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[Q] Question- New Phone Under T-Mobile (USA)

I'm at a loss here. I'm not sure which phone I should get.
I want something that's "futureproof". I use that term VERY loosely because I know mobile technology is always evolving.
I'm looking for something that's fast, and will last some time. I don't care if it runs on stock android or not.
I was thinking of either HTC Sensation, HTC Amaze, Samsung Galaxy S2, and the like. I'm not too sure on which I should get though.
By the way, this will be my second android phone, coming from the HTC G1. (Yes I know, THE G1)
What phone would you suggest? I've looked through the reviews and videos of them all, I just simply can't decide. I'm leaning towards the HTC Amaze since it's one of the latest devices out there.
I'm also open to other suggestions but keep in mind, it has to be under T-Mobile.
I apologize in advance if there has been similar threads posted and/or if this thread is in the wrong location.

t-mobile usa

mitrjoshi said:
t-mobile usa
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How is that supposed to help me? I asked suggestions for a phone, not a carrier.

Can anyone help? I need to decide soon. Help would be appreciated.

I would go for the SGSII.

HTC makes solid phones that perform well out of the box, but from what I hear they are tough to root. Samsung tend to have great quality screens, Motorola has good hardware. I would suggest (if you are going for future proof) getting a dual core phone, at least 1Ghz, 1.2Ghz if you can. I believe the HTC Evo 3D has a dual core 1.2GHz, as well as the Galaxy SII and Galaxy Nexus. Get something with a good screen because if you are going to be using it for a long time, you want it to look nice, am I right? I don't know if the camera is a big deal to oyu, but LG makes good cameras, and I would shoot for at least 5M camera.
With all of that in mind, the HTC sensation looks like a solid phone on paper, but is pretty expensive and reviews don't look too good. If rooting is your thing, you can fix performance.
Galaxy SII is amazing, with great specs, great screen, great camera, and a dual core 1.2Ghz processor. Combined with a top of the line GPU, this phone will handle games and rendering with top of its class performance. if money is not an issue, I would go with that. Again, if rooting is your thing, the development community behind the GSII is going to be amazing. Also, this phone is very likely to get Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 as an official release.
The HTC Amaze is a great phone with a 1.5ghz dual core processor with HTC sense (which is a major downfall of the phone apparently, as sense is laggy and choppy on the Amaze. I like sense UI but other launchers are better on this phone) AGAIN, if rooting is your thing, you can fix performance. Heck, you dont even have to root, you just have to download a launcher off the market.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I would choose between the HTC amaze and the galaxy SII. HTC has an amazing build quality, Galaxy SII has the development and hardware power. If you plan on getting a case for the phone, then how it feels wouldn't matter, I would go with the SGII. It all boils down to personal preference.
Cheers!
---------- Post added at 01:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 PM ----------
I'm sorry I made a mistake, the SGSII is actually a 15.Ghz dual core phone, not 1.2Ghz. Definitely go with the Samsung.

gerbetta33 said:
HTC makes solid phones that perform well out of the box, but from what I hear they are tough to root. Samsung tend to have great quality screens, Motorola has good hardware. I would suggest (if you are going for future proof) getting a dual core phone, at least 1Ghz, 1.2Ghz if you can. I believe the HTC Evo 3D has a dual core 1.2GHz, as well as the Galaxy SII and Galaxy Nexus. Get something with a good screen because if you are going to be using it for a long time, you want it to look nice, am I right? I don't know if the camera is a big deal to oyu, but LG makes good cameras, and I would shoot for at least 5M camera.
With all of that in mind, the HTC sensation looks like a solid phone on paper, but is pretty expensive and reviews don't look too good. If rooting is your thing, you can fix performance.
Galaxy SII is amazing, with great specs, great screen, great camera, and a dual core 1.2Ghz processor. Combined with a top of the line GPU, this phone will handle games and rendering with top of its class performance. if money is not an issue, I would go with that. Again, if rooting is your thing, the development community behind the GSII is going to be amazing. Also, this phone is very likely to get Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 as an official release.
The HTC Amaze is a great phone with a 1.5ghz dual core processor with HTC sense (which is a major downfall of the phone apparently, as sense is laggy and choppy on the Amaze. I like sense UI but other launchers are better on this phone) AGAIN, if rooting is your thing, you can fix performance. Heck, you dont even have to root, you just have to download a launcher off the market.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I would choose between the HTC amaze and the galaxy SII. HTC has an amazing build quality, Galaxy SII has the development and hardware power. If you plan on getting a case for the phone, then how it feels wouldn't matter, I would go with the SGII. It all boils down to personal preference.
Cheers!
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Click to collapse
Thanks for being thorough! I don't understand what you mean by hardware power for SGS2, since both SGS2 and HTC Amaze would have the same 1.5 GHz snapdragon processor, 16 GB internal memory, 42+ Mbps HSPA, and the like.
I like HTC because of its build quality and I love how their phones are always weighty, so it feels really solid. But I've heard cons such as the light bleed issues, and some others. SGS2 has a humongous screen, and seems to be unbrickable due to odin (correct me if I'm wrong), but I've heard that the AMOLED and its resolution may prove to be a downside, and the fact that it's very light may make it seem flimsy.
Oh the choices!

Keylogger_0 said:
Thanks for being thorough! I don't understand what you mean by hardware power for SGS2, since both SGS2 and HTC Amaze would have the same 1.5 GHz snapdragon processor, 16 GB internal memory, 42+ Mbps HSPA, and the like.
I like HTC because of its build quality and I love how their phones are always weighty, so it feels really solid. But I've heard cons such as the light bleed issues, and some others. SGS2 has a humongous screen, and seems to be unbrickable due to odin (correct me if I'm wrong), but I've heard that the AMOLED and its resolution may prove to be a downside, and the fact that it's very light may make it seem flimsy.
Oh the choices!
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Click to collapse
go to the store and use both? thats how i picked between my incredible and the droid x. id go with the phone with better development honestly. spec wise theyre virtually the same, except sense&touchwiz. ewwhhhhh.

