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Did you know that in Ecuador is illegal to import cellphones unless you are a company? It used to be that everytime a new phone was launched in usa I could buy an older model for a fraction of the price. Here a galaxy s2 is being sold at the same price of a s4.

Now that my xperia play is nearly extinct I'm in the need for a new smartphone. Mid range phones are almost non existent. My selection of phones are nokia lumia 620 or lg optimus l7 II. I like android but I have nothing against windows phone 8. So, what do you say? What is the best phone?

I'm currently using an LG Optimus Q, which is a few generations behind the L7, but it has a slide out QWERTY keyboard, which I'm always a fan of. It is by no means the best phone in the world, but it works for me. I've had a few LG phones in my life, and haven't really had any problems with them. Nokia, on the other hand, I've had tons of problems with over the years.

I am still using a Motorola V191. I realize this is not a smart phone, but I found that combining this with an iPod/Tablet/whatver was the easiest way to get smartphone functionality with the smallest phone bill possible. I do not know what the phone carriers/plans are like down there in Sash! country.

--Patrick

A tablet is not portable enough for me.

I'm still using a first generation Motorola Droid, personally. Were I to switch up, though, I'd probably go for one of the samsung galaxy S serieses. I've played with them some and like most of what I see. But I'd have to root it, of course. They try and flimflam you with their carrier-fellating "wireless hotspot" apps that only work if you buy their priciest data package, but I'll take a good ol' fashioned tether for nothin', thanks.

GasBandit said:

I'm still using a first generation Motorola Droid, personally. Were I to switch up, though, I'd probably go for one of the samsung galaxy S serieses. I've played with them some and like most of what I see. But I'd have to root it, of course. They try and flimflam you with their carrier-fellating "wireless hotspot" apps that only work if you buy their priciest data package, but I'll take a good ol' fashioned tether for nothin', thanks.

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There are Android USB tethering apps that work without having to root the phone. I use one all the time.

No. They don't check that.

I use a Samsung Galaxy S2. Absolutely no complaints about it in any way or form. Solid and dependable.

I'm sure there are a lot of better phones out there. Flagship phones are too expensive . I prefer mid range phones and the only ones avaliable here are nokia lumia 620 and huawei aspire t300

Bowielee said:

There are Android USB tethering apps that work without having to root the phone. I use one all the time.

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Doesn't work for my tablet though. I've actually got a pretty good one that lets you tether via bluetooth though, it works pretty well between my Nexus 7 and my Droid.

Cog said:

No. They don't check that.

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Then go somewhere you can get an LG Nexus 4 and get that. Rooting is easy, they're (usually) not locked to a carrier, and it's up-to-date with the absolute latest that Google can offer. And fairly cheap (not CHEAP cheap, but decently-priced IMO). Or the Samsung Galaxy S3 that Google is selling off their website that is only loaded with base android, though that may be harder to find in a store.

Too expensive. Many people ask family or friends in usa to bring them phones when they return to the country. Sadly, my only contact there is my aunt who is here indefinitely because of my cousin's inventigation. (If someone wants to travel here and wants to help me please let me know )

GasBandit said:

Doesn't work for my tablet though. I've actually got a pretty good one that lets you tether via bluetooth though, it works pretty well between my Nexus 7 and my Droid.

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foxfi works great for tethering through wifi without root. It has options to link through both USB and Bluetooth also. I've been using it for at least a year with no problems at all. You do have to drop $7 for it, but it's well worth it.

Shakey said:

foxfi works great for tethering through wifi without root. It has options to link through both USB and Bluetooth also. I've been using it for at least a year with no problems at all. You do have to drop $7 for it, but it's well worth it.

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Thanks for the tip, I'll have to remember that when I finally do get around to upgrading, because this old brick surely can't last forever.

What exactly is this tethering? That is, why are you using it? I'm not sure if I understand the benefit. Is it using a cell phone network to share the internet with a computer or tablet?

drawn_inward said:

What exactly is this tethering? That is, why are you using it? I'm not sure if I understand the benefit. Is it using a cell phone network to share the internet with a computer or tablet?

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Yes, it's basically using another device with a data connection as a router. I tether my nexus 7 to my phone when I'm somewhere that doesn't have wifi, because the Nexus 7 tablet doesn't have CDMA/GSM (cell phone) data antennas. So basically, my phone's got a 3g connection, and using a tethering app, lets my tablet (which is paired over bluetooth, but it could do it using wifi as well but I find bluetooth uses less battery) connect to the internet through the phone.

I've also, in the past, accomplished the same thing with the same phone (but a different app) via USB cable for my laptop.

These days, most cell phone providers have their own built-in app for doing this, but they usually call it "mobile wifi hotspot" or some such instead of tethering.

I use it for my main internet right now. Only because I can't get normal wired internet out where I live. I get 4g service, which gives me up to 20mb download speeds. If I didn't have to worry about using too much data and tipping Verizon off that I'm tethering without a plan, I wouldn't switch to wired internet even if it was available.

Yeah, the jump from 3g to 4g is jawdropping. I consider it a good connection if I get about 380kbit. Not even half a megabit.

It also illustrates why wireless carriers suddenly give a shit about tethering, because imagine if everybody did what shakey did - their network would have a meltdown.

I have only set up an ad-hoc network in my apt to due to my lack of a wireless router. Since my phone is carved from bone and stone, I haven't even considered this a possibility. Knowing = Battle/2

drawn_inward said:

I have only set up an ad-hoc network in my apt to due to my lack of a wireless router. Since my phone is carved from bone and stone, I haven't even considered this a possibility. Knowing = Battle/2

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But you do have an internet connection, right? In that case, all you need is for your desktop computer to have both a regular wired ethernet card and a wireless network card (you can get either one for 20 bucks), and then you can use windows' built in internet sharing to turn your computer into a wireless router.

Or.. it might just be easier to get a wireless router. Seriously, you can get em for like 35 bucks now.