Best Android Smartphone In Thailand Now

[SweRob]

Anyone know if Thailand is a prioritized market for Samsung? Since the SGS 2 launches in the end of April then i wonder how long it would take untill we see the phone in Thailand.

[jackbox]

But isn't Captivate the same Galaxy S renamed for AT&T in the US? When it's brought here isn't it still locked to AT&T? Do you need to jailbreak it to make it work here?

I understand Nexus S 3G band concerns and it is very close to Galaxy S sold here which doesn't work on True's 3G either. I agree that arguing which one is better is a bit more like comparing wine or cars, but comparing Galaxy S to Galaxy Copper is simply not fair. Copper might be cheaper, that's the only advantage.

Nexus S doesn't need any lag fixes and is faster than stock Galaxy S, and has a rather unique design.

So it's either these two or HTC Desire, and I think Nexus wins this by a long nose.

Captivate is a Galaxy S in a better form factor and 850Mhz 3G which works on True. They are easy to unlock. I will go anywhere in BKK and unlock for 1,000 baht. Galaxy S with lag fux stll abou 60% faster than stock Nexus S.

[AgentSmith]

To me the Motorola Defy is by far the best smartphone for Thailand. Reasons:

• It's water resistant (unofficially even waterproof until 1 meter, perfect for the rainy season, Motorola dropped the IP67 rating right before release)
• It's rugged meaning you can throw it around without breaking the phone (real abuse of the phone can be seen on Youtube)
• Thai version supports UMTS/HSDPA @ 850 and 2100 MHz (GSM is quad band). Don't have a 3G simcard but in Bangkok it detected all 3G networks also the 850 ones)
• It now runs CyanogenMod 7 (installed it today, just brilliant, Android 2.3.4 aka Gingerbread)
• It's CHEAP! (Check it @ InvadeIT online shop. they put it online shortly after my request several months ago)

Practically: the battery lasts quite a while for a smartphone (over 2 days if you do absolutely nothing else than making a phone call now and then). This is a good thing in a time with frequent power cuts. The downside is that in my opinion the standard Motorola software (Motoblur) really sucks. And it still only has Android 2.1 out of the box although the official upgrade to 2.2 is almost here. But if you don't mind to fiddle around with custom roms this phone is truly brilliant and allows you to run the very latest software. It's not one of the new dual core monsters but does one really need that much crunching power on a phone? It plays all the recent games perfectly without any hickups thanks to the fast graphics chip. And the screen's aspect ratio is true 16:9 (848x480), very nice if you use it to watch films and series once in a while, e.g. on the bus or in the plane. No black bars with tv series. Eat that HTC and Samsung!

The touchscreen is very sensitive. It's just a standard LCD so no super lcd, super amoled or other fancy new display technique. This is the only small drawback to me although it is still a very sharp picture.

Edited May 8, 2011 by AgentSmith

[ThaiLife]

In some of the side-by-sides I've seen comparing the LG Optimus 2X and Samsung Galaxy S2 the Galaxy S2 simply blows the LG away. Of course comparing the LG's 4" LCD display to the S2's 4.3" Super AMOLED isn't really fair. There is simply no better display than that on the S2. Anyone who has used a Super AMOLED screen knows they could never downgrade to an LCD.

In addition, all of the specs I've seen on the LG say 900/2100 Mhz 3G dual-band only while the S2 has a Quad band 3G radio (850/900/1900/2100). So if you use, or plan to use True 3G, then steer clear of the LG.

It will be interesting to see which, if any, local service providers launch these new models, and what the local pricing might be. Some chatter has the S2 in the 23,500 - 24,990 range while the LG Optimus 2X will likely be sub-20,000.

I am not sure what "the best Android phone" is? That's a bit like asking what the best wine is, or what the best car is? I can say though that the Google Nexus S is not in my top 10 of recommended phones. For a mid-range model (~ 10,000) I'd recommend the Samsung Cooper, for price/performance the WellcoM A99, while my top recommendation continues to be the Samsung Captivate (grey market: ~ 16,000-ish, although I think I saw a link in one of these threads,to a local site that had it for 14,000). I do also like the Dell Venue, but have not seen any grey-market models here.

[ThaiLife]

Ive just spotted these two for sale in Thailand

Interesting to note the Dell has a One Year warranty , the Bands are shown as ...

GSM 850/900/1800/1900

GPRS Class 12; EDGE Class 12

WCDMA 850/1900/2100 or 900/AWS/2100

HSDPA 7.2 Mbps / HSUPA 5.76 Mbps

its the ''or '' part that I wonder about ?

The SE EXPERIA ARC has the following Bands ...

GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900

UMTS/HSPA 800/850/1900/2100

UMTS/HSPA 900/2100

More Here

[lomatopo]

its the ''or '' part that I wonder about ?

Most phones still come in two 3G 'flavors': 850/1900/2100 OR 900/1900/2100.

A lot of the Dell's I've seen here are 900/1900/2100, but that particular model seems to come in an AT&T flavor (850/1900/2100) or a T-Mo flavor (900/1700/2100).

[ThaiLife]

its the ''or '' part that I wonder about ?

Most phones still come in two 3G 'flavors': 850/1900/2100 OR 900/1900/2100.

A lot of the Dell's I've seen here are 900/1900/2100, but that particular model seems to come in an AT&T flavor (850/1900/2100) or a T-Mo flavor (900/1700/2100).

Thanks lomatopo

The thing I was wondering is this, the phone specification for its bands has an '' or '' so if you buy the phone how do you know which version of bands you will be getting, or am I missing some thing

[lomatopo]

its the ''or '' part that I wonder about ?

