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Upgrade to Sensation or stick with HD2?

I currently have an HD2 running an Android 2.2.1 nand. I have tried the newer 2.3 Nands but the phone seems slow with them.
Is it worth upgrading to the Sensation?
Where is the best deal to be had? I'm probably 1.5 years into my 2 year contract. The price for the upgrade with 2 year extension on the Tmobile website is $384 per phone. I'd almost rather pay them the $550 with no contract.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Aaron

Try hyperdroid on your hd2.
Keep the hd2 until the bootloader is unlocked and the problems (dust, screen wash out) are fixed. That's what I'm doing. If the above isn't done before a better phone is announced or released, I'll buy the sensation and probably at a cheaper price.
EDIT: ----> HyperDroid Link <----

Never mind. I wrangled a good deal on the phone with Tmobile and got two of them for $200 each with my grandfathered data rate.

freakaccident said:
Never mind. I wrangled a good deal on the phone with Tmobile and got two of them for $200 each with my grandfathered data rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea? I already was promised the $200 a month ago when I changed my rate plan. I can't bring myself to buy one with its problems though. And unlike others who said "I'll wait for it to be unlocked", I actually stand by that. Others went right out and bought one.

The_Biz said:
Try hyperdroid on your hd2.
Keep the hd2 until the bootloader is unlocked and the problems (dust, screen wash out) are fixed. That's what I'm doing. If the above isn't done before a better phone is announced or released, I'll buy the sensation and probably at a cheaper price.
EDIT: ----> HyperDroid Link <----
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has to be better than my HD2. The phone speaker sucks for me since I am slightly deaf. I had to try many different roms or fixes to get the volume to be negligible. That or run Widows 6.5 which was NOT an option after first trying Android.
I even replaced the speaker with a kit from Ebay which helped a lot but I really want an Android based phone. I'm not a chef or anything and really keep it quite basic after I get my apps installed.
Also, my HD2 does get 4g but I want to see what the real 4g is like. Tethered with the HD2 I can get 4mb up and 156 down. I'm interested to see what the Sensation does.

The_Biz said:
Yea? I already was promised the $200 a month ago when I changed my rate plan. I can't bring myself to buy one with its problems though. And unlike others who said "I'll wait for it to be unlocked", I actually stand by that. Others went right out and bought one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't care if it unlocked at the moment. If it works and keeps working I'll be happy. I'm sick of loading roms on my phone and having issues with this or that. GPS doesn't work, intermittent gargle on calls, low volume sometimes, random reboots, etc. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I end up back in windows until I have time the next day to try a new rom.
I'm currently running CMYLXGO Blue Topia 1.1.17. It's nice but still has it's glitches. Battery life on this ROM is absolutely incredible though! 20 hours uptime and only down to 66%. It's a Sense rom with quite a few bloaty apps but so far I love it. I was a Coredroid fan before but this rom is better imho.

I hear ya. I used that rom too. I get sick of swapping roms and would love to have the sensation. The dust and screen washing though, I can't handle that and I really want the root option, just in case. That way I don't have to wait for updates.

my wife and I have been rocking two HD2s running CoreDroid for over a year. I loved my HD2s but the only time they will get used again is by the grandkids playing Angry Birds. The Sensation is great and the battery life is unreal.

ShinySideUpAZ said:
my wife and I have been rocking two HD2s running CoreDroid for over a year. I loved my HD2s but the only time they will get used again is by the grandkids playing Angry Birds. The Sensation is great and the battery life is unreal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my HD2 but it's getting slow and old. The battery cover looks like crap too. Over a year in my pocket with keys has left it's toll but no screen scratches! I thought about polishing the battery cover or replacing it but the sensation is too sexy. I hope the glass on the Sensation is as durable as the HD2.
OH and heard somewhere a year or so ago that the reason the HD2 is so scratch resistant is that the glass was sapphire coated. Is this true?

I tired Android on the HD2 as soon as it was possible but it had too many quirks and I needed the phone to work.
I upgraded to the Sensation and am not sorry one bit. Granted WM6.1 vs Android 2.3 but the internals and hardware are really nice, the touch screen is really responsive and the phone feels much smaller to hold. Not that the HD2 was large but its more comfortable.
If its what you want and your ready to upgrade go for it, I'm glad I did. Mine has no problems that I know of yet. granted this is my first real Android experience...

freakaccident said:
I love my HD2 but it's getting slow and old. The battery cover looks like crap too. Over a year in my pocket with keys has left it's toll but no screen scratches! I thought about polishing the battery cover or replacing it but the sensation is too sexy. I hope the glass on the Sensation is as durable as the HD2.
OH and heard somewhere a year or so ago that the reason the HD2 is so scratch resistant is that the glass was sapphire coated. Is this true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hd2 screen will scratch. I have a few friends who's scratched. But the sensation seems to have a strong screen. My friend had one about a week ago and one of the first things I did was try using my sharp keys on it. I also sat it face down and slid it across the table. It didn't scratch one bit.

10332007 said:
I tired Android on the HD2 as soon as it was possible but it had too many quirks and I needed the phone to work.
I upgraded to the Sensation and am not sorry one bit. Granted WM6.1 vs Android 2.3 but the internals and hardware are really nice, the touch screen is really responsive and the phone feels much smaller to hold. Not that the HD2 was large but its more comfortable.
If its what you want and your ready to upgrade go for it, I'm glad I did. Mine has no problems that I know of yet. granted this is my first real Android experience...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved android on my HD2. I flashed android roms to it back before nand and it was still better than Winmo 6. I havent tried winmo 7 but I can't imagine it compares to android.

The_Biz said:
The hd2 screen will scratch. I have a few friends who's scratched. But the sensation seems to have a strong screen. My friend had one about a week ago and one of the first things I did was try using my sharp keys on it. I also sat it face down and slid it across the table. It didn't scratch one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is because the Sensation uses Gorilla Glass...amazing stuff. Came in my old Vibrant, not a single scratch in over a year...The Sensation rocks, even without root! It can only get better!

The_Biz said:
The hd2 screen will scratch. I have a few friends who's scratched. But the sensation seems to have a strong screen. My friend had one about a week ago and one of the first things I did was try using my sharp keys on it. I also sat it face down and slid it across the table. It didn't scratch one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read it has the Gorilla Glass. Not sure if that is true or not but I will find out. I don't like cases or screen protectors and just dump my phone in my pocket or toss it on the passenger car seat. I am not gentle with phones and the HD2 was a brute.
Cases, like the Otterbox, totally ruin the form of the phone and screen protectors never look right and they reduce response IMHO. I tried a rubberized case and a screen protector on my HD2 when I first bought it and hate them both.
The case was bulky and fumbly. Is that a word? I dropped it a lot with that case because it was too fumbly. It didn't slide into my pocket well and was just fat and clunky like a mid 70s American sedan.
The screen protector was a Zagg. It was horrible. It was like a phone condom without the lube. Pain in the ass to install in the moment and then you had to deal with lack of sensitivity. When it got warm in the car or in your pocket it shrunk and then when it got cool it expanded and left the edges to lift up. POS imho.
That is when I decided to go naked with the HD2. I went a year with no covers or screen protectors and I dropped it a few times. I dented the plastic trim a few times but no scratches on the screen. The metal battery cover's paint has been scratched a lot though.
The HD2 is one tough mofo of a phone! I hope the Sensation is the same. I am concerned that the back of the phone is too plastic like. I haven't held one yet so I'm not sure. If there is plastic on the back then I hope it is durable. It would be nice if HTC would make a phone that is entirely metal except for the screen. Make it powder coated aluminum all around and call it a day.
EDIT - Any suggestions on what to with my two HD2 phones now?

