Advice about Buying and using Droid 2 Global?

[zBusterCB87]

Hey all,

I currently have an iPod touch that I have been using for a long time... Yah, I know...fail...lol
Anyways, I have an app for it that gives it a phone number for calling & texting as long as I buy air time minutes, texting is free...lol All over wifi...
and a regular dum phone with a cell service for emergency calling, and this is expensive...rofl

I finally got enough money now to buy a Droid 2 Global, I like it because its so much better...

If I but the phone with NO cellular service, I know I still get my emergency call service so that is no problem, I can then get rid of my dum phone then...

Now I have wifi, my friend told me that it is not possible for the droid to send or recieve phone calls and text messages without an existing service paid for, so it would not have any verizon service or anything: which means no phone number... and no way to send recieve calls & text...
Is this true? I would really like to stop using an ipod because of the way they are made and managed, its a headach every time I want to make it do anything new or whatever...

Is there any app or combination of apps that will give me a phone number that I can use to send & recieve text and phone calls? Mostly texting, I dont call or get called much so thats fine...
I'm willing to buy minutes, this way I only buy what I need when I need it and I don't have to wast my money on data and cell services draining my money...lol

Also, if I buy the phone from some random source for like lower price new unopened old stock, what about sim cards? Do I have to have a sim card? or will I be fine without it?
Also, what if a sim card is alredy in the phone? should I remove it and hold onto it? or is it harmless? Honestly, what is a sim card? lol

Thankz everyone for your help I have been looking but I never find anything about no 3G or service and only wifi, only combo and using either or...rofl

I'll keep looking and I'll still be here for discussion, thankz everyone
zBuster

 

[13th angel]

my advice, dont buy a global. Especially if you arent going to be using it as a real phone.

The closest thing that i know of to that is skype.

 

[biknut1]

Global Phone

If I but the phone with NO cellular service, I know I still get my emergency call service so that is no problem, I can then get rid of my dum phone then...

I would agree with 13th- don't buy the Global. Too many issues, not enough fixes for me.

I would suggest this one thing. My friend at work is deaf, and has an iPhone from ATT. He gets a special package for hearing impaired people that includes unlimited data, but no voice. I think Verizon offers one too, not sure who else. You might check into that option.

 

[random190user44]

I thought google voice gives you unlimited calling and texting in the u.s.? They also give you your own phone number. And you can buy a droid 2, and you don't need to activate it on verizon for it to work. You just won't have cell service. It'll just be a very powerful and advanced wifi only device.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[zBusterCB87]

Double posted...rofl...fail...lol

 

[zBusterCB87]

My friend has a Droid 2 Global and he took it off the network and actually started testing stuff for me as I was finding different things to try and the posts about google voice helped!

He said it worked on wifi only and no cell service or plans at all...

So now my plan is to replace my ipod touch and current dum phone and just get a droid with no network, because I have wifi all over the place and when I don't it is just like when a cell signal wont work, I don't mind at all...lol

Also, I have a family plan with my family, so it will be cheaper for us with one less phone, and the way I see it, I can just add the phone to the plan for a short time whenever we go on any trips or vacationing, and just swapp out sim cards for the regions, like if we go to Europe or something, we just buy a sim card for that region and yay, full data lol

I know the US has full free roaming so thats not an issue...lol

And, I still have my emergency calling for it even without a cell plan, i just have to turn the 3G on, let it connect then dial the 911 or whatever, so the safety is still there

Does this sound do-able? only difference is it is a droid 2 global instead of a dum phone and an ipod touch 3G, and now I don't have to pay as much for the cell plan!

What is a good price for a droid 2 global new no service? 350-400 dollars?

I want new with no unlock so I can do it myself and make sure its correct...lol Also, I want to make sure the phone has a clean ESN and such...

Is that all I really need to check? clean ESN?
I want to be able to go to a different network if needed...lol
I read ESN is needed if the phone will be used for Verizon in the US...

Also, if I root the phone, will I have to worry about anything like base Bands or cell service parts of the phone having a separate unlock? Like the iphones?

I really like the droid 2 global because I can easily replace the battery, buy a bigger capacity battery, it has lots of ram, fast CPU and overclock-able/under-clock-able, able to change the CPU voltages (lol), and the memory card can be unplugged along with the sim card!
And I can buy bigger memory cards and have multiple cards too

I also like how stock it is not locked out as much as the iPhones and iPods, because my iPod, its so locked out I can't do anything much on my own...rofl...lol

Also, GPS:
-Does the Droid 2 global have built in GPS that will work with NO cell service? and no wifi if needed?
-I can just make a small app that will cash the maps I need at all levels like I was going to do for my ipod till I saw the cost of the software to do it...lol (The ipod has a couple apps with preloaded maps of the world that takes like 8-10 GB but its fine)
- Also, All I really need anyways is a simple compass that will work with GPS and no signals (wifi & cellular) at all, because I pretty much know where I am in relation to where I want to go, I just forget directions sometimes....lol And 1 way streets r no problem, I can just drive in circles till I find the maze out...

