I first want to say that over the years i've had the resource of XDA to let me get the most out of my phones and really appreciate everyone on the site. I'm a huge phone nerd and have owned the following to give some perspective.
HTC EVO 4g
HTC EVO 3D
Samsung Galaxy 2 (Epic 4g Touch)
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
HTC EVO 4g LTE
Samsung Galaxy S3
Apple Iphone 5
and so Ive been on both sides of the HTC v. Samsung war and even tried the iphone(2 weeks and couldnt stand it)each time I try a HTC I come rushing back to the galaxy series. Now that I have the S4 and decided not to even try the One. I decided to write a quick review after the inital 24 hour period.
Got the phone at BB simply due to the amount they were giving me for the S3($250), got the phone and right out of the gate did a factory reset, set the phone up and disabled/removed all the bloatware I could(granted not that much). The build quality is something that is not given its fair due because it still is plastic, but it is a solid high quality phone and rivals any phone ive held.
The screen is hands down the best ive seen including the LCD used in the HTC's and the Iphone. With all the new features and sensors the phone does almost anything you can think of like waking up when the sensors realize you are reaching for the phone! Also another cool thing is controlling my Direct TV or TV with my phone!
The sound quality is much improved over the S3 and I bring this up mainly in terms of bluetooth streaming, bringing back all the gestures the music player is VERY nice.
The 4.2.2 menus do take a little to get used to and this is coming from a touchwiz user for years, but make the experience much more streamlined once you get familiar.
Nothing I have thrown at the phone yet has even slowed it down, from syncing all of my accounts, playing music and browsing the phone all at the same time the phone just keeps chugging along. Which even makes the S3 look slow.
Now on to what has reall impressed me so far and thats the battery life, I charged the phone fully while powered off once i got the phone and trying to run the battery down to allow me to do another full charge has proved to be a chore. With HEAVY wifi, screen time and app use and standby overnight im still at 36% battery!!
All in all i know its only the first day of owning the phone, but i couldnt be any happier or impressed. The hard part is waiting for accesories to come out.
But for anyone on the fence or not sure I would say take the plunge you won't be disappointed, and you will have the best phone out!
Good stuff. Yes, I agree. Some of the gesture features are actually quite awesome....and I've never been a big fan of gestures. But the wake up by reaching towards the phone feature is awesome. I used it twice (unfortunately) last night when I woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to know what time it was.
And yes, the battery life is fantastic. On the first couple of charges, I averaged about 4 hours of screen on time and that's also accounting for me being in a weak 3g area and leaving my mobile data on (for testing purposes).
I also want to add(it won't let me edit my original post) is that i usually always HAVE TERRIBLE service at work and since ive had this phone can actually make and receive calls and texts. And while around town data has been MUCH improved, streaming pandora is no longer something I could only dream of but a reality(with the high quality audio enabled). Browsing the web has been much quicker.
If anyone has questions feel free to ask.
i dont have the phone yet...im still debating if its much of an upgrade frkm the s3....but i do wanna know if it has the feature where u can be on the phone and can browse the net at the same time (s3 has this feature)...tia...
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
musclehead84 said:
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing yet, though I'm coming from the E4GT so of course it seems a lot better.
It does not have this for 3g, but i have been able to do so while on wifi and have read it is capable while on LTE.
The s3 did do this while on 3g, this might be the only thing ive noticed that the s3 has the ability to do but not the s4.
No i have no dislikes so far for the s4, i think the 5in screen on the s4 is perfect. Ive messed around with the note2 and just not my cup of tea...but in regards to the s4 it has better specs than the note2 while still having a big screen.
musclehead84 said:
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok.....I'll bite.
#1 --> Price is too high. Note 2 premiered at this price but is larger and has a digitizer (Phablet). Way overpriced in my opinion compared to other new devices (at least on Sprint).
Coming from the S3, I find the build for the S4 very cheap feeling. It has a bit of a "hollow" sound to it. Also do not like the body style compared to the S3. It is boxier, more like the iphone5 with the chrome ring around it, and doesn't feel as good in my hand. When putting it to my ear it digs in a bit and not comfortable. I would rather see the power button back on top and not stick out so much. Last thing for now is how the camera sticks out (unlike the S3) and the phone sits right down on it.
Once I get a good case for it a lot of these gripes will disappear for me. However, for the cost of the device I was hoping for more.
There are far more positives than negatives but you didn't ask for those.
Do I think it is a worthwhile upgrade from the S3? Only if you have an upgrade to burn or upgrade every time a new phone comes out. Otherwise, an S3 with the right custom rom and tweaks gives a pretty good experience.
My $0.02.
Op.. you said that BB gave you $250 for the S3? How does that work if you don't mind me asking. Do they offer some type of trade in deal or was your contact up? I still have a year to go but the HTC one and the S4 seem very interesting
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
musclehead84 said:
Thanks for the review. I have the note 2 so I'm debating to get the s4 or wait for note 3. Any dislikes on the s4?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My only dislike is how slippery the battery cover is. Coming from the E4GT I got used to the textured battery cover. Its nothing a good case wouldn't fix
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
http://www.bestbuytradein.com/bb/QuoteCalculator.cfm?category=mobile-phones
Find your phone on there and print the value off(just in case they try to hassel you) but take the phone in with the charger and anything you have like box or anything(just to ensure you get the highest value)
if you are not out of contract you might want to swap an old phone on your line so the One is not tied to the account. but my S3 was on my line and I didnt have an issue, but they put the value of the phone on a giftcard and then use that gift card towards the s4.