The sensation feels great and the back feels better than I thought it would. I also like the fact that the battery cover is its housing. If it's dropped and dented, replacing just the cover would be pretty easy and make it look unharmed I think.
EDIT: Keep one for a backup and sell the other on craigslist. I had 2 and sold one already.

The_Biz said:
Try hyperdroid on your hd2.
Keep the hd2 until the bootloader is unlocked and the problems (dust, screen wash out) are fixed. That's what I'm doing. If the above isn't done before a better phone is announced or released, I'll buy the sensation and probably at a cheaper price.
EDIT: ----> HyperDroid Link <----
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate when people who DON'T HAVE THE PHONE make generalizations about "issues" I personally own 2 Sensations and I have 6 friends with the Sensation so I have been around at least 8 of them bought at various locations and NONE OF THEM have dust on the screen or washed out looking displays. It's also extremely funny the amount of people comparing the HD2 to the Sensation? Really? I have an HD2 running android and other than the sceen size there is no comparison!!! The HD2 isn't even better than my MT4G running CM7!!! seriously if you still use the HD2 as a daily driver you should probably jump off a bridge because you are using a dinosaur....

freakaccident said:
Never mind. I wrangled a good deal on the phone with Tmobile and got two of them for $200 each with my grandfathered data rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, that grandfathered data plan will soon not work if it's not an "Android approved" data plan.
nccu_eagles said:
seriously if you still use the HD2 as a daily driver you should probably jump off a bridge because you are using a dinosaur....
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Click to collapse
I've used my HD2 running WM6.5 up until the day I got the Sensation & I am definitely not a dinosaur. Stop being an asshole. The HD2 is a solid phone & if it works & does what someone wants it to, then it rocks.

Used NAND builds on my HD2 forever, and the entire time all I wanted my HD2 to grow up to be like is the Sensation. Like I've said before, the Sensation is what HTC should have made the HD2 like all along. The Sensation is the phone of phones right now. You will be 110% happy with it.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App

nccu_eagles said:
I hate when people who DON'T HAVE THE PHONE make generalizations about "issues" I personally own 2 Sensations and I have 6 friends with the Sensation so I have been around at least 8 of them bought at various locations and NONE OF THEM have dust on the screen or washed out looking displays. It's also extremely funny the amount of people comparing the HD2 to the Sensation? Really? I have an HD2 running android and other than the sceen size there is no comparison!!! The HD2 isn't even better than my MT4G running CM7!!! seriously if you still use the HD2 as a daily driver you should probably jump off a bridge because you are using a dinosaur....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I HATE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU TRY TO START ARGUMENTS!
Seriously dude. There's always people like you trying to flame somebody else. The problems I'm going by are what's mentioned here. And I never once "compared the hd2 to the sensation.
People like you are the reason xda is starting to suck, seriously.
EDIT: Here you go killer. Flame all these people, they actually own the device.
Dust thread.
Washed out screen thread.
I bet you HATE them too huh? If you ain't having problems, they must be lying!!!!! HOW DARE THEY!!!!!!

The_Biz said:
I HATE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU TRY TO START ARGUMENTS!
Seriously dude. There's always people like you trying to flame somebody else. The problems I'm going by are what's mentioned here. And I never once "compared the hd2 to the sensation.
People like you are the reason xda is starting to suck, seriously.
EDIT: Here you go killer. Flame all these people, they actually own the device.
Dust thread.
Washed out screen thread.
I bet you HATE them too huh? If you ain't having problems, they must be lying!!!!! HOW DARE THEY!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point is you are less likely to have a Sensation with issues. It is not as wide spread as these threads lead you to believe. People who don't own the device read these threads and become afraid to purchase the phone because of the fear of ended up with a dud of a device when that is not the case. As for the comparison to the HD2 its in the title "Upgrade to Sensation or stick with HD2?" any high end htc android device produced after March 2010 is better than the HD2 period. As I said before I have an HD2 as well as 5 other android devices and the HD2 finishes last in whatever comparision you attempt to make other than screen size...I wasn't attempting to FLAME anyone just venting. sick of all the people bashing the Sensation with silly comparisons to other devices and complaints about issues that affect a minority of the the Sensation owners... and the "people like me" comment is hilarious xda is beginning to suck because more and more noobs are joining the site and creating pointless threads asking questions that a little common sense would cure anyway, enjoy your HD2 or whatever device you choose to purchase HAVE AN AWESOME TUESDAY

Galaxy S2 or Sensation?

Which and why?

Sensation because it´s HTC

I have never used a Dual Core phone so is it MUCH faster? Is there like 0 lag in those phones? I remember my inspire couldnt play vids properly and they would lag.

I have the same question... Sensation or Galaxy S2? I'm running a T959 with Trigger, but it's time for an upgrade. Any input would be appreciated - especially comparison of speed, ease of rooting, and ease of installing custom ROMs. I use wireless tethering and GPS navigation a lot... so those 2 things are very important to me.

I really want this thread to get interesting so I'll post my two UK pennies.
I'm still deciding between these two phones. I've played with both in the shop and they're very different beasts.
The S2 is a stunning slab of a phone. It's ridiculously light and feels plasticy yet amazingly sturdy. The screen is superb. I'm coming from an AMOLED Desire (same screen as N1) and the screen is a huge step up. The WVGA res genuinely doesn't bother me in the slightest. Everything is big and clear and bright and gorgeous.
The Sensation feels a lot more solid in the hand. It's a more classy piece of hardware. It is considerably fatter and heavier than the S2 and feels like it could take some knocks. As someone who has used older versions of Sense quite a lot and not especially liked them, I found the Sensations's interface to be a big disappointment. Sense 3 felt just as slow and the earlier Sense version that ran on my Desire (before rooting/flashing). I'm sure it would be super slick with an AOSP rom. The screen is good but not a patch on the S2 IMO. The power button is impossible to reach with one hand - why HTC is still putting it on the top of the phone I have no idea.
So at this point I preferred the S2s screen (and camera by small margin from testing in the shop) and the Sensation's hardware.
In light of the court case I ordered an S2 and have now had it for 24hrs. With the exception of the lack of notification LED it's everything I'd hoped for. It's fast. Not iPhone smooth, but the closest I've seen in an Android device. Still running stock firmware.
Unlike the Sensation, it's not possible to replace the camera lens of the S2 without replacing the whole phone. The camera lens is not at all recessed and this this makes me nervous about putting it down on a flat surface. The S2 needs a case to protect it IMO whereas the HTC seems sufficiently tough to survive without one.
I'm still not 100% and still have a few days left to return the phone...
Does anyone else have experience with the two phones?

Thanks, bedeabc

orb3000 said:
Sensation because it´s HTC
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Click to collapse
Exactly my thoughts.