Thoughts?
Thankz again for the help

EDIT:
I alredy have google voice and a phone number for it so that should not be a problem...lol

EDIT-2:

SIM UNLOCK TUTORIAL

1. Make sure your phone line has been active and had no late payment history for at least six months. If it hasn't, VZW will not unlock your SIM.

2. Call VZW Global Support at 1-800-711-8300 and ask the representative for your phone's SIM unlock code.

3. To test it, you will need a non-VZW SIM. Once you insert it and power your D2 Global back on, it will ask for the unlock code.

NOTE: It appears that Verizon has put a carrier lock on the device for US GSM carriers. Therefore until someone figures out a workaround, you will not be able to use this device on AT&T or T-Mobile in its current state, even if SIM unlocked. The good news is that devs on various boards seem to be close to a workaround so as soon as one becomes available I will add it here.

just read this from the sticky because now I am close to making sure the phone if usable the way I want to use it, I am looking into unlocking it and such...
It says verizion locks the phones SIM out? Is that the sim card itself? so If I ever wanted to use the phones on AT&T, Verizion, T-Mobile, or any others when I do eventually want to activate it, I cant?
I am confused...rofl...lol
I'll keep looking but if anyone wants to help clairify this, thanks in advance...

 

[MegaThrasher]

Why don't you either pay for service or forget about it? Its kinda useless w/o it.

Sent from my Droid 2 Global running Fission 2.4.3

 

[zBusterCB87]

Why don't you either pay for service or forget about it? Its kinda useless w/o it.

Sent from my Droid 2 Global running Fission 2.4.3

Because I am tired of carying a small phone I never use on a cell service except for once every so often, and an iPod touch with XGPS300 attachment for everything else...lol
I will eventually put the phone on verizion network after I get more money in a few years for it, but ATM I'm unable too add the monthly payments... and It would help if I drop my phone from the current family plan to save the 20-30 dollars per month...
And, wifi is EVERYWHERE here where I live, the cities provide it free of charge to everyone, and every corner, restraint, & my house pretty much has free wifi so I'm set for that, I figure get the Droid 2 Global and use what I have now and save some monthly payments
Then I can (in a few years) add the phone to a cell plan
because we all share the cost and I'm all about trying to save money but still have the stuff I want...lol
As long as the droid 2 global makes text and phone too and from, which my friend did for me, with no network, I'll buy it, I just wondering about other stuff...lol

 

[biknut1]

D2G Mods

Also, if I root the phone, will I have to worry about anything like base Bands or cell service parts of the phone having a separate unlock? Like the iphones?

I really like the droid 2 global because I can easily replace the battery, buy a bigger capacity battery, it has lots of ram, fast CPU and overclock-able/under-clock-able, able to change the CPU voltages (lol), and the memory card can be unplugged along with the sim card!
And I can buy bigger memory cards and have multiple cards too

I also like how stock it is not locked out as much as the iPhones and iPods, because my iPod, its so locked out I can't do anything much on my own...rofl...lol

You better do some research on this forum about the mods you want to do. ROM's are very limited and the bootloader is locked. Not a lot you can do with them. You might consider another version of Droid if you want to mod it.

BTW- I know you said you wanted a new one, but if you really want to save some money, I'll sell you mine. Bought new from Verizon in December. Personally, I'd like to have something I can easily mod myself.

 

[13th angel]

True d2g roms are limited however because of our work on team GRD we can use dx/d2 roms on d2g as well. However, yea I would consider something else for what you want to do. Tbh, if I could get something else I would but I'm stuck with this d2g.

Sent from my Liberated D2G

 

[zBusterCB87]

Well I plan on selling my iPod touch & its GPS attachement and my phone regular phone to someone else, they said they would buy them if I wanted to sell them, so Buying a Droid 2 Global would basically be a wash for me...
That is including the price decreases for the iPod and the XGPS300 for it...
I found someone with an unopened droid 2 global who bought it and never opened it or activated it... idk why, but the seal hasn't been broken...lol
I kinda told him I'd buy it from him alredy, but we never picked a price yet...lol

Thats why I'm all about the droid 2 global...
And, the ram and speed and stuff I can play around with...

As far as using it as a phone I like the google voice + texting for it without a service...

