Alright, so i'm getting a phone, and these are my requirements
Android
Not thick as shit
~$200
Touch screen
I'm considering the HTC EVO V 4G. Another thing to mention is that I like phones that are like the shape of the evo v.
For example:
me gusta
and then
no gusto
So basically more square than oval, if that makes any sense.
Thanks a heap.
Htc One V might be something for u. I have got it myself, i realy like it
Samsung Galaxy s3 all the way.
If you're on t-mobile the galaxy nexus 4 is a steal. I would stay my distance from HTC considering they are the capcom of the smartphone world, shoddy build quality + over saturation of their market. The LG optimus G is right up there, iphone 4s will cost you literally no money, you could buy the GS3 but idk if that would float your boat.
I'd try for the nexus, if not that then the optimus. All you need to care about is build quality and techincal specs, then you can flash a superstock rom(you dont have to with the nexus since it runs vanilla 4.2.1 but you can flash the Ubuntu rom on there) or something else and be done with it.
I did say ~$200 though
I'd prefer not to have an iPhone
And i'm in New Zealand so perks in the US don't apply here.
If you're lucky you could get a used Galaxy S2, which is getting its update to 4.1 now in february. For the price you are suggesting you are far better off buying something used, as a new phone for that price will probably make you disappointed in the long run. Im thinking about ZTE Blade 3 and the likes. Other recomendations for used phones you could find at that price are sony xperia arc /arc S, HTC sensation/XL.
If you must buy something new, just see that it has at least 1 Ghz processor and more than 512 MB ram (1GB recommended), and hopefully more than 1 Gb for app installation. Many of the cheaper models have only 512 mb of ram or less, and they really are a pain to use with newer versions of Android. App installation is also something the cheaper models will be low on, so watch out for that, else you will be shuffling apps back and forth to SD to make more room pretty quick.
All I have to say is....I'll be on my 3rd HTC 3d when it arrives in a couple days in the mail. Touchscreens goes out of calibration on every one ive had. I know its not one you mentioned but the pic up there scared me. lol waiting for my upgrade in october....uhg
despite your $200 max price i would still suggest you get the nexus 4 off contract, the extra money you spend now you will save several times over on higher priced contracts that offer discounted phones. If thats unacceptable then T-Mobil, and some other carriers using their network, offer the phone on contract for disscounted prices.
Why would you want to spend two hundred dollars on a Gingerbread phone? :S
This! Seriously! As someone who went through Android 2.3 Gingerbread all the way through to Jelly Bean 4.2.2, if you want an Android phone, make sure it's running at least Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The performance and functionally improvements are like night and day!