The SGSII has a much better CPU and GPU than the sensation. I don't want to get technical, but Samsung's processor is better than HTC's. I would also suggest Samsung's GPU in the SGSII over Sensation. I have had Sense and Touchwiz and Sense is very slow and a memory hog, whereas Touchwiz is light. Both phones running AOSP would be great, but I feel that the SGSII is just better as far as internal hardware goes. HTC is better at updating their devices software wise, though.

orb3000 said:
Sensation because it´s HTC
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Click to collapse
lowandbehold said:
Exactly my thoughts.
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Click to collapse
Come on guys, that's lame. I too have more faith in HTC than I do Samsung but I bought the S2 because (albeit by a very small margin!) I believe that it's the better phone. That screen is just amazing. I already FAR prefer Touchwiz to any version of Sense. But obviously here I am on XDA so the root will happen tonight I hope!
biggeorgef said:
Thanks, bedeabc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Right now i think the best phone at sale is the galaxy s ii. Ports will obviously be easier to make with the sensation, but talking about stock roms, the s2 is by far the best phone:
More free ram (not only because of 1gb of ram vs 768 but because of sense 3), and in my opinion has a better processor.
I'm not a samsung fanboy, there are tons of things i could say they've done wrong, but i think the s2 is better.
And by the way, even though the sensation feels more solid, i'm no longer deciding for a phone due to this, not only because of coversbut because my sgs has resisted many falls, even one 3m fall and it fell on a pool for 1-2 sec and survived, it didn't even turn off, so just because of this i can say that even though it doesn't feel resistant, it may resist more. I've tried none of this phones, and i can only give my point of view from what i've read and my experience.
I don't know if samsung will do the same with the s2, but the s1 has been updated from 2.1 to 2.2 to 2.2.1 to 2.3.2 to 2.3.3 to 2.3.4, much more updates than most phones have had, and there have been many improvements even though the s2 is out there and the sgs hasn't been forgotten.
Back to htc and sense, I can also say that sense is really good, but it consumes a lot of ram and may feel laggy, but on other htc phones i've seen with sense 2.1, it was really fluid and i really liked it, more than touchwiz.
There is no real way of comparing this two phones in a fair way unless they're running the same rom.
No matter which phone you choose out of these two, you are going to get an amazing phone.
The decision is yours, so think carefully about which phone you think is best for you

bedeabc said:
I really want this thread to get interesting so I'll post my two UK pennies.
I'm still deciding between these two phones. I've played with both in the shop and they're very different beasts.
The S2 is a stunning slab of a phone. It's ridiculously light and feels plasticy yet amazingly sturdy. The screen is superb. I'm coming from an AMOLED Desire (same screen as N1) and the screen is a huge step up. The WVGA res genuinely doesn't bother me in the slightest. Everything is big and clear and bright and gorgeous.
The Sensation feels a lot more solid in the hand. It's a more classy piece of hardware. It is considerably fatter and heavier than the S2 and feels like it could take some knocks. As someone who has used older versions of Sense quite a lot and not especially liked them, I found the Sensations's interface to be a big disappointment. Sense 3 felt just as slow and the earlier Sense version that ran on my Desire (before rooting/flashing). I'm sure it would be super slick with an AOSP rom. The screen is good but not a patch on the S2 IMO. The power button is impossible to reach with one hand - why HTC is still putting it on the top of the phone I have no idea.
So at this point I preferred the S2s screen (and camera by small margin from testing in the shop) and the Sensation's hardware.
In light of the court case I ordered an S2 and have now had it for 24hrs. With the exception of the lack of notification LED it's everything I'd hoped for. It's fast. Not iPhone smooth, but the closest I've seen in an Android device. Still running stock firmware.
Unlike the Sensation, it's not possible to replace the camera lens of the S2 without replacing the whole phone. The camera lens is not at all recessed and this this makes me nervous about putting it down on a flat surface. The S2 needs a case to protect it IMO whereas the HTC seems sufficiently tough to survive without one.
I'm still not 100% and still have a few days left to return the phone...
Does anyone else have experience with the two phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, here's what I posted elsewhere:
I've got an O2 Sensation, colleague has a Vodafone SGS2
The sensation feels much stronger, she commented that her SGS2 felt like you could snap it if you weren't careful, and I have to agree, while you couldn't actually do that, it does feel like you could.
SGS2 is easier to hold though, the rounded smooth edges of the Sensation are just begging for it to slip and drop.
Not got a problem reaching the power button on the top of the Sensation even with my stubby fingers.
The speaker on my Sensation is much louder than her SGS2, she's complaining that she can't hear the SGS2 in her bag. I was surprised as to how quiet it was on max volume.
The SGS2 has a lovely screen, the Sensation has a very nice screen.
My Sensation has the landscape wifi issue losing a bar or 2 of signal. From what others have posted, the OTA update or a custom ROM can fix this rather than a warranty claim for a replacement back cover.
The lock screen on the Sensation is much more responsive and the ability to jump straight to certain apps from the defaul lock screen is great. She often has to swipe two or three times to unlock the SGS2 as she's not moving the lock screen image far enough.
Sensation has Sense 3, which for me wipes the floor with the SGS2 interface, I really don't get on with anything but Sense, however I know a lot of people don't like sense and prefer the stock Android interface.
Sensation has Trace keyboard. She's activated swype on her SGS2 to make typing easier as like me can't get on with the stock Android keyboard. Swype is much better at doing the job than Trace, but I prefer the HTC keyboard and type faster with my thumbs than with either Swype or Trace.
Don't know about battery life on her SGS2, but my Sensation is getting about a day out of it and that's with push mail on two accounts and a bit of browsing.
To be honest, the only thing that would make my Sensation perfect would be a replacement back panel with squarer sides and a better WIFI antenna.
If you try a Sensation and it isn't fast and smooth, then there's something wrong with it.
Likewise there could be something wrong with her phone with regards to the speaker not being as loud as mine.
They are both at the top of their league, and the decision will be down to which one suits your needs better.
If you're not sure, get it over the phone/web so you have 14 days to return it if you're not happy (in the UK that is)
Play with them as much as possible in shops, go to several shops too.

For Tmobile, is the Hercules going to be the S2, or am I just so retarded that I simply have no idea what I'm talking about? http://www.phonedog.com/2011/08/23/...-the-galaxy-s-ii-missed-its-window-in-the-us/

before i went to buy a phone
the best things were the sensation and the SGS2
i got the SGS2
1. i wanted a phone as smooth as the iphone in scrolling
2.very good flash player experience (HWA)
and from my knowledge the SGS2 is the only (partial) hardware accelerated phone out there the sensation is not as smooth as the sgs2 and not as powerful go watch some youtube vids out there
3.future proof (samsung gave free SGS2s to the CM team and currently we have nighties)
4.amoled screen (dont tell me about resolution what i want is the contrast that makes you think "is the phone on or is that my stupid black background pic"
+ colors are to die for
5.sturdy (this phone is solid as a rock if u try to twist it u wont hear a squeak at all its hard as a rock
cons with this phone
1.people who first got it experienced very bad battery life but after updates that issue went away for most people i can get 4 days with my phone
2.people get heating issue with their phones
but the heating issue was just a warm feeling for me near the camera lens
3.my biggest issue if you record video 720p and over (in doors ) the phone goes down to 10 fps for 2 seconds and then speeds up then speeds down etc - this issue is still not fixed - but out doors works perfectly
4.you can get finger prints on the screen if you dont have a screen protector
5. people are reporting volume issues when calling
you can fix this manually from what i understand (using a code)
6.there are a couple of high end games and emulators that have issues with the Samsung's powerful gpu

To be honest, using the two side by side, I noticed no difference between the smoothness of the two.
Didn't know that the SGS2 had hardware acceleration until today!
However, that's comparing UK phones. US phones appear to be borked by carriers as standard. No idea why, but there are more reports of slow phones from US carriers than UK ones, likewise with the amount of bloatware, US carriers (from what I've seen posted here) load phones up with it while in the UK (on O2 especially) they don't which is going to have an impact on performance.

xaccers said:
To be honest, using the two side by side, I noticed no difference between the smoothness of the two.
Didn't know that the SGS2 had hardware acceleration until today!
However, that's comparing UK phones. US phones appear to be borked by carriers as standard. No idea why, but there are more reports of slow phones from US carriers than UK ones, likewise with the amount of bloatware, US carriers (from what I've seen posted here) load phones up with it while in the UK (on O2 especially) they don't which is going to have an impact on performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
coudnt you notice it in the stock browser

Sensation hands down

I haven't had any experience with the Sensation, but 3 people I know have the S2 and I was playing with 1 earlier and I fell in love.
This prompted me to install 'droid on my Topaz.

joker2428 said:
Sensation hands down
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Click to collapse
Oh that settles it then. I'm running out right now to buy one. Thank you so much!
Sarcasm out.

orb3000 said:
Sensation because it´s HTC
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Click to collapse
what the answer~

sgsII has better hardware and better design too

[Q] Do you regret buying your Sensation?

