Want to go Android, please help a newbie

[Muse]

I have had only 3 smartphones, all Windows:

Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 640LTE, upgraded to Windows 10
Alcatel IDOL 4S Windows 10

Windows seems to be going belly up, 0.1% of market share now, I read a few weeks ago. Plus I saw a thread here about Microsoft pulling the plug on support December 2019.

I bought my first Windows phone basically to get GPS in my car. Still works fine for that, even with no data! The newish Alcatel IDOL 4S has crap GPS, so I actually use my older phones for that. The newer Alcatel has a big, beautiful screen, great sound (although I use the headphones 95% of the time).

App support on Windows phone has gotten worse and worse and I'm at the point where I need an Android (or IOS, but not going there) for app support. Just bought three 43" 4K TCL Roku TVs, and the Roku app for Windows phone lacks headphone support (I want to use the Roku app because it's wireless instead of IR, plus it's supposed to support headphones, a feature they call "private listening"). I complained to Roku and they finally came up front and told me they are not going to update the Windows phone version of the app to fix the lack of headphone support. So, I want to get an Android phone.

Question: What if I get a few Android phones and just use one for data, etc. (i.e. just one SIM)... can I use the others without a SIM (like I do with my Windows phone) and have WIFI in the house with all the Android phones and do things like use the Roku app and do other things like get weather reports, etc.?

The Roku support supervisor I was talking to a couple days ago told me that for Roku app support I want:
- - - -
Roku app support minimum requirement:

Android: Version 4.0.1 or higher

iOS: Version 9.0 or higher
- - -
So, assuming lesser Android phones would support the Roku app:

1. What to get for that and where to get them?

2. For my one Android phone that has a SIM, what do I want? My Alcatel IDOL 4S has a pretty nice big screen. I don't use/enjoy that as much as I should. I bought a Youtube app (MyTube?) that displays nice on it.

I'd love a real nice weather app. Windows phone's Amazing Weather HD was a great app (I bought for $2), but they pulled the plug on it over a year ago, it won't work any more. All the free weather apps for Windows phone that I've tried just suck in comparison.

My AT&T WIFI sucks because coverage at my house is spotty at best. Sometimes I get no bars downstairs! Complaining to AT&T got me nowhere. Therefore I seldom use my Windows phone for calls, only when I need to and rarely give out the number, instead I provide people and agencies my landline number. When I was researching this around 3 years ago, Verizon seemed like the best service around here, but the phone I bought didn't support it and I've stuck with AT&T, partly because my minutes rolled over and had a bunch!

I don't know about the pricing/plans for Verizon, for any kind of phone. I'm on a $10/month 3rd party AT&T plan now, which is adequate because I use almost no data and rarely make calls.

Thanks for guidance and ideas!

 

[Muse]

Well, I guess, we need the SIM to call or send messages only. With Android, you just need gmail to track and save all the stuffs that you download. I usually just download apps from CHplay or download site like APKnite and APK pure. You can try that to look for what you need. Haven't tried the Roku app, but it seems nice. Thanks for your informations anyway

Thanks, I had no idea about Android download sites. AFAIK, everything you download for Windows Phone comes from the Microsoft Store, so yeah, that's a huge difference.

So, I'm wondering what phones to get:

1. a "major" one (major, conceptually) that will have the SIM and a data plan, and, I suppose, get data via Verizon.

2. At least 2 lesser ones that won't have SIMS (will Android phones function solely via WIFI like Windows phones and run, say, the Roku app and cool weather apps?

And, of course, where to get them. I don't need new stuff, if someone can offer me used Android phone(s) minimum version 4.0.1, please do.

 

[you2]

The sim is for the carrier; it has no impact on the ability to run or download apps over wifi. Most (all) phones have wifi but to be honest at that point the phone is just a small tablet and you could consider tablet unless they are too large. Be sure to get one with google play - there are a couple of models out there that do not support google play

 

[lakedude]

So let's see if I understand. Your TVs are smart and could play Roku by themselves if provided a good wifi signal, but you want to plug a headphone into a phone for private listening.

