Cheap prepay android phone(samsung europa) 39€

Zascar

Yeah I'd like to see one with a bigger screen for a few quid more. Its a nice phone but I'm used to bigger HTC's so it seems tiny

settings

Just got this phone a few days ago. I really like so far, much better than I expected but I just cant belive the battery life. Even with everything off and juicedefender installed the battery still wont last me 24h with almost no use today

looder

Zascar wrote: »

Yeah I'd like to see one with a bigger screen for a few quid more. Its a nice phone but I'm used to bigger HTC's so it seems tiny

Orange have "The Monte Carlo" on sale for £120. . . Bigger screen than the blade and it looks very very impressive for the money. It was going to be my next purchase if I didn't like the flashed Europa.


5 megapixel camera
WIFI
Signal Boost
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen

Out of stock at the moment though: http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/orange-monte-carlo

settings

settings wrote: »

Just got this phone a few days ago. I really like so far, much better than I expected but I just cant belive the battery life. Even with everything off and juicedefender installed the battery still wont last me 24h with almost no use today

Something wrong there mate. I'm getting two to three days.

paddyp

Deleted User wrote: »

Something wrong there mate. I'm getting two to three days.

Its awful on 3g unless you have a really good signal from the mast.

looder wrote: »

it looks very very impressive for the money

That looks fabulous will have to sell some gadgets and invest.

[edit] its armv6 which will seriously limit it going forward.

Tar.Aldarion

battery should last a good while with juice defender. also i bought a spare battery for 4 euro AND an instant usb charger for 2.85, carry them around as they are small. my battery aint ever dying again

DB10

Do they unlock in the shops ???

DB10

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056411204

Can I ask a real "never had an android phone" before question? What happens when all the apps I use require a version of Android newer than 2.2? Can it be easily updated to 2.3 for example?

BostonB

It depends is the answer.

Depends officially if the manufacturer releases it, sometimes they stop supporting a model, the Sony X8 for example is on 2.1. No more upgrades on that. Sometimes the Mobile operator like O2 won't release the new version either on some phones. For example my Symbian E71 O2 never released an update.

Unofficially many people have released unofficial updates to phones. I;ve seen 2.3 on a X8 on you tube. I'll leave others to comment on that. Seems a fairly technical process if you ask me.

Bergkamp 10

Is it hard to unlock? I mean is it definitely do-able...:(

I havent a clue how to do these things, but I really want the phone but I have to be able to unlock to get to use my Vodafone sim to use and receive my free calls its important...

BostonB

I paid for it and it was simple. How hard the free method is depends on how techy you are. I might get another and try that route. Handy little phone as a spare. Though I find android less slick than a regular phone for normal calls, texting.

TanG411

It's very easy to unlock it for free. It just takes a lot of reading up on things, like how to use the Android SDK program.

Once you learn how to use that, and your phone is rooted, you're sorted.

Edit: I'll throw up what I read which helped me unlock the phone:

Rooting the phone:
http://blog.23corner.com/2010/08/30/universal-androot-1-6-2-beta-5/
(Install the .apk onto your phone, found below the pictures)

Setting up and using Android SDK:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=967290

Unlocking the phone using the supersafe BML5 method:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17148825&postcount=334

I asked about ADB and was given a different link in this post. It's a much smaller download. Will it work as well?

JTMan

Will any shop unlock the phone for me?

Bunnyhopper

ThinksAmoral wrote: »

It's very easy to unlock it for free. It just takes a lot of reading up on things, like how to use the Android SDK program.

Once you learn how to use that, and your phone is rooted, you're sorted.
…

I presume when tweakradje is talking about

- adb shell
- su
- cat /dev/bml5>/sdcard/bml5.img (BE-EM-EL-FIVE is about 25 Mb)
etc.

that's all done in terminal/console, is that right?

I'm new to hacking and I'd be trying this with a Mac. I found a method for rooting a Samsung Fascinate with a Mac (http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-fascinate-rooting-roms-hacks/65924-guide-tools-information-mac-os-x-users-updated-04-07-a.html), but is it possible to do the rest of the process without a Windows PC? I know Odin, for example is an exe.

Thanks.

TanG411

Fungus wrote: »

Will any shop unlock the phone for me?

If you read the Three feedback page on boards.ie, it says:

Unlock Code Admin Fee

You said that you were not happy having to pay an administration fee for unlock codes. We removed this charge.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056383441

So any Three shop should do it for free, or contact one of the Three mods.

TanG411

Deleted User wrote: »

I asked about ADB and was given a different link in this post. It's a much smaller download. Will it work as well?

