Anyone else considering the Photon ? - Nexus S Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I've got 4 days left on my new NS4G 30 day trial to exchange for something else - I thought only a GalaxyS2 release would tempt me away but the reaction to the Photon has been far better than I expected. I had a few minutes to fiddle with it earlier today and it feels lighter and better to handle than the EVO3g(to me), the screen is brighter but not quite as clear as the NS4G - whats got me tempted are all the positive comments on reception and call quality.
NS4G is my 1st droid phone and I love the form factor, screen and overall customization - only complaints are the speakerphone(sounds fine on my end, but many complaints on the other end and I have the current update), and reception is occasionally spotty/weak. I'm aware of the current(and maybe permanent) locked bootloader on the Photon and love the future option to easily root/customize the NS4g (the only motivation to do now would be phantom tethering for 4g, and 4g in Indy is basically non-existent). I like the idea of a future laptop interface for the Photon but the current Atrix seems pricey.
I'm going to spend some more time with the Photon but its never the same until you have one, and given only 3 weeks with the NS4G i want to make sure I'm not missing something and get 'stuck'. - any feedback appreciated.

gmore1 said:
I've got 4 days left on my new NS4G 30 day trial to exchange for something else - I thought only a GalaxyS2 release would tempt me away but the reaction to the Photon has been far better than I expected. I had a few minutes to fiddle with it earlier today and it feels lighter and better to handle than the EVO3g(to me), the screen is brighter but not quite as clear as the NS4G - whats got me tempted are all the positive comments on reception and call quality.
NS4G is my 1st droid phone and I love the form factor, screen and overall customization - only complaints are the speakerphone(sounds fine on my end, but many complaints on the other end and I have the current update), and reception is occasionally spotty/weak. I'm aware of the current(and maybe permanent) locked bootloader on the Photon and love the future option to easily root/customize the NS4g (the only motivation to do now would be phantom tethering for 4g, and 4g in Indy is basically non-existent). I like the idea of a future laptop interface for the Photon but the current Atrix seems pricey.
I'm going to spend some more time with the Photon but its never the same until you have one, and given only 3 weeks with the NS4G i want to make sure I'm not missing something and get 'stuck'. - any feedback appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NS4G is your first Android phone. Unless you are a Verizon customer you do not own a Droid.
Seeing as the photon has been rooted, I would chose the photon over the nexus. The upside of the nexus is it will receive the next Android update long before the photon does.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Photon's nice, but I can't get away from the S-Amoled Screen. I'm spoiled by it.
Photon has the qHD screen, which is the 540x960 resolution that everyone seems to really like. I think 480x800 (Nexus S screen) is fine the way it is. Although I toyed with the EVO 3D and wouldn't mind a 540x960 resolution on super amoled. Yep...I did it again, went off topic with personal opinion!!!

Just spent a good 1/2 hour with the Photon at the Sprint store - screen is probably a trade-off for me... Photon bigger and brighter, NS4g better detail and better colors. Love the size of the NS4G but the P wasn't too hard to get use to. Call and speakerphone quality was a big plus for the P. No-one could really answer whether the tethering/hotspot in 3G was 'free' or not(they believe it to be a paid-for service on both phones-not so far for me on NS4G...obviously without overuse), Was able to activate it on the phone in store as with the NS4G and doubt the store phone was set-up with it as a paid service but maybe???
Gonna sleep on it and probably pull the trigger tomorrow.
Saw the root on the Photon - don't have a need for the dock, but sure a 'stand-alone root' coming soon.

locked bootloader
/thread

Related

Need help, great opportunity for me.

