How Did You Decide on A Phone? - General Questions and Answers

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S and my contract is up in November, so I started to look around for another phone (I know, it's still 8 months away, but I am so excited.).
I love the idea of the Galaxy Note with the big screen and the S-pen. The Galaxy S lll is coming out and it is supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread and peanut butter.
I do not have a problem going with another manufacturer, but I have not found anything from someone else that compares to the Galaxy line-up. The HTC One X looks nice but it does not have a card slot which is a must for me.
In reality I do not need another phone as my Galaxy S has everything I need in a phone, but since I will get a phone at a discount with a 3 year plan, I figured, why not.
What phone do you have and how did you decide on that particular phone?
Ian

I always pick my phones because of design and not so much because of specs
My phone also has to feel good in my hands, so usually it has to be rather large (no mini phones) but not as large as a Note . It also can't be too light, because I don't want to feel like I will break it if I drop it or touch a button too hard .
Currently I have an Xperia S, and as you can see by my shortlist in my signature, I have been drawn towards SE phones for awhile (mainly due to design, but specs come along with them).
I'm not saying specs don't matter to me, I just think it's more on the outside that counts. You mentioned the new HTC line, for example. I find HTC phones not....unique or eye catching.For the past few years, they all looked the same to me. There may be a quad-core inside, but in my eyes, its not impressive .
My X1 caught my eye because of the metal body, my X10 caught my eye because of the shape and camera, and my S caught my eye because of the transparent bar/camera/form of the phone.
I have never been a min/max person, if it looks nice, can perform above average, and has some sort of unique feature that sets it apart from the others, I'm happy.

I decided that if i were to go android i would go nexus because of the updates (THANKS SAMUNG FOR UPDATING MY PHONE)
It also helped that is had a beautiful (yet pentile) display.

Specifications and design and brand.

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Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.

orb3000 said:
Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am most sorry. I will endeavour in the future to comply with all forum rules. But for you to advise me to read the rules, I must say I never listen to upper management.
Besides, by saying "Failure to comply" make you sound like a Borg and I would hate to be assimilated at this point in the hockey season.

I'd say HTC. They always have good specs, good build quality, and good customer support even on there facebook page I see if a person has a problem HTC will reply to help. Look into the one series, beside the lack of SD card you do get an upgraded drop box account free when you get a HTC one device
Sent from my HTC Amaze 4G using XDA

I would say Samsung because they're the most dev friendly

Firstly I look at the basic specs. So I look at the CPU. If I was getting a new phone now I would look for dual core. Then I'll look at the RAM, I want at least half GB of RAM.
Then I look at the features. I generally look at the camera, something with good audio (because I love music), and all the other very basic features.
Then I look at the design. Are the colors good? Is it comfortable to hold? Can it fit in my pocket?!
Then I Google if the phone has any bugs and if they are fixable.
Finally, I watch a video review on Youtube and see if people like it and if it works properly.
Oh I forgot. I would look for at least Android 4.x since I really like the look and feel of it.

What i would decide on is:
Would you want a phone that can fit in your pockets?
Whether or not you would be happy with the product
A good CPU and amount of RAM on the phone
At least 1GHz with more than 512MB Ram
The Galaxy S III would be a great hit, however support of the note may die down when the S3 hits the market.
My phone, a Galaxy 551 (Almost out of support) isn't really supported anymore since last year.
I'm not sure of the customer service/support of HTC, but samsung usually focus's on the newest products only.

I tend to make my decisions based on factors such as performance, aesthetics, and battery life.
I'm also not particularly fond of the phones with huge oversized screens because I like to have a phone that is easy to fit in my pocket and also feels good to hold. With these factors in mind I ended up choosing the mt4g, but that was about a year ago. Phones have evolved quite a bit since than.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA

Now you need at least 1ghz processor and 512 MB RAM. But if you don't want to buy old phone, try looking for something with dual core and 1 GB of ram. When you find devices that meet those criteria, look for better battery, but remember, you will probably need to charge it every day.
EDIT:
And from my experience I strongly recommend something from HTC. Their software is amazing. Without all preinstaled apps from them, my android device wouldn't be the same.

First I go for quality and proven performance.
Then I look at the other things from there.
I have almost always owned Motorola products since my first phone. A Motorola flip phone way back with Cellular One.
The one time I strayed was to an LG Envy Touch. Biggest mistake. Went to the Droid after I got rid of that piece of chit. I will sick with Motorola unless Google screws them up.

Thanks to everyone for their input.
Ian

I decide on
1. Battery life(which is very important as its called 'mobile' not desk phone)
2. Processor
3. RAM
4. Camera(with LED)
5. Form Factor and weight
and so on.

Usually I just took what was on my contract but seeing now that I have a choice I mainly look at looks but must have atleast 1gb ram, 1.2 ghz dual core or more ie 1.5 ghz and 16gb or more internal memory. So I decided on the Sony xperia S looks really unique to me. And as a added bonus it has google play store and 4.3" screen so games will be awesome.

