By It’s been three and a half years since Google introduced the very operating system we write about everyday – Android – and every major (and many minor) United States carrier has phones running it. Some more than others, of course, but who has the best lineup? I take a gander at offerings from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular, MetroPCS and more and at the end I’ll let you know who I think has the best Android lineup. Let’s get started!
AT&T
It’s no secret that AT&T got off to a slow start when it comes to Android. Blame it on Apple, blame it on the alcohol, blame it on whatever – they’ve caught up and have done so marvelously. They now offer a number of high-end phones from the likes of Samsung with their soon-to-be-released Infuse 4G, HTC with the Inspire 4G, and Motorola with the ATRIX 4G. And it’s not just because they have a “4G” tag on them – they are damn good phones.
The ATRIX 4G, for instance, was the first phone on the market with NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor inside. It had 1GB of RAM, a qHD display, fingerprint scanner and with the help of an accessory or two, it could transform into a netbook. Choice is always a big factor, though, and they’ve proved that they can manage a diverse lineup offering different products at different price points. The HTC Aria can be had for one cent on a two-year contract and it is by no means a bad device for the crowd it’s aimed at.
The only thing holding me back from giving AT&T all the love I have is the fact that they still don’t allow you to sideload applications on Android phones. It may not be as huge of a deal to others as it is to me, but trying to lock users into one ecosystem because you don’t want them to scrape a knee is irritating. AT&T also doesn’t offer a lot compared to other carriers, but quality and quantity are two different things. For the most part, they offer quality.
Sprint
Back in 2009, Sprint followed T-Mobile in embracing Android early on. They came to town with the HTC Hero, the first Sense device that had everyone wanting it for the software alone. (Including yours truly. I went as far as flashing a Hero ROM on my original G1. Yes, it was painful but it was well worth it.) Times have changed, of course, and Sprint has proven they can keep up with those times. They were the first to market with a 4G Android phone in the HTC EVO 4G. It surpassed their previous high-seller – the Samsung Instinct.
And more than it was popular, it was just good. In fact, I don’t think any Android device to launch on Sprint since the EVO has topped its sales. They had heavy hitters like Samsung’s Epic 4G – a Galaxy S with a QWERTY keyboard – and a smaller keyboard-enabled cousin in the HTC EVO Shift 4G. Even though they weren’t as successful, they were every bit as good. Sprint also offers a number of cheapies in the Sanyo Zio, the Samsung Transform and the LG Optimus S. The former-most isn’t that good of a phone but the latter-most will blow you away with its speed and stability when you consider how cheap it is compared to high-end beasts.
More than just affordability, though, Sprint’s looking to separate themselves with unique products. The Kyocera Echo is the first of its kind – the phone can fold out into a dual-screen tablet-esque device and allow you to multi-task like you never have on a phone. We’re still having trouble getting behind this one, though, as third party software that takes advantage of the phone’s dual screen capbailities has yet to take off.
The upcoming Nexus S 4G (it’ll be here May 8th) won’t be a bad device, either. In fact, it may just end up being their new best device once it’s available. Sprint doesn’t have many options but the ones they do have are fantastic and they stand by them. They’re usually quick about software updates and the software preinstalled doesn’t get in the way as much as they do on other carriers’ devices. Sprint is held in high regards with me.
Verizon
Verizon’s army of Androids began with an iconic device – the Motorola DROID. Many credit Verizon and Motorola with single-handedly slingshotting the platform into relevance and making it a household name and a mainstream entity. Since then, they have released many devices under the DROID name and most of them have lived up (at least in quality) to the standard that the original set. No, we’re not counting the DROID Eris, folks.
Many of those DROIDs have been phased out for new renditions, though, which include the Motorola DROID PRO, Motorola DROID 2, Motorola DROID X, and the HTC DROID Incredible 2. Samsung was also blessed with their first DROID-branded phone recently – the Samsung DROID Charge. (Though that has been delayed and still has not been released as of the time of this writing.)
All of these devices may not be the best fit for you or me, but there’s no doubting their impressive performance in specs. The DROID line has become an exclusive stable of phones that you can expect to be powerhouses every time Verizon announces one.
There are others, though, such as the Samsung Fascinate, the Samsung Continuum, and the HTC Thunderbolt. While we’re not particular fans of the second one, the other two aren’t too shabby themselves. (And it makes us wonder why they weren’t given the DROID tag.) The HTC Thunderbolt is one of particular interest considering it was Verizon’s first 4G phone, but others will soon eclipse it.
