Best Android phone for an alarm clock
August 3, 2013 12:57 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for a sub-$200 Android phone to act as an alarm clock. The four needs: OLED display, can be horizontally docked, the power and volume buttons are on the "top" of the phone when horizontally docked, and it needs to be able to run Android 4.2.2+ (even if I have to root it). It looks like a used HTC One S will work, but they're still pretty expensive, and I'd like to explore cheaper options. Thoughts?
Other notes:
* This phone will never be connected to a cell phone carrier, so it doesn't matter which frequencies the phone supports - it'll be used wi-fi only.
* It should have a reasonably loud speaker, but doesn't need to be too loud.
Other notes:
* This phone will never be connected to a cell phone carrier, so it doesn't matter which frequencies the phone supports - it'll be used wi-fi only.
* It should have a reasonably loud speaker, but doesn't need to be too loud.
(nevermind: it doesn't have an OLED display... sorry...)
posted by raihan_ at 1:33 PM on August 3, 2013
posted by raihan_ at 1:33 PM on August 3, 2013
CAUTION: I am going to question the premise of the question.
Why does it have to be an android phone? What exactly do you want your android alarm clock to do, exactly? You've described some features that are totally comnon for a $20 alarm clock but very unusual for an android device and it's not clear at all why a cheap alarm clock won't work for you.
posted by chrchr at 2:42 PM on August 3, 2013
Why does it have to be an android phone? What exactly do you want your android alarm clock to do, exactly? You've described some features that are totally comnon for a $20 alarm clock but very unusual for an android device and it's not clear at all why a cheap alarm clock won't work for you.
posted by chrchr at 2:42 PM on August 3, 2013
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has an OLED screen and pogo pins for horizontal docking, but the power button is on the wrong side. This would not matter with the app I use as an alarm clock.
The phone can be bought for well under 200$ on ebay, but the dock is much harder to come by. A an alternative would be a generic usb vertical dock with a Nexus One (or original HTC Sensation). A Nexus One with a new battery and cynaogenmod is perfectly usable.
(On preview: It is pretty obvious why the poster asked the question. Think LCD screen bleed and advanced software alarm clocks.)
posted by Baron Humbert von Gikkingen at 2:50 PM on August 3, 2013
The phone can be bought for well under 200$ on ebay, but the dock is much harder to come by. A an alternative would be a generic usb vertical dock with a Nexus One (or original HTC Sensation). A Nexus One with a new battery and cynaogenmod is perfectly usable.
(On preview: It is pretty obvious why the poster asked the question. Think LCD screen bleed and advanced software alarm clocks.)
posted by Baron Humbert von Gikkingen at 2:50 PM on August 3, 2013
Response by poster: chrchr:
1) I want a device with an OLED display so that the display can be entirely dark except for extremely dim but visible numbers during sleeping hours, and then automatically be bright and visible after the alarm goes off in the morning. As far as I am aware, the number of $20 alarm clocks based on OLED displays are zero. There are many with dimmers; I'm looking for *dim*.
2) I want to have multiple alarms and different alarm schedules day by day, advanced scheduling only available on extremely high end dedicated alarm clocks. It is also desirable to have my alarms be differerent MP3s or Internet radio.
3) I want to reach over, gesture upwards from the bottom of the screen to get Google Now, and say "Google 'whatever it is I want to search for'" and have the device execute that search.
4) I want it to control my music player across the room. There is an app for that.
Baron Humbert:
The Galaxy Nexus is a possibility - I didn't know it had the pogo pins to dock horizontally, thanks. I know it's technically possible to get it loaded, but I just can't imaging relying on the Nexus One to be performant and reliable with Android 4.2.2.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 3:03 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
1) I want a device with an OLED display so that the display can be entirely dark except for extremely dim but visible numbers during sleeping hours, and then automatically be bright and visible after the alarm goes off in the morning. As far as I am aware, the number of $20 alarm clocks based on OLED displays are zero. There are many with dimmers; I'm looking for *dim*.
2) I want to have multiple alarms and different alarm schedules day by day, advanced scheduling only available on extremely high end dedicated alarm clocks. It is also desirable to have my alarms be differerent MP3s or Internet radio.
3) I want to reach over, gesture upwards from the bottom of the screen to get Google Now, and say "Google 'whatever it is I want to search for'" and have the device execute that search.
