今日想為大家介紹我這次尋寶的收鑊 - 一部46美元的Android電話。This is my Crypto Terminal! English story in the middle of this page.
這是一部Verizon預付電話服務的專用電話，在Verizon售賣的價錢是要$69.99，稅後$76。要用滿一年服務或繳付額外$75作解鎖費才可以使用其他服務商。在美國Amazon買任何電訊商都可以用的版本，是$129，稅後$140。現在這部Verizon Prepaid電話在Walmart特價$39.88，稅後是$44。不是$46? 那$2是在eBay買了解鎖碼。用了解鎖碼後，就可以放入任何Sim Card使用了。換回港幣的成本是$359（不計運費），真的很便宜。而以上所說的所有版本，都是有指紋感應器的，其他版本的這個型號是沒有的。
我一向都是主要用iPhone，但Android對我來說並不陌生。以往在香港買到的千元級電話，都很不濟。我兩年前買的那部LG H440N速度很慢，在外國使用就發現原來內置的GPS是完全不能用，只能在有電話服務時使用A-GPS。
這部就不同了，用起來和我的iPhone 7一樣快，只是相機質素不高，螢幕不像IPS任何角度都沒有偏色，但正面看時的顏色跟我的iPhone 7沒太大分別。而且也沒有預載甚麼多餘的軟件，Moto本身也提供了開關鍵去讓我選擇是否分享使用數據給它們作改進研究。研究了一會，做了點測試，確認了沒有預載的間碟軟件。
這部電話的系統是Android 7.1.1，並沒有Android 8的升級。其實我只是希望有Pixel 2的界面，找了一會後，我拿到了Pixel 2的Launcher! 而且在我這部電話上，所有Pixel 2 Launcher應該有的功能都自動設定好，並沒有用不到某些功能的問題。加上本來是可以用Google Assistant，使用上是無可挑剔了。
我決定買這部手機其實是看中它是使用Android系統，在處理加密幣的時候有很多方面都比iPhone優勝。
首先看看連線的選擇。由於Apple的信念問題，iPhone有很多功能都是先天不足的。例如OpenVPN, 如果要設定啟動電話及螢幕關閉時都保持連線，必定要用企業工具去設定。至於Tor，除了用專用Browser之外，應該是沒方法了。在Android，一切都很簡單。我用了OpenVPN for Android這款軟件，可以支援開機後自動連上VPN。另外我也安裝了Orbot這款Tor連線Proxy，可以直接指示Mycelium經Orbot連線上Bitcoin網絡。Orbot還可以把自己變成VPN，把我所指定的任何程式經Tor network作連線，功能真的非常強。我這個VPN+Tor的設定其實已經是很誇張的了，一般用戶其實是不需要的。
在應用程式方面，iPhone對加密幣世界來說是極不友善。我不清楚是Apple的政策問題，還是開發者的問題，同一個錢包的Android版本很多時都比iPhone功能強大（或者根本沒有iPhone版）。這裏特別是指Mycelium，iPhone版只有簡單的錢包功能，例如新錢包、回復錢包、加設普通錢包及4級交易費用設定。Android版有微調費用預估設定、增加只看不用的錢包戶口、數碼簽署及預設只經Tor網絡連上Bitcoin網絡的功能等等。而由於Android電話大多都支援OTG，我的Ledger 硬體錢包是可以在這部電話上使用！
Android版Mycelium
在我測試手機功能完成之後，我把Android的Location設定完全關閉，拿走Sim Card之後，一部專門為加密幣而設的隨身終端機就打造完成。需要作交易才連上Wifi，或插入Sim Card。由於只是US$46，長時間不完全使用其電話功能也沒有任何可惜的感覺。
關於Wifi，這部電話是有5GHz Wifi的，802.11a，這個價位很少見呢。電訊服務方面，它完美支援美國電訊商的能力，在漫遊美國時能夠讓我完美地保持通訊。（這句有點癈，這本來就是一部美國電話！）在世界其他地方雖然未能完全支援當地所有LTE Band，但都總有一個可以用得到。例如香港有 7 & 8，日本有 1, 8 & 41 (Softbank完全對應），台灣 7 & 8 （Chunghwa），中國 38 & 41。歐洲亦確認有支援，但我就不詳列了，大家可以看以下訊號支援列表：
| Standard | Bands |
|---|---|
| GSM | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
| WCDMA | B1 (2100)/ B2 (1900)/ B4 (1700/2100)/ B5 (850)/ B8 (900)MHz |
| CDMA | BC0 (850) BC1 (1900) BC10 (850+) |
| LTE TDD | 38/41 |
| LTE FDD | 1/2/4/5/7/8/12(lower 700 1bc)/13 (upper 700)/17 (lower 700 bc)/25/26/66 |
基本上只有3點要注意：
測試之後，來電轉駁是不能從電話做到，要打到網絡商作轉駁，還有就是VoLTE的功能不能成功啟動；除此之外就沒有其他限制。
US$46，你覺得超值嗎？
I would like to introduce my new toy – a US$46 Android Phone.