Well I contacted the retentions department at AT&T and the lady I spoke to was extremely nice. Basically, the deal is:
- I get $20 for the next three months
- I get to keep my Captivate
- I get to choose any AT&T phone except the iPhone come May 9
- The Atrix will be available to me for $150 in May
Questions:
1. What should I do with my Captivate? I have to use it till May, but should I sell it then? How much would I be able to get? I don't really want to give it to my mom because it has so many problems.
2. How does the Atrix compare to the Captivate? I really want an exact, extensive breakdown.
3. When May comes, will there be a better phone to get than the Atrix?
__________________
Samsung Captivate, Rooted, Flashed with godonlyknows custom ROM.
I guess another option is the SGS2.
Tennis11 said:
I guess another option is the SGS2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
never again.
Yeah, I'll probably run away from samsung, fast.
Good idea?
1. Don't know how much you can get for it. A quick way to check would to be to simply go on ebay and do a search. You can also hang on to it and use it as a backup or a developer phone, if you're into that sort of thing.
2. Are you asking for a breakdown of hardware differences or overall user experience? Hardware differences are that the Atrix has a dual code tegra2 cpu (each core at 1ghz) though I'm pretty sure it isn't being utilized properly with the current firmware, qHD 540x960 LCD panel as the display, 1930mAh battery, 1024mb ddr2 ram, hdmi port, ships with android 2.2.. probably some other stuff I'm leaving out.
Reports regarding user experience vary. Some people like it and say it is very responsive, others say the screen, while very sharp, is dull and doesn't have nearly the color depth of amoled screens, and hate the fact that it ships filled with unremoveable bloatware, sideloading disabled, and general ATT douchebaggery. Just browse around and read some reviews. Engadget had a pretty decent one.
The thing that kills the Atrix for me is that Motorola insists on busting everyone's balls by shipping it with a signed/encrypted bootloader, and signed system files. Quite honestly, I'd prefer my Captivate to the Atrix for this reason alone.
3. The HTC Inspire 4g, Samsung Infuse 4g and Atrix 4g will all be out around May (or at least that's what I've read), if you insist on staying with ATT. Not sure about what will be released on other carriers, but I also hear that the Sony XPeria ARC is a good one to look out for.
If you are always waiting for the next best phone you will always be waiting. Jump ship when you are bored
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
At the top of your screen you will see a link for the device DB. Use it to compare the the Atrix to well what ever you want. They are right though if you are always waiting for the next big thing then you will always be waiting. It seems with the speed at which things are progressing there will always be something newer in or around the 3 to 6 month point.
Tennis11 said:
Well I contacted the retentions department at AT&T and the lady I spoke to was extremely nice. Basically, the deal is:
- I get $20 for the next three months
- I get to keep my Captivate
- I get to choose any AT&T phone except the iPhone come May 9
- The Atrix will be available to me for $150 in May
Questions:
1. What should I do with my Captivate? I have to use it till May, but should I sell it then? How much would I be able to get? I don't really want to give it to my mom because it has so many problems.
2. How does the Atrix compare to the Captivate? I really want an exact, extensive breakdown.
3. When May comes, will there be a better phone to get than the Atrix?
__________________
Samsung Captivate, Rooted, Flashed with godonlyknows custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I picked up a Atrix today. I also have a Captivate. The first thing you will notice is the difference in screens. Some people will say one is better than the other, but it is all user perception. Some people like saturated colors(AMOLED) some people don't. It's best to take a look at one in the store. I do not mind the Atrix screen, after a week of use probably won't notice the colors not being saturated anymore.
I think I am impressed the most with the battery. The battery on my Captivate killed me, I was always trickle charging. Even after the first charge on the Atrix the battery runs circles around my Captivate.
For people complaining about the Atrix being sluggish, I haven't noticed it. Stock it pulled a little over 2500 in Quadrant, my Captivate with yesterdays leaked Froyo pulled barley over 1000 at stock. Hopefully this will only improve once 2.4 is released with dual core support. Text is alot clearer for me. The high resolution makes everything smaller so that takes a little getting used to, but its a good thing. Fingerprint scanner is actually nice and works great. HDMI out is pretty sweet to have finally. I thought it was supposed to have a FM radio, but doesn't. GPS works great, it is nice to have a working GPS again. Overall the phone is a beast. The only disappointment I have and it is a big.... the signed bootloader is bogus.
The Samsung Infuse might be out by then, but like alot of others here...."never again"
I'm curious as to how you got ATT to agree to this? Did you have a history of problems? How long are you into your captivate contract?

Any1 upgrade from Incredible?