Keylogger_0 said:
Thanks for being thorough! I don't understand what you mean by hardware power for SGS2, since both SGS2 and HTC Amaze would have the same 1.5 GHz snapdragon processor, 16 GB internal memory, 42+ Mbps HSPA, and the like.
I like HTC because of its build quality and I love how their phones are always weighty, so it feels really solid. But I've heard cons such as the light bleed issues, and some others. SGS2 has a humongous screen, and seems to be unbrickable due to odin (correct me if I'm wrong), but I've heard that the AMOLED and its resolution may prove to be a downside, and the fact that it's very light may make it seem flimsy.
Oh the choices!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's one of the bad things aobut samsung devices: they tend to look and feel flimsy. HTC definitely got it right with their style of build, I am envious that I have never owned an Evo 4G. However, if you buy an otterbox, that really helps with how it feels.

I'm just trying to figure which one is better though, one has the light bleed issues, but they're not horrible, while the other has really low DPI due to the huge screen and low resolution. Currently, I'm leaning towards the Amaze, because most of HTC phones feel really solid.

Galaxy Nexus vs Galaxy S2: Comparison reviews make me love my SGS2 even more

Like many others, I've been drooling over the Galaxy Nexus since it was announced. However, the more I read about it, the less interested I am to get one. At this point it seems that the only real upside to moving from the SGS2 to the Galaxy Nexus is ICS. But we all know there will be an ICS port available for the SGS2 within the upcoming months anyway, so that's a moot point.
Two comparison reviews I read:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/42623/galaxy-nexus-vs-samsung-galaxy-s-2
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/1098323/samsung_galaxy_nexus_vs_samsung_galaxy_s2.html
Considering that the Galaxy Nexus is larger, has an inferior screen (supposedly), and lacks the ability to upgrade the internal storage due to lack of an SD card slot, I'm really losing sight on the appeal for the Galaxy Nexus.
Are you still planning on upgrading to the Galaxy Nexus when it becomes available? If so, why?

Plus the Nexus only have a 5MP camera. One reason why I was considering the Nexus is because of the NFC technology Android Beam. I know a lot of people may need the extra space of a micro SD card slot, but a lot of people don't even have a micro SD card in their GS2 just because it doesn't come with one. Either way you go, you will be getting a good phone

Yeah, the 5mp camera appeared to be a turn off to me at first as well. But I have seen some comparison pictures taken with both phones and the 5mp camera on the Nexus does seem to be a bit clearer than the 8mp camera on the SGS2.
However, I don't typically choose a phone due to its camera. So this doesn't really matter to me.

Ya I was debating these two for awhile. I went Tmob GS2 and don't regret it one bit...better cpu, gpu, modem, SD card, camera, lighter, smaller, etc. For me a phone any larger than the GS2 and I not interested, it has taken some getting use to the larger size in my hand coming from a Nexus S.

I'm most likely going to own both of them. I love the nexus line of phones. Nothing like stock. They are both amazing from what I have seen and will decide which is better for myself after using both.
There is enough hate in the world. Why can't we all get along here ...?

sn0warmy said:
Two comparison reviews I read:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/42623/galaxy-nexus-vs-samsung-galaxy-s-2
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/1098323/samsung_galaxy_nexus_vs_samsung_galaxy_s2.html
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Click to collapse
You do realize that both of those reviews are of the i9100, right? That phone is really a COMPLETELY different phone than the SGH-T989! There needs to be a comparison to the T-Mobile US version of the SGSII.
Considering that the Galaxy Nexus is larger
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The Nexus is larger in height but not width, it is in fact thinner in width.
, has an inferior screen (supposedly)
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Where the heck did you read that? Are you talking about Gorilla Glass? It has a reinforced glass, Google wouldn't let them put **** on their latest and greatest after the Nexus S flop
, and lacks the ability to upgrade the internal storage due to lack of an SD card slot
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Who uses more than 32GB?
Are you still planning on upgrading to the Galaxy Nexus when it becomes available? If so, why?
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YES. Because it is a Nexus. ICS. Updates BEFORE ANY OTHER PHONE GET'S THEM. Will have HUGE developer support. Best display available. There's more, can't think of them now.
---------- Post added at 08:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:11 AM ----------
sn0warmy said:
Yeah, the 5mp camera appeared to be a turn off to me at first as well. But I have seen some comparison pictures taken with both phones and the 5mp camera on the Nexus does seem to be a bit clearer than the 8mp camera on the SGS2.
However, I don't typically choose a phone due to its camera. So this doesn't really matter to me.
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Click to collapse
I agree totally. When I first read the stats with a 5mp camera first thought was, "why"? But I have too seen the comparisons. I'm willing to get they upgraded the optics. All that aside, I don't take many pictures with my phone. I use my camera for that so it's a minimal spec.
---------- Post added at 08:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 AM ----------
wannagofast said:
Ya I was debating these two for awhile. I went Tmob GS2 and don't regret it one bit...better cpu, gpu, modem, SD card, camera, lighter, smaller, etc. For me a phone any larger than the GS2 and I not interested, it has taken some getting use to the larger size in my hand coming from a Nexus S.
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Click to collapse
Hmmm...Better CPU - You sure? This CPU (TMO SGSII) is pain to do anything productive with.
GPU - Ok, may be a LITTLE better, but I doubt you would ever notice the difference. As far as I've read that GPU performs just fine for any game available on Android.
Modem - What are you talking about? The HSPA+ speed?
SD Card, yeah, talked about that already.
Lighter - Um, NO, they weigh the same.
Camera - More pixels means **** if the camera itself cant handle them.
ETC - What else? You say you can't handle a larger phone? I thought this thing was huge when I got it and wanted to go back to my Sensation but in time I grew to like the size. Just FYI, the Nexus is taller but skinnier. Thinner too by .6mm.