Top 3 rules:
1. Brand
2. Specifications
3. Design

I pick my phones on 3 bases
1. Battery has to be at least decent
2. Has to have at least a 4.3 inch display
3. Must be 4G lte and wifi compatible
Sent from my magic piece of metal using even more magic

Samsung sIII
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA

bought an xperia play, because it had a gamepad
otherwise don't find a need to upgrade smartphone, most do the same thing

Related

Worst phone in my entire life

This is hands down the worst phone that I have ever owned in my entire life. There are tons of
1) Biggest problem is definitely the home button. This alone makes the phone totally unusable. Want to use the GPS while driving? Well forget about cause you are going to get in to a car crash trying to set everything right with this home button thing going on.
2) randomly says I don't have a sim card while I haven't touch my simcard at all. And I only find out about this when I check my phone and by then I could have been unavailable for a couple hours. Well whats the point of a mobile phone then if you aren't always available. This is btw not a rom issue
3) Battery. I never get more then 1-2 hours of screen time on a 14 hour stretch. The iphone 5 gets 8 hours of browsing time.
4) Can't hear my phone ringing while out in public. The speaker is just pathetic.
5) paint problem of the black htc one s. Come on man. In the end I just sanded everything down. But that makes those cheap plastic bits stand out. Not to mention all the dust and gunk thats building up around and under these plastic bits. I can't see the LED light either unless I am viewing it directly from above. The design just isn't there. Although samsung isn't better either in that department. But the iphone just does it right.
7) Rom development sucks but I have no choice because sense sucks even harder.
It is unbelievable that HTC just can't get the elementary things right. My phone is totally unusable and it has been a miracle that I have surved this past 5 months on this POS. HTC lost a customer. I wasted 500 euro on this POS.
Sorry for thay. So what phone u got now?
Sent from my Galaxy SII 4G LTE GT-I9210T using xda premium
i have none of those problems, go get an iphone and be happy
Well I am probably going to get the iphone 5. Which I actually don't really want to do because its just expensive and its not really going to be a major upgrade compared to the HTC one S in terms of speed and the apps I use and even the screen.
But what choice do I have?
Well since i love Samsung i suggest u choose Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or SIII... Its less than the iPhone 5 but more function... Since u mention function.... These phone are the best... Well if u like iPhone application then choose iPhone.. But i suggest Samsung SIII or Galaxy Note2
Sent from my Galaxy SII 4G LTE GT-I9210T using xda premium
You give of about the black model chipping etc. well the iphone 5 is no better, has the exact same problem, in fact probably worse.
I have not encountered any of those issues that you have mentioned, my black phone (older design) is still in perfect condition apart from the USB port area, easily the best battery life currently (4-6 hours on screen time [manual control] spread across 1-3 days usually), only phone to top it is the iphone 5, although iOS does no more as much as android i.e. the multi-tasking and the hardware is more power efficient and the software/drivers are better optimized.
I do agree with you on the NLED though.
EDIT:
Just noticed who the OP is........ *sigh*
Move onto the iphone already for god sake, you moan and moan and moan about the phone all the time and keep going on about how iphone better etc. as I told you before sell the one S and get yourself an iphone, such a simple solution........
BTW, fed up with the ROM development? Then educate yourself and you go and make a better ROM then!
TBH starting to think you are just one big troll.
Oh god not you again.
Sell your phone and get an iPhone. It's clear you're an iSheep so flock with the crowd.
You have opened numerous threads, moaning and complaining your iPhone is better, so for the better good of the earth, save yourself the typing and get an iPhone.
Sent from my locked, tampered ville
carlos_abril_94 said:
i have none of those problems, go get an iphone and be happy
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I have also not encountered any of these problems. In fact, i'd say the HTC one S is the best phone ive ever owned. I find android superior to ios in many ways. Just my opinion.
Soo if you're disappointed with the development on the 1S, wait until you see how many options you have with the iPhone .
I personally have never had any of those issues, and while I come from an HD2 which probably had the most rom options of any phone, I find that we at least have quality over quantity. TrickDroid, Viper, Energy, and oh a little thing called OFFICIAL CM10! Thanks I'll subdue my flashaholic ways of the past for a great stable Rom with lots of cool features.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
Jesus man. The fanboyism here is super high. You guys are in denial.
And I can show thousands of pictures of my battery life. I can show you tons of threads about issues that people have with this phone. The home button thing is a major issue and you guys are denying that. Unbelievable.
This is not about android vs ios. Android JB is superior to iOS6 except in the gaming department. But none of these manufacturers can make a decent phone. SGS3? Great specs but its still a cheap plastic toy phone. Even if I was into plastic I'd still don't know how well the user experience is. Thats one thing I have learned from using the One S. Even though the one S is infinitely faster than my old iphone4. The iphone is still the superior phone. Its in the small details.
Battery life, volume of speakers, volume of headphone jack, bugs in software, battery charging time, unibody design, support. The user experience is everything and quad core means nothing. Especially not with this generation of phones where nowadays everything is blazing fast anyway
Go away troll!
no one is being a fanboy, we are just fed up with your stupid BS you keep spreading every month in a new thread despite being proven wrong with many people saying they don't have these problems.........
You experience these issues with some others, however, once again just because you and some other people experience these issues does not mean that everyone also has the same problems. People only ever report the bad stuff, hardly ever the good stuff.
I can show you videos, photos of my mobile (and I already have shown you plenty of battery screenshots with detailed usage), but it doesn't matter because you will still go on and on about how this phone sucks, how iphone is better blah blah, followed by more diarrhea from your mouth.
