OK, here's the deal: I am hard on phones. I don't mean that I'm clumsy and drop my phone in the toilet or piss myself while drunk with my phone in my pocket, I mean I work in an industrial environment but need to keep my phone available. I pick up heavy things, I occasionally get soaking wet, and often am completely covered with dust. My old phone is a Motorola Defy+ and I managed to crack the housing on both sides with an Otterbox case on it - just the 'Commuter' case, but still. Don't ask me how, I don't even know when it happened. My phone before that was one of the old Casio G'zone flip phones, and durability wise was the best thing ever, too bad they don't make anything that really keeps up on the Smartphone end, I want a bigger screen. I'm fairly tech-savvy for a blue collar guy, but I'm definitely blue collar. Even on my days off I'm doing rough dirty stuff: yesterday I pulled an engine out of a motorcycle and helped my dad stand up a wall on an outbuilding he is putting up - he works harder retired than he did when he worked!
So to sum up, IP67 seems like a worth addition, but even with it, I would want the toughest case I can find.
Now the other side of the coin, software. My Defy opened my eyes to the smartphone world, and it is simply too handy a tool to me, but its limitations were a constant annoyance. The stock Motorola rom was simply horrid (my second and final Motorola phone) and their locked bootloader made changing roms a bit sketchy at the least. I wound up with a tweaked version of Cyanogenmod 7.2 and it works fairly well, but not perfectly. Good enough to use, but buggy enough that I wish it was a fully supported device. If I had a fully unlocked device, I might try stock android and I might try a few other things, but overall I like the feel of CM combined with Go launcher and would be content with that combo if nothing else were available. Given my preferences, I'm hesitant to saddle myself to a locked bootloader again.
Price isn't really an issue, I'm not interested in saddling myself with a contract, so $50 difference isn't much. Part of me wants to vote with my dollar, but do I vote for unlocked bootloaders (that I feel every device should have) or do I vote for a very basic level of durability (that I feel every device should have)?
What does everyone think? Go with the open bootloader, buy an Otterbox Defender (or is there a better option?) and maybe give it the Neverwet treatement?
... or go for the Active that will maybe be a little tougher, but may never get the software support I want (and still get the toughest case I can and possibly give it the Neverwet treatment anyway...)?
...or live with my Defy a while longer to wait and see if anyone figures out an effective way around the bootloader on the Active?
If you're really looking for a durable smart phone, I think the only one is the Samsung Rugby Pro, but it doesn't compare to the S4 variants, so get that if ruggedness is most important, otherwise...
I went from the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to the S4 Active, and I can tell you that I absolutely love the Nexus line, with their quick updates, clean design, and general lack of goofy UI overlays and their compatibility issues. I honestly bought the S4A because I needed something to tide me over until the Nexus 5 (or whatever) comes out. I chose the Active because I didn't like the feel of the standard S4, and I love that I can see my screen in the brightest daylight. Other than these items, the camera (which I don't use that much) is the only real difference, so the S4 and S4A are about the same, and it's simply personal preference.
After playing with the S4A for awhile, however, I'm really digging some of the Touchwiz features, especially smart stay which keeps the phone on whenever you're actually looking at it. I can't tell you how many times my GNex shut off on me while I was using the phone, so I love this feature. Some of the others are gimmicky, so I can't say that Touchwiz is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I can say that once you decide what features you like and shut off the rest, Touchwiz isn't so bad, and I'm finding that all the things that bugged me about my GNex simply don't with my S4A. The one negative here is the vast amounts of bloatware. My recommendation is to use Android 4.2's ability to disable the bloat, or better yet root and freeze (or even better, uninstall) them. Once you do that, the biggest negative is mostly nullified.
On the flip side, the GE phones have unlocked bootloaders, and no bloat, so that's a plus, but the biggest negative with the GE phones is that they're not truly Nexus phones. Their updates will come from Samsung (or HTC for the One), not Google. Nobody knows how long it will take these GE phones to actually get their updates, although it will probably be faster than Carrier-specific variants.
