About buying Universal

[jaank]

Hello,

Im thinking about buying Universal, but i have some questions about it.

1.Where to buy it, i would like to get it in good shape/now, not some old cheese.

2.Has it any defects or easy brokening parts.? Warranty after buying via. internet is a pain.

3. I read somewere that there are some fake models avabile?
Is it real talk or some WomensInSaunaToldMe story?

[kareeem]

Your best bet would either be eBay or the Marketplace. I think the latter is a better choice because you'll probably find it much cheaper with details.

[jaank]

Just looked, at the ebay.
I could get for 350$ from there.
Now i need some info abot the fake thing.
And one question more:

Is this mobile still sustainable (this may be wrong word :D ) or is there a hope for support in XDA nexr 2-3 years?
But yeah, Wallaby is much older :D

[orb3000]

Do not hessitate on buying an Universal!
Is one of the best devices ever!!
Thanks to the Chefs and Devs here you´ll have Universal for a long time!

Have a look here to see another buy options
http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=25385196

[kareeem]

Just looked, at the ebay.
I could get for 350$ from there.
Now i need some info abot the fake thing.
And one question more:

Is this mobile still sustainable (this may be wrong word :D ) or is there a hope for support in XDA nexr 2-3 years?
But yeah, Wallaby is much older :D
Haven't heard of this "fake" business you speak of but i'm pretty sure eBay is safe. I'm also sure you can get one for much cheaper than that.

[jaank]

I'm also sure you can get one for much cheaper than that.

Cheaper than the Ebay?
Where?I think 350usd for that kinda High-End device is pretty cheap.

All im worried about is, that maybe it doesn't fit into my pants pockets, because im only 12 and my pocket's arent very big. :D

edit: Orb3000 could you please fix the link. I like'd to read it.

[orb3000]

Enter here and do a search with the word "Universal"
You´ll see many options:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=476

[PaulKen]

Cheaper than the Ebay?
Where?I think 350usd for that kinda High-End device is pretty cheap.

All im worried about is, that maybe it doesn't fit into my pants pockets, because im only 12 and my pocket's arent very big. :D

Hi jaank.

On Ebay in the UK, Universals are selling for £100-£130. that is 1840-2390 Krooni (you live in Estonia, right?) You could probably get a better deal on this site in Marketplace.

If you are worried about the size for your pocket. A Uni is 130mm X 78mm X 23mm. Maximum. make up a cardboard one and try it out. that was what I did before I bought my Athena.:D

A Uni is pretty tough but so is school.(at least mine was) you need to be careful. You already have a Wizard so you know that. Best of luck. let us know how you get on.

[jaank]

Oh, cool answer :p
But, has Universal some weak spots?
Like the screen turning system or so?Im thinking about some other mobile, at the weekend.
Im in Middle schoool , so im pretty peaceful :D and im pretty peaceful at all, but im sportly active and so having second phone is pretty good idea I think.


And the point for buying Uni IS school.
Im a boy, so i sit at the back and our school has wifi.
And as you all know (I hope) is school pretty booring.

Thank you for the help, and sorry for my English.I started learning English in third grade and Im going to Six't grade so I'm not really experienced about english.

Thank you, and i love PayPal.

EDIT: Where did you see NEW uni for 2000eek. I talked to my parrents and it's have to be new

EDIT2:About future :D Is there some roms wiht the latest Manila as in the Touch Pro/Hd

[jaank]

SorryForDouble

Looking for the Cheapest NEW uni.
My old mobile battery is diening so needed fast.

[vma]

Uni's can be bought cheap at the German eBay. Current prices are at about 100 Euro, I saw auctions finishing at 90 Euro. This is madness, for such a great device.

You need to search for "MDA PRO", as this is the name given by the German phone operator.

I actually own two of them, so that is a good sign on how much I like this phone!

Drawbacks: whilst driving, my phone holder does not allow the Universal to be placed such that the keyboard is accessible. This means, I can't type while driving (one shouldn't do that anyway). Also, Internet Explorer will render quite small fonts.

When I am driving, I do prefer the form factor of my VDA GPS (like a Motorola Q9).