Are you planning on using a phone for data at all, or could all 3 phones be wifi only? Will any of the phones be portable and need to work in the wild, or will they be near the TVs they service?

It sounds like you need to get a range extender for your wifi. I'm sure private listening must be on the same network as the Roku TV.

 

[Muse]

So let's see if I understand. Your TVs are smart and could play Roku by themselves if provided a good wifi signal, but you want to plug a headphone into a phone for private listening.

Are you planning on using a phone for data at all, or could all 3 phones be wifi only? Will any of the phones be portable and need to work in the wild, or will they be near the TVs they service?

It sounds like you need to get a range extender for your wifi. I'm sure private listening must be on the same network as the Roku TV.

The reason I want Roku app on smartphone is two-fold:

1. Yeah, that headphone private listening support.

2. The smartphone's Roku app will control the TV by wifi, so don't have the sporadic issue of RF not working because of whatever, presumably not pointing well enough at the RF pickup on the TV.

I do want one of these Android phones capable of using data and taking calls. The others, no, just for over WIFI use, controlling the TVs and maybe doing some checking of Weather or possibly playing music, either via WIFI over my network or from MP3 files stored on the phones (I assume these Roku phones support SD cards??? I heard that iPhones don't!!!).

Portable and work in the wild, not sure what you mean there. I suppose that only the SIM-carrying phone will leave the house, usually. My Windows phones don't need data for GPS in my car, it would be nice of the Androids would do the same, obviously, it saves data usage (although traffic updates wouldn't be supported).

My WIFI range seems decent, that isn't an issue. The farthest TV from my router is doing OK, AFAIK. The other TVs are still NIB, but will be much closer to the router, so no issue there. Yeah, private listening would be on the same network. Well, not positive, I have 5ghz and 2.4ghz from the router, don't know which the TV is using... gotta check. My Windows phone is using the 2.4ghz band.

 

[lakedude]

My AT&T WIFI sucks because coverage at my house is spotty at best. Sometimes I get no bars downstairs!

My WIFI range seems decent, that isn't an issue.

Sorry, I'm confused.

If your wifi is ok after all most any android phone could work for Roku but make sure you get phones with headphone jacks. There is a trend to eliminate them so not all phones have the jacks.

Also not all phones support SD. This varies by model.

 

[lakedude]

Verizon tends to be one of the best but they are not cheap. You might be able to continue to use your 3rd party ATT service by just swapping the sim card to the new phone.

We just recently went all in with Tmobile, canceling all our land based services. I use a Samsung DeX dock to run our 55 inch 4k TV directly from the phone. This has been working great for us.

 

[Muse]

Sorry, I'm confused.

If your wifi is ok after all most any android phone could work for Roku but make sure you get phones with headphone jacks. There is a trend to eliminate them so not all phones have the jacks.

Also not all phones support SD. This varies by model.

Sorry, my mistake. The AT&T data is weak at my house, therefore it's hard to make calls and receive calls using my Windows phone, so I do all that kind of stuff (when at home) with my land line. WIFI is by virtue of my land line's DSL and my wireless router and is pretty adequate throughout the house and even outside to some extent.

So, when I go Android, I will for 100% positive NOT go AT&T! I look forward to the day (SOON!) when I will be done with AT&T, period. My history with them is pretty bad... and extensive, they own the telephone wires going to my house and until my ISP finally gets their fiber gigabit internet up and running in my neighborhood (they promised October 2018), I'm stuck with AT&T copper wire DSL. Plus I'm using their nasty wireless network, well, nasty at my house!

You say "also not all phones support SD." What's SD?

Edit: Oh, you mean SD card. Yeah, all the phones I've had (all 3 listed in OP) support SD card! I have 128GB SDXC in my IDOL 4S. Just blows my mind that iPhones don't support SD or headphones, ridiculous.