My suggestion: Get the Active. With a contract, it's under $200 (or maybe even $100 depending on how you're getting it), and once the next Nexus phone comes out, if you really miss the Nexus experience, buy that phone for the $300 or so it will cost, and you'll STILL spend less than you will for the far-too-expensive GE S4. I know you said you don't want a contract, so you could buy it, get it SIMM-Unlocked, and if necessary sell it to pay for your Nexus when it comes out... or at the very least, try the Active for 14 days and take it back. The return is going to be a heck of a lot less painful than the GE phones. I've heard they're kind of a hassle to return (although I have no direct experience there).
The active is water resistant and dust resistant, not rugged so you will still need a good case for it. Seidio is making the OBEX case for the S4 which should be out soon and is rugged. (for the S4 not S4A). I hear cases are not readily available for the Active yet. The S4 GE will fit all cases and accessories for the S4.
The S4 GE woulds give you the things you want on an OS and has a lot of accessories ready now. Plus Google Wallet which is something I liked using on my Nexus 4.
---------- Post added at 04:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:16 PM ----------
jt3 said:
If you're really looking for a durable smart phone, I think the only one is the Samsung Rugby Pro, but it doesn't compare to the S4 variants, so get that if ruggedness is most important, otherwise...
I went from the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to the S4 Active, and I can tell you that I absolutely love the Nexus line, with their quick updates, clean design, and general lack of goofy UI overlays and their compatibility issues. I honestly bought the S4A because I needed something to tide me over until the Nexus 5 (or whatever) comes out.
After playing with the S4A for awhile, however, I'm really digging some of the Touchwiz features, especially smart stay which keeps the phone on whenever you're actually looking at it. I can't tell you how many times my GNex shut off on me while I was using the phone, so I love this feature. Some of the others are gimmicky, so I can't say that Touchwiz is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I can say that once you decide what features you like and shut off the rest, Touchwiz isn't so bad, and I'm finding that all the things that bugged me about my GNex simply don't with my S4A. The one negative here is the vast amounts of bloatware. My recommendation is to use Android 4.2's ability to disable the bloat, or better yet root and freeze (or even better, uninstall) them. Once you do that, the biggest negative is mostly nullified.
On the flip side, the GE phones have unlocked bootloaders, and no bloat, so that's a plus, but the biggest negative with the GE phones is that they're not truly Nexus phones. Their updates will come from Samsung (or HTC for the One), not Google. Nobody knows how long it will take these GE phones to actually get their updates, although it will probably be faster than Carrier-specific variants.
My suggestion: Get the Active. With a contract, it's under $200 (or maybe even $100 depending on how you're getting it), and once the next Nexus phone comes out, if you really miss the Nexus experience, buy that phone for the $300 or so it will cost, and you'll STILL spend less than you will for the far-too-expensive GE S4. I know you said you don't want a contract, so you could buy it, get it SIMM-Unlocked, and sell it to pay for your Nexus... or at the very least, try it for 14 days and take it back. The return is going to be a heck of a lot painless than the GE phones.
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Click to collapse
Actually the Google edition phones will get their updates from google. Maybe not at the exact time as the Nexus line, but they say right on the google play website that they will be updated directly from google.
Maybe you might want to wait for the S4 Developer's edition. Bootloader unlocked and basically the same as the S4, and then put a case on it.
planoman said:
The active is water resistant and dust resistant, not rugged so you will still need a good case for it. Seidio is making the OBEX case for the S4 which should be out soon and is rugged. (for the S4 not S4A). I hear cases are not readily available for the Active yet. The S4 GE will fit all cases and accessories for the S4.
The S4 GE woulds give you the things you want on an OS and has a lot of accessories ready now. Plus Google Wallet which is something I liked using on my Nexus 4.
---------- Post added at 04:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:16 PM ----------
Actually the Google edition phones will get their updates from google. Maybe not at the exact time as the Nexus line, but they say right on the google play website that they will be updated directly from google.
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Click to collapse
Really?? I rember reading somewhere that google said they would still leave the updates ri the manufacturer...maybe things have changed...or maybe I never read that lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
planoman said:
Actually the Google edition phones will get their updates from google. Maybe not at the exact time as the Nexus line, but they say right on the google play website that they will be updated directly from google.
