The way I see it, the Note II is the best smartphone available still. The combination of screen size, storage options, S Pen, and most important to me... True BATTERY LIFE!
Ever since I bought my FIRST and current smartphone, the HTC Evo 3D with sprint, I have been GREATLY disappointed with my battery life, screen size, and terrible camera! You guys here made the best choice... I have never seen a phone hold a crown and reign like the Note II has.
My contract is finally up (since April of this year) and I am poised and ready to pull the trigger once again. Although it's early...
Will it be the NOTE III or The HTC One Max for you guys based on the current news? Will the HTC max even peek your interest? Or are you set in your samsung ways?
I need your help because I don't wanna be unhappy for 2 years again.
It depends if Samsung opts for LCD or AMOLED.
I completely agree with your thoughts written in the first half of your message. I have Samsung Galaxy Note 2 since December 2012 and this SUPERPHONE is absolutely amazing. It's like a small computer in your hand with amazing screen, good battery, s-pen. Did not have any problems with this smartphone during these seven month. It's still the best smartphone in the market in term of browsing the Web, working with Office, playing games, reading e-books etc. By the way, I use this additional battery dock: http://www.mobili.lt/lt/aksesuarai/samsung/811205.html which allows me to be completely free and do not be tied to a power cord during the day.
So, I strongly recommend you to choose Samsung Galaxy Note 3 instead of HTC ONE Max because the absence of a removable battery is a big minus to HTC especially if you are a 'hard core' user.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Btw note 3 will have 2 sd card slot. If htc max miraculously have a 3500mah + removable batt + spen then i might consider getting htc Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
limitbreak09 said:
Btw note 3 will have 2 sd card slot. If htc max miraculously have a 3500mah + removable batt + spen then i might consider getting htc Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're talking about two phones that no one has real details on yet. Here's some safe assumptions about the N3:
It'll have a more powerful Octa than the SGS4 or S-800
It'll have a 1080P (most likely) AMOLED display
It'll either be the same size as the N2 with a bigger display but thinner and lighter (à la the SGS4) or the display will increase a lot as will the size of the device
It'll have all the new features of the SGS4 plus some we don't know about yet
It'll most likely have a bigger battery and get better battery life than the N2
It'll have a 13MP camera and may have OIS and optical zoom if the rumors turn out to be correct
It'll most likely continue the current Samsung design language (EG: "evolutionary")
Here's some guesses about the One Max:
It may have expandable storage; the Butterfly S finally does
It won't have a removable battery because it's against HTC's religion and hampers their design creativity
It won't have an inductive display and will use N-trig (like the XZ Ultra) which offers no pen sensitivity and prohibits things like Air View and hover
It may have some inking apps (HTC Scribe 2.0?) but they won't be as comprehensive as S Note because HTC offers very few s/w features that Samsung does even on their flagship devices (they don't even have an Awake Stay equivalent)
It should look and feel great; just like the One does
This same "vs." conversation is going on in the XZ Ultra vs. Note comparison thread. The Note's designed for consumption. Samsung's tagline for it is "Be Creative" and half of the features listed on their website talk about creation. I doubt that other devices will offer that level of creation support. But it's obvious quite a few people don't care and buy the Note for its big-ass display. For those people, devices like the OG Pro, Ultra, Max, and Mega are possible considerations. For productivity users and creators it's hard to see anything coming close to the Note-series. Lovers of giant phones, you have a lot more choices.
artorelis said:
I completely agree with your thoughts written in the first half of your message. I have Samsung Galaxy Note 2 since December 2012 and this SUPERPHONE is absolutely amazing. It's like a small computer in your hand with amazing screen, good battery, s-pen. Did not have any problems with this smartphone during these seven month. It's still the best smartphone in the market in term of browsing the Web, working with Office, playing games, reading e-books etc. By the way, I use this additional battery dock: http://www.mobili.lt/lt/aksesuarai/samsung/811205.html which allows me to be completely free and do not be tied to a power cord during the day.
So, I strongly recommend you to choose Samsung Galaxy Note 3 instead of HTC ONE Max because the absence of a removable battery is a big minus to HTC especially if you are a 'hard core' user.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple questions I have regarding the note 2. Many people did a screen time test where they left their screen on "never sleep" and reported up to 10hours battery life!
Does this test include having 4g, bluetooth, and gps on? Honesty we all just want phones that do everything they SAY they can do without dying halfway through the day.
Also when the Note II originally came out on shelves what were the on contract prices for the 16/32/64gb versions. With all the apps and games not going to SD card I would love having a 32 or 64gb version to be safe. But I don't want to break the bank. Don't wanna pay more than 350.
Thanks for the help guys
Etheridge Gray said:
A couple questions I have regarding the note 2. Many people did a screen time test where they left their screen on "never sleep" and reported up to 10hours battery life! Does this test include having 4g, bluetooth, and gps on? Honesty we all just want phones that do everything they SAY they can do without dying halfway through the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A car rated at 25MPG on the highway can get 35MPG if it's going downhill, with a tailwind, with only the driver in it, with the tires over-inflated, and with the A/C off and windows up. Using the phone "normally" which is screen on auto-brightness and no power-saving tools active I can get 7.5 hours of screen-on time. And that's with some combination of Wi-Fi/HSPA on all the time and I have nine different syncs going constantly. I'm also a heavy BT user and haven't found that to be a big drain (EG: listening to music or making calls where the display is typically off). Based on the SGS3 vs. SGS4 I'd expect the N3 to do at least 25% better than the N2; maybe more.
Also when the Note II originally came out on shelves what were the on contract prices for the 16/32/64gb versions. With all the apps and games not going to SD card I would love having a 32 or 64gb version to be safe. But I don't want to break the bank. Don't wanna pay more than 350.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Western markets have matured and high-end smartphone sales are slowing down. I'd highly doubt that the N3 will be any more than the N2 was price-wise at launch. I don't know where you are but the U.S. contract price was $299 for the 16GB and I don't think any of the U.S. carriers offered versions with more storage. It's $199 most of the time now and can be had for $99 during timed promotions. The N2 was €640/£546 off-contract in Europe at launch. The N3 will end up with more s/w on it than the SGS4 because of S Pen. Samsung may make 32GB the starting storage size to avoid the debacle they had with the SGS4.
BarryH_GEG said:
A car rated at 25MPG on the highway can get 35MPG if it's going downhill, with a tailwind, with only the driver in it, with the tires over-inflated, and with the A/C off and windows up. Using the phone "normally" which is screen on auto-brightness and no power-saving tools active I can get 7.5 hours of screen-on time. And that's with some combination of Wi-Fi/HSPA on all the time and I have nine different syncs going constantly. I'm also a heavy BT user and haven't found that to be a big drain (EG: listening to music or making calls where the display is typically off). Based on the SGS3 vs. SGS4 I'd expect the N3 to do at least 25% better than the N2; maybe more.
Western markets have matured and high-end smartphone sales are slowing down. I'd highly doubt that the N3 will be any more than the N2 was price-wise at launch. I don't know where you are but the U.S. contract price was $299 for the 16GB and I don't think any of the U.S. carriers offered versions with more storage. It's $199 most of the time now and can be had for $99 during timed promotions. The N2 was €640/£546 off-contract in Europe at launch. The N3 will end up with more s/w on it than the SGS4 because of S Pen. Samsung may make 32GB the starting storage size to avoid the debacle they had with the SGS4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your honest and realistic response on the N2s battery life. 7.5 hours of SCREEN ON time is ridiculously good. Honestly I love everything about my current smartphone except for the few things I hate about it.
Battery life
Low internal storage
Terrible camera /camera flash/zoom especially in low light conditions.
I hate sprint where I live. Can't blame phone for that.
Small screen (4.3) only qHD.
I am hoping the N3 on Verizon's awesome network will fix my problems. It should be a upgrade on every front.
What are you guys thoughts on the galaxy s4s camera operating in the night? Do you think N3s camera will outshine the s4s? Camera and video recording will be HUGE for me!
Really appreciate the response guys. Now I know that it's not necessarily needed for those with N2s, but I thought I'd share this with yall.
Portable 12000 mAh battery. We all know it's not the most ground breaking news, but I would love to use this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003ZBZ64Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1372698191&sr=8-1&pi=SL75
I'm just not seeing the sense in a comparison thread for 2 devices that don't exist yet.
Nice referral link btw.
I only one thing guys, after watching indeed criticism on s4 design, Samsung will have to do exceptional in note 3 to convince current note 2 users to upgrade. If the satisfaction level of s3 users was 7/10 then note 2 has 9/10 so its difficult to convince all 9 users to update their device. A lot of people are expecting that it will be shaped just like s4, if this is the way, it will a fail for most.
Note 3 IF it comes with SLCD or IPS. No more AMOLED for me, thank you.
I do believe that note 3 is just gonna look like the s4, but wait for S5 tho, i think thats the turning point where samsung will blow us away with a new design.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
sohebq said:
I only one thing guys, after watching indeed criticism on s4 design, Samsung will have to do exceptional in note 3 to convince current note 2 users to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be launched in the fall, the N3 was probably about half way through development when the SGS4 was launched in the spring. It takes 6-9 months to design a mobile device, identify specs for all the components needed, source all those components, set up assembly lines, and test it all (making adjustments where necessary) to make sure you've got it right. When Samsung evolved the SGS4's design they did so intentionally; following in the footsteps of Apple who evolves their designs too. There was more commentary about "plastic again" then there was about the design itself.