And for business types, they really believe in securing your hardware with options like the DROID Pro. For those who do field work, the Casio g’zOne Commando provides durability and great functionality. You can’t go wrong with one of Verizon’s devices no matter who you are. Big Red is definitely near the top of the curve.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile was the first carrier in the world gutsy enough to adopt Android. It all began on October 22nd, 2008 with the now-legendary T-Mobile G1. As much as we loved the device, though, Android quickly outgrew its clothes. It’s been officially discontinued but not without some devices worthy of replacing it. For starters, T-Mobile has continued the “G” line with two smash mouth devices that everyone currently enjoys – the T-Mobile G2 and the G2x.
The first is a stock Android device with a great QWERTY keyboard and an optical trackpad that pays homage to the original. The dual-core spinoff – the G2x – has NVIDIA’s dual core Tegra 2 processor and is the first stock Android device to carry that load. T-Mobile’s going to keep the “G” brand going with nothing but stock Android devices, it seems, so you’ll always have a carrier to go to if you need one of those. They are also FOR hacking and encourage folks like Cyanogen and other developers to do exciting things with the hardware. They really get a lot of bonus points for that.
They have a slew of devices from HTC, Samsung and Motorola and are currently the exclusive carrier of the Nexus S. (That’s going to change in four days, though.) The MyTouch line keeps rolling with devices tailoring to those who need a great looking device with powerful features, but still easy enough to learn to use. And while selections from Motorola aren’t all that great, they deliver a big punch for the asking price. You can’t go wrong with T-Mobile. (Unless AT&T buys them. Ouch.)
US Cellular
US Cellular has increasingly made a name for itself over the past year releasing devices such as the HTC Desire and the Samsung Mesmerize, a Galaxy S phone. Unfortunately, the number of less capable phones far exceeds that of their high-end devices with offerings such as the Samsung Gem, the Samsung Acclaim, the LG Apex and the LG Optimus U. US Cellular, like many of the carriers following it, are wallet-conscious and consumers flock to them for that very reason. If you want an affordable Android with an affordable rate plan, they’re top dog.
MetroPCS
MetroPCS had a disappointing lineup early on, but their selection has been heavily bolstered by two top-notch Androids. The LG Optimus M is a great option like all Optimus One phones are, but for the same price you’ll get the 4G LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Indulge. They aren’t calling it a Galaxy S phone, but it might as well be one with its 1GHz Hummingbird processor and a very nice slide-out QWERTY keyboard. And at only $300, you’d be a fool to pass this up if you enjoy MetroPCS’ service. That’s where we’ll draw the line, though, because simply cannot endorse the Huawei Ascend.
Boost Mobile
Boost’s Android lineup is less exciting. Their options include the Motorola i1 – a smallish Android operating on a soon-to-be dead network – and the Samsung Galaxy Prevail. The latter is a decent option and very affordable at $180, but even then there isn’t a whole lot to get me excited here. If you want a good selection of phones, Boost isn’t the best place to look.
Cricket
Cricket has three smartphones – two of them are Android and both of those are bad. I’m talking about the Huawei Ascend and the Sanyo Zio. Sure, a smartphone for less than $150 seems great on paper (and to your wallet), but don’t expect to save the planet with these.
So Who Has The Best Overall Selection?
This is such a difficult choice to make. There are a lot of compelling options through MetroPCS. I can tell you now that the bottom two won’t make the cut. At the end of the day, it depends on what you as a consumer want or need. Factors other than how good a phone is play into one’s decision such as its cost or the cost and quality of the carrier’s service. I’ve based my decision on variety, depth, support and quality, though, and with that I name the victor – T-Mobile.
Perhaps it’s the rooter in me, but there’s something about Magenta’s open arms toward device customization that I am thrilled with. Some carriers fight tooth and nail to lock their devices down and the first thing they’ll check before they service your phone is to see if it’s modded or rooted in any way. T-Mobile has openly admitted that they’re fans of developers like Cyanogen and that they always look forward to seeing what cool things folks do with their devices.
Their selection is top notch, too. They have a very nice stock Android dual core offering in the T-Mobile G2x – this won me over for those two combinations alone. While their high-end offering may not run as deep as Verizon’s, AT&T’s or Sprint’s, what they have come to the table with is nothing short of impressive.
