Related
So after using a D1 since release day I finally got tired of it lack of ram and rom memory and upgraded to a Thunderbolt the day it came out. At first I was thrilled with it. Now.. not so much. Battery life is not so good and developer progress has been sort of slow with lots of hold ups. Not too mention the awful direction Verizon seems to be headed in bloating and locking down their devices. So I've been considering switching to Sprint. When I found out yesterday that turtle giving a $125 credit to new subscribers that port their old number.... well needless to say once I get back from this deployment in June I'm ditching my Thunderbolt and getting my fiancée and myself two NS4G's, the feat news being that it'll only be $40 more a month for both phones than it was for the one thunderbolt!
So anyway.. my questions.
I was blindsided by a few things on the thunderbolt and I'm not looking for a repeat exerience with the new phones.
I know the 4g isn't gorilla glass but is he screen very scratch resistant? I ran my d1 without a protector for 1 1/2 years without a single scratch. The Tbolt screen isn't so durable...
Screen technology... how many different kind of screens are there for the NS? which one(s) does the NS4G have?
Car mounts? I have bought one for each of my phones... I love them. Are there any OEM ones or really good ones for the NS4G?
Reviews indicate that battery life is pretty good? Does user experience back this up?
Pound for pound would you rather have the NS4G or the Thunderbolt? Also Sprint has 4g where I work and live... VZW not so much.
Ty in advance to any helpful replies or links. I've been sifting for info and haven't much specifically about the 4g and I apologize for all the questions. Just feel like I got burned one the thunderbolt and do t want to repeat that experience.
This isn't the answer to one of your questions, but be warned that Sprint's 3G coverage has degraded lately (they lost a roaming contract) and 4G isn't in all cities yet. Heck it isn't even in all major cities yet.
I love my ns4g. Came from an evo. sprint service isnt as good as the big v, but they have chepper plans. 4g is still a battery killer. but i get is light years above the evo and TB (my girl has one)
i always use zagg screan protectors so cant help you there
Even on 3g only the TB battery life sucks... and the notification light is so useless you might as well not even have one so getting a phone without one won't be so hard.
The only thing I know that is going to suck is soon the Nexus 3 will be out. I guess I just have to ensure I set enough money back to buy it at full price when it does Gonna keep digging thru the forum trying to figure stuff out on this phone in the meantime.
Do you highly recommend the ZAGG products? and how easy are they to install and not **** it up?
I actually sold my Thunderbolt and ditched Verizon for the NS4G. I have zero regrets. Yes, coverage(service) is not as good, although acceptable. The radio on the 4G is standard Samsung, meaning it doesnt get as good a signal as the HTC or MOTO devices(this is a topic of debate, some say its the AOSP that causes it, I disagree).Ive had a screen protector on it since I pulled it out of the box, so cant answer ya there. Battery life hasnt been great for me, I am rooted though and running a custom kernel, not oc'd though. My Bolt got a little better battery life. The NS4G is a very good fit in the hand, I felt the Bolt was just a tad to much in the hand, although I loved the screen.
Overall, the Pro's outweigh the Con's. If you get the NS4G, I doubt you will regret it. The Bolt is a great idea, poorly executed and rushed though. I found it buggy and a little overhyped pre-release.
This is just my 2 cents.
Off topic....
The title of the thread reads like Yoda to me.
mikeyinid said:
I actually sold my Thunderbolt and ditched Verizon for the NS4G. I have zero regrets. Yes, coverage(service) is not as good, although acceptable. The radio on the 4G is standard Samsung, meaning it doesnt get as good a signal as the HTC or MOTO devices(this is a topic of debate, some say its the AOSP that causes it, I disagree).Ive had a screen protector on it since I pulled it out of the box, so cant answer ya there. Battery life hasnt been great for me, I am rooted though and running a custom kernel, not oc'd though. My Bolt got a little better battery life. The NS4G is a very good fit in the hand, I felt the Bolt was just a tad to much in the hand, although I loved the screen.
Overall, the Pro's outweigh the Con's. If you get the NS4G, I doubt you will regret it. The Bolt is a great idea, poorly executed and rushed though. I found it buggy and a little overhyped pre-release.