A removable battery requires access to it and Samsung's method is a removable back cover. Said back cover needs to be flexible and durable. Metal and glass are obviously neither. Since they have a removable back cover they also leverage that by putting the SIM cards and expandable storage underneath it eliminating the need for slots on the side of the phone. Those slots with ejection mechanisms cost more, are points of failure, and add weight. I guess they could seal the back and provide a battery door but that would mean relocating all the SIM and SD card slot to the side of the phone. That would require valuable space along the side of the phone which Samsung uses for antennas. Moving to a sealed design with external slots while retaining a removable battery would mean all Samsung's current design methods would have to be discarded. Their subsequent replacement would be no trivial exercise.
No phone ever built has been as thin as the SGS4 with a removable battery. The OG Pro offers a removable battery; the only recently released device to do so. It's 9.4MM thick and weighs 172g. The N2 is the same thickness and 11G heavier. So whatever magic Samsung worked to get the SGS4 thinner (7.9MM), lighter, with a bigger battery, and a larger display will most likely be worked again on the N3. Which also means its design will follow in the SGS4's footsteps. So for those expecting something "revolutionary" I think you'll be disappointed. Personally, I've never been bothered by Samsung's designs or use of plastic. My devices aren't fashion accessories; I view them as tools. The removable battery and the ability to replace the back cover for $20 if I damage it are more important to me than aesthetics. The HTC One isn't selling well and for Q2 HTC will be down 21% YOY in revenue. So while it's truly a beautiful device materials and design wise there's obviously more to sales success than just a pretty face. For those that design is really important to you should probably look at the One Max and XZ Ultra.
limitbreak09 said:
I do believe that note 3 is just gonna look like the s4, but wait for S5 tho, i think thats the turning point where samsung will blow us away with a new design.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree. And they've already made a move in that direction. Last month they acquired 50% of SGL Group which is a leader in the use of carbon fiber. I'd expect that to factor in the SGS5's design. But it's way too late to impact the N3.
The South Korean company's materials arm, Samsung Petrochemical, has established the joint venture with carbon manufacturers SGL Group and will own 50 per cent of the joint company, Samsung SGL Carbon Composite Materials. In a joint statement, the two companies said they planned to develop new electronic applications built with carbon composite materials. The deal with SGL group will give Samsung access to an exclusive long-term supply of carbon materialshttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10141157/Carbon-fibre-phones-coming-from-Samsung.html
@barry
I agree with everything you said. Honestly I already felt this way. Who cares if it "FEELS" cheap if it performs top of the line and outperforms what FEELS durable and premium??
Furthermore, ever since I held the Galaxy SIII, I loved how light it was! It's one of the strong selling points for me. People just wanna complain because they are spoiled. Simple as that. Back to the N3..
I reallllly really really am concerned about the camera on the N3! I really want a camera that takes amazing shots in ALL environments! Especially low light to night shots with AND without flash. Camera is definitely something of paramount concern since I am a All-in-one kind of guy. And I know the N3 has the potential... But will it reach it??
I definitely have battery life concerns since we are increasing screen size and resolution, but at the same time trying to make the phone lighter and equal in size to the N2. Where will there be room for the 3500mah?? (that's the battery I'm hoping for!)
Etheridge Gray said:
[MENTION=307506]I reallllly really really am concerned about the camera on the N3! I really want a camera that takes amazing shots in ALL environments! Especially low light to night shots with AND without flash. Camera is definitely something of paramount concern since I am a All-in-one kind of guy. And I know the N3 has the potential... But will it reach it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking forward to the camera and assuming it'll be the one in the SGS4. There are two sensors used in the SGS4; ExmorRS in Octa and ExmorR in S-600. The latter's an older version of Sony's sensor. My guess is that with the massive quantities of S-600 SGS4's produced (they are 2/3 of those built) they outpaced Sony's ability to supply the newer sensor so Samsung only used it in the i9500. Supply shouldn't be an issue with the N3 because it sells in lower volume than the SGS4.
The N3 should do significantly better in low light than the N2/SGS3; the SGS4 does. It won't do as well as HTC's new camera with its larger photosites. But with HTC's paltry 4MP resolution and just average daylight performance getting truly good low light performance is a trade-off. If the N3's camera has optical image stabilization and optical zoom it'll be a fantastic camera. I've seen some great shots taken with the SGS4. The best daylight shots I've seen from the One lack detail and have an "oil painting" look when viewed at full size. The One can capture shots in low light that the SGS4 can't touch but when all's said and done they aren't very good as most low light shots typically aren't because of focus issues and shutter delay caused by the lack of available lighting. So overall I think people will be happy but to those who low light performance means everything they may be disappointed and should consider the One Max which is using the same camera as the One.
This is what's capable with ExmorRS...
This is a great picture; social size.
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Here's a crop full size. 4MP doesn't give you a lot to work with when it comes to detail.
@barry
Thanks again for a very informative reply. Put my expectations into a realistic view, but it also lets me know that I shouldn't be disappointed either.
Looking back over 2 years ago when I got my android day 1 purchase.. I realize that waiting for a 2 year contract to expire makes alot of sense. If it was only a year we would not see the leap in technology like I soon will
Comparing my EVO 3D to my future Note 3..
4.3inch qHD vs. 5.7-6inch fullHD1080P
5MP Camera vs 13MP Camera
1GB internal storage vs 32GB
3G (no 4g w/sprint my area) vs. 4GLTE
1GB RAM vs. 3GB RAM
720p video vs 1080p at 30fps
Dual Core 1.2 vs up to 2.0 Quad-Core
1730mah battery vs. Maybe 3500mah
Need I mention software??
Truly an INSANE upgrade. I think everyone should wait 2 years. This way you will TRULY be IMPRESSED. No. Matter. What.
Thanks again Barry. You have really helped. I DEFINITELY think the I'll choose the N3 over the One Max. Time will tell for sure
Who knows what these 2 devices are going to be about. All I know is that the note 3 is my next phone A 1000% sure. The Note 2 was a smash hit, still is. Considering things are going to improve ( battery life, display, S pen features), IM SOLD. STFU AND TAKE MY MONEY NOW!
---------- Post added at 07:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------
sohebq said:
I only one thing guys, after watching indeed criticism on s4 design, Samsung will have to do exceptional in note 3 to convince current note 2 users to upgrade. If the satisfaction level of s3 users was 7/10 then note 2 has 9/10 so its difficult to convince all 9 users to update their device. A lot of people are expecting that it will be shaped just like s4, if this is the way, it will a fail for most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that Samsung is facing is biggest challenge yet, even bigger than the S3 to S4 upgrade because the note 2 was such a game changer, I honestly believe that it is one of those devices that are legendary ( like the S2, HD2, nexus one). When the note 2 came out, it impressed EVERYBODY ( reviewers, geeks, general consumers), turned some HTC fanboys into note 2 lovers ect... When I ordered the note 2 from the UK, I didn't expect it to have a flawless performance, didn't expect it to have amazing battery life, didn't know about multi window and all the new S pen features. Now that we know all that, how can Samsung really impress us? Its going to be tough to best the note 2 software wise I believe, especially because the note 3 will also launch with jelly bean, the note 2 had the advantage to launch with a brand new OS version at the time. In terms of specs we can expect an upgrade in pretty much every way but what new features like multi window, pop up browser is Samsung going to introduce? How well will it be implemented? Will it be flawless like the note 2 or with lots of stutter and bugs like the S4? I cant wait to find out.
barondebxl said:
I think that Samsung is facing is biggest challenge yet, even bigger than the S3 to S4 upgrade because the note 2 was such a game changer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's what people said about the Note I when it came out. It's amazing how much perception changes with time.
GSMArena - The Galaxy Note is a monster compared to regular phones - but then again, it's not exactly a phone. It's thin (9.7mm), light (you wouldn't guess it weighs 178g) and the rounded edges help ergonomics. But still, one handed use is a problem - your thumb most likely can't reach every point on the screen (certainly not comfortably) and unless you have big hands, you can't easily wrap your fingers around the Note to hold it without fear of dropping. Two-hand thumb typing is absolutely spot on, however. Pocketability is an issue too - you can certainly slip in into your pocket (the thin frame helps a lot here), but a lot of people won't find that solution acceptable. Still, most coat pockets or purses will find enough room for the Galaxy Note, which is worth having around with all that screen real-estate.
Verge - Arriving in a white, smartphone-sized box, the Galaxy Note goes to great efforts to convince you that it really is as portable as a phone. It’s not. The bezel around the display is minimal and the 9.65mm thickness is practically the same as on the latest iPhone, but there’s just no way to shrink that 5.3-inch display. Pocketing the Note is an exercise in either frustration or denial. Oh, it will fit inside your pants pocket, but try walking around with it there and you’ll see that fitting inside a space is only half the battle. You’ll need to either take to wearing blazers every time you go out or accept that you won’t be able to comfortably transport the Note somewhere around your body. Like most smartphones, the Note warms up during a long call, heating half of your face in the process, and there’s the social aspect to consider. Human society has yet to evolve to the point where it can witness a person holding up a massive slate of technology to his ear without attempting to make a bad joke about it.
