Considering Device || General Questions

[Androidity3000]

Hey guys,

I currently have a beautiful Nexus One (As seen in my sig ) and I was considering buying the T-Mo SGSii. I would have to buy it off ebay or similar because I'm on a pre-existing contract family plan. I have some concerns about the device, mostly compared to my N1. Please don't scream and shout if something I discuss has been said before or completely obvious to you guys.


1) How is the dev./hacking community on this device? Is there a lot of ROMs / kernels available for flashing? Do you guys have MIUI / CM7 / CM9 or ICS. Is there a nice amount of custom ROMs?

2) Does this device have ICS stock / by default? I know it shipped with gingerbread but did ICS ever get officially released. I guess not due to Samsung's **** stock ROM. OR is there a good port/build of ICS as a custom ROM?


3) Does this device have an LED camera light that can be manipulated to be used as a flash light

4) Is this device easy / not completely impossible to root? Coming from HTC, it was really easy to unlock the N1's bootloader and load up some custom ROMs.

5) Are there any build quality issues that I should be aware of? IE: power button stops working after time or any faulty design issue.

6) If purchased off of a site like ebay, in order to get the device to work all I would need to do is insert my SIM card and boot? I already have an Android data plan obviously as my N1 works fine on T-Mo.

7) Is there any support for SD Card? Or if or if not, is there any issues with apps that save data to the SD card, such as GTAIII or The Sims?

Thanks very much for the help. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could answer at least one of my questions. Love my N1 but am seriously considering getting this device soon.

 

[cashyftw]

Hey I'm not being mean or anything, but you can literally look in the dev section to answer some of your questions, and you can use Google to answer the other questions. I mean I can answer all your questions in the am, but if you wanted an answer sooner, then check those two sources.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

 

[rosemachinegun]

1) How is the dev./hacking community on this device? Is there a lot of ROMs / kernels available for flashing? Do you guys have MIUI / CM7 / CM9 or ICS. Is there a nice amount of custom ROMs?

It's decent, but not the best. It's separated from the rest of the GS2 community by its qualcomm processor, so while CMod is working on a rom for the international version of the phone, the T989 is left to wait its turn in the meantime. It does share architecture with the AT&T Skyrocket though, so that expands the dev pool some.

2) Does this device have ICS stock / by default? I know it shipped with gingerbread but did ICS ever get officially released. I guess not due to Samsung's **** stock ROM. ||OR|| is there a good port/build of ICS as a custom ROM?
There is no ICS for the T989 yet. A few people are working on it but there's nothing beyond previews yet. Samsung promised an update next month(maybe starting March 1st) but it's unclear if that includes the T989 at first. In any case, once that drops the ICS stock roms will start to arrive.

3) Does this device have an LED camera light that can be manipulated to be used as a flash light

Yes.

4) Is this device easy / not completely impossible to root? Coming from HTC, it was really easy to unlock the N1's bootloader and load up some custom ROMs.

It's very very easy to root and start flashing.

5) Are there any build quality issues that I should be aware of? IE: power button stops working after time or any faulty design issue.

Nothing that serious. I came from the N1 too. That was a seriously flawed phone. I thought it couldn't get worse after my power button broke, but then the touchscreen started randomly wigging out. There's nothing like that on the GS2, but some people have received units with flawed screens that in low-light environments suffer from blobs and lines. There's a thread about it you can check out.

6) If purchased off of a site like ebay, in order to get the device to work all I would need to do is insert my SIM card and boot? I already have an Android data plan obviously as my N1 works fine on T-Mo.

The GS2 requires a new kind of sim card that supports WiFi calling apparently. My old card didn't work with it so I had to have T-Mobile transfer my data to one of the new ones.

7) Is there any support for SD Card? Or if or if not, is there any issues with apps that save data to the SD card, such as GTAIII or The Sims?

It supports cards up to 32GB. Playing GTA with a touchscreen is an awful experience though...

 

[Androidity3000]

@rosemachinegun

Thanks. Seems that this device is not as common as the other SGSii devices? Sorry that part is just a bit confusing to me. It is also weird because the N1 does not have ICS but we have great ports that run real well.

One final question, is the SIM transfer free at T-Mo stores?

 

[8Fishes]

6) If purchased off of a site like ebay, in order to get the device to work all I would need to do is insert my SIM card and boot? I already have an Android data plan obviously as my N1 works fine on T-Mo.

Be careful about buying them off ebay, or where ever because T-Mobile has been known to blacklist IMEI's that have been reported 'stolen'. You might be bidding on one of these phones even if it is unopened, etc.

Find someone that has a high rep and I think you'll be better off on getting something that hasn't been blacklisted.

 

[Adapt0r]

Hey guys,

I currently have a beautiful Nexus One (As seen in my sig ) and I was considering buying the T-Mo SGSii. I would have to buy it off ebay or similar because I'm on a pre-existing contract family plan. I have some concerns about the device, mostly compared to my N1. Please don't scream and shout if something I discuss has been said before or completely obvious to you guys.

First of all ask the seller for IMEI and check it in the database http://www.checkmend.com/us/trade_checking if it is reported stolen or blacklisted. If the seller is legit it will send it to you if not it will disappear.
The phone has microSD and working USB OTG. It mounts storage as usbStorage.
Root is easy and needed to remove bloatware of your choosing, CarrierIQ software and set firewall. It will make your battery life very good.
Satellite navigation works very well also. It can utilize Glonass satellites in addition to the US GPS.

 

[AllGamer]

3) yes, yes

4) yes, super easy

5) none that i'm aware of, this phone can take quite a beating and still works fine

6) eBay or any 2nd hand device could be dangerous, watch out for blacklisted IMEI

7) yes, the best

3) Does this device have an LED camera light that can be manipulated to be used as a flash light

4) Is this device easy / not completely impossible to root? Coming from HTC, it was really easy to unlock the N1's bootloader and load up some custom ROMs.

5) Are there any build quality issues that I should be aware of? IE: power button stops working after time or any faulty design issue.

6) If purchased off of a site like ebay, in order to get the device to work all I would need to do is insert my SIM card and boot? I already have an Android data plan obviously as my N1 works fine on T-Mo.

7) Is there any support for SD Card? Or if or if not, is there any issues with apps that save data to the SD card, such as GTAIII or The Sims?

 

[bobby3306]

Holy **** a simple google search would have answered all these...if you don't know how to use the internet then stay off it

Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

 

[Androidity3000]

Holy **** a simple google search would have answered all these...if you don't know how to use the internet then stay off it

Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

Wow asshole, way to flame. Thanks for all the help guys, sans this ****.

 

[Android_Monsters]

Bought mine on Ebay. Sim card I've had for a long time works

Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

 

[bobby3306]

How about instead of wasting every ones time asking questions that aren't hard to find answers too, you actually do something for yourself and use the lil search bar tool

Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

 

[jijus]

oooopys doopsy

 

[bobby3306]

Um y are you asking difference between tablets in the t989 PHONE section?

Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

 

[sunlaw2]

Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App