They buy back alot of stuff, i had a couple ps3 games and what not, but just find the value and go to a store.
Related
I can upgrade myself to galaxy note by adding about 50 $...
Should I do it? Is it worth it?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I would never hesitate for a minute.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Depends on what you want to do with it. Do you need the extra screen real estate, do you have use for the stylus. What I did? I went to a shop and played a while with the note. Tried the stylus, the extra software that comes with it, the new calendar and most of all...the size of the device. I decided to buy the Note because it was more productive than my S2. Keep in mind that the Note feels a little slower than a S2.
No one else can make the decision for you...you have to give it a try yourself, if possible.
On the stylus issue.. Anyway I can link it up to a pc?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
try it out. Its mostly an yes but there are few no's too...
IF u get it make sure u use it for a few weeks. ( I hope they have 1 month return policy if u dint like it. ) The size does need getting used to. But once that is done, its an amazing device
Theres another thread around here with alot of post. Check it out.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Size is the biggest factor. You will look an idiot making calls in public there is no denying that, also it is more sluggish then s2. In my estimate bit like the original gs.
Buil is cheap and feels plasticky similar to s2.
You can get a bluetooth to avoid ever holding the phone against your ear in public or use the hands free kit.
Screen resolution is brilliant as surfing the net. Watching YouTube, videos, camera and video recording is brilliant. the best I have seen in this regards.
Has sd card slot another pro.
I would also suggest wait for upcoming HTC devices which will inmho more suitable and practical.
If you plan to use it as a media player I would consider holding off for now. Also not a lot of people can stand the grainy display a pentile has over an RGB stripe.. Better check the actual unit out before deciding.
iakovl said:
I can upgrade myself to galaxy note by adding about 50 $...
Should I do it? Is it worth it?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I upgraded from the Galaxy S2 too. Both are great phones but the Note wins because of it's size. Worth upgrading definitely.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
EarlZ said:
If you plan to use it as a media player I would consider holding off for now. Also not a lot of people can stand the grainy display a pentile has over an RGB stripe.. Better check the actual unit out before deciding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You havent given up the note section yet buddy? Time to move on
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I just got my white Galaxy Note today and from the second that I opened the box, I was in love.
This thing is beautiful; its light, the screen is incredible, the stylus is practical and it's very fast.
I was really worried about upgrading from the SGS2, thinking that it would be a "SGS2 XL" but the overall experience is something completely new.
Only my opinion, obviously but I highly doubt you'll be disappointed
Sent from my Galaxy Note using Tapatalk
It's definitely worth it. You get used to it easily. It has all the features you need and battery lasts way more than Galaxy S2 with a proper kernel.
I've got them both and I could say that Sgs2 is smoother definitely but Galaxy Note form factor is amazing and the screen, apart from the black clipping and the banding that I hope Supercurio will solve with his app, is tremendous brilliant and clear for an easy reading.
The S-Pen is nice also but a little bit inaccurate when you write oin the screen.
If Ics will improove the snappiness and solve the screen issues it will be a monster for sure but for the moment I keep also Sgs2 with me everytime because it is a more supported phone by the community and also because, with the right modding, its battery is endless.
Hope it will help in your choice
I love my Note. It's big, at first, but now I find the S2, which my girlfriend has, too cramped and feel the Note as a normal size. Sure, it's less snappy than the S2, but that's no problem for me, cause it's still fast. And with ICS coming, it's bound to be even faster. I don't say either one is better, the Note has more to offer for me with the bigger real estate and stylus.
You'll have to make your own choice, but if I had to choose again, I would definately go for the Note again! You can wait for (even) better phones to come out, but whatever you do, better phones will come out whatever you choose. Enjoy the moment.
MamaSaidWhat? said:
I just got my white Galaxy Note today and from the second that I opened the box, I was in love.
This thing is beautiful; its light, the screen is incredible, the stylus is practical and it's very fast.
I was really worried about upgrading from the SGS2, thinking that it would be a "SGS2 XL" but the overall experience is something completely new.
Only my opinion, obviously but I highly doubt you'll be disappointed
Sent from my Galaxy Note using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As what others have mentioned it depends on your usage, I was a short time Galaxy S2 user but I ended up returning it due to defects. I also had a chance to get to use the Galaxy Note for 7 days and noticed that it was not playing my media properly which is not acceptable for a device that is marked for 'HD', I believe that topic is extensively discussed here. But I really did like the device as I didnt need to bring my tablet along with me, size is absolutely perfect even for my small-ish hands, if ICS fixes the issue I'll probably get one back and ditch my tablet.
Thread Moved To Q&A
All questions belong in the Q&A Section please!
I am coming from an SGS2; I'd say definitely yes -- the screen + hardware is sweet. Can't go back...
