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Hi all. As I'm sure you can see, this is my first post on XDA. This seemed like the perfect smartphone related community, so I joined up, and I look forward to becoming a long time active member. Now, to the point of this thread. I am looking to pick up my first ever smartphone(yes yes let the laughter out, I still own a Nokia from the stone age, and its' embarrassing to pull it out in public lol). I really had my heart set on the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE. By the way, I am from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and am a Rogers Wireless customer, and that is their version of the Samsung Galaxy S II. But after extensive research, which actually brought me to XDA, I found out that they have a massive screen defect issue with the vertical lines and blobs. Although, some people, from what I've read, have said that it isn't such a big deal, while others just can't stand it. With that information, I am back at square one. I do not know what phone to get. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is just way too big in my opinion, as I have held one. And next to Samsung, I think the best wireless company would probably be Motorola. With that, I was thinking about possibly picking up the Motorolo RAZR. Is that a good choice over the Galaxy S II? Bad choice? It has gotten some stellar reviews, but it seems that the Galaxy S II is the superior phone out there. So my question is, what should I get? I know a few people that have had issues with their HTC's, so I'm not really leaning toward them. What should I do? This is driving me crazy. I want a new phone sooooo badly, but don't know what to choose. Any help or advice is truly appreciated!! Thank you so much.
Motorola doesn't look so good when it comes to updating their devices, if you are to consider that the atrix has not been announced on their road map to ICS. That may change, but for now, it doesn't look like they are keen on updating their devices.
Just to point it out, every phone has issues, but usually it is a minority that experience these issues. So just saying, a HTC phone will have the same amount of issues as a Samsung one. But now comes my bias, I love my sgs 2, and would fully recommend it.
I'd go for the LTE SII, it's a very nice phone and one problem that only a couple people are reporting should never discourage you from getting a good phone
Wait. Wait for more native ics phones. If you can hold out, I'd recommend you wait for a phone that already has the new firmware.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
well my suggestion goes against what you are looking for, but it's a rock solid performer; HTC Droid Incredible 2. it's a 3G only device, it's about six months old, and has a great community behind it. there are a few great stock ROMs to select from, and quite a few Sense 3.5 ROMs as well.
this is my first android device, and my second HTC device. i am very happy with it, and i have no buyer's remorse given the latest and greatest new phones on the market. it handles everything i throw at it, it has no compatibility issues on the Market for my uses. i'm not much of a phone gamer, but it plays my tower defense games like Sentinel 3 smoothly.
battery life is great for me. i can get a day out of it with my normal use; gmail on push, about an hour's worth of calling, 40-50 sms, 30-45 minutes of gaming, 30 minutes of forum and web browsing, and maybe 100MB of downloads.
give our forum a look-see, i think you may be impressed. but is you have your heart set on LTE, you will have to look elsewhere.
Me too!!
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.
Kailkti said:
I love my sgs 2, and would fully recommend it.
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Is your SGS2 the Skyrocket(American equivlent to the Canada S2 LTE)? Cause it seems that the problem is most widespread on these devices. If I could get a normal S2 on my provider, I would own one right now!!
cordell507 said:
one problem that only a couple people are reporting
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It seems to be pretty widespread...
slapshot30 said:
wait for a phone that already has the new firmware.
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Samsung announced that all S2's would be getting ICS from what I've read.
International sgs 2. I wont let myself be boggled down by those monopolistic carriers.
$1 gets you a reply
Kailkti said:
International sgs 2. I wont let myself be boggled down by those monopolistic carriers.
$1 gets you a reply
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Click to collapse
I would so be down to have an international one shipped to me except:
a)When it comes to a phone, I prefer to buy a brand spanking new device.
b)I'm the type of person, especially for a purchase like this, that likes to see/hold the product before I buy it.
if you ok with leaving rogers it seems like virgin mobile in canada has a great selection of good phones.
Grosskum said:
if you ok with leaving rogers it seems like virgin mobile in canada has a great selection of good phones.