 

[Muse]

Verizon tends to be one of the best but they are not cheap. You might be able to continue to use your 3rd party ATT service by just swapping the sim card to the new phone.

We just recently went all in with Tmobile, canceling all our land based services. I use a Samsung DeX dock to run our 55 inch 4k TV directly from the phone. This has been working great for us.

Hmm. Guess I'll be tempted to see if the AT&T SIM works in my new phone. I have roll over minutes because I hardly use the smartphone at all, even though it's just a $10/month plan. They dicked me out of ~$250 worth of minutes because the 3rd party I order minutes through was a day late, or so they tell me. When this happened before I complained and they restored my minutes. It happened again a few months ago and I called and complained but the lady I talked to on a late Friday afternoon was in a bad mood and wouldn't see things my way. I just dropped the whole thing, figuring I'd never use those minutes anyway. I probably have $60 or more worth of minutes rolled over by now.

I should ask people (my neighbors or anyone I spot looking at a smartphone walking past my house!) how the coverage is with their service, if they like it and if it's economical.

That bit about using your phone for TV, wow, that just went right over my head! I figured that when gigabit fiber hits here (sonic.net) I'd have lightning fast internet and be able to stream 4K flawlessly. Figure, but don't know!

 

[lakedude]

Most people pay for data twice, once on their cell phone and again with some land based service like dsl, cable or fiber. Our land based service was expensive and unreliable. We were forced to use our phones when the land based service was out. With dex using the cellphones actually worked great so we eventually canceled our land based service.

DeX gives you an hdmi port and regular usb ports so you can hook up a TV or monitor along with keyboard and mouse.

 

[lakedude]

dex

 

[lakedude]

Dex on our TV.

 

[lakedude]

Cell providers have coverage maps. Tmobile and Sprint have great maps with several colors to indicate signal strength. ATT and Verizon also have maps but they were not nearly as good last time I checked. Theirs were just 1 color for all signal strengths. They claim coverage even where they have a weak signal. Tmobile and Sprint's maps are much better and more honest.

 

[Muse]

Dex on our TV. View attachment 3399

Would that work on a 4K TV, i.e. 60hz, 4:4:4: chroma?

 

[lakedude]

Yes it works on our 4k TV but the max res is 1440p. Also you need a Samsung Galaxy S8 or 9 to use DeX.

Curiously there are similar docks for some Windows phones but I'm not familiar with them.

 

[Muse]

Said I was a newbie. I just went to ebay, also Google, searching for Android phones. I see stuff selling under $100, even under $50. For my non-SIM Android phones I figure I don't need anything fancy. 1/2 decent screen, not big. OK wifi, headphone jack and definitely decent sound from that. The listings I'm seeing don't mention Google Play. I figure camera, back, front, not an issue. Don't know if RAM and processor capabilities are significant. I figure microSD support would be a good idea, maybe not essential either. The carrier wouldn't matter, I figure if I'm not having a SIM in it.

My first Windows phone (maybe all) complained when you started it without a SIM in it, so I put in the SIM of a company that I didn't have an account with to keep it from bothering me.

I figure used, especially for non-SIM used phones would be OK, I figure there are umpteen millions of used Android phones out there I could get cheap because the owners moved on to newer models. Maybe the majority of those are sitting in drawers.

I guess all the phones I'm seeing on ebay, other sites, including Amazon, indicate the version of Android. So, Roku told me I need version 4.0.2 minimum. Is that referring to Android version? All these phones seem to be Android 5 or above. I just have no clear idea what I'm looking for, both for a SIM carrying phone or a couple others that won't have a SIM, but just get used with wifi, including, of course, using the Roku app.

 

[Muse]

I'm looking at this cheap Android phone. Has a headphone jack, Android 7.0 Nougat, supports SDHC memory card, 1.1ghz processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage. Battery's said to be kinda weak in a review. Would this work for me as a non-SIM carrying phone using Wifi around the house, running Roku app and maybe getting weather reports?