Engadget - If you were holding out for a device that bridges the gap between smartphone and tablet, you'll want to take Note. It's an absolutely massive Android handset and a high-res pocketable tablet rolled into one. If you have the hands to support it, it may just be the best thing to happen to mobile devices since the capacitive touchscreen. You can take notes, doodle between (or during) meetings and make phone calls. Those calls can be placed using the built-in earpiece and mic, or via a Bluetooth headset, which we would recommend. Holding something this large up to your ear can be rather unpleasant -- and unsightly.
BarryH_GEG said:
Here's what people said about the Note I when it came out. It's amazing how much perception changes with time.
GSMArena - The Galaxy Note is a monster compared to regular phones - but then again, it's not exactly a phone. It's thin (9.7mm), light (you wouldn't guess it weighs 178g) and the rounded edges help ergonomics. But still, one handed use is a problem - your thumb most likely can't reach every point on the screen (certainly not comfortably) and unless you have big hands, you can't easily wrap your fingers around the Note to hold it without fear of dropping. Two-hand thumb typing is absolutely spot on, however. Pocketability is an issue too - you can certainly slip in into your pocket (the thin frame helps a lot here), but a lot of people won't find that solution acceptable. Still, most coat pockets or purses will find enough room for the Galaxy Note, which is worth having around with all that screen real-estate.
Verge - Arriving in a white, smartphone-sized box, the Galaxy Note goes to great efforts to convince you that it really is as portable as a phone. It’s not. The bezel around the display is minimal and the 9.65mm thickness is practically the same as on the latest iPhone, but there’s just no way to shrink that 5.3-inch display. Pocketing the Note is an exercise in either frustration or denial. Oh, it will fit inside your pants pocket, but try walking around with it there and you’ll see that fitting inside a space is only half the battle. You’ll need to either take to wearing blazers every time you go out or accept that you won’t be able to comfortably transport the Note somewhere around your body. Like most smartphones, the Note warms up during a long call, heating half of your face in the process, and there’s the social aspect to consider. Human society has yet to evolve to the point where it can witness a person holding up a massive slate of technology to his ear without attempting to make a bad joke about it.
Engadget - If you were holding out for a device that bridges the gap between smartphone and tablet, you'll want to take Note. It's an absolutely massive Android handset and a high-res pocketable tablet rolled into one. If you have the hands to support it, it may just be the best thing to happen to mobile devices since the capacitive touchscreen. You can take notes, doodle between (or during) meetings and make phone calls. Those calls can be placed using the built-in earpiece and mic, or via a Bluetooth headset, which we would recommend. Holding something this large up to your ear can be rather unpleasant -- and unsightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. I can understand them though. I remember when one of my co worker got the evo 4g back in 2010 and I had a nexus one with its 3.7 inch display and him with a 4.3 inch display, I held it and thought that it was gigantically ridiculous. Now I look at the evo 4 g as a tiny phone and cant believe that I thought it was a big device. Its just a getting used to thing. Same thing with folks who will use the galaxy mega for a while, going back to a 5.5 inch is going to be painful.
Related
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?
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
This is likely to be first time in 7 years i haven't upgraded my phone upon a handset refresh.
I'm a terrible phone whore with very little loyalty to brand, i like to own the best phone of the moment and hop between manufacturers. I'd imagine most people on here do the same, with the exception of the insanely irreverent fanboys. Recently (Last 2 years) i've owned.. S2, iPhone 4S, S3, HTC One X and Nexus 4. (Also throw in a couple of dips to Sony and Windows Mobile for brief periods).
First of all, the S4 and the HTC One look like cracking devices. In my eyes they both have positives and negatives and if push came to shove and somebody forced me by gunpoint to pick one, i'd be hard pressed to make a decision.. Perhaps S4 but only because of the battery life and timely updates.. There really is little in it.. Anyone who thinks so is only splitting hairs.
If you're sat using an S2 or a mobile a good 2 years old i can truly appreciate what a jump that the S4 or HTC One to be for you. But if you're the kind of person who upgrades over a 12 month period, there really is little to excite at the moment.
I can't help but feel disappointing..
CPU:
This is the most frustrating topic... We've been steadily increasing in power with little gains in power management, Nvidia tried their best with that '5th core' but ultimately left us all wanting... I'd say the biggest single concern for most smartphone users is battery life now, struggling to make it through a heavy day is part and parcel of owning a mobile.
We are so very close to big.LITTLE kicking in and it seems to be that Samsung and HTC kicked off a little early, shown by the (almost complete) lack of availability of their Exynos variant..
If i bought the S4 or HTC One i'd feel almost cheated if the rumored battery performance of the upcoming CPUs in this segment are anything to go by.
Screen:
Mobile phone addiction aside, one of my other rather 'nerdy' fascination is with audio visual kit, much to my wifes misery.. Screen quality is undoubtedly a big thing for me, yet even i struggle to justify the move from a 720p resolution to a 1080p resolution on a screen only 4.7-5" big..
I've seen the HTC One in person and while i will confess at close proximity i can distinguish the difference, it is by no means the jump the market departments of said companies would like you to think.. I'd go as far to say that most (myself included) would struggle to notice the difference between the two during regular daily use.
LTE:
This is less the mobile manufacturers fault and more the networks but 4G coverage is absolutely woeful when you consider the mass rollout of hardware to utilize. I always thought the S3 LTE was pointless but was convinced this was the early warning sign the governments / networks needed to shift into gear, it doesn't appear to have happened. It's like giving everybody a Bugatti Veyron and telling them they're only allowed to drive it in speed limited residential areas..
I've got friends in the states and U.K and despite the rather gut-wrenching price they pay for LTE price plans, the performance seems poor. I do think we are a good year away from 4G being a realistic benefit to the average consumer, with small pockets of countries experiencing early gains if they live in the capital.
The only positive i can take away from all this is my other half does not have to watch me trawl through reviews, debate the best deal and then watch me giddy on the day of delivery...
Here's hopping next year is a little better!
Have to agree with this, nothing special so far
@OP ( dont wanna quote the whole post lol), trust me when i say that i am one of the biggest phone junkies around, i owned almost all of the flagship of 2012 and plan on owning quite a few in 2013. I see what you're saying when you say " meh" cause phones like the nexus 4, S3, Optimus G and note 2 are already mighty powerful but i think this is where samsung and HTC lead the pack and differentiate themselves with other brands. HTC came out with the best design a phone ever had ( in my opinion) and fantastic sound quality while samsung is expanding its crazy awesome features ( gimmicky for some, absolutely great for me). Its hard to outdo the great phones that came out last year so my question is what did you expect?
I think you need to find more hobbies/occupations in your life tbh.
But to be honest, we are at a point where technology, and especially phones are improving at a very systematical and incremental ways.
Slightly better processor
Slightly better camera
Slightly better screen
Slightly better battery
Really, we will be stuck on this pattern until something revolutionary comes into the mobile market.
JaeKay said:
But to be honest, we are at a point where technology, and especially phones are improving at a very systematical and incremental ways.
Slightly better processor
Slightly better camera
Slightly better screen
Slightly better battery
Really, we will be stuck on this pattern until something revolutionary comes into the mobile market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but with all that, there's a lot that's looked over. Like if you have a Samsung Smart TV you can stream what is on your TV to your phoen anywhere you go.
We now have a IR controller with a built in TV Guide. Built in reminder to remind you also. Links to Rotten Tomatoes for movies.
There's a lot more. I just don't know what is revolutionary anymore. The problem is other technology has to catch up, like TVs, Amplifiers and audio receivers, car GPS, etc. The only thing the phone can do now is control and interact with other things.
What can honestly be revolutionary with current technology and our phones now?
How about work on voice call clarity. This quality has been the same Damn thing since the nokia brick phones lol
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Squirrel1620 said:
How about work on voice call clarity. This quality has been the same Damn thing since the nokia brick phones lol
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
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The thing is in a day I make max 20 min call time but day in day out 4+hours screen time, iyam this is the norm so this dictates developments, so I bet we get stuck with ok call quality.
Euthye said:
The thing is in a day I make max 20 min call time but day in day out 4+hours screen time, iyam this is the norm so this dictates developments, so I bet we get stuck with ok call quality.
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Click to collapse
20 min the norm? Speak for yourself.
j510 said:
20 min the norm? Speak for yourself.
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Click to collapse
I know but how about getting a different phone if your prime use is phoning, like a 2g that'll give you 2/3 days, or if you're making calls while indoors plug it in or use a land line, flagship smartphones are computing devices not really phones any more.
thedalmeny said:
This is likely to be first time in 7 years i haven't upgraded my phone upon a handset refresh.
I'm a terrible phone whore with very little loyalty to brand...!
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Click to collapse
While I agree that the upgrades in the GS4 are barely a full generation ahead of the GS3, which is unfortunate given how much a jump the GS2 was over the GS1, and how much the GS1 was ahead of anything else at its time... there is a sort-of point about diminishing returns here as well. It's harder to "improve" certain aspects but so much, as we're beginning to hit the limits of what can even be perceived as an upgrade.
I mean, think about the screen. Very low res -> QVGA -> WVGA -> 720p -> 1080p. Well that's great, but for the next generation, where do you go? There's really no perceivable need to put anything higher into a sub 5" device. Maybe flexible screens? Unbreakable screens? etc etc? That's still not gonna actually increase the photonic information presented to your eyes from the device.
Or take the physical phone body. The GS4 is pushing the screen so far that it's easily covering 80-90% of the entire front surface area. So okay, next gen, you make the entire front surface a screen. Then what? Make the phone thinner? Well, at a certain point you hit a limit there as well. People can only grasp and comfortably hold objects of up to a certain depth. When you get it smaller than that, you're basically just printing a screen onto a knife blade. So that's no good...