I'd prefer to download it from the official page.

http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Edit: Maybe the small file is all you need? I don't know, everything I've done with ADB is with the file downloaded from the official site.

TanG411

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

I presume when tweakradje is talking about



that's all done in terminal/console, is that right?

I'm new to hacking and I'd be trying this with a Mac. I found a method for rooting a Samsung Fascinate with a Mac (http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-fascinate-rooting-roms-hacks/65924-guide-tools-information-mac-os-x-users-updated-04-07-a.html), but is it possible to do the rest of the process without a Windows PC? I know Odin, for example is an exe.

Thanks.

If by Terminal/console you mean Android SDK, then yes.

Reading the link you gave me, it doesn't look like you need Odin. Odin is only required if you need to go back to stock.

ThinksAmoral

ThinksAmoral wrote: »

If you read the Three feedback page on boards.ie, it says:



http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056383441

So any Three shop should do it for free, or contact one of the Three mods.

I think you need to have spent €130 in top ups before they give you the unlocking code.

JTMan

Deleted User wrote: »

I think you need to have spent €130 in top ups before they give you the unlocking code.

Exactly. So are there any unlocking shops that will do this for me?

Kristopherus

Its $20 to do it on www.fastgsm.com. You can go on to them now and have it unlocked in 30 mins.It will cost you €20 at least if you go to an unlocking shop, that is if they can do it at all.

DB10

Kristopherus wrote: »

Its $20 to do it on www.fastgsm.com. You can go on to them now and have it unlocked in 30 mins.It will cost you €20 at least if you go to an unlocking shop, that is if they can do it at all.

Does it make a difference at all if you register with Three first ie to check what credit they have given?

Ringing 1744 brings me to customer service I just want to check what free credit I have.

Serious problems already before I've even attempted unlocking....:(:pac:

BostonB

What network do you want it for?

Kristopherus

DB10 wrote: »

Does it make a difference at all if you register with Three first ie to check what credit they have given?

Ringing 1744 brings me to customer service I just want to check what free credit I have.

Serious problems already before I've even attempted unlocking....:(:pac:

I'm not 100% sure what I did. I have a an idea that you have to ring 1744 just to register the phone.I did'nt have to do anything as the system just recognises the no you are ringing from as a Three no. Make sure you ring with the Three sim that came with the phone. As for fastgsm, all you need is the imei no., + credit card of course. They will email you the unlock code. Hope that helps.

DB10

BostonB wrote: »

What network do you want it for?

Vodafone!

Will the whole unlocking thing take several hours, I'll give the free way a go and see how I get on , have a feeling I'll end up paying though because I'm not a tech savvy guy...:pac:

DB10

does registering with Three impact on the unlocking or can you do that anytime?

Kristopherus

DB10 wrote: »

does registering with Three impact on the unlocking or can you do that anytime?

No, it does not affect anything in that line. Its just if you ring tha no. again the system will invite you to top up etc.

Bunnyhopper

ThinksAmoral wrote: »

If by Terminal/console you mean Android SDK, then yes.

Ah, I see.

ThinksAmoral wrote: »

Reading the link you gave me, it doesn't look like you need Odin. Odin is only required if you need to go back to stock.

So you reckon once it's rooted the rest can be done through the SDK? Sounds like it might be worth a go…

Thanks.

MrFrisp

I got one of those phone last month..

Had it unlocked yesterday...Got it done via an online service using the IMEI.

Cost Me €15.02 (Paypal) and was all over in 30 mins.


Working fab now,,no bother.



.

IrishHomer

iPhone. wrote: »

I bought one of these for my wife a few months ago. She's happy enough with it, few niggles with the size of the on screen keyboard for typing, but in general she likes the phone.
The version she got came with 2.1 eclair but I upgraded it to 2.2 for her.(seems to be shipping with 2.2 as standard now, but is easy to flash the rom if required).
For anyone wanting to unlock their I5500 Europa - I used this crowd

http://www.mobile2mobile.net/unlock/RemoteunlockingSamsung.htm

I Opted for the software unlock - cheaper at £9.99 than the code unlock which costs £19.99
They email you the code, you need to download some software from their site, connect your phone via usb to your pc and input the code and Roberts your Fathers brother!
All worked without a hitch for me anyway.

I paid for the above crowds service three days ago and i got nothing from them in return.

I emailed them yesterday and no response.

Did anyone else use the above company?

caster

Kristopherus wrote: »

I'm not 100% sure what I did. I have a an idea that you have to ring 1744 just to register the phone.I did'nt have to do anything as the system just recognises the no you are ringing from as a Three no. Make sure you ring with the Three sim that came with the phone. As for fastgsm, all you need is the imei no., + credit card of course. They will email you the unlock code. Hope that helps.

