron]

Keep in mind that I didn't just buy an Aria, I also committed myself to a 2-year contract. So this is my phone for the next 2 years. So reaching the end of its software life cycle within 6 months is far too soon.

You guys say Froyo is good enough. Sure, right now it's cool. But will it continue to be cool over the next 2 years? Took a year before I got bored of my Tilt, and it took a year to get bored of my Fuze. And WinMo didn't even get significant updates.

And it's not just specifically Gingerbread that I'm interested in. It's Gingerbread, and the future updates after that. The Aria will get Froyo, and that's it.

And I'm not concerned about getting a phone that has Gingerbread right when it's released. I'm concerned about getting a phone will be capable of getting Gingerbread (and the releases after that), even if I need to wait an extra few months. Cuz a few months is a lot sooner than how long it'll take to be eligible for another upgrade.

As far as living in the now, I understand that if I'm just waiting for the next big thing, I'll be waiting forever since there will always be something better on the horizon. But that's not what I'm doing. I'm simply swapping my week old phone that has already been marked for obsolescence within the next 6 months, for another phone that'll last quite a bit longer. I didn't say I was waiting for a Gingerbread phone. I'm simply looking to get another phone that meets the requirements for Gingerbread. Whether that phone is the Captivate, N1, imported Desire, or some other phone not yet announced, that remains to be seen.

Living in the now is great. Cuz worrying too much about tomorrow causes you to miss out on the pleasures of today. But blindly ignoring the future (especially when you've been given warning signs) is downright foolish. That's how the whole housing market crash came about. It was common knowledge that the bubble was going to burst, but people chose to ignore the warnings.

 

[Ambictus]

Keep in mind that I didn't just buy an Aria, I also committed myself to a 2-year contract. So this is my phone for the next 2 years. So reaching the end of its software life cycle within 6 months is far too soon.

You guys say Froyo is good enough. Sure, right now it's cool. But will it continue to be cool over the next 2 years? Took a year before I got bored of my Tilt, and it took a year to get bored of my Fuze. And WinMo didn't even get significant updates.

And it's not just specifically Gingerbread that I'm interested in. It's Gingerbread, and the future updates after that. The Aria will get Froyo, and that's it.

And I'm not concerned about getting a phone that has Gingerbread right when it's released. I'm concerned about getting a phone will be capable of getting Gingerbread (and the releases after that), even if I need to wait an extra few months. Cuz a few months is a lot sooner than how long it'll take to be eligible for another upgrade.

As far as living in the now, I understand that if I'm just waiting for the next big thing, I'll be waiting forever since there will always be something better on the horizon. But that's not what I'm doing. I'm simply swapping my week old phone that has already been marked for obsolescence within the next 6 months, for another phone that'll last quite a bit longer. I didn't say I was waiting for a Gingerbread phone. I'm simply looking to get another phone that meets the requirements for Gingerbread. Whether that phone is the Captivate, N1, imported Desire, or some other phone not yet announced, that remains to be seen.

Living in the now is great. Cuz worrying too much about tomorrow causes you to miss out on the pleasures of today. But blindly ignoring the future (especially when you've been given warning signs) is downright foolish. That's how the whole housing market crash came about. It was common knowledge that the bubble was going to burst, but people chose to ignore the warnings.

Like I said, to each their own. Considering I made it a year and a half with a Samsung Eternity(and was happy enough with it) yeah I think I can make it 2 years with the Aria. I understand what you're saying, however like I said NOTHING is guaranteed to get Gingerbread right now, not the Nexus One, not the Droid X, nothing. Also you're looking way too far into the future. Let's pretend the phone you get does end up with Gingerbread, who's to say it gets anything after that? Who's to say you won't want something in another release that ends up out of your reach? That's just the name of the game. Things progress and get outdated.

With that being said, I hope you love your next phone as well and I hope it does get Gingerbread and many more after that. And please stick around to chat, the more the merrier

 

[Cronis]

yup get whats suits you! for me a phone isnt like a computer where i might want to run the latest and greatest game, so upgrade path is important. phones kinda do the same stuff for me today as they probably will in a 1-2 years aka make phone calls snap some quick pictures run a couple time killer games and browse the web. For me the aria does that now... and hopefully will do it better when 2.2 comes out. its no supper phone, but its snappy and developing a very nice dev community so we can look forward to new roms OCs and stuff which will extend its life a bit.

but yea good luck in your phone searches, hope ya find what ya want!