Let's try connectivity. LTE and 802.11ac? Most cell networks couldn't saturate their LTE links if they tried, they simply don't have the capacity yet. And even if they did... You're telling me you can even find a use-case where your phone is pumping out/in 100+ mbit/s of data? I mean, at home it's nice to move music/videos/files around sure. But I highly doubt anyone is routinely moving gigabytes of data per hour on any sort of mobile device. Once you hit what you need for say HD video streaming... where else is there to go? Again, the next generation doesn't really need to move data any faster than this.
Sensors? Well, there's actually lots of room for improvement here. And also, un-coincidentally, this is where the GS4 has some the of greatest advantage over other current/last generation devices. While we're still pretty far away from a proper tricorder, we can now sense via magnetometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor, infrared sensor, microphones, thermometer, hydrometer, barometer, and two cameras... But building sensors isn't the hard part. It's building clever software to do something with these sensors.
I could go on further... but the point I should think is clear. Yea, it's a bit disappointing that nothing since the original GS1/GS2 has really been a full "generation and a half" ahead of the competition... but a large portion of that is simply because we're beginning to hit the ceiling with some of these improvements. Yea, in 20 years "phones" will be unpredictably evolved from what we have now. But I bet the screens still won't have any higher effective PPI than what we're approaching now...
nastyhobbits said:
posting to hit 10 posts so I can actually post in development section....wth.....
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Click to collapse
Wrong and wrong.
1) There's a reason you need to post elsewhere first.
2) The fact that you say "what the hell" to that requirement further shows you are not yet ready to post in development.
3) Spamming random unrelated comments into random threads is not the way to reach the 10 post minimum
I suggest you start by reading the rules and the stickies.
Have a nice day, and welcome to XDA.
Im only getting it becuase i wanted a smaller note 2 with no spen. The s4 gives me that with plenty of horsepower. Plus the 32gb $250 price point is a good sell. If the htc one had a replaceable battery it would of been a no brainer based on design alone.
nastyhobbits said:
posting to hit 10 posts so I can actually post in development section....wth.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*Face palm* If there's one place where you never post something like that, it's XDA. The moderators here take people who break the rules pretty seriously.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I wish we could have a revolutionary phone come out like the Galaxy SII did. Even today, Galaxy SII is unsurpassed with performance. Is there any app or game that it can't run? I mean, it came out nearly 2 years ago, and still has not been matched by an app.
I hope Galaxy SV comes in the way of the revolution.
Euthye said:
I know but how about getting a different phone if your prime use is phoning, like a 2g that'll give you 2/3 days, or if you're making calls while indoors plug it in or use a land line, flagship smartphones are computing devices not really phones any more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said my prime use is phone calls. I just said 20 min is not the norm. And again where do you get your information. No matter what phone whether it is a dumb phone or smart phone, one of the main focus of a phone period involves making phone calls. Otherwise it would be called a multimedia device and not a phone.
jahjah440 said:
I wish we could have a revolutionary phone come out like the Galaxy SII did. Even today, Galaxy SII is unsurpassed with performance. Is there any app or game that it can't run? I mean, it came out nearly 2 years ago, and still has not been matched by an app.
I hope Galaxy SV comes in the way of the revolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, what, lol!
Pretty sure the Gs1 started the trend there. Gs2 was nice, but nothing revolutionary.... The s3 was by far the best in the series thus far, until this one comes out.
With that said, I like my Note 2 more so than my s3.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
I think the Note series has been pretty revolutionary and Samsung has worked hard to come up with clever things to do with the stylus.
I don't know what big hardware improvements are left to do. The one I would like the most is 3-D capabilities, both screen and camera, like the Evo 3D. I would imagine in the last two years the technology has gotten better and Samsung could market it a lot better than HTC. Plus there is more 3D content than two years ago. Samsung could also do cool things with 3D and the hover technology.
j510 said:
I never said my prime use is phone calls. I just said 20 min is not the norm. And again where do you get your information. No matter what phone whether it is a dumb phone or smart phone, one of the main focus of a phone period involves making phone calls. Otherwise it would be called a multimedia device and not a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah well tough break, I guess this phone isn't for you then.
Shammyh said:
While I agree that the upgrades in the GS4 are barely a full generation ahead of the GS3, which is unfortunate given how much a jump the GS2 was over the GS1, and how much the GS1 was ahead of anything else at its time... there is a sort-of point about diminishing returns here as well. It's harder to "improve" certain aspects but so much, as we're beginning to hit the limits of what can even be perceived as an upgrade.
I mean, think about the screen. Very low res -> QVGA -> WVGA -> 720p -> 1080p. Well that's great, but for the next generation, where do you go? There's really no perceivable need to put anything higher into a sub 5" device. Maybe flexible screens? Unbreakable screens? etc etc? That's still not gonna actually increase the photonic information presented to your eyes from the device.
Or take the physical phone body. The GS4 is pushing the screen so far that it's easily covering 80-90% of the entire front surface area. So okay, next gen, you make the entire front surface a screen. Then what? Make the phone thinner? Well, at a certain point you hit a limit there as well. People can only grasp and comfortably hold objects of up to a certain depth. When you get it smaller than that, you're basically just printing a screen onto a knife blade. So that's no good...
Let's try connectivity. LTE and 802.11ac? Most cell networks couldn't saturate their LTE links if they tried, they simply don't have the capacity yet. And even if they did... You're telling me you can even find a use-case where your phone is pumping out/in 100+ mbit/s of data? I mean, at home it's nice to move music/videos/files around sure. But I highly doubt anyone is routinely moving gigabytes of data per hour on any sort of mobile device. Once you hit what you need for say HD video streaming... where else is there to go? Again, the next generation doesn't really need to move data any faster than this.
Sensors? Well, there's actually lots of room for improvement here. And also, un-coincidentally, this is where the GS4 has some the of greatest advantage over other current/last generation devices. While we're still pretty far away from a proper tricorder, we can now sense via magnetometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor, infrared sensor, microphones, thermometer, hydrometer, barometer, and two cameras... But building sensors isn't the hard part. It's building clever software to do something with these sensors.
I could go on further... but the point I should think is clear. Yea, it's a bit disappointing that nothing since the original GS1/GS2 has really been a full "generation and a half" ahead of the competition... but a large portion of that is simply because we're beginning to hit the ceiling with some of these improvements. Yea, in 20 years "phones" will be unpredictably evolved from what we have now. But I bet the screens still won't have any higher effective PPI than what we're approaching now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree about LTE. That 100mbs conection is shared across possibly 100's of users and it does not take alot to bring it down to it's knees.
Video of sub 500kbs LTE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-VVwPqhXwI
That and really 2,3,4,5,10 GB is not really that much data if you plan using the LTE speeds fully. If I didn't have a unlimited plan, my bill would be higher in a month than what my phone cost.
I will say your right about the screen 1080p is good, well really for most 720p does the trick. ( I can still see the dot's on a 720p 4.3in screen though, but most can't.)
I have seen SO many threads about the pro's and con's of both handsets and most are based on bias because people just want to justify their purchase one way or another or are comparing 5 minutes of use in a shop with their every day phone. I have now got both phones and here is my "opinion" of the pros and cons for both....
Screen:
The One's screen is stunning but feels small compared to the S4 and while I am one of those people who prefers the unnatural oversaturated colours offered by the S4 the sharpness seems way better on the one. Icons on the S4 have a slight fuzzy look to them compare to the One like a JPG being stretched. Could all be down to the screen size which as I said I much prefer the S4's larger screen.
Design:
This is a lot of preference but anyone who says the S4 is better looking than the One is on crack or like I said justifying their own purchase. The Samsung's plastic obviously has benefits like being able to change the back cover when it is scratched and removable to access the battery or SD card (which I don't care about the battery as I don't keep phones for longer than 12 months usually and as long as the phone has ample storage for me I am fine). Also the plastic on the S4 feels greasy and gets dirty with fingerprints very easily. One thing that a lot of people don't like that Samsung keeps doing but I love is the physical home button. The fact I can with one hand turn the phone on with the home button is WAY better than the two handed approach with the One which the power can only be turned on by the power button on the top left. On a funny note I left my old S3 on the S4 box in my office and someone walked in and picked it up and said "wow how amazing is the new S4 it looks so much better than the S3", might be a good thing because people obviously like the look but it shows that the 4 isn't that big of a difference from the 3.
Camera:
This has been done to death but believe me that both are great. If the HTC had a 8mp camera it would be the definitive Android phone but it doesn't. Both has a lot of tricks and features and both do a great job. The HTC does a better job with low light and with moving objects and the S4 has way more details.
Sound:
HTC wins this hands down. Not only with the built in speaks but with headphones too. Samsungs audio player also pales in comparison to HTC's which is as with everything on the HTC beautiful and consistent with the resat of the OS but also correctly downloads album art and lyrics to play in a Karaoke mode.