Hey guys,
Currently have the incredible and love it but I need a bigger screen. Im due for an upgrade and like the charge. Would Anyone who upgraded to it from an incredible be down to post their experiences?
Thanks,
Sent from my 2.3.5 Incredible Obsession
bigsapz said:
Hey guys,
Currently have the incredible and love it but I need a bigger screen. Im due for an upgrade and like the charge. Would Anyone who upgraded to it from an incredible be down to post their experiences?
Thanks,
Sent from my 2.3.5 Incredible Obsession
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on you want. There is not nearly the amount of roms to choose from as there is for the DInc, but the ones we do have are great. If I had an upgrade, and was in your situation, I'd wait for the SGS2 or HTC Vigor. The Charge is a great phone but I wouldn't use an upgrade on it considering what is coming in the near future. Just my opinion though.
I did this in a roundabout way in that I used the Incredible for a year before getting my Charge, but I didn't use an upgrade (one of my kids had the Fascinate, but since he doesn't live in a 4G coverage area, I replaced his Fascinate with my Incredible and appropriated the Charge). I can say that I'm much happier with the phone having gotten it for free than I would be if I had paid for it, but overall quite pleased.
The Charge has has better:
-Battery life (by around 40%)
-Screen (I had both the SLCD and OLED DIncs- SAMOLED+ blows both away)
-Usability (screen size is much better for typing accuracy)
-Multimedia experience- SGX540 trounces the rather dated Adreno200
-Audio quality- especially with Voodoo Sound
-Bootloader design- ODIN mode is great for recovering from ****ups
Things that really don't impact my opinion
-4G is incredible in theory- in practice, Google Music and Netflix could both stream just fine over good old EV-DO RevA, and for anything else I need to download I have home wifi and 25Mbit Comcast Xfinity, so it's still sort of unnecessary. It is cool to be able to say my phone has a faster broadband connection than my home.... I'm regularly seeing 30mbit down/6 up. I'm not using it as a hotspot as I don't feel like either shelling out or risking my service, and I will say that I'm using 3-4x the data on LTE than I did over 3G, with better battery life as previously mentioned.
-Overall usability- the Hummingbird is a tad quicker than the Snapdragon, but overall I always found the DInc to be a quite responsive phone- no problems with either
-Call quality- though the Charge has a dual mic setup, they both sound the same on my end. Hard to find fault with Verizon.
Things that I still have to hand to the Incredible
-I have the Charge in an Otterbox Commuter to protect its incredibly vulnerable back shell. While this gives it a great solid feel in the hand, it also makes it a bit on the difficult side to slide in and out of pockets. The DInc was a very convenient size.
-ROM selection is way better for the DInc- though, let's be honest, I didn't care about anything else once CM7 for DInc was out. Here's hoping it hits the Charge soon.
Final thoughts- rumor has it the Bionic could be out within a week, but even if that's premature it's certainly not more than a month away. The Galaxy S2 and HTC Vigor are also both right around the corner. The Charge is about to be replaced as a flagship model. My approval of it is tempered by the fact that I got it for free. You may want to hold off a bit.
I came from the Droid incredible as well and echo the posts above. The charge is an upgrade but at this point just wait for gs2, vigor, or nexus.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
I came from the Dinc which I treasured. The dev community was awesome for the Dinc but I love eclipse.
Not sure why you would wait for the sgs2, it may not have 4G.
And the Bionic is just a bigger droid 3 with 4G. Of course to each his own, and I personally saw the samoled+ and just had to have it. I could have waited for the bionic or sgs2 but why? Whatever phone you get, im sure you will love. Afterall, they all do just about the same thing.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
I upgraded from the Dinc a couple of months ago and I'm semi happy with my upgrade. The 2 main reasons to upgrade to this phone are the screen and 4G. I guess it depends how important those two things are to you. All the phones coming out in the next couple of months will probably have those two things AND have upgraded processors, RAM, etc. So if I were in your shoes, I would wait a couple of months to see what else is coming out.
I came from the Incredible and am in love with mCharge. Has the hardkey buttons and 4g. Plus the screen it was everything I wanted. Before I got the Charge I was considering waiting on the Bionic but I personally am happy with the choice I made.
Sent from my GummyCHARGED Charge using Tapatalk
MillionManMosh said:
I did this in a roundabout way in that I used the Incredible for a year before getting my Charge, but I didn't use an upgrade (one of my kids had the Fascinate, but since he doesn't live in a 4G coverage area, I replaced his Fascinate with my Incredible and appropriated the Charge). I can say that I'm much happier with the phone having gotten it for free than I would be if I had paid for it, but overall quite pleased.
The Charge has has better:
-Battery life (by around 40%)
-Screen (I had both the SLCD and OLED DIncs- SAMOLED+ blows both away)
-Usability (screen size is much better for typing accuracy)
-Multimedia experience- SGX540 trounces the rather dated Adreno200
-Audio quality- especially with Voodoo Sound
-Bootloader design- ODIN mode is great for recovering from ****ups
Things that really don't impact my opinion
-4G is incredible in theory- in practice, Google Music and Netflix could both stream just fine over good old EV-DO RevA, and for anything else I need to download I have home wifi and 25Mbit Comcast Xfinity, so it's still sort of unnecessary. It is cool to be able to say my phone has a faster broadband connection than my home.... I'm regularly seeing 30mbit down/6 up. I'm not using it as a hotspot as I don't feel like either shelling out or risking my service, and I will say that I'm using 3-4x the data on LTE than I did over 3G, with better battery life as previously mentioned.
-Overall usability- the Hummingbird is a tad quicker than the Snapdragon, but overall I always found the DInc to be a quite responsive phone- no problems with either
-Call quality- though the Charge has a dual mic setup, they both sound the same on my end. Hard to find fault with Verizon.
Things that I still have to hand to the Incredible
-I have the Charge in an Otterbox Commuter to protect its incredibly vulnerable back shell. While this gives it a great solid feel in the hand, it also makes it a bit on the difficult side to slide in and out of pockets. The DInc was a very convenient size.
-ROM selection is way better for the DInc- though, let's be honest, I didn't care about anything else once CM7 for DInc was out. Here's hoping it hits the Charge soon.
Final thoughts- rumor has it the Bionic could be out within a week, but even if that's premature it's certainly not more than a month away. The Galaxy S2 and HTC Vigor are also both right around the corner. The Charge is about to be replaced as a flagship model. My approval of it is tempered by the fact that I got it for free. You may want to hold off a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from the Incredible as well, and I echo everything this guy said. Although I did pay for the phone instead of free (lucky guy lol) I feel like it was worth it. I still use my Incredible (deactivated, but still works on wifi) just for random games and testing out custom roms because we all know the Inc has some great developers. Charge development is looking great too though and I can't wait to see the likes of CM7, MIUI, etc on this phone. It's not perfect, but if you convert from RFS to EXT4 it's really close.
DINC to Charge
bigsapz said:
Hey guys,
Currently have the incredible and love it but I need a bigger screen. Im due for an upgrade and like the charge. Would Anyone who upgraded to it from an incredible be down to post their experiences?
Thanks,
Sent from my 2.3.5 Incredible Obsession
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I echo all the "good" comments as I came from the DINC a month or so ago. The only thing I miss is the LED that the "DINC used for letting you know it's charging. The Charge experience is a little different than the HTC experience but it just lets you know what else is out there.
I would hold out for the Bionic. I upgraded from Dinc to Charge because Verizon was changing their unlimited tier plans and I was afraid of missing the boat so I used my upgrade to lock myself in. The Charge was the best at the time but if you can wait until the Bionic comes out 9/8-ish I would. Dual core, 4G, 4.3 inch screen plus the ability to use the Motorola dock/laptop thingy (if you're interested) is a def plus. I can't remember RAM and storage specs but I think they beat the Charge as well.
One thing I did notice coming from Dinc to Charge was the snappiness of the ROMs. Once lagfix was enabled though it was pretty hard to distinguish the difference.
wenzer said:
I would hold out for the Bionic. I upgraded from Dinc to Charge because Verizon was changing their unlimited tier plans and I was afraid of missing the boat so I used my upgrade to lock myself in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize if you were already on an unlimited data plan, you were locked in?
Anyway to the OP. I came from the Fascinate to the Charge. I got in on the free exchange. The Charge is a great phone. I would say it's a Fascinate 2. I don't think I would have used (wasted) an upgrade on this phone. I think it's best to see what the Bionic, Vigor, SGS2 & iPhone 5 bring to the table. This is especially true when you consider Verizon did away with 1 year contracts.
On a side note, my daughter has a Dinc. She absolutely refuses to upgrade her phone. She says it's simply "Incredible". Lol.