I have no problem with battery, touch button issue, volume/speakers/headphones (get better headphones!), what bugs in the software? My signal is more or less perfect as well as wifi connection, unibody design as I said no marks on mine apart from USB port.
Once again, why do you not sell the one S, all you do is moan and complain about it, sell and buy something else? Why is that so hard to do?
BTW do you honestly think people would keep a phone if they experienced that touch button issue? No matter how much of a fanboy someone is, they won't put up with that ****. I for one wouldn't so why would be denying this issue as well as the others?
You don't like the support, then you do something to improve it or better yet, move to a phone that has got better support i.e. nexus, GS 3 etc.
wilcoholic said:
Jesus man. The fanboyism here is super high. You guys are in denial.
And I can show thousands of pictures of my battery life. I can show you tons of threads about issues that people have with this phone. The home button thing is a major issue and you guys are denying that. Unbelievable.
This is not about android vs ios. Android JB is superior to iOS6 except in the gaming department. But none of these manufacturers can make a decent phone. SGS3? Great specs but its still a cheap plastic toy phone. Even if I was into plastic I'd still don't know how well the user experience is. Thats one thing I have learned from using the One S. Even though the one S is infinitely faster than my old iphone4. The iphone is still the superior phone. Its in the small details.
Battery life, volume of speakers, volume of headphone jack, bugs in software, battery charging time, unibody design, support. The user experience is everything and quad core means nothing. Especially not with this generation of phones where nowadays everything is blazing fast anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"The user experience is everything and quad core means nothing." Troll much? I don't own a One S but i saw this post as i was scrolling down to the One X section and i must say you are a pathetic troll, as far as i know only the One S has a dual core Krait, the one with the quad core is the One X and i believe someone who is at XDA and knows about Custom Roms at least know what processor their phone has.
I can't stop checking this thread. It's like slowing down on the freeway to see a car accident. I have never, in my life, hated a product so much that I just vent and vent and vent without doing something about it. Based on my recent experience as a new parent, I'd say someone needs a new diaper, a nap and a nice shiny anodized (please ignore the chips and dents) iPhone pacifier.
People will always complain, WE know our device is a great fully functional device
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
Haha I recently purchased the HOS but I definitely do not have any of the issues mentioned on the forum.
I mean okay, in reality, if people are content with their product, they usually won't need to ask questions or post help threads until necessary which is when their phone malfunctions or encounters a problem. So I'm guessing there are actually more happy owners out there in comparison with owners with issues.
AND. although I wish the development on this phone was better, I can't really complain as it has everything I both need or want (well battery life can always be better).
vcrp94 said:
"The user experience is everything and quad core means nothing." Troll much? I don't own a One S but i saw this post as i was scrolling down to the One X section and i must say you are a pathetic troll, as far as i know only the One S has a dual core Krait, the one with the quad core is the One X and i believe someone who is at XDA and knows about Custom Roms at least know what processor their phone has.
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Click to collapse
I wasn't talking about the ONE S! I mentioned quad cores cause that sounds infinitely more next gen and awesome and futuristic then a measly dual core. It was to make a point. CPUs nowadays don't matter cause I can't tell the difference between the last gen CPU's (Nexus S, iphone4s) and current CPU's (a6, s4 krait, quad cores from nvidea and samsung) in day to day usages.
Where did I say that the One S has a quad core? You just went full retard!
AndrewAmazed said:
Haha I recently purchased the HOS but I definitely do not have any of the issues mentioned on the forum.
I mean okay, in reality, if people are content with their product, they usually won't need to ask questions or post help threads until necessary which is when their phone malfunctions or encounters a problem. So I'm guessing there are actually more happy owners out there in comparison with owners with issues.
AND. although I wish the development on this phone was better, I can't really complain as it has everything I both need or want (well battery life can always be better).
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Click to collapse
Yea most of the complainers are really just a small bunch compared to the ones who actually are content, I only rooted mine out of boredom (boredom in life not with the phone lol) otherwise I would've been fine with it out of the box, why? Because mine had no problems, all the problems came after flashing roms and what not but that risk I was willing to take and I'm still left with a flawless device
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
I had too had problems with the one S, but I will NEVER swap it with iPhone garbage. The one S has options of customizations. iPhone doesn't. I think speak for everyone when I say being locked into iTunes just sucks!
You know what makes a troll go away? When you ignore them. Please, don't feed the troll. It's better this way...
wilcoholic said:
Jesus man. The fanboyism here is super high. You guys are in denial.
And I can show thousands of pictures of my battery life. I can show you tons of threads about issues that people have with this phone. The home button thing is a major issue and you guys are denying that. Unbelievable.
This is not about android vs ios. Android JB is superior to iOS6 except in the gaming department. But none of these manufacturers can make a decent phone. SGS3? Great specs but its still a cheap plastic toy phone. Even if I was into plastic I'd still don't know how well the user experience is. Thats one thing I have learned from using the One S. Even though the one S is infinitely faster than my old iphone4. The iphone is still the superior phone. Its in the small details.
Battery life, volume of speakers, volume of headphone jack, bugs in software, battery charging time, unibody design, support. The user experience is everything and quad core means nothing. Especially not with this generation of phones where nowadays everything is blazing fast anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have four of these phones, for my mom, my sister, my niece and me plus i have 3 friends who have this phone and none of us ever seen this home button issue. I just hope it's not something that starts up after a while of using it.