This is a Prepaid Phone offered by Verizon, MSRP $69.99 and $76 after tax. To unlock this phone to use other carriers, normally you must use a full year of Verizon Prepaid service or pay $75. Amazon also sell the unlocked version of this phone for $129, $140 after tax. I got this phone in Walmart for $39.88, $44 after tax. Wait, isn’t it $46? The $2 is for buying an unlock code from eBay! After applying the unlock code, the phone is set free, usable with any Sim Card on the planet! This is a very good price, right? Most attractive is this variant of the phone has fingerprint sensor!
I have been primarily using iPhone for several years, but I am familiar with Android as well! Most low-price Android phone was not good, either they are slow, no software patches, or some features does not work properly. One of the example is my LG H440N that have malfunction GPS.
The one I bought in this story is exceptionally good, with fast day to day use case speed comparable to my iPhone 7. The only downside is the camera, not great but usable, and the screen is not IPS. Yet, for most of the time, the screen looks great. There is no bloatware from Moto, telemetries can be disabled, and not found any spyware pre-loaded.
This phone preloaded with Android 7.1.1 phone with latest security patches, but will not receive Android 8 upgrade. Yet, I installed a modded Pixel 2 Launcher that is fully functional, getting the look and the interface feature an Android 8. The phone pre-loaded Google Assistant made the phone extremely usable!
I purchase this phone because this is an Android phone that I can flexibly customized – the only thing iPhone does not let me do.
Apple hate their users. iPhone does not allow users to customize their user experiences on certain aspects, connection choice is the top annoyance. Let’s say, OpenVPN on iPhone. You must open the OpenVPN app to connect, and there is no easy way to connect to VPN without going thru a few menu taps. Tor? No, you can only use Tor browser but not a Tor proxy. Android made this very simple. The OpenVPN for Android can make use of Android’s system capability to integrate itself to system menu, and can be set connect on boot without the use of any configuration profile that iOS requires. Tor can be used via Orbot, letting Mycelium Wallet connect only thru Orbot. There is also Orbot VPN that redirect traffics of apps that I specified to the Tor network. These VPN are also always on, even the screen is not active. (iOS disconnect my VPN once the screen times out.) The use of VPN+Tor is paranoid, but I like the fact that I can use them conveniently.
iPhone is anti-crypto. If an app is available in both iPhone and Android, the iPhone version most probably has less features. Most of the time there is only Android version. I am specifically referring the “less features” issue on Mycelium. On iPhone, the wallet only has basic features: new wallet, restore wallet, add normal wallet with the same recovery seed, and 4 transaction fee settings. Android version has dynamic fees estimates, view-only wallet, message signing features as well as connection only via Tor, and much more. What’s more is the OTG in Android let me connect my Ledger Hardware Wallet with Mycelium Android version!
Mycelium Android version
After I confirmed everything is working, I decided to turn off Location settings, take away the Mobile SIM – this becomes a portable crypto terminal. I can connect it to Wifi or plug my SIM in if I need to conduct transactions. Its price tag of $46 made me feel comfortable to putting it aside for most of the time.
I must say this phone is great, because it let me connect to 5G hotspots. It support 801.11a, not the best standard, but rare in this price. It fully support American network, (of course it is a Verizon phone!) but can also has LTE working in a lot of the places I usually go. For example, Hong Kong’s LTE Band 7 & 8, Japan’s 1, 8 & 41 (Softbank), Taiwan’s 7 & 8 and China’s 38 & 41. It also works in Europe. Let’s take a look on what Moto says about its supported network bands:
| Standard | Bands |
|---|---|
| GSM | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
| WCDMA | B1 (2100)/ B2 (1900)/ B4 (1700/2100)/ B5 (850)/ B8 (900)MHz |
| CDMA | BC0 (850) BC1 (1900) BC10 (850+) |
| LTE TDD | 38/41 |
| LTE FDD | 1/2/4/5/7/8/12(lower 700 1bc)/13 (upper 700)/17 (lower 700 bc)/25/26/66 |
3 main points:
The only true downside I can think of, is you cannot activate call forwarding with this phone, you had to use another phone or call your carrier to set it up. VoLTE is also not working. Apart from these, everything works.
This is my US$46 phone, good deal right?
Copyright © RyoPlasmic 2017. All rights reserved.
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