I'm trying to decide which mobile to buy and I've narrowed it down to the Sensation and the Galaxy S 2, I've had the HTC Desire which was fine but more recently I've had and returned 3 HTC Incredible S handsets. All 3 suffered with signal drop on the O2 network here at my home (the Desire seemed OK).
After looking through the Sensation forum, I'm getting concerned that HTC may be loosing a grip as far as standards go?
Now that you've owned your Sensation, what do you think? Would you still buy the Sensation if you were once again in the Market for a phone?

Not really
What only makes me ever say I regret buying it is the spec increase only mere months after it's release. I love the phone, a few software problems, but that isn't a deal breaker. I was an early adopter and haven't really had any problems with it. Screen is great, no scratches, feels great in the hand. However between the two I wouldn't know what to pick. I love my Sensation and also want a Galaxy SII. It is really up to which one you can get your hands on. From what I can tell there is a better screen on the SII, but I prefer the resolution on the Sensation. However the Sensations speaker isn't fantastic, but I use headphones anyway so no big deal. Battery isn't too bad on the Sensation. I can easily get a days worth out of it. So to answer your question no I don't really regret the purchase.

I have no regrets. I have had to return two of them but the third one was perfectly fine. I had no problem returning them cause it never costed me a dime and I was never without a phone. If I were in the market today I wouldnt get it though. I would go for the Amaze. Also I am not a fan of Samsungs. They feel too light and cheap for me. I like my phones to feel like a solid piece of hardware and Samsungs just dont.

Thanks for the replies so far, much appreciated. I did actually post a similar thread in the Samsung forum a day or so ago.
I also posted my list of pros and cons over at the Hotukdeals site, would you say it's a fairly accurate list?
Galaxy S 2 Pros
S Amoled screen, great viewing angle
Better battery life than HTC?
Cons Plasticky/cheap finish?
Sensation Pros
High res screen
Build quality S
ense interface (OK, maybe just a plus for me)
Cons
Poor viewing angle P
oor battery life
Dust under screen issues (but not every phone) L
ooses Wifi signal in landscape/grip of death?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Nope, but I wouldn't get one right now.

UKseagull said:
Thanks for the replies so far, much appreciated. I did actually post a similar thread in the Samsung forum a day or so ago.
I also posted my list of pros and cons over at the Hotukdeals site, would you say it's a fairly accurate list?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Battery life is just fine. Never had dust under my screen. The viewing angles are actually pretty dang good. Bright whites was out to yellowish but all the others hold fine even to extreme angles.
The SAMOLED screen on the TMobile GS2 is bigger but lower resolution causing everything to be really big. Perhaps root will fix that.
I am SERIOUSLY loving InsertCoin 3.2.7 which is a Sense 3.5 rom. The only Rom I've ever tried that was nearly as smooth and fast was an AOSP Rom on my mytouch 4g. It's like buttered silk AND I have 200mb free ram.
My ONLY con now is the app storage or lack therof. Even the low volume speaker was fixed via ROM and Volume+

I don't regret it. Too bad I have to say goodbye though....its a solid device with a lot of ongoing support and tweaks.
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio

My main gripe about the Sensation is Sense 3.0. I've owned a heap of HTC devices and I'm just not sold on the new sense. There's an SGS2 on its way to me right now so I'll offer a more objective opinion when it arrives.

No regrets at all and it continues to rock with the Developers!

no regrets here at all. i have gone through alot of android phones through tmobile. i must admit this has been the best phone i have owned. If i was shopping for a new phone today i would go for the amaze over the sensation only bc of the higher specs. besides that this phone is amazing especially with CM installed. it felt like a brand new toy once i installed it

There is absolutely ZERO reason to get a Sensation right now (or ANY phone really), until the Nexus Prime details are (officially) revealed.
That being said, I also have zero regrets about purchasing the Sensation. It was hands-down *THE* absolute best phone for T-Mobile at the time and I've certainly loved using it for the past 4 months.
Bottom Line: If you're looking to purchase a smart phone in the near future, it would be foolish to not wait until the Nexus Prime is officially revealed. It has the potential to change the Android landscape, and while we don't regret OUR purchase of the Sensation, the Prime might make YOUR purchase an instant-regret. Just wait

I have to say yea i regret purchasing my Sensation. Not because of all the new Phones that are pretty much updated versions of it... but because of all the manufacture defects i've encountered.. such as dust build up around top and wedged in between the front camera that cannot be removed, Also randomly unresponsive screen due to static build up between the battery cover and pin. And the worst, a Screwed up headphone jack that decides to pause/play/skip music as well as make random calls whenever headphones are plugged in. Pisses me off that i need to carry an extra device (ipod) just so i can listen to music..
Im really conflicted as to what to do with my phone or whether i should switch to another device..
Samsung Galaxy S 2 has some great specs but the cheap flimsy plastic is a killer. (former Vibrant owner and hated the cheap toddler toy feel)
The HTC Amaze looks sexy as hell but at it turns out it has the same Battery cover design as the Sensation which will most likely lead back to Dust and unresponsive screen issues..
Hopes the Nexus Prime comes to tmobile and really hopes samsung doesnt screw it up by making it out of plastic so cheap that it makes a McDonald's toy look like a quality build

UKseagull said:
I'm trying to decide which mobile to buy and I've narrowed it down to the Sensation and the Galaxy S 2, I've had the HTC Desire which was fine but more recently I've had and returned 3 HTC Incredible S handsets. All 3 suffered with signal drop on the O2 network here at my home (the Desire seemed OK).
After looking through the Sensation forum, I'm getting concerned that HTC may be loosing a grip as far as standards go?
Now that you've owned your Sensation, what do you think? Would you still buy the Sensation if you were once again in the Market for a phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd definitely buy it again - I was also worried because of all the griping on this forum, but my Sensation's been perfect and it's the best HTC phone I've owned. Feels a lot better in the hand than the Galaxy S 2, has a better aspect ratio and (to me) a better, less over-saturated screen.
Plus, Sense 3.0 (with Android Revolution HD) is a dream to use.

I cant tell you how much I regret buying mine. Awesome hardware specs, huge screen, but HORRIBLE build quality and constant ongoing issues. In addition, Sense is just terrible and I do not think I will ever buy another Android phone that isnt bone stock with no carrier modifications. Its honestly not worth the headache waiting around for people to mod a ROM just so it can finally be up to par with a vanilla Nexus type phone IMO.

I bought my Sensation when it first came out in June. I have zero regrets buying it and it has been a great phone to date. I haven't really had any issues, although now I believe I have some dust under the screen. With that said, I still have no issue buying it then as it was the best phone on the market at the time. There is also tons of development for it - which I really like. I was actually looking at giving my wife the Sensation and upgrading to either the GS II or Amaze. I went and checked out both of those phones today and have to say I was underwhelmed. The GS II is big and has a plastic feel to it. I also noticed a lot of lag when scrolling thru the home screens and felt my Sensation (running ARHD ROM) was more responsive. Also, not really a fan of Touch Wiz. The Amaze is nice, and it is very similar to the Sensation. However I am not sure if it will get rooted (quickly) and the amount of development that it will get. Not sure if it's worth the upgrade.
My 02¢....hope it helps.