[Q] Gah; Handset Insanity! Help me choose my next phone

I know that you guys probably see dozens of these kinds of threads from confused geeks like me who just can't make up their minds, but I'm really stuck here. I've been up for hours reading about all of the handsets on the market right now and I just can't settle on one option that I like the best for my situation. I'm hoping that some of the more experienced users can help me out on this.
For context, I've been using an HTC Desire for the past two years no problem. I love the phone, but it is showing it's age and the internal memory is an issue. So I would like to get a new one, that can last me at the very least two more years. My budget is around 600 dollars.
I live in Canada, so the situation with carriers is pretty bad. I'm currently on Telus (HSPA+) and would prefer to own my phone so that I can bypass this whole contract crap and negotiate better prices for my monthly bills.
Anyways, boiled down, this is what I'm looking for:
Compatible with Telus HSPA+ Network (Rogers is a plus)
Either a MicroSD slot or 32+ onboard storage
At least 24 hours of battery life on a single charge
Decent performance, don't really play games but would like a lag free interface
Healthy hacking community
Good build quality and durability. It should be able to take a fall
Flash camera. Camera quality is a negligible factor but I use the flashlight every day.
Out of all of the devices I've seen thus far, I'm leaning most towards the OneX+. But I've also looked at the Galaxy Nexus and liked it as well. There is also the SGS3 but I think that phone is really ugly and don't really like it. Choices... choices... can I hear a voice of reason here?
What do you think about a Motorola Atrix 4G. It have a dual-core CPU (1Ghz), 16Go of internal memory + MicroSD slot up to 32Go. HSPA+ compatible, a great assembly quality with Kevlar. A high-capacity battery (more than one day of autonomy). A good healthed developers community.
I think it's the best phone for your requirements. It's not the all brand new smartphone, but you'll keep it for a longtime if you take care of it
GoL LuM
PS: I forgot to say it have two very powerful LEDs flash (more powerful than Galaxy S2 flash)
Sorry for my bad english
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
GoL LuM said:
What do you think about a Motorola Atrix 4G. It have a dual-core CPU (1Ghz), 16Go of internal memory + MicroSD slot up to 32Go. HSPA+ compatible, a great assembly quality with Kevlar. A high-capacity battery (more than one day of autonomy). A good healthed developers community.
I think it's the best phone for your requirements. It's not the all brand new smartphone, but you'll keep it for a longtime if you take care of it
GoL LuM
PS: I forgot to say it have two very powerful LEDs flash (more powerful than Galaxy S2 flash)
Sorry for my bad english
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hadn't though of that one actually. From the looks of it, everything that I want is there. However, from the development pages, it looks like Motorola is being quite active in suppressing the hacking community, especially by not providing them graphics drivers which leads to numerous bugs in ICS and JB. That might be a deal breaker for me unless an Atrix4G owner can weigh in and clear my suspicions.
Note 2 if that isn't too big for u! Idk y u don't like s3 but 20million + people who bought it can't go wrong! and u oughtta sacrifice somethin to gain somethin! Just sayin. Ur wish! And BTW one x + is great. Isn't nexus4 there? Cuz nexus is already too old!
Ps - and don't ever think of buying moto. I myself own an atrix2. They r too unresponsive / ignorant about their customers. Worst OEM ever. And they have everything locked down (bootloader), so not really much of development!
Lifehacker7 said:
Note 2 if that isn't too big for u! Idk y u don't like s3 but 20million + people who bought it can't go wrong! and u oughtta sacrifice somethin to gain somethin! Just sayin. Ur wish! And BTW one x + is great. Isn't nexus4 there? Cuz nexus is already too old!
Ps - and don't ever think of buying moto. I myself own an atrix2. They r too unresponsive / ignorant about their customers. Worst OEM ever. And they have everything locked down (bootloader), so not really much of development!
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Click to collapse
The Note2 is far to big for my tiny hands, haha. The reason I don't like the S3 is because of the garish chamfered edges and the design that basically screams "no we aren't copying apple" while not offering any real inspired design. It's just too unrelentingly samsung. While Moto might be the worst OEM, I think samsung is pretty close.
Nexus 4 is out of the question because of it's pathetic amount of internal storage and no MicroSD slot. Also it is basically a glass enclosed phone so it won't have the durability of something like the one x+.
Honestly, I think I am going to go with the One X+ because it seems that it has the best internal battery, great specs, though I will probably hobble it a bit for extra battery life with a more efficient kernel. Also it seems that it could survive re-entry into the atmosphere with that fused ceramic/metal enclosure.
Then again... I might just go with the S3. I mean it is butt ugly but it has everything that I want in a phone. MicroSD, removable battery, nice screen, hacking community... damn. It's really not making it easy on my that the phone costs 150 dollars less than the OneX+. Plus the button is on the side as opposed to the top, which is nice.
CentiZen said:
I know that you guys probably see dozens of these kinds of threads from confused geeks like me who just can't make up their minds, but I'm really stuck here. I've been up for hours reading about all of the handsets on the market right now and I just can't settle on one option that I like the best for my situation. I'm hoping that some of the more experienced users can help me out on this.
For context, I've been using an HTC Desire for the past two years no problem. I love the phone, but it is showing it's age and the internal memory is an issue. So I would like to get a new one, that can last me at the very least two more years. My budget is around 600 dollars.
I live in Canada, so the situation with carriers is pretty bad. I'm currently on Telus (HSPA+) and would prefer to own my phone so that I can bypass this whole contract crap and negotiate better prices for my monthly bills.
Anyways, boiled down, this is what I'm looking for:
Compatible with Telus HSPA+ Network (Rogers is a plus)
Either a MicroSD slot or 32+ onboard storage
At least 24 hours of battery life on a single charge
Decent performance, don't really play games but would like a lag free interface
Healthy hacking community
Good build quality and durability. It should be able to take a fall
Flash camera. Camera quality is a negligible factor but I use the flashlight every day.
Out of all of the devices I've seen thus far, I'm leaning most towards the OneX+. But I've also looked at the Galaxy Nexus and liked it as well. There is also the SGS3 but I think that phone is really ugly and don't really like it. Choices... choices... can I hear a voice of reason here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man all this screams SGS3 and your better off getting it. everyone has said how much they love it. I would avoid htc though, theyve been changing for the worse...

