What's an alternative to a triumph on VM?

[Allaneato]

I ordered another replacement MT but I am disgusted and tired of screwing around...

What "lower cost" options for an Android phone are there? Better VM coverage, not so buggy phone, better quality hardware. The MT is great until it doesn't. Which is all too often. Like, $50/mo total cost of ownership over 3 years, 300 minutes, limited data for email and a little web surf. That's less then my MT considering I'm dumping a $270 phone after a year. Seems you have to root it to get a decent backup, call logs, site logins, etc. Perhaps it's not possible.

 

[Lanman1978]

Well I have my eyes on the HTC EVO V also from VM. It is a bit on the expensive side, but it looks to smoke the Triumph in many ways.

 

[coco3133]

The LG Elite or for a little more the One V, both good quality cheaper VM phones.

 

[buzzcon]

The One V has the same hardware as the Triumph (processor,camera, etc). I just bought the LG Optimus Elite (for my wife) and it seems like a nice phone and it runs GB.

 

[Lanman1978]

Just spend the extra money and get the EVO V. It has a dual core cpu, plenty of RAM, and already runs ICS. As a matter of fact I am thinking about getting this phone to replace my Triumph. I just have to be able to pony up the $300 for it.

 

[Allaneato]

Just spend the extra money and get the EVO V..... the $300 for it.

Except I already ponied up almost $300... ($270 early on to get the $25/mo plan locked in). I was hoping I could live with it for 3 years, lol. Naive, but it's my first smart phone. And it refused to boot after 10 months. Replaced, but different problems, replaced again. Each time reload apps for 2 hours, loose all my call logs,

Sorry, I won't trust them again with $300.

Then, I travel to Bismark ND,.. and lol, there's no service there or for 60 miles east on Interstate 94!

I tried to justify the cost because I use it for accepting squareup.com credit cards in business, except it's too unreliable. I loose sales.

 

[rcsrich]

Except I already ponied up almost $300... ($270 early on to get the $25/mo plan locked in). I was hoping I could live with it for 3 years, lol. Naive, but it's my first smart phone. And it refused to boot after 10 months. Replaced, but different problems, replaced again. Each time reload apps for 2 hours, loose all my call logs,

Sorry, I won't trust them again with $300.

Then, I travel to Bismark ND,.. and lol, there's no service there or for 60 miles east on Interstate 94!

I tried to justify the cost because I use it for accepting squareup.com credit cards in business, except it's too unreliable. I loose sales.

Personally, if you're using the phone/service for business purposes, why not take advantage of the tax write-off and go with a more expensive but better service? I would never put up with VM's spotty coverage & unreliable data speeds if I was depending on it to carry out business transactions. I assume you're trying to save a few bucks, but it may not be worth the headache!

 

[Allaneato]

Personally, if you're using the phone/service for business purposes, why not take advantage of the tax write-off and go with a more expensive but better service? I would never put up with VM's spotty coverage & unreliable data speeds if I was depending on it to carry out business transactions. I assume you're trying to save a few bucks, but it may not be worth the headache!

Very small business. The write-off doesn't make it free, like people seem to think. Too many, and there's no profit. Which is also tax free, aka, "no income". In short, it's better to not to have it. No expense. I need the profit.

BTW...
I just put CM7 on it, and OMG, it makes the stock phone look like total S#!$. No hated screeching "Virgin Mobile!" sounds, very sleek instead of just OMG butt-ugly as delivered. No constantly updating bloatware running the battery down. Painful learning curve but might be worth it.

 

[odojoe]

Except I already ponied up almost $300... ($270 early on to get the $25/mo plan locked in). I was hoping I could live with it for 3 years, lol. Naive, but it's my first smart phone. And it refused to boot after 10 months. Replaced, but different problems, replaced again. Each time reload apps for 2 hours, loose all my call logs,

Sorry, I won't trust them again with $300.

Then, I travel to Bismark ND,.. and lol, there's no service there or for 60 miles east on Interstate 94!

I tried to justify the cost because I use it for accepting squareup.com credit cards in business, except it's too unreliable. I loose sales.

Did a road trip in May just a little coverage in extreme eastern South Dakota, none at all in Wyoming even though coverage is alleged in Yellowstone. No coverage in Yosemite either.

 

[aurora40]

What "lower cost" options for an Android phone are there? Better VM coverage, not so buggy phone, better quality hardware. The MT is great until it doesn't. Which is all too often. Like, $50/mo total cost of ownership over 3 years, 300 minutes, limited data for email and a little web surf.

On VM, basically every phone comes in under $50/mon if you spread the phone purchase over 3 years. Even the iPhone 4S does if you do the $30/month plan by registering for auto-payment.

If you want off of VM, with at least 300 minutes, then it depends on what you consider "limited" for data.

T-Mobile has a 1500 minute plan with only 30MB of data (before throttle) for $30/month. You could easily buy a Galaxy Nexus and still be under $40/month over 3 years.

T-Mobile has a 500 minute "value" plan (2-year contract) with 200MB of data for $40/month. This still leaves enough room to get a Galaxy Nexus and be under your $50/month cap.

Then they have 100 minutes with 5GB of data (before throttle) for $30/month, but this comes up short on minutes. It's $0.10/min overage, so depending on how often you use 300 minutes (or if you are willing to use VoIP), it might work.

Page Plus has excellent nationwide coverage (Verizon). For $12/month they have 250 minutes and a mere 10MB of data. For $30/month they have 1200 minutes and 100MB of data. You would have to buy a used phone, but would have plenty to put towards it. Something like a Droid 3, Droid X2, or Droid Incredible 2 would be a good phone with dual cores and a nice sized screen. LTE phones are more tricky to put on Page Plus.

 

[namartlu]

I dropped my MT on the floor last week, and the screen went nuts. Luckily I have the BB protection plan and so I upgraded to the EVO V just paying the difference (~70, that is $90 - $20 refund on the protection plan). So far I am pretty happy with it:

1. In general radio reception seems better (1x and 3G).
2. GPS is instant lock.
3. Already on ICS.
4. bigger screen.
5. 3D photo/video are a bonus.
6. better battery.

The downside is:
1. I am forced to switch to $35/month plan. ;(
2. no WiMAX coverage in my area (san diego). ;(
3. Phone is a bit thicker and heavier.
4. Phone seems to be more fragile physically with the cheap plastic, worried that it will break more easily than MT if I drop it. ;(

I would have switch to T-Mobile $30 plan and buy the Galaxy Nexus. But I don't like that it doesn't take a SD card... So for now I am staying with VM for a while.

 

[OverByter]

The downside is:
1. I am forced to switch to $35/month plan. ;(
2. no WiMAX coverage in my area (san diego). ;(
3. Phone is a bit thicker and heavier.
4. Phone seems to be more fragile physically with the cheap plastic, worried that it will break more easily than MT if I drop it. ;(

I would have switch to T-Mobile $30 plan and buy the Galaxy Nexus. But I don't like that it doesn't take a SD card... So for now I am staying with VM for a while.

What cheap plastic are you speaking about? The Triumph is entirely plastic while the Evo has a solid aluminum unibody. The only plastic on the exterior is the battery cover. That's why it weighs more.