krayziebydaflesh said:
I have to say yea i regret purchasing my Sensation. Not because of all the new Phones that are pretty much updated versions of it... but because of all the manufacture defects i've encountered.. such as dust build up around top and wedged in between the front camera that cannot be removed, Also randomly unresponsive screen due to static build up between the battery cover and pin. And the worst, a Screwed up headphone jack that decides to pause/play/skip music as well as make random calls whenever headphones are plugged in. Pisses me off that i need to carry an extra device (ipod) just so i can listen to music..
Im really conflicted as to what to do with my phone or whether i should switch to another device..
Samsung Galaxy S 2 has some great specs but the cheap flimsy plastic is a killer. (former Vibrant owner and hated the cheap toddler toy feel)
The HTC Amaze looks sexy as hell but at it turns out it has the same Battery cover design as the Sensation which will most likely lead back to Dust and unresponsive screen issues..
Hopes the Nexus Prime comes to tmobile and really hopes samsung doesnt screw it up by making it out of plastic so cheap that it makes a McDonald's toy look like a quality build
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
curious as to why you haven't gotten a replacement

F no! And many ppl sayig manafactuer defects, I just think bad use.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium

Absolutely regret it. Sense was nowhere near optimized for the Sensation and it shows in the way that the fastest custom Sense ROMs for us are still a little bit slower than the newest stock HTC devices that run Sense 3.0. I will never buy a LCD screen phone again because it is worthless in the sunlight and is in general washed out in light. The speaker is bad; ROMs or Volume+ apps that barely increase the volume do not fix the fact that it is a hardware problem.
That said, I do enjoy tinkering with and using my Sensation. I still think it is perhaps the most beautiful looking device of the year, I enjoy the fact that we have decent dev support on here, and the screen res is enjoyable. I'm also really waiting to see what this phone can do with ICS and when CM7 comes out of Alpha or whatever (I'm very nitpicky and will only install full on ROMs that only have minor issues). In that sense, I'm enjoying what I can with this phone even though I wish I would have waited for a better one (but heck, I was put in a hard position because I had to get a new phone at the time the Sensation came out and it was the best Tmob phone available). But, if I was in the market for a new phone right now I would absolutely wait for the Nexus Prime. The SGSII seems like a good step up, but I would hesitate to get a phone that isn't a 100% upgrade over the Sensation (some things like the screen res are a step down).

I regret it. If I knew as much about this phone as I know now... I would've keep my Glacier.
Thing is a piece of crap, really. Sure, it has top specs... but software is a mess and build quality is dissapointing. I wanted to love it but I can't. Ready to sell if for whatever I can as soon as next Nexus device drops.
Sorry HTC, you really dropped the ball lately and I'm going to speak with my wallet from now on.

ZERO regrets.
I love this phone.
Amaze might be a slightly better hardware but it's ugly as F to me.
only thing XE offers is the headphones basically. Software we can get, no big.
having said that, if you are in the market now for a new phone I'd say wait til Nexus Prime is officially announced.
we don't know the full details yet but it should be a beast.

MT4G Design and construction, what do you think

hello this is my first post and i wanna know what is your opinion about My touch 4g design, construction, the name "mytouch 4g", or the mt4g logo it self.
and here is my opinion:
Design & Construction
i think mytouch 4g design is bit different with other HTC phones. most of HTC phones' design are boxy, minimalist and simple, but MT4G design is more in detail. like the phone speaker or the curved edge.
MT4G also have 4 physical buttons, which is on the new generation of HTC phones usually use touch sensitive button instead of physical button.
"My touch"
i live in Indonesia, and brand "my touch" sounds like cheap china's phones here. in my country there were tons of iphone imitations that use word "touch" for their brand. so when my friend saw this phone for the first time he ask me. "is it an i phone imitation?"
so what do you think about my touch 4g design, compared to other HTC phone or else, also the brand image in your country.
out of topic: you know what, dell's tablet "peju". in indonesia "peju" means sperm.

I think the myTouch line sucks when it comes to advertising and endorsing. And the build is great, but not as good as other HTC phones like the Legend, DHD, Thunderbolt, etc.
Tmobile really should have marketed this line a whole lot better. And the name should have been better than the "myTouch."
The Droid line is successful and popular because it has a kick ass name and good commercials.
The MT4G itself is a great phone, but to answer your question, I think tmobile dropped the ball on this one.
Powered by a G2x

mackster248 said:
I think the myTouch line sucks when it comes to advertising and endorsing. And the build is great, but not as good as other HTC phones like the Legend, DHD, Thunderbolt, etc.
Tmobile really should have marketed this line a whole lot better. And the name should have been better than the "myTouch."
The Droid line is successful and popular because it has a kick ass name and good commercials.
The MT4G itself is a great phone, but to answer your question, I think tmobile dropped the ball on this one.
Powered by a G2x
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Click to collapse
hey i just watch mt4g commercials on youtube. they were very funny. hahaha.
i don't know what happen between at&t and t-mobile but mt4g commercials just strengthen that mt4g is an iphone copy.

mackster248 said:
The MT4G itself is a great phone, but to answer your question, I think tmobile dropped the ball on this one.
Powered by a G2x
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Click to collapse
I agree somewhat.
The Mytouch 4g is a GREAT phone, if you get the 1 in a million unicorn mytouch with no build problems.
For others, it's an endless cycle or exchanging through tmobile/htc to get the perfect mytouch, which in my case, I still dont have. The FFC still crooked, small dust under screen... I went through 3 phones before I said F*CK it and went with this one.
Just look at the "how many times did you exchange your mt4g" thread at XDA and you will see how ****ty HTC build has become.
Sorry, but although I do like the MT4G, my next phone will be Samsung S2 or better (flame on for those samsuck h8ters)
---------- Post added at 09:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 PM ----------
PS. I forgot to mention the wonderful mysense experience and bloated software of the mytouch android OS.

h22aboi said:
I agree somewhat.
The Mytouch 4g is a GREAT phone, if you get the 1 in a million unicorn mytouch with no build problems.
For others, it's an endless cycle or exchanging through tmobile/htc to get the perfect mytouch, which in my case, I still dont have. The FFC still crooked, small dust under screen... I went through 3 phones before I said F*CK it and went with this one.
Just look at the "how many times did you exchange your mt4g" thread at XDA and you will see how ****ty HTC build has become.
Sorry, but although I do like the MT4G, my next phone will be Samsung S2 or better (flame on for those samsuck h8ters)
---------- Post added at 09:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 PM ----------
PS. I forgot to mention the wonderful mysense experience and bloated software of the mytouch android OS.
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Click to collapse
You know people can hate on Samsung all they want but their build quality and quality control is WAY better than any HTC. Even Sensation owners face similar problems as MT4G such as dust under the screen, creaks, touch screen unresponsiveness etc. And the list goes on.
They may be plastic, but Samsung phones are better IMO. HTC just has better software.

i agree on the name... Mytouch sounds cheap
i wish the Mytouch in the front was changed to HTC like the Panache.
but the codename GLACIER is amazingggg
overall, VERY nice phone.

At first glance, the MT4G feels like a high-end phone. It feels great in the hand, has the metal backing, no squeaks or creaks to the case, etc.
But at closer inspection, there are a lot of little build imperfections. My particular phone has these issues:
- badly off-centered front and rear cameras
- very loud physical buttons below the screen
- the glass over the screen is not centered (it is flush with the metal bezel on the right, but there is a noticeable gap between them on the left)
- lots of backlight bleed-threw around the screen and physical buttons
There's also the issues of good versus bad eMMC chips, and a huge difference in display quality between the Sharp and Sony SLCD screens.
My opinion is that the phone was designed very well, but the production department dropped the ball when it comes to choosing good components (screen and chip) and assembling the phones (my issues above). It's almost like since T-Mobile is a "budget" carrier, HTC doesn't take phones destined for the T-Mobile network very seriously. It's amazing many MT4G's made it through HTC quality control and out the door...

My opinion...great specs (for the time), uneven execution. I don't plan to upgrade anytime soon, but my phone is super creaky (buttons, battery cover), has so much dust under the lens I can't see the notifications in sunlight and has nearly all of the battery cover coating scratched off (by my fingernail, but still, wtf?). The design is a little ghetto fabulous as well, with all the disparate materials, finishes and design elements.