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Click to collapse
I do like Rogers, but leaving them is a possibility. If I did though, I would have to go with Telus instead of Virgin.
Dont get motorolla anything.... with locked bootloaders development fot the phones is bad... go with a Samsung... I have a Captivate running ICS and i love it...
wouldnt trade it for anything....unless its an actual Galaxy Nexus lol
jayRokk said:
Dont get motorolla anything.... with locked bootloaders development fot the phones is bad... go with a Samsung... I have a Captivate running ICS and i love it...
wouldnt trade it for anything....unless its an actual Galaxy Nexus lol
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Yea I've pretty much made my decision, I'm going to go with the Galaxy S II LTE.
RoLo. said:
Yea I've pretty much made my decision, I'm going to go with the Galaxy S II LTE.
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Good choice
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
look hands down any htc or or google device is the only device i would recommend for development
You know, every phone has its defect. Theres just no such phone that doesnt have any problems with its production.
You saw many messages about defective screen, thats only because SGS2 is one of most popular smartphones right now, and there are many buyers. Many phones, some % of them is defective.
Happy ppl got their SGS2 without defect and they are using it, and dont complain. But only those who got some problem, go to forum, do research and so on. They post about their problem. There are many ppl with such problems, but there are much more ppl who are lucky to have their phone without any defects or whatever problems.
Chances to get such phone with defect is very small. Theres just some % of phones which are defective. Imagine situation: 100 motorolas sold out, 1 of them (1%) was defective . You go to forums and see only 1 post about defective phone. 100000 SGS2 sold out, and 1000 of them (its same 1%) was defective. You go to forums and see OMG 1000 posts about defective SGS2, but it is the same % as motorolas. Just different quantity.
all the numbers I used are just an example
So.. SGS2 is a good choice.
Roksard said:
You know, every phone has its defect. Theres just no such phone that doesnt have any problems with its production.
You saw many messages about defective screen, thats only because SGS2 is one of most popular smartphones right now, and there are many buyers. Many phones, some % of them is defective.
Happy ppl got their SGS2 without defect and they are using it, and dont complain. But only those who got some problem, go to forum, do research and so on. They post about their problem. There are many ppl with such problems, but there are much more ppl who are lucky to have their phone without any defects or whatever problems.
Chances to get such phone with defect is very small. Theres just some % of phones which are defective. Imagine situation: 100 motorolas sold out, 1 of them (1%) was defective . You go to forums and see only 1 post about defective phone. 100000 SGS2 sold out, and 1000 of them (its same 1%) was defective. You go to forums and see OMG 1000 posts about defective SGS2, but it is the same % as motorolas. Just different quantity.
all the numbers I used are just an example
So.. SGS2 is a good choice.
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Yeah, I started thinking about this as well before making my decision. And in a worst case scenerio if I do get a defective one, I can exchange it for a brand new device. Thanks for all the input fellas. Much appreciated.
slapshot30 said:
Wait. Wait for more native ics phones. If you can hold out, I'd recommend you wait for a phone that already has the new firmware.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
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it's good to wait but latest phones are not that cheap.
Warranty is your best friend!
Sent from my GT-S5830 using xda premium
Okay I hope I am allowed to post this in general, and I hope no one gets offended by anyway lol
I am going off to college (UCSD) this fall. I am considering buying an iPhone just for the fact that I want a completely functioning phone as my daily driver and I don't want to find myself trying to solve issues during school.
I am asking for some opinion.
I love android and flashing, but I find myself using a lot of time doing so, I dont want to do this and get distracted while I dorm in college and have other things to worry about.
I guess my question is, should I consider a new iPhone, or are the new phones like the s4 just as reliable? I know I'm going to get a variation of opinions, but that's what I want I really cannot make up my mind lol.
It just seems to me that all the apps are more reliable to use on an iPhone since they are developed for that specific device etc.