 

[lordmaxx]

I think I mentioned something like this before the Aria came out...but I'm addicted to specs

There have been very few phones released since Jan 1 that have anything less than a snapdragon 1ghz processor. AT&T decided to spend the first half of 2010 ONLY releasing phones with smaller processors/gimick phones.

I agree on to each their own, but my own hasn't shown up yet. I, like many others, may take the captivate because its the only thing we got, but it looks like a decent phone so it may end up working out.

 

[Deleted User]

It's such a shame cuz I really grew to like this phone. Despite it's weaker specs, it performs so well that you can't even notice the difference. And although I do envy the larger screens of the Desire/Incredible/N1, I've come to really like the small form factor of the Aria.

But Unfortunately, according to recent articles, the Aria's hardware prevents it from ever getting Gingerbread. So it won't receive any OS updates after Froyo. It wouldn't be as much of an issue if Gingerbread were coming out a year from now, but it's coming out by the end of this year. That's only six months into the phone's life. That's way too soon to become obsolete when on a 2-year commitment.

You are correct, 3.0 basically has a minimum of a Nexus One for specifications. Also, rooting it and putting 3.0 on it will be done, and will almost guaranteed run like ASS. 3.0 is all about GUI, which means it will be very intensive. The G1 can run 2.1, but it runs like crap.

I personally am going to wait to buy another Android device until it ships with 3.0 out of the box. It's obvious HTC is going to release a xmas launch device for it that will put the EVO to shame.

 

[Ambictus]

You are correct, 3.0 basically has a minimum of a Nexus One for specifications. Also, rooting it and putting 3.0 on it will be done, and will almost guaranteed run like ASS. 3.0 is all about GUI, which means it will be very intensive. The G1 can run 2.1, but it runs like crap.

I personally am going to wait to buy another Android device until it ships with 3.0 out of the box. It's obvious HTC is going to release a xmas launch device for it that will put the EVO to shame.

Well, the part about it running like ass isn't necessarily true. IF Gingerbread can run on an ARMv6 then I imagine it would run fine on the Aria, especially if the Aria ends up being overclockable. The Aria has the same GPU as a Snapdragon and seems to keep up with it just fine on a clock for clock basis.

 

[OJsakila]

I like the phone and sure its not perfect but I dont see any other phones this size that pack this amount of punch...
The smaller laptops cost more because of the compact size....If you want every possible option on it, its going to be tremendous....(desktop replacement, they call it in an effort to mask the fact that its a suitcase)

Find me a phone this size with these specs and performance...you cant

 

[Deleted User]

Well, the part about it running like ass isn't necessarily true. IF Gingerbread can run on an ARMv6 then I imagine it would run fine on the Aria, especially if the Aria ends up being overclockable. The Aria has the same GPU as a Snapdragon and seems to keep up with it just fine on a clock for clock basis.

Well the fact that the minimum spec for 3.0 is a N1, that tells me volumes about how much a performance hit this new GUI is going to take. I don't know what 3.0 does besides GUI, and outside of wanting the newest thing Aria owners have sense anyways, so 2.2 should make them plenty happy.

I really don't see the point of 3.0's new GUI if Google doesn't force manufacturer's to use it like MS is doing with WM7.

 

[anoid]

xda-developers will prolly figure out a way to get GingerBread on it.

 

[Donatron]

I really don't see the point of 3.0's new GUI if Google doesn't force manufacturer's to use it like MS is doing with WM7.

I'm imagining the UI overhaul to be more significant than the skins that manufactures add to their phones. I'm imagining a completely new framework (like the transition from WM6.5 to WP7S, but probably not as drastic).

But even if the GUI isn't a huge change, that's not the issue. I'd imagine that future updates will be progressive from 3.0. So any new features to come out in future versions will also be out of reach. Basically, once we get froyo, we can forget about any new updates to our phone. All the cool advancements that Android will have over the next 2 years won't be available to us. Android has been out for less than 2 years, and look how far it's advanced already. I don't see it coming to a halt over the next 2 years, especially with iOS and Windows Phone Series both trying to fight for the top spot.

 

[Donatron]

Well I figured out what I'm going to do. At the end of my 30 day trial period, I'm going to return the phone to Best Buy for a full refund and cancel my contract extension. But I'm not going to abandon the Aria. Before I return the phone, I'm going to purchase the phone on Amazon at the non-commitment price. It's currently $340 w/ no tax and free shipping, and I purchased my Aria for $165 after tax (CA charges tax on the full, non-discounted price), so the difference is $175. Seeing as how the difference for higher end HTCs is typically significantly more (Incredible is $330), I think it'd be worth it to pay the unsubsidized price.