noob needs to know? Photon or Epic Touch

I'm going for my first android and the end of the month. So far I have down to either the Photon or the Epic Touch.
After researching and reading, and reading, and reading, and reading...
I still can't decide. Both appear to be great phones, but I'd like to hear some opinions and why's.
So far my Photon reasoning is it's fast, great screen, and I might one day get the dock, but it's locked.
My Epic Touch reasoning is it's lighter, just as fast, great screen too (but different) and it's unlocked.
So what's a noob need to know? What's some of the inside words on the two? Is there a better of the two? Or is there something even better coming out in October?
Too much research has left my little brain scrambled...
unless you need a world phone the Epic Touch completely smokes the Photon is almost every spec...
But if you want a better comparison..what do you generally use your phone for?
There is a rumor of a Nexus Prime...
Current phone doesn't matter. From the point where I got rid of the Razr way back when I've had nothing but slider phones.
I don't do quite the texting I used to and I'm sure I'll get used to an onscreen QWERT fast enough.
EDIT:
Sorry... Misread that the first time.
What do I use the phone for: It's going to be calls, texting, replace the camera, shoot some vid of the 5 yr old, quick searches, I'll use the GPS. I mean basically I'm looking for a full all-in-one that will be my laptop, camera, and phone for when I'm not at home to have the Laptop and Camera.
madcadder said:
Current phone doesn't matter. From the point where I got rid of the Razr way back when I've had nothing but slider phones.
I don't do quite the texting I used to and I'm sure I'll get used to an onscreen QWERT fast enough.
EDIT:
Sorry... Misread that the first time.
What do I use the phone for: It's going to be calls, texting, replace the camera, shoot some vid of the 5 yr old, quick searches, I'll use the GPS. I mean basically I'm looking for a full all-in-one that will be my laptop, camera, and phone for when I'm not at home to have the Laptop and Camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I say get epic touch as the root method breaks 4g at least if u have sprint idk what carrier you have not to mention heard some people don't like the photons display cause it looks pixely or something of that nature however motos radios from my understanding are some of the best unlike sammys most the time
However I'm hoping to get the new nexus if its bad ass and comes to Sprint
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
Go for Epic touch. Period.
Go for Epic touch
I have the MOPHO it's way awesome but after researching the Samsung galaxy S II on Slash gear, and their review of the Epic 2 I think this may be a winner...antenna signal is the only issue that can pop up minus software upgrades. It comes with the same Android OS 2.34 that I am using now so even if it isn't upgraded it will suffice until next year or 2. The GPS is way fast the browser is QWIK so I truly feel I cam lamp on this for a year or two easily. Most importantly I love the screen size and only adds .10" in length.
whats funny is that im in such a similar situation because im also battling between the two. difference is that i have the original epic right now....
im going to wait for the epic touch, but im shocked that no one acknowleged how big the photon battery is
Harder choice than some of you make it sound
on paper and live - the Epic touch beats the photon across the board and it is unlocked.
But:
1. Samsung's upgrade history is less than stellar
2. Google is buying Motorola
3. Hardware docks for Photon
4. Webtop for Photon
5. World phone
6. QHD
My ownership experience with my Epic has been mixed and all of it is due to Samsung's builds.
Regarding pixelation on the Photon vs Epic Touch - I find it hard to believe that a smaller screen with higher resolution would be more pixilated
What it boils down to is that I am not sure that I trust Samsung when it comes to phones anymore. But the Epic Touch is a mighty tempting piece none the less.

[Q] opinions wanted on Nexus/Rezound etc??