NFC Android Beam Correction
I didn't think the GS2 had NFC (Android Beam) but I was just reading the back of the box and it says it is NFC enabled, so maybe it does. This pushes the GS2 over the top imo.

There just isn't enough added to it besides ics for me to buy it!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

typoknig said:
I didn't think the GS2 had NFC (Android Beam) but I was just reading the back of the box and it says it is NFC enabled, so maybe it does. This pushes the GS2 over the top imo.
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Menu>Settings>Wireless and network>Check NFC to enable.
Yes, the TMO SGSII has NFC.

The GN is better than TMO's SII in almost every way. The fact that its a 720p screen is such a big winner. 4.6' WVGA screen looked really bad to me. And I would take a TI-OMAP4 processor over Qualcomm's S3 processor any day of the week. Plus it's straight from Google. You save yourself the headache of wondering whether you're going to get the next Android firmware upgrade.
I bet the SII wont even officially get ICS until Q2 of next year, and that's probably after the SIII is released lol. Just like what happened with the first generation Galaxy S.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Tmo sgs2 >>> GN
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

There seems to be a lot of debate about which phone is better. Both have similar processors, one has an sd card slot and one doesnt, both have huge screens, nfc, comparable cameras.
Given that the phones are so similar, why not save around $200 and get the sgs2?

Someone who played with both they both have ups and downs.
Galaxy nexus: 720 resolution Everything looks nice and sharp. But at angles these are at angles you never hold your phone at. It looks green. Samsung galaxy s2 doesn't at any angle. Galaxy nexus wins here.
Galaxy nexus: Os Latest and greatest. But it doesn't matter at all does it. Your on xda your going to root and run cm 9 or miui ics. Besides both teams come out with better things than Google themselves anyway. (tie)
Internal storage goes to samsung galaxy s2. Sorry to say most people fill of 32 gigs with enough clockwork back ups including titanium back ups, music videos and pictures it is easy to fill it up. You can say otg but I rather only carry my phone around and not carry extra pieces.
Both camera take very good pictures. More megapixels does not mean better pictures. The galaxy nexus camera takes pictures instantly and panorama works flawlessly. The software for cameras has always been better from oems than google. It still is. Goes to samsung galaxy s2. Then again you can get applications that fix this as well for the galaxy nexus. (tie)
Processors: .... Texas instruments processors aren't the best. They have been in various Motorola phones. Droid line phones have moto blur. Which I believe is more taxing than sense. Not bad not the best either. Google has optimized the software around the processor before I'm pretty sure they have again.
Qualcomm: Once again is not the best not the worst. You get better battery life supposedly. I didn't get to play with gnex for than 5 hrs can't tell. I'm pretty sure the lte version battery last 4-5 hrs. From single qualcomm to dual core one i can guarantee you it is an improvement over the single core phone. Various reports said hspa+ gnexus was getting a day.
Exynos: Best processor out supposedly. Various reliable benchmark test prove so. But its really no different than any processors. What is it downfall. You have this ridiculous amount of power in a phone. Which in a year it be outdated. In two years. you won't even been using this processor. Probably an updated version or a totally different. Also by the way reliable means nothing I can get two thousand people to vouch for me or give a good opinion of me. Never produce nothing in the end that really matters. Not like applications can't run because you have a certain processor. Look at tegra 2 games can still run on other various devices.
For the people who saying Ti is better than qualcomm. The galaxy nexus build is probably like Optimized like over 5 times. Can't compare stock and touchwiz. Matter fact you can't even tell over the samsung galaxy s2 line. On gingerbread. Hard to tax the roms are heavily optimized and are little nothing more than 90-100mb.
Anyone that says they can see the difference in real life performance on custom roms like cm 9 and miui is a fan boy and its all in their head after they see benchmarks so they start to elude them selves from the truth. Real life performance is not what sites tell you. It is how you use the phone. It varies from person to person.
If your developer go for the galaxy nexus. If your a consumer go for the galaxy s2. Both phones do the samething. Both phones can have equally the same development if you know how to code. Your not losing out.

I find it hilarious that *XDA members* would give points to a phone just because it comes with the latest version of Android. It's like a mechanic complaining because another car has better spark plugs or something. ICS isn't a real selling point to anyone but clueless end-users, IMO.

I know its been said here but still... any time you read ANYTHING about the SGS2 they are talking about the i9100 which is a COMPLETELY different phone than out t989... besides the camera and the "sII" printed on the back, not much else is the same... just saying.
Sent from my Beastly SGS2!

if you think that's bad
you should check this detailed list out http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1362556
sn0warmy said:
Like many others, I've been drooling over the Galaxy Nexus since it was announced. However, the more I read about it, the less interested I am to get one. At this point it seems that the only real upside to moving from the SGS2 to the Galaxy Nexus is ICS. But we all know there will be an ICS port available for the SGS2 within the upcoming months anyway, so that's a moot point.
Two comparison reviews I read:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/42623/galaxy-nexus-vs-samsung-galaxy-s-2
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/1098323/samsung_galaxy_nexus_vs_samsung_galaxy_s2.html
Considering that the Galaxy Nexus is larger, has an inferior screen (supposedly), and lacks the ability to upgrade the internal storage due to lack of an SD card slot, I'm really losing sight on the appeal for the Galaxy Nexus.
Are you still planning on upgrading to the Galaxy Nexus when it becomes available? If so, why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

