Good news,
Android fans! HTC's
Aria -- arguably the first Google-fied phone on AT&T worth caring about -- is seemingly slipping onto carrier floors a few days early. As the story goes, the Sense-equipped, Android 2.1-powered handset was supposed to go on sale this Sunday, but based on these unboxing shots from a giddy tipster, it's clearly ready to be procured early in some locations. Still unsure if it's worth your $129.99 on contract? Have a peek at
our review right here.
Update: We're also hearing through the grapevine that these are in stock in certain Best Buy Mobile locations.
[Thanks, Travis]
posted June 18th 2010 1:04PM
@kirbo20 Let's hope that the Aria can be rooted...until then, I'm sticking to my unlocked Rodgers HTC magic+ on AT&T :D
They can't even spell DRIVING right.
@Gator352 Most texters don't spell anything right...
I mean if they are using text lingo, what's one letter...makes them look stupid.
may not be so bad if the folks at xda get their hands on it and make some good ROMs
I know everyone craps on AT&T because they "crippled" the phone, but if this has decent battery life count me in.
@Hibbleton
According to phonedog.com, the battery life isn't too great.. I was actually really looking forward to this phone, but the more I read about it, the more waiting for something else seems like a good idea.
I thought it was a legend in a different formfactor, then I found out it doesn't have an amoled screen, and that att locked it down, and that the crapware is uninstallable, and that it doesn't come with any live wallpapers, and now that the battery life isn't too great either. Feels kind of pointless to get it now, might as well continue using android on my old att tilt.
Almost bought this but I decided to dish out for an N1! Froyo here I come!!!!!!!!
It's not slipping, but falling back to 2008 with those specs. Just give it away as a free phone on sign up and focus on the Samsung Captivate.
@Nausicaa647 Actually, the spec is probably okay. The problem is the pricing. It's not competing with iPhone 4, it's competing with $99 3GS.
When a lay person goes into an AT&T store, sees this and the $99 3GS, which one that person would buy?
I wanted to pick one of these up for my girlfriend... she's wanting a 'full touchscreen' phone and I can't bear to send her off to Apple's hands (I'm a WinMo guy, after all...but looking to stray to Android).
Calling all over town, doesn't sound like any stores even HAVE them, let alone willing to break street on one.
@matthewf01
your girlfriend's in somebody else's hands, but it ain't Apple's.
@Psyclotr0n your mom lets me videotape it, so it's cool with me
:)
Why waste your upgrade on this when the Dell Streak is just a few weeks away presumably? Remember when you upgrade, you need to sign on for a new current plan, which now means tiered data. You would loose the "unlimited" data plan.
Yes, this will be a good phone for the average non-tech savvy phone buyer. But if you're reading this site, I'd be willing to bet you're drooling over the Galaxy S and/or the Streak, and willing to use this as a door stop.
@iHeartBeer
You keep your current data plan if you upgrade from one smart phone to another, the only way you loose your unlimited data is if you stop your data plan for any reason or want to enable tethering or if you are new to At&t... other than that you keep all the features you currently have.
@iHeartBeer wrote "But if you're reading this site, I'd be willing to bet you're drooling over the Galaxy S and/or the Streak ... "
... or the Dell Lightning.
I still don't understand all the hatred at this phone?
I have an N1, because like everyone else on here we are gadget geeks (Face facts people).
But for the average person (ie, my wife) who wants an Android phone this is a decent phone.
Not everyone needs 1ghz, a giant hi-res screen, and custom ROMS. Sometime (again, my wife) people just want to browse the web, get market apps, and check facebook.
@stabbedintheface Well said. Thank you. Finally a voice of reason on this board.
How is ATT crippling this phone? To me it seems like a cop out to defend the fact that compared to the iPhone ALL Android phones have no consumer interest on the same network. Even the EVO on ATT would be a marginal seller.
The day the iPhone goes to Verizon it'll be the same story.
@jaffreywali Better question is, how is HTC allowing AT&T to do it?
@pika2000
It's only sideloading. HTC is a business and if the 2nd largest carrier in the country wants to carry the phone and make that one modification they aren't going to say no. I'll say it again, if someone cares about that then they probably know how to get around it. 98% of the buyers don't even know what it is let alone care. The other 2% will find their way to xda.
Moving through the menu is faster than on an Evo. I think that pisses off some Evo owners that it's not as quick as it's little brother.
IOS4 > FROYO
@FrankDTank
FACT>OPINION
@FrankDTank
Froyo > dog turd > ios4
Still probably going to buy this phone.
