Smart phone / OS / plans

[Lunkhead]

I'm going to try out Songbird for Android as a music player app. I'm sure it won't have the one feature that fluffy requires, but maybe it will be an otherwise good music player. One interesting feature it has is that it can replace your normal "lock screen" with one with music controls (pause, next, previous). I'm not sure I'd use that but it's interesting to know that apps can do that. I had no idea they could. I'm also going to see if there's any kind of iTunes/iPod level of integration when using Songbird both on the phone and my Mac.

[fluffy]

Lock screen integration is a good thing. That's one of the nice things about the iOS player that I've also missed from Android. I didn't know apps could do that either. I've seen hacks for apps to put text on the lock screen by changing the upcoming alarm label but that's it.

[HeuristicsInc]

I'm still using the original Droid. Isn't working so well now. It spends entirely too much time thinking and not enough time doing. I'm up for an upgrade and need to start shopping about to see what's the best... gonna stick with Android tho.
-bill

[Lunkhead]

I know I will sound like a broken record at this point, but if you can, consider a Nexus or "with Google" phone. That will provide you with a more "plain vanilla" Android experience like you got with your original Droid, and not some pile of crappy manufacturer/carrier customizations like most Android phones have now sadly.

[HeuristicsInc]

does that include the newer droids? that's unfortunate if so. i'm not sure what phones include "with google" since i'm not seeing that text on the verizon site. there's only one nexus listed here also and that's galaxy... kinda pricey.

[Lunkhead]

Dang, looks like Verizon doesn't offer any "with Google" branded phones. That's lame.

What's your price range? Would you consider the Xperia Play? That may be a good more affordable way to go. Supposedly Sony's customizations of Android are mostly tolerable. The Droid Bionic for $50 more might also be a good way to go.

Basically what I would do to evaluate these phones is to look for a review of them on sites like Engadget:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/sony ... ay-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/08/droid-bionic-review/

Then go to the "Software" portion of the review and see which version of Android is on the phone, and what they say about the manufacturer and carrier customizations and pre-installed apps. You should try to get something with at least Android 2.3 (aka "Gingerbread", ugh, stupid code names). Also you probably don't want to get a phone that's got some horrible manufacturer customizations or that comes loaded with 50 apps you can't uninstall (thanks Verizon!), for example.

[jb]

You can have my iPhone when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

[fluffy]

Or when you upgrade to the next one.

[jb]

Or when you upgrade to the next one.

Point!

[roymond]

You can have my iPhone when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Oh, great. Now I have to kill a good friend. Oh well...gotta do what I gotta do, I guess. Unless I root it tonight