A lot of good insight here. One thing others have brought up, which I was not aware of, is that the TMO SGS2 is much different than the i9100 version. I knew the exterior was a bit different but I thought that was it. Are you saying that the T989 is inferior to the i9100? If so, in what ways?
jordanishere said:
There seems to be a lot of debate about which phone is better. Both have similar processors, one has an sd card slot and one doesnt, both have huge screens, nfc, comparable cameras.
Given that the phones are so similar, why not save around $200 and get the sgs2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's my point. This is where I currently stand. I was ready to sell my SGS2 and pay an additional $250+ for the Galaxy Nexus sometime over the next couple of months. But at this point, it just doesn't seem worth it. Maybe sometime next year when it is readily available on T-Mobile and I am eligible to upgrade I will pick up a GN for around the same price I sell my SGS2 for, making it a wash.
AllGamer said:
if you think that's bad
you should check this detailed list out http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1362556
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The below bug you listed would really drive me nuts:
software buttons bugs (mostly with apps that are not ICS ready)

sn0warmy said:
A lot of good insight here. One thing others have brought up, which I was not aware of, is that the TMO SGS2 is much different than the i9100 version. I knew the exterior was a bit different but I thought that was it. Are you saying that the T989 is inferior to the i9100? If so, in what ways?
That's my point. This is where I currently stand. I was ready to sell my SGS2 and pay an additional $250+ for the Galaxy Nexus sometime over the next couple of months. But at this point, it just doesn't seem worth it. Maybe sometime next year when it is readily available on T-Mobile and I am eligible to upgrade I will pick up a GN for around the same price I sell my SGS2 for, making it a wash.
The below bug you listed would really drive me nuts:
software buttons bugs (mostly with apps that are not ICS ready)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is is inferior but not quite like omg its just the original has better gpu and processor. But this version has better battery life. Ill trade off some power for better battery life anytime. All people do is over hype the processor which will eventually be outdated like every other processor. A everyday user for normal task it is easy. Even for a power user like me. Not a big deal. They act as if the t-mobile version is the bastard child of the family. Sure on stock touchwiz the original sg2 beats the tmobile version. But any other custom roms everything varies. You can never compare them because they are compiled from different sources. It is like comparing apples from different areas. They may look the same but they taste different.

When I got my phone, i was trying to choose between waiting for the galaxy nexus, get the iphone 4s, or get one of the SGS2 variants. I went with the SGH-T989. And after reading more about the Nexus, and playing around with friends' and family's iphone 4s, I'm pretty confident that I made the right decision.

Both phones have their positives and negatives.
The PenTile Super AMOLED HD vs. the Super AMOLED+ display is subjective. Some people like the higher resolution, some people would rather do without the green tint.
Both are NFC enabled, so that's a moot point, too.
About the processors: People in this thread seem to think that every single mobile SOC uses its own native ARM ISA. This is false. The TI OMAP 4460's processor and the processor in the Exynos (And for that matter, the Tegra 2's and the Apple A5's) are the same (Save for certain cases like NEON implementation, which most, but not all SOC's do. The Tegra 2 doesn't.) The Snapdragon's is not, as Qualcomm licenses the ability to design their own ARM based ISA from ARM Holdings (Think AMD and Intel). http://www.anandtech.com/show/3632/anands-google-nexus-one-review/9
Between Cortex-A9 SOC's, the difference in performance and benchmarks is either down to the GPU (The Exynos uses the Mali-400, the TI uses the PowerVR SGX 540, the Tegra 2 uses the Geforce ULP, and the A5 uses the PowerVR SGX543MP2), software optimization, clock rate, or certain cases where NEON would provide a benefit.
Performance per clock has the Cortex A9 leading the Snapdragon chip in most cases. This isn't Qualcomm's fault. The Snapdragon was never designed to compete with the A9, but rather, the A8. This is why benchmarks seem to have the T-Mobile SGSII coming in last place between the carrier variants. In real world performance, though, it's relatively a moot point. Most software is still being written for the 1GHz single core crowd. Any dual core device should remain hardware relevant for quite some time.
As far as GPU performance is concerned... the Adreno 220 /should/ be more powerful than the SGX540 the Galaxy Nexus uses, but software optimization can provide a key role here.
I've heard mixed views over the camera in the Galaxy Nexus. From what I've gathered, at its best, the camera can snap clearer, more color accurate shots than the SGSII at its best, but it's easier to take rubbish shots than the SGSII's. The resolution of the CMOS sensor means almost nothing in terms of raw image quality, and it's silly to compare cameras based on it.
The Galaxy Nexus doesn't use Gorilla Glass, but some sort of unknown manufacturer's "reenforced glass", like the Nexus S. I'll hold off until we hear some clear reports on how durable/scratch resistant this glass really is.
The biggest reason to go with the Galaxy Nexus would definitely be software updates, though. Obviously, it's the first phone with Ice Cream Sandwich, which is a massive improvement over Gingerbread in every way. And then, it will get consistent updates, as they are managed by Google instead of the manufacturer/carrier. (Remember how hard it was just to get an official Froyo on the US versions of the original Galaxy S?) Samsung claims that it's trying to clean up its act on that front, but it's not entirely up to them. It's up to the carriers, and they'd rather us sign onto new contracts with newer phones. We'll see.
There's no SD card slot on the Nexus. That's a big thing for most people.
Audio performance is interesting. The Yamaha DAC the Galaxy S II uses has been called a downgrade from the original Wolfson DAC the Galaxy/Nexus S used. I haven't heard reports on the Galaxy Nexus' DAC, so we'll just have to wait and see.
There will definitely be more ROM support for the Galaxy Nexus. Two reasons.
1. It's not split up into four (five?) different models, some of which have different hardware altogether.
2. AOSP Android. Everything running on the Galaxy Nexus has been open sourced from the beginning. (GAPPS excluded). Meaning there won't be any driver issues as per the SGSII.
If both phones were out right now and available for T-Mobile and I'd have to chose, I'd probably pick the Galaxy Nexus just for the ICS and ROM support. That's not to say I'm unhappy with my SGSII, but running a vastly superior version of Android and being able to tinker around with it that much more is worth it (to me) over my own personal preference for the non PenTile SAMOLED display and the Gorilla Glass.