The Sidekick has never looked so good, the MyTouch line offers a unique take on HTC Sense and HTC’s design practices and the “G” series will always make the development community flock to them. Don’t forget about the HTC Sensation, one of the OEM’s flagship devices that’ll have a 4.3 inch display and a dual core processor. Their willingness to carry Nexus devices is also nothing to take for granted. Don’t let the looming merger deter you, either – it could very well end up being denied and that won’t happen for a while anyway.
That’s not to say T-Mobile will remain at the top of the list in the coming months, though. This industry moves extremely fast and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, US Cellular or any of the others top this list after they bring their next generation of devices. For Sprint, the picture will change a ton once the dual-core HTC EVO 3D and the Nexus S come out. And we hear they’re getting some decent dual core devices pretty soon. Likewise, Verizon has a lot of nice phones too and their selection alone already made it difficult for me to put them ahead of T-Mobile.
What do you guys think? Who has the best selection of phones from smallest to biggest and cheapest to bank breakers? Vote in the poll below and I know you want to put your own $.02 in so the comment section is open for debate. Go!
[polldaddy poll=5016635]
Best android phone should be stock, so verizon is out.
This will change in 2 months as well with so many monsters coming out from under the bed (if the carriers let them)
So true. And not Bingified. It’s a freaking GOOGLE Android phone.
Amen
Actually lg offered the first tegra 2 phone not motorola and attt
i feel like verizon has the most options but tmo has the best selection of devices. Opinions?
VZW has quantity of devices, but none really excite me that much. And if they do, I soon read about their copious amounts of bloatware and shoddy skins and I am totally turned off. My OG Droid is aging… what to do what to do…
GS2 when it comes to verizon. Get it. Love it until the next big thing tops it.
The most highest end devices maybe but most options? not at all. T-Mobile has every demographic covered. The cheapo who ants something that works, the texter, the nerd, the android enthusiast, the crackberry user going to rehab and so on Verizon devices practically all have the same specs and names they are all practically named droid something its so redundant. They all focus on one demographic.
i never realized that…it’s true about Tmobile
T-mobile has the best selection of devices since it does reach all demographics. And that’s coming from a Verizon user, I can agree we get the same phones with the same specs only with a different look and name.
I voted sprint. They don’t have as many as Verizon, but they have the awesome ones, and HTC phones. I may even switch from Verizon to get the 3DEvo.
i switched about 2 months after i found out verizon was capping data speeds, seems like every company that gets the iPhone just loses all concept of taking care of the customer. Sprint paid me $125 for switching and i got a white EVO (ya not the 3D i know) and its head and shoulders above the Motorola Droid phones i had on verizon, or the Galaxy S i had. Its rock solidly stable compared to the others. Probably because theres no Verizon crap apps. But so far ive noticed no difference in my 3G coverage. in my area Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular all share EVDO goodness. :)) You get better phones and a cheaper cell phone bill. Do it.
Great choice and your 100% correct
you should have just rooted your phone. My DX is rooted, throttling removed, no bloat, overclocked to 1350mhz and under volted. How’s the battery life on your EVO ? I have friends that love their EVO but have to carry three batteries with them to make it through a day! No thank you!
Verizon deserves the title just because they were the First to make Android a name in America really…
Before them, I had never ever heard of Android…I heard of the G1 but i never knew what it was until AFTER i got my Droid on Launch day.
They may Bing their phones, they may not offer stock Android devices….
But they have an awesome lineup of phones…
And yes, the Droid Eris should be included in the group as it is a legacy device of the Android lineup for Verizon
I meant I wasn’t counting the Eris as one of the “great” DROID devices, haha.
Not by specs, but if you count community support the Eris is worlds ahead of the pack. If I remember right it had a port of both froyo and GB before any other phone.
lol come on Quentyn, let me old friend the Droid Eris get it’s rightful shine :)
Because it doesnt deserve it. The Eris has been one of the shittiest phones to have to deal with Battery Life Reboots reception…..etc The OG Droid is the phone thats latest the longest and still gets more ROM downloads than any other phone so the winner is ding ding ding Big Red
I’m sorry, but I have to disagree. The Eris development community outweighs the D1 development community in almost every way. Looking just at XDA (since that’s the best place to look for statistics), the most viewed thread in the D1 development section for a ROM has about 70,000 views. However one of the most viewed threads (if not the most viewed) for the Eris has about 470,000.
