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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
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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
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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
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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.
I bought my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition about 6 months ago, and it's been flaky ever since I first started using it. I've sent it in to Samsung to be repaired twice, the last time was because it'll randomly think I've removed my memory card, which it still does, but I'm writing this off as a bad batch. I've owned Samsung phones and tablets ever since they started making them. Well, they say I should expect it in on Monday. I was looking through some of the accessories for it online, and I've ordered a clear screen protector, I got one of these years ago and used it for about 10 minutes before I decided it was crap. The one I just ordered says it's made from military grade components and protects the screen from cracking, getting scratched, etc, but if it does get a scratch, supposedly it's self healing. I don't know about that, but I have problems holding onto it and drop it occasionally or I'll fall asleep using it and when I wake up in the morning, it's usually on the floor.
Does anyone know if this tablet comes with a stylus? Like I mentioned, I've had Galaxy Tabs for years, but this Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition that I'm currently using came with a stylus, and I must say, it's come in handy. I've also seen a few covers with keyboards available for it, but since the S Tab is supposed to be so thin, I'm not sure if I want to "junk it up" or leave it as it. I also like the syncing function where I could pair it with my Galaxy S3 and make phone calls, text, etc. from the tablet, which does this through the phone its paired with. Has anyone checked out any new accessories or new functions of this tablet yet? As I mentioned, I ordered it last night and haven't read anything much about it. I just got online, saw the newest tablet, which is soon going to be released, so I just ordered it.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
No it wouldn't. Only the note series has wacom/stylus support
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
I ask cause both are newer phones besides the obvious difference in O.S Does anyone actually recommend keeping the s6 over getting a m9?
Both have there issues
The s6 wasnt what it was cracked up to be either alot of weird issues .
Who would stay M9 who would go s6 and why?
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
androidddaaron said:
I ask cause both are newer phones besides the obvious difference in O.S Does anyone actually recommend keeping the s6 over getting a m9?
Both have there issues
The s6 wasnt what it was cracked up to be either alot of weird issues .
Who would stay M9 who would go s6 and why?
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
I'd get the m9. I think it's a way better phone. Samsung dropped the ball on the s6. Yeah it looks nice.. Kinda like the iPhone 4..
Sent from my HTC M9
I did the exact same thing. I would say go for it. I like the S6 but there was just something missing. That and I didn't trust samsung to release updates quick enough to fix the plethora of issues it has right now.
The M9's camera isn't anywhere near as good as the S6, but it's decent. Battery (in my usage) is significantly better.
aooga said:
I did the exact same thing. I would say go for it. I like the S6 but there was just something missing. That and I didn't trust samsung to release updates quick enough to fix the plethora of issues it has right now.
The M9's camera isn't anywhere near as good as the S6, but it's decent. Battery (in my usage) is significantly better.
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Click to collapse
I went through 3 defective S6s before I got my M9. I miss the better camera and the wireless charging, but for everything else I prefer the M9.
I got a defective s6 as well, but I was within my 14 day return period, so I decided to switch to the m9 rather than risk another issue on another s6 and lose my return window. I thought I'd miss the beautiful Samsung screen more, but htc software is still light-years ahead of Samsung.
Add me to the list of S6 (edge) defectors. Gave up my nexus 6 for the galaxy and I cannot be more disappointed. Sure the camera is nice and it does some cool things, but it cant even run pandora properly over a period of time. Will be going to get an M9 tomorrow.
I'm thinking the same but battery and heat concern me
PunishedSnake said:
I'm thinking the same but battery and heat concern me
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I can tell you the battery on the m9 lasts longer than s6 and my s6 got just as hot in my opinion if not hotter at times. Love the m9. Will never go back to Samsung. Too iphony
pclaunch said:
I can tell you the battery on the m9 lasts longer than s6 and my s6 got just as hot in my opinion if not hotter at times. Love the m9. Will never go back to Samsung. Too iphony
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Click to collapse
Swapped my 's6 for an m9 today
Only things I miss is the finger print unlock and camera. I can now multitask haha
Yes, I returned my N910C and decided not to buy this MAGNIFICENT phone again. I am sick and tired of finding the right screen protectors that will not have HALO. I am also tired of the scratches on the bezel that seems to be getting worse every time I remove the case. I am also tired of finding the sweet spot when I put the phone on the Qi charger because I am using a third party Qi receiver that is not centered on the back of the phone.