The myTouch 4G is not the best phone of its generation and the low resale value is rather telling when it comes to what people think of its build quality or its limited T-Mobile-only 3G connectivity, but I think the third-party developer potential for this phone is as good or better than its fellow 2010 model year phones, and it ended up being exactly what I was seeking in my contract-free price range. The only other choices on my radar were the older HTC HD2 and HTC Desire, but the Glacier is a much better piece of hardware.
I'm sure nobody here wants to read this, but to me, the myTouch 4G bears a slight superficial resemblance to the old iPhone form factor with buttons with the rounded, chrome-trimmed bezel. However, the greater angle of the rounded edges, front camera, larger screen, and physical buttons all help give the phone its own character. The physical buttons are a plus for me because I like the tactile feedback even though we've all adapted to not feel a need for it anymore.
The design of the phone is good, but the execution and build has been inconsistent from the good and bad screens and eMMC chips to the tightness of the assembly. I'm extremely meticulous, which made getting a phone off of eBay time-consuming with all the questions I was asking the sellers. Fortunately, I got one in mint condition with a good screen, no dust, no scratches, no backlight bleed, and no creaking whatsoever. The front camera is slightly off-center, but it doesn't bother me at all. I was initially concerned about having a bad eMMC, but it didn't get in the way of rooting.
As for the myTouch moniker, it's not great, but I'm not big on names in general unless they are completely awful. This is what T-Mobile chose to name their flagship line and it is recognizable as one of the better pieces of hardware on the market at its given launch date. At least it was, until now with the new LG junk that doesn't compare to the myTouch 4G Slide. I guess it's better than the crap they've unveiled under the Sidekick name.
mniroy said:
hey i just watch mt4g commercials on youtube. they were very funny. hahaha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carly Foulkes. That is all.
el_smurfo said:
has nearly all of the battery cover coating scratched off (by my fingernail, but still, wtf?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, keep scratching.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1030367

I own the G2 and this phone. Both had little quirks however I fixed my hinge on the g2 and as for the mytouch, you can't fix the quirks can u?
Its great, it looks pretty sexy but the logo is ugly, and mine creaks on the left side. Still no idea how to get the creaks out.
Specwise its great. Even the screen is nice, I don't have phone envy.
I feel sorry for the poor saps buying new phones just to update to gingerbread or get a faster processing speed.
Its sexier then the cellphone I used ten years ago.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

I don't have any of the problems that all these other people are experiencing. Maybe I just got lucky my phone. The only annoying thing to me is the logo an the lack of a power mat charger( I have to use the cube). My emmc chip is a good one, then screen is the better one also. Never had to change my phone since I bought it in February. No connection issues for me, better yet I never had a single issue with this phone, once.
From my fist to your face, enjoy.

I also have had zero build problems. Phone is decent spec wise for its time, easy to root and mod, and has a solid feel for its construction. I'm running Faux's CM Nexus Gingerbread 1.3.1.
The MT4G replaced my N1, which is now my back-up phone in case something does ever break. But, even though my N1 is rooted and has a custom rom (Oxygen GB 2.3.7), I find I seldom go back to it because MT4G has more ram, more storage memory, 2nd gen. processor (can OC to 1.84 but is usually at 1.1) and a far better camera for still pictures and 720p video. The only slight edge I would give the N1, which admittedly is older, is the benefit of an Amoled screen for power usage; though both screens are bright and clear enough. Otherwise, both of these phones did everything I needed them to.

screen
I just wished the 4g had 4 inch screen

Me too man, more internal storage
also. I find it funny that whenever I go on engadget (bad site I kno) and read something pertaining to android, there are so many people complaining about how it soo buggy and has so many FCs.Personally I have gotten atmost 10 FCs (mostly with this truly buggy youtube google failed on) with this phone using stock (go launcher ex tho). I have owned this phone since december, got really lucky to not have any hardware issues either. So basically I love my phone Lol!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

mackster248 said:
They may be plastic, but Samsung phones are better IMO. HTC just has better software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1... bad screens, bad emmc, off centered ffc... wtf? i don't think i've ever been through this many replacement phones...
had an allegiance to htc, but after this, i'm left wanting to try something better...

cbutt said:
+1... bad screens, bad emmc, off centered ffc... wtf? i don't think i've ever been through this many replacement phones...
had an allegiance to htc, but after this, i'm left wanting to try something better...
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Click to collapse
I agree... quality control from HTC is practically nonexistant. I still would rather have an HTC phone though as long as it's not too bad, because I can't imagine going without their software. Sense is beautiful.

crawler9 said:
I agree... quality control from HTC is practically nonexistant. I still would rather have an HTC phone though as long as it's not too bad, because I can't imagine going without their software. Sense is beautiful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
samsung UI is crap.

saranhai said:
samsung UI is crap.
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That's just a biased opinion.
It doesn't look as pretty as Sense, but is way faster and much smoother. Plus it has awesome video codecs that no other ROM has.

mackster248 said:
That's just a biased opinion.
It doesn't look as pretty as Sense, but is way faster and much smoother. Plus it has awesome video codecs that no other ROM has.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if we talking about touchwiz 4.0, yes it's good, but touchwiz 3.0 is ugly.
i think Samsung's phone like a race cars, it has a powerful hardware but its interior is very simple and lack of features, its interior is designed just to make it go fast. HTC's phone is like a exotic cars with wooden dashboard, leather interior, and full of features.
then let say, samsung galaxy s II is ferari fxx, then mytouch 4g is aston martin db9.

mackster248 said:
That's just a biased opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any other kind of opinion?
It is true that version 4.0 makes TouchWiz look a lot better than it used to, but it's nowhere near as nice looking as Sense.