If that doesn’t work for you (because views don’t mean everything, I know that) then riddle me this. XDA moved the Droid Eris to the legacy section because they considered it out dated, however about two days later it was moved back to the normal forum. If the Eris is so unworthy of praise and such a “worthless” device, then why is my worthless device running 2.3.4?
How are you going to get down on the Droid Eris but praise the HTC Hero? They are the same hardware-wise. Were you really feeling SenseUI that much? Mind you I still have my good ol’ hero to back up my epic if I ever brick it
Thats not how it works and anyways to you it was droid that made a name for android but truly it wasn’t. By your logic T-Mobile should automatically get the title because if it was for them risking android then Droid would have never been.
This is about selection anyways and Verizon only really covers one demographic and that is the techy’s while t-mobile covers every demographic available even more so at reasonable prices.
How do they only cover techy’s? /facepalm
Yes, Tmobile took the risk but before the Original Droid and Droid Eris release
the only Android phones available were Sprint’s Hero, the Mytouch 3g, G1, and Motorola Cliq
By the time the Droid was released you saw Android everywhere.
So yeah I would think that Verizon should get the title for making a name for Android
Although I now see how tmobile covers nearly ever demographic for smartphones
The Droid campaign deserves kudo’s that’s true.. The myTouch 3G and Hero were good phones in their own right.. but the advertising on them didn’t make people say “What’s that ?” like the Droid campaign did.. but “overall” TMobile supplies good and interesting Androids.. I agree that they win “best Android phones” (plural) based on variety.
Yes verizon has a dual core android, and had a 4g device for ever now. Not really tmobile is leading the inovation space of android devices. Has a dual core android device G2X, and had hspa+ service for a year now, which they are upgrading to 42mbits per sec and the 82 mbits per second. While verizon service is the best, most of the viewers agree that tmobile is number one.
Also, you mentioned Boost & Metro and Cricket….How come no Virgin Mobile?
I think out of the prepaid route, Virgin Mobile is definitely the best carrier…Price wise and device wise
They totally slipped my mind, but they probably would have been in the same boat as Cricket and Boost, probably ahead of those two.
And they only have 2 Android handsets, the execrable Intercept and the Optimus.
If anyone denies T-Mobile their rightful crown of being top android selection then they are in denial or only focusing on one demographic because verizon has almost no variety. For reasons previously posted.
I agree, not only does T-Mobile have the best selection, the phones come out with absolutely no crap apps, but i just dont trust HSPA networks, and the EVO line is genius, not to mention Sprint DOES have faster 4G speeds….
as far as Android goes. T-mobile wins. However, as far as coverage goes, they are dead last.
correction, Sprint is dead last….t-mo is just a little better but not much.
I don’t know where you all live but i’ve had T-mobile for 9 years and have never been without a signal, with the exception of some big casinos.
i have tmobile and lose signal every time i step in a building. I am also in college…FAIL! My friends that have verizon get signal in basements of buildings while i cant even get one at the entrance of a door. Totally switching to verizon -_-
I agree T-Mobile phones and plans are great but their service sucks. Where I’m living in NE Florida all I have for coverage is the lowest of the GSM spectrum.
And doesn’t T-mobile have the most android devices on their network?
They do.
T-Mobile??? Jeez, they’re going to get swallowed by AT&T. Verizon by a mile. And this is coming from an existing long-time AT&T customer/hater.
I really do wish Tmobile was an option for me. However good their prices are, or their lineup, their sub-par coverage leaves them out of any list I care about.
A-men. plus the ATT merger scares me.
I belive All androids sprint carry are all popular not like ATT,Verizon , for example Verizon has Offered Galaxy S in 3 Different shapes and Different prices which I dont like , ATT is offering trash android phones like freestyle which no body use it .
And sprint was the first career to offer the galaxy S (epic4g) Completely , the rest of them were lacking some thing…!
Evo 3d is the answer
Evo 3d is really ugly.
ur ugly
Evo 3d is the best
Richard…is it out yet????????????????
I àgree Polarbear . Sprint/evo trolls out in full force I see.
Yep agree evo 3D is the best I will get one once it is available no more pre-ordering. and T-Mo is Sucks and I return my new G2X great phone poor battery life and sucky service in Sacramento, CA
Verizon.
I’m switching from Verizon to Sprint later this year because of this very issue.
Too many “DROID” phones that are becoming increasingly lame (and expensive), on Verizon. The $300 Droid Charge release on Verizon, and the simultaneous release of the $200 Nexus S on Sprint is the tipping point.
