How do you perceive the new LG Optimus G Pro Android smartphone?

It's a pretty sweet phone, and there's a nice amount of hype, so I really should withhold judgment until the phone reaches us here in the states (sometime in the 2nd quarter is the expectation). But I'm throwing caution to the wind, and questioning the way this launch is being handled... we shall see whether the numbers end up confirming the insignificance of my marketing opinion. (If I'm right, official consulting hours are between 8 and 5, every other Thursday.)

First, a bit about the phone itself, starting with this picture LG recently released:

The percentage of the surface that is actual screen, particularly side-to-side, is pretty impressive... noticeably higher than that of the S III. I am wondering why LG is following in Samsung's footsteps by including a physical home button -- what am I missing, people? ...what reason is there for a physical home button? A few specs of the phone include a 5.5" screen (making this phone officially enormous), LTE networking, a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, and a competition-busting 13MP rear-facing camera plus 2.1MP front-facing camera. The AMOLED screen has a resolution of 400 pixels per inch (1920 x 1080 pixels), which LG is touting as great for HD video-viewing, with a hefty 3,140 mAh battery to keep up. Built-in storage of 32GB, plus 2GB of RAM, and finally that holographic design on the back that LG introduced in the Nexus 4, wrap up the highlights (and yes, you should be afraid due to the lack of a price projection). One minuscule downside: the phone is running Android version 4.1.2, though 4.2 has been out since the end of 2012. The differences between Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and Jelly Bean 4.2 are significant, so I'm only calling this downside minuscule because I assume updates will roll out quickly. Overall, definitely a note-worthy phone (or phablet, since it's 5-6"), with top-of-the-line specs, and an attractive design. So what's my problem?

We're excited about the LG Optimus G Pro now, watching Korea skip along with a shiny new phone we can't yet have; but we have a very short attention span -- we don't plan on being excited any longer, when we finally get it, in a few months. It might have made more sense to keep rumors swirling, but facts few, a little while longer, over here. Additionally, LG seems to be positioning the product as top-of-the line, no competition. So it may be, right now, but in a few months there will be bigger and better. LG has shown Samsung and HTC and Motorola exactly what they need to one up. Past precedent says they accept the challenge.

How do you overcome a Samsung Galaxy S III obsession?

I've done it: I'm over the S3. This gem has been the standard to which I hold all other phones since spring of 2012; but now, close to a year later, I have a new standard... and I've arrived at a place where I can acknowledge the features of the S3 that I'm not that excited about. (There aren't many.)

Flaw #1:
The Samsung Galaxy S III receives upgrades to Android too slowly. This is the most-purchased phone out there (Apple doesn't release too many numbers, but near as I can figure the 2nd place phone (the iPhone 5) sold 5,000,000 units its first week, while the S3 sold 9,000,000 that first week. And don't forget Android sales are divided up among many phone choices, while Apple fans have only one current option.), so you would think getting the second phase of Jelly Bean, version 4.2, wouldn't be taking this long. I'm bored with old Jelly Bean -- it's so three weeks ago.

Flaw #2:
It is irritating that the Samsung Galaxy S III takes a Micro SIM. This, however, is a very minor fault. First, because it would seem devices are heading in the direction of Micro SIMs, based on the fact that my new favorite (to be revealed below, after a bit more nail-biting suspense) also takes a Micro SIM; second, because it is easy to convert a Standard SIM to a Micro SIM, as well as to use an adapter to switch it back.

Flaw #3:
This is my most serious complaint with the Samsung Galaxy S III: the physical home button. I dislike this immensely. We switched to touch for a reason. It seems minor, and until I had actually used an S3 I just though Huh... interesting (though even at that early hour I was harassed by my second reason to dislike the physical home button). After using it, I realized it really makes a difference -- you have to hold a phone differently, brace it differently, if pressure (not just touch) is required to get a response. My second complaint with the physical home button is that it is a feature of iPhones -- Android doesn't need it; Android doesn't want it. Android has given Apple incentive to point and laugh: Ha! They're trying to make their phones just like ours! Not good.

I still think fondly of the S3 (it is a gorgeous phone: sharp and slim), but it is no longer my favorite. The Google Nexus 4 now holds that position. The specs are top of the line; the design is sleek; as Google's phone it receives updates lightning-fast; and (my favorite feature of all) the Android operating system is not seen through the film of Samsung, HTC, or Motorola -- it's pure Android.