Specs: TracFone - LG Rebel 3 L158VL 4G LTE with 16GB Memory Cell Phone

It's for sale here for $29.99. Looks like I'd get free 2 day Fedex shipping with this. Maybe get 2 of these? They have plans they try to tack on, the cheapest being $15, 30 day plan, with $12 discount, so additional $3. But I figure I don't need a plan for this usage (not talking about the Android phone I figure to eventually get that I'll use for data/calls), so figure get NO plan.

 

[lakedude]

I think you have the right of it concerning the software versions. 4 is pretty old at this point.

Google play really confused me when I first went Android. All Android phones will have and use the Play Store for downloading and updating apps. I think the name threw me off, it just doesn't sound like what it is. Anyway don't worry all Android phones will have it.

 

[you2]

Depends what you are going to do; this isn't really an issue of andriod but some of the cheaper phones have really slow cpu. I presume you are looking at used phones - so they will range from really slow cpu to moderately fast ones. Also ram will range but for a single app that is mostly less critical as most phones will have least 2gb and most single apps will run fine in 2gb.

Said I was a newbie. I just went to ebay, also Google, searching for Android phones. I see stuff selling under $100, even under $50. For my non-SIM Android phones I figure I don't need anything fancy. 1/2 decent screen, not big. OK wifi, headphone jack and definitely decent sound from that. The listings I'm seeing don't mention Google Play. I figure camera, back, front, not an issue. Don't know if RAM and processor capabilities are significant. I figure microSD support would be a good idea, maybe not essential either. The carrier wouldn't matter, I figure if I'm not having a SIM in it.

My first Windows phone (maybe all) complained when you started it without a SIM in it, so I put in the SIM of a company that I didn't have an account with to keep it from bothering me.

I figure used, especially for non-SIM used phones would be OK, I figure there are umpteen millions of used Android phones out there I could get cheap because the owners moved on to newer models. Maybe the majority of those are sitting in drawers.

I guess all the phones I'm seeing on ebay, other sites, including Amazon, indicate the version of Android. So, Roku told me I need version 4.0.2 minimum. Is that referring to Android version? All these phones seem to be Android 5 or above. I just have no clear idea what I'm looking for, both for a SIM carrying phone or a couple others that won't have a SIM, but just get used with wifi, including, of course, using the Roku app.

 

[lakedude]

Since these devices are so inexpensive you might just grab one and try it out. A couple hours of playing with an Android phone would go a long way to increasing your understanding. Obviously don't get one you know for sure will not work but if one looks promising and is only $30 it wouldn't hurt to try it out, as much for the education as anything. I'm happy to help with questions, just know I'm far from an expert myself.

In fact I'm looking for a forum where I can learn a lot more about my phone and how to use it as a computer replacement, since that is exactly what we are doing. I've got the basics down but I'm having trouble getting my phone to work with my old Canon printer and there are certain apps that I use on a computer that I need to find Android equivalents for.

 

[lakedude]

Some of the nicer more reasonably priced phones are the HTC one 9 models that can be found on eBay for around $100 new. I got a Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy S7 from Walmart for $199.

For your phone that gets the SIM card you need an unlocked phone or a phone that is matched to the carrier you plan to use. The WiFi only phones don't need to be unlocked since you are not going to be using a SIM or a carrier with those.

 

[Muse]

Specs: TracFone - LG Rebel 3 L158VL 4G LTE with 16GB Memory Cell Phone

It's for sale here for $29.99.

I ordered 2 of these last night. The tax added (CA) was $5.55, 2 day Fedex shipping is free.

1.1 ghz processor, GPS, headphone jack, Android 7 Nougat. I have no idea about that OS, but figure it's adequate to run the Roku app and hopefully the other apps. It's not ancient, is cheap, can't buy a new one for near that at ebay, only used ones.

I figure to use them SIM free for the Roku app, weather reports.

I tried to order 3 (for my 3 new Roku TVs) but a popup said they limit orders to 2 phone devices.