Thanks in advance for your opinion
Sent from my SGH-T769
LiveFaster said:
Okay I hope I am allowed to post this in general, and I hope no one gets offended by anyway lol
I am going off to college (UCSD) this fall. I am considering buying an iPhone just for the fact that I want a completely functioning phone as my daily driver and I don't want to find myself trying to solve issues during school.
I am asking for some opinion.
I love android and flashing, but I find myself using a lot of time doing so, I dont want to do this and get distracted while I dorm in college and have other things to worry about.
I guess my question is, should I consider a new iPhone, or are the new phones like the s4 just as reliable? I know I'm going to get a variation of opinions, but that's what I want I really cannot make up my mind lol.
It just seems to me that all the apps are more reliable to use on an iPhone since they are developed for that specific device etc.
Thanks in advance for your opinion
Sent from my SGH-T769
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Click to collapse
the iPhone 5 is great device if you find one on a good price... has LTE for T-Mobile...
the only drawback si the there will b a new iPhome comming out in the nexts 3 month, so if you buy it brand new on a full price, you will lose bout $300 in value by that time...
might consider finding one on craigslis for $400sh, but be carefull, as i just got burned w a lemon last week...
bought a NOTE 2 for $360... used it for 4-5 days and got reported stolen... no service...
going to sell it for $300sh now for use on another Network, and take the loss...
back to the Blaze for now...
LiveFaster said:
Okay I hope I am allowed to post this in general, and I hope no one gets offended by anyway lol
I am going off to college (UCSD) this fall. I am considering buying an iPhone just for the fact that I want a completely functioning phone as my daily driver and I don't want to find myself trying to solve issues during school.
I am asking for some opinion.
I love android and flashing, but I find myself using a lot of time doing so, I dont want to do this and get distracted while I dorm in college and have other things to worry about.
I guess my question is, should I consider a new iPhone, or are the new phones like the s4 just as reliable? I know I'm going to get a variation of opinions, but that's what I want I really cannot make up my mind lol.
It just seems to me that all the apps are more reliable to use on an iPhone since they are developed for that specific device etc.
Thanks in advance for your opinion
Sent from my SGH-T769
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered running just stock on the blaze? If you want real, real stable/reliable, stock is the way to go for this phone. No need to troubleshoot issues, wipe davlik, catlog and that kind of stuff. This also applies to all smartphones. Part of flashing a non-stock rom is assuming that nothing is ever 100% stable, but can be sometimes. Most roms are 99% stable, but it seems to be that the time you REALLY need your phone for something you discover that 1% bug
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see what Thomas will bring with all his hard work on CM 10.1. But I just haven't ever been happy with standby battery life on CM10/CM10 based roms. That and wifi calling is a must in my basement (where my home office is).
Back on topic... regardless which device you get running stock will ensure 100% stability, that or running a stock themed/debloated/deodexed rom is also a safe way to go. Not to knock iPhones (they aren't that bad), but my father in law seemed to always be having issues with his iPhone 4. He kept losing his contacts. He just got a 5 a few days ago so I don't know how that will fare... I personally have over $100 in apps from the play store, and I don't want to have to buy apps all over again... soo.... My next phone will be a nexus 5 (got 4 bills saved already!) :good::victory: Just a few months to wait!
So yeah, I would recommend a nexus 5. Just wait 2 1/2 more months... rumors have it dropping in October. Current rumors have it with a snapdragon 800 (double the graphics perf from the 600 and modest clock bump), and a Nikon camera... drool....
yeah im looking to buy a Nexus 5 aswell, but i dont think it will have the latest procesor
its a mid tier phone, i personaly will be just happy w a LTE chip and timely updates...
whatever else they can cramp over my expectations its a plus
PS the Note 3 will be a beast... rumored to have the new flexible displays that you can not break and that latest procesor w 3GB RAM and LTE-A ...
Nexus 5? New Nexus Phone "the Moto X" will be most likely shown on August 1 as Motorola has already sent invitations. I have yet to see the Nexus 5.