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Click to collapse
Okay, I should probably clarify this. Google has gone back and forth on this point a few times, so the short answer is that we really don't know yet WHO will push the updates, but it's logical to assume that they'll come from Google. First, however, they'll be submitted by Google to Samsung (or HTC) for approval or modification (mainly drivers, supposedly, but again, nobody really knows). They are then returned to Google, who will probably need to review it to see what was done. This may go back and forth a few times (although not necessarily), until both parties agree on an update, when it will then be pushed out by Google.
In short, the updates COULD come out the same day, or at least same week, as the Nexus updates, or they may take months. Nobody knows, since it hasn't been put into practice yet. Carriers of the GNex all promised that it would be treated as a Nexus phone, and that updates would be timely, controlled by Google, and (at least in the case of Sprint and Verizon) only driver-specific changes would be made by the carrier, and we all know how that turned out. Granted, those were carriers not manufacturers, but until we see how the update process actually works, I wouldn't count timely updates as a benefit of the GE phones.
jt3 said:
If you're really looking for a durable smart phone, I think the only one is the Samsung Rugby Pro, but it doesn't compare to the S4 variants, so get that if ruggedness is most important, otherwise...
...
...My suggestion: Get the Active. With a contract, it's under $200 (or maybe even $100 depending on how you're getting it), and once the next Nexus phone comes out, if you really miss the Nexus experience, buy that phone for the $300 or so it will cost, and you'll STILL spend less than you will for the far-too-expensive GE S4. I know you said you don't want a contract, so you could buy it, get it SIMM-Unlocked, and if necessary sell it to pay for your Nexus when it comes out... or at the very least, try the Active for 14 days and take it back. The return is going to be a heck of a lot less painful than the GE phones. I've heard they're kind of a hassle to return (although I have no direct experience there).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rugby: too small and outdated, just like the G'zone smartphone. As to swapping the phones, I'm not a guy who likes to do this a lot. I'm fairly irritated to be phone shopping this soon and I wouldn't be if the Defy were just a little bit better at anything, but poor reception and poor performance are just too much to bear, plus I can't imagine it is very water resistant anymore, what with the cracks in the housing. The money just isn't that big a deal to me compared with having something I don't have to mess with constantly.
planoman said:
The active is water resistant and dust resistant, not rugged so you will still need a good case for it. Seidio is making the OBEX case for the S4 which should be out soon and is rugged. (for the S4 not S4A). I hear cases are not readily available for the Active yet. The S4 GE will fit all cases and accessories for the S4....
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Click to collapse
That OBEX case looks pretty sweet to me. That really may be the ticket, thanks for making me aware of it.
scott14719 said:
Maybe you might want to wait for the S4 Developer's edition. Bootloader unlocked and basically the same as the S4, and then put a case on it.
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Click to collapse
Google edition / Developer edition: unless I'm mistaken, it is the same hardware, same price outright, and if the Bootloader is unlocked I'm sure I can flash either ROM to either phone long run.
I don't really see myself being too enamored of the Touchwiz interface, but I'm sure I can put it back on Google version if I feel inclined. Seems a bit gimmicky, but perhaps I'll have to stop by a store and play with one for a minuter or two.
Software updates are a bit of a non-issue to my mind, no matter who they come from. Like I said, I'll probably wind up with CM anyway.
jt3 said:
Okay, I should probably clarify this. Google has gone back and forth on this point a few times, so the short answer is that we really don't know yet WHO will push the updates, but it's logical to assume that they'll come from Google. First, however, they'll be submitted by Google to Samsung (or HTC) for approval or modification (mainly drivers, supposedly, but again, nobody really knows). They are then returned to Google, who will probably need to review it to see what was done. This may go back and forth a few times (although not necessarily), until both parties agree on an update, when it will then be pushed out by Google.
In short, the updates COULD come out the same day, or at least same week, as the Nexus updates, or they may take months. Nobody knows, since it hasn't been put into practice yet. Carriers of the GNex all promised that it would be treated as a Nexus phone, and that updates would be timely, controlled by Google, and (at least in the case of Sprint and Verizon) only driver-specific changes would be made by the carrier, and we all know how that turned out. Granted, those were carriers not manufacturers, but until we see how the update process actually works, I wouldn't count timely updates as a benefit of the GE phones.
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Click to collapse
True we do not know when, But I think it is agreed that Google will push them (at least Google Play says they will) The bottleneck is the carriers. I have owned an International model (OG Note) and it was updated all the time! I cannot say it will be the same as a Nexus but Samsung has a good record of updating their recent devices sans carriers...my opinion.
