Calling all Android fanboys: welcome me into your club, please.
November 12, 2012 3:46 AM   Subscribe

I can't stand my iPhone 4S any longer, but I've still got a year and a half to wait for the contract to end (AT&T). I'd love to switch to an Android, because I'm sick of having to use iTunes just to get a few songs on to the device. I'd like to get an HTC One X, but am open to suggestions. What are my options for replacing this piece of crap? Should I just try and unlock/sell my iPhone on craigslist?
posted by matkline to Shopping (21 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Response by poster: Also I should add that a new phone will likely come abroad with me, so durability and international-capability are key.
posted by matkline at 3:49 AM on November 12, 2012


You might consider the new nexus 4.
posted by Pranksome Quaine at 4:08 AM on November 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


If you feel you have to jump ship, then the New Google phone is being released in a day or two. No SD card slot though, which might be a dealbreaker for you? (LTE is pretty much irrelevant if international compatibility is paramount).
posted by pharm at 4:10 AM on November 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


Do not even consider buying an Android phone, unless it's a Nexus Android phone. Nexus means you'll get software updates for a good time, without a long wait. Consider the Galaxy Nexus, or the LG Nexus 4.
posted by devnull at 4:25 AM on November 12, 2012


If your iPhone 4s is running ios 5.1.1, you might consider jailbreaking the phone to extend its capabilities. I'm not sure if this will be a workaround to your frustrations with iTunes, however.

Brief aside concerning the nexus 4 link above: What's with the "4:20" time indicator shown in the upper right corner of the pictured devices, anyway? Has Google moved its headquarters to Colorado?
posted by Gordion Knott at 4:26 AM on November 12, 2012


Response by poster: So, I'm checking out the Nexus, and it looks pretty swell. Google play seems like the perfect cure for my iTunes phobia. The question now is how to get the iPhone into the hands of someone who wants it. I wish I could just trade it in at AT&T. If only phones were like cars....
posted by matkline at 4:28 AM on November 12, 2012


If you can, get AT&T to unlock the iPhone, then you'll be able to flog it on Craiglist for a decent price (pace the usual warners about scammers etc etc).
posted by pharm at 4:39 AM on November 12, 2012


Gordion Knot: It's an indicator for Android version 4.2 which is shipping first on the Nexus 4.


matkline, there are lots of phone trade in sites, and even GameStop video game stores will give you cash for the phone.
posted by deezil at 4:42 AM on November 12, 2012


If you don't unlock it, you can sell via eBay InstantSale, Gazelle, and Amazon TradeIn.

If you unlock it, CL or eBay and avoid the scams.
posted by grudgebgon at 4:50 AM on November 12, 2012


Oh and you might like doubleTwist for syncing your media.
posted by devnull at 5:01 AM on November 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


As an aside, you can download the Amazon Cloud player app to your iPhone and buy music from amazon if you hate iTunes
posted by gt2 at 5:02 AM on November 12, 2012


If you're also in the market for a tablet down the road, and are willing to hold off for awhile, the ASUS Padfone 2 looks very promising. The phone itself is of good quality has had a very good reception. The original padfone did not make it to the U.S. market and it'll be interesting to see how U.S. carriers classify the PF2 (eg. when it converts to a tablet, will that be considered tethering?). The keyboard dock should be coming out shortly as well which would allow the PF2 tablet to turn into a netbook. (I'm mainly interested in getting one so I can convert it to a usable workstation with canonical)
posted by samsara at 6:23 AM on November 12, 2012


Has Google moved its headquarters to Colorado?

It does have offices in Boulder, yes...

posted by limeonaire at 6:33 AM on November 12, 2012


(Just sent you a MeFi message re purchasing the iPhone.)
posted by omnidrew at 7:02 AM on November 12, 2012


I hate iTunes too. I use Spotify instead. And yes it's too expensive at $10/month. [But seriously, sometimes my sanity depends on it.]
posted by Folk at 7:16 AM on November 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


If you do sell it via ebay, I would suggest doing it as local pick-up/delivery in person only; ebay offers zero protection to sellers when the buyer fraudulently claims that the item arrived damaged or not at all.
posted by elizardbits at 7:17 AM on November 12, 2012


I have the HTC One X and it's fantastic, especially since the latest version of the operating system has been rooted. You can run Jelly Bean on it and it's great. Still, if you don't care about LTE then the new Nexus is probably your best bet.

I use Google Music for all my music syncing. I just sync the music on my desktop with Google, and when I want something synced to my phone I do it through the Android app. I never sync directly with my desktop anymore.
posted by monkeymadness at 7:25 AM on November 12, 2012


The question now is how to get the iPhone into the hands of someone who wants it.
Standard channels for selling used equipment should suffice: eBay, Craigslist, etc. More tips here.
posted by BurntHombre at 7:27 AM on November 12, 2012


We ditched our iPhone (actually anything from Apple) after horrendous customer service and CIA-like bullshit with our iTunes account. We switched to Samsung Galaxy II devices. Holy crap. Even these make an iPhone look like a turd. Brighter, larger screens, more responsive and overall just a better experience. You could easily get an SIII now. Our Android updates have come through with no issues at all.

Re: Selling your phone. If you're unable to get a decent price, our provider gave a us a really good price on the trade-in (better than we would have gotten by selling it online). That is an option you could look into with AT&T or whatever provider you are jumping to.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 9:21 AM on November 12, 2012


You should easily be able to get 300+ for your iPhone 4s. I just sold a mint condition one on Craigslist for 375 the other week.
posted by wongcorgi at 10:25 AM on November 12, 2012


Nthing Nexus 4, unless money is no object. Not only does it beat any $300 phone, it beats most or all $500 phones. (If microSD slot, LTE, or replaceable battery is a dealbreaker, Samsung Galaxy S III is a deservedly popular choice.)
posted by pont at 3:52 PM on November 12, 2012


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