First Impressions HTC Doubleshot

Coming from a G2, I wanted to give you guys some insight of my initial impressions of the Doubleshot in Khaki...
THINNESS: The absolute first thing I noticed when I picked up this phone is how thin it is. It is remarkable how HTC can cram a keyboard into a phone this thin. It's only about 1mm thinner than my old G2, but wow what a difference it makes.
SCREEN: Definitely better than the G2, even though it's the same resolution and size. Somehow, it's a bit brighter and a bit sharper. Not anything extraordinary better, but the S-LCD makes a difference. It seems that under battery usage the screen takes up a good percentage. The S-LCD must take a lot more power than the G2 with its super TFT screen. I usually see the percentage for the screen around 50%.
BUILD QUALITY: This is where the phone starts to decline. The build is very solid and tight, but it feels very slick in the hand. Back cover is completely smooth. Every time I slip it in my pocket and take it out, I'm scared of dropping the phone. It's so thin that it's hard to grip. Difficult to slide the keyboard out as well, due to thinness. I wish there was some rubberized material around the phone, or soft touch finish on the G2. Even though it's a high end phone, the build still feels cheap. Apart from the few metal accents (such as around the rim of the phone), it's all plastic. Which makes me wonder why it's so heavy...
I have noticed that DUST does seem to get caught in the gap between the screen and the main keys. It could end up under your screen if you're not careful. It's understandable given the keys are actual buttons and not a part of the digitizer. Usually whenever I see dust starting to get caught, I take a piece of paper and just run the edge through the gap. It gets all the dust out.
SPEED: You can tell this phone is fast. Even on the stock rom, I knew this phone would be very fast. RAM seems limited though, with about 140mb for you to use once everything is loaded (stock rom). Curiously, benchmarks show much lower ratings than my old G2 OCed to 1.5 GHz. The phone is faster for sure though. Games to used to lag, no longer do. Even when running multiple apps, the phone does not slow down at all. Running a senseless rom, I have peak RAM anywhere from 275 up to 300MB free, with almost all background tasks killed, apart from a few essentials.
KEYBOARD: Oh boy, did HTC drop the ball on this one... Throughout all the android qwertys I have owned, this sadly has to be the worst. It will definitely take some time to get used to. Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>G2>MyTouch 4G Slide, in terms of keyboard rank for the phones I have used so far. The keys are fairly flat and have very little response and feedback. Very slick and hard to feel for. I appreciate the fact that the phone is so thin, but I'd rather have a slightly thicker phone phone to accommodate one of my main input mechanisms. With time, you can get used to anything though.
After spending a few days with the keyboard, I am glad to say it's much better. The first day or two felt terrible with this keyboard. Almost no feedback at all. But the more you use it, the more you pick up on the slight feedback YOU DO get from it. It's like trying to find the pulse on an old diabetic patient. The more you look for it, the more you will find it.
This may be personal grooming, but I've noticed that it's easier to type on the keyboard after having cut my nails than when they have grown out. It makes your finger a bit smaller and a little easier to feel for feedback, just saying...
SPEAKERPHONE: This speaker is much louder and deeper sounding than the one in the G2. Although it does get covered easily and the sound gets muffled out almost complete. This is a bad placement. For example, if you reach into you pocket to get your phone, your hand automatically covers the sound vent and then no one can hear your cool ringtone
Speakerphone still has the same flaws as I mentioned before. When playing a game in landscape mode, you do tend to cover the speaker when you're not paying attention. And then you wonder where the sound suddenly went and why it disappeared.
CAMERA: I haven't found a single scenario where this camera has not amazed me yet. It is truly stunning that a camera could be this good in a phone. Every time I have taken a picture with another phone, I always try to justify how bad it is, with the fact that it's only a camera phone and not a dedicated camera. But with the Doubleshot, I have to wonder at why I even need my camera for about 90% of my shots anymore. There has not been a single scenario where the camera has performed subpar so far. Flash is very good on this camera. Does not interfere with the photo quality at all. Usually the LED is placed so close to the camera lens, that it interferes with the image quality and actually makes the picture look worse. That was the case with every other camera phone that I have had. But not with this one.
HEADPHONE JACK: I have noticed that the headphone jack isn't ideally placed. It off to an angle if you look closely, and that could prove to be a wear issue on your buds, especially if the connector is a straight plug. It's much better to text with though, because it allows your fingers to get situated well around the phone when texting and have headphones plugged in at the same time.
BATTERY: There's no other way of putting it, the battery life is going to be bad. I'm not the kind of person that believes in toning a phone down to get better battery life, but with this phone you may have to. Realistically, with light-moderate use a user will get about 8 hours of run time before the battery is dead. The vast majority of users have said that the aftermarket Anker battery proves to be MUCH better vs stock.
My setup: 100% brightness, wifi always on, no mobile data, gmail push, pulse reader updates every hour, fancy widget GPS weather every 15 mins, and display on for collective time of 1 hour. I get about 10-12 hours on a charge (mainly because I don't use mobile data).
Will update this review the more I get acquainted with my new baby

I recently switched from a G2 as well and thought the same thing about the keyboard. After about a week you get used to it.
Sent from my HTC myTouch_4G_Slide using XDA App

gtmaster303 said:
...
SPEED: You can tell this phone is fast. Even on the stock rom, I knew this phone would be very fast. RAM seems limited though, with about 140mb for you to use once everything is loaded (stock rom).
...
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Click to collapse
I know this is a review of first impressions, and I appreciate that window into what someone thinks coming from a different device. This is the first android cellular device i've owned (second device total - nook color being the other) and I have no basis of comparison. This device IS my entry to the smartphone scene, so posts like this give me great insight.
( I quoted the RAM part because this is a function of the BLOAT in the stock ROM, if you cut out all the BS you can easily climb above 200 megs waiting and ready on boot. Don't forget a certain amount is not user accessible, due to being allocated for system use ( CPU/GPU etc...) But this is a first impressions thread, so not trying to take away from that, just trying to bring awareness )

gtmaster303 said:
Coming from a G2, I wanted to give you guys some insight of my initial impressions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good review, and I agree with all of it.
as others have said, you get used to the keyboard, and in the end it seems no worse (at least to me).
I recommend getting a case for this bad boy, helps with the slickness, and protects against damage. There is a thread in accessories forum that details various options. Well worth the 10-20 spent in my opinion.

Honestly, I warrantied three phones until I got one in which the keyboard gave me some kind of response. My keys actually click now.

Am I the only one who forgot about the keyboard as soon as I saw how fast it was?
Plus you didn't say anything about the camera. It is such a great improvement from what we had on the G2. I actually haven't come across a phone with a camera that can perfom as well as this in low light with no flash!
Also the front facing camera is something I always felt the G2 was missing right from the day I bought it. It makes skype so much more usable and makes sense in actually flashing a rom with the video gtalk app.
Plus let me be the first to mention this in the DS forum. I HATED WHERE THEY PUT THE SD CARD IN THE G2! FUUUUUU! It was so annoying to have to shut down your phone just to take out the card. I used to load up movies and series for when am on the go/on the road a lot on a seperate card. What is the "eject external card" for if I had to freaking yank out the battery just to get to it?!
Another thing to note is that as much as people may hate on the DoubleShot's earpiece I overlook that because now I have a fully visible notification LED,and not hidden behind a mesh which sometimes made it not clearly visible when outdoors...
The soft coating on the G2 too was a disadvantage as it was so much easier to pick up scratches and scuffs than the DS. Infact thanks to my worry that DS would suffer the same fate, I ordered the rubberised hard cover on the same day I ordered the DS.
The hinge on the G2 was a cool feature but when it finally got loose, I hated it more than I ever fancied it in the first place. I'm glad that the DS comes with a really tight slider which no amount of shock/fall could force it open.
The G2 got the 3 shortcut keys on the Keyboard, the DS got the home, menu and back buttons. Which imo makes me spend more time on the keyboard with the DS than the G2 coz am able to navigate faster and easier with the keyboard on it. I know you may not agree with me but that too makes the DS's keyboard feel more complete than that of the G2.
Another thing I felt was a bit of a failure on the G2 was the back of the top hinge which was stuck with adhesive which you had to peel off to expose the screws. For a device that is praised for its 'solid and partly metalic buid' I really didn't like the idea of using parts that were stuck to the external body with adhesive. I haven't pulled apart the DS yet, but at least the finish on the back part of the slider seems to be much better.
I don't hate the G2, it was an excellent phone, but there things about it that make me feel am much better off with the DS.
sent via a Phone Booth

gtmaster303 said:
BUILD QUALITY: This is where the phone starts to decline. The build is very solid and tight, but it feels very slick in the hand. Back cover is completely smooth. Every time I slip it in my pocket and take it out, I'm scared of dropping the phone. It's so thin that it's hard to grip. Difficult to slide the keyboard out as well. I wish there was some rubberized material around the phone, or soft touch finish on the G2. Even though it's a high end phone, the build still feels cheap. Apart from the few metal accents (such as around the rim of the phone), it's all plastic. Which makes me wonder why it's so heavy...
KEYBOARD: Oh boy, did HTC drop the ball on this one... Throughout all the android qwertys I have owned, this sadly has to be the worst. It will definitely take some time to get used to. Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>G2>MyTouch 4G Slide, in terms of keyboard rank for the phones I have used so far. The keys are fairly flat and have very little response and feedback. Very slick and hard to feel for. I appreciate the fact that the phone is so thin, but I'd rather have a slightly thicker phone phone to accommodate one of my main input mechanisms. With time, you can get used to anything though
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Disagree with the build quality, to be honest. I don't really mind the weight of the phone, it feels nice in the hand. Strong plastics are better to make a phone anyways because it isn't as easily deformed.
I definitely agree with the keyboard though. Coming from a Model M, I was expecting a little more from the keyboard. I almost *always* accidentally hit "B" when trying to hit the backspace. I wish the keyboard had *slightly* more raised keys as well as requiring a bit more force to get a key to register.

