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Is this the “official” Dappered smartphone?

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HTC One V on Virgin Mobile or StraightTalk

Unbeknownst to each other, both Joe (the guy who writes most of the clothes posts) and Paul (the tech /travel guy) both ended up with the same phone.  Here’s a conversation between the two as to what, from their individual perspectives, they like and don’t like about it.

Joe: First of all… it’s thin.  As much as I liked my old phone, that slide out keyboard made it a little thick.  It did okay in an interior blazer pocket, but you could feel the weight.  This thing?  No keyboard.  Thin and light.  You forget it’s in there, even if you’ve got it in the front pocket of some 514 Slim Straights.

Paul: The thinness is nice, but I like the cost best. After being on Verizon, I was looking to save some money. StraightTalk SIM plans are $45 a month (unlimited talk, text, and web on either T-Mobile or AT&T’s network, contract-free). Virgin has even better deals that start at $35 a month (also no contract). Because I wanted my phone to work in other countries, I bought an unlocked HTC One V on eBay ($150) which seems to have started its life in Canada. The unlocked HTC One V is compatible with AT&T’s 850Mhz 3G network, but not its 1900 band … so we’ll see how that goes. I may get stuck on 2G a bit. So far, I’ve been on AT&T’s HSDPA network and it measures in about 2x as fast as Verizon’s 3G network.

HTC ThicknessThe HTC One V’s thickness, or lack thereof.  About four quarters or a pen.

Joe:  I think I understood maybe 25% of that.  I am on the $35 per month Virgin plan, and whenever someone sees my phone and asks how much I pay, they’re stunned that plans can come so cheap on something that’s not a flip phone.  $35.  It’s incredible. Pretty sure the phone itself usually runs around $100 -$150 on Virgin.

Paul: I also seriously considered the new Nexus 4, but wasn’t sure if I’d ever receive the thing because it’s so backordered and I’m not a fan of the glass-on-the-back design anyway. Lack of 4G LTE isn’t a factor for me — I currently live in the boondocks where there isn’t any. The missing front camera was almost a deal-breaker, but I’ll cope. I can use my tablet if I want to video chat. Same with the non-existent Android 4.1 upgrade (the HTC One V isn’t getting 4.1), so you’ll be on 4.0 unless you go with a custom ROM. But Android 4.0 is pretty sweet and rooting is fairly easy. And the battery stacks up pretty well against other Android phones.

Joe: I have noticed that the battery life is pretty good.  One thing that I do with this, a ton, is stream podcasts (diehard PTI fan here.)  I’ll walk around the house doing some random chores and listen to, say, a BS Report, and it’ll go for a full hour without much damage to the battery.  I rarely remember to charge it at night.  But then again, I honestly can’t recall where I left it most nights.

All-in, two-year price on Virgin? $940.
All-in, two-year price on Virgin? $940.

Paul: Which is why you probably want to install an app like Lookout, with its phone locator feature. Seriously, install a security app — and use the PIN or pattern lock screen. And if you’re downloading a lot of podcasts, you may want to opt for a 32GB SD card ($25 on Amazon).

Joe: One thing I don’t like is the semi-constant blinking.  There’s this light that blinks whenever I have a notification.  Often times it’s someone named Cynthia, who I don’t know, wanting to see if I’m available for g-chat or something?  Help me Paul.

Paul: Me, I find the metal case very slippery. Thin and slick means I’ve already bounced the thing off the floor. Luckily its aluminum case is tough. The solution to my problem also solves Joe’s problem: get a case. It’ll likely cover up the notification light and makes the thing harder to touchdown spike. Or do this to turn off notifications.

Joe: Wait… I haven’t dropped it yet, but you’re pulling the ol’ black electrical tape over the blinking VCR 12:00 trick on me?  Well lemme read this thing you linked too.  Oh.  So all I do is press and hold the Cynthia notification and I can turn that off?  Excellent.  Sometimes these smart phones are a little too intuitive to me.  Meanwhile, I’ve got my phone on vibrate all the time and I’ve missed calls because the vibrate is pretty gentle.  If it’s in a coat pocket, there’s a good chance I won’t feel or hear it.

Paul: I find the boot animation and music on nearly every phone annoying and this one is no exception. I had to go into the guts to disable it. Otherwise, no complaints.