Software:
This one I am really in two minds about and my comparison is purely on stock.. The HTC's new Sense is pretty amazing. Its fast and has a consistency in its look that Samsung should take note of. I have owned a S2 and S3 and Touchwiz has barely changed. Why is the SMS app black but the mail app is white and the calendar app is a wooden brown? It seriously feels like Samsung has way too many programmers working on Android and gave them all one app or part of the interface to work on and didn't allow them to communicate to the other people to get a consistent look. Its ugly and isn't customisable in many situations. I have shown people the S4 and they marvel at how smooth it is but until you actually run it along side the One for a period its hard to describe how much smoother the One is. Never stutters never and little pauses or skipping of animations like the S4 does. On the other hand all the things the S4 can do are cool, if not gimmicky and useless. Samsung have better support from developers and as such things like my Fitbit sync wirelessly with the S4 but not my One, Grindr crashes constantly on the One and more. Support for the one is pretty amazing already and its still brand new. I also love the fact I can download a ROM and easily install it which you can not do easily on the HTC. I only every use stock but I will use the Stock UK or American or German or what ever version is the newest as here in Australia new ROM are usually released pretty slowly. It becomes an addiction every day looking if a new Android version or ROM has been released to install and try on your Samsung. 90% of the S4's new features I have turned off, they aren't guaranteed to work 100% of the time and can be more trouble than they are worth. Example Smart stay... this rarely happens but it does happen and did happen with my S3 too is that I will put the phone down on my desk at work and it will never turn the screen off, some how it thinks my office's ceiling is a face and stays on. The one feature I do love of the S4 is the one where you wave your hand over it and it lights up for a few seconds to show the clock and alerts then turns back off. Also something simple that the S4 does that the HTC doesn't which I didn't realise until I had both was when you get a message or alert the Samsung turns the screen on and displays it (admittedly in an ugly pastel coloured but for SMS's) but the HTC will never turn the screen on unless you press the power button. I will also mention that Samsung's Touchwiz also seems unpolished and incomplete, little things like the MP3 player on the lock screen not correctly fitting and cutting the bottom off just makes me think again that Samsung's developers didn't work together to produce a single OS but instead a mish mash of individual bits to make one up (maybe they rushed it out to steal some of HTC's thunder).
Hardware:
Obviously Samsung wins this hands down but once again with Touchwiz slowing down the S4 the One just feels faster. Benchmarks are great but you don't live your life in a benchmark how the phone functions in every day use is what counts. All the sensors and support that Samsung has is way better than HTC. Just simple things like putting a magnet in the phone so covers know when they are closed and turn the phone off. Simple yet awesome. The fact that Samsung continues to make a flagship phone with only 16gb and then used up over half of it with is ugly bloated OS is just beyond forgiveness. So many people say well use the SD card but always remember that you can not install apps to the SD card and a few big games and your phone can be full. HTC has a 32 and 64gb model readily available here in Australia and I guarantee that the 32 and 64gb models of the S4 NEVER get launched here just like they did with the S3. SO many promises broken, no size over 16gb and no wireless charger released even though they showed them off at the launch.
Battery:
Both easily got me through a days use. The HTC didn't last as long in standby and the S4 didn't last as long in use so they pretty much evened each other out. The fact the S4 supports wireless charging is a huge plus for me. People ***** about its useless and not as fast as a cable but they obviously don't get it. With wireless Qi charging you can still use the cable when your in a hurry and need a fast charge but the convenience of just sitting the phone on my desk charger at work and its charging is priceless. I work 9-5 so if it sits on the charger for 8 hours then its never going to go flat on me. I don't have to worry about one of the staff stealing my Micro USB cable (which happens all the time) or even looking for a cable its just amazingly convenient to sit it down and its charging. I have ordered one of those Chinese Wireless Qi inserts for the S4 and cant wit to use it. You cant add that to the One and the One is very slow charging. VERY SLOW.
Conclusion:
Both phones are the pinnacle of Android technology right now for mobile phones and both deserve to be hugely successful. In the end I stuck with the S4 as my every day phone simply because the support it has from app developers like fitbit like I mentioned before, optional wireless charging, the home button, the screen size and the fact I can flash ROMs when ever I feel like it. Every now and then I think I have made a mistake and should keep using the One, mainly when I look at how ugly Touchwiz is and when I get stutters in the OS which is unforgiveable for a phone with this kind of power. All the flaws in the S4 can be fixed with software and I one day hope Samsung wakes up and makes Touchwiz have the same beautiful look and constancy of Sense, till then I will download other apps to replace Samsung's and hope the speed issues are resolved in updates in the future which I can flash so easily when ever I want to.
thanks for the recap on every other review out there. you are in the s4 forum, therefore s4 > htc one to all users here who arent trolls.
bnathan said:
Sound:
HTC wins .....
with headphones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are not talking about exynos variant right?
HTC One Cons:
- CID based roms
- Locked Bootloader, unlocking it will cost you a part of you warranty and a lot of anger if turned in for repair
- Slow updates
- Hboot versions determines wether you can flash/update a rom
This for me is enough not to buy any HTC even if it would be made of gold
iphone!
I was using the S600 9505 variant. And my post may have gone over things that reviews and such may have mentioned but no review covers it all and I have not seen a single review mention things like the fact the HTC screen doesn't turn on to show notifications.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Wow, yet another biased review that makes out its unbiased.....Jesus.
Couple of points:
With TW, you can change the background of the SMS app, if that annoys you? So what if its a different colour to the mail app.
Sense, unlike touchwiz doesn't have the quick settings it the notification bar. Sooooo convenient to be able to toggle things quickly without having to add widgets to the home screen.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk (how ironic is that eh)
What do you mean bias? Seems like your here to defend your decision to buy the S4. I have used both phones for weeks and I gave my observations. Simple. Not biased. I still love my S4 and that's what I am using today so I am hardly here to bash it.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Do we really need another useless thread?
You should carry on here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40865558
I've seen so many threads about the pros and cons of the S4 I decided to make another one.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Tomo1971 said:
Wow, yet another biased review that makes out its unbiased.....Jesus.
Couple of points:
With TW, you can change the background of the SMS app, if that annoys you? So what if its a different colour to the mail app.
Sense, unlike touchwiz doesn't have the quick settings it the notification bar. Sooooo convenient to be able to toggle things quickly without having to add widgets to the home screen.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk (how ironic is that eh)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, another bias review and he says its unbiased. SMH....
---------- Post added at 09:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 AM ----------
marcadam said:
I've seen so many threads about the pros and cons of the S4 I decided to make another one.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO
Finally a comparison between the two. I couldn't find any.
WTF guys?! This is the general thread. OP had both devices and felt like posting his thoughts. You dont like? Move the #$^#$^ along and keep your opinions to yourself.
I dont get cretins that like Unibody design phones with no storage expansion.
Ok, on built 32 GB of space is ok, its just that when you already have a nice and good microSD card, you would need to throw that thing away and you would need to tediously copy the data from the sd card to the phone.
What about the battery? After 2 years, if you intend to keep the phone, your battery is going to be much weaker than when you bought it. Batteries get weaker with time and lose their performancel.
Sure you can keep going on, but good luck using that thing with 50% or less battery performance after 2 years.
bnathan said:
I have seen SO many threads and most are based on bias
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here is my "opinion"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Conclusion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These types of threads are funny and fairly frequent. OP, this is what you're essentially saying - "everyone else's opinion isn't as good as mine so let me tell you what's really going on." And there's bias throughout your post and that's OK; but call it that. Everyone wants different things so their view is always going to take that in to account no matter how objective they try to be. I like Samsung's s/w features and Sense doesn't even have Awake Stay. So if I were to review TW vs. Sense which do you think I'd like best? But that's just me and I know I'm in the minority; at least on XDA. When expressing an individual opinion the best approach is to state your position, describe how you use your device, share your findings and then let others draw a conclusion based on their needs as to which phone or feature is "best."
Iphones?
As if we really need threads like this
Enviado desde un Samsung Galaxia S Cuatro LTE
HDR video from my S4
Dear god who gives a ****
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
If i had to choose between the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, it would be the Galaxy S4 by a long mile. Or not really since i already have the Samsung Galaxy S4 now
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There are many reasons why i did choose the Galaxy S4 over the HTC One. And maybe some of my reasons are the same reasons for you to choose the Galaxy S4 over the HTC One. I'm gonna write down all of my reasons to buy the Galaxy S4 here, so this post might get pretty long.
1. Polycarbonate body. Since this Polycarbonate body is made out of some kind of plastic, it doesn't spread the heat around your whole hand when the phone gets hot. Yes, alumininum looks and feels great, but it have a negative side because aluminum spreads the heat way more out than plastic does. Therefor, the HTC One will spread the heat to your whole hand instead of having the heat on one place only when it gets hot, like it is on the Galaxy S4.
This article shows how hot the Galaxy S4 gets under heavy usage and where the heat is and how the heat spreads out: http://blog.gsmarena.com/thermal-im...rfaces-shows-that-the-device-rarely-gets-hot/
2. HTC One gets alot hotter than the Galaxy S4 according to NordicHardware's test of the Galaxy S4. And therefor my reason number 1 is pretty valid. The article is in Swedish though, so if you want it translated, then use Google Translate.
I see some complaints that the Galaxy S4 gets pretty hot for someone. And if the Galaxy S4 gets that hot, then the HTC One for sure gets even hotter and even more bad to hold.
3. It have a microSD card slot. So yeah, i'm currently using a Samsung MicroSDXC Pro UHS-1 64 GB Class 10 card in my Galaxy S4 witch is great. Taking tons if pictures and recoring alot of videos when you are on a vacation is going to take up a HUUUUUGE amount of space. And not to mention that 1080p movies are needed when you have a 1080p screen. And those 1080p movies can take huge amount of space to. Same goes to alot of mp3 files / musics.