What phone??? XL, EVO, RazR, SGS2, Galaxy Nexus.

Hi all,
Looking to get a new contract and i'm torn, i actually work as tech support in a phone shop and i'm stumped as to what to pick, I'm a big fan of sense but I'm an eye out, the razr for example is a lovely looking phone but it's senseless and it is a motorola, i've heard bad things about them.
The XL is a beast but it's only single core, i love the size, it's perfect for me and the screen is very vibrant plus it has snazzy headphones.
The evo is everything i want but it's a little small, i know the screen size isn't tiny but next to the xl it is, an xl evo hybrid would be magic.
The SGS2 is hardware wise a decent phone but again i'm not a fan of senseless phones.
And finally the Galaxy Nexus, one of my colleagues has it and it's a gorgeous looking phone, it does everything very well and it hides the fact that it's senseless very well.
I may go for this, but I can only get it on the three network were i am plus i wouldn't be able to get it today, as i don't have my ID.
I'm using the Lumia at the moment and it's a lovely phone but the lack of apps and the restrictions, the price of the apps, the whole experience is being hindered by these limitations.
anyone with experience of these phones, hands on or if they have them, what would you decide on?
Are there any phones in the near future which i should hold out for?
Any help would be good.
Cheers.

I think that you should buy the SGS2.

not getting this sorry... according to your sig you own already 2 htc devices where the sensation is quite new and not much of adifference to the sgs2. would either pick the galaxy nexus or wait for the s3.

My priority list for fones--
1.)Galaxy Nexus (for sure)
2.)SgS2 + 2000mAh battery(will get ICS later on, but i am patient enough for that)
3.)XL (size is downside for me coz i Have BuTTerFingers
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App

Razr or galaxy nexus for sure.
If the razr had ics i would switch over to verizon in a heart beat. Phone looks so niceeee and has.good specs as well.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App

from ur selection i really would go with either the galaxy s2 or galaxy nexus and since im a vanilla lover id def go with the galaxy nexus ...nexus phones ftw.

go mess with the phones at the store and decide for yourself. threads like this are pointless, imho. each device will have its fanboys and haters.
all i can say is galaxy nexus looks superior to others for now. wait a few months and something better will drop, dropping its value to 300-400 bucks.

Galaxy S2
Why?
The most powerful GPU
Best camera
Great battery
Fast UI that NEVER lags
Super lite and thin
Brilliant display.

You're a veteran of three HTC devices, so I wouldn't even look at the Evo or XL. Razr... Motorola... bleh.
Go for GN or SGS2. In that order.

rawrfische said:
You're a veteran of three HTC devices, so I wouldn't even look at the Evo or XL. Razr... Motorola... bleh.
Go for GN or SGS2. In that order.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GN has a crappy camera. Avoid. GS2 > GN

POLO_i780 said:
Galaxy S2
Why?
The most powerful GPU
Best camera
Great battery
Fast UI that NEVER lags
Super lite and thin
Brilliant display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh im sorry but the best camera phone in 2011 is the sensation and its been proven by the cnet and the best ui is always sense
Sent from my HTC Legend using XDA App

I'd go for the GN for the updates.
yeah, other phones get it... eventually, but with a Nexus phone, you'll always be up to date, months in advance of everyone else.
plus phone looks great... not too crazy about the build quality as it's a Samsung phone but, nice design non the less.
5mp vs. 8mp... mp don't mean crap. what's more important is the sensor. (have not tried out the GN's camera to comment. just stating in general)
don't buy into the Beats Audio nonsense. it's pure marketing. better headphones/EQ settings out on the market.

Dare I suggest either the note (friend has one and it is huge) or wait until ces / mwc
Or get the nexus
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

POLO_i780 said:
Galaxy S2
Why?
The most powerful GPU
Best camera
Great battery
Fast UI that NEVER lags
Super lite and thin
Brilliant display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shame on you,
It does not have the most powerful GPU, iPhone 4S and the iPad2 have the most powerful GPU. It doesn't have the best camera, two of my friends own SGS2 and after a month or two they both experienced a lot of UI slowdowns and lagging. Surely there is a point of being too thin also considering it is made of cheap plastic? Loving the ancient WVGA display!
I'd probably go for the Razr it looks lovely!

Joshhedge said:
Shame on you,
It does not have the most powerful GPU, iPhone 4S and the iPad2 have the most powerful GPU. It doesn't have the best camera, two of my friends own SGS2 and after a month or two they both experienced a lot of UI slowdowns and lagging. Surely there is a point of being too thin also considering it is made of cheap plastic? Loving the ancient WVGA display!
I'd probably go for the Razr it looks lovely!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did the PW ask about an iPhone or iPad???
In terms of overall Pic quality/video quality the GS2 is the best in the PW's list.
Majority of users and reviewers will tell you the GS2 hardly slows down, its the one high end Android that can be compared to iPhone4S and WP7 phones in terms of a UI thats fast and smooth.
If it was cheap plastic there would be tons of complaints of back covers breaking, screens cracking, plastic quickly chipping etc...all over the web, and the press would be all over it, yet wait...theres none of that.
The "ancient" WVGA display has been praised due to the Super AMOLED Plus tech it uses, and is up there with the Retina display.

