Smartphones

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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Cool idea but I'm sure Verizon won't allow it on their network :p.
 

Deathwing

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Swear I saw that linked here a while back. The EE in me says nuh uh for longterm compatibility. The amount of pins needed for connectivity changes a lot from component to component. How many of you have had to buy new mobos just because the cpu/video card/ram won't physically fit in your existing one? Another problem: some pins need external caps and resistors to function properly.

My employer makes accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometer. Across those three discrete MEMS, we have 3 different pin counts, 2 different communication protocols requiring different resistors hanging off the data and clock pins, custom pins for a couple customers, and PLL dampening networks we've had to move internal specifically for a reason similar to this(we couldn't trust the customer to place it exactly).

It's a neat idea that can work for maybe some components, but I doubt for all. A more realistic goal is just realizing that phone hardware is WAY outpacing what a consumer needs, and hopefully the phone refresh cycle will slow down. I'd love for smartphones to last 3-4 years.

If that grid array housed an FPGA, this might be more feasible.
 

Neki

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.
LG-Google-Nexus-5-Sprint-soon.jpg
 

Vaclav

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I know just gotten used to disappointment. Heh. Sure things turn on me it seems.
 

opiate82

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I don't know if it will actually go to TMO as a version TMO carries (although the 4 did) the version you get from the Google Play store will work on TMO, so long as the leaks are even somewhat accurate. (99.99999% certainty)
 

Joeboo

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Are they implying that Sprint will actually be selling the Nexus 5(and thus probably subsidizing it, possibly making it free w/contract) or just that it is compatible with Sprints network?
 

Neki

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Compatible with almost all major carriers

EVLeaks: Nexus 5 coming to Sprint

Nexus 5 is around the corner and probably the most anticipated Nexus smartphone to date, and we will see it in both black and white color. Last month, Nexus 5 was spotted at FCC with support for Sprint, and also it is rumored that Nexus 5 will be released by almost all major carriers in USA,and it seems Sprint might be the first one to get it as @evleaks is also reporting that Nexus 5 is "coming to Sprint"
 

Vaclav

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That Phonebloks thing is a neat concept - any OS confirmation though? I'm assuming Android being that it's indirectly Google tied via Motorola - but still curious nonetheless. Don't really care to switch OSs if/when that becomes reality.
 

Denamian

Night Janitor
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So does that mean every major carrier except Verizon?
Yes. The leaked service manual indicated the radio would work with every US carrier except Verizon. I think it would partially work with Verizon, but wouldn't support their LTE and maybe some 3g frequencies.
 

Ameraves

New title pending...
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I am a bit fed up with Verizon's high prices and restrictions on the Nexus devices. Couple that with their slow ass updates and I am seriously considering jumping ship. Right now I pay roughly $200 per month for 3 phones (that includes a 15% discount through work), and my other daughter is going to be added soon as well so my bill will be going up.

I was looking at TMobile and it would only cost me roughly $120-$150 for all 4 lines depending on how much data I get for the family. Now of course I have no idea how good the reception is around here, and especially in my house. AT&T doesn't work at all in our house, so I am curious to see how TMobile would work. I don't know anyone that has the service, so I can't test it in my house.

I am a bit torn on what to do, and how much I would have to pay to get out of the contract. Me and my wife's contract is up in December, but the other phone isn't up until May of 2015 I think. Also, would we even be able to bring our phones over to TMobile with us? 2 of the phones are relatively new so I really wouldn't want to buy new ones, but I may have to.

Not sure what to do...
 

Lenas

Trump's Staff
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That Phonebloks thing is a neat concept - any OS confirmation though? I'm assuming Android being that it's indirectly Google tied via Motorola - but still curious nonetheless. Don't really care to switch OSs if/when that becomes reality.
I would assume Android because it's open source, widely adopted and can be highly customized.
 

jeydax

Death and Taxes
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I am a bit fed up with Verizon's high prices and restrictions on the Nexus devices. Couple that with their slow ass updates and I am seriously considering jumping ship. Right now I pay roughly $200 per month for 3 phones (that includes a 15% discount through work), and my other daughter is going to be added soon as well so my bill will be going up.

I was looking at TMobile and it would only cost me roughly $120-$150 for all 4 lines depending on how much data I get for the family. Now of course I have no idea how good the reception is around here, and especially in my house. AT&T doesn't work at all in our house, so I am curious to see how TMobile would work. I don't know anyone that has the service, so I can't test it in my house.

I am a bit torn on what to do, and how much I would have to pay to get out of the contract. Me and my wife's contract is up in December, but the other phone isn't up until May of 2015 I think. Also, would we even be able to bring our phones over to TMobile with us? 2 of the phones are relatively new so I really wouldn't want to buy new ones, but I may have to.

Not sure what to do...
As far as whether you need new phones or not, that depends on which phones you have.

In regards to getting out of the contract without paying a rediculous sum, you can try telling them that you're moving into an area that they don't have coverage in. Just look on their coverage map, find a town that has no service, and tell them you're moving there. Sometimes you can completely get out of it without penalties.