I had HUGE reservations in getting Note due to it's size but I eventually took the plunge because of my smartphone addiction.
Out of all the high end handsets I have had this year (Sensation XL, Titan, Nexus Galaxy, SG2, Note, Iphone 4S), I must admit Note is my favourite.
It does have it's issues but so does every other handset out there.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
There is an artical on the portal at the moment, but i would say its down to size realy no matter the spec.
If you are very physical or have tight jeans among other factors i would stick with the S2
I think the note has quite sharper images than the s2 which i used to dread for..
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I had to do it.. It was needed specially after the iphone 5 comparison video I got a lot of pms and requests so I had both of them at home and said..why not?
Remember..this is not stock vs stock, however a ROM'd s3 but for the purpose of the video I think it works just fine
Well enjoy
http://youtu.be/yVnT-s5gzlA
Galaxy s3 is for a general population who are inclined to buy stuff form ads but have no idea what an Android is.
rault18 said:
I had to do it.. It was needed specially after the iphone 5 comparison video I got a lot of pms and requests so I had both of them at home and said..why not?
Remember..this is not stock vs stock, however a ROM'd s3 but for the purpose of the video I think it works just fine
Well enjoy
http://youtu.be/yVnT-s5gzlA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great review. Wow, the nex 4 screen looks beautiful.
sent via xda premium with nexus 7
Call me superficial but I don't think I could go back to using a phone with logos on the front.
TrueBrush said:
Galaxy s3 is for a general population who are inclined to buy stuff form ads but have no idea what an Android is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not only for them. Also for the android enthusiasts. It has an unlock boot loader and great Dev support.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
If it wasn't for the nex 4 I would have gotten either an gs3 or a note2. The GS3 is definitely a decent phone. Still for the money I think the nex wins.
sent via xda premium with nexus 7
TrueBrush said:
Galaxy s3 is for a general population who are inclined to buy stuff form ads but have no idea what an Android is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SO DAMN TRUE!!!
And you see people saying oh look how fast it is, and the previous device was a nokia with flashlight or an iphone
WTH! -_-
For my two pence worth I had the s3 went back to my gnex awaiting the n4. I love just stock. Also I agree with the comment above about going back to operator logos on handsets. Its hideous. I know why they do it but its horrid. As for the s3 it was very very fast and more than enough for most but after 4 months of use and adding all my stuff to the device it did slow a bit. Not a huge amount by any means but for hard core users it was there plus I couldn't live with the dismal redraw issue when coming out of apps yo the home screen . I know the Gnex is far from perfect but besides battery life I would have the Gnex as my every day phone anytime. So I decided to go for the n4 as my main phone for the next year as it should perform just the same but look better and have a bit more use with the bigger battery although I know tests don't show it being much better. A little would do me. Anyway awesome video and thank you for taking the time to do it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
manlisten said:
Call me superficial but I don't think I could go back to using a phone with logos on the front.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on this.
Sent from my Apple iPhone using Tapatalk 2
TrueBrush said:
Galaxy s3 is for a general population who are inclined to buy stuff form ads but have no idea what an Android is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. For a user like myself in the states, the lack of LTE was the deciding factor for me between the GSIII and N4. I wouldn't call myself general population and I know what Android is, lol.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Galaxy series is brilliant, but touchwiz is a piece of shyte next to stock android. Also there's no substitute for getting updates on time.
The Nex 4 looks nice, but not having a removable battery like my old EvoLTE and only having 16GB of storage without the ability to upgrade are killers for me. The GS3 development community is Legit as well. I only have 4GB left on my microSD and 3GB left on my onboard 16GB GS3. The battery and storage issues are a Fail IMHO for the Nex4. There is no way I could use it as my everyday camera, video recorder, offline music player, and document storage device. Also, when traveling out of town, you realize how much having extra batteries around makes things a whole lot easier, especially when you are using your phone as a GPS and listening to your offline music on flights (I did have the mobile battery juice device when I had the EvoLTE but it really didn't help).
I use Nova Launcher and HD Widgets so no need for TouchWiz. I will say the Sense and TouchWiz Calendar and Appointments look and function way better than the stock Android Calendar.
Sent from my GS3 via TapaTalk 2
TrueBrush said:
Galaxy s3 is for a general population who are inclined to buy stuff form ads but have no idea what an Android is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is truly one of the most ignorant statements I've seen on xda in quite some time...and there have been a bunch lately. Besides having more storage, LTE, removable battery, nicer camera and more options...yea, I'll stick with my "general population" phone...Lol. I had the Galaxy Nexus for a while and just left the One X for the Note 2 (similar to the S3...that's why I chimed in)...the first thing I do with any of my Android phones (this is my 6th) is change to Nova Launcher...so while pure Android had it's advantages a year or more ago, that is far from the case now with the heavy duty processors being offered in combination with these launchers. I have debloated my phone, run Nova and also have all the little motion gadgets that are actually useful that are not options on pure Google. It's nice to be able to call someone within a text conversation just by putting the phone to your face or to have the screen automatically stay on as long as you're looking at it. These are features that I actually consider highly useful in the real world. Flame away, but with today's processing power and Samsung's openness to bootloader unlocking and dev community, I actually consider pure Google to be a step backwards FOR ME.