If saving some money on your cell phone plan is one of your 2013 resolutions, this phone is worth a look. But is a phone that would have been top-of-the-line two years ago too old to compete now? Let us know in the comments. 

HTC One V

Comments

  1. i like Android, but there are two issues that keep me from going back to it after owning an Iphone for the last three years.

    1. Branding/Skinning – If the carrier and phone maker are unwilling to give me the stock OS then Google needs to require a kill switch that puts stock Android on the phone at the touch of a button. All these custom skins are ugly, clunky, and delay to even kill upgrades.

    2. Malware – As someone that works in IT this is a huge issue. It is so bad that our company will not support BYOD android users.,

    3. Short phone life cycle. If you buy the latest phone today it will likely be overshadowed within 1 to 3 months.

  3. Nexus 4 has a front facing camera, and also a Nexus phone takes care of 1 and 3. As for 2, I have plenty of users that can barely put pants on but don’t get malware, so not sure what your problem is.

  4. I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion here, but I honestly think Dappered should avoid technology reviews. This is not why I come to this site – I have others that I rely and trust much more in this respect (The Verge, Engadget, etc…).

  5. ditch the iFail, you are only hurting/limiting yourself.

    “i like Android, but there are [two] issues that keep… 1, 2, .. 3.

    1(r) “As someone that works in IT” if you don’t want the skin, then you install stock android. Odin isn’t that hard to use is it?

    2 (r) so… nothing apple related ever had a virus/malware, huh? there’s risk but
    who cares? what is life with out risk? and, “As someone that works in IT”… what is the biggest it security threat? yes, the user. it’s a phone, try not to do your taxes on it and pull a Anthony Weiner.

    3(r) the iphone 5 (actually all but the first were) was out of date
    when it launched. not opinion… fact. but people still buy that over priced, hyped up trash because they feel comfy (even snobbish) with them but, iphones are not the bees knees. the galaxy s3 is a beast of a phone and it’s been around since june 2012.

    if you buy a top end android you can update it as long as you want. I actually installed jelly bean on an old samsung epic 4g, it runs flawlessly. Thanks CyanogenMod!

    a lot of people felt the same about leaving blackberry (myself included), to each his own.

  6. Yep, there are phones with better specs, but this one is probably “good enough” for the vast majority of users. Its Verge score is 7.1, pretty solid for a $99, unsubsidized device.

  7. Fair, but you don’t have to read them. There are many more people out there that don’t read these specialized sites. Dappered is about looking good and getting good deals. Buying technology slightly behind the curve is a great way to get a good deal.

  9. Is it really so difficult for people to comment on a tech review without making a personal attack or insult? Change your tone, man. People will respond better to you.

  10. I do see you point, but, one of the main reasons why I got this phone was how it felt in a blazer/suit jacket pocket. No lie. It’s one of the best for slipping in unnoticed if you’re into the tailored jacket or pant look. And it’s insanely inexpensive. More money for shoes!

  13. Higher-end phones allow you to take photos and videos and share them on Facebook and Twitter, check your email on-the-go, browse the web, send texts, make calls, read the news, listen to Pandora, and play Angry Birds … using a screen that’s at least 0.3″ bigger.

  16. The point is well-taken. I am quick to admit that I am no tech person and am fine using a phone that simply makes my life easier. I just think, semi-anonymously on the internet or in person, it is bad form to use personal attacks to make what otherwise might be a good point. It undermines the whole issue to begin with. (not referring to you, btw, just a general statement)

  17. I mean this in a purely comedic sense (since people commenting on tech articles get so bent out of shape and I don’t want to be confused with that), but I think Joe’s stumbled upon the male version of only paying attention to the cup holders on a new car!

  18. Hardly. And as per the ease of rooting that opens you up to a whole host of issues that can lead to bricked phones and more malware. I have been in IT for 15 years and can count the Apple virus issues on 1 hand.

    You are correct. The S3 is a beast, as in huge plastic phone that feels as if it was made by Fisher Price.

  19. I think it’s something to do to the marketing budgets of the products in the debate. Ever told somebody that you prefer Coors Light to Bud Light (or some other beer equivalency)? The debate that follows is one of personal insults and attacks — it’s not about the products.

  20. In my experience, HTC phones are not on par with the quality offered by Motorola, Samsung, LG, or Apple. The only phones I’ve ever had that survived the whole 2 year contract were made by Motorola.