4) I want it to control my music player across the room. There is an app for that.
Baron Humbert:
The Galaxy Nexus is a possibility - I didn't know it had the pogo pins to dock horizontally, thanks. I know it's technically possible to get it loaded, but I just can't imaging relying on the Nexus One to be performant and reliable with Android 4.2.2.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 3:03 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'll post more info later, but I do this with my old HTC Incredible. If you want cheap, search on EBay for bad ESN. That means the phone can not be registered on the network, because the account was unpaid or the phone was reported lost or stolen. If you are alright with that, the prices are often half or a quarter of regular used prices.
posted by shinynewnick at 3:12 PM on August 3, 2013
posted by shinynewnick at 3:12 PM on August 3, 2013
Best answer: On my computer so I can answer a little more.
My HTC Incredible (not the 2nd version) has an OLED display, but the volume buttons are on the same side as the micro usb plug. I compromised by getting an L-shaped plug so it still easily sits on its side in the cheap stand I got from Amazon. Downside - volume buttons are not accessible this way, but there is room in the dock to reach them underneath the phone. This is the stand I use, the pictures give you a better sense of how the right angle plug works.
I actually was running a custom 2.3 ROM until this last week, when I had to put my alarm clock phone back into service when the touchscreen broke after dropping my Galaxy Nexus. Fortunately, I found a couple of 4.0 ROMs that ran remarkably well. Definitely no 4.2 ROMs for it, at least stable ones.
All that to say your best bet is the Galaxy Nexus. You are very, very unlikely to find the dock that uses the POGO pins to charge. They have all but disappeared into nothingness. But with an Right angle plug, and the type of stand I linked above, you can still have everything you need. Getting the 4.3 update as of this week, or whatever ROM you want to put on it (highly recommend CM 10.1, lovely features and will show the screen in landscape all the time if you want). OLED screen, ability to set it horizontally with the volume buttons on top.
If you don't mind the Bad ESN route for ethical reasons (no evidence for this, but I would guess most of these are no-pay rather than stolen phones being sold on Ebay). Here's a link to that search on Ebay, and you'll see the prices are pretty fantastic.
Finally, if you want to go hardcore nerd like I did, you can purchase the old Palm Pre Touchstone inductive charging parts and Frankenstein it into your Galaxy Nexus. Far too much time and money spent on it, but I now have inductive charging next to my bed, at my office desk, and in my car, held in place magnetically. You will have your phone on a minimalist stand, without using the micro usb port to charge, and its just cool. Let me know if you have any questions about that process.
posted by shinynewnick at 7:36 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
My HTC Incredible (not the 2nd version) has an OLED display, but the volume buttons are on the same side as the micro usb plug. I compromised by getting an L-shaped plug so it still easily sits on its side in the cheap stand I got from Amazon. Downside - volume buttons are not accessible this way, but there is room in the dock to reach them underneath the phone. This is the stand I use, the pictures give you a better sense of how the right angle plug works.
I actually was running a custom 2.3 ROM until this last week, when I had to put my alarm clock phone back into service when the touchscreen broke after dropping my Galaxy Nexus. Fortunately, I found a couple of 4.0 ROMs that ran remarkably well. Definitely no 4.2 ROMs for it, at least stable ones.
All that to say your best bet is the Galaxy Nexus. You are very, very unlikely to find the dock that uses the POGO pins to charge. They have all but disappeared into nothingness. But with an Right angle plug, and the type of stand I linked above, you can still have everything you need. Getting the 4.3 update as of this week, or whatever ROM you want to put on it (highly recommend CM 10.1, lovely features and will show the screen in landscape all the time if you want). OLED screen, ability to set it horizontally with the volume buttons on top.
If you don't mind the Bad ESN route for ethical reasons (no evidence for this, but I would guess most of these are no-pay rather than stolen phones being sold on Ebay). Here's a link to that search on Ebay, and you'll see the prices are pretty fantastic.