4. It have a removable battery witch means you can change out to a fully charged battery when you are out of battery on your main battery in 10 seconds. This allows you to keep doing what you are doing without having a big massive brick of a battery pack with you witch will be in your way when you are using the phone.
Or you can even buy a bigger battery that gives you over 3000 mAh (an example) witch will last you for ages.
5. It have a cleaner and better design than the HTC One. This is my opinion after holding and looking at the HTC One.
6. 5 inch screen is better than 4.7 inch screen. Specially when the Galaxy S4 are smaller in size than the HTC One.
7. The Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S4 is way better than the IPS LCD screen on the HTC One, because you can choose if you want the colors to really pop or if you just want to have perfect color accuracy (thanks to the Adobe RGB / Professional Photo mode) on the phone.
8. It have Android 4.2.2 witch is better than Android 4.1.2 that the HTC One have.
9. Samsung releases Android updates way faster than HTC.
10. It have alot of sensors witch i find great. No other smartphones have this many sensor inside a phone.
11. It have tons of cool and handy features witch i mean is there to bring the development of the current smartphones forward rather than just updating something you already have or something existing on your phone or just stand still like iOS have done since 2009. Some of the features the Galaxy S4 have doesn't really works optimal yet, but i still think it's pretty nice to have those features and they will also get better in future updates. It's always handy to have WHEN you need it and when you want to use them.
12. It's lighter and thinner witch makes it more pocket friendly. Not only that, but the backside of the phone is more flatter witch makes it better to use on a flat surface.
13. The camera on the Galaxy S4 are WAY WAY better than the HTC One in light situations. Here are some pictures i have been taking with my Samsung Galaxy S4. Remember that those pictures under are BIG.
Here is a picture of the same flower with HDR effect on.
As you can see, the true power of the Galaxy S4's camera makes the HTC One's camera to looks horrible in light situations.
14. The sound quality when you are recording videos are also better than the HTC One's sound quality. The proof is here:
15. The HTC One wasn't available when i had to buy a new phone. So since the Galaxy S4 was available when i needed a new phone, then i bought the Galaxy S4.
So there you have it. This is 15 of my reasons why i bought the Galaxy S4 over the HTC One.
Here is a little help, if you can't decide whether to take the one or s4:
My edge is serving my for almost 2 years now - time for every geek to start looking for a new piece of technology!
So i ask for your opinion for an successor of our nice little phone.
What will / did U buy next: S7(edge), Sony, HTC, Honor .. ?
A screen rather big, a living developer community, maybe water resistance - this is my desire..
a pen, edge screen? - i didn´t use them to often..
S7 Edge, if you wait longer s8
Sent from my tblte using XDA Labs
S7 or S7 Edge is a great choice since you don't need the pen
I wouldn't go to other companies since most of them are not water proof like the S7
Or wait for the S8 like @Aimara said
I don't see a real reason to move from this phone.. I have not seen any relevant update in the latest smartphones.
Yes, you get a slightly faster processor -in real life usage, insignificant improvement- and a barely upgraded camera.. So unless you are just bored of the phone there isn't something really interesting out there.. The s7 edge? is basically this phone with a smaller form factor and edges that doesn't have any sort of special functionality.
For me, smartphones have been basically the same since the iphone 5s- galaxy s4- lg G2 -note 3 generation .. all the new stuff are just gimmicks and performance in real life barely improves at all, because the things that you can do with a phone are limited by the form factor and the small screen and companies have not been creative enough to deliver software that actually can take advantage of the increase in processing power and ram memory.
This phone had the potential to do a lot more stuff than it actually does.. for example: when you open windows in the browser the tabs should be located in the curved panel so you can switch between them easily (like in a desktop).. sadly companies don't give a sh*t about exploiting the potential of their phones a few months after you bought it.. you will get 1 or two updates that change a little bit the look of the notification bar and icons and that's it.. People should stop buying new phones that doesn't do anything new or better than their current phone. We are basically telling companies that we will buy any crap they release even if it barely have any advantage over a 3 years old phone.
Ridiculous high resolution? you have it (1080p was already crisp enough!)
Good camera? you have it
some curve? you have it
Marshmallow? you have it
Nougat? most note edge have an unlocked bootloader now, so eventually you'll have it
A note 7 edge is like us600 you can get a note edge on ebay for us200! it is ridiculous.
rodmc123 said:
I don't see a real reason to move from this phone.. I have not seen any relevant update in the latest smartphones.
Yes, you get a slightly faster processor -in real life usage, insignificant improvement- and a barely upgraded camera.. So unless you are just bored of the phone there isn't something really interesting out there.. The s7 edge? is basically this phone with a smaller form factor and edges that doesn't have any sort of special functionality.
For me, smartphones have been basically the same since the iphone 5s- galaxy s4- lg G2 -note 3 generation .. all the new stuff are just gimmicks and performance in real life barely improves at all, because the things that you can do with a phone are limited by the form factor and the small screen and companies have not been creative enough to deliver software that actually can take advantage of the increase in processing power and ram memory.
This phone had the potential to do a lot more stuff than it actually does.. for example: when you open windows in the browser the tabs should be located in the curved panel so you can switch between them easily (like in a desktop).. sadly companies don't give a sh*t about exploiting the potential of their phones a few months after you bought it.. you will get 1 or two updates that change a little bit the look of the notification bar and icons and that's it.. People should stop buying new phones that doesn't do anything new or better than their current phone. We are basically telling companies that we will buy any crap they release even if it barely have any advantage over a 3 years old phone.
Ridiculous high resolution? you have it (1080p was already crisp enough!)
Good camera? you have it
some curve? you have it
Marshmallow? you have it
Nougat? most note edge have an unlocked bootloader now, so eventually you'll have it
A note 7 edge is like us600 you can get a note edge on ebay for us200! it is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with all your points. The only thing bad about this phone is the battery. It's cancer. It barely lasts for more than 4 hrs wih max sot of 1.5 hrs. Has to be on a ventilator(readowerbank) for most of the day. And the worst part? Samsung India seems to have branded this device as "obsolete" as Im not able to get an OEM battery from the various Service Centers that i have tried.
This device had the potential to be much much more. Poor dev support(no offence to the few lovely devs we have) , sub par battery is what limited its future prospects:crying::crying::crying:
Root the sucker and get a proper O/S.
Ebay for a battery and don't look back.
From what I've seen,most hardware upgrades are accompanied by more bloated "operating systems".
Why?
So they can sell you a new phone that's already out of date when it's released.
That's the way the computer business works.
Sent from my SM-N915W8 using XDA-Developers mobile app
well, these thoughs crossed my mind as well.
it has been the same since my last smartphones: is there anything really better than my device? Anything i can really crave for / at least look forward to?
Our edge is performing fine (even battery) so there is no real need. But hey, i want a new toy! (I deserve a new toy?!)
Please dont tell my to be happy with my edge and better invest the money in a holyday
Try an new operating system .... it'll feel like a new phone.
any good link for battery ?thinking of getting anker brand since oem sucks ?
zuz242 said:
well, these thoughs crossed my mind as well.
it has been the same since my last smartphones: is there anything really better than my device? Anything i can really crave for / at least look forward to?
Our edge is performing fine (even battery) so there is no real need. But hey, i want a new toy! (I deserve a new toy?!)
Please dont tell my to be happy with my edge and better invest the money in a holyday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, in that case just get a nexus or a one plus whatever.. atleast with those you can try a bunch of different roms and mods to keep you entertained. Everyone is talking about the Google Pixel now.. but it looks ugly and boring as hell, for me it looks like a cheap Chinese phone with really cheap paint or an HTC from like 6 years ago.. if it wasn't a "google phone" nobody would even look at that thing.
If you get another phone be careful, it seems those days only T-MO is not blocking the bootloader.. get a phone that is confirmed to receive the new OS soon.. the last thing you want is to get a phone and be stuck in the same OS as your current phone for 6 months.
Within the last 10 days i have purchased a Axon 7 and got a LG V20 today. Gonna sell my Note Edge to a friend. I am currently leaning towards the V20 but the Axon 7 is putting up a dam good fight. Either phone would be a worthy upgrade for different reasons, sans the S-pen imo.
Don't see any reason to upgrade. .. maybe I will root. ..but i use skygo frequently...
rodmc123 said:
Well, in that case just get a nexus or a one plus whatever.. atleast with those you can try a bunch of different roms and mods to keep you entertained. Everyone is talking about the Google Pixel now.. but it looks ugly and boring as hell, for me it looks like a cheap Chinese phone with really cheap paint or an HTC from like 6 years ago.. if it wasn't a "google phone" nobody would even look at that thing.
If you get another phone be careful, it seems those days only T-MO is not blocking the bootloader.. get a phone that is confirmed to receive the new OS soon.. the last thing you want is to get a phone and be stuck in the same OS as your current phone for 6 months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile still has NEW Note Edge phones at some stores around Atlanta. I am waiting on a warranty replacement for my Note 4, then I might jump to a Note Edge. I just don't feel like keeping a refurbished unit unless it's as good as what I had before. The one that died was in beautiful shape, I kept it in a bumper with a tempered glass screen protector.
I'd keep the Note Edge
*Omnipresent* said:
Within the last 10 days i have purchased a Axon 7 and got a LG V20 today. Gonna sell my Note Edge to a friend. I am currently leaning towards the V20 but the Axon 7 is putting up a dam good fight. Either phone would be a worthy upgrade for different reasons, sans the S-pen imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be worth something one day, not many made and the curiosity of it could be a collectors item in the future.
