Help Looking for an Android phone..

[lvdave]

Dunno if this is the right place to ask, but I'm looking for an Android phone with the following requirements, items with a star are MUST haves

* GSM, able to work on the recently added Ting/tmobile GSM support.
* Priced $50-$80
* Easy to root and has good Cyanogenmod support up to ICS. Root needed for bloatware removal/TitaniumBackup
* supports 32GB SDcard
* Physical Keyboard, not virtual..

LTE/4G nice, but all I really need is 3G

Would like dualcore if at all possible.. I do a LOT of remote admin via ssh using connectbot, and doing that on a virtual keyboard is VERY painful.. I currently use a tmobile HTC G2, which I've tried to root following the tips found all over the web, using visionary, which doesn't work. Further research says I have to downgrade the current firmware before Visionary will work.. Serious pain in the ass.. I've rooted quite a few Samsung and LG phones and never had the trouble that HTC throws in your way to root their phones.. So I guess I don't want another HTC phone either.. I'd thought about an older one of the "Googlephones", like the Nexus, but I don't know of any that have the physical keyboard and that's a dealbreaker.. I don't really care about getting the latest/greatest version of Android, other than perhaps something in the 4.X range as I have several apps I'd *like* to run on my current phone on 2.3.4, which don't work on that old a version..

Looking for ideas..

Thanks
Dave

 

[funkylogik]

For a start your price range is very low for a remotely decent smart phone (unless you're buying subsidised?)
Also you won't find many Android phones with a physical keyboard I'm afraid.
Hopefully someone else will find a suggestion for you though

 

[kate]

Hi lvdave, I moved your thread to the Device Comparisons forum

I use Ting and looked into GSM compatible QWERTY keyboard phones awhile ago, there are not many options unfortunately. The only three recent ones I found were:

LG Optimus F3Q from T-Mobile
Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G from T-Mobile
The NEC Terrain from AT&T (would need to be unlocked)

The F3Q or Relay might work for you, but I don't know about ROM development for either. Two older phones are the T-Mobile myTouch Q 2 and T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide.

If you're not already with Ting you can get $100 off when signing up through June 8th or $25 off afterwards - check this thread for more info

 

[lvdave]

Hi lvdave, I moved your thread to the Device Comparisons forum

I use Ting and looked into GSM compatible QWERTY keyboard phones awhile ago, there are not many options unfortunately. The only three recent ones I found were:

LG Optimus F3Q from T-Mobile
Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G from T-Mobile
The NEC Terrain from AT&T (would need to be unlocked)

The F3Q or Relay might work for you, but I don't know about ROM development for either. Two older phones are the T-Mobile myTouch Q 2 and T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide.

If you're not already with Ting you can get $100 off when signing up through June 8th or $25 off afterwards - check this thread for more info

Hi! Thanks for the reply.. I've been on Ting for close to a year.. Had been on the Sprint "side" of Ting up till they opened their GSM beta to everybody.. I'd found that tmobile had a MUCH better footprint in the areas I frequent than Sprint does.. I indicated that the ability to put Cyanogenmod on a phone was a dealbreaker, but actually I don't really care too much about that.. All I *really* need is a phone thats as easy to root as the several Samsungs/LG phones I've had in the past.. Prior to buying my current HTC G2, I had an HTC EVO 4G, and I did manage to get it rooted, but what a pain in the rear.. If one of the listed phones already has a bit newer os than the 2.3.4 I have on the HTC G2, I'd be happy with that, as long as I can easily root it.. Will check out those phones you called out...

Thanks again