 

[Ambictus]

Well I figured out what I'm going to do. At the end of my 30 day trial period, I'm going to return the phone to Best Buy for a full refund and cancel my contract extension. But I'm not going to abandon the Aria. Before I return the phone, I'm going to purchase the phone on Amazon at the non-commitment price. It's currently $340 w/ no tax and free shipping, and I purchased my Aria for $165 after tax (CA charges tax on the full, non-discounted price), so the difference is $175. Seeing as how the difference for higher end HTCs is typically significantly more (Incredible is $330), I think it'd be worth it to pay the unsubsidized price.

Glad you're staying on board! We won't even penalize you for threating to leave...

 

[Ambictus]

Alrighty... just typed out a response and got a Database Error... sweet... Here goes again.

Looks like the rumors might not be true. Also you'd expect that a GUI would be rendered on a GPU which would give us just as much ability to run it as the EVO, Incredible, N1 and anything else with a Snapdragon. So, it looks like not all hope is lost on getting Gingerbread.

Android team's Morrill discounts Gingerbread rumors -- Engadget

 

[Donatron]

Alrighty... just typed out a response and got a Database Error... sweet... Here goes again.

Looks like the rumors might not be true. Also you'd expect that a GUI would be rendered on a GPU which would give us just as much ability to run it as the EVO, Incredible, N1 and anything else with a Snapdragon. So, it looks like not all hope is lost on getting Gingerbread.

Android team's Morrill discounts Gingerbread rumors -- Engadget

Ya, I saw that. But he didn't outright say "Lower-end phones will still get Gingerbread". He just said "Rumors are not official announcements." So that kinda worries me. We all know Apple says whatever they can to dispel rumors, only to see those rumors come to fruition a few months later. Morrill may be trying to use the very same tactic to convince people that the rumors aren't true, but not actually say so.

Either way, I'm still on board -- I would really hate to go back to my Fuze -- with the Aria. But I'm taking the necessary precautions in case the rumors are true. And even if they aren't, I'll also have the advantage of being able to upgrade/switch carriers if something comes out in the near future that blows our minds. Cuz for the most of us, as much as we like our Aria, it wasn't our first choice. I know I'd still like the Desire over the Aria.

 

[SysAdmNj]

What are the improvements Gingerbread will have over Froyo?

Also, Im getting really attached to the Aria. But what are the other HTC models coming to AT&T in the near future and at the rate they put out Androids, those will probably come with Gingerbread installed.

 

[Ambictus]

What are the improvements Gingerbread will have over Froyo?

Also, Im getting really attached to the Aria. But what are the other HTC models coming to AT&T in the near future and at the rate they put out Androids, those will probably come with Gingerbread installed.

Nothing is really known about Gingerbread thus far other than it will be 3.0. As for what HTC phones will be heading to AT&T? Umm... no clue! There was that slider that passed through the FCC a couple months back but that's about all we've seen so far.

 

[Donatron]

Found an even better option for myself. Instead of buying outright from Amazon for $340, I'll just get one for free from wirefly w/ 2 year commitment. Sure, I'll be on a contract, but the difference in price will be $340. So if I do decide to upgrade my phone in 6 months, that $340 savings could be used to pay the unsubsidized price difference (which should be about the same amount of money).

Now I just have to go through the hassle of returning the phone to Best Buy, waiting a few days for my eligibility to come back, then buying it from wirefly. So I'll probably be without Android for 5 days or so. But I think it's worth it for the amount of money saved.

 

[OJsakila]

2 (years) x $30.00 a month (data pkg) = $1440 (that you have to pay).

 

[drumist]

2 (years) x $30.00 a month (data pkg) = $1440 (that you have to pay).

You only have to pay $15/mo on AT&T.

Also, your math is wrong. $30 * 24 = $720.

With the $15/mo plan, it's only $360 that you are committing to paying over 2 years.

 

[OJsakila]

You only have to pay $15/mo on AT&T.

Also, your math is wrong. $30 * 24 = $720.

With the $15/mo plan, it's only $360 that you are committing to paying over 2 years.

lololol youre right..its funny that i typed all that out and used my personal phone bill and subtracted from...
plus, im on the unlimited grandfathered in plan a just spaced the new att bill options

the whole time at the bar happy hour via Aria..