I kept a blind eye on the 5.0.1 lag (previous apps) and worse battery performance than 4.4.4 hoping Samsung will immediately push updates as this is still a top of the line phone/phablet, but it seems like they are don't give a damn and are focusing on the S6 and S6 Edge, and there is another news that the iPhone 6s is coming so Samsung is preparing for the Note 5. That hit the final nail in the coffin for me...
I have wasted a lot for buying and trying different tempered glass and cases that will fit with the OEM Qi charger
I am now looking at the older Note 3 and other alternatives, but I am not in a rush... I might wait and see what the Note 5 brings on the table.
xdm9mm said:
Yes, I returned my N910C and decided not to buy this MAGNIFICENT phone again. I am sick and tired of finding the right screen protectors that will not have HALO. I am also tired of the scratches on the bezel that seems to be getting worse every time I remove the case. I am also tired of finding the sweet spot when I put the phone on the Qi charger because I am using a third party Qi receiver that is not centered on the back of the phone.
I kept a blind eye on the 5.0.1 lag (previous apps) and worse battery performance than 4.4.4 hoping Samsung will immediately push updates as this is still a top of the line phone/phablet, but it seems like they are don't give a damn and are focusing on the S6 and S6 Edge, and there is another news that the iPhone 6s is coming so Samsung is preparing for the Note 5. That hit the final nail in the coffin for me...
I have wasted a lot for buying and trying different tempered glass and cases that will fit with the OEM Qi charger
I am now looking at the older Note 3 and other alternatives, but I am not in a rush... I might wait and see what the Note 5 brings on the table.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a 2.5D Screen protector that fits perfectly on my phone,i spent just 3 dollars., yes, i've scratches everywhere, but who cares ? put a case and forget this, remember, it's aluminium!
Samsung will update the Note 4 with the newer touchwiz soon.. i'm having the same battery life on lollipop that i was having on kitkat, 4.5~6 hours of SOT on a full day.
the major problem it's the lag on recents apps (i can live with this), with BOC7 they fixed the GPU bug, so, no phone is perfect, but the note 4 it's the most close to it.
I have to eat my words....... I just ordered another one for myself, and one for my wife as she wants to upgrade her S4, and no, iCrap is banned in our family... I can't find anything better for my needs atm... I'm really F%^&# by samsung
xdm9mm said:
I have to eat my words....... I just ordered another one for myself, and one for my wife as she wants to upgrade her S4, and no, iCrap is banned in our family... I can't find anything better for my needs atm... I'm really F%^&# by samsung
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I downgraded back to KK because of all the problems, like you I am struggling to find a phone with the same credentials as the Note 4, as a day to day handset it is awesome on KK, camera is amazing only just being edged out by the LG G4 it would appear.
I've been looking at a Nexus 6 but it is just massive and I think the N4 is about as big a phone as I am comfortable with, considering rooting it and installing CM12.1 atm.
I regret not returning my Note 4 when I could...
I must agree, this phone is bug ridden...
Recent apps loading screen is far to laggy. Closing all apps randomly. Camera performance is terrible in any light other than outdoors with fantastic lighting. Sound isn't that great through the speaker... GPS bugs. I mean, I'm very disappointed with Samsung for not pushing updates faster to this phone... If a few more months come and they're not all ironed out, I'm going to just take a hit and buy the G4 or the Z4. Yeah, I'll miss the screen size... but in all honesty, battery life, performance and camera are the most important things. Battery life is hit and miss from day to day... Performance while multitasking is laggy and a hit and miss. I hate multitasking and then only pressing button again to see that it had cleared out ALL my apps! And the camera? Meh... I mean, good ... very good camera! But only for day shots. I miss my 1520 / 930 camera... Wow... What a camera! But no WP for me for a while though!
Maybe I'll just argue with Amazon for a while... Maybe they'll return my device...
G4 is probably best bet with 5.1
Problems are really down to Android 5.0.x, have a look at the Xperia Zx owners they are having similar problems with 5.0.x
We just need lil fixes for our Note.