Most phones still come in two 3G 'flavors': 850/1900/2100 OR 900/1900/2100.

A lot of the Dell's I've seen here are 900/1900/2100, but that particular model seems to come in an AT&T flavor (850/1900/2100) or a T-Mo flavor (900/1700/2100).

Thanks lomatopo

The thing I was wondering is this, the phone specification for its bands has an '' or '' so if you buy the phone how do you know which version of bands you will be getting, or am I missing some thing

The specs should be on the box. For further assurances try a known good SIM, note the model number, Google it, note the FCC Id., Google it.

[ThaiLife]

its the ''or '' part that I wonder about ?

Most phones still come in two 3G 'flavors': 850/1900/2100 OR 900/1900/2100.

A lot of the Dell's I've seen here are 900/1900/2100, but that particular model seems to come in an AT&T flavor (850/1900/2100) or a T-Mo flavor (900/1700/2100).

Thanks lomatopo

The thing I was wondering is this, the phone specification for its bands has an '' or '' so if you buy the phone how do you know which version of bands you will be getting, or am I missing some thing

The specs should be on the box. For further assurances try a known good SIM, note the model number, Google it, note the FCC Id., Google it.

my thought was this, if I buy the phone on line , I wont get to see the box until it arrives at my home, the seller tells you to check the specification at the Dell web site first , and the Dell web site ... Dell Link

says '' or '' , so if you order the phone on line which band range would get

[JustinPrice]

Everytime I go to Thailand I need to buy a new temporary phone, as my stays have gotten longer....I need an international phone....suggestions.

I'll be staying in the Bangkok area for at least 5 to 6 months a week or two away. The Samsung looks good, Verizon's rates are super high though.

Paradise isn't cheap lol I guess

[lomatopo]

my thought was this, if I buy the phone on line , I wont get to see the box until it arrives at my home, the seller tells you to check the specification at the Dell web site first , and the Dell web site ... Dell Link

says '' or '' , so if you order the phone on line which band range would get

Ask the seller to scan the box specs and email them to you? Ask the seller to install the requisite SIM and send you a screen shot? Ask the seller for the model # and FCC ID (both under the battery usually)? Use a seller who has a return policy? Buy from Dell in the U.S. (get the AT&T version)?

[lomatopo]

suggestions.

Budget? Category? (Android, iPhone, Nokia) What does Verizon have to do with anything? Are you planning on roaming? Not even sure how that works here? Where in Thailand will you be? DO you plan to use a pre-paid local SIM here? Do you need mobile broadband data?

The Nokia N8, while a proprietary OS, has a comprehensive set of frequencies, 13,000-ish baht here now.

[lolex]

If I buy a new mobile phone with as many Thai 3G radio frequencies as I can , and just put in my normal old Dtac SIM card ive had since 2006 , is there any way when I am traveling that I can see on the phone if I am in a 3G reception area ?

If you have activated data packet (GPRS/Edge/3G) on your DTAC sim (usually have to call them to turn on unless an internet sim) the device will connect if service is available. But many Android devices sold outside of Thailand don't have the APN settings for the Thai carriers built in so you will need to add DTAC's settings manually, most likely. If the APN settings are in the phone and the phone logs into the system for packet data, the indicator will show and will have an "E" for Edge, "G" for GPRS (only in remote areas now), and either "3G" or "H" for 3G.

Below are all the settings for the four Thai GSM carriers.

Thai APN settings for Android

AIS

"AIS GPRS Internet"

mcc="520"

mnc="01"

apn="internet"

type=""

"AIS MMS"

mcc="520"

mnc="01"

apn="multimedia"

mmsproxy="203.170.229.34"

mmsport="8080"

mmsc="http://mms.mobilelife.co.th"

type="mms"

DTAC

"DTAC GPRS WEB"

mcc="520"

mnc="18"

apn="www.dtac.co.th"

type=""

"DTAC MMS"

mcc="520"

mnc="18"

apn="mms"

mmsproxy="203.155.200.133"

mmsport="8080"

mmsc="http://mms.dtac.co.th:8002"

type="mms"

TrueMove

"True GPRS Inet"

mcc="520"

mnc="99"

user="true"

password="true"

apn="internet"

type=""

"True GPRS MMS"

mcc="520"

mnc="99"

user="true"

password="true"

apn="mms"

mmsproxy="10.4.7.39"

mmsport="8080"

mmsc="http://mms.trueworld.net:8002"

type="mms"

TOT3G

"TOT3G internet"

mcc="520"

mnc="15"

apn="internet"

type=""

"TOT3G mms"

mcc="520"

mnc="15"

apn="mms"

mmsproxy="10.218.24.83"

mmsport="8080"

mmsc="http://mmsc.tot3g.net:8002"

type="mms"

THANKYOU so much.... I've been locked out of the internet on my htc phone since I arrived in LOS !!!!!

[nikster]

Everytime I go to Thailand I need to buy a new temporary phone, as my stays have gotten longer....I need an international phone....suggestions.

I'll be staying in the Bangkok area for at least 5 to 6 months a week or two away. The Samsung looks good, Verizon's rates are super high though.

Paradise isn't cheap lol I guess

Since you mention Verizon - the next iPhone will presumably be the first and only phone to work on Verizon (CDMA) and all GSM and GSM 3G frequencies. It will also be available unlocked in the USA (as is the current iPhone 4, by the way, for $650). It's going to be a huge deal for US users.

As far as I know current Verizon "world" phones are all locked.