Opinion needed.

Well I know that in the past there were similar questions and threads but they were general discussions. Anyway I need some opinions and here is my question. I'm a proud owner of HOS S4 and I m really content with it. But our firm gives us SGS3 (International). In the end, I'll pick one of these phones and will give the other to my wife
Because of build quality, general performance, size etc. I would prefer HOS. Because it was also my choice over SGS3 when I first bought it. But there is two things thingles in my mind
First: I intend to use the phone for 2-3 years. When you look from hardware perspective, which one of these phone, do you think, will technologicaly endure more, after, lets say, 2 years?
Second: I never used although tempted by ability to use two apps in split screen on SGS3. But I don't have experience about what it is like in real world. Is it a dealbreaker? Do you think it can be a reason to choose SGS3 over HOS?
Thanks for your opinions.
maluus said:
Well I know that in the past there were similar questions and threads but they were general discussions. Anyway I need some opinions and here is my question. I'm a proud owner of HOS S4 and I m really content with it. But our firm gives us SGS3 (International). In the end, I'll pick one of these phones and will give the other to my wife
Because of build quality, general performance, size etc. I would prefer HOS. Because it was also my choice over SGS3 when I first bought it. But there is two things thingles in my mind
First: I intend to use the phone for 2-3 years. When you look from hardware perspective, which one of these phone, do you think, will technologicaly endure more, after, lets say, 2 years?
Second: I never used although tempted by ability to use two apps in split screen on SGS3. But I don't have experience about what it is like in real world. Is it a dealbreaker? Do you think it can be a reason to choose SGS3 over HOS?
Thanks for your opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as build quality... I've never owned an S3 but I had an S2 that cracked RIGHT OPEN because it's made of plastic... I believe the S3 is as well, right? The HTC One S has the clear advantage when it comes to the physical shell. Metal beats plastic any day for me... The S3 is better hardware wise, the international is quad-core tegra if I'm not mistaken but I'd still pick the HOS S4 myself.
1. When the one S struggles, the GS 3 will struggle, there is nothing that either phone will struggle with in 2 years time apart from some more demanding games probably.
Just look at the GS 2 and GN, both still perform very well (granted the one S and GS 3 feel quicker in general stuff but the difference isn't as vast, thanks to jellybean) yet their hardware is inferior to both and they are what? 2 years old now? And I can see both doing well for another year.
2. Up to you really, I think it is a cool feature, however, when I think about it, I would very rarely use it, now on a note II, then things would be different due to the screen size. Besides you can get apps on the market, which allows you to multi-task in a similar way such as over skreen:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...vbS5teWJveWZyaWVuZGlzYWdlZWsuYWlyYnJvd3NlciJd
The main thing that I would look at though is software updates, which will be supported for longer and how quick will the updates be delivered? Unfortunately too hard to say, although Samsung are very slow when it comes to their phones which are no longer number 1....
Saying that, no company has commented on 4.2 yet and the next android version (KLP) is due in May and if it is as big as what ICS was, then chances are you are going to be waiting 9+ months anyway regardless of what phone you stick with.
And no, the international is not tegra, but exynos, S4 chipset is still better overall.
Also, phones might be plastic, however, that doesn't necessarily mean that they will have poor durability. Aluminium phones are usually more likely to damage due to them not "absorbing" the shock as well. The GS 2 is one of the most durable smartphones, GS 3 isn't, because the glass extends right to the edge so the one S would be more durable than the GS 3. At the end of the day, it comes down to luck and where/how the phone lands.
maluus said:
Well I know that in the past there were similar questions and threads but they were general discussions. Anyway I need some opinions and here is my question. I'm a proud owner of HOS S4 and I m really content with it. But our firm gives us SGS3 (International). In the end, I'll pick one of these phones and will give the other to my wife
Because of build quality, general performance, size etc. I would prefer HOS. Because it was also my choice over SGS3 when I first bought it. But there is two things thingles in my mind
First: I intend to use the phone for 2-3 years. When you look from hardware perspective, which one of these phone, do you think, will technologicaly endure more, after, lets say, 2 years?
Second: I never used although tempted by ability to use two apps in split screen on SGS3. But I don't have experience about what it is like in real world. Is it a dealbreaker? Do you think it can be a reason to choose SGS3 over HOS?
Thanks for your opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a proud owner of a HOS S4, rooted and all! Problems I HAD with my phone were before I rooted it. One major issue with the HOS is that my connectivity was really BAD, barely 1G indoors! This was, however, the only problem.
As far as I know the s3 does not have such problems (maybe other kinds, I don't know). It has superior hardware and capabillities though.
So my opinion: if you're not rooting the HOS go for the s3. If you ARE rooting, stick to the HOS, best device for customization
Sent from my One S
The HOS is an excellent device. Plain and simple.
For the 2nd question... I dont think its a dealbreaker... I think the screens on a phone is too small to fully enjoy such a feature.
Had it been a tablet in question here, then I would probably be quite interested in that feature myself.
The S have plenty of power, so switching apps isnt really such a big issue as it can be on slower devices.
Thanks for all your opinions. You helped to strengthen my heartily decision. I ll keep my dear HOS.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app