Bought a 3G last August and now with 3.13, there's just too much lag in even the basic functions. I'm not eligile for an upgrade, nor would I want to exted my contract with AT&T anyways, and due to being on a family plan, paying the ETF is out of the question.
So this is gonna have to hold me over till next year when I can jump ship so Verizon / Sprint
ha ha, I just send a screen shot of that TXTing can wait pic while driving to my Facebook page, while driving. Txting can wait, but Facebook updating can't.
Google Nav is working too. I am surprised by that. at&t seems to have disabled accessibility which I think disables txt to speech. Or I just don't know how to use txt to speech.
I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be
sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with
everyone.
smart card
[url=http://www.smart-card.com]smart card[/url]
@pika2000
Uh yeah? ATT sells the phone, and since it's an open source OS, they get to do whatever they want with it. Don't blame HTC for ATT's greed.
Why doesn't AT&T subsidize the Nexus One (and carry it in stores now)?
Bring the Aria to $99 and the N1 in stores at $179 and boom, golden.
@Johnny Rockets
They would have to discount the ARIA out of range of the iPhone GS to make a real difference I think. As for the Nexus One, it would be better to get a Desire I think that has a little morepower.
With $99 entry level iPhones, it's hard to really get people to get away from them and into an Android device because the price is low enough to say "why not"? Why get an ARIA for 129 when you can get an iPhone for 99 which is an iPod touch? If people are really locked into their iPods, trying to get them onto another phone os would be hard I think.
AT&T will drop this phone to 79 after a few months and then try to market it as a feature phone. Or make it free after rebate.
@JB
Nah, Nexus One and Desire have exactly the same internal hardware.
Also, this is mainly for people who are stuck on AT&T for whatever reason and do not want an iPhone. If the iPhone is cheaper, they might do it. But take away the price difference, and suddenly considering the Aria is a great move, again especially for people who don't want an iPhone.
@Johnny Rockets
My statement wasn't complete, I mean to go back and change it but forgot.
The Desire does have a little more ram, but what I meant to say was that AT&T would need an incredibly powerful Android phone to match the iPhone to make a dent. I just don't see AT&T doing that as long as they have the iPhone as an exclusive with the pricing that phone has with the amount of app and media storage you are getting with an Apple phone.
I left AT&T for are regional carrier and couldn't be happier. I have a Hero on 1.5. I left AT&T because it just wasn't worth the price, even with my corp discount to stay with them. I'm getting features comparable in someways and better in others from what I would get on iPhone and paying 30 dollars less than I was with AT&T with my corporate discount for and a Sony feature phone and I have phone insurance. Unlimited data and text with 500 mins for 50 versus 450 mins, 1500 text messages and no data for 85.
I'm amazed that people are even with AT&T with their prices but standing on the outside looking in, if I were to go back to AT&T, this gimped Aria would not be enough to whisk me away from Cellular South. I couldn't justify staying with AT&T because of the service price.
I'm picking this up with hopes that XDA will root this puppy. After using it quite a bit today it's a very impressive little phone. It's fast. I mean really fast. It has the full Google experience minus the sideloading, of course. The free Google Nav wasn't even left out and I was worried about that. If anyone is considering this phone just go to a store Sunday and check it out. You will likely be pretty surprised.
@Waltah
I was looking forward to it, but I'd rather wait for something that can handle live wallpapers. I don't know why it means so much to me, I guess I'm a sucker for eyecandy, but all things considered it just isn't worth the 129 they're asking for.
@jroff
My upgrade is free after rebate so it's worth it to me;)
Txting and driving can wait..... UNTIL I'M IN MY LAMBORGHINI DIABLO WITH MY JÄGERMEISTER, that is.
Nothing like txting peepz, chuggin' Jäger, and going 170 mph in a residential area.
Costco is going to have this phone for $49.
@johneduardo
what about for people eligible for upgrades? if i'm eligible to snag this for 49 bucks, i'll be all over it.
@jroff
Yeap.. its $99 - 49 rebate... equals 49.99. upgrades. new for the firsts line and add a line is 99.99.. plus u get free accessories package.
@johneduardo
Just held a non-functioning model at the att store, feels very nice in the hand. Will probably pick one up for 99 if it appears at my local costco.
This will also be launching in Radio Shack and Costco on the 20th as well. Costco will also be doing $25 bill credits for the a new line and $75 bill , credit for 2+ new lines today - Monday.
I was playing with this "thing" and this is a nice phone but THE smallest Android phone ever. Weird to see.
for those worried about the side loading apps it can be done the same method backflip used (which is just a couple of steps and a usb cable) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=704855