Please don't check "yes this is a question" if you are posting a POLL. As it puts a Q in the title and all Q's get moved to Q&A. Title edited.
FNM
Sorry, didn't realize. It was a question with a poll, so I said yes... Thanks for fixing it.
At the moment, I'm really leaning heavily toward the Google edition with one of those OBEX cases. It gives me a good deadline: wait until the OBEX is available, and see what develops for the Active in that time frame, whatever that may be...
Related
Sorry guys, looks like I'm done. Digitizer just went out and have lost complete touch responsiveness.. I have decided not to get an s3 or a n2. I'm not sure yet, but I might get the One. I've always loved HTC but if I'm going to do major research before getting another phone. If the One has unlocking issues or root issues its a no go. I do know it will be a phone that will most likely have no restrictions and ease of root. I am considering a nexus 4. If any of you have any input or advice on what I should get I'm all ears
if you are going for the one avoid pre order and let thing sittle a bit i heard the first shipments have various problems
Kole_Ackerson said:
Sorry guys, looks like I'm done. Digitizer just went out and have lost complete touch responsiveness.. I have decided not to get an s3 or a n2. I'm not sure yet, but I might get the One. I've always loved HTC but if I'm going to do major research before getting another phone. If the One has unlocking issues or root issues its a no go. I do know it will be a phone that will most likely have no restrictions and ease of root. I am considering a nexus 4. If any of you have any input or advice on what I should get I'm all ears
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go with the phone that android was made for. I love HTC myself, and when rooted, it is amazing. And like you said the One may take a while to ge the rooting taken care of. But the nexus 4 is a work of art. I don't like LG, but it really is something good. I messed around with some S3's, but too me it is a bunch of hype. If interested, you could get the S4 as well. Like the person above me said, don't pre-order. You will have the same hassle as iPhone pre-orders.
The One looks like a work of art. From an industrial design/build quality standpoint, it simply blows every other phone away. But if you read the AT&T One forum, there is some indication that the AT&T version may be blocked from being bootloader unlocked, just like the One X. Its not certain if this is true or not, until folks get their hands on it. So from that standpoint its probably good to wait. Of course even if the BL is locked, I have every confidence that the devs will crack it. But it sucks to have to play that waiting game again.
There is a Developer Edition of the One, available direct from HTC that is identical in hardware to the AT&T One, except it comes bootloader unlocked and SIM unlocked. But its sold out for the time being.
Samsung makes solid devices. But they just seem plastic and cheap compared to anything HTC has made recently. Or at least, uninspired designs that are just rehashes of their past devices. The GS4 looks just like the GS3, except slightly bigger in footprint and a tad thinner. And LG phones just make me cringe. HTC simply makes the best hardware around. Too bad that hardware have to be (slightly) marred by anti-dev security policies.
So I have a contract that's up for renewal (I'm sticking with The Beast, I go to rural Louisiana enough to justify the $$ in exchange for the service) and I was thinking about picking up an S4 and unloading my 3 on ebay, it would more or less cover the cost. But then I got to thinking - I run AOKP and love it to death because there's no useless bells and whistles that I don't use and just add bloat and overhead, and I'd do the same on a 4...which makes virtually all the selling points of it (the eye tracking, touchfree, fast camera) moot for me. Sure, the Snapdragon 600 is faster and the screen *is* a lot nicer, but AOKP is already silky-smooth on the S3 and the screen is more than adequate for me, but at the end of the day there's nowhere near the level of improvement I saw coming from a Droid X2 to the S3.
So, just asking for thoughts here, would you bother with the upgrade, that would be free or at worse >$50 but still involve hacking up a new phone and getting everything just right all over again, or skip this generation and wait for the next crop of gear?
If you run an non-TW ROM, all great new features from Samsung won't work so why bother?
pball the second said:
So I have a contract that's up for renewal (I'm sticking with The Beast, I go to rural Louisiana enough to justify the $$ in exchange for the service) and I was thinking about picking up an S4 and unloading my 3 on ebay, it would more or less cover the cost. But then I got to thinking - I run AOKP and love it to death because there's no useless bells and whistles that I don't use and just add bloat and overhead, and I'd do the same on a 4...which makes virtually all the selling points of it (the eye tracking, touchfree, fast camera) moot for me. Sure, the Snapdragon 600 is faster and the screen *is* a lot nicer, but AOKP is already silky-smooth on the S3 and the screen is more than adequate for me, but at the end of the day there's nowhere near the level of improvement I saw coming from a Droid X2 to the S3.