I need to buy a new 4G phone soon.
My Wife needs a phone (she does not have data now but wants it) & we don't want to miss the temporary 4G for 2G tiered price deal.
I figured I would buy the Galaxy Nexus if/when it ever comes out. I have both an upgrade available & a couple hundred dollars in credit from VZ.
I will probably buy from BestBuy so I can get the 30 day return/exchange policy. Right now, I have a Charge running 2.3.6 GB, imoseyon 4.0, fuju tweaks, Launcher Pro Plus, coredroid theme etc.etc.etc.
My Charge flies (2400 in Quadrant) & I absolutely LOVE the thing (no lag whatever, not a single FC etc.). With the camera button mod, it is almost the perfect phone IMHO. This makes it tough to decide what to do as I figured I would give my Wife the Charge & buy the GN for myself (the Wife could care less which one she has).
My problem is, my Boss just bought a Rezound & with all the bloatware removed it is an AWESOME phone. I am now tempted to buy that instead of the GN. The Rezound has a jaw-dropping screen with its better rez than the iphone. It is fast as hell (especially after I installed LPP+) & should be rooted sometime in the next few weeks. Not everybody likes it, but I'm no audiophile & I think the beats sound is really a plus for listening to it all day at work.
I am looking for peoples opinion of the Rezound. It already has an extended battery & cover available (I love this with my Charge) & definitely has a few advantages over the GN. I do wish the screen was slightly bigger but it is what it is.
I may just buy the Rezound, & then if I don't like it hopefully by that time the GN will be out & I can swap the two.
Any opinions welcome, good or bad.
~John
In my opinion, go with the Nexus. You'll get constant updates and have more dev support than any other phone. I'm sure the screen will look great too.
KarateExplosion6 said:
You'll get constant updates and have more dev support than any other phone. I'm sure the screen will look great too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you're right about the constant updates.
I'm not so sure about the screen. I am a little paranoid about a pentile screen, the guy at the desk next to mine has a Razr and I think the screen blows on that phone although I realize the GN is much higher rez.
~John
jmorton10 said:
I know you're right about the constant updates.
I'm not so sure about the screen. I am a little paranoid about a pentile screen, the guy at the desk next to mine has a Razr and I think the screen blows on that phone although I realize the GN is much higher rez.
~John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I haven't had the chance to see the RAZR yet. A buddy of mine is in the market to upgrade from his OG Droid and said the RAZR screen looked bad in person--he's waiting for the Nexus now.
I think you're going to have to do what he's doing, which is waiting for the Nexus to get in stores so he can see and play with one in person.
KarateExplosion6 said:
Yeah, I haven't had the chance to see the RAZR yet. A buddy of mine is in the market to upgrade from his OG Droid and said the RAZR screen looked bad in person--.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people may like the Razr screen, it is quite bright and saturated/colorful.
found this:
http://www.droid-life.com/2011/11/29/screen-comparison-galaxy-nexus-vs-droid-razr-vs-htc-rezound/
The lack of resolution is blatantly obvious to a lot of people (like me) however.
I had a Razr briefly, but hated the screen-lack of a removeable battery etc. (I have really been spoiled by the ridiculously good Charge screen) & passed the Razr on to a coworker. To me, it was really obvious that it was a pentile screen especially on text, straight lines, gradient screens etc etc etc
~John
You shouldn't worry about Pentile on GN as the high resolutions make it near impossible to see the pixels. As for Razr, I've played with the phone at the store, the Pentile is very visible (for me).
KarateExplosion6 said:
In my opinion, go with the Nexus. You'll get constant updates and have more dev support than any other phone. I'm sure the screen will look great too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 here. I am tired of waiting on OEMs to update software and release source code. (I also don't like any of the OEM UI)
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
After some more comparison, I will definitely be waiting on the Nexus.
Comparing my Charge side by side with the Rezound, I just realized how much wider the Charge screen is. I really like the wider screen setup a LOT & the GN has the wider screen config also..
My old DroidX that I absolutely LOVED, had that same tall narrow config. That was really the only thing I didn't like about the X design.
I really like using portrait orientation a lot, & the skinny screen forces you to do a lot more side to side scrolling on internet sites etc. I just like the look of the shorter wider screens also, even if you disregard the functional issue.
~John
+1 for Nexus.
Sent from my mobile office.
if not Nexus I'd go with the Rezound... there's not much dev work on it because no s-off yet but the devs are close, also I like the screen and wouldn't mind Sense as an overlay (of course when custom ICS roms come out they'll be stock aosp), if the Nexus release is gonna take much longer or if its really gonna be 750+ off contract I'm just gonna hold out and probably go with the Rezound
sent from my Acer Iconia A500 beast of a tablet via XDA app
Yeah I'm REALLY considering the Nexus myself. This was the best phone of the original 4G bunch, but the lack of dual core, ram and a higher resolution are leaving much to be desired. I really made up my mind when I saw the review on Phone Arena for the Nexus. I'm getting bored lately of Android in general (just a phase I go through about every 2 years with mobile OSes) and I think ICS would invigorate my desire to not jump back to Apple.
Getting the pure Google experience and knowing all the previous Nexus's have VERY strong communities is just another perk for me. I think the Rezound will turn into a Charge type of community later on in life, with rom releases getting farther and farther apart. Coming from an original Droid, seeing this community dry up hasn't been fun and I havent been able to load a new rom every week lol. It's just getting a bit stale lately for me.
Joebroni said:
Yeah I'm REALLY considering the Nexus myself. This was the best phone of the original 4G bunch, but the lack of dual core, ram and a higher resolution are leaving much to be desired. I really made up my mind when I saw the review on Phone Arena for the Nexus. I'm getting bored lately of Android in general (just a phase I go through about every 2 years with mobile OSes) and I think ICS would invigorate my desire to not jump back to Apple.
Getting the pure Google experience and knowing all the previous Nexus's have VERY strong communities is just another perk for me. I think the Rezound will turn into a Charge type of community later on in life, with rom releases getting farther and farther apart. Coming from an original Droid, seeing this community dry up hasn't been fun and I havent been able to load a new rom every week lol. It's just getting a bit stale lately for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey at least the community isn't like Droid x2 or the stratosphere which Verizon markets as "a galaxy s phone"
Sent from my Gummy Charged GBE 2.1 using XDA App