POLO_i780 said:
Did the PW ask about an iPhone or iPad???
In terms of overall Pic quality/video quality the GS2 is the best in the PW's list.
Majority of users and reviewers will tell you the GS2 hardly slows down, its the one high end Android that can be compared to iPhone4S and WP7 phones in terms of a UI thats fast and smooth.
If it was cheap plastic there would be tons of complaints of back covers breaking, screens cracking, plastic quickly chipping etc...all over the web, and the press would be all over it, yet wait...theres none of that.
The "ancient" WVGA display has been praised due to the Super AMOLED Plus tech it uses, and is up there with the Retina display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you are right...I'm a[cough-cough] proud owner of a qHD display of my sensation due to which there are less apps and games available and those available have streched UI...
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

Joshhedge said:
Shame on you,
It does not have the most powerful GPU, iPhone 4S and the iPad2 have the most powerful GPU. It doesn't have the best camera, two of my friends own SGS2 and after a month or two they both experienced a lot of UI slowdowns and lagging. Surely there is a point of being too thin also considering it is made of cheap plastic? Loving the ancient WVGA display!
I'd probably go for the Razr it looks lovely!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you kidding, I've done first hand comparisons to the Evo's cameras to the iPhone4 and the iPad2 and the Evo killed them easily.
The SGS2 cam is slightly better than the Evo (again first hand experience) more accurately detects lighting conditions on auto.
The Sensation camera is slightly better than the SGS2 (firsthand) capturing colors better on auto. I do love its camera button, pressure sensitive.
I haven't used the other phones so..
The cameras specs do not make it a good camera if it can capture in 1080p but its blurred, wrong exposure, colors over/under saturated, etc...
But the phones aren't all about the camera. Depending on what you want from it you need to consider how well it would be supported. What kind of accessory items will be available, like car/desk docks. If your a flashaholic then look at what phone threads get the most active developments.
My 2 cents
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

I came from HTC and was HUGE Sense UI fan, now i have Google Nexus ("Galaxy") and couldn't be happier! it's by far the BEST phone i've got
Experience:
HTC Touch Pro 2
HTC Desire
HTC Desire HD
HTC Sensation
HTC Sensation XE (Borrowed)
SAMSUNG Galaxy S II
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S
SAMSUNG Galaxy Note (Won it from SAMSUNG launch contest then sold it after 2 weeks and got>>)
Google (Galaxy) Nexus!

Definitely the SGSII.
-Sent from my Droid 2-

I recommend you Galaxy S2 for sure. It's the best choice money/quality.

HTC One S or Samsung Galaxy S III?

Hey guys, I'm getting a new phone in August when my contract dies. My current phone is a stock Nexus S running Jellybean. I'm trying to decide between getting the HTC One S, or the Samsung Galaxy S III. Both are priced at $400 on a 2-year contract with Virgin mobile, and I'm completely stuck on making my decision. With the One S, have any of you had considerable problems or issues with it? Would you get an SIII if you could? I believe that each of these phones are evenly matched, and each have their strengths and their weaknesses. I'm a fan of HTC Sense 4.0, and i like the overall build quality of the One S, but the S III has more ram, a removable battery and expandable memory. The HTC One X is not available with Virgin mobile, so I cannot get the HTC equivalent of the S III. Which would you recommend?
Thanks

Well. That depends. If you love trying new ROMs/kernels on your device, the s3 is going to be better in the long run. Not that the one s lacks a healthy dev community. We have many great devs with awesome Roms but the s3 has more people on board.
On the other hand, I found the one s more stylish and I like Sense 4 better.
Personally, I have no issues with my One S and with HTC promising a JB update, we know that, hopefully, all software related issues will be squished. You could look around for some common issues but nothing serious IMO but YMMV.
Sent from my HTC One S

Get he gs 3 and the free 50gbs of storage on dropbox. Return it and be happier with the one s and get another 25gbs of drop box for free. And keep the one s with 75gbs of storage space

davwman said:
Get he gs 3 and the free 50gbs of storage on dropbox. Return it and be happier with the one s and get another 25gbs of drop box for free. And keep the one s with 75gbs of storage space
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only get 2gb
Sent from my HTC One S using xda premium

k1llacanon said:
I only get 2gb
Sent from my HTC One S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then you prolly didnt complete the steps to get the 25 gb. you should have gotten an email when you registered for DB or signed in which told you how to get the 25 gb.
as for your q, im more than happy with the one s. The screen is the perfect size whereas i believe the SG3 has a screen thats too big to be comfortable. Maybe if you have big hand its ok lol. The only drawback i suppose would be the 16 gb storage, but using DB and google play music, that isn't really an issue. in the end though, it all comes down to your choice. Both are amazing phones

HTC One S was my choice. I prefer Sense 4.0 over Samsung's skin as well as I think HTC is doing better with updates than Sammy.
davwman said:
Get he gs 3 and the free 50gbs of storage on dropbox. Return it and be happier with the one s and get another 25gbs of drop box for free. And keep the one s with 75gbs of storage space
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like when the face matches the words.

You know it...

Thanks guys, also, how's the display on the one s? Its a pentile which means it could be a little jagged but my Nexus S has one and I really don't find it that bad.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app

Display is great, obviously not as sharp as the gs 3 and x and has less screen real estate due to the 720p res that the x and gs 3 have.
I'll let anandtech finish it off
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5868/htc-one-s-review-international-and-tmobile/6

Terminator19 said:
Display is great, obviously not as sharp as the gs 3 and x and has less screen real estate due to the 720p res that the x and gs 3 have.
I'll let anandtech finish it off
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5868/htc-one-s-review-international-and-tmobile/6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The One S does not have 720 dude, it has qhd. I have owned both devices and the GS3 is miles ahead of the One S
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

KillaHurtz said:
The One S does not have 720 dude, it has qhd. I have owned both devices and the GS3 is miles ahead of the One S
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
emmm, I didn't say that the S has 720p res.
Terminator19 said:
Display is great, obviously not as sharp as the gs 3 and x and has less screen real estate due to the 720p res that the x and gs 3 have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And of course you would expect the display of a device that costs about £130 more to be better.

the galaxy s3 is not miles ahead of the one s. I had it. Glad I got my money back. Its nice but it is way too big and feels like a kids toy.