Other than that, this phone is simply great.

No known issues.

You should consider:

- new battery
- screen protector
- proper car holder

Cheers,
vma

[Chef_Tony]

i got mine about a month ago. i got it off ebay germany, i paid 88eur for the universal g3, plus a 3200mah battery, a tomtom mkii sirf3 gps receiver and a docking station.

that was about the best 90eur i ever spent, although i didn't get a stylus, a case or a handsfree, which i thought, was standard accessories, the gps alone is priced at 75eur in germany :D

[jaank]

VMA:



- new battery- IDK, I'm scared about weight.
- screen protector- Shure
- proper car holder- Dont have a car so not needed.

If you buying MDA Pro than you can still flash it?

EDIT: Is MDA pro software in germany?

[vma]

Hi,

With new battery I meant the fact that most MDA PRO's sold nowadays at eBay are over two years old, so you should not expect to much from the shipped battery. You certainly will need to purchase a new one soon to get a full day of heavy usage out of your device.

I agree that the extra capacity batteries increase the size and weight of the Universal beyond reasonable lilmits (for me at least), so I would stick with the normal sized batteries.

Basically I wanted to alert you that you should not spend *ALL* your money on the Universal - save some for an extra battery...

The German MDA PRO will in most cases come with a German falvour of WM5 and with a SIM lock.

You can, however, unlock the SIM by following the procedure of the Unlocker (search forum) and you can certainly flash a different ROM. I personally like Tomal's modified WM6.1 ROM's a lot.

The only remaining issues you will have with the German version of the Universal:

- MDA / T-Mobile logo on the inside, T-Mobile logo on the outside
- German keyboard: essentially you will have the "Y" and "Z" keys swapped - and no, you can't physically exchange the keys, because they have different size :)

I can live perfectly well with both issues and they don't affect the usability or the value of the device at all.

Cheers,
vma

[jaank]

Now it's about Ebay safety.
How to chose seller?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-O2-XDA-EXEC-Jasjar-3G-WiFi-w-TONS-OF-EXTRAS_W0QQitemZ320385618144QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCel l_Phones?hash=item4a987890e0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C 293%3A1%7C294%3A50
What do you think about that?

[orb3000]

Check on marketplace first!
I saw yesterday a great Uni selling from a trustable member

[vma]

There is always a risk involved in any internet related purchase...

At eBay you should look for:

- sellers with more than a minimu of 5 feedbacks
- sellers with 100% rating - in case of 99.x% rating, check what was the cause of the negative feedback (sometime's it is not the sellers fault)
- check what other products the seller has been selling
- pictures of the real device, not just standard marketing images
- ask the seller a question and see how long it takes him to respond - avoid sellers who dont respond
- avoid sellers accepting Western Union or similar payment forms
- don't relay totally on PayPAL - it is not that secure
- check shipping costs
- check taxes - specially in case of imports from other economic areas

If nothing is strange so far, nothing fishy, then you can take the risk.

Regarding the Marketplace here at XDA-DEVELOPERS: I have never purchased anything, but would do so from respected members. Check how long they are registered and how many postings they have. No crook would be wasting time with hundreds of posts over years just to sell you a broken Universal...

However, in case things go wrong and if you bought something from someone on the other side of the world, there is nothing much you can do.

That is the price you pay, for getting the device with a discount of aproximatly 50%.

Cheers,
vma

[jaank]

OK - sellers with more than a minimu of 5 feedbacks
OK - sellers with 100% rating - in case of 99.x% rating, check what was the cause of the negative feedback (sometime's it is not the sellers fault)
OK - check what other products the seller has been selling
OK - pictures of the real device, not just standard marketing images
OK - ask the seller a question and see how long it takes him to respond - avoid sellers who dont respond
OK - avoid sellers accepting Western Union or similar payment forms
OK - don't relay totally on PayPAL - it is not that secure
OK - check shipping costs
OK - check taxes - specially in case of imports from other economic areas

So look's pretty good.

I was just asking your opinion .What do you think about him.
Gonna order soon.