GPU, interface lag, memory bleeding, frequency scaling and get rid of annoying log of every f*cking app.
Sent from my N910c
Google did a shoddy job with 5.0.X updates, even the Nexus users are complaining a lot so leaving the Note 4 for another phone that is also on 5.0.X or 5.1 is pointless really.
Is the Galaxy Note 4 N910C Region Locked?
POLO_i780 said:
Google did a shoddy job with 5.0.X updates, even the Nexus users are complaining a lot so leaving the Note 4 for another phone that is also on 5.0.X or 5.1 is pointless really.
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Very true. Using the Nexus 5 wasn't very enjoyable pre-5.1. Now with 5.1.1, it's even better. Google's fault, not Samsung.
DarkGuyver said:
Is the Galaxy Note 4 N910C Region Locked?
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Click to collapse
Mine was not.
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
DarkGuyver said:
Is the Galaxy Note 4 N910C Region Locked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope...
optimummind said:
Mine was not.
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Click to collapse
xdm9mm said:
Nope...
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Great, so you didn't have to activate it when you first turn it on with a local SIM Card?
Yes
DarkGuyver said:
Great, so you didn't have to activate it when you first turn it on with a local SIM Card?
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Click to collapse
Right, didn't have to activate my Straight Talk SIM card. Just set the APN, rebooted, & everything worked.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
I dont know why you are having such problem.
Have you tried SweetROM? C has more custom roms than U, and U users are doing just fine. You will never find a phone that doesnt scratch, it seems half of your problems are not even directly concerning note4; qi charger.... screen protector.
Life is not perfect, but we try to deal with it. Try doing somethingelse if you find yourself staring at your phone.
optimummind said:
Right, didn't have to activate my Straight Talk SIM card. Just set the APN, rebooted, & everything worked.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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Excellent, just needed to clarify that. As I've read on some online stores that you have the Note 4 N910C needs to be activated with a local SIM Card and you have to make a 5 minute call before you can use it internationally.
Are you people on drugs or? Why the heck would you return your phone because you can't find a screen protector? It's Gorilla Glass 4 for **** sake, you don't need a screen protector. And I don't know about the lag you're talking about, but my Note 4 doesn't have any lag on recent apps and I get 6 hours avg. SoT. Camera is one of the best I've encountered to date, the only one that can rival it is the Iphone 6.
Careful with rushing out to buy the G4, the 808 has poorer performance than the 805 and the GPU isn't as good, you'll get dropped frames in games etc. I'm tempted by the G4 but I see absolutely no improvement over the Note 4. A lot of the Note 4s problems is Lollipops "Vista's" fault and whoever said the camera on the Note 4 isn't good is mad, it's one of the best smart phone cameras around today. Whilst the N4 isn't perfect, it's still top or close to top of the smartphone pile these days. Wait a couple of months and people will be moaning and complaining about the G4 or latest flagship. It's the Emperor's new clothes syndrome.
DarkGuyver said:
Excellent, just needed to clarify that. As I've read on some online stores that you have the Note 4 N910C needs to be activated with a local SIM Card and you have to make a 5 minute call before you can use it internationally.
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Click to collapse
That would be the Note 3, Note 4 is not region locked but they did limit the LTE bands by region to reduce the grey market for phones.
dr.m0x said:
That would be the Note 3, Note 4 is not region locked but they did limit the LTE bands by region to reduce the grey market for phones.
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Click to collapse
Really? I saw on a online store that the Note 4 N910C is Region Lock, which is the reason why I asked about that. Since I know for a fact that Samsung did incorporate Region Locking starting from the Galaxy S 4 shortly after it's release.
Psycho_MK said:
Are you people on drugs or? Why the heck would you return your phone because you can't find a screen protector? It's Gorilla Glass 4 for **** sake, you don't need a screen protector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do know that just because you have a Gorilla Glass 4 screen doesn't mean that the screen of your phone can't be scratch or damaged? I've seen drop test, which have shown Gorllia Glass 4 screen spider-web when the hit the pavement!!
Just wanted to say I am so happy with this phone. I did have to make some sacrifices leaving the s7 but based on my needs it was worth it.
Cons vs s7 duos:
The 1080 screen isn't as sharp, but for everyday use its actually pretty nice even in outdoor use.