So, just asking for thoughts here, would you bother with the upgrade, that would be free or at worse >$50 but still involve hacking up a new phone and getting everything just right all over again, or skip this generation and wait for the next crop of gear?
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Click to collapse
Does the S4 even have the bootloader unlocked? That would be an important consideration if you want to run AOKP.
im not upgrading for the exact reasons you just described and as i last haerd they were having issues unlocking the S4 on vzw.
waiting for something really worthwhile.
hoping for nexus 5 this fall thats compatibile on VZW
I'm on the same boat. I have two upgrades with Verizon. The S4 doesn't convinced me. I might take the Moto X for a test drive.
If I were you, I would sell your S3, buy an S4 with your upgrade at Verizon. DON"T open the box (aka buy it through newegg or amazon instead of going to the store where they set it up for you). Then sell the S4 on ebay as New. Take all that money and buy a S4 developer addition. Will solve the bootloader problem because it looks there is a chance that this one will never get unlocked. Or atleast it isn't worth the risk in my opinion. I enjoy the features of being both rooted and unlocked too much to not have them.
If you are worried about not having a phone while all the selling is occurring, I would buy the S4 developer addition on a credit card to avoid actually paying for it for 30ish days. Then start selling and you should probably have your money in time if you play your cards right.
I completely agree with drewmey. To date, only root has been achieved on the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4, so unless you plan on sticking with stock Touchwiz UX for a while, the Developer Edition S4 is your best bet. OR you could just stick with your S3 for now (seeing as how we already have root and our bootloader unlocked) until the Nexus 5 (one can dream), the Samsung Galaxy S5, or whatever other upcoming phone tickles your fancy.
Upgrading should be discussed in the other devices sticky thread
Do not select "Yes this is a question" if you are making a poll as all Q's go in Q&A
Title edited
I don't think it is much of an upgrade to go with an S4. To me the specs aren't much better. It was kind of a waste that they even put it out. It's just something to fill the gap before something good IMO
kennyglass123 said:
Upgrading should be discussed in the other devices sticky thread
Do not select "Yes this is a question" if you are making a poll as all Q's go in Q&A
Title edited
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Sorry, haven't been on here in ages and wasn't sure where to put this.
Thanks for all the feedback...I would be optimistic about it eventually being unlocked again but the carriers are getting nastier about it. I have a family plan with an "extra" line that upgrades the opposite year as my line, so I don't need to hold out for new hardware; I'd be good in time for the S5 by May or whenever but not for the Nexus 5. Or the Moto X.
Or maybe just get a brand-spanking-new S3 with a Lifeproof or OB Armor case (I'm a compulsive runner, rain snow sleet or hail) and a few hundred bucks in my pocket and sit tight for a couple of more generations...hmmmmmmm..
Turtle Pro's:
Turtles have much better resolution. Also, they still work if they're dropped in water.
Turtle Con's:
No wifi. Bad reception.
Wrngway said:
Turtle Pro's:
Turtles have much better resolution. Also, they still work if they're dropped in water.
Turtle Con's:
No wifi. Bad reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also excellent battery life. Lack of accessories though.
So the Root thread was starting to get out of hand.
If you want to "talk shop" or "shoot teh $hit", let's do that here and keep the Root thread clean for development headway.
Got a few thoughts on the V10 myself.
1) Battery life is not the best, leaves me desiring more.
2) When wearing a case, the Volumptuous10 has a very "specific" spot it likes to be touched. (we are talking about the fingerprint reader here... get your mind outta the gutter)
3) General performance is pretty good, but graphic prowess is severely lacking. Wished LG had used something other than the 808
4) Speaker is a bit weak for my uses. I often work in loud environments where using speakerphone on calls is necessary just to hear the other party
5) I miss having dual cellular radios. Means no simultaneous data and voice calls unless using your Carriers "advanced calling" app/feature. Not an ideal solution
6) Second screen is useful, but too restricted. I hope LG opens this up more to 3rd party apps that can expand its usability 100 fold
7) Picture quality for me is softer on the V10 when compared to the G4 in side by side shots. I have tested this under many different conditions
8) WOULD CARRIERS STOP LOCKING DOWN OUR DEVICES AND LOADING THEM UP WITH CRAPWARE ALREADY ???? damn.....