This is just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to sprints coverage made they have good 4g signal where I live and work... I'm just so sick and tired of waiting for android goodness too "trickle down" to me via a dev who has a life/job/kids. Nothing wrong with that and I love everything the community does but I can't take not getting the stuff that makes android cool without having to jump thru a million hoops.
Hopefully the service won't be too bad, and hey! If enough of us leave VZW's oppressive ways Sprint is bound to get better.. right?
DarkAgent said:
This isn't the answer to one of your questions, but be warned that Sprint's 3G coverage has degraded lately (they lost a roaming contract) and 4G isn't in all cities yet. Heck it isn't even in all major cities yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so would this explain why even though I'm getting full bars 3g, it's so god dang slow?? sprint told me there were tower issues in my area and techs would look at it. but if the lost roaming contract is the cause of this, then i'm just gonna jump ship stats.
to the op, i came from an EVO to the dell streak. i actually missed the smaller screen bc i got tired of holding those big phones. the biggest advantage imo is that the nexus s has a perfect screen size for viewing and holding. feels great in the hand as the curves and the lighter weight allows your hand to better wrap around and grip the phone without fatigue or cramping.
most importantly, go for whatever service is best for you. sounds like sprint is a no-brainer. unfortunately in my area, sprint 4g is non-existant and 3g has seemingly gone down the hole.
I'll play on this. Coming from a evo, epic, g2, iphone 4, now back to sprint and got the NS4G. I finally feel like i have a phone that i dont "FEEL" The need to sell to get something better at this moment. Mainly because its a full google phone. No middle man, no waiting, and once more devs hop on this phone, your going to love it! Far as scratching i didnt even want to test it out i cop the full body zagg ASAP so i cant help you there. In all honestly the evo has messed me up about these other htc copies that are coming on other carriers. All may have better specs in some areas, but i still feel like its a evo copy cat IMO. Nothing to make me switch carriers for, or be like "Yea that's better than my evo" But if the service is good in your area and it doesnt gets on your nerves, then welcome to the nexus s family!
I had the Thunderbolt and am now using a Nexus S 4G.
I liked the Thunderbolt a lot. I have very good LTE coverage so speeds were blazing fast. The battery wasn't so good. I was using the extended battery and was getting about 20 hours of usage.
The phone was too big and heavy though, so when the Nexus S 4G came out I switched and am glad I did!
The form factor of the Nexus is a lot better. Battery is decent, got 10 hours today with 3 hours of screen time, and with 4G on all day.
I love the SAMOLED, mainly because of the blacks. I have a black theme on my phone and it looks amazing!
Downside is that the Nexus has less RAM. It has 512MB but it seems that only 350MB is accessible by apps. I have noticed some lag on it VS the Thunderbolt with 768MB of RAM.
I'm glad I made the switch. Gingerbread is awesome, and so is the google talk video chat.
For the car mount, check out the Kensington K39256US. It is made for the iPhone but works great with the Nexus S. It's cheap on amazon.
4G brute
Got a scratch on the screen and I'm really careful with my phones. Always in a dedicated pocket, maybe caught on a button while going in? Still, never scratched the front of my phone before. Hopefully not a sign, lets see what else happens within 30 days, then back to Best Buy!
Also, zagg is cool, but the price is high and the texture sucks. I use skinomi. Similar material, no orange peel, and only $16 shipped after a 25% coupon online. Its actually pretty simple to install given u follow directions and are patient with it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
hey in case you were planning on the ns4g soon, wirefly has a deal where its $99 on new contract, no activation/shipping charges, and no taxes. Thats $99 OTD, paying what the TMo guys are paying for theirs now on contract
I was thinking about picking up an at&t ns bc my sprint service is kinda slow here, but for $99, i'll stick with it. actually just ordered mine, and gonna take my current ns4g back to best buy where i payed $263 OTD...savings of $163
To the OP.. I would SERIOUSLY think of two things
Check your coverage.. Sprints coverage has been dramatically sliced recently: http://community.sprint.com/baw/message/281992#281992
#2... You know those 3G speeds you got on Verizon? Sprint calls that 4G.. 3G on Sprint is annoying to say the least since these coverage loses.
styckx said:
To the OP.. I would SERIOUSLY think of two things
Check your coverage.. Sprints coverage has been dramatically sliced recently: http://community.sprint.com/baw/message/281992#281992
#2... You know those 3G speeds you got on Verizon? Sprint calls that 4G.. 3G on Sprint is annoying to say the least since these coverage loses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The antenna issues I'm reading about are kinda scaring me as well....