Limewirelord said:
Disagree with the build quality, to be honest. I don't really mind the weight of the phone, it feels nice in the hand. Strong plastics are better to make a phone anyways because it isn't as easily deformed.
I definitely agree with the keyboard though. Coming from a Model M, I was expecting a little more from the keyboard. I almost *always* accidentally hit "B" when trying to hit the backspace. I wish the keyboard had *slightly* more raised keys as well as requiring a bit more force to get a key to register.
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I don't mind the weight, it's just there's not enough metal to justify it. If it has that much plastic in it, it should definitely be lighter.
Overall, the phone is very well built. Solid but not as premium feeling as you would expect.

Coming from the G2 as well, I'd have to say the Keyboard is a lot worse as well. I actually wish they had the MT4GS's design similar to the G2's. I loved the way the G2 lifted up to slide.

gtmaster303 said:
BUILD QUALITY: This is where the phone starts to decline. The build is very solid and tight, but it feels very slick in the hand. Back cover is completely smooth. Every time I slip it in my pocket and take it out, I'm scared of dropping the phone.
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I'm gonna guess that you have the kahki one, then? I've had both and I can tell you, the khaki one is WAY slicker than the black. With the khaki one, I almost dropped it every time I pulled it out of my pocket. It was just so freakin' slippery everywhere. The black one is a more grippy, soft-touch kind of material and it's far easier to hold onto.
So if you really can't take it and don't want a case, check on eBay for OEM black battery covers. The one I'm using now is the khaki phone with a black battery door. Still shiny and reflective bezels but a nice grippy battery door. Best of both worlds.

ryaninc said:
I'm gonna guess that you have the kahki one, then? I've had both and I can tell you, the khaki one is WAY slicker than the black. With the khaki one, I almost dropped it every time I pulled it out of my pocket. It was just so freakin' slippery everywhere. The black one is a more grippy, soft-touch kind of material and it's far easier to hold onto.
So if you really can't take it and don't want a case, check on eBay for OEM black battery covers. The one I'm using now is the khaki phone with a black battery door. Still shiny and reflective bezels but a nice grippy battery door. Best of both worlds.
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Wow, that's a great observation. Yes, I am using the khaki cover. I will see if I can switch with my friend because she has a case over her black one anyway
Thanks for the tip! You solved the issue exactly how I would've liked.

gtmaster303 said:
Wow, that's a great observation. Yes, I am using the khaki cover. I will see if I can switch with my friend because she has a case over her black one anyway
Thanks for the tip! You solved the issue exactly how I would've liked.
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I'm using the PowerMat Battery case. Gives it a nice weight, and grip. Only 10-20USD on T-Mobile.Com.
Sent from my HTC myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk

gtmaster303 said:
Wow, that's a great observation. Yes, I am using the khaki cover. I will see if I can switch with my friend because she has a case over her black one anyway
Thanks for the tip! You solved the issue exactly how I would've liked.
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No problem, glad to help. I never would have figured it out unless I'd owned both the khaki and black ones personally. It was pretty startling how much more slippery the khaki one was.

As I keep saying, this phone is a real beast. HTC needs to start listening to its consumer base again and give us vanilla Android and stop screwing us.
Delivered via candygram for Mr. Mongo.

I have added/updated the review to include the headphone jack and battery

gtmaster303 said:
BATTERY: There's no other way of putting it, the battery life is going to be bad. I'm not the kind of person that believes in toning a phone down to get better battery life, but with this phone you may have to. Realistically, with light-moderate use a user will get about 8 hours of run time before the battery is dead. The vast majority of users have said that the aftermarket Anker battery proves to be MUCH better vs stock.
My setup: 100% brightness, wifi always on, no mobile data, gmail push, pulse reader updates every hour, fancy widget GPS weather every 15 mins, and display on for collective time of 1 hour. I get about 10-12 hours on a charge (mainly because I don't use mobile data).
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Yep, anker is the right solution for someone that wants something better then the absolute fail the HTC battery represents.
If you want a perfect solution, Mugen is a better answer, but I personally run anker in one phone, both my stock batteries in the other, and the difference is drastically noticeable.
@ 1.7GHz with tv-out and using FPSE to emulate a playstation, I get just under 3 hours of steady gameplay before it starts to reduce performance at around 18% coming from anywhere between 95-100%.
I wouldn't be so mad at HTC about the battery issue if it just died fast, but the battery causes a significant amount of heat under heavier use, and that damages the device itself. That is unforgivable, even taking into consideration that HTC is not a battery company.
For someone using the device as a phone and minimal other use, the stock battery is likely -just- sufficient.
For anyone cracking open even a sliver of the machines potential it instantly becomes a liability, before any of the standard gripes about battery life on a phone.
(remember - dual core processor - it will eat more juice then a single core phone on avergage, but use less to get big jobs done)

Blue6IX said:
I know this is a review of first impressions, and I appreciate that window into what someone thinks coming from a different device. This is the first android cellular device i've owned (second device total - nook color being the other) and I have no basis of comparison. This device IS my entry to the smartphone scene, so posts like this give me great insight.
( I quoted the RAM part because this is a function of the BLOAT in the stock ROM, if you cut out all the BS you can easily climb above 200 megs waiting and ready on boot. Don't forget a certain amount is not user accessible, due to being allocated for system use ( CPU/GPU etc...) But this is a first impressions thread, so not trying to take away from that, just trying to bring awareness )
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I think people shouldn't harp on "free ram". In this environment its a good thing for memory to be used. Android was designed to be used on mobile devices. The way that it handles memory is much more efficient to say a PC running Windows. With a decent task manager or view you would see that while they are taking up memory (which is otherwise unused) they are not using any cpu cycles. This allows for a much more fast feeling and fluid experience.
Let's say I use Opera the browser, later I decide I want to watch youtube videos. When ever I decide to go back to Opera its being pulled from ram rather than internal or external storage.
When you really need the ram for an application, game, etc Android will automatically unload which ever inactive process it deems necessary.
I do agree that the stock rom comes with excessive bloatware and other unnecessary features. I use JKILO's deoxed rooted stock rom in which I absolutely remove all the bloat and extra features I don't need or use. Runs amazing now, no need for OC in my opinion.

The only thing that bothered me when I first got this phone were the random reboots stock sometimes had. Other than that the phone was and still is awesome especially coming from the old mytouch 3G.

revo420 said:
I think people shouldn't harp on "free ram". In this environment its a good thing for memory to be used. Android was designed to be used on mobile devices. The way that it handles memory is much more efficient to say a PC running Windows. With a decent task manager or view you would see that while they are taking up memory (which is otherwise unused) they are not using any cpu cycles. This allows for a much more fast feeling and fluid experience.
Let's say I use Opera the browser, later I decide I want to watch youtube videos. When ever I decide to go back to Opera its being pulled from ram rather than internal or external storage.
When you really need the ram for an application, game, etc Android will automatically unload which ever inactive process it deems necessary.
I do agree that the stock rom comes with excessive bloatware and other unnecessary features. I use JKILO's deoxed rooted stock rom in which I absolutely remove all the bloat and extra features I don't need or use. Runs amazing now, no need for OC in my opinion.
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Agreed, which is why task killers are so bad.
The reason I mentioned the RAM was because what is using it is as important as having it - when I said over 200 megs sitting waiting and ready was to show what was available for user consumption on the apps of THEIR choosing and not HTC or T-Mo.
Given that this is a first-impressions thread, I thought it might be good to see just how much the carrier-level Bloat had an effect on that experience.
Definitely good counsel to let Android handle the RAM, and keep that management out of the userspace level.