Glad that you guys are starting to get your phones though. I canceled after I received the bo email.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
I got a SGH-I747 from Telus. Paid $0 for it.
It's "only" a dual core, but it has 2 gigs of RAM. And not a single logo on the front.
I'm running CM10 on it. With the 4.2 keyboard and camera/gallery. So maybe I don't know what Android is all about.
I might still get a N4 if Google ever allows me to buy one. But for now, I'm enjoying my S3 very much.
I can't wait for my n4 please please let it arrive this week!!
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda app-developers app
I love my Nexus and exclusively buy Nexus brand phones ever since the Nexus S, but I wouldn't call the GS3 just a device for the general consumer. Its component sheet is very good and is still considered a high end phone several months after its release. It does have some good dev support (though Samsung could be a lot more helpful with getting more info about their processors out there) and considering many chose that device after the Galaxy Nexus failed to impress when it was finally announced. Personally I prefer stock Android but there are a couple features I wouldn't mind cherrypicking from the S3 like screenshots, tap to top, and not having the screen go to sleep when you're looking at it. Having sais that, the phone I chose is definately the right one for me and I belive it to be superior to the S3. Also it will be supported longer than the S3 from Google and the dev community.
manlisten said:
Call me superficial but I don't think I could go back to using a phone with logos on the front.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I just thought.. Though I don't have the nexus 4 right now, I will never go back to a device with a ****ty logo on the front.
Sent from my SGS II
barondebxl said:
Its not only for them. Also for the android enthusiasts. It has an unlock boot loader and great Dev support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, no. How is that Exynos 4 without any kind of documentation treating you?
powerwagon said:
That is truly one of the most ignorant statements I've seen on xda in quite some time...and there have been a bunch lately. Besides having more storage, LTE, removable battery, nicer camera and more options...yea, I'll stick with my "general population" phone...Lol. I had the Galaxy Nexus for a while and just left the One X for the Note 2 (similar to the S3...that's why I chimed in)...the first thing I do with any of my Android phones (this is my 6th) is change to Nova Launcher...so while pure Android had it's advantages a year or more ago, that is far from the case now with the heavy duty processors being offered in combination with these launchers. I have debloated my phone, run Nova and also have all the little motion gadgets that are actually useful that are not options on pure Google.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have played around with my friend's Note 2 for a whole day and i decided to install Nova to see if stock Android isn't worth it anymore. it turns out it is. Nova + Touchwiz was not as stable or fast (by that i mean touch responsiveness) as my Galaxy Nexus. i wanted to believe it since i am paying almost as much for the Nexus 4 and i really appreciate the Note 2's battery but i just wasn't convinced.
Hmmm... I've sold my SGS2 and waited for N4 but.... SOLD OUT...
This gave me more time to think about and I've realized that getting N4 was like step back to me.. Didn't want to end up like all iPhone users... Easy to break glass all around, very limited storage and non-removable battery.. I'm Not saying N4 is bad but it's Not perfect... (to me not even close to perfect...)
Android Support will be better for N4 and the Hardware is slightly better but I'm very happy with what I've got. It runs super smooth, using GO launcher, 2GB RAM makes a huge difference comparing to S3 tho.
To me GT-I9305 FTW
Sent from my GT-I9305 using xda app-developers app
A little background on my phone history. Started with the iPhone 4 as my first real smart phone, then moved to the Galaxy S2, then back to the iPhone 4S, then I made the jump back to Android and got the HTC One X which was my favorite device until a spilled beer ended its life. I quickly moved on and got the iPhone 5 on an upgrade, noticed how stale the design and operating system was. So that finally led my to trade the iPhone 5 for the Galaxy Note 2 and haven't looked back since.
The HTC One initially impressed me with its "unibody" aluminum design and the 1080p screen. It's a given that the Note 2 isn't satisfying me in terms of build quality since my 2 favorite phones I have had hardware wise have been the HTC One X and iPhone 5. But the Note 2 has a fantastic screen, and its size has really grown on me. Yes the Note 2 in terms of PPI isn't as great as the iPhone 5 or HTC One X, but in all honesty, I really struggle noticing a difference in that department since the contrast of the screen is quite nice.
The two things that are making me question this purchase is the screen size and battery life. I went back to hold my dead One X the other day and immediately missed the hardware and build quality, which is impressive since it is made out of plastic. However, the difference in screen size of the Note II's 5.5" screen to the One X's 4.7" screen is quite a jump. And I have gotten very used to the battery life of the Note, easily getting 6+ hours of screen on time still 20% left.
So there are my concerns; I'm curious if anyone else has any thoughts and opinions on these two phones and what they would ultimately decide one.
I recently got rid of my note 2 and am getting the one.
It all depends on what matters to you on the phone.
^^^^^ Aren't you the only person who can answer that question satisfactorily? ... Unless people know EXACTLY what you want from a phone, thy won't know which one is the right one for the job
Personally I've always had HTC except for a couple of very unpleasant and fortunately short-lived episodes with an iPhone and an LG thing, so I'd be in no position to advise on a choice. As for screen size and batery life .. I never got less that 8 hours from my One-X, and I couldn't get a note to work for me when I held it in in one hand and tried to swipe/gesture with my thumb. The One-X size was perfect for me so the One is my ideal choice for a replacement.