Considering Galaxy S3 - Looking for owner input

I need a new phone. My Galaxy Nexus is shot... It was my first Samsung phone though so I'm a little gunshy due to the problems I have had. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Galaxy S3 or wait for the Motorola Razr Maxx or HD that is supposedly coming soon.
Problems I had with GNEX
Data Drops - known problem, I put up with it, but it was annoying. Data would drop and then take min to reconnect, sometimes few times a day
Screen cracked two places - First phone I ever cracked the screen, but much larger screen then I had before (Dinc). Phone still usable but annoying. Both phones I'm considering have the Gorilla Glass so I assume this wont be an issue
USB Charging port - the final straw, the port went bad. GNex sometimes thinks it is charging when not plugged in and switches every few seconds causing the display to come on constantly and kill my battery within two hours from a full charge. Other times I have to plug in and out just to get it to charge overnight. I know the USB board can be replaced but seriously, not putting money into this phone. I'm worried the GS3 has the same USB charging problem board???
Google Wallet - Verizon blocked it on GNex and GS3... I assume they will block on Razr??? I am rooted so I was able to install the APK but it was always hit or miss as far as using wallet... only worked about 50% of the time. It would connect but then say the transaction did not go thru. I really want to use NFC.
How does the rooted ROM community view each phone? Will the Razr have as many custom ROMs? I will Root whatever phone I get.
The Razr Maxx's aren't out yet so can't tell how they hold up... The GS3 worries me most with the USB charging port and the above issues I had with the Samsung line...
Any comments appreciated. I have an upgrade avaible now so I don't have to wait, but I can limp thru the day with the Gnex plugged in at work a lot so if the Razrs are worth waiting for I can... unless they're not expected till January, but they claim BEFORE the holidays so I assume November?
Also, are there any phones I'm missing? I liked the Dinc and HTC Sense (I know... I know... ) but no HTC phones seem to have NFC and the flagship is not avail on Verizon. I need to stay on Verizon. I will root.
Thanks,
Jim
First i must say the GS3 is MUCH better than the GNex and i haven't had any data drops so far, the screen seems fine but as always be careful with it. I can't say much about the port because i've never heard of that going bad on anything before. Now about rooting and custom roms. From what i can see the GS3 will have a wide arrange of custom roms and support for awhile. The Razr Hd and Razr Maxx Hd will get support but i doubt it will come near as much as the Gs3 as the Gs3 is much more popular than any other android phone. Google Wallet is also blocked on all Verizon phones. Also i personally think the Razr Maxx Hd looks awesome but i already got a gs3 so thats that. Hope this helped your decision.
calaski8123 said:
I need a new phone. My Galaxy Nexus is shot... It was my first Samsung phone though so I'm a little gunshy due to the problems I have had. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Galaxy S3 or wait for the Motorola Razr Maxx or HD that is supposedly coming soon.
Problems I had with GNEX
Data Drops - known problem, I put up with it, but it was annoying. Data would drop and then take min to reconnect, sometimes few times a day
Screen cracked two places - First phone I ever cracked the screen, but much larger screen then I had before (Dinc). Phone still usable but annoying. Both phones I'm considering have the Gorilla Glass so I assume this wont be an issue
USB Charging port - the final straw, the port went bad. GNex sometimes thinks it is charging when not plugged in and switches every few seconds causing the display to come on constantly and kill my battery within two hours from a full charge. Other times I have to plug in and out just to get it to charge overnight. I know the USB board can be replaced but seriously, not putting money into this phone. I'm worried the GS3 has the same USB charging problem board???
Google Wallet - Verizon blocked it on GNex and GS3... I assume they will block on Razr??? I am rooted so I was able to install the APK but it was always hit or miss as far as using wallet... only worked about 50% of the time. It would connect but then say the transaction did not go thru. I really want to use NFC.
How does the rooted ROM community view each phone? Will the Razr have as many custom ROMs? I will Root whatever phone I get.
The Razr Maxx's aren't out yet so can't tell how they hold up... The GS3 worries me most with the USB charging port and the above issues I had with the Samsung line...
Any comments appreciated. I have an upgrade avaible now so I don't have to wait, but I can limp thru the day with the Gnex plugged in at work a lot so if the Razrs are worth waiting for I can... unless they're not expected till January, but they claim BEFORE the holidays so I assume November?
Also, are there any phones I'm missing? I liked the Dinc and HTC Sense (I know... I know... ) but no HTC phones seem to have NFC and the flagship is not avail on Verizon. I need to stay on Verizon. I will root.
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spotty data and drops all over the place here... coming from all htc devices it's horrible... that being said.. the phone is very nice n fast but if u can't live with the crappy Samsung radios anymore I'd say wait.
Google wallet can be fixed via rooting.
Sent from my unlocked VZW Galaxy SIII