How do you provide evidence that Android is superior, from people who matter?

You know Robert Kawasaki... Rich Dad, Poor Dad? I'm not talking about him. I looked it up, and they're not related.
This is Guy Kawasaki. And he's his ooooooown thing.

Guy Kawasaki was an "Apple fellow"... officially. In 1995, after the original Mac craze had fizzled out, Kawasaki was on staff at Apple with the modus operandi to, as he put is, "reignite the Mac cult." While he probably saved Apple from failing that decade, and while he continues to use and love Mac's, he has interesting things to say about the iPhones he no longer carries.

When the iPhone 4S was the newest Apple iOS release, Kawasaki switched over to an Android mobile phone, because he wanted to take advantage of 4G LTE network, which advance had not yet reached Apple. While this deficiency has been removed in the iPhone 5, Kawasaki adamantly sticks with Android. A few of his favorite features include superior multitasking, alphabetically arranged apps, NFC support, and a standard cable.

Kawasaki explains the transformation, saying, "I fell in love with Android on the smartphone, and then I got a Nexus 7 and started using Android on the tablet as well. To me the great irony is that Apple's slogan was 'Think Different,' but today if you think different you're looking at Android." He has now arrived at a place where he says, "Real men use Android."

By the way, Steve Wozniak -- co-founder of Apple -- while preferring iPhone personally, has been recorded as recommending Androids to certain people. Interesting.

How do you know Android? (Amazon and Android)

I'm excited; this is from an interview with Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO, by Charlie Rose:

Bezos: "I will have to decline to answer that question."
Rose: "Because it might incriminate you?"
Bezos: "I'll just have to ask you to stay tuned. There are a bunch of rumors. I agree that there are a bunch of rumors that we might do a phone."
Rose: "Of course, that answer leads us to believe that you are going to do it. You're just waiting for the right opportunity."
Bezos: "Well, you'll just have to wait and see."

(I recommend reinserting the laughter that played a roll in this bit of the interview. Read it again, with the laughter, to take away the Woah... obnoxious! feeling. Better?)

Amazon's pattern of excellence is why I'm keeping posted on this all-but-confirmed Amazon phone saga, despite my love for the Samsung Galaxy S3. Like the Kindle Fire tablet, this currently unannounced Amazon phone would run on the Android operating system, with Amazon's little Kindle twist. I actually like it when manufacturers do a little tweaking of the Android OS, like HTC does with its HTC Sense; it gives us some nice choices. Though rumors are flying, there are very few nailed-down facts right now, giving details about this mysterious phone.

So when will it be released, and what are its specs going to be? Yes, exactly. *sigh* 
Keep an eye out for that news, and rest assured that whatever Amazon's secret is, it will be worth investigating once it's here.

How do you lower an Android phone bill?

Did you know that it's no longer uncool to have a contract-less (prepaid or pay-as-you-go) phone? I am very opposed to contracts, like Verizon or Sprint offer. I have researched phone carriers extensively, and arrived at the conclusion that Straight Talk is the best option.

I used Virgin Mobile happily for a while, and they are the best if you're happy with limited minutes. Virgin Mobile's plans are restarted each month, and they offer unlimited text, unlimited data, and 300 minutes for $35, which is phenomenal; however, 300 minutes isn't going to be enough for most people. Their next plan is $45/month, which gets you up to 1,200 minutes; at this point you're paying $45, so you might as well be using Straight Talk, which is $45/month for unlimited talk, text, and data.

One very cool thing about Straight Talk is that using this provider gives you the option to have practically any phone you want, because of their "Bring Your Own Phone" program. Any GSM (meaning uses a SIM card) phone that is unlocked, T-Mobile, or AT&T (or a Straight Talk phone, of course) will work with Straight Talk. Regarding how good coverage will be for these phones: Straight Talk or unlocked phones use Verizon's prepaid towers, while AT&T or T-Mobile phones through Straight Talk use the AT&T or T-Mobile towers. That means your coverage is premium... the same coverage as if you were using the providers directly. Like Virgin Mobile, Straight Talk is prepaid, so every month (unless you pay for multiple months at once) you restart your plan.