I've just been looking into the rooting and custom flashing for it and stuff, looks descent...lol

As far as apps, I can probably try making my own like I did with the *.deb files and cydia installers and stuff for the ipod touch... (Mostly for fun and because there were some things I wanted to modify and add because I wanted to try it and if I suceeded I'd use it, only worked with one thing I made, then I updated my iOS firmware and added the next jailbreak for it and it wouldn't work so I gave up...lol)

My basic plan is to do the wash, get the droid 2 Global use it as a wifi phone with google voice, then after like 3 years or so, add it to the plan when I get more money flow...lol
And by then maybe I'll be able to take a university sponsored trip to Europe for competitions or something and still have a phone to use...
BTW I also plan on keeping the droid, after I get one, for like 6-10 years...
Unless I do this again and swap devices and only loose about 50-100 dollars over it...

My only problem I have with the droid is the app store, I havent really looked into it, But I really do not want to put a credit/debit card into an account or something... Thats why I liked the iPod touch and its app store, because you could buy gift cards easily and redeem...
But I'm only going by what I was told and that is the droid app store has to have a credit/debit card to be able to buy stuff from it...fail no redeeming...lol

Also, my iPod touch boot loader is locked too, so I'm pretty much ok with that...lol I get around that by increasing its clock speed a bit (Which is truly a pain and the wrong speed setting will make it black screen even if the CPU doesn't break) and emulating the stuff for fun...
I managed to make windows XP fully emulate on it with the dosBox port someone else made for it!! But it lagged...lol the D2G has a way faster CPU so I really wana try that or the like on it eventually!

IDK I'm looking mostly for a play toy wifi spart device as long as I can commumicate with others over it, calling (optional - desired) texting (Wanted - needed)...lol

But just for fun, what would the ideal smart hpne full unlockable, fully moddable and whatever else that ya'll are intrested in OR recommend me getting even though I most likley wont (Atleast I'm honest)...lol

EDIT:
30 dollars a month, thats BIG savings!!!
If I can achieve it...lol

 

[djp]

It seems like you've made your mind already and aren't interested in advice to the contrary, but based on your criteria, the D2G is a poor selection. As others on this thread have pointed out, the locked bootloader and few ROMs severely limit your hacking/tinkering options. If you're not using the D2G as a phone - in particular a global phone - it really isn't a good selection on your part.

As far as your plan to keep this device for 6-10 years, I'm not sure if you're joking or just overly optimistic....

 

[zBusterCB87]

I'm not joking or overly optimistic, When I buy stuff I keep it for a long long time... Just like my old windows 3.1 laptop that I used for 10+ years, for real... Now I have an ASUS G72gx I bought 3-4 years ago now (For just less than half price new, long story...lol) But I plan on keeping it for 10 years, maybe even 15 years... But, thats just me...

I picked the D2G Because it has the fastest CPU (I'm sick of the lag I get with my iPod even with no apps and only music with no jailbreak too), the 4 band GSM which would be nice for traveling with the university (Which I will do in a few years), and this is all I'll use it for (Over WiFi):
-Call/text
-GPS-Maps (Yah I know wifi only is limited, but this does not bother me, I'll just cash with a large cashing downloader or something, its not that hard to make... and then have a maps app modded to read the on-board cash...)
-Compass
-Small games from app store
-Other apps
-Music player
I honestly do not mind swapping between memory cards because I know I like to store lots of on-board data on my mobile device...lol

When I travel to places in the states like the US wherever we go free wifi is always everywhere... So I don't ever use my cell phone, and we always travel in groups so the one time I did need to call without wifi, my friend had his phone which I used...lol

The unlocks and stuff I'd only do for fun and tinkering on the side...
I could get the droid thunderbolt, But idk if I really want to get a lesser CPU (0.2 GHz, yah I'm picky lol) and lesser GSM just to say my bootrom is unlocked...idk...

I was only asking about the unlocks because I was reading and I found out that unlocking helps with different providers and such... Along with different SIM cards and a call to VZW to get the SIM unlock code for the device...
And rooting for some small things...
I am a CS/EE person so I can do some fancy things if I want to, but a 400 dollar phone I usually let alone, maybe a few apps I might toy with...
But I defiantly want to do like I did with my iPod and emulate windows XP from an app with full interface transition!! That was fun just so I can say check out what I did, just for my friends to say, "Wow your a nerd...LOL"
Yah it laged badly, the iPod touch has a slow CPU...

I'm just still confused though on How I should have an unlocked boot loader or a phone that supports unlocked bootloader...? My iPod touch boot loader is locked out and I can still do fine with it and its extra junk I've added to it over the time I had it...