Galaxy s4 vs HTC ONE

Ok so the galaxy s4 has finally been revealed. Its about the same amount of difference in the one and s4 as there was between the onex and s3 last year. The s4 has only marginally better features like a bigger removable battery, and an sd card, and a much more interactive ui. The htc one on the other hand is smaller and more compact which im sure many people will appreciate, and better build quality, and higher pixel density screen. I think the s4 and one are on pretty much level ground. Both are the top-of-the-line phones and have their strengths and weaknesses. Me being an htc guy all the way am just gonna stick with htc but anyone who choose the s4 has made a very solid choice and if you buy either one you definantly hadn't made a mistake. Last year the s3 was a little more expensive than the onex. If its the same way this year the s4 is gonna carry a hefty price tag. The one is already out of probably most people's budget on a phone at $649. Anyway, thats just my take on it. What's do yall think?
I think the S4's software its extremely bloated... i cant imagine how little that battery would last with everything on... and all the things they announced today are practically useless, the only thing i can imagine myself using is the S play feature, the other stuff is just for bragging your new phone. The One, on the other hand, is more like the iPhone, its different aspects combined to form an experience. It has the features you will probably use and if you need anything else, get it on the store.
Sorry but these threads never end well so if you want to ceate thread like this take to the general android section.
Closed
XDA Moderator

