I'm the guy (from OpenSignalMaps) who found the 3997 Android devices, but I also love developing for Android. I think 3997 devices is very cool and just a tiny-tiny bit terrifying. So I love this post. Buying a low-end device is a great policy policy for two reasons. 1.the market for low end android devices is growing faster than for high-end devices. So if you want global traction that's what you should target. 2. If your device works well in Cupcake at 320x240 it's probably going to be even better on ICS at 1280x720. My three favourite devices for developing: HTC Hero (low-end although actually pretty great), Nexus One (workhorse), Galaxy Nexus (system is surprisingly buggy, but still super fast).