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Off brand android phones?

Thatdad

Android Expert
Jun 4, 2013
1,322
324
31
South Georgia
... I'm interested in getting an unlocked android. I'm not sure what I can get anyway since I have MetroPCS.

Here's some I was looking at.

Amazon.com: I9220(n9000)5.0" Capacitive Android 4.0 Mtk6575 Dual SIM Smart Phone: Electronics

Amazon.com: Phecda i 9300 MTK6577 Android 4.1.1 Smartphone *GSM+CDMA Dual Standby Quad Band with 4.6" Capacitive Screen and GPS (White): Electronics


Amazon.com: Samsung i9082 Galaxy Grand Duos 8Gb Factory Unlocked Dual Sim wifi 3G Android 4.: Electronics

So what are the risks of buying these kinds of androids? If none of these work on MetroPCS could any of you direct me to one that does with a link or something?

I don't really care if it's brandname, I would like one the size of the Note, I just don't want to spend THAT much on a phone.

Would like all the info I can get about this.
 
Moved to device comparison.

I'll say this. From what I've read around here, the off brand devices are not going to have nearly the support as the regular devices. And they may be quite 'glitchy'. As far a one that works on Metro PCS, I _think_ they have to be a CDMA device.

good luck

Hello, and thank you for helping me. I got confused and posted the thread in Metro PCS again. Would you mind removing it for me? I thought it didn't post the thread correctly.
 
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... I'm interested in getting an unlocked android. I'm not sure what I can get anyway since I have MetroPCS.

Here's some I was looking at.

Amazon.com: I9220(n9000)5.0" Capacitive Android 4.0 Mtk6575 Dual SIM Smart Phone: Electronics

Amazon.com: Phecda i 9300 MTK6577 Android 4.1.1 Smartphone *GSM+CDMA Dual Standby Quad Band with 4.6" Capacitive Screen and GPS (White): Electronics


Amazon.com: Samsung i9082 Galaxy Grand Duos 8Gb Factory Unlocked Dual Sim wifi 3G Android 4.: Electronics

So what are the risks of buying these kinds of androids? If none of these work on MetroPCS could any of you direct me to one that does with a link or something?

I don't really care if it's brandname, I would like one the size of the Note, I just don't want to spend THAT much on a phone.

Would like all the info I can get about this.

I say avoid that knock off from China and try "BLU " our the moto X
 
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So I found a website (seems legit Will check more into it when I have more money) that sells unlocked phones for cheap. I decided on getting the Note 2 unlocked for $230. Thanks everyone.

But my friend got this one for his AT&T service, and he says it runs beautifully. So if you got a friend whos deadset on a knock off for cheap heres the one everyone seems to say works rather well..

Amazon.com: I9220(n9000)5.0" Capacitive Android 4.0 Mtk6575 Dual SIM Smart Phone: Electronics
 
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Now my friend doesn't have an android (He wanted a note like phone himself as well) He just doesn't want to spend $550+ for a phone, which I can totally understand.

I'm trying to help him find one as well. So would something like this work? He says he'll only get an off brand so might as well post it here. (He is metro as well)

GT-N7100 MTK6515 1.0GHz processor Android 2.3 5.0 Inch WIFI GPS Smart Phone
 
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So I found a website (seems legit Will check more into it when I have more money) that sells unlocked phones for cheap. I decided on getting the Note 2 unlocked for $230. Thanks everyone.

But my friend got this one for his AT&T service, and he says it runs beautifully. So if you got a friend whos deadset on a knock off for cheap heres the one everyone seems to say works rather well..

Amazon.com: I9220(n9000)5.0" Capacitive Android 4.0 Mtk6575 Dual SIM Smart Phone: Electronics

Now my friend doesn't have an android (He wanted a note like phone himself as well) He just doesn't want to spend $550+ for a phone, which I can totally understand.

I'm trying to help him find one as well. So would something like this work? He says he'll only get an off brand so might as well post it here. (He is metro as well)

GT-N7100 MTK6515 1.0GHz processor Android 2.3 5.0 Inch WIFI GPS Smart Phone

Just make him realize both those phones are 2G ONLY
web browsing will be a matter of 20, 30, 60, 120 or more seconds per page.
And sometimes not even that good. Also the second one is very old tech.
1ghz single core it will lag like a mofo.
 
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Just make him realize both those phones are 2G ONLY
web browsing will be a matter of 20, 30, 60, 120 or more seconds per page.
And sometimes not even that good. Also the second one is very old tech.
1ghz single core it will lag like a mofo.

Know of any urls or anything I can email to him? I don't know anything about these really, and apparently he doesn't know much about them either.
 
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Know of any urls or anything I can email to him? I don't know anything about these really, and apparently he doesn't know much about them either.
Ok, here is one, the example is the new t mobile galaxy s4 but what your looking for will be the same for any phone.