I've been without a phone for about 3 months now. My Curve 8320 was very dear to me, and I happened to buy it before a smartphone data plan was required on that device. The phone unfortunately will not hold a charge (I've tried multiple batteries) and only turns on--without the radio signal, mind you--when plugged in.
I have been frequenting engadget for weeks and weeks doing research on which smartphone should be my next. Do you have any opinions on which Android device is the best that AT&T has to offer? I've discounted the Inspire, I don't really want it, and the Atrix 4G looks pricey and I've heard bad things about MotoBlur. So far I've been looking at the Captivate, Infuse, and the ever so mysterious SGS2.
Which AT&T device should I choose, or will the Galaxy S2 be out soon enough to warrant a wait?
PS. I'll only be getting a 200MB data plan, but I'm on WiFi 90% of the time.
I use the Nexus One and with Gingerbread on it it runs very nice.
Unfortunately I have to get a subsidized phone on contract, or else I would have already gotten a phone.
If you can live without custom roms (and even that may be possible soon), I would highly recommend the Atrix. You can put an alternative launcher from the market on it and not have to deal with motoblur at all.
I'm using mine on a 200mb/month plan as well, without issues. As long as you dont do something stupid like stream video/audio over your data plan, you should be fine if your around wifi a lot.
So if I get an Atrix for $150 from Amazon that would probably be a more worthwhile investment than a Captivate or an Infuse? Also, would it be wise to wait until the 24th to see if the SGS2 is announced, or does the vast majority believe it'll be a Galaxy Tab announcement/something else?
I would second waiting till may 24th....
There is something even more juicy
HTC - Holiday
http://pocketnow.com/android/htc-holiday-for-att-reveals-monster-specs
drgopoos said:
I would second waiting till may 24th....
There is something even more juicy
HTC - Holiday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that's one monster of a phone. Sense isn't my favorite, and the 4.5 inch screen is a bit too big (see: Infuse), but it looks really promising. I wish AT&T would cool it with the borderline tablet sized displays. 4-4.3 is a better size, imo.
I have a dell streak ( 5 inch screen ) and absolutely love the screen estate.
I am trying to move to another phone becoz the development is kind of stagnant but just cant find anything that would give me the same screen as streak.
5 inch screen does look big but with a few days of use , u wont want to leave it .
So i guess my next phone would be htc holiday but really wish many developers going for it .
Don't listen to drgopoos... Dell streak is WAY behind. It was late when it came out and it's a dinosaur now. Wait till the 24th to see if the SGSII is coming to AT&T. If it doesn't get the Atrix. Yeah, motoblur is not the best thing ever, but the hardware is worth it. Plus Motorola wants to open the bootloader for custom roms, and AT&T seems like they would give them the Go-Ahead to do so given their new "we love android" status.
BananaPhone69 said:
Don't listen to drgopoos... Dell streak is WAY behind. It was late when it came out and it's a dinosaur now. Wait till the 24th to see if the SGSII is coming to AT&T. If it doesn't get the Atrix. Yeah, motoblur is not the best thing ever, but the hardware is worth it. Plus Motorola wants to open the bootloader for custom roms, and AT&T seems like they would give them the Go-Ahead to do so given their new "we love android" status.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying to not listen to myself
That is why i am looking for something new
I'd agree, wait. Once the SGS II is on the market, read some reviews of it and if you can check one out in person (and the other phones mentioned as well for comparison purposes). Then make a decision.
Nexus S
Once I got over the subsidy "free free" thing and went with an unlocked Nexus S on ATT, things just "worked".
Took only a few seconds to pull the SIM from my old phone and shove it into the new. The i9020A instantly signed into the ATT network, also locked on to the 3G data just fine.
It's the size and shape of a regular phone, fits my hand, fits my pocket.
Sparse is a word I would use for the apps installed.. but thats a good thing.. the only apps on it now are the apps I want on it.. its clean.
I know its a dev phone, but "really" do all the other phones "add" anything to the reference? Most seem to remove, block, break, reduce and charge you extra for everything.. that's not what I'd call a bargain.
