some advice please on a new phone

[reble]

I am looking for advice on which phone to get that will do what I need without breaking the bank to get the phone. I have Boost mobile's flat monthly rate unlimited everything (voice, text and internet). Right now I am using a rooted Kyorcera Hydro phone. The phone does ok on voice and text. But it has a few draw backs.
1. When using the phone as a modem connected to my laptop as a backup isp the data speed isn't much faster then normal dialup.
2. I tryed to watch a tv prog via YouTube on the phone. The tv program had to stop many times to play catchup.
3. I find with this phone I setup the ringtones the way I want, the phone resets back to the default ringtones on it's own.
4. The phone is a battery hog (power waster). I know that all smart phone will use more power then a dumb phone. I have shut down all app's that aren't absolutely need for making calls or to do text and the phone still uses a lot of power.
5. I would like a phone with a regular keyboard, not a virtual screen keyboard. I find I make a lot more typing mistakes on a virtual screen keyboard.
Anyone have any ideas for a phone that will foot the bill for what I need. I am also looking to maby trade this phone for an other phone.
An added note. The ZTE N860 phone I had (before something in the phone fizzled) I could watch a YouTube tv prog without the phone having to play catchup.

Steve

 

[kevincott]

A. For starters the last I knew the Hydro was unrootable due to a boot issue, so rooting is news to me.

B. Your low data speed is an indication of poor signal strength which also leads to excess battery drain, other phones may act similar in this regards.

C. With a low signal any phone will play 'catch-up' on steaming video.

D. Boost mobile only offers 1 Android phone (Transform Ultra) with a physical keyboard and it has slightly worse specs to the Hydro.

E. Was your ZTE N860 on a different network than the Hydro?

 

[mydian]

I have a Transform Ultra.. it's ok but it's getting old and will probably never see an Android 4.0 update. The keyboard kind of sucks to be honest. I can type much faster using Swiftkey Keyboard, which has a free trial in the Google Play Store if you want to try it out. I haven't used my physical keyboard since last summer when I bought SwiftKey.

I can't really recommend a phone as I'm looking for a new one as well, but I'm looking to ditch Boost and switch to T-Mobile. Probably a Nexus 4.

 

[reble]

It took me about 2 and half months of reading everything that I could lay my hands on about Android to get the Hydro rooted. I am a windows person. I new nothing about Android/Lenix os.
The spot I was sitting in wile my friend was in the dentist was a parking lot, and is a hot spot, all 5 bars were on.
The ZTE N860 was on the same network (boost mobile) as the Hydro and inside a steel and concrete building in a doctors waiting room and the ZTE N860 still had 4 bars on for signal strength wile I watched a YouTube tv show without any 'catch-up' on steaming video. I would still have the ZTE N860 if the crooked phone dealer hadn't sold me a phone that was already on its last leg. The phone stopped working a week after I got it and he tried to pawn the problem for the phone breaking down on the Boost Mobile teck that helped me set the phone up. I am not the only one he ripped off. Boost Mobile finely told him by by you aren't a Boost Mobile representative anymore. You ripped to many customers off with used cheap garbage. I never got the ZTE rooted and I don't know if that phone can be rooted and do wifi hotspot tethering. I use the Hydro 1 as a backup isp if charter goes down and 2. if I am out in the field with my laptop and there is no open wifi signal to tie into (like a library or so on) when I am doing a demo with the Amateur Radio group.

A. For starters the last I knew the Hydro was unrootable due to a boot issue, so rooting is news to me.

B. Your low data speed is an indication of poor signal strength which also leads to excess battery drain, other phones may act similar in this regards.

C. With a low signal any phone will play 'catch-up' on steaming video.

D. Boost mobile only offers 1 Android phone (Transform Ultra) with a physical keyboard and it has slightly worse specs to the Hydro.

E. Was your ZTE N860 on a different network than the Hydro?

 

[reble]

I still need some input please on a phone that will work on the Boost Mobile network and do what I need it to do.

Steve

 

[walpow]

I still need some input please on a phone that will work on the Boost Mobile network and do what I need it to do.

Like one of the earlier posters said, the only Android phone with a physical keyboard that Boost offers is the Transform Ultra. So if that's a have-to-have, the discussion pretty much ends there.

If you can get by with a virtual keyboard (and there are several good ones; I'm currently torn between Swiftkey Flow and Kii), might I recommend the Warp Sequent? I too had a Warp, and it was fine until I stupidly cracked the screen. After looking at Boost's Android offerings, I decided on the Sequent, and I'm quite happy with it.