I live in an area where I have 4g LTE everywhere so I can't say anything bad about the radio cause I have no issues with mine nor did I have issues with My Gnex (as far as the radio)... I would say that Samsung makes THE most cheapest phones out there as far as parts and build quality but I still LOVE my phone for some reason.... Maybe cause it's just fast as hell and some of the downfalls don't affect me but I will tell you that you had better make sure that you get a solid S3 NEW cause if and when it does fail their refurbs are a JOKE and I think I am on my fourth Verizon refurb cause they keep sending me garbage but I finally have one that I "think" is going to be good minus the power button being loose as hell but I think every S3 I have had has a loose power button... Just know that the bootloader is unlocked and if you go to another phone it's gonna be locked until these kickass devs over here figure it out... And as far as development goes, I am in LOVE!! Sooo many options with my S3's and I don't see it stopping anytime soon... Read the forums and make a wise decision but I don't regret getting this phone I think I have just been cursed by Verizon.... Just please don't buy an iPhone.... LOL Have a great day!
Coming from a Droid X (rooted) to a GS3 (not rooted yet) can't really complain. In Phoenix coverage is very good, even along desolate hwy's and out in the desert far from anything. Just recently drove across country and used Sirius/XM 90% of the way and made a ton of calls. XM app only dropped out 3 times, in some very remote areas of hwy. Didn't drop a single call and sound quality was good, even traveling at 75 mph. Sent a lot of SMS with Pictures taken along the way, all w/o problem.
Will say that inside of buildings here in PHX, I do see slightly lower signal strength than my Droid X. It's not a deal breaker as the structures I'm talking about are old and mainly steel and concrete. Took a short period of time to adjust to the TouchWiz, but it's no more difficult than any other manufacture tweaked OS. The phone definitely does not have the "built US strong" feel, kinda flimsy. I could drop the DX and not worry too much. This phone I spent a few extra $'s for a stronger case.
Overall, I'd say it's a good phone for now until something better comes along. Could be worse, gotta co-worker with an LG that drives him nuts. He's gonna need therapy one day.
Haha no iphone for me. Wife has one but I wont go over to the cult. Thanks for the replies so far... Seems people like the Samsung but it still has problems that make me worry. I'm tempted to wait for the Razr just too see them both but I think the GS3 has some better specs... I live in northern NJ outside nyc so very good coverage but my nexus still just periodically losses all connections and has to reconnect... Four replacements makes me nervous....
Jim
Xmeoff said:
Coming from a Droid X (rooted) to a GS3 (not rooted yet) can't really complain. In Phoenix coverage is very good, even along desolate hwy's and out in the desert far from anything. Just recently drove across country and used Sirius/XM 90% of the way and made a ton of calls. XM app only dropped out 3 times, in some very remote areas of hwy. Didn't drop a single call and sound quality was good, even traveling at 75 mph. Sent a lot of SMS with Pictures taken along the way, all w/o problem.
Will say that inside of buildings here in PHX, I do see slightly lower signal strength than my Droid X. It's not a deal breaker as the structures I'm talking about are old and mainly steel and concrete. Took a short period of time to adjust to the TouchWiz, but it's no more difficult than any other manufacture tweaked OS. The phone definitely does not have the "built US strong" feel, kinda flimsy. I could drop the DX and not worry too much. This phone I spent a few extra $'s for a stronger case.
Overall, I'd say it's a good phone for now until something better comes along. Could be worse, gotta co-worker with an LG that drives him nuts. He's gonna need therapy one day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha... I'm a cop so I prob need an otterbox, but I didn't get one with the nexus it would make the phone huge. I'm used top the size now so am otterbox prob wouldn't bother me. Just thought maybe with gorilla glass a thinner case might be OK.
Jim
If you are really worried about wear and tear on the usb port this mod should be right up your alley: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1877191
All in all, it takes no more than 20-30 minutes to install, worst case.
It depends how much you care and flashing roms, I'd wait for the razr maxx HD. It's suppose to have a locked boot loader, but they're unlocking all there new phones. Some new phones are suppose to be coming out in the next couple months, so you might wanna wait to see what's coming.
Sent from my Cocaine White S3.
If you can, I'd at least advise waiting a few months for the next Nexus, Maxx HD etc. Phones with the next gen chipset (S4 Pro etc) are coming out soon.
My S3 is a great phone, but I have to agree the radios are worse than my previous HTC phone. If you are in an area with poor signal, the S3 will frequently drop data and gps locks.
Wow that's a really cool mod... I like. As for flashing ROMs I am pretty crazy until I find one I like then I back off and usually just do the updates. Sometimes it takes a while to find something that has all the features I want.
I'm still undecided...going to go look at the store today and hold it.
One more question... I read the reviews talk about the screen on gs3 being a little darker... Is this a problem or is it fixed with the custom ROMs?
Jim