And I've yet to see a "full featured" phone app from one of the big three I actually wanted to "pay for" with the 2 year contract.
The Samsung event on 5/24/11 has been postponed..... An Atrix is slowly looking like my new phone. I may wait a week or so before I set a decision in stone though.
Anyone have anything to say about the Atrix before I buy one, root it, and pop GingerBlur on it? It's either that or wait for the white AT&T Nexus S if it is coming out any time soon. Seems like it would be the perfect time.
I have a thunderbolt right now... Im going to get getting rid of my girlfriends iphone so we can lock her in the 4g unlimited plan. She likes my thunderbolt so thats what she will probably get. Now i'm thinking about switching over to the charge but i'm having a hard time. I hate sense but I hate touch wiz even more. I like the fact that the thunderbolt has 2 aosp roms to choose from but the gummy rom I just saw for the charge looks pretty good. Help me decide please!
My contract has been up for a few weeks, I've been researching phones vigorously to find the best one and so far my conclusion is
#1: Samsung Galaxy S2
#2: HTC EVO 4G/3D
#3: Droid Charge
#4: HTC Thunderbolt
Galaxy S2 is a BEAST of a phone, only problem is there is no US release date as of yet, and even worse there is no US Verizon/Sprint/T-Mobile/ATT release date as of yet...
HTC EVO 4G/3D are great phones, I personally didn't look too far into them since they aren't on Verizon but you can look up their specs to see if they are in your ballpark
Droid Charge is my personal phone of choice, i WOULD get the GalaxyS2 but we aren't seeing a release date(it's expected in July-September but I can't wait)
HTC Thunderbolt was an obvious contender if the Charge was on the list but I've heard of a lot of problems with this phone such as rebooting issues, battery issues etc.
so the verdict? Droid Charge if you need/want a phone now, Galaxy S2 if you can wait(I'm not psychic but it's pretty obvious that phone is going to be HUGE, which in turn means great support from the developers & tons of easy root methods)
There's several threads along these lines that you should check out, so skim through the section and read them, even the one about "learning to hate the Charge" or something like that...you'll get plenty of pros and cons and TB vs Charge comments in those, but since I feel like whining about my Charge I'll jump in here. IF you don't read my whole post, at least check out the last paragraph, you might like the idea.
IF, and that's a big IF, the Galaxy S II ever comes to Verizon or ATT with an LTE radio, I'll be all over it once it's rootable, but since you're up against the expiring unlimited data offer, there's just the two to choose from (Charge, Thunderbolt).
I have both, and it's still a tough call for me on which I prefer. So many pluses, and so many minuses on both.
If I had to choose one right this minute to toss away, I think it would be the Charge, though. The Charge has got about the best damn display I've ever seen on a phone. iPhone 4 is sharper, but smaller, and the Charge blows away the iP4 in the contrast and inky blacks department.
The Charge is lighter than the TB, by a very noticeable amount. It's arguably got better battery life, but seriously, you won't be happy with it either. If you're in a spotty 3G area, the Charge seems to have exponentially better battery life than the TB, but in a solid 4G area, they both suck. I haven't spent enough time with both in a solid 3G area to compare yet.
The Charge's screen seems scratch proof without protection. Mine rides naked and has no mars. It fell out of my pocket on the leg press machine the other day and the front hit the metal bar on its way down. No damage to the screen but a small nick in the bezel (which is soft plastic). The Thunderbolt is a scratch magnet- treated mine with kid gloves, but no protection, and it's still somehow managed to get two nasty gouges in the screen.
The Sammies are pretty good at playing any media you throw at them, not so sure about the HTCs.
The Charge's hardware buttons at the bottom are pretty nice; I didn't think I'd like them, but once you get past the cheap plasticky feel, they're a solid competitor to the capacitive ones.
Those are about the only major plusses on the Charge for my usage.
Major minuses include a laggy as heck phone unless you do the voodoo ext4 conversion AND install the Gummy ROM. VooDoo alone, debloating, using different launchers, etc, did not fix the lag on the Charge for me. Gummy seems to have for the most part, but there's still an occasional sluggishness on waking the phone or switching some apps.
The plastic is cheap feeling compared to TB. It's a big issue for some.
