3 ms·

I see a lot of reviews lambasting the software on these phones for being incredibly finicky. Are there models with stock android that just work? If so, why isn

I see a lot of reviews lambasting the software on these phones for being incredibly finicky. Are there models with stock android that just work? If so, why isn't some enterprising company importing them, providing QA and customer support and making a killing?

joezydeco 13y ago
The phrases "phone", "stock Android", and "just work" are mutually and orthogonally exclusive. Stock android phones don't work. Stock android things that just work aren't phones. Phones that just work are not Android {Okay, that last one is probably not totally true. =) }
- recursive 13y ago
  So what doesn't work about my phone?
  - joezydeco 13y ago
    Your phone works fine, thus the smiley. The point was that making a phone from AOSP with no customization just doesn't work well.
nine_k 13y ago
I'm writing from such a phone. It has stock Android 4.0 and just works, usually enduring 3 days without recharging.
- nazgulnarsil 13y ago
  Which phone do you have?
  - nine_k 13y ago
    A Star 8000 aka MTK6575. Not top of the line, but I got it quite cheaply so I don't complain.
    - nazgulnarsil 13y ago
      interesting, I see they run about $160, but I think the LG L9 is a better deal for $30 more considering the support you get.
vidarh 13y ago
Only problems with my phone was Chinese "spammy" messages, which required disabling a specific app, but disabling all the apps I didn't want was trivial enough. It has "near" stock Android. There are a few minor things such as custom apps to check for system updates from the manufacturer, and some stuff that I'm not sure whether is stock or an extension for handling multiple sims (don't know as I've never had another phone with multiple sim slots). Other than that, the GPS is pretty much useless but not for lack of trying - there's extra stuff there to facilitate AGPS etc. it seems, but the antenna is simply physically too short (there's lots of breakdowns on how to attach a longer antenna to fix it, but I've not bothered so far - I don't use GPS much). Lots of companies are importing many of these devices. Amazon is full of them. They're also full of offers from distributors and manufacturers in China that offers a quite decent service. I'm in the UK, ordered mine via Amazon mostly for increased peace of mind vs. ordering direct, and had the phone in ca 10 days. I've also ordered several cheap no-name Chinese tablets via UK distributors. You'll probably see more and more of these appearing, especially as all of these manufacturers offers to put your own brand name on the devices often even in very small volumes (if you want a Samsung logotype or other known brand, you can probably get it at no extra cost from most of them when ordering even single units...)

joezydeco 13y ago

The phrases "phone", "stock Android", and "just work" are mutually and orthogonally exclusive. Stock android phones don't work. Stock android things that just work aren't phones. Phones that just work are not Android {Okay, that last one is probably not totally true. =) }

recursive 13y ago
So what doesn't work about my phone?
- joezydeco 13y ago
  Your phone works fine, thus the smiley. The point was that making a phone from AOSP with no customization just doesn't work well.

nine_k 13y ago

I'm writing from such a phone. It has stock Android 4.0 and just works, usually enduring 3 days without recharging.

nazgulnarsil 13y ago
Which phone do you have?
- nine_k 13y ago
  A Star 8000 aka MTK6575. Not top of the line, but I got it quite cheaply so I don't complain.
  - nazgulnarsil 13y ago
    interesting, I see they run about $160, but I think the LG L9 is a better deal for $30 more considering the support you get.

vidarh 13y ago

Only problems with my phone was Chinese "spammy" messages, which required disabling a specific app, but disabling all the apps I didn't want was trivial enough. It has "near" stock Android. There are a few minor things such as custom apps to check for system updates from the manufacturer, and some stuff that I'm not sure whether is stock or an extension for handling multiple sims (don't know as I've never had another phone with multiple sim slots). Other than that, the GPS is pretty much useless but not for lack of trying - there's extra stuff there to facilitate AGPS etc. it seems, but the antenna is simply physically too short (there's lots of breakdowns on how to attach a longer antenna to fix it, but I've not bothered so far - I don't use GPS much). Lots of companies are importing many of these devices. Amazon is full of them. They're also full of offers from distributors and manufacturers in China that offers a quite decent service. I'm in the UK, ordered mine via Amazon mostly for increased peace of mind vs. ordering direct, and had the phone in ca 10 days. I've also ordered several cheap no-name Chinese tablets via UK distributors. You'll probably see more and more of these appearing, especially as all of these manufacturers offers to put your own brand name on the devices often even in very small volumes (if you want a Samsung logotype or other known brand, you can probably get it at no extra cost from most of them when ordering even single units...)