Side note:
When I get an Idea I have been known to like it and show I like that and only that even though I still like & consider other things... I try to be better about that and more openly open minded, but I forget a lot of times...rofl sorry :/

Thankz for posting about this, I know I'm kind-ov' redundant and random and appear one sided, but I like the D2G lol (Its shiny!! )
Once I eventually do get a Droid device, I will be more helpful and less asking because I'll be doing trial & error on my own with it... I had reloaded my iPod touch over 30 times already just messing with its files and breaking it...lol And, I don't mind its locked bootloader or iTunes restrictions...idk
Actually I'm getting sick of the iTunes lock outs, iPod updates just to stop anything custom, and iTunes asking apple servers for authentication if I ever want to downgrade the firmware just to find out the don't let you downgrade once u upgraded...rofl...lol I just ran my own TSS server and changed a bunch of numbers till it worked... YAY

Also, I do give lots of respect to people like DEV teams, and other contributers and such and give credit where credit is due, so I'm not just a take take take person I just like typing and debating...lol

 

[silver6054]

EDIT-2:

SIM UNLOCK TUTORIAL

1. Make sure your phone line has been active and had no late payment history for at least six months. If it hasn't, VZW will not unlock your SIM.

2. Call VZW Global Support at 1-800-711-8300 and ask the representative for your phone's SIM unlock code.

3. To test it, you will need a non-VZW SIM. Once you insert it and power your D2 Global back on, it will ask for the unlock code.

NOTE: It appears that Verizon has put a carrier lock on the device for US GSM carriers. Therefore until someone figures out a workaround, you will not be able to use this device on AT&T or T-Mobile in its current state, even if SIM unlocked. The good news is that devs on various boards seem to be close to a workaround so as soon as one becomes available I will add it here.

just read this from the sticky because now I am close to making sure the phone if usable the way I want to use it, I am looking into unlocking it and such...
It says verizion locks the phones SIM out? Is that the sim card itself? so If I ever wanted to use the phones on AT&T, Verizion, T-Mobile, or any others when I do eventually want to activate it, I cant?
I am confused...rofl...lol
I'll keep looking but if anyone wants to help clairify this, thanks in advance...

See post 309-312 or so in the sticky you quote for a full explanation of this. Short answer, there is a $100 hack that will allow you to use it on AT&T, and it will never get 3G on T-Mobile (unless AT&T does buy T-Mobile and move their 3G to the AT&T frequency).

Also, you win the award for the highest usage of "lol". I read an article claiming that some people use it instead of, say, periods, but I hadn't seen such a good example until your posts!

 

[zBusterCB87]

Advice about buying and using smart phone? (D2G, I like it but is it worth it?)

Ok so I come to a new decision (I decided not to decide)... I change my mind fast and often then I stick with it, I'm nutz...lol

Anywayz, I went and found people with other things:
One has the Thunderbolt, The other has the D2G, someone else has an iPhone, and the last person has a Bionic.
Then I started an argument between them by accident...LOL

So, I was using all the phones and I have to ask:
If technology is improving, and people always want the best from the supliers, why do other smart phones have one good thing but something else sux?

The d2G has 1.2 GHz 512 ram... keyboard good camera, LED's, screen, exapandable battery, basically it is SHINY!! LOL
The Thunderbolt has FM radio, a second cammera, way more RAM, Tethering with 4G...
But then their is no keyboard and the CPU is slower...?
The Bionic has a nice 1 GHz dual core, but then its ram is crippled to only 512 and the cameras just fail...lol But then internal built in memory is way bigger...?
The iPhone? forget it...lol

the thunderbolt, bionic have 4g, D2G has 3g, iphone, nvm...lol

This is why I like to make a decision fast and just go with it, but no I had to ask and then start thinking about other stuff...? fail -.-

What combination is the most favorite for everyone here?
(I'll be with Verizon network, I guess I'm ok with being restricted to just them in the States, I just don't like the feeling of it though....lol)
Whichever one is the winner I will go with i guess, Its kinda hard to make a choice because each one has its own critical sore point...
I can get them all online and sell what I have now and its a wash for cost... I'm only a college student still and I originally wanted no network to help save money but I found a better way!
I was told the 30 dollars or so I was gona try and save can be converted to unlimited data with a smart phone and then I can do everything over that thus making everything pretty much unlimited?
Is that true?
I figure I can drop my home hard line internet (40-60 dollars a month for 7 down & 1 up if that, Megabytes..fail) with router/modem and just tether with a smart phone on a cheap data plan so I'll still be saving money!
(I'm always home when someone else is home so this won't be a problem, but then something always manages to counter that kind of statement...lol )

Thankz all for the input, still!
Your efforts are appreciated and won't be forgotten!

<I'll just keep using the original thread I posted and not post a new one because I don't want to have a bunch of threads to pretty much the same topic, I learned that the hard way a few years ago...lol >

I just saw this...LOL ---> dancedroid

EDIT:
I was reading more about the hacking and forgot to mention it...lol
I like modifying things, so which one is recommended for most modifiable/customizable/edible(lol moment )? I know by now the D2G is limites so I'll be a bit disapointed to hear that something else surpasses it...lol
I am starting to like the fact that I can download roms and then just keep playing with them... Once I kept reloading a few desktop computers and my iPod touch just to see how many different custom setups I could achieve with each one... idk wast of time, but I found it fun....lol