Sent from my Blaze/HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta(using both )
xWolf13 said:
Nexus 5? New Nexus Phone "the Moto X" will be most likely shown on August 1 as Motorola has already sent invitations. I have yet to see the Nexus 5.
Sent from my Blaze/HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta(using both )
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Click to collapse
naaah, they going to have a Nexus aswell...
the Moto seems like a good phone too, something to consider, especialy if they stuff a 4,000mAh battery as the rumors go... cant wait forthe release...
Do all phones start dying after a year? It seems like most products these days are made to break down so that you have to buy a new one. Are phones any exception? Most people get new phones every 1-2 years. So manufacturers probably just build them to last that long at most. I got my razr maxx a year ago. And out of the box, it was very fast and responsive. It stayed that way for a while. But recently, a year later, it is becoming laggy and unresponsive. Many apps freeze and force close. Including the home screen! I'm not a heavy user and don't have a lot of apps or media stored on the device. I regularly reboot, delete old messages and clear app cache. I've read other reviews of the maxx that say the same thing about a year after purchasing. But I'm wondering if this is an issue with certain phones, or most phones. My girlfriend and I are getting ready to drop $500 on a note 3 and s4, and for that much money, I want to make sure they will both be good devices 2 years from now, at least.
Sent from my Motorola RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk
yes i believe so
Well of course they do. Just like every piece of technology seems to do these days.
This was meant as a joke, picking on the mass number of android phones being released every year, and the pressure to have the latest and greatest at all times. A great example extended use from a piece of technology would be the xbox360 and ps3.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
well i disagree with that.. it might depend on proper usage and how you maintain your unit.. will surely last longer than 2 years or more..
and also as android users.. software developments makes ur 5 year old phone model rise from the grave! if you know what i mean.
I would have to disagree, I have used my Galaxy SL for two years and is still functional now. off course there are major differences now and it might seem like crap after experiencing the newer phones and the higher requirements of games and apps but for it's specs i do think it's still in good shape. It just depends on proper handling and good care of your phone.
yes, depend on usage i believe so
Yeah totally!
The note 3 and s4 seem to be high end devices. Can I expect the same thing to happen to them after a year?
Sent from my Motorola RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk
I'm still rockin a galaxy s2. Its not laggy, just need to tweak it properly
yes but if you find the right rom & the kernel, your phone returns to work even better than before
As people said: maintenance is the key!
You are posting this question in a community build around the idea of changing things. Just read into some threads and maybe try to flash another rom?
I am still using my s2 after 2 years and am not planing to change this until it dies. Running the newest android and flashed another kernel and that thing is running way smoother as ever!
Not really
dkdkdk07 said:
well i disagree with that.. it might depend on proper usage and how you maintain your unit.. will surely last longer than 2 years or more..
and also as android users.. software developments makes ur 5 year old phone model rise from the grave! if you know what i mean.
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Click to collapse
I agree, and it depends what do you want your phone do. In the end it's just a phone, that it's used to make phone calls
no
i have zte blade phone which is 4 years old now still its in good condition and thanks to konsta its running on 4.3, and thank to developers it has more than 100roms.. although i use different phone for daily use but still my old phone is not crap for me..
naaaaa depends upon ur device nd usage ,,,
Of course, or every single manufacturer will crap. lol.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I've had my tmo s3 for a little more than a year now and it's still going strong and I like it but I'm thinking of possibly buying a nexus 5. Looking at used ones but also considering possibly getting it brand new from Google. Have any of you upgraded from the s3 to this? Would it be m much of an upgrade? Just wait for another 6 months for the nexus 6?
Aside from possibly the camera...and no SD slot.....yes, a huge upgrade. IMHO.
I just came from my GS3 to the N5 and the difference is night and day. Even with a KitKat rom on my GS3 it isnt nearly as fast and smooth as the N5.
Not to mention N5 roms are nearly bug free.
You do lose the SD card as mentioned above, the camera (I think) is a little better quality.