The camera is a couple notches lower than s7 but still very good. Samsung cameras focus faster and look a lot crisper. I am sure people will debate that but Samsung has camera down.
No Samsung pay but still have Android pay thanks to NFC this year!!
No expandable memory card but I'm on with 64gb for the most part.
PROS:
Really good finger print reader. It is faster than s7 for sure. Reminds me of the Nexus 6P fast.
Most important for me is software is near stock Google experience with multi user. I use my business and my personal on separate accounts it's super convenient.
Att on one sim and T-Mobile on other. It's not like the s7 duos where we had issues with data connectivity from one sim to other. No issues with this so far!!
Dash or quick charge is real nice!!
Very good overall phone for the price by far!!!!
I think this will be good backup until the Lenovo Motoforce Z ultra with Nexus software and 2k screen comes out later this fall.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using XDA-Developers mobile app
i got a s7 duos also, considering the jump, only thing holding me back is the lack of 4g lte support for australian networks (where i live)
still love my new s7 duos
I had the S7 edge T-Mobile version and sold it once I received my OnePlus. Faster, snappier and battery has lasted longer for me. Love the dash charger as well. Overall I'm very pleased with it.
Sent From My OnePlus 3
3Plus said:
i got a s7 duos also, considering the jump, only thing holding me back is the lack of 4g lte support for australian networks (where i live)
still love my new s7 duos
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Click to collapse
I would have kept it but I was dealing with data issues when signal was low and it would switch Sims but data would freeze. Got way too annoying and updates came and gone but no fix. This has been a champ for me.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Z51 said:
I had the S7 edge T-Mobile version and sold it once I received my OnePlus. Faster, snappier and battery has lasted longer for me. Love the dash charger as well. Overall I'm very pleased with it.
Sent From My OnePlus 3
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Click to collapse
The battery on s7 lasted longer for me. I find I need to do a quick dash charge once a day to get me all the way through.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using XDA-Developers mobile app
mikereyes01 said:
The battery on s7 lasted longer for me. I find I need to do a quick dash charge once a day to get me all the way through.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Click to collapse
really? mine lasts about a day and a half with regular to moderate usage.
the S7 lasted a full day
mikereyes01 said:
I would have kept it but I was dealing with data issues when signal was low and it would switch Sims but data would freeze. Got way too annoying and updates came and gone but no fix. This has been a champ for me.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Click to collapse
strange as the s7 has more 4g & 3g frequencies then the oneplus3....
Same boat.
Even with the custom ROMS, Touchwiz is just too 'heavy' for me.
I was also tired of the palm thumb rejection issues on the sides of my S7 edge duos screen.
That phone is now back in it's box.
I've been happily rocking the Oneplus 3 from day one.
I heard the duos 7 was better but my T-Mobile variant of the s7 edge was significantly worse on battery. Between that, bloatware, and performance, this OnePlus 3 seems to be blowing it out of the water. I'm not having much stutter and wifi and LTE is really strong for me!
Z51 said:
I had the S7 edge T-Mobile version and sold it once I received my OnePlus. Faster, snappier and battery has lasted longer for me. Love the dash charger as well. Overall I'm very pleased with it.
Sent From My OnePlus 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to see this post as I ordered my OP3 on Friday and I too have a T-Mobile variant of the S7e. I'm hoping I'll love this phone enough to keep mine in the box as well at least till I turn it in after my lease.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
bkeaver said:
Glad to see this post as I ordered my OP3 on Friday and I too have a T-Mobile variant of the S7e. I'm hoping I'll love this phone enough to keep mine in the box as well at least till I turn it in after my lease.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Nice. Dont get me wrong, the S7 edge is a greay phone. I got a killer deal on another one and im switching between devices haha. Best of both worlds.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
3Plus said:
i got a s7 duos also, considering the jump, only thing holding me back is the lack of 4g lte support for australian networks (where i live)
still love my new s7 duos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're going to get one, depending on your carrier your better off getting the Europe or China model, for Optus the China Model has the best network support, and Telstra/Vodafone works best on the Europe model, however Telstra still has decent support with the China model. The China model can be bought through Oppomart I believe and I don't know about the European model. The North America model has the worst support for Australia on any carrier.