So Straight Talk offers $45/month for unlimited everything, and the widest phone selection you'll find anywhere -- do you know of a better carrier?

How do you buy an Android cheap, on eBay?

I've been buying and selling on eBay for years, and have really fine-tuned my process, particularly in the electronics department. I have a very specific system that has been proven repeatedly (a friend recently bought a Wii console for a steal, using my system), which is going to help you buy an expensive Android smartphone significantly below market value.
In order to follow this system, all you need is an eBay account and a PayPal account. If you don't have those, then set them up. If you don't know how to set them up, well I don't know what you expect of me -- this site is about Androids, not the world wide web. No, I think you know me better than that, by now. If you need any help in the account creation process, just let me know in a comment and I'll give you a hand.

Ok, now you've got your accounts, go to the eBay website. Let's assume you're looking for the Samsung Galaxy S III (yes, I should choose a different example phone once in a while... but I just love this beast). In eBay's search box, type, "Samsung Galaxy S (3,three,iii)" WITH the quotation marks (quotation marks means all these words exactly in this order; the parentheses means any of these words). Now, on the left side, click to only show the category "Cell phones and accessories" and then "Cell phones and smartphones," then scroll down a bit, and choose the carrier you need, again on the left (if you are choosing between a few, you can click the "choose more" option). Just under the search box, there are tabs for what kind of auction you have showing; click the one for "Buy it now only." Almost finished now... next, from the drop down menu on the top right, choose to sort by "Time listed: newly listed." The last specification you need to add is condition. Click "Choose more," under condition, on the left side. Select all options except for "For parts or repair."
At this point, your search is all set up. Click to save the search (so that if you don't find any options the first time you try this, you won't have to set it all up when you try again tomorrow), right around the search box, but un-check the box to receive emails... you'll get too many. You need to know what price you're looking for (my helpfulness knows no bounds... tell me what phone you're looking for, and I can recommend a good maximum price to aim for, on eBay), and now you're ready to shop. You can also set a maximum price to show (same place on the left side), if you'd like to rule out more. All you're doing is leaving this search open, and refreshing the page as often as you feel like, to show the new results. What you're looking for is someone who listed the phone without realizing or without caring what its actual value is. The reason it has to be buy it now only is because if you leave the regular auction style listing in the mix, it doesn't matter what price it's listed at -- the bidders know how high they're willing to go, which will be approximately market value. You need the ones that are listed with the option to purchase immediately, so you can snap it up before anyone else realizes that gem is listed inexpensively.
Now let's say you found a phone that looks like a good possibility. How do you check quickly that everything is in order, so you can make a quick decision, not a hasty decision? First thing you look for is the item's condition... make sure it functions 100% as it should, and make sure there are no cracks, etc. I typically don't mind a bit of scratching, but I do avoid cracks. If the listing doesn't give the cosmetic and functional condition, send an email. Since the listing just started, hopefully the seller is still online and can answer quickly. Next, make sure the shipping charge is factored into the total you're considering. Lastly, look at the seller's feedback score. It should definitely be 95% or above, unless there are just a handful of feedbacks, in which case you need to look at the actual feedback, to make sure there wasn't just one loon who gave a negative without a real reason.
If you get the phone and something is wrong, check it against the listing. If the mistake was yours... well, oops (I recommend avoiding mistakes); if there is something that does not match the listing, then contact the seller in a very polite manner (avoid accusations... the seller will usually treat you with respect, if you set that tone). If the seller will not cooperate, open an eBay Buyer Protection case, which will get you 100% of your money back, and eBay will provide you with a return label, so you don't even pay return shipping.
Follow these instructions carefully, and ask if you have any questions. This is an excellent system, which has saved me $100's. It is not, however, as safe as buying from, say, Verizon (which carrier I do not support... prepaid is the only option I ever consider). I have never had any experiences that could not be resolved, following this method, but I am not taking responsibility for your experiences.

How do you choose an Android phone? (Buying Guide Conclusion)

We've covered storage, camera, and size -- there is no shortage of other issues that could be discussed, but those three are, in my opinion, the core issues to understand when making your Android purchase decision. Now based on your decisions in those last three posts, let's find you a phone.