There's no kickstand on the Charge. I know I'm not alone in thinking this is one of the coolest, most obvious enhancements to a phone to have. One of the big Android blogs, Android Central I think, made a blog post along those lines just recently.
There's no Gingerbread yet for the Charge, but there is (unofficially, anyways) for the TB.
You mentioned you hate Sense, but with the BAMF Sense 3 ROM I am in love with Sense. It's the slickest thing I've seen on a phone for a launcher and some cool widgets. I've been a CM7 and Launcher Pro guy for all my Androids since the N1 once CM7 became available, but for the TB, I think it will stay Sense on mine for quite a while.
We might see more activity with the Charge development-wise, it's still fairly new, but I believe that by the this time in the phone's life on the TB we had a lot more activity. We don't even have a full and proper ClockWork or Amon Ra recovery for the Charge yet. Imnuts has given us a pretty decent one, but you'll soft-brick (or worse) your Charge if you try to do a Nandroid restore with it, and unless I missed an update, you have to do a battery pull to reboot if you try a factory restore/wipe on it.
All that said, and my overall preference for the TB...why not grab a Charge and play with it for a while in daily use. GET IT AT COSTCO. You'll get locked in with the unlimited data plan, but unlike VZW purchased phones, you get 90 days to test drive the phone itself. 14-day right to cancel on cell plan still applies though. If you just hate the thing, you can go back and get the Thunderbolt, or better yet, by August or end of September when your 90 days is up we'll have some more choices (like maybe that oh-so-sweet Galaxy S II).
Thank you. I just got back home with a new Charge. Gave my girlfriend my thunderbolt. Now im trying to figure out how I root this on a mac?
You're gonna want gummy...the phone's a laggy turd with any variant of stock for me...YMMV.
Use Odin in a VMWare Windows box to flash the Imnuts Clockwork, then use Clockwork to flash the Gummy rom, which is pre-rooted.
There are plenty of tutorials around here on using Odin, so I won't bother explaining, but a good tip get the phone recognized in the Windows box while in download mode is to plug it in in regular mode first, wait for the virtual cd-rom that will open, then run the driver installer (all in the Windows box). Make sure USB debugging is off, or the virtual cd won't open.
You can try flashing Clockwork with Heimdall, but many of us can't get it to work on the Mac with the Charge.
My wife and I just got one. I rooted mine and I don't plan on rooting hers. When I try to go back from Gummy to the last touchwiz crap I want to smash the damn thing. This phone files once you get a good rom on it @ use the voodoo lagfix. My quadrant (doesn't really mean much, but FWIW) was around 800 before and 1700 after. The rom is still not perfect but it is miles ahead of stock.
Ohhh... do you self an favor and use a windows machine to root the thing. It takes half an hour if you know what you are doing.
Thank you. Yes I rooted and flashed gummy already. Huge difference!
It is amazing how much I hated this phone when I got it vs how much I love it after a Voodoo kernel and Gummy
It took me a while to figure it out, but once I got the voodoo kernel on my Charge, I tried the ROMs out and while Gummy is fast, I still think AC's Altered Beast ROM is the best. It might still be in its Alpha stage, but its crazy fast and looks very sexy. Gummy is definitely great right now, but I think once the Altered Beast is finished that will be the ROM to go to. If your looking for speed and looks, Altered Beast is a good way to go.
Also, where as the phone does seem to be made out of a cheaper material, I have also noticed that my screen seems nearly invincible. Plus it looks amazing.
Altered beast looks awesome but I love soap look I don't know if I can leave yummy... haha
cacash89 said:
Also, where as the phone does seem to be made out of a cheaper material, I have also noticed that my screen seems nearly invincible. Plus it looks amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung definitely makes a damn good display, both in appearance and durability. I've never scratched a Galaxy S based phone... and I've had four of them.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk
edit: edited ***** to both and been to never...sheesh the autocorrect on the phone is bad sometimes.
Went From TB to Charge
After having to many issues with the TB (4 of them) Verizon got me the Charge.