I'm thinking of waiting for the Note 8 Edge, it's gunna have QualComm Quick Charge 4.0 and so just 5 minutes of charging will get ya 5 hours of battery life, along with much better battery safety and protection.
Anybody know where I can get a good battery?
n1nj4Lo said:
I'm thinking of waiting for the Note 8 Edge, it's gunna have QualComm Quick Charge 4.0 and so just 5 minutes of charging will get ya 5 hours of battery life, along with much better battery safety and protection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever figure out how to put the Camera button back on the edge screen?
rodmc123 said:
I don't see a real reason to move from this phone.. I have not seen any relevant update in the latest smartphones.
Yes, you get a slightly faster processor -in real life usage, insignificant improvement- and a barely upgraded camera.. So unless you are just bored of the phone there isn't something really interesting out there.. The s7 edge? is basically this phone with a smaller form factor and edges that doesn't have any sort of special functionality.
For me, smartphones have been basically the same since the iphone 5s- galaxy s4- lg G2 -note 3 generation .. all the new stuff are just gimmicks and performance in real life barely improves at all, because the things that you can do with a phone are limited by the form factor and the small screen and companies have not been creative enough to deliver software that actually can take advantage of the increase in processing power and ram memory.
This phone had the potential to do a lot more stuff than it actually does.. for example: when you open windows in the browser the tabs should be located in the curved panel so you can switch between them easily (like in a desktop).. sadly companies don't give a sh*t about exploiting the potential of their phones a few months after you bought it.. you will get 1 or two updates that change a little bit the look of the notification bar and icons and that's it.. People should stop buying new phones that doesn't do anything new or better than their current phone. We are basically telling companies that we will buy any crap they release even if it barely have any advantage over a 3 years old phone.
Ridiculous high resolution? you have it (1080p was already crisp enough!)
Good camera? you have it
some curve? you have it
Marshmallow? you have it
Nougat? most note edge have an unlocked bootloader now, so eventually you'll have it
A note 7 edge is like us600 you can get a note edge on ebay for us200! it is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said !.
edo101 said:
Did you ever figure out how to put the Camera button back on the edge screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope not yet and IDK what's happening with EHZ Studio who said they were working on making one.
You can message them from their facebook page and ask too to see whats up with it
https://www.facebook.com/EHZStudio/ and https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=EHZ+Studios
Sent from my SM-N915T using Tapatalk
edo101 said:
Anybody know where I can get a good battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZeroLemon-G...669122?hash=item1a064a1942:g:4XMAAOSwVL1V-wmO ZeroLemon 9000mah but around xda users have reported problems with some batteries only lasting a few months and then it dying and rapidly discharging after so, it's a real gamble I guess. $59.95
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7200mAh-Ext...221215?hash=item4b0ba9bf9f:g:2eIAAOSwHMJYHaks TOTHL 7200mah, have one myself but can't fairly judge, as I've been using my ZeroLemon all the time, nice two layer case 1 hard plastic back and 1 rubber overlay back, definitely worth the bang for it's buck though. $23.30
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Extende...363235?hash=item280e491863:g:CpMAAOSwZ1lWekYX Black Label Brand 8550mah, don't have one, can't judge, but at the price it'd be worth the gamble, if it really is only 50mah's less than the ZeroLemon's size at half the price. $24.58
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7350mAh-Ext...245439?hash=item2a7045bebf:g:1UQAAOSwOdpXznjt Best4Power 7350mah, unknown again, can't fairly judge. $24.58
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Note-Edge-B...660894?hash=item3f70d0a25e:g:fa4AAOSwj85YRfhm YISHDA 6500mah, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, at this sounding like the more/most realistic reasonable battery capacity for it's size, nice two layer case 1 hard plastic back and 1 rubber overlay back. $44.75
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mugen-Power...hash=item54400a1fe0:m:mTl97i6XR1J83fcek8GleJA Mugen 6000mah, only down side I saw on xda user reviews is the metal kickstand gets hot and it covers up the speaker, hell though a kickstand and who can't go wrong with Mugen??? $89.95
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PowerBear-S...900748?hash=item46594c90cc:g:iT4AAOSwx2dYDAKR PowerBear 6800mah up and coming new battery star company, I just recently heard of them a month ago or so when I searched for extended Note Edge batteries and they had solid good reviews, nice two layer case 1 hard plastic back and 1 rubber overlay back. $35.99 These same guys also make Note Edge Slim batteries, I'd trust them over anyone if getting a slim battery and never fall for that doubly extended slim size battery capacity, it's a proven lie if not alone by physics, if ya want double or triple the capacity you'll need double or triple the size.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+note+.TRS0&_nkw=powerbear+note+edge&_sacat=0 All PowerBear Note Edge Batteries and Cases, Slim, Extended, PowerBank Case
_
Review Results: ZeroLemon and Mugen tied in 1st place, I'd put ZeroLemon at 2nd for their mess up on the rapid discharge but it's the biggest if ya get lucky on one that ain't defective, then I'd also give Mugen a 2nd place rating cause of their being the highest priced so this ranking it's a fair placement and I'd place PowerBear at a firm, solid and steady 3rd, newcomers always get it the hardest... LoL! The same size as Mugen for the price of Zerolemon(Or less) though! But watch this review super detailed on the Note 4 7500mah PowerBear battery
n1nj4Lo said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZeroLemon-G...669122?hash=item1a064a1942:g:4XMAAOSwVL1V-wmO ZeroLemon
Review Results: ZeroLemon and Mugen tied in 1st place, I'd put ZeroLemon at 2nd for their mess up on the rapid discharge but then I'd also give Mugen a 2nd place rating cause of their high price so this ranking is fair and I'd place PowerBear at a firm and steady 3rd, newcomers always get it the hardest... LoL! The same size as Mugen for the price of Zerolemon(Or less) though! But watch this review super detailed on the Note 4 7500mah PowerBear battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the exhaustive list. I'll look into it
I'm just about to pull the trigger on this beautiful foldable, the only thing I'm worried about is that I use my device the most for watching movies, youtube and twitch.
That black bars kinda bother me.
The other thing is about the durability over time of the screen because I think it will eventually brake after some years of folds. Am I wrong?
Please help me decide beetween this and Oppo Find X2 pro. (I don't care about the price tag as I want to keep the new device for at least 4 years and enjoy it the most)
About my second choice is because I want to fully enjoy a QHD 120hz display and I'm not worried about the battery life for many reasons.. (I had that device and was perfect for me but I experience some pink tint issues so I asked for a refund)
I don't really like do the lottery and hope for a better screen with Oppo or Oneplus screen.
I hope someone can help me.. thank you in advance,
Alessio
You're going to get black bars because of the screen ratio of the device when unfolded. You get smaller black bars when watching in landscape unfolded, but then the camera hole punch cuts into the video content. In portrait you get bigger bars and smaller content, but the hole punch is within the top black bar.
As for durability, I've read Samsung have tested for a certain number of folding/unfolding which equates to opening the device 100 times a day for 5 years. I can't remember where I read this and can't find anything when Googling.
It's supposed to be rated for 200,000 folds. Check out the Fold 1 Forums and ask folks about durability. The Fold2 is supposed to be a lot better.
Sent from my SM-F916U1 using Tapatalk
I've had mine for 2 days now. My previous phone was a Galaxy S20 Ultra which I'm now putting up for sale. Before getting the Z Fold 2, I also bought a Surface Duo, used it for a day and hated it, so I returned it.
It has been a learning curve with the Z Fold 2 because it's such a different device. Still not sure I love it but it's definitely growing on me. The weirdest thing was getting used to the small cover screen but I am now used to that.
I will say that the hardware is fantastic although it is a more fragile phone because of the folding screen and lack of water and dust proofing.
I don't think I'm going to have issues with the screen as long as I don't fold with something in it or press it too hard. The black bars don't bother me - that's just a result of the screen having such odd aspect ratio. The screen is a beauty. I still can't believe Samsung pulled this off. Yes the crease is there but really not an issue.
The only other issue I have with it is how slick it is since my case hasn't arrived yet but I expect that to not be an issue with a case.
I think if you decide to go for this phone, you'll like it a lot as long as you are willing to go through the learning curve of the new form factor. Worst case scenario you can always return it for a refund.
I saw it as a brilliant yet highly flawed device when I got it. Now I cant use a regular phone anymore, they're completely ruined for me. I would have preferred the device be wider because I still don't like the front screen to this day and a little wider would be all it takes to fix it. That inner screen though, shes a beauty. The internet is so much easier to browse in that format, games look fantastic, videos are unfortunately not as good as they could be thanks to the idiotic placement of the inner camera. Yeah, I know why the decided to put it there and I disagree with the decision. This phone is all about that screen and the stupid placement makes videos smaller than they should be or puts a hole in them. Neither should have been happening because it hurts the phones best attribute. As I said; flawed. I cant however go back, regular phones seem ridiculously limiting now.
I upgraded from the OG Fold and love the 2, Marked improvement all over.
The hinge is also a lot stiffer with the added functionality in the Fold 2
Watching content doesn't bother me, you get used to the black bars and it's still a much bigger viewing area than a regular phone.