Google released Gingerbread in December, and still there are no Gingerbread phones on Verizon? there’s something wrong with that picture.
I can’t wait to get a Nexus S 4G.
There are no GB phones on sprint either. Guess that picture isnt to clear to some.
Nexus S has Gingerbread right?
Wich is yet to be on Sprint.
There will be in 3 days so u can suck on that… mmmm Nexus
And. GB is coming to the DX, so suck on that.
My first Android phone & still in use is my Motorola Cliq. Of course rooted and flashed with CM6 & a nice touch of overclock. This phone was good when it first came out but man have the times changed. Before I got into molesting my phone with roms and what not I was about ready to chuck this thing to the wall! I never blamed T-Mobile for this phone due to their network being so good. My faith is saved with T-Mobile but never will Motorola see a penny from me. They let down their customers who put faith in them that Android would be great on their very FIRST Android device. As soon as the Moto Droid debuted a month or so later we Cliq users were thrown under the bus. No updates for a year & continued issues with the phone running on Android 1.5…yup..1.5!! T-mobile felt the burn as well when Motorola gave all their super phones to Verizon. Well regardless of the bad taste Moto has left on my mouth & i’m sure in Tmobiles as well..I could never blame T-Mo. They got my back & offered my soon to be in hand G2x with a fatty discount for all the prior pain Moto has placed. I’m gonna miss Tmo if the buyout with AT&T happens. Just crossing my fingers in the meantime.
Not that I think they’re best, but you left Virgin Mobile off the list. At a minimum $25 plan for unlimited data and texts, you can’t ignore them for affordability. Much as I love my VZW coverage, when you look purely at phones, I can’t disagree with your results. Magenta makes me jealous from time to time. Where’s my dual-core love, VZW?
The G2X looks like the best offering so I would say T-Mobile … plus they have the most variety.
Tmobile
“You can’t go wrong with T-Mobile. (Unless AT&T buys them. Ouch.)”
You wound me, Phandroid. AT&T can pry my TMo from my cold, dead hands. sniff.
If your service/coverage sucks it doesn’t matter how cool your phones are. Verizon wins.
Although I know that Verizon never really gets the best phones. They’re service is top notch and I will NEVER EVER make the mistake of choosing a phone instead of choosing a provider.
Verizon dont get the best phones….i’m sorry im on Sprint and i notice alot of good phones on verizon.
@scrufynerfherdr
It does matter how cool your phone is….and when you’re on Verizon EVERYTHING is slower….and you cannot multi-task. Verizon is a “winner” like Charlie Sheen is a “winner”
You must have missed the numerous articles that show VZ has the fastest network? I can multitask just fine.
dude what have you been smoking the only multitasking phone on verizon are HTC T-Bolt the rest you can’t talk and browse as ATT can
Wrong…LTE/4g. Which you clearly don’t have
You’ve been watching too many commercials! The whole “talking while browsing” thing is so over-rated it’s not even funny! The majoritity of people don’t and won’t need it. Oh wait….I need to know when “Whoimp There It Is” came out@ LMAO Give me a break!
Im on Tmo & have the same data/celly service at the same time deal. Oh it’s important alrite! Kinda sucks when you’re in a long convo with someone on the phone & then after you hang up all your emails,apps,widgets, anything that uses data starts to update. Well being on Tmo or AT&T avoids all that for sure. They update like normal while having a conversation on your phone. Also I would think it would really suck if your tethering and your connection keeps getting cut off because of phone calls. Fail in my book!
I can talk and surf at the same time on my DX. Using wifi, Nver had the need to, so whoopty fu**ing do. BTW, that isnt “multitaking” in its only form.
ONLY on wi-fi. Do it when you leave the house..again FAIL!
Again, I NEVER HAD THE NEED SO WHOOPTY FUC**ING DOO,. So what if my phone updates after my call, when I puit it in my pocket. At least I can use my phone when I leave my house, with Sprint and Tmobile, I cant.
yeah and you pay twice the much for capping and blocking Verizon service. Sprint is the way to go and they don’t block tethering ups like other 3 carriers does.
There is NO CAP on Verizon.
take it easy on the guy…he just heard someone else say that alol.
yea tell that to the media and every single person who had an iphone back wen it was taking a serious toll on AT&T’s network
Verizon has the worst service/coverage in my area.