Disappointed in S4

I read through many of these threads and I was shocked to discover that most people are impressed with this new iteration of the galaxy line. Im not a hater of Samsung I love my s3 but this seems to be a minor upgrade. The new features like pictures with sound and the eye tracking seem gimmicky. Yes Ik there are more upgrades than the gimmicks but most were very expected things like the larger screen, battery, and upgraded camera. I feel this would serve better as a s3+ or something of that nature. Am I in the minority thinking this way?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
crashck said:
I read through many of these threads and I was shocked to discover that most people are impressed with this new iteration of the galaxy line. Im not a hater of Samsung I love my s3 but this seems to be a minor upgrade. The new features like pictures with sound and the eye tracking seem gimmicky. Yes Ik there are more upgrades than the gimmicks but most were very expected things like the larger screen, battery, and upgraded camera. I feel this would serve better as a s3+ or something of that nature. Am I in the minority thinking this way?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LoL
you're obviously very young and don't know (yet) how the (human) world works...
it's all about gaining money, power, prestige, ...
Core Facts vs S3
1. It's thinner, smaller and thus lighter.
2. Yet it has a bigger/better screen, is much stronger and way faster.
3. It has a bigger/better battery, camera,...
1 => speaks for itself
2 => Full HD Super AMOLED (new diamiond Matrix), Polycarbonate and Gorilla glass 3, Qualcomm 600/Exynos 5 Octa, LPDDR3 RAM,...)
3 => speaks for itself
Don't be fooled by what you hear and see on the internet. Listen inside yourself and get enlightened :laugh:
Do you really believe you need this or any other device? LoL, enjoy life mate
-Sam-
Edit: yes, it's a S3+
Consider that Samsung along with every other company that becomes successful in market share and sales will one day slow up on progression. Computers in general have done that and it's the "touch screen" age that has brought an innovation to laptops and desktops. That being said, dual core to quad core is a big move, 8MP to 13MP also very big. HD Screen with 441 PPI?? Not your run of the mill screen. Saying that changes were expected and now that we know is blah is kinda ignorant honestly. There are a LOT of people like myself who want a quad core samsung phone without the size and weight of the Galaxy Note 2. Despite the small margin of size difference, it's enough for those that want true one handed operation. The reasons could go on and on, but I laugh at people saying "Really? This is it? Not very innovative...In a way, a very very small way, it makes me feel sorry for Apple all these years for the exact same reasons. I'll never budge on them sticking to the same OS for 4 years being stupid, but the other things that "aren't innovative enough to appreciate" makes me wonder honestly what people really expect out of phones? Make Smoothies for you? Cook for you? Do your laundry for you? Silly really, but what are we really saying here?
matt.wolfley said:
Consider that Samsung along with every other company that becomes successful in market share and sales will one day slow up on progression. Computers in general have done that and it's the "touch screen" age that has brought an innovation to laptops and desktops. That being said, dual core to quad core is a big move, 8MP to 13MP also very big. HD Screen with 441 PPI?? Not your run of the mill screen. Saying that changes were expected and now that we know is blah is kinda ignorant honestly. There are a LOT of people like myself who want a quad core samsung phone without the size and weight of the Galaxy Note 2. Despite the small margin of size difference, it's enough for those that want true one handed operation. The reasons could go on and on, but I laugh at people saying "Really? This is it? Not very innovative...In a way, a very very small way, it makes me feel sorry for Apple all these years for the exact same reasons. I'll never budge on them sticking to the same OS for 4 years being stupid, but the other things that "aren't innovative enough to appreciate" makes me wonder honestly what people really expect out of phones? Make Smoothies for you? Cook for you? Do your laundry for you? Silly really, but what are we really saying here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe the problem isn't with the phone itself but with your unrealistic expectations. Setting aside the new software features, s4 has better camera, better design with less bezel (though it looks very similar), bigger battery, screen resolution, screen size, processor, and newer android version than its 1year old predecessor. That's an improvement in every department basically. Don't know what you were expecting really?
I don't know why so many people are dissatisfied. I thinks it's a nice phone. Why is everyone complaining about Samsung not changing the design very much? There is nothing wrong with it. If it isn't broke then don't fix it. Samsung found a solid phone design and rolled with it. I'm just glad they didn't remove the sd card slot, added some nice features (even if some call them gimmicky). I probably won't buy it though, since my upgrade isn't for a year. I'll be interested to see what the gs5 is like next year.
Disappointed as well I wanted at least a new look.. And I heard the SGS3 is getting most of the new features of the 4 through updates anyways.
So just a little bummed about this phone
As someone that's planning on upgrading a gs2 (wife) and move away from windows phone (me) I found the style of the gs4 to be something that both my wife and I like. Some of the features built into the phone, while seemingly gimmicky such as the health/exercise tracking, appeal to me.
So compared to the last couple of phones my family has used, it will be a huge improvement. The last android phone I used was an og droid.
People are *itching left and right about the hardware being nothing and software being crap. So what exactly did you expect the phone to come with?
Octo core CPU and people moan, Snapdragon S600 CPU and people moan. Camera gets bumped up by 5mp to 13mp and people moan. Ships with the latest OS (4.2.2) and people moan. 2gb of ram and people moan. Diamond matrix (better than pentile matrix) and people moan. Larger screen and people moan. Higher resolution and people moan. Smaller body with better internals and people moan. Still has removable battery and people moan. Still has micro sd card slot and people moan. Updated "gimmick" features and people moan. Users have the choice of not using said "gimmick" features......and of course these people are still moaning. Foolishness
MohJee said:
Maybe the problem isn't with the phone itself but with your unrealistic expectations. Setting aside the new software features, s4 has better camera, better design with less bezel (though it looks very similar), bigger battery, screen resolution, screen size, processor, and newer android version than its 1year old predecessor. That's an improvement in every department basically. Don't know what you were expecting really?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want ONE upgrade in the S4 vs. the S3 above all others in the S4 - a radio with reception that works well on Verizon's network. The S3 sucks as a phone but is a wonderful PDA otherwise. It's an insult to phones to call it a smartphone since the phone blows big moose. At least Apple eventually admitted there was a problem with reception on the iphone. I realize the reception issue may be local to Verizon as the Sasmung Galaxy Nexus also sucked on Verizon's network even though the HTC DNA and RAZR work great.
I say let the free market speak what it thinks of the new S4.
See my post on this pricing thread to see what Ebay prices are, already: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=39194227&postcount=6
Summary, all for GT-I9500, 16 or 64 GB, which is rumored selling in China already: Buy it now from US, $844 w/ free shipping. From UK another vendor at $752.
First lot of 2 GT-I9500 for US $1375, 2nd lot of 2 for $1225. Biy 20 and the 64 GB is $500 each.