Finally, if you want to go hardcore nerd like I did, you can purchase the old Palm Pre Touchstone inductive charging parts and Frankenstein it into your Galaxy Nexus. Far too much time and money spent on it, but I now have inductive charging next to my bed, at my office desk, and in my car, held in place magnetically. You will have your phone on a minimalist stand, without using the micro usb port to charge, and its just cool. Let me know if you have any questions about that process.
posted by shinynewnick at 7:36 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh, and the final overkill for my setup. I dismantled an old pair of Sony over the ear monitor headphones with a low profile, and ran it underneath my sheets where I lay my pillow. Given, it is a Tempurpedic style pillow, so I can't even feel the speaker underneath my head. But there are pillow speakers designed just for this purpose. I have that speaker plugged into my alarm clock phone, and I can then listen to Spotify (in offline mode, with downloaded tracks so it doesn't interrupt my Spotify usage on my regular phone during the day). The speaker is inaudible when you move more than six inches from the pillow. And as a bonus, the alarm clock sounds still play through the regular phone speaker in the morning.
Now, just to really make it stupid - add a Bluetooth receiver to the mix. Haven't used that one I linked, but now I'm tempted. You could even give it power from behind the bed.
I really should cut back on my technology addiction. Looks really bad when I type all this out!
posted by shinynewnick at 7:56 PM on August 3, 2013
Now, just to really make it stupid - add a Bluetooth receiver to the mix. Haven't used that one I linked, but now I'm tempted. You could even give it power from behind the bed.
I really should cut back on my technology addiction. Looks really bad when I type all this out!
posted by shinynewnick at 7:56 PM on August 3, 2013
The new Moto X is coming out darn soon and looks pretty neat, though I don't know about orienting it in landscape. It actually has a built in AMOLED screen that is geared specifically towards only lighting certain parts of the screen for notifications, AND it has an always-listening low power processor that awaits your "ok Google Now" command to trigger it, even when the screen is off, which is pretty neat. (It doesn't transmit anything to any server until you make a query; it's a very narrowly focused voice recognition chip.)
I know it's technically possible to get it loaded, but I just can't imaging relying on the Nexus One to be performant and reliable with Android 4.2.2.
Erm, no. No, no, no. This will end poorly for you. The N1 has a serious issue with its lack of internal storage space, such that it only has ~200 MB free stock, clean, Android 2.3. I think you can forcibly shoehorn 4.2 on to it but it would be a messy affair all around.
I agree that the Galaxy Nexus can do a lot of what you're asking for, but the 2012 Nexus 7 might be even better. This guy is selling one WITH the OEM pogo-pin-enabled dock. Might work perfectly for you, though it is an IPS display, programs like Screen Filter can really keep the brightness down.
posted by disillusioned at 4:49 AM on August 4, 2013
I know it's technically possible to get it loaded, but I just can't imaging relying on the Nexus One to be performant and reliable with Android 4.2.2.
Erm, no. No, no, no. This will end poorly for you. The N1 has a serious issue with its lack of internal storage space, such that it only has ~200 MB free stock, clean, Android 2.3. I think you can forcibly shoehorn 4.2 on to it but it would be a messy affair all around.
I agree that the Galaxy Nexus can do a lot of what you're asking for, but the 2012 Nexus 7 might be even better. This guy is selling one WITH the OEM pogo-pin-enabled dock. Might work perfectly for you, though it is an IPS display, programs like Screen Filter can really keep the brightness down.
posted by disillusioned at 4:49 AM on August 4, 2013
Response by poster: Ahh, shineynewnick, that's the answer. I had been looking for the Galaxy Nexus pogo dock but didn't want to spend that much to import one since they seem to be so rare. I actually have an old Pre and Touchstone charger in a drawer somewhere. That sounds like a fun project that will result in precisely what I'm looking for.
disillusioned, I have a 2012 Nexus 7 and the pogo dock for that. Already tried, too bright.
Thanks, everyone.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 10:06 AM on August 4, 2013
disillusioned, I have a 2012 Nexus 7 and the pogo dock for that. Already tried, too bright.
Thanks, everyone.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 10:06 AM on August 4, 2013
if the n7 is too bright, have you looked into installing Lux on it? It lets you crank the brightness even lower than you normally would be able to. :)
posted by raihan_ at 6:28 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by raihan_ at 6:28 PM on August 4, 2013
ebay > search "mtk" > cheapest chinese tablet or phone?
posted by jago25_98 at 8:49 AM on August 5, 2013
posted by jago25_98 at 8:49 AM on August 5, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by raihan_ at 1:25 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]