If your devices are all overpriced and your network is unproven it doesn’t matter how fast your network is SPRINT WINS
Until this, you were doing so good at not making stupid comments too…
Verizon’s 4G network has been up and running for at least 5 months, if not longer. I wouldn’t call that “unproven”. Besides, haven’t there been numerous reports that Sprint customers are having trouble accessing 4G while in a building or a moving vehicle? What’s the point of having 4G if you can barely access it?
and currently there is only one phone that can handle lte, the thunderbolt which is a crappy outdated phone.
WRONG, get your facts straight. Droid Charge is an LTE phone
i dont know what you guys are talking about criket network and the durability of their phones are remarkable. the best part is i dont even have to worry about dropped calls since their network doesnt cover where im at i cant call anyway .. thats respekt
T-mobile has the best phones, but I’m going to miss them if the merger is approved.
The best carrier clearly isn’t ATT, and it’s also not verizon since they have too many motorola phones running moto-crap, which leaves just t-mobile and sprint.
isn’t it weird how the carrier that might be extinct soon (T-mobile) has the best phones?
Are you trying to claim that T-mobile doesn’t have the best phones?
If so, then does Verizon offer the LG Optimus 2x with Stock Android, nor the HTC sensation? NOPE, they just have the HTC Thunderbolt as their flagship phone, but that phone is on par with last year’s Mytouch 4G.
did you even read my post?
As far as carriers go, it depends on location. AT&T is the best here in Oklahoma. Verizon really did not come here till they got Alltel and have not grown since. Very spotty coverage. Sprint and T-mo both have better coverage here, but their national coverage suck. Verizon does have slightly better national coverage then AT&T. However, for me AT&T is the better choice. So far there has not been once place I have gone anywhere in this state and country where i have not had coverage. As for dropped calls only time i have that problem is when i am talking to someone who uses Iphone (( proven to have more dropped calls then any other phone)), or they are on another network in a weak coverage area.
PHONES NOT SERVICE PHONES NOT SERVICE
It’s a shame the best service provider(Verizon), refuses to offer the best phones. I stick with Verizon because I live in the country and they provide the only reliable service…but I sure do want some of those other new phones rolling out!
me too, i’ve been on Verizon for ~7 years but i’m pretty annoyed with them right now. i’m not thrilled with their summer phone lineup.
adding insult to injury, their recent network outages have been killing my 3G connection and their newest 4G phone costs $300 on contract.
yay?
I picked AT&T….then went to T Mo site and poked around…
Can I change my answer? lol
We should eliminate any carrier who also carries the iphone from this list.
So the obvious 1 and 2 are TMO and Sprint.
I stick with sprint and our lineup. This is going to be a great summer.
Dude you are a Sprint troll stop being a broken record we all know you like Sprint it’s getting old.
I know right! “Sprint this, Sprint that”..how bout Sprint the fu&% outta here lmao!
T-mobile hands down. Now if only their phones included service in my area and not in danger of merging with att. Oh well, looks like I will have to sacrifice on a discounted plan over at sprint on my up to date CM7 sponsored Evo.
VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON VERIZON
LOL how in the F is TBlow winning?
Bigj, I live in an area that has crap coverage from Sprint and at&t so having the best phone ever built simply will not help me. The last time I looked at a t mobile map it was a joke. You may have a different experience.
winner goes to tmobile, not only do they have variety, htc, lg, samsung, but they have alot of top notch phones. Mytouch series, Nexus series, and G series. Other carriers simply have one flagship android device or line worth mentioining that is high end like Atrix, Evo, Droid. Thunderbolt is nice too, but i think X10 is weaksauce.
t-mobile has the best selection of the 4 then VZ or AT&T then………………..Sprint
Sprint has the worst selection the Evo was huge but would i take it over my Nexus One? i doubt, the Epic 4G is a good phone too but that plus the transform isnt much of a selection….oh forgot about the dual screen phone……mehhhhhh
I love,t-mobile,they have cools phones****
Sprint may have a smaller selection but that’s a good thing. You don’t have a higher chance of buying a rubbish Android phone! Here’s a tip, avoid buying a Sprint phone that offers SprintID as a feature, Sprint talk for beginner Android phones.
Oh and speaking of the big “V”, they tried to switch broken OG Droids for the Droid Devour and Droid Eris (HTC Hero) as replacements during the shortage. Smooth move Verizon to give it’s overpaying customers a big trade down as a replacement phone. Seems Verizon doesn’t even know which phones are better.