Thank you for your thread op . This is the one I'd like to know..... Going to get my first high end phone so I'm thinking not to screw up as it happened with my galaxy tab...
A good advice will be Helpful.
Tapatalked with galaxy tab and SwiftKey Flow
The one, has a slow motion camera. Take that into consideration.
Sent from my LG-LS840 using xda app-developers app
Just about to do the same thing... hopefully i can resell my note 2 for almost the same amount as a One.
Threevo said:
The one, has a slow motion camera. Take that into consideration.
Sent from my LG-LS840 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well note has that too
I would keep the Note 2 just because of the big screen and the SPen. All new phones will have better processors and better screens. So its just a question of money how often you want to switch your phone.
I wont replace my Note 2 for a phone with a smaler screen and no pen. I do not want to give up the two things.
radiotrib said:
^^^^^ Aren't you the only person who can answer that question satisfactorily? ... Unless people know EXACTLY what you want from a phone, thy won't know which one is the right one for the job
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed - There's so many arguments for and against one or the other (please pardon the pun ) that it's just a matter a personal preference. I'd wait until the One gets to a store near you and compare them side by side for yourself. Then you should know. :good:
Never
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Was just wondering if anyone had tried the S4 for awhile only to now reconsider going to the HTC One...
What's an HTC One? Never heard of such a device that has the expanding configurable capabilities that the S4 possesses.
oohaylima said:
What's an HTC One? Never heard of such a device that has the expanding configurable capabilities that the S4 possesses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. I havent played with it - so I have no idea what the features are on that phone.... I'll have a look this weekend.
Before buying the S4, I gave heavy consideration to the HTC One. I watched videos and reviews from multiple sources.
Overall, these are the reasons why I chose and will continue to stick with the S4:
- Battery Life - Our battery is much better than the HTC One. I compared it to a friend who has the HTC One and he was averaging about 2hr 45 min on screen time on a typical day where I've been getting close to 5hrs screen on time.
- Latest Android Software - I know it probably doesn't make a huge difference, but I really like 4.2. The lock screen widgets come in handy. Being able to check my Falcon Twitter and Gmail without even unlocking the phone is a huge plus.
- It's Samsung - What this means is that our phone will still be receiving firmware upgrades all the way into mid 2015. Not saying that the HTC One won't, but HTC is in real trouble, and if they go out of business, that my make things very complicated for current HTC users. Plus, even afloat, I've heard awful things about timeliness of firmware updates from HTC.
So yeah, I bought the S4 and I'm not looking back.
Came from the HTC One. I liked it a lot but the S4 works a lot better for me.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
Nope! I will gladly take a 5" 1080p screen over a 4.7" 1080p screen anyday.
Worrying about pixel density in screens this small is silly, I rather have more useable screen real estate.
mjs2011 said:
Before buying the S4, I gave heavy consideration to the HTC One. I watched videos and reviews from multiple sources.
Overall, these are the reasons why I chose and will continue to stick with the S4:
- Battery Life - Our battery is much better than the HTC One. I compared it to a friend who has the HTC One and he was averaging about 2hr 45 min on screen time on a typical day where I've been getting close to 5hrs screen on time.
- Latest Android Software - I know it probably doesn't make a huge difference, but I really like 4.2. The lock screen widgets come in handy. Being able to check my Falcon Twitter and Gmail without even unlocking the phone is a huge plus.
- It's Samsung - What this means is that our phone will still be receiving firmware upgrades all the way into mid 2015. Not saying that the HTC One won't, but HTC is in real trouble, and if they go out of business, that my make things very complicated for current HTC users. Plus, even afloat, I've heard awful things about timeliness of firmware updates from HTC.
So yeah, I bought the S4 and I'm not looking back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^ This
Plus, after having previous HTC devices that lost all official support after 6 months or less I will never buy HTC again.
CCallahan said:
^^ This
Plus, after having previous HTC devices that lost all official support after 6 months or less I will never buy HTC again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. One of my buddies asked me to root his Evo about 6 months ago and I was shocked to have to settle for a Gingerbread ROM. I had thought for sure there would be some stable ICS roms available but every ICS or JB rom had at least one major flaw that my friend wouldn't have been able to live with.
Hell, even my my old LG Optimus V has a stable JB rom.
No removable battery + no expandable memory = no thanks
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
SAShady said:
No removable battery + no expandable memory = no thanks
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
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Absolutely
I love the 90s. Good times.
I had a One for about a week. It's a great phone and a really good attempt by HTC. I still miss a couple things from it but everything already described here outweighs everything it has to offer. I always end up back with Samsung.
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Also had the One for a week. It was a seriously great phone. The design of the phone is just gorgeous. Also the weight of it was really nice.
Sense looked and worked great but is not nearly as customizable as tw. And as good as the design and materials seemed, it was not durable or built well in the least. A 2" drop caused some severe corner rash and even a dent. Battery life was excellent but during my first full day with this device, im on track to destroying the htc as far as battery life.