I found myself in same position 3 weeks ago, and I struggled for weeks researching my choices between one s and s3. All my friends got s3 so I had a good chance to try it.
Though what s3 does is impressive as far as speed and memory goes, it seriously lags in look & feel and coolness factor. It feels like lugging around a tablet than phone and it barely fits in pocket.
Compare that to one s, which I finally ended up getting which is incredibly fast, memory though less never been a hindrance. I had 10gigs available after all system programs which I believe is plentiful when added with the online storage options.
Sure s3 beats one s in all test scores but one s Screen is unbelievable, phone is sleek and stylish and you can still reach around with one hand and fits in your pocket. Camera will put your point and shoot cameras to rest and I cannot be more happy.
And battery life is great too. I got a about 12 hours on moderate use even with couple of camera flashes and I still have 20% left.
Ultimately think of the long term impacts of having a tablet for a phone for next 2 years just because it is fast and more memory, vs. having a sleek, handy pocket able phone which is still fast with decent amount of memory.
Sent from my HTC 1S running AxiomS-Less

Does Adobe Flash still work on both devices?

gs3 = hot and plastic
main reason i switched from gs2 to one s
i tried the gs3 its just gets hot when using the phone

Actually the GS 3 doesn't even beat the S in all of the benchmark tests (both the quad and S4 version), yes the res. does have an impact but then the XL has the same hardware but also 720P res. and it still beats the GS 3 in the majority of tests.
The GS 3 international version only beats both in the tests, which uses the GPU such as quadrant etc. as the GPU is far better than the adreno 225.
Only areas that the GS 3 is better is:
screen
1080P recording
storage/SD slot
removable battery
bigger developing community
Everything else is more or less same or better on the S (IMO):
- camera is more or less the same (some photos look better on the GS 3, others look better on the S), however, the UI is better than touchwiz alternative and has way more features, which are actually cool and make taking photos more enjoyable.
- Speed/smoothness is more or less the same, only reason the GS 3 appears to be smoother is due to the animations/timing that is used, could achieve the same if you flashed those animations and had the exact same timings, besides were getting JB soon hopefully so there will be virtually no difference then (on any of the phones)
- audio is more or less the same (some say the GS 3 is better, others say the S is better)
- out of the box battery life is better (to be expected considering the S has a smaller battery and is only qHD), not by a huge amount though, however, with the GS 3 you can carry spare batteries around with you
- sense V4 is far far better in looks/UI, unified feel, the stock apps are amazing such as the gallery, calendar etc. touchwiz has loads of gestures and some cool features (but the majority of these are being ported over to every other android phone, such as the smart stay feature (iseeyou, works great on my S), Svoice, smart status bar (can drag the notification bar down when in an app full screen) etc. only a matter of time till we get things that like smart alert etc. The same can't be said with sense app/features though. IMO touchwiz is too bloated and no real unified feel across the apps/menus etc. everything just looks disorganized and the colour scheme is too kiddish/cartoonish
- and lastly the build/perceived quality of the S is miles ahead of the GS 3 and IMO looks far better compared to the GS 3 (subjective the looks though)

Do you want a phone that fits in your trouser pocket?
Get the One S
Are you a basketball player with huge hands?
Get the One X or Galaxy S3
Want to watch lots of movies?
Get a tablet.
Phones are getting far too big these days. Unfortunately there are no top spec 4" phones, so I got the One S. It's still in the mail so I can't really review it further. Manufacturers really need to learn from apple here, make it pocket sized for f&# sake. Also half the market is female and even being an average size male I find the latest phones too large.
There are some things that suck on the One S though: No MicroSD , Stupid capacitive buttons, at least samsung always have one proper button, sense UI looks like tacky plastic ****.
If you do get one s make sure it's not the old snapdragon S3 SoC which has worse battery life.

I whole heartedly agree with the above. I'm 6'0 healthy 225 pounds guy that thought the beastly oversized gs3 would fit me. I was wrong. That thing is just way to big. I found one handed operations almost impossible. The display isn't that great either, not for the price. Plus I had a amoled smear that looked like a smiley face smack in the center of the screen. The one s that uses Samsung amoled displays shows no sign of such things.

Terminator19 said:
Only areas that the GS 3 is better is:
screen
1080P recording
storage/SD slot
removable battery
bigger developing community
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have 1080p recording.
Sent from my HTC One S

Pheroh said:
We have 1080p recording.
Sent from my HTC One S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I know
But the GS 3 is far better for light metering and smoothness and slightly better quality as well.

Note 2 worth it? (AKA ****ing really, Samsung?)

My infuse has pissed me off enough and I'm looking to upgrade ASAP. I was looking at the note 2, but then I realized the ONLY upgrades are quad core and 2GB of RAM. Almost everything else is DOWNGRADED. Did samsung have pothead 12-year-olds on the dev team for this one?
Note: If you're going to read past this point you're not allowed to comment on how much I hate my Infuse. You live your life, I'll live mine, k?
I guess my question is should I just get the original note since it'll be much cheaper once they release the note 2, and I don't need a quad core?
I would get the note 2 if I wanted to but I don't want to kinda because when samsung does crap like this:
Development dies quickly
Nobody buys it
It ends up like the Infuse with the best xda devs quickly leaving for real devices designed by people that clearly understand what they're doing
When it loses xda dev support, it starts pissing me off like the infuse does

The original note would be a very good choice. It seems several people have used upgrades for the SGS3 and are very pleased. I have the international (quad core) SGS3 and will be keeping it for quite sometime.