ALOL hey Im not hateing here-but iwas on T-moble-and even then I could not look anyone in the eye and say T-moble has the best Android phones…looks like they have some heavyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy devoted phans however though alol.
T-Mobile
Tmobile was the 1st one to go android and has the most variety and the best phone currently G2X. The phans have voted Tmobile is the leader of android inovation, verizon and att too busy with iphones. Sprint just went android since evo. Tmobile is the answer.
Wrong!! The HTC Hero and Samsung Moment came out long before the EVO.
@ godrilla …what Verizon dual core are you referring too because they don’t have any dual core anything and if by forever you mean since late march with LTE in like 2 locations then yeah they’ve definitely had 4G forever… idiot
I think you missed the sarcasm that he was slathering all over his statement. He was pointing out why he believes T-Mobile is better than Verizon.
Pretty sure LTE launched in December, and in more markets then 2. Pot calling the kettle black.
I’m enjoying my first Android phone on AT&T (Inspire 4G), but also have a Sprint line with a BB on it, I’ll be changing over. I used to loathe Sprint for always being the last to get decent phones. BUT, their service was always aces.
I disagree. Verizon Is #1. Best service, coverage. And killer Motorola phone’s. Can’t wait for Droid 3 & the Droid Bionic. Along with LTE 4g Verizon will be tough to beat. U can’t call haspa 4g didn’t meet official LTE 4g specs. As far as AT&T is concerned they have terrible service and dropped calls. They don’t deserve to carry Android phones. I wish A crap&crap would go out of business.
VERSION DROID RULES!!!
O’doyle rules!
Ur forgetting forgetting east coast company. Cincinnati bell. They have been a land based phone company long before they jumped on the wireless bandwagon. I think they have wonderful phones. Give them a look. They’re customer service rocks and i can assure you they tower over cricket and boost mobile.
Y’all keep talking about the Evo3D as if it’s going to be some awesome device. 3D isn’t even all that great on Big Screens, let alone a 4.3 inch screen. Anyone in their right mind would buy the HTC Sensation, but there is too many suckers for the term “3D”. And by the way my Rooted and CM7’ed Sammy Vibrant will outrun any VZW Droid Line Phone anyday!
samsung vibrant is a cheap korean knock off of the iphone
tmobile, duh. The fact that theyre still so small shocks me. Stock, or otherwise, they’ll always be the best. I mean come on, g2 mt4g, sidekick 4g, g2x, and their up and coming phones? Damn. Couple that with affordable plans, I’m always going to be with tmobile, this merger will fail.
One problem with your post: “tmobile, duh.” Let me correct that for you: tmobile?… duh, winning!
Best android PHONES (not service, not coverage, not merger, not service cost, not who made android a household name, etc, just PHONES) would be a toss up between T-mobile and Sprint. Verizon phones make a strong upcoming appearance but are more locked down and obnoxiously bloated. At&t has the Atrix but they cripple it from its full potential (locked down, no sideloading, features stuck on waiting for updates(some resolved) etc).
T-mobile/Sprint
Verizon
At&t
US Cellular
Pre-paid
t mobile no comp
If you have Vanilla, you have the best. Wish I could use some of those T-Mobile phones on Verizon.
There’s no way to truly answer this post to be a benefit to anyone. The fact is there are good phones on every carrier, and depending where you are in the country you can receive great reception on all of them. However, there is no singular phone/phones OR carrier that is superior across the board and dominates all the others, there just isn’t. All this post/poll tells us is people have opinions, preferences and will never agree with one another.
voted for cricket for lulz
I like the phones T-mobile has but I live in Charlottesville, VA, 2 1/2 hours from Washington, DC. I don’t know if T-mobile coverage is good enough. Anybody weigh in on this? Doesn’t seem like I meet many people here on that carrier.
Of course T-Mobile is the best…that goes without saying dude! I’m waiting for the HTC Sensation!
I have had AT&T, Verizon and now Sprint. I find Sprint to be the best of the three in phone selection, price, customer service and “real” coverage area.t
Anybody know anything about US Cellular Androids? If so, what do you think about the Samsung Mesmerize? It’s only offered at US Cellular.. I don’t know why, but it is a galaxy s phone whatever that means. I’m just wondering why US Cellular was never really mentioned here? (because I don’t have a choice and am switching to it this weekend)