Was def a great attempt and design, but the overall quality of construction and materials is severely lacking. Ill take my new slippery plastic cheap looking s4 over the one all day every day.
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---------- Post added at 08:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:57 PM ----------
Also the screen wasnt totally flush with the body of the phone. And the top and bottom trim was perfect on the right side, and both hella gapped on the left side. Like I said, great design, poor build quality.
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SAShady said:
No removable battery + no expandable memory = no thanks
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
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^^^ This. Until such time that every manufacturer switches to this unreasonable design thereby forcing me to accept it, I will never purchase a phone (especially at full contract price as I buy most of my devices) that doesn't offer removable battery and expandable memory. I very much dislike having to rely on cloud storage to house the things I want access to at all times.
Having said that, I admit I considered it, because I loved my OG EVO so much (which of course offered both removable batter and expandable storage), until I read a multitude of reviews (mostly positive) but there are some build defects that would absolutely drive my OCD tendencies through the roof, so I opted to stay with the brand I know. Now if they'd just move the power button to the top of the phone I'd be thrilled. lol
I gave this a lot of thought and spent quite a bit of hands on time with both devices before settling with the S4. Every time I think of the HTC One I quickly remind myself of the poor software, camera, ergonomics, and lack of support that HTC provides for their phones. I simply don't trust HTC as a company and the Google S4 helped keep me with Samsung that much more. The minor issues with the S4 will be fixed soon enough and then it won't really be a competition as far as I'm concerned. I'm really curious to how many Ones have been sold compared to the almost 10 million S4s, which came out what, a month after the One. And I actually use the "gimmicky" features of the S4. The other day I was working on my car, hands filthy black, covered in grease and dirt. My dad called instead of missing the call waved my hand over my phone and spoke to him. I don't use these features always but if I'm at work or doing something were I will get dirty I turn them on. I couldn't do that type of stuff on the One. There is also things like the One not supporting quick charge even though it has the same Qualcomm chip? Maybe the metal was getting to hot on charge so they disabled it? Anyway I'm totally content with my S4 and I feel time will just keep reassuring my decision to stick with Samsung. :thumbup:
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SAShady said:
No removable battery + no expandable memory = no thanks
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Nice big screen, lightweight and slim, plus what Shady said, not a chance!
I, like many above, looked very hard at both before pulling the trigger on the S4. I'm coming off a long line of HTC phones, but my wife has had the S3 for about 6 months. I do all the tweaking of the S3, so I use it a fair amount, and had grown to like TW more than Sense. Plus, the S3 always stomped my HTC Evo 4G LTE whenever we'd be looking something up on the internet, downloading something, etc. We'd be doing it side-by-side, and the S3 was better EVERY time, and usually by a large margain. That really planted the bug to move to Samsung for me.
I've never looked back One-wise. I might have a few minutes of doubt early on while learning the phone, but I'd have just returned it and gone back to my Evo, or bought an S3. But I'm just thrilled with the phone at this point. It really works well. I'm out on the lake fishing and pull up a radar map, boom, it's there, every time. On my HTC, very hit or miss on the same lakes. And the daylight pictures are stunning, something I could never say for my HTC's.
Bottom line, the S4 works like I've always wanted a smartphone to work.
Never. Not even a little bit.
Sent from the rabbit hole.
After the review on the HTC One spoke about how awful repairing it would be and how opening the device pretty much destroys the phone I decided to pass. The S4s "lack of build quality" makes me laugh as the the HTC One's guts are awful whereas the S4 is well put together and its plastic outer materials are more reliable than the aluminum of the HTC One (denting and scratching). Also, as the others before me the unibody design of the One against the removable storage and battery of the S4...NO BRAINER! The Sprint variant also shipped with SIM card so that was a huge bonus for me (in the military so being out of country won't force me to buy a new cheapo phone). Samsung is also more likely to get updates and those updates last longer than HTCs. With a Google version on the way I am stoked as it could very well mean we will get some devs to port some of that amazingness over to the branded variants. Also, I did come from HTC Evo 3D in case you think I'm just another Samsung fan-boy.
GS4 to HTC 1
heyjoojoo said:
Was just wondering if anyone had tried the S4 for awhile only to now reconsider going to the HTC One...
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Yes.
I rooted my EVO 3 years ago in 2-3 carefully researched hours.
I'm into 2 days across macs Linux and windows exploits. Samsung: I'm not very good but if I can't get root this weekend, back it goes!
greenja said:
Yes.
I rooted my EVO 3 years ago in 2-3 carefully researched hours.
I'm into 2 days across macs Linux and windows exploits. Samsung: I'm not very good but if I can't get root this weekend, back it goes!
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You do realize basically all of us have it rooted right?
OK, I guess if I had infinite money, then I'd just go out and buy a new smartphone every year, but unfortunately I'm not. Though I will spend money on tech that I think are important, eg I bought a little xmas prezzie for myself in the form of a 51 inch plasma telly.
It's just that I already have a Note 2. I'd be paying a fair bit of money over 24 months to get a Note 4 and I just don't feel as excited by this piece of new tech as I "should be"? The screen isn't much bigger than the Note 2, which 2 years on still actually does everything I need it to do, though it has inexplicable slowed down a little than it used to be (maybe memory too full).