If you want small (let's call it "adequate") storage size, camera quality, and physical size, you're looking at the lowest price range. My specific recommendation is the HTC Wildfire S, which can be purchased as a Virgin Mobile phone or as a GSM unlocked phone (meaning use with a carrier that requires SIM cards). It has 512 mb of internal storage, a 5 mp camera with flash,  and a 3.2" display. The camera is more mid than low-level, but overall this beautiful little phone is functional and economical.

If you want medium storage size, camera quality, and physical size (with an accompanying average price) I like the HTC Rhyme. The phone comes in a unique purple, but never consider a phone's color, because you should always invest in a protective case for your Android. This phone, which is available for Verizon or (if you search hard) GSM unlocked, has 4 gb of internal storage, a 5 mp camera, and a 3.7" display.

If you want large storage size, camera quality, and physical size, you've selected my favorite phone on the market right now: the Samsung Galaxy S3. This phone is available for all the major carriers, and features 16 gb of internal storage, an 8 mp camera, and a 4.8" display. This phone is the latest and greatest, which we all understand to mean expensive. For the price-conscious among us, this is a great phone to find on eBay. Is there a risk to buying third party? There is, but my soon-to-be-unveiled guide to buying Android phones on eBay comes close to eliminating the risk, and the savings can be immense.

Those three are my recommendations for the three basic divisions of preference, but for those of you looking for more options with focus on any particular spec, please feel free to ask questions in the comments. I would be happy to answer with a recommendation tailored to your exact needs.

How do you choose what size phone to buy?

Let's get one thing straight: the hip pocket of average guys' jeans is deep enough to fit any size Android easily... in addition to a wallet,  a pack of gum, a pocket-knife, and an iPod; the hip pocket of average girls' jeans will grudgingly allow one end of an Android to be wedged in 2 1/4 inches, and will hold the phone in place only if the wearer stands still. In other words, don't base your decision about size on whether or not the phone will slip into your front pocket.

A reason to buy a big phone is that the more you can see at once on your screen, the more useful and simple the phone will be. A reason to buy a smaller phone is because it's more subtle and convenient. Personal preference determines where the balance  is between those two primary points.
Regarding thickness of the phone, there's really just one thing to say: thinner is better. Manufacturers like Samsung and HTC, particularly, are slimming down their phones beautifully. A feature that will add significantly to the thickness of your phone would be the inclusion of a slider QWERTY keyboard. This is just not necessary, in my opinion. Android touchscreen keyboards, Swype, and an abundance of additional options make a physical keyboard nothing but bulk.

A progression in phones recently has included the amount of phone surface that is actually screen, rather than frame. That means you can get a pretty good idea of the phone size by talking about the screen size. The information that smartphone screens range from about 3 to 5 inches, measured diagonally, tells you little. You need a frame of reference in order to determine how big a phone actually looks. A lot of manufacturer websites will show you the phone in comparison to familiar items, such as an army man or a credit card, but I've found that's not enough to get a good idea of its size. The easiest way to check out a phone's size without actually holding the device is by finding pictures of the phone in someone's hand. Look for reviews of the specific phone, for the most likely place in which to find these pictures.

UPCOMING POST: Final Installment of "Buying Guide" series -- Specific Recommendations

How do you know how good a camera you need?

Cell phone cameras have been making strides over the last year or two, and the point and shoot digital camera market is feeling the heat. For those of us who are not photographers, and only want to snap some quick pictures so we can look back and laugh at that sign that said "Driver's eat free" (The eat belonging to the driver.... is free? NO WAY! Let's go THERE.), and show pictures of the cutest German Shepherd puppy to every person we can flag down (We does not accost; we has witnessed the owner of Perelandra Kennels blissfully accosting), smartphone cameras eliminate the need for a separate digital camera. Cell phone cameras aren't adequate for photographers, but for the casual commemorator of life in photo form, they can impress.

Camera quality is measured in megapixels (mp). You can look at the number of megapixels and the presence or lack of a flash, to gauge the camera's quality. A secondary front-facing camera and video recording in HD are also features to consider, but those are just buying decisions (for example, if you want to video chat from your smartphone, you need a front-facing camera), and we will focus on the flash and the camera quality.

If you will ever be taking pictures in lower light settings, even as innocent as a poorly lit room, you will want a flash. I recommend avoiding smartphones without a flash.