Battery is way better.
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking I'd wait for the lg g3 but it seems like the g2 is difficult to unlock and root, at least when it has 4.4. I have been using KitKat on my s3 for so long I don't think I could be happy with anything lower. The s3 is good but after I've been using my n7 for a while the Samsung feels slow.
kingston73 said:
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking I'd wait for the lg g3 but it seems like the g2 is difficult to unlock and root, at least when it has 4.4. I have been using KitKat on my s3 for so long I don't think I could be happy with anything lower. The s3 is good but after I've been using my n7 for a while the Samsung feels slow.
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You won't be disappointed with the upgrade. Went from i747 to N5 and everything is so much smoother. Keep your s3 with a proven rom as a backup but don't expect to jump back to it once you feel the difference in speed and reliability of the nexus 5.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
kingston73 said:
I've had my tmo s3 for a little more than a year now and it's still going strong and I like it but I'm thinking of possibly buying a nexus 5. Looking at used ones but also considering possibly getting it brand new from Google. Have any of you upgraded from the s3 to this? Would it be m much of an upgrade? Just wait for another 6 months for the nexus 6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came 2 days ago from a d2spr. I can't begin to explain the night and day difference between the 2.
Hardware aside, the development here is way more active than on the s3 side. Hope to see you here.....
kingston73 said:
I've had my tmo s3 for a little more than a year now and it's still going strong and I like it but I'm thinking of possibly buying a nexus 5. Looking at used ones but also considering possibly getting it brand new from Google. Have any of you upgraded from the s3 to this? Would it be m much of an upgrade? Just wait for another 6 months for the nexus 6?
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Click to collapse
One and half month back I had the same confusion regarding this.
But after switching to N5, I am quite happy than before, until and unless you experience it you wont understand the differences of its software and hardware from S3.
Wi Fi Direct
Everyone forgot to tell you that wi fi direct does not work on the N5
chainsuk said:
Everyone forgot to tell you that wi fi direct does not work on the N5
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Never used it...
galaxy s5 is better
Sent from my POMP_C6S using Tapatalk
watalee said:
galaxy s5 is better
Sent from my POMP_C6S using Tapatalk
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Please don't troll.
"better" is subjective. Samsung cannot make a touchwiz device that doesn't lag. All of us who have had Galaxy devices know this. The s5 is no exception. The OP did not mention the S5. If he wanted an S5, he would have posted this in the S5 forum. Lets try to stay on topic please.
For sure they are two different "worlds".
If you seek speed of light and high rate of updates then you should go, for sure, of N5
[email protected] said:
For sure they are two different "worlds".
If you seek speed of light and high rate of updates then you should go, for sure, of N5
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Click to collapse
That's exactly why I was looking at the n5 and not the s5. I found a 32gb black nexus for $315 on swappa so it's on its way now. I know the s5 has better stats on paper but it would also ruin any warranty if I rooted it ( samsungs counter). I like experimenting with different roms and I haven't used tpuchwiz for months. I know the n5 isn't exactly new but it's new enough that it should get the next update version of andriod.
I came from the Note 2, which is similar spec to the S3, and here’s what I miss the most:
-Wolfson DAC: With DAC Direct, audio sounded far superior on Note 2 (the reason audiophiles love Samsung phones)
-APT-X Bluetooth Codec: Again, sounds far superior to standard BT audio
-Phase Detection Auto Focus: For fast focus lock. N5 uses contrast detection, which is why it’s slow to focus
-Camera voice commands: Handy when taking photos of the kids / pets etc
-Expandable Storage: I would have liked the option to use my own SD cards, however I have bought a USB OTG SD card reader so this point is moot now
Apart from that I couldn’t be happier with the N5, and am actually happy to be rid of all Samsung’s gimmicks and so called “features”.
So if you haven’t already, go for it!