Samsung Galaxy S 4 (GSM) Specs, Features (Phone Scoop)


Specs%20for%20t%20mobile.JPG
 
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Not for nothing, but metro offers plenty of their own phones that are reasonably priced and perform quite well... LG Motion 4G: 1.5 gHz dual core, 1 GB RAM, Android 4.0.4, 5 GB internal external up to 32 GB, 5.0 MP rear facing camera, 1.0 MP front facing camera. All for $149. And we have lots of devs working overtime bypassing our locked bootloader and putting out roms like CM 10.

Well worth the price tag and it's metro branded
 
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Now my friend doesn't have an android (He wanted a note like phone himself as well) He just doesn't want to spend $550+ for a phone, which I can totally understand.

I'm trying to help him find one as well. So would something like this work? He says he'll only get an off brand so might as well post it here. (He is metro as well)

GT-N7100 MTK6515 1.0GHz processor Android 2.3 5.0 Inch WIFI GPS Smart Phone

If your going to go off brand, why in the world would you get one with gingerbread?
 
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Not for nothing, but metro offers plenty of their own phones that are reasonably priced and perform quite well... LG Motion 4G: 1.5 gHz dual core, 1 GB RAM, Android 4.0.4, 5 GB internal external up to 32 GB, 5.0 MP rear facing camera, 1.0 MP front facing camera. All for $149. And we have lots of devs working overtime bypassing our locked bootloader and putting out roms like CM 10.

Well worth the price tag and it's metro branded
He's looking for a note sized phone, to most people a motion isnt even a phone sized phone anymore :p but it was ok at the time when I was waiting for the S3
 
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He's looking for a note sized phone, to most people a motion isnt even a phone sized phone anymore :p but it was ok at the time when I was waiting for the S3

Lol, missed that tidbit in his post :eek:

I love my motion, I think an S3 or a phone like an xperia ion is too damn big for my pocket, never mind the note.. I wasn't necessarily recommending the motion, just pointing out that Metro has plenty of decent phones in their lineup and a ton of development going on
 
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Lol, missed that tidbit in his post :eek:

I love my motion, I think an S3 or a phone like an xperia ion is too damn big for my pocket, never mind the note.. I wasn't necessarily recommending the motion, just pointing out that Metro has plenty of decent phones in their lineup and a ton of development going on
I can get my S3 in and out of my pocket with ease

OTOH, it was "just" 10 months ago that THE Iphonie screen was the same size as the Motion and they sure sold a stack of those.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Haha well my nephews sitting there on his Spirit on a field trip to Orlando and his bus partners sitting next to him with a iPhone 4S wishing he took the S3 when he had the chance. Lots of those with iPhones just got it cause everyone else had it



And to get back on topic @OP I would just go for tmobile branded devices
 
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I can get my S3 in and out of my pocket with ease



Haha well my nephews sitting there on his Spirit on a field trip to Orlando and his bus partners sitting next to him with a iPhone 4S wishing he took the S3 when he had the chance. Lots of those with iPhones just got it cause everyone else had it



And to get back on topic @OP I would just go for tmobile branded devices

Congrats on the big pockets ;)

I am just saying, for the price tag, the motion is just as capable as the overpriced bigger phones, the benchmarks prove it. The only thing I wish it had was a higher dpi, other than that it's a bad ass phone, and u still have an extra $350 for the mortgage #GrownUpProblems
 
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Congrats on the big pockets ;)

I am just saying, for the price tag, the motion is just as capable as the overpriced bigger phones, the benchmarks prove it. The only thing I wish it had was a higher dpi, other than that it's a bad ass phone, and u still have an extra $350 for the mortgage #GrownUpProblems
The real problem with the motion is its cdma, with the merger and depending on how long you keep a phone cdma will only work for the next 20 or so months.:)
I would rather have a 4.3 to 4.8 inch screen, big enough to see/use small enough to still fit the pockets. Also depending on which case you have. bigger case on a smaller phone still bulky.
 
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Unfortunately it looks like Metro is no longer offering the Motion, it's not on the site any more since the F3 went up. Although I still like mine I agree that anyone looking to get on Metro from this point forward would be best served with a GSM phone, either new from Metro or BYOD. The writing is on the wall for CDMA and that network won't be getting any better than it is now. Personally I did see some speed increases since the merger but no improvement in signal. And I wouldn't touch anything but a good name-brand phone, you definitely get what you pay for.
 
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Lol, missed that tidbit in his post :eek:

I love my motion, I think an S3 or a phone like an xperia ion is too damn big for my pocket, never mind the note.. I wasn't necessarily recommending the motion, just pointing out that Metro has plenty of decent phones in their lineup and a ton of development going on

Oh there's no doubt about that. I'm just into big phones is all. :) I got big pockets. :p
 
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