I was expecting first units being sold closer to $1k. Between these prices, and the disappointment some posters have expressed, I think the GS4 may have under-whelmed. It may be getting looked at as an incremental GS3 update, especially since many software features will appear on the GS3.
I think the GS4 seems fine so far, but I'd really like to know the audio chip, and the prospects for FM radio on all variants (see sig).
But the free market probably knows more than I, or most of us do, LOL. Will be interesting to see how it plays out; (grabs popcorn...)
boe said:
I want ONE upgrade in the S4 vs. the S3 above all others in the S4 - a radio with reception that works well on Verizon's network. The S3 sucks as a phone but is a wonderful PDA otherwise. It's an insult to phones to call it a smartphone since the phone blows big moose. At least Apple eventually admitted there was a problem with reception on the iphone. I realize the reception issue may be local to Verizon as the Sasmung Galaxy Nexus also sucked on Verizon's network even though the HTC DNA and RAZR work great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as Samsung continues to use the same radio set up that it has used on the charge, the nexus, and the S3, reception is going to continue to be weak on Verizon's network.
The S4 is a huge upgrade from the S3; on the inside. But for me I don't care one bit that the phone looks the same because I've used cases on all my phone since the Droid OG days. The HTC Touch Pro 2 was the last phone I went caseless and it really started to look bad after white glove use. After that every phone I bought got a medium to heavy duty case.
I actually would have been upset at Samsung if they used a metal design and in the process deleted the removable battery. You can't make everyone happy unless you release 2 models at the same time.
crashck said:
I read through many of these threads and I was shocked to discover that most people are impressed with this new iteration of the galaxy line. Im not a hater of Samsung I love my s3 but this seems to be a minor upgrade. The new features like pictures with sound and the eye tracking seem gimmicky. Yes Ik there are more upgrades than the gimmicks but most were very expected things like the larger screen, battery, and upgraded camera. I feel this would serve better as a s3+ or something of that nature. Am I in the minority thinking this way?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People were saying the exact same thing when the S3 came out. "It's ugly", "it's iterative", "it's gimmicky". But it got rave reviews. Why? Because it was the best smartphone you could buy at the time, and the S4 will fill the same role this time around. If you look at the comments (and even articles) on the S4 on tech sites, you'll see people foaming at the mouth, seemingly furious that Samsung dared release this product. It doesn't help that random internet users and articles alike are spreading misinformation (about the size of the device, about the processors used in both the international and U.S. versions, about how Samsung apparently forced the S3 on everyone through marketing, etc.).
Here's my take on the S4 and why I think it is the best phone available and will sell even more than the S3: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=39186031&postcount=13
I really don't know what people are expecting from the S4... If Samsung came up with a different design but lower specs, people would say it's not worth it to upgrade because the hardware is not good enough. And now they will not upgrade because of the shape. I personally see fitting a 5" screen on the device size is revolutionary already.
Moreover, what you get with Samsung, you don't get with HTC and Sony. These motion features, gestures, built-in apps, dual camera, and using the phone with gloves are what make the S4 the S4.
The HTC One is too thick (and probably heavy) for a smartphone, while the screen of the Xperia Z is not the best on market. Personally, I think the S4, especially the Exynos 5 version can never be made by a different comany.
SamerBerjawi said:
The HTC One is too thick (and probably heavy) for a smartphone, while the screen of the Xperia Z is not the best on market. Personally, I think the S4, especially the Exynos 5 version can never be made by a different comany.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ the S4 has both removable battery and micro sd-card slot...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
I'm hugely disappointing in it, especially in the cheap look and no doubt cheap feel it will have. Where as you look at the HTC One Sony XZ and no doubt any forth coming Motorola phones to see the massive improvement in build quality and considerably better premium feel to it.
I have the S3, love it, but the one downside is just how rubbish it feels in the hand. I don't want a light phone, I want a decently heavy phone that feels like the $1k I drop to buy it. The features they've included only further bloat the already gimmicky software.
DramatikBeats said:
People are *itching left and right about the hardware being nothing and software being crap. So what exactly did you expect the phone to come with?
Octo core CPU and people moan, Snapdragon S600 CPU and people moan. Camera gets bumped up by 5mp to 13mp and people moan. Ships with the latest OS (4.2.2) and people moan. 2gb of ram and people moan. Diamond matrix (better than pentile matrix) and people moan. Larger screen and people moan. Higher resolution and people moan. Smaller body with better internals and people moan. Still has removable battery and people moan. Still has micro sd card slot and people moan. Updated "gimmick" features and people moan. Users have the choice of not using said "gimmick" features......and of course these people are still moaning. Foolishness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sgs4 will ship with 4.2.1 and a month later samsung will put out an update to 4.2.2
http://www.sammobile.com/2013/03/08/galaxy-s-iv-to-have-floating-touch-and-green-pholed-material-amoled-display/
http://thequantummechanics.wordpress.com/tag/samsung-galaxy-s4/
kopkiwi said:
I have the S3, love it, but the one downside is just how rubbish it feels in the hand. I don't want a light phone, I want a decently heavy phone that feels like the $1k I drop to buy it. The features they've included only further bloat the already gimmicky software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% subjective. I don't want a thicker, heavier device that I will feel in my pocket and will hit the ground harder when I drop it—and get even bulkier and heavier with a case. Thinner and lighter has been the trend for a while and people seem to like it. I also don't see how you can see all of Samsung's features as bloat and gimmicks when not only does Sense weigh down the interface more than TouchWiz, but you can't even turn off some of the added 'features' like you can with TouchWiz. Everyone I know with an S3 or Note 2 enjoys leaving on and using features like Smart Stay, Smart Rotation, Direct Call, One-Handed Operation Mode, Multi-Window, Swipe to Capture, etc. even if they don't use the more gimmicky stuff like the panning gestures. And while some of the S apps aren't as useful as others (S Voice and Samsung's hubs are probably the worst offenders), they're no worse than HTC's 'bloat' apps and hubs.
The reactions to the S4 are uncannily like the reactions to the S3 and the Note 2 last year. Then also the initial reaction was disappointment which vanished after the devices were actually released.
The idea that the S4 is like the S3 S is pretty ridiculous IMO. Here is a list of hardware improvements over the S3:
Octacore processor
Better GPU
1080P screen
2GB RAM
2600 mAh battery
Gorilla Glass 3
13 MP camera
infra red
thermometer sensor
humidity sensor
Which phone out there has improved more than this in a year? And the software improvements are decent too. As usual with Samsung it's hit and miss, but you only need a couple of hits for it to be worthwhile. I think the camera software in particular is impressive.

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