  21. Hi, I’m here for the flame war: I brought my troll mask and everything! I forgot my pitchfork at home though… does anyone know where I can pick one up on the cheap?

  23. Joe’s definitely right about the thin-ness of the HTC One-series. My One S is noticeably thinner than an iPhone; without a protector would be near invisible even in 514’s, and it’s light enough that I forget it’s in a suit pocket.

    The differences in Android over the past two years have been pretty significant, so a basic phone capable of running 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now without lagging is a good deal, IMHO.

    I do more with my phone than Joe (Evernote, videos, pictures, e-reader, netflix, etc.), so I need more horsepower, but if you really just want the “smart” part of the smartphone to be able to get email, audio, and manage your core PDA functions (calendar, address book, tasks, notes) then a more basic phone like the One V is fine. Plus it’s inexpensive and not on contract, so after a year or so if it starts to lag you can get another basic smarthpone and still come out ahead price-wise over a higher end phone.

    If you’re going with Android I highly recommend checking out replacement keyboards, as finding the right keyboard is the only thing that makes onscreen typing tolerable for me (I use Swiftkey 3).

    This is my second HTC and I haven’t noticed any build quality problems, and I’ve definitely bounced each of them plenty with no cracked screens.

  25. HTC is sub par in quality as their lowest ever profits are showing. At times I miss my Motorola Droid 1, but sadly they stopped with OS upgrades, and the newer Droids have been skinned, which makes no sense since Motorola is now wholly owned by Google.

  27. As much as many will be disappointed with this, I think the ideal phone for the Dappered type is the ubiquitous iPhone, and I’ll explain why.

    First of all are the practical concerns.
    -It’s narrow. This means it’ll fit in just about any pocket you try to get it in. The same can’t be said of many current high-end Android phones.
    -It’s the only phone other than Blackberry approved for many companies’ email systems.
    -It’s actually a pretty good cost proposition – I paid $200 (plus tax, of coure) for my iPhone 4 when it came out, used it for over two years, and sold it to Gazelle for $150 when I upgraded to my iPhone 5. I could’ve gotten substantially more had I gone the private sale route, but Gazelle is secure and effortless.
    -It’s made of materials that don’t show wear easily. (Unfortunately the black iPhone 5 is an exception.) You don’t want to be that guy with the black plastic phone with the corners worn to translucent white. Plus, you can get a case and change it out when it starts to look tired.

    And then there are the image points.
    -Nobody’s ever going to look at it and brand you as a geek. I wear my geek cred on my sleeve, but many don’t want to, and in some situations it can be detrimental to be branded that way.
    -Dappered is about aspirational style, right? I know lots of real six- and seven-figure salary earners, including quite a few relatives. When I saw them for Thanksgiving, out of 20 phones on the table, the only one that wasn’t an iPhone belonged to my dad, who’s in his late-60s. (And only has an Android because Verizon didn’t have iPhones when he last upgraded.)
    -It’s the Timex Weekender of phones. It looks and feels more expensive than it is, and with the vast assortment of cases available, you can change the look and feel in seconds, just like a NATO strap on a Weekender. In fact, of all the things I own and wear, by far the most frequently noticed and complemented are my Weekender and my iPhone case.
    -They all look petty much the same, especially in a case. That means you can buy an iPhone 4S for $99 on contract and nobody but a hardcore phone geek will ever notice it’s not brand new.

    So, anyway, it can be argued all day what the best phone is, what has the best performance and features, and what the best buy just on phone itself is, but for the kind of person who reads this site, the iPhone is probably the ideal choice.

  28. Just have to say I would disagree on installing Lookout at least for Android. Once you install it, it’s almost impossible to uninstall…I still haven’t been able to completely remove it from my phone after about 4 months.

  30. Just a little counterargument for each of your points.

    1. Branding/Skinning: This has actually taken a huge nose dive in the past year. The most skinned version of Android still coming from manufacturers is by far Samsung with their TouchWiz interface. Everyone else has moved closer and closer to stock. Motorola is a prime example of this (their Motoblur overlay used to be horrendous). Now, most skins actually add functionality and integration to the device that stock Android does not offer, focusing on quality widgets/apps that do not weigh the OS down. Also, Google is starting to put its foot down and demand a cleaner, more stock-like experience across the board.