I already have a 3 Sim since the start of the year and have probably used €130 in top ups. Does anyone know if I can use this SIM to call them up to get the unlock code?

Kristopherus

caster wrote: »

I already have a 3 Sim since the start of the year and have probably used €130 in top ups. Does anyone know if I can use this SIM to call them up to get the unlock code?

You can and normally they would. If you have a mythree account you can see what you have paid. Also check as far as you can that Three don't have a record of your old phone. Unlikely if you have been payg since you joined Three.

donegalgirl28

Just bought this phone today after losing/breaking my third phone this year.

I'd be worried about losing mine because it has my Google account on it. Don't know if the poor security is the same on all Android phones.

BostonB

What poor security? Put a pin on your sim?

If you lose the phone change your gmail password?

Barr

G/F got this phone last month. She got it unlocked and flashed to her existing network for €10 !Anyone in Cork its the phone shop by the Grand Parade

angel01

Got this phone yesterday (after my other phone went in the washing machine!!)

Finding it hard to type on it as the screen is small, what good keyboards are available that might make my life easier!

BostonB

We tried a few and Swiftkey X (we're using the free version) we liked best mainly because the predictive text is so good on it compared to the others we tried.

daytob

have you tried fat fingers?

BostonB

daytob wrote: »

have you tried fat fingers?

I didn't like it. Seemed like a good idea, but the keys move around as they resize which is terrible for speed typing. For hunt and peck typing it might be ok. But for speed and predictive text, Swiftkey X worked better for us.

Bunnyhopper

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

Is it possible to do this process with a Mac?

ThinksAmoral wrote: »

If by Terminal/console you mean Android SDK, then yes.

Reading the link you gave me, it doesn't look like you need Odin. Odin is only required if you need to go back to stock.

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

So you reckon once it's rooted the rest can be done through the SDK?

To answer my own question - yes, you can do it with a Mac. Terminal is used to send those instructions but it's the adb in the Android SDK that you're using (I think…).

Thanks again, ThinksAmoral.

The sd and rooting files in the instructions I linked to worked fine. Once I had pulled the file I used Hex Fiend to find the unlock code. I hadn't tried this before and it took a bit of time to figure out and follow the instructions, but it worked in the end.

rockatansky

Hi all

I've read through the thread and was looking to find if the following is possible

I'm currently using a Nokia 6320 on contract with Vodafone. If I get the Smasung Europa, can I get it unlocked and then use the sim card thats in my 6320 in it?

I would only want to use the phone for calls and texting with Vodafone and then any other internet features / services I would only use via the WiFi?

Thanks

BostonB

That how I've set it up for O2. data disabled. Only use it for calls, txts, and wifi.

rockatansky

BostonB wrote: »

That how I've set it up for O2. data disabled. Only use it for calls, txts, and wifi.

When you say you have it 'data disabled', is there an a specific option on the phone that allows you to disable to receive any data via the sim card/gsm or is this dictated by the type of sim card or contract you are on?

Bunnyhopper

rockatansky wrote: »

When you say you have it 'data disabled', is there an a specific option on the phone that allows you to disable to receive any data via the sim card/gsm or is this dictated by the type of sim card or contract you are on?

There's an option in the "Wireless & networks" section of the phone's "Settings" menu for "Mobile network settings". In there you can switch "Use packet data: Enable data access over Mobile network" on or off.

I'd guess that BostonB has packet data switched off so the data access happens only by wifi and not over the mobile phone network.

BostonB

Well I did have. But I was doing a lot of sim swapping recently and all phones default to having the data turned back on when you insert a new sim. So I asked the network to turn off data for my sim. So theres no chance of it going on by some sneaky setting. Which seems to happen a lot in my experience.

Amalgam

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

There's an option in the "Wireless & networks" section of the phone's "Settings" menu for "Mobile network settings". In there you can switch "Use packet data: Enable data access over Mobile network" on or off.

You don't even have to do that.

Long press your Power Button \ End Call

Phone Options menu pops up.

Scroll down to Mobile Network. Connect to Internet is ON\OFF.

(toggle the above to the state that you want..)

---

I've just checked, it results in the same course of action as yourself, Bunnyhopper)

Bunnyhopper

Amalgam wrote: »

I've just checked, it results in the same course of action as yourself, Bunnyhopper

Thanks, Amalgam - handy to have the shortcut.

Tar.Aldarion

juicedefender. internet is on when screeen is on, internet is off when screen if off. I loves it.