Another question, I've read that google slightly changed the n5 after complaints about the speaker, is there any way to figure out if my used phone I just bought is one of the originals or a modified one? I know there's nothing I can do either way, just curious.
kingston73 said:
Another question, I've read that google slightly changed the n5 after complaints about the speaker, is there any way to figure out if my used phone I just bought is one of the originals or a modified one? I know there's nothing I can do either way, just curious.
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This might help identify what model you have:
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2013/google-nexus-5-gets-design-changes.html
I believe I have the "revised" model, but the speaker still sucks.
In fact, I should have added "speaker" to what I miss from the Note 2 in the list above
kingston73 said:
Another question, I've read that google slightly changed the n5 after complaints about the speaker, is there any way to figure out if my used phone I just bought is one of the originals or a modified one? I know there's nothing I can do either way, just curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CitizenLee said:
This might help identify what model you have:
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2013/google-nexus-5-gets-design-changes.html
I believe I have the "revised" model, but the speaker still sucks.
In fact, I should have added "speaker" to what I miss from the Note 2 in the list above
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, its complete BS. Some have little holes some have big holes. Some have softer soft touch, some have yellower displays. It's not a revision. It is not a concious decision.
Read about it here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...lease-stop-talking-hardware-versions-t2597276
rootSU said:
Nope, its complete BS. Some have little holes some have big holes. Some have softer soft touch, some have yellower displays. It's not a revision. It is not a concious decision.
Read about it here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...lease-stop-talking-hardware-versions-t2597276
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Click to collapse
I'm new to the N5 so wasn't aware of any of these issues until I read about them today, so I just posted the first link that appeared in Google regarding the "differences".
Good post though, hit the nail on the head regarding tolerance, human error, and everything else really.
Like yourself I have light bleed, but I can live with it as it's only noticeable when it boots up.
CitizenLee said:
I'm new to the N5 so wasn't aware of any of these issues until I read about them today, so I just posted the first link that appeared in Google regarding the "differences".
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Click to collapse
No worries. Loads of website reported it as fact for a long time and we still see the repercussions of that now.
rootSU said:
No worries. Loads of website reported it as fact for a long time and we still see the repercussions of that now.
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Click to collapse
Aye, seems to be quite common these days that websites run a story without properly fact checking!
Seems there's been a mass defection.. I still think it's a great phone. Running stock with fla2s kernel mine scores way higher (4600 antutu) than the G5.
I'll have mine in 6months.will you?
I'm keeping mine indefinitely. I've already upgraded to the 2014 Moto X and iPhone 6 but still use the N5 at work. I'm probably getting that Saygus V2 at which point the N5 will go in the museum. I always sell my old devices to help offset the cost of new ones, but the N5 is something special, so I'll likely never get rid of it.
Still enjoying mine. Some have sold their Nexus5, but others are still buying it!
No issues here with mine. The n6 is way too big for my liking.
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using Tapatalk
Still using mine. I'm keeping an eye on the zen phone 2, saygus v2, and the m9... But so far it's in the air.
I'm happy.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
keeping it till it falls apart. I have never bin happier with a phone. Had the GNey bevor this and it got wayyyy to slow pretty fast.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks guys. I hope that we can keep devs interested, like fla2,and his great work on kernels. In the stickies I can no longer find a full list of roms and kernels like there was.
Hope Lethargy is seeing to it-BTW well done with your new post! The more stay the more support from devs we will keep. IMO it's a classic design. Easy to repair, cheap, and still fast and powerful. If mine broke today I'd replace it with the same. As someone says the 6 is too big.
staggerlee1 said:
Thanks guys. I hope that we can keep devs interested, like fla2,and his great work on kernels. In the stickies I can no longer find a full list of roms and kernels like there was.
Hope Lethargy is seeing to it-BTW well done with your new post! The more stay the more support from devs we will keep. IMO it's a classic design. Easy to repair, cheap, and still fast and powerful. If mine broke today I'd replace it with the same. As someone says the 6 is too big.
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Click to collapse
There's still a high level of development on the N4 forum so I am rather confident for the future.