It just doesn't seem that revolutionary from the Note 2. My last 3 phones were Nokia N86, Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy Note 2. And going to the Note 4 just doesn't as seem as revolutionary as the previous jumps?
I have mucho respect for you! I wish I could make a full 2 year run on a smartphone. I haven't found one that either didn't crash, smash, or just frustrate me to hell and back (or I fried rooting it). I actually liked my LG G2 and wouldn't have upgraded, but it hit the 6 month mark and the digitizer went haywire. 6 months. That's the least time any phone has lasted me. A year is average. So far, I'm not impressed with my Note 4, and may return it within the 14-day period. The battery life is truly unimpressive, the camera has focus problems, it lags all over the place, the interface is so...2010...the only thing that I really do like about it: SAMOLED. The Samsung displays are beautiful, and it doesn't hurt my head at all. My G2 gave me headaches. I may 'downgrade' or just try another device.
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I pulled the triger and after 2 years I switched from Note 2. You right, it is not a big jump like before ( originally switched from HTC G2 to Note 2 ) but there is not coming back to 720p screen for me. This one is a beast.
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I had the note 2 for a full year right when it came out. I sold it after a year to get the g2. After a year with the g2, I'm so glad to be back to the note family, specifically the note 4. This phone is a beast, I can easily see myself keeping this one for a full 2 years!! It's definitely an upgrade over the note 2 by leaps and bound.
keithfrombm said:
i have mucho respect for you! I wish i could make a full 2 year run on a smartphone. I haven't found one that either didn't crash, smash, or just frustrate me to hell and back (or i fried rooting it). I actually liked my lg g2 and wouldn't have upgraded, but it hit the 6 month mark and the digitizer went haywire. 6 months. That's the least time any phone has lasted me. A year is average. So far, i'm not impressed with my note 4, and may return it within the 14-day period. The battery life is truly unimpressive, the camera has focus problems, it lags all over the place, the interface is so...2010...the only thing that i really do like about it: Samoled. The samsung displays are beautiful, and it doesn't hurt my head at all. My g2 gave me headaches. I may 'downgrade' or just try another device.
Sent from my samsung-sm-n910a using xda free mobile app
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i am sorry to say this but you are lying! Troll alert!
I bought the note 2 when it came out and loved it but was getting some usb charge board issues about a month before the note 4 came out, i decided to pre order the note 4 and got it on release day and it's a superb phone the best I've ever owned and a good upgrade from the note 2 I think personally.
The screen alone is amazing.
@Rudy:
What specifically is he lying about?
Some people have reported battery issues, and it is a known fact that TouchWiz is somewhat laggy compared to other launchers/themes. Although it has been getting a lot better in recent versions and IME, I have almost no lag on my phone. Also if you check around quite a few people have been having an issue with their camera and focus issues.
His personal experiences with various phones are his own. Unless you were there to witness his usage of the phones.
Calling someone a troll and a liar without backing it up with verifiable facts from credible industry sources is in very poor form and very un-cool.
So either provide some backup with verifiable links to industry sources to prove him/her wrong, or quietly go on with your life and leave others be.
i upgrade on a 5 yr cycle. went to the note 4 910u from a nokia n8.
camera is slightly better (16mpx ois vs 12mpx), software is much better compared to symbian, storage is more (160GB vs 40GB), wireless charging and bluetooth and screen are better, lag is gone once i enabled dev mode with animations off.
i would not upgrade on less than a 4yr or 5yr cycle. thats the best ROI. if you have a note 2 stay with it until 2017/18.
Lol I cant stay on one phone more than 5 months
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keithfrombm said:
I have mucho respect for you! I wish I could make a full 2 year run on a smartphone. I haven't found one that either didn't crash, smash, or just frustrate me to hell and back (or I fried rooting it). I actually liked my LG G2 and wouldn't have upgraded, but it hit the 6 month mark and the digitizer went haywire. 6 months. That's the least time any phone has lasted me. A year is average. So far, I'm not impressed with my Note 4, and may return it within the 14-day period. The battery life is truly unimpressive, the camera has focus problems, it lags all over the place, the interface is so...2010...the only thing that I really do like about it: SAMOLED. The Samsung displays are beautiful, and it doesn't hurt my head at all. My G2 gave me headaches. I may 'downgrade' or just try another device.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
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Well it isn't the same for everyone. For me battery is awesome on this phone 6h non stop heavy usage, over 2 days on moderate - this is double comparing to my previous phone which was Nexus 5. Touchwiz is s#*@= comparing to Google launcher tough, went straight to nova. Basically my opinion is: brilliant piece of hardware and very, very bad software. I hope someday we will get pure android rom.
jeanclaudevandamme said:
OK, I guess if I had infinite money, then I'd just go out and buy a new smartphone every year, but unfortunately I'm not. Though I will spend money on tech that I think are important, eg I bought a little xmas prezzie for myself in the form of a 51 inch plasma telly.
It's just that I already have a Note 2. I'd be paying a fair bit of money over 24 months to get a Note 4 and I just don't feel as excited by this piece of new tech as I "should be"? The screen isn't much bigger than the Note 2, which 2 years on still actually does everything I need it to do, though it has inexplicable slowed down a little than it used to be (maybe memory too full).
