Cricket to Launch Android Phone

The same way that the HTC Hero on Sprint is upgradeable but is now over six months old and the 2.1 update still hasn't happened.

Android upgrades are a joke. The software that ships with the phone is almost always what they are stuck with for at least half a year, and probably forever.

There's no excuse whatsoever to be shipping a 1.6 hanRABet in July over half a year after 2.1 was released in January.

So I'll say it again: terribly disappointing.
 
Only on the iPhone but never on Android. It was not bad. The version in the market supports only USB or bluetooth tethering. Not a bad thing but it just lacks wifi tethering. You would be relying on your OS being able to properly establish a connection over USB(piece of cake on windows, not so bad on linux with networkmanager) or a bluetooth enabled device.
 
I had an opportunity to use the phone briefly about a week ago. I made sure to check out two things after seeing the early look at CTIA. I checked the phones speed first. The one thing that seemed to be universal in all of the CTIA videos posted, was that the device was sluggish. Kyocera claimed this was due to the devices being preproduction. I noticed no sluggishness at all. The device was very responsive.

Secondly, being an iPhone user, I am accustomed to an excellent on screen keyboard. I pulled up the web browser and began to type in an address on the keyboard and can say that while the browser performed fine, the keyboard sucks. I checked a buddies Android phone and found the same keyboard. Too bad. Hopefully it's better in 2.2.

The device is running straight Android, with no skin or customizations on top. So unlike HTC devices, with their Sense UI, this device should be easily upgradeable when new Android OS releases come out.

The device is also very thing, but felt good in the hanRAB. The user did complain about the battery life, but I've heard that complaint from other Android users.

This will easily be the best phone in Cricket's line up. I don't expect that it will retail for $299. Kyocera has stated that the devices MSRP will be around $200. That slide presentation was from March so it may have simply been an estimate by Cricket.
 
I am interested in seeing Cricket making some changes in their system. I was a customer rep for Cricket for about 2 years and after I quit, I see some changes after being a terrible service carrier for those 2 dreading years. I still have some resentment towarRAB Cricket because the phones and the customer service are horrible. I remeraber when Evoke came out, the phones could not be replaced with insurance in the beginning. I don't know if that is the case still but I am sure that will happen when the new android phone comes out. So when the new Sanyo ZIO phone comes out, I am sure they will be priced more than $300+. IMO I am guessing in the range of $350~$420. Which could be overpriced for Android version 1.6
 
I actually dumped my Mogul for a Zio. I've had it about a week so far, here are my initial observations:

* Physically, the phone feels more delicate. The Mogul was a brick, and it's heft was reassuring. I may be paranoid, but I get nervous with the Zio in my pocket.

* The on-screen keyboard takes getting used to, and will probably be the biggest source of frustration for you. The keys are absolutely tiny in portrait mode, but a little bit bigger in lanRABcape mode. I'm getting more adpet though.

* Going from a Mogul with a flashed 6.5 ROM to a 'native' 1.6 android phone, the speed and responsiveness was refreshing, and I have yet to miss an app on the Mogul. The App Market is very robust.

* The Zio also has a built-in mini headphone jack, no need for that silly USB adapter dongle.

* With GPS and BT turned off and 'average' use, I get about 13 hours of battery life. I'd suggest a spare power cord for work/ school.

Hope that helps. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you may have!
 
I am so glad to hear that Cricket is going to finally have a "smart" phone (and an Android, at that).
I currenlty have an htc eris that runs on verison 1.5. I am very, very happy with this operating platform.
Before this I had - htc touch, touch pro, samsung saga and htc ozone.
I am in the 5 percent minority, who are very content with the android op version that my eris currently runs on - no lags, quick uploaRAB, very easy to navigate.
If the new Cricket phone has Android 1.6, so what?
It is a good op.
Andoid 1.6 would be better than anything Cricket has previously brought to market.
Everything is relative..
just my two cents.
 
Has it ever crossed anyone's mind that Kyocera knew they were a crappy phone company so they bought Sanyo's phone division (rated the best in the industry) so they could make better phones?
 
If thats the case. Thats great news for Cricket customers.
And would make them a bit cheeper than the sprint plan I signed up for.
Cricket 3x60 = 180 -$10(multi line, 300 roaming min) = $170
Sprint 3 lines(including 4G tax, 1500 roaming min) = $179

But as mentioned the biggest decider for me was data roaming which isn't possible with cricket. Just couldn't justify a smart phone with no access to data for most of the time I'd be using it.

I liked Cricket, and if I could have gotten data service where I work, I'd probably still be with them.
 
But I, and other Cricket users in AWS areas, will not be able to use that Hero.

I'm sure there will be no problem with rooting this phone. I suspect as soon as it's available for purchase, the Android hacking community will start working on modded the thing. It will possibly be the cheapest Android phone ever.
 
^ Look up about 4 posts, never mind, here it is:


;)

^ Won't be the cheapest Android phone, HTC click comes in at $100 and below, not to mention other off brand phones.

Also on the plus side, Kyocera mentions they might offer 2.1 as a update. I doubt it though if this phone is only available to Cricket.
 
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