The Development for the TB is awesome and a ton of roms and kernels and themes to keep you busy for months, but I had quite a few reboots and cell issues and was about the same on all models. The Charge has excellent battery life on 3g sense 4g won't be on till July 21st for me. The Thunderbolt was good to with the right rom/kernel combo, but the Charge wins and also wins in the display department. Like another poster said the TB seemed to get dirty/scratched easy don't know why I had cases and screen protectors and never could manage to keep it looking good the Charge has yet to get any marks/ other then a cheap back that will proly wear fast, but then again can be replaced for $10. All in all I love both phones, but when it comes down to it I more then anything want a working phone which thus far seems to be the Charge.
If you're looking for a Verizon LTE phone now, the main thing is to not wait. Get a TB or Charge now and sell it later if you hate it. Its worth locking in the unlimited data before it goes away. I was wavering between all 3 LTE phones, as what I'm really waiting for is a Droid Bionic (in whatever form it finally comes in...) but at this point the unlimited data is more important to me than an extra core and some more memory. SAMOLED and battery life is what swung me from the TB to the Charge, but the TB seems to have a more lively dev community, not to mention much better dev support from HTC than what Samsung provides. Its all a tradeoff...
Hi,
I have a Samsung Captivate (running AT&T stock 2.3.5, unlocked) and am almost about to pull the trigger on the Skyrocket (late to the party.. I know). What am I getting into? I keep reading about ICS delays, unable to root, unlock etc. Is it worth it?
I thought about waiting for S3, but maybe not.
Go ahead, do your best, talk me out of the S2 Skyrocket..
Regards
Nick
Don't get the Skyrocket, your better off waiting for the S3 for sure, or the HTC One series, basically our phone, although a great one, sadly has little to nothing going for it anymore versus any new phones coming in the next few months, basically there's no point getting the Skyrocket anymore. Hope that helped.
wasabiman123 said:
Don't get the Skyrocket, your better off waiting for the S3 for sure, or the HTC One series, basically our phone, although a great one, sadly has little to nothing going for it anymore versus any new phones coming in the next few months, basically there's no point getting the Skyrocket anymore. Hope that helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one specifically from HTC? I love the Samsung screens. Have noticed that the HTC screens looked "washed out" - is that still the case?
Well it depends what carrier you're on, no one knows for sure which phones from the One series are gonna land on what carrier, but ATT will probably get the higher end One X, while Sprint might get the One S. Also I think the new HTC phones use Super LCD 2, so might not be that bad, worse than AMOLED tech for sure but probably fine tbh. Also I think the new Sony Xperia phones are coming out too, those might now have the craziest specs but they're really nicely designed and are gonna have some of the better cameras to be on phones this year For those you'll want thr Xperia Ion, look it up it's a beautiful device ^^
I have had my Skyrocket for about a month and love it. I rooted it and removed a bunch of the AT&T and Samsung stuff, but it is otherwise stock.
I came from the Dell Streak/Venue family of phones. They worked very well but the Streak was too big (5 inch screen) for everyday use and the 4 inch screen of the Dell Venue was just too small. The 4.5 inch screen of the Skyrocket is just right for my needs.
The Skyrocket is very snappy and unless I have a heavy use day the battery lasts all days for me (12-14 hours). Today has been light use, almost none really, and the battery is at 73% after 13 hours. Most days I am in the 25-30% range after 18 hours.
I use Launcher Pro as my home launcher and am not big on widgets that update. I do not use twitter or facebook, but do have 3 push email accounts that I use K-9 for. My biggest non-phone uses are as an e-reader (Kindle, Nook) and as an mp3 player (usually wired directly to the vehicle radio*).
I use the GPS 4 or 5 times a week to check traffic with Google maps or look for alternate routes due to an accident. The gps locks fast and I have had zero issues with it.
Right now a refurbished Skyrocket is $20 with a new contract at the at&t web site. This is what I paid for mine.
* For the connection to the vehicle radio I use a Scosche cable. It includes a mic and makes the phone hands free.
what phone to wait for...
defriend said:
Hi,
I have a Samsung Captivate (running AT&T stock 2.3.5, unlocked) and am almost about to pull the trigger on the Skyrocket (late to the party.. I know). What am I getting into? I keep reading about ICS delays, unable to root, unlock etc. Is it worth it?
I thought about waiting for S3, but maybe not.
Go ahead, do your best, talk me out of the S2 Skyrocket..