Being in New Hampshire, with no other 4g coverage here on any other carrier, the service is awesome. The screen seems a tad darker than my epic 4g was on Sprint, but it is far from a problem. Rooting is extremely easy. Like it takes 2 minutes literally. Tons of stable ROMs. I definitely made a really good choice with the GS3, you won't be disappointed.
calaski8123 said:
I need a new phone. My Galaxy Nexus is shot... It was my first Samsung phone though so I'm a little gunshy due to the problems I have had. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Galaxy S3 or wait for the Motorola Razr Maxx or HD that is supposedly coming soon.
Problems I had with GNEX
Data Drops - known problem, I put up with it, but it was annoying. Data would drop and then take min to reconnect, sometimes few times a day
Screen cracked two places - First phone I ever cracked the screen, but much larger screen then I had before (Dinc). Phone still usable but annoying. Both phones I'm considering have the Gorilla Glass so I assume this wont be an issue
USB Charging port - the final straw, the port went bad. GNex sometimes thinks it is charging when not plugged in and switches every few seconds causing the display to come on constantly and kill my battery within two hours from a full charge. Other times I have to plug in and out just to get it to charge overnight. I know the USB board can be replaced but seriously, not putting money into this phone. I'm worried the GS3 has the same USB charging problem board???
Google Wallet - Verizon blocked it on GNex and GS3... I assume they will block on Razr??? I am rooted so I was able to install the APK but it was always hit or miss as far as using wallet... only worked about 50% of the time. It would connect but then say the transaction did not go thru. I really want to use NFC.
How does the rooted ROM community view each phone? Will the Razr have as many custom ROMs? I will Root whatever phone I get.
The Razr Maxx's aren't out yet so can't tell how they hold up... The GS3 worries me most with the USB charging port and the above issues I had with the Samsung line...
Any comments appreciated. I have an upgrade avaible now so I don't have to wait, but I can limp thru the day with the Gnex plugged in at work a lot so if the Razrs are worth waiting for I can... unless they're not expected till January, but they claim BEFORE the holidays so I assume November?
Also, are there any phones I'm missing? I liked the Dinc and HTC Sense (I know... I know... ) but no HTC phones seem to have NFC and the flagship is not avail on Verizon. I need to stay on Verizon. I will root.
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't Verizon offer a 14 day return/exchange policy? Worst case is try it, if you don't like it return it for another phone. Just don't root it during that time frame if you want to play it safe. Otherwise, ROMS provided for the GS3 are awesome in this community. I've had both the Sprint variant and now on Verizon for it's 4G LTE service.
Personally I'd wait a few months. Reception sucks but it's not too bad.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
I would go with it and a JB ROM... I almost bought the iPhone 5 and backed out to keep my GS3 and unlimited Data..thank god I went over 2 GB today lol
Sent from VZW Galaxy SIII
I am also in the upgrade search. Thanks to all that contributed it may have helped me a bit with my choice as well coming from my Dinc.
Yes thank you for everyone's input. The opinions seem to be a little split, but that is to be expected. I'm leaning towards the GS3. I went to my local Verizon guy I've been dealing with for years. He said hands down he would go with the GS3. He said the Razr is still a bit behind in specs. I also see that the GS3 is 2GB RAM and the Razrs are only 1GB... The GS3 felt nice in hand.. sleek and smooth. The Motorola is still too clunky feeling to me.. angular and just not sleek. Personal opinion.
He also said there is no set release date for the Razrs... and I can get the GS3 cheaper. I also liked the reviews of the TouchWiz gestures...Interested to see how they are. Do any of the custom ROMs maintain the Touch Wiz gestures or features?
I think with the better specs right now I'd go with the GS3. The biggest problems, screen and reception, seem to be issues I can deal with. I rarely use my Nexus at full brightness and I the reception seems to be better than NExus in my area.
Jim
Also the battery on the GS3 seems to be pretty good considering its not promoted as such like the Maxx HD will be...
intelinside83 said:
I would go with it and a JB ROM... I almost bought the iPhone 5 and backed out to keep my GS3 and unlimited Data..thank god I went over 2 GB today lol
Sent from VZW Galaxy SIII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost got it too. Went to apple store and compared it hands on. I had 30 day return policy. Compared to the iphone, the colors are so much more vibrant! And the screen size is icing on the cake.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------
I'll also add that I own a macbook pro, and syncing--unless you run bootcamp--can be a PITA. Even with Android file transfer, it's often hit or miss.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
skater95 said:
It depends how much you care and flashing roms, I'd wait for the razr maxx HD. It's suppose to have a locked boot loader, but they're unlocking all there new phones. Some new phones are suppose to be coming out in the next couple months, so you might wanna wait to see what's coming.
Sent from my Cocaine White S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is no way a Verizon phone will come with a unlocked bootloader unless its that dreaded iPhone.

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