Few and far between are the smartphone cameras under 3 mp. Still, they must be discussed. This low quality camera will be adequate if you only want pictures to keep on your phone and maybe send between phones. On a computer, the pictures will be very small and often grainy.

A camera with 3-6 mp is pretty typical right now, for smartphones. Most will be happy with this quality. They aren't minuscule on a computer and are high enough resolution to look decent on Facebook.

Any camera 7 mp and up is a high quality camera for a smartphone. These pictures are of a quality that can be edited, even cropped a bit, and still look sharp. This is a nice luxury, but not necessary for the average user. The primary reason I find my 8 mp smartphone camera quasi-necessary is because I work with SmokyMountainViews.com, often providing pictures of the gorgeous fall foliage, or of the town's progress in the intense Christmas decoration process. At 8 mp, the details in these pictures are sharp, even posted full page on the SmokyMountainViews.com Facebook page.

In order to identify Android smartphones that boast the camera you want, you will again be looking for a Specs page. This section will be called "Camera" and will be divided into headings something like "Primary," "Features," "Video," and "Secondary." The section called "Primary" is where you will find the information about number of megapixels and the flash. If you are starting at square one, without any idea what phone you want, continue watching How Do You Android? for updates, culminating in a variety of specific Android smartphone recommendations. 

UPCOMING POST -- Part 3 of "Buying Guide" series -- Phone Size

How do you know how much phone storage is enough? (Buying Guide Part 1)

The amount of storage you need (which is generally measured in gigabytes [gb]... 1 gb = 1,000 megabytes [mb]) is determined by what you plan on storing. Almost all phones' storage capacity can be expanded with a microSD memory card, which is usually purchased separately, such as here, where you can find 8gb, 16gb, and 32gb MicroSD Card choices. That option to expand the phone's storage seems like it should eliminate the problem of low internal (the phone itself, not a memory card) storage, but a week or two of use will show why that is not true. The main issue is that a lot of apps can't transfer over to the card, so you'll quickly encounter  that irritating message, when trying to download an app, that you need to open up the low storage wizard and create more storage (by deleting items taking up room). 

So how much space do you need? Assuming you add a memory card (you should), let's talk about the options. 

If you want this phone to be a means of making telephone calls and maybe a text or two a week, without any intention of raiding the Google Play Store for apps, you will be happy with the lowest storage capacity options, from 512 mb to one or two gb. Since you're storing very little, a lack of storage will pose no problems for you.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you download all the latest games, store a lot of e-books in Kindle or Google Books, keep up with newsfeeds and Nasdaq, and Facebook/Google+ your heart out, don't try anything much under 4 gb. That should be plenty to cover everything you can't move over to your memory card.

The average user, in between those two options, uses Facebook and Angry Birds, probably moved a little music from the computer (mostly to set as ringtones), and takes and saves pictures pretty frequently. If this is you, then you'll be happy with around 2-4 gb. 

Now you know what to look for, but how do you look? If you are starting at square one, without any idea what phone you want, watch for the upcoming post with specific recommendations. If you know some phones you're considering, search on the word "specs" and the phone's name (Samsung Galaxy S3 [my current favorite], for example). You'll find a variety of pages giving all this information we're talking about, including an entry called "Memory." The "Memory" choices are divided into something like "Card Slot" and "Internal." "Card Slot" simply indicates how large a capacity memory card is supported. "Internal" is the part you're looking for. It will say 512 mb, 2 gb, 16gb... whatever it is -- the point is now you know what you want. 

UPCOMING POST: Part 2 of "Buying Guide" series -- Camera

How do you know which Android phone to choose?

Before we can talk about our Androids, we need to own one... a shiny new Android smartphone. As with buying a new laptop (which I recently did... an Acer Aspire AS5750Z-4835 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) ... but purple, of course), narrowing down smartphone choices is a headache. 

As long as your phone runs on the Android operating system, you'll probably be happy with it for a while. But after the honeymoon period, you'll realize some features aren't quite good enough, and other features haven't been touched. Instead of dealing with that frustration, let's figure out which phone suits you from the get-go.

My upcoming "buying guide" series is a review of a handful of issues (including "if you this.... then look for that" suggestions), culminating in phone purchase suggestions. We'll talk about:

• Storage
• Camera
• Size

UPCOMING POST: Part 1 of "Buying Guide" series -- Storage