Regards
Nick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good suggestions ideas and experiences already posted, I thought I'd share how my wife now enjoys her new Samsung Galaxy Note. It is HUGE. Too big for me to carry in my pocket so I'm stickin' with my skyrocket. She has a purse instead of a pocket, and her eyes are even worse than my own so a bigger screen was a no brainer. It's a nice phone, that note, it sure is. Nice big screen, seriously.
This skyrocket I use is pretty darn good, suits all my needs. I rooted it with no problem, and I flashed a version of cyanogenmod on it, and it's flawless. Cyanowiz it's called here in the forums for skyrocket. It eliminates all the AT&T carrier IQ, so I can turn on the wifi hotspot and let my friend at work use it, as his Sprint service and signal is sub-par, and it makes his iphone 4 go faster. Downside of showing off like that is it blows the lid off my tiered data plan.
(no ICS yet, heard it was buggy anyway)
I'm not sure how much better a device can get, I hear rumors of an Iphone 5 and mentioned by you is a S3? Cool! Perhaps hanging in there with the captivate a bit longer will yield an even faster more modern device.
I'll just say the difference between the skyrocket and the captivate is a dual core processor and yes it's faster, but if we're talkin' out of pocket expense as something to consider, it pays to stay a tad out of date and content with what you already have! If you're eligible for upgrade, you're also eligible to kick AT&T to the curb with no extra cost and consider other carriers. I'd talk to neighbors and friends about the performance of Verizon etc, instead of automatically just starting a new 2 year contract with AT&T, check all your options.
Hope that helps decide.
Get what you want...end of story
Don't worry to much about what others want or think. If you wait for the S3 which I admit will be awesome....how long till it is obsolete or "old" about 3 months. then everyone will want the "samsung/htc/??? Universe infinity blackhole 7" that is all the time you really have being the latest and greatest.
I love the skyrocket and I'm sure i'd love the S3 or note or any "current" phone. You get what you want, but hey if your buying I'll take a Note, not sure why though lol, XDA is a great place to look around and see the communities before you choose.
Skyrocket isn't worth it anymore, get the note.
Get a note
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
I haven't personally held the note, but it looks huge! I would guess its not so good on battery, but that's just a guess.
Sent from SKYROCKET
NexusMod 4.0
Romracer 0.3
Yes.. I am looking at $20 for the refurb. Hopefully refurb means somebody just returned it because it was too much power in their hands rather than beat the crap out of the phone and send it back...
Will probably stick to At&T due to GSM (I travel internationally once every few months). Will probably get the phone unlocked a few weeks after getting it.
Samsung Note feel too big.. is it?
Nick
fukenbiker said:
Good suggestions ideas and experiences already posted, I thought I'd share how my wife now enjoys her new Samsung Galaxy Note. It is HUGE. Too big for me to carry in my pocket so I'm stickin' with my skyrocket. She has a purse instead of a pocket, and her eyes are even worse than my own so a bigger screen was a no brainer. It's a nice phone, that note, it sure is. Nice big screen, seriously.
This skyrocket I use is pretty darn good, suits all my needs. I rooted it with no problem, and I flashed a version of cyanogenmod on it, and it's flawless. Cyanowiz it's called here in the forums for skyrocket. It eliminates all the AT&T carrier IQ, so I can turn on the wifi hotspot and let my friend at work use it, as his Sprint service and signal is sub-par, and it makes his iphone 4 go faster. Downside of showing off like that is it blows the lid off my tiered data plan.
(no ICS yet, heard it was buggy anyway)
I'm not sure how much better a device can get, I hear rumors of an Iphone 5 and mentioned by you is a S3? Cool! Perhaps hanging in there with the captivate a bit longer will yield an even faster more modern device.
I'll just say the difference between the skyrocket and the captivate is a dual core processor and yes it's faster, but if we're talkin' out of pocket expense as something to consider, it pays to stay a tad out of date and content with what you already have! If you're eligible for upgrade, you're also eligible to kick AT&T to the curb with no extra cost and consider other carriers. I'd talk to neighbors and friends about the performance of Verizon etc, instead of automatically just starting a new 2 year contract with AT&T, check all your options.
Hope that helps decide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
March / April are the worst months for buying laptops, desktops and phones.
It's the end of the quarter and all the new stuff is about to come out and all the old stuff is already almost a year old.
Why do you want to pay regular price for old hardware? That's like buying a blackberry.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
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.