It just doesn't seem that revolutionary from the Note 2. My last 3 phones were Nokia N86, Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy Note 2. And going to the Note 4 just doesn't as seem as revolutionary as the previous jumps?
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The simple reason is because you are not fully utilising the Note 2 and hitting the boundaries of the phone itself. If you were hitting the edges you would notice that the extra performance from the Note 4 would be awesome.
I change my phone every few months and the boundary i had was lack of wireless charging on my previous phone (sony z2 32gb 3gb). The Samsung S4 and S5 had terrible camera and the lack of the additional 1GB really hurt.
It took me 3 weeks to open my note 4 box and start using it because i was putting off transferring the data. All i have really got from S5/Z2 to Note 4 is the wireless charging.
A|ex said:
The simple reason is because you are not fully utilising the Note 2 and hitting the boundaries of the phone itself. If you were hitting the edges you would notice that the extra performance from the Note 4 would be awesome.
I change my phone every few months and the boundary i had was lack of wireless charging on my previous phone (sony z2 32gb 3gb). The Samsung S4 and S5 had terrible camera and the lack of the additional 1GB really hurt.
It took me 3 weeks to open my note 4 box and start using it because i was putting off transferring the data. All i have really got from S5/Z2 to Note 4 is the wireless charging.
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I would say that his approach is way more sensible than yours. You could have easily incorporate wireless charging to both xperia z2 and galaxy s5 for much less money than note 4 cost. If that was the only edge you were looking for you simply wasted your money.
torquadon said:
I would say that his approach is way more sensible than yours. You could have easily incorporate wireless charging to both xperia z2 and galaxy s5 for much less money than note 4 cost. If that was the only edge you were looking for you simply wasted your money.
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Sony Z2 has no wireless charging at all only the Z3 has but it does have 3GB
Galaxy S5 only has 2GB not 3GB (not enough)
actually from looking at some rumours about upcoming phones, I'd be interested in the next-gen Sony Xperia Z Ultra, the so rumoured Z4 ultra, with 6.4" screen and 1440p and stylus support. but that's just vapourware atm, CES will tell.
funnily enough, i just want a bigger screen in a new phone, like that is literally the top priority. the current z ultra is a year old so its processors/res etc rules it out. though it's not too expensive to buy outright now on ebay.
I've upgraded from a note 2 and the difference is significant. The upgrade in these camera alone was worth it.
I started saving money when i bought the note 2, so the note 4 was paid off as soon as it came out.
I am writing this message from my note 2,as it's a nice device to mess around with now, and I'm currently running Lollipop ?
EP2008 said:
I've upgraded from a note 2 and the difference is significant. The upgrade in these camera alone was worth it.
I started saving money when i bought the note 2, so the note 4 was paid off as soon as it came out.
I am writing this message from my note 2,as it's a nice device to mess around with now, and I'm currently running Lollipop ?
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Lollipop on your note 2? Can you provide a link?
A|ex said:
Sony Z2 has no wireless charging at all only the Z3 has but it does have 3GB
Galaxy S5 only has 2GB not 3GB (not enough)
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I didn't check it for long time and didn't know that Sony resigned from wireless charging cover. My bad.
I'm not sure you understood his post. He didn't say that there is no difference, neither I did. All I am saying is, I believe his approach is more sensible. According to you 1gb ram and wireless charger is worth 600GBP, and for me it is not. Amount of people who will need that extra ram is relatively small, I updated from nexus 5 only because I could, not because it was by any means necessary. Both phones are more then capable of running any app from Google play smoothly, many of them would work better on nexus for that simple reason that Samsung apps use huge amount of ram/cpu and unless u root there is no way to disable them.
I was on the Note 3 and didn't had any plans to get the Note 4 as I thought it wasn't worth upgrading to.
But I haven't regret it a second! The quality of the phone is amazing! Better screen and better battery life. Love it!
/CK
I upgrade every two years. My previous phone was the note 2 and I'm thoroughly impressed. Everything, other than battery life, is a dramatic improvement. What really make this phone revolutionary upgrade from any other devise is gear vr. Think of all the advancements ever brought to the smartphone market and realize that nothing compares to gear vr.
Bruce lee roy said:
I upgrade every two years. My previous phone was the note 2 and I'm thoroughly impressed. Everything, other than battery life, is a dramatic improvement. What really make this phone revolutionary upgrade from any other devise is gear vr. Think of all the advancements ever brought to the smartphone market and realize that nothing compares to gear vr.
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This plus imagine Note 4 + Gear VR + Gear S! Although Gear VR will not allow you to call or text when the user is wearing it, with Gear S, you could do that by talking to S-Voice! I have not tried this out personally - because I am poor, but it should work... right? :S That and advanced s-pen :3
But for the whole upgrading thing: If I were to upgrade my phone today - or within the year, I would go with the Note 4. If I were patient enough to wait a few more months, well, then clearly I wouldn't get the note 4 S: The way I see it though, technology has been upgrading crazy fast so it's no big deal if you're out of the loop lol
edit: I am biased though since I already own the note 4 + VR