    2. Malware: I’m sorry, but I had to chuckle a bit at this one. Most people I know own some type of Android device. They have since the OG Droid dropped on Verizon (with one person rocking the G1 that was released on TMobile). No one, not a single one of them, has EVER had a problem with Malware. Generally, this is because it takes a rather dim person to download a questionable app with a low number of downloads/rating and grant it access to the more secure sections of one’s device.

    3: Life Cycle: Now, I will agree that this has been a problem with manufacturers, to a degree. The biggest issue is people getting into the same habit they had when using Apple products (ie., new iPhone/iPad is released, I must go out and purchase it!), As long as you can silence that part of yourself, you can actually last years with a phone. I rocked an HTC Eris since release before finally upgrading to the Moto Bionic this past year. And yet I still don’t have “new phone envy” for those with quad-core devices like the HTC DNA that just released. In fact, you can keep a device running strong for years past its EOL if you simply take the time to root and flash a custom ROM. Did it for my Eris and I never had problems until the screen died out.

    4. My own personal opinion here: The iPhone is no longer the way to go. They had a hold of the market for years, that is true. Unfortunately, since Steve Job’s untimely demise, they have been playing catch-up to Android and attempting to stifle competition through patents. Not to say there is anything wrong with playing catch-up, as Android in many ways did the same thing when it was starting out. Sadly, things like Siri are a big let down, and have already been eclipsed by Google’s own versions of such software. But take a look at the most recent batch of iPhone/iPad commercials. Almost every single thing they tout as a big, unique and new feature to the devices…has been around for more than a couple of years on Android (notification drop-down bar, anyone?). The iPhone 5? Hardware wise, nothing new, nothing spectacular except for the chipset in it, which, albeit, is bloody phenomenal. The newest version of iOS? The biggest additions were straight out of the Android playbook. Well, with the exception of Apple’s own attempt at Maps. And we all know how that went…

  31. Wanting to have the same phone as other family members is certainly fine, but your price argument has a HUGE hole in it: monthly costs.

    When you buy a $200, on-contract phone, you end up paying more per month to subsidize the cost of the device. Say your plan on AT&T was $75 instead of $45 on StraightTalk, that’s $30 a month more for 24 months — $720 total. Then you add the $50 cost ($200 upfront – $150 to sell) to that to estimate the price of the phone minus the service. You’ve spent $770 total, over two years, which is a lot of money for a phone. That’s not a Timex Weekender.

    Subsidized phones (including the iPhone) are more expensive than you think:

    $99 on-contract iPhone 4S + $75 a month = $1,900 over 2 years

    $550 Apple.com unlocked iPhone 4S + $45 a month = $1,630 over 2 years

    $450 Virgin iPhone 4S + $30 a month (autopay discount) = $1,170 over 2 years

  33. <– see my picture. i wouldn't care if it was made out of dead werewolf hides, it's awesome. i love the plasticity.

  35. cricket has good deals and there are a couple of bring your own phone companies out there.

  37. Two things. Firstly, because you haven’t made any modifications to your device you’re stuck with HTC’s custom Sense UI layered on top. Stock android doesn’t look and feel like what you’re experiencing on your phone. Many would argue that the smoothness of the UX in newer phones that do run stock Android is on par with what you’d experience on iOS and can even be more aesthetically appealing.

    Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, you’re stuck on Android 4.0. This is two versions behind what phones like the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 4. The biggest feature you’re missing out on is Google Now. It’s basically a service where you can pull up ‘cards’ that it’ll automatically populate with contextually relevant information.

    For instance, if you have a regular commute to work, after asking you to confirm your work and home locations, it’ll automatically pop up a notification a few minute before you leave with navigation options and an alert if your usual route is experiencing traffic. If you received and email in Gmail with a tracking number for a shipment, it’ll create a card that’ll show every time you pull up Google Now with the most recent tracked location.
    If you search Google for scores of your favorite teams, it’ll create a card populated with recent scores and upcoming fixtures.

    In essence, your phone does more than just what you ask. It begins to anticipate your needs and meet them before you realize. That to me is something worth paying a hundred dollarish premium for.

  39. Just popped in to add that Android malware is almost non-existent in the real world. Sure, if someone is loading dozens or hundreds of apps it could possibly be a problem, but this isn’t terribly realistic and is decidedly uncommon. Maybe if you work for the DOD or something.

  40. Stick to the clothes fellas. Leave the tech reviews to the tech sites, plenty of em out there. Love the site otherwise.