Need help choosing a phone internationally.

[~lil ghetto azn kid~]

Hello all,
I've come to the sad realization of how much I miss having an actual smartphone, so I'm looking for what to upgrade to now. The problem being that I'm in the Navy and currently stationed in Italy. So I need to find out which of the newer android phones would be the best choice. I also travel all over Europe, both for work and play, and back to the US, so it needs to work in all areas, but primarily in Italy.
Main things I'm looking for are:
Camera quality (so I won't need my Coolpix w/ me at all times)
Rootability
Batterylife
Durability
And wifi tethering would be just gravy, but not a dealbreaker.
Of course I'd love an Evo, but that's not going to work where I'm at, so I was currently trying to decide between things like the Galaxy and Desire.
Also, what are the carrier and contract options for my situation? I know Vodafone is there, but is there anyone else I should consider? And would it require a full plan, or does someone offer a data only plan you can combine w/ pay as you go?

[JustinC]

I'd be tempted to pick the Nexus One. Might not be as glamorous as the Galaxy S but the modding potential is perhaps a little higher thanks to the raw Android install; the European Desire, meanwhile, doesn't have US 3G support as far as I'm aware. At least with the Nexus One you could get T-Mobile USA 3G when you're back in the US.

As for plans, I'm not sure who would be best to go for in Italy, but I'd be tempted to opt for pay-as-you-go rather than a contract. It would probably be cheaper to buy the phone outright and then just get a PAYG SIM for each country, certainly for your European travels. Roaming gets expensive, especially when it comes to data, but European PAYG data plans are generally pretty cheap.

Then, when you're back in the US, I imagine T-Mobile might have a PAYG plan you could use. I'm UK based so I'm not the best person to ask about that, but I'm sure someone will be along soon who can help!

Chris

[Gab Kip]

I would suggest if you can wait do so, and wait for the multi cores to show up. If not I suggest a fully unlocked (N1), galaxy, evo. I lean more towards the (N1) because hardware wise you won't lose out, but the updates will be there first for a while. Myself, I won't buy another single core mobile phone, because the multi cores are just around the corner. That being said, since the galaxy or Droid x is said to be on top right now, those that wait too long to get one will be in the same boat as those that had just gotten a Droid milestone. They may feel outdated.
Changes, they are a coming.

Sent from my Nexus One using Android Community App

[collaredfairy0304]

Gjbby, any info on when the new multi cores are going to be coming out and/or pricing for them? I was looking to get a new phone shortly since I'm dying without one, but I'd like to see what's coming before I commit to something that might be outdated shortly.

Though right now it's looking like the Nexus 1 is the better phone for me, not only because of the lack of support from Samsung, but they didn't even give the Galaxy a f@cking flash? Part of the reason for wanting a new smartphone was so I could chuck one of my cameras.