I definitely want to get another Android to take the place of my Alcatel IDOL 4S Windows 10 phone. I'll use that with a SIM, and some kind of plan for data. Maybe (as mentioned here) can roll over my saved minutes from my Windows Phone if I'm content with AT&T service (seems unlikely, though). As said here, Unlocked will be a priority (if for nothing else, if I understand correctly, so I could use it traveling in the future). Figure I should ask my neighbors what carriers they're using and why.

I don't even know what carrier those 2 new phones I ordered would use if I had a SIM in one. Figure it doesn't matter because I don't intend to use them with a SIM. Edit: Says Tracfone. Never heard of them before. Do they have their own towers (seems unlikely) or are they using some other carrier's signal?

 

[Muse]

Since these devices are so inexpensive you might just grab one and try it out. A couple hours of playing with an Android phone would go a long way to increasing your understanding. Obviously don't get one you know for sure will not work but if one looks promising and is only $30 it wouldn't hurt to try it out, as much for the education as anything. I'm happy to help with questions, just know I'm far from an expert myself.

In fact I'm looking for a forum where I can learn a lot more about my phone and how to use it as a computer replacement, since that is exactly what we are doing. I've got the basics down but I'm having trouble getting my phone to work with my old Canon printer and there are certain apps that I use on a computer that I need to find Android equivalents for.

I see some people who look blazing fast typing on their smartphone. Although really good with a querty keyboard I'm super slow on my smartphone, mostly because I rarely tap out anything on it. I'm pretty fast on a regular keyboard, probably 40-60 WPM, can't imagine abandoning my laptops. Even have a new rig (small tower) driving one of my new TCL 43" 4K displays, which doubles as a monitor and a TV. I'm using a wireless keyboard I bought for a tablet a few years ago with that.

I put a hold on an Android for Dummies book at my local library last night! Should have it in a day or so. Hopefully that will help get my feet wet. I have never even held an Android phone in my hands!

 

[you2]

The specs are a bit mis leading. that is 16GB of storage not ram. 16GB is pretty small; the device has 2GB or ram.

I ordered 2 of these last night. The tax added (CA) was $5.55, 2 day Fedex shipping is free.

1.1 ghz processor, GPS, headphone jack, Android 7 Nougat. I have no idea about that OS, but figure it's adequate to run the Roku app and hopefully the other apps. It's not ancient, is cheap, can't buy a new one for near that at ebay, only used ones.

I figure to use them SIM free for the Roku app, weather reports.

I tried to order 3 (for my 3 new Roku TVs) but a popup said they limit orders to 2 phone devices.

I definitely want to get another Android to take the place of my Alcatel IDOL 4S Windows 10 phone. I'll use that with a SIM, and some kind of plan for data. Maybe (as mentioned here) can roll over my saved minutes from my Windows Phone if I'm content with AT&T service (seems unlikely, though). As said here, Unlocked will be a priority (if for nothing else, if I understand correctly, so I could use it traveling in the future). Figure I should ask my neighbors what carriers they're using and why.

I don't even know what carrier those 2 new phones I ordered would use if I had a SIM in one. Figure it doesn't matter because I don't intend to use them with a SIM. Edit: Says Tracfone. Never heard of them before. Do they have their own towers (seems unlikely) or are they using some other carrier's signal?

 

[Muse]

The specs are a bit mis leading. that is 16GB of storage not ram. 16GB is pretty small; the device has 2GB or ram.

Yes, I was aware of that. Were the specs suggesting otherwise? Because they say it has 16GB "internal memory"? They indicate 2GB memory (RAM). I wasn't confused.

I saw an older version with only 8GB storage, so figured I was OK there. Also, that version was very difficult to send stuff to the SD card. I may not even install cards in these, just use the storage. I'm not expecting to use these 2 for a lot, mostly the Roku app, a weather app or two, not a ton else... will see. Cheap way to get wifi control of my TVs complete with headphone support, that's the priority. Hope the sound is OK and no outlier issues.