My only concern is you wanting to keep it for 4 years, this is obviously new technology so no one is going to be able to say whether it can last for that length of time. I had the fold one near 9 months and never had 1 issue with it, no issues with the screen or folding.
I go with a Note. They will last 4 years and are dust/water sealed, add a good case and you're good to go.
If you charge the battery wisely (40-65% charges) you may get 4 years out of it too.
The 10+ is a proven performer and comes loaded with Pie if you prefer that OS as I do. It's got 2 OS upgrades so it should take it to 11 at least.
The 20U may have some minor issues but it seems like a solid Note.
Both support massive SD cards and are fun, fast, responsive machines with drop dead gorgeous displays.
Samsung has over extended its self both technically and financially on the Fold devices I think to spite all the glowing reviews.
Browse the forums of other current Samsung models here to get a better idea of just how small the niche is for this device. Its novelty alone will make it harder to get online tech support for. Samsung online/phone support sucks; some of the worst I ever experienced.
I blew off upgrading to the 20U because Samsung didn't give me anymore bang for the buck than my 10+.
In addition to that was Android Q with its scope storage is a performance hit not seen with Pie. It will also render legacy apks I use a lot most likely unusable.
If the Notes don't provide enough real estate, the Fold 2 be your only choice for now. The next generation should be better.
Lol, Samsung claims the conformal coating on the Fold 2's PCBs are it's waterproofing. Pure hogwash; all the switches and micro connectors are vulnerable.
I would never even consider a smartphone without water and dust sealing. Even my ancient first flip phone had them.
10 years latter it's still functional...
blackhawk said:
I go with a Note. They will last 4 years and are dust/water sealed, add a good case and you're good to go.
If you charge the battery wisely (40-65% charges) you may get 4 years out of it too.
The 10+ is a proven performer and comes loaded with Pie if you prefer that OS as I do. It's got 2 OS upgrades so it should take it to 11 at least.
The 20U may have some minor issues but it seems like a solid Note.
Both support massive SD cards and are fun, fast, responsive machines with drop dead gorgeous displays.
Samsung has over extended its self both technically and financially on the Fold devices I think to spite all the glowing reviews.
Browse the forums of other current Samsung models here to get a better idea of just how small the niche is for this device. Its novelty alone will make it harder to get online tech support for. Samsung online/phone support sucks; some of the worst I ever experienced.
I blew off upgrading to the 20U because Samsung didn't give me anymore bang for the buck than my 10+.
In addition to that was Android Q with its scope storage is a performance hit not seen with Pie. It will also render legacy apks I use a lot most likely unusable.
If the Notes don't provide enough real estate, the Fold 2 be your only choice for now. The next generation should be better.
Lol, Samsung claims the conformal coating on the Fold 2's PCBs are it's waterproofing. Pure hogwash; all the switches and micro connectors are vulnerable.
I would never even consider a smartphone without water and dust sealing. Even my ancient first flip phone had them.
10 years latter it's still functional...
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Click to collapse
Do you actually own a Z Fold 2?
The render legacy apks unusable was laughable, that's for sure. He does not own the phone, he's been here trolling for quite a while.
krabman said:
The render legacy apks unusable was laughable, that's for sure. He does not own the phone, he's been here trolling for quite a while.
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Q renders (or soon will) many legacy apks unusable not the Z. Not so funny if you're running Q...
It's a prototype. I build prototype$ not buy them.
I am however fascinated in this product in more ways than one... Samsung gro$$ly overextended themselves on this product line and the game they're playing isn't low poker.
TheMountain said:
I'm just about to pull the trigger on this beautiful foldable, the only thing I'm worried about is that I use my device the most for watching movies, youtube and twitch.
That black bars kinda bother me.
The other thing is about the durability over time of the screen because I think it will eventually brake after some years of folds. Am I wrong?
Please help me decide beetween this and Oppo Find X2 pro. (I don't care about the price tag as I want to keep the new device for at least 4 years and enjoy it the most)
About my second choice is because I want to fully enjoy a QHD 120hz display and I'm not worried about the battery life for many reasons.. (I had that device and was perfect for me but I experience some pink tint issues so I asked for a refund)
I don't really like do the lottery and hope for a better screen with Oppo or Oneplus screen.
I hope someone can help me.. thank you in advance,
Alessio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry i'm late to the party!!! So i came from a Find X2 pro to the Fold 2 and honestly i love the fold 2. I work at a Machine shop and my fold 2 has been perfectly fine (im not saying its the most durable phone on earth , but it definetly feels like its gonna be just fine). if there were any major drawbacks id say the lack of cases that protect the hinge spine , and the crappy rubber inner screen protector (which has been removed),and the cameras (comparing to the Find x2 pro directly) .
overall the black bars while watching youtube i can live with cause it has so much real estate on the inner screen that it quickly became something i dont notice anymore.
The cameras are good not the best but good, the find x2 pro camera was fantastic.
My main issue has to be cases, i currently have 6 cases (araree bonnet wallet,spigen thin fit,gkk thin fit,2xchinese "leather back" cases,ringke clear) and the Araree bonnet is the only one that protects the spine yet its awkward to use when folded(back of case digs into finger when holding 1 handed and cover hanging is a minor annoyance) when open the case is ok. all the other cases yeild the same result , when closed they protect the front & back but leave the spine exposed when folded. so its a catch 22 in the case department.
I also applied a Dbrand teardown skin "ultramatte" and its awesome cause the black back of the phone was a fingerprint haven.
So im sure ive rambled enough haha, but i would honestly say overall even with the drawbacks id take the fold 2 over the find x2 pro if i had to choose again.
also i ordered the Spigen Tough Armor (which seems like it will be a good case protecting the spine/hinge and not being "in the way"when used folded like the araree bonnet)
Either way both phones are really good im sure you'll be happy with either
krabman said:
The render legacy apks unusable was laughable, that's for sure. He does not own the phone, he's been here trolling for quite a while.
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Click to collapse
Sounds about right. He doesn't own one and is here just trolling away.
I'm not sure what the point of going to a sub section and complaining about a phone you don't own and aren't going to buy is but it happens often enough here. I completely understand the posts where people say they are disappointed about a device as it comes out, are moving elsewhere, and the why. These posts can be useful to those on the fence. To go back to this device I still think while flawed it's an amazing piece of kit and more than any other phone I've ever encountered; one you really have to use to fully get. It's unfortunate the entry fee is so steep as to make test driving one unreasonable for most.
Honestly I have had every note that Samsung has made and my secondary device is a note 20. I am now spoiled I have had my zfold 2 a month and I can't go back to a regular phone ever again. I'm a fold loyalist from now on
randy2 said:
Honestly I have had every note that Samsung has made and my secondary device is a note 20. I am now spoiled I have had my zfold 2 a month and I can't go back to a regular phone ever again. I'm a fold loyalist from now on
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Well said... I had the fold1 and now the fold2 and can't imagine going back to a "normal" mobile phone again... regardless of brand.
randy2 said:
Honestly I have had every note that Samsung has made and my secondary device is a note 20. I am now spoiled I have had my zfold 2 a month and I can't go back to a regular phone ever again. I'm a fold loyalist from now on
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Click to collapse
I'm a Note loyalist but I've been playing with the ZF2 at Best Buy and am in love with it. Can't decide if I can give up my SPen though.
Mr. Orange 645 said:
I'm a Note loyalist but I've been playing with the ZF2 at Best Buy and am in love with it. Can't decide if I can give up my SPen though.
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Click to collapse
Next year, the fold 3 is replacing the note line and getting a Spend.
DJW35 said:
Next year, the fold 3 is replacing the note line and getting a Spend.
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Yeah, I knew that was the latest rumor. It's one reason I'm considering the Fold 2 now. Might as well grab it, because it will have a higher trade in value next year when I get the Fold 3, LOL.
Add
DJW35 said:
Next year, the fold 3 is replacing the note line and getting a Spend.
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So they are saying.
So far the durability has been lacking and the price is higher than I pay for a laptop.
The Fold sales have been dismal thus far... if that tells you something.
Sparkling reviews, all of them.
What's wrong with this picture?
I don't share Samsung's enthusiasm and they grossly overextended themselves trying to develop this technology. Their other expensive phones suffered as a result and during a worldwide economic downturn at that. Brilliant.
The Edsel was a similar money sinkhole released during a recession. That ended well.
I call snake eyes.
Break away in a wide track Pontiac GTO... :laugh:
* And maybe tri-fold phone. Oh my... hold on to your hats:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/mspowe...old-smartphone-bandwagon-with-new-patent/amp/
Apple sounds amused, maybe nervous:
https://www.patentlyapple.com/paten...-continue-to-work-on-a-next-gen-tri-fold.html
blackhawk said:
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So far the durability has been lacking and the price is higher than I pay for a laptop.
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Without a shadow of a doubt the Fold 2 is the best mobile device i have owned in over 20 years of owning a mobile. Durability is perfectly fine (for me), battery life is excellent, (i get 9hrs SOT with the 90hz app) and the main foldable screen is amazing with or without the factory fitted film protector.
The front screen is still slightly too narrow to make the device 100% perfect but perhaps next years Fold3 will resolve that outstanding issue...
I can't imagine ever going back to a "normal" candy bar style phone ever again.
Yes foldable devices are currently hugely expensive but as an early adopter I accept i have chosen to pay more than the average consumer would. Hopefully (!) In a couple of years Samsung will be able to sell a fold5 for 100 or 200 £$€ more than the equivalent S23 Ultra price.