TheNetwork said:
My infuse has pissed me off enough and I'm looking to upgrade ASAP. I was looking at the note 2, but then I realized the ONLY upgrades are quad core and 2GB of RAM. Almost everything else is DOWNGRADED. Did samsung have pothead 12-year-olds on the dev team for this one?
Note: If you're going to read past this point you're not allowed to comment on how much I hate my Infuse. You live your life, I'll live mine, k?
I guess my question is should I just get the original note since it'll be much cheaper once they release the note 2, and I don't need a quad core?
I would get the note 2 if I wanted to but I don't want to kinda because when samsung does crap like this:
Development dies quickly
Nobody buys it
It ends up like the Infuse with the best xda devs quickly leaving for real devices designed by people that clearly understand what they're doing
When it loses xda dev support, it starts pissing me off like the infuse does
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the note 2 is a downgrade? Haven't really looked at the two in depth...but by a quick Google search it appears the only downgrade is that the note 2 has a 720x1280 resolution vs note 1 800x1280 resolution... but this is kinda expected when increasing screen size
Besides that most things seem the same or better...mainly the CPU and RAM
I don't see the note 2 being like the infuse because the note 1 was a huge success and still has a thriving dev community with some of the best devas
Plus being one of the first quad core, 2gb RAM, lte phones for Att...you can be sure it will attract the devs...only thing I can see making them leave the note 2 in the future would be for the sgs4...when ever that comes out
If you don't care about CPU and ram then don't get the note 2...stick with the note 1
But if your so concerned about dev community, why would you get a predecessor? Where the logic in that? Any of the big devs of the note will likely jump ship for the note 2...
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

^^
2MP FF cam > 1.9mp
16:10 to 16:9
pulled an iphone 5 with the lengthening.
PPI is down something like 20...

TheNetwork said:
^^
2MP FF cam > 1.9mp
16:10 to 16:9
pulled an iphone 5 with the lengthening.
PPI is down something like 20...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...
.1mp is not much of a difference and likely won't be noticed (personally I rarely use the front cam anyways...)
I like 16:9 better then 16:10 anyways...it better for videos since that's what most HD videos are set to
PPI, again 20 isn't much...and likely won't be a noticeable difference
I personally would choose the note 2 over the note 1...but it really all comes down to personal preference
But still...you kinda make a big deal about dev life, so there is still no logic in choosing a predecessor over a new device if you want the best a good dev scene -as I said earlier...a lot of the note 1 devs will likely jump ship to the note 2
But again...all personal preference
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

I'll see what happens to the price of note #1 after #2 has been out for a day or two. If it goes to like $100 or $50 I'll definitely skip over the $300 PoS with $10 worth of hardware difference.

I'll be upgrading to the note II as well. I don't think you've done enough research if you are saying everything is a downgrade.. What exactly is a downgrade? In regards to decreased screen resolution, the subPPI went up and the screen is no longer RGBG. The US Note II's are also getting Exynos + LTE... Its also skinnier than the original note which isn't a bad thing.. IMO at least.

OK you've convinced me that it's a sidegrade.
You think it's worth $200 more (probably $100 on N1 and $300 on N2 for release) for 2 more cores (which still power many phones flawlessly) and another GB of RAM when Android has the best RAM management in the world?
side note: http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung/galaxy-note-carbon-blue.html note #1 has LTE too bud.

the rated ppi is deceptive. you are looking at pentil matrix rgbg vs real world resoloution. pentile matrix is a little weird they are geting away with high resoultion ratings by comparing it to crt tecnology. there are situations with different colors and contrasts that rgbg can create the number of lines it is rated as but it's not what is actually underlying. when you look at rgbg screens you may see a weird diagnal screen door effect depending on the colors on the screen since the pixels wind up being a little spaced out. high contrast stuff is not nearly as crisp, in effect text readability suffers. pick up an htc one x which has near iphone pixel density on an ips panel lcd and scale the text down till you can't read it, try the same on a gs3 which has a close enough screen size and the same rated resolution and you will see the ips is superior in this regard to the pentile matrix amoled. i would pick up an i777 gs2 before i got a gs3 for the size and i honestly think the i777 screen is clearer at the much lower resolution because the samoled+ is not pentile matris but thesamoled and samoled hd are.
also the older samsung devices are a 16:10 (i think this is what he tablets are, i dont feel like looking it up.) or 15:9 (most phones were this for a while) aspect ratio. this is good if the horizontal resolution is whole number scalable to hd video so there isn't a lot of estimations going on (1920x1200 would be ideal) because there is room for subtitles or the black bars just get bigger but it's often not. i'd look at horizontal res (in landscape) and compare it to common video resolutions over reading pixel count or density or vertical pixels or aspect ratio. and the .1 of an mp is nothing to worry about, i'd be more concerned about optics and firmware. i'm sure the pictures are actually improved.
about the dev community, right now the infuse is better than it's ever been. a lot of young talent is out there and guess what, they can't afford new phones, so yea dev drops off but it picks back up. if you want more dev buy a nexus or international device. the note 2 being exynos might see more dev as it may be more compatible with the international versions. i wouldn't worry about core count, watch the market, if the exynos 5 gets into a phone it's a dual core that runs with the ideal performance of the quad core, but the real world performance is much better since parallel processing isn't directly scalable. the snapdragon s4 chip (dual core) in the s3 and one x is also a beast. i'd be getting the most furture proof device. specs are almost meaningless since they don't relate to performance as directly as we would like them to.
in the end it's up to you, both great devices, the n2 will be more powerful but if the cost is a concern the n1 is still very good by any standards.

Yey finally an opinion I trust (ok I trust the rest of you but dani is an xda deity)

Dani897 said:
]
about the dev community, right now the infuse is better than it's ever been.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You hit the nail on the head with that one! The infuse has so many options and lots support! I wish mine didn't bork though -_-