9) Love the design. Looking at it reminds me of Star Wars imperial designs. I have officially named my V10 " TIE-Fighter X " . And I guess the relation to the Dark Side is fitting seeing that Verizon just had to brand the back plate.
That brings me to TAG LINES. If you have one bouncing around in that noggin of yours, let it loose here...
1st point on my list above spawned this thought.
Tag line reads: " V10 battery life got you down? Could've had a V8 "
Needs to have an image to go along with this. Someone make me one??
And my feelings about the battery life and design of this spectacular device come with a development request.
SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A STAR WARS ROM FOR THIS BEAST!!! I beg of you.
Call it something like "Star Destroyer", or "Vader's Vain". Maybe even "DeathStar". Get creative.
As you can see by the title of this thread and the content within... ANYTHING GOES.
Have at it !!!
Why in the bloody hell does the default camera app have to sharpen every image. I think LG wants to compensate on everything *wink wink*
Battery life is ... Meh... ok though.. two batteries / fast charging is a nice option...
also, and probably the bigger topic. I can talk and use data (either on the device itself or tethering via Foxfi) at the same time. I'm not doing anything special but it works for me.
Development for this phone it's pretty much non existent. I should have kept my nexus 6 or bought the newest note.
The second screen is a total waste at this point and a awful gimmick that managed to suck me in to buy the phone. ( that was one of the reasons I bought it).
This is my first and probably last LGv phone.
Battery life is less than desirable but so are most Android phones.
TheRealKingSen said:
Development for this phone it's pretty much non existent. I should have kept my nexus 6 or bought the newest note.
The second screen is a total waste at this point and a awful gimmick that managed to suck me in to buy the phone. ( that was one of the reasons I bought it).
This is my first and probably last LGv phone.
Battery life is less than desirable but so are most Android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your name Nancy by chance?
I like the second screen. use it to control pandora (or music app) while in another app or while screen is off, quick apps to launch (from anywhere), answer or ignore phone calls without it taking over your screen. I extended the text notification to ten seconds so if i see one come in I have time to click on it to bring it up or swipe it away. anyhow. just my opinion. Hope it grows on you and if not that you are able to trade someone for a phone you like better.
ke5pcv said:
Why in the bloody hell does the default camera app have to sharpen every image. I think LG wants to compensate on everything *wink wink*
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Click to collapse
I tested my V10 side by side with my mothers G4. Her G4 takes a sharper shot on almost every attempt. This is testing them literally side x side taking shots in various conditions.
So either the software on the V10 need tweaking, or I bought my Mom a killer G4. LOL Just my $.02
kaluna00 said:
I can talk and use data (either on the device itself or tethering via Foxfi) at the same time. I'm not doing anything special but it works for me.
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Log into your Verizon account online and look on the right side of the page. You should see "Plan Management" in red letters. Right under that are 2 red buttons. Click on the [My Products and Apps].
On the next page under the Get Products tab, click on "Free Products". You should see HD Voice. If that is enabled already, that might be why you can do that.
Now the feature that originally allowed you to use data and voice simultaneously used to be listed here under the name Advanced Calling 1.0. It does not appear there any more, but it was there just a month ago. I am not sure if it has been rolled up into the HD Voice or not, but it's probably baked into all current Verizon phone Roms (official). And probably enabled by default.
What it does is call over your data connection (basically like VOIP) thus you are not really using voice and data simultaneously. You are making calls over LTE while still using LTE.
Try going out to an area where there is no LTE and you will find that you cannot use the Advanced Calling while on 3G. AC can also drop calls if you are in an area where LTE signal is weak, or you are moving around a large distance at a time (driving, etc.)
Its a compromise, but it certainly does not make up for the true capabilities of separate radios.
TheRealKingSen said:
Development for this phone it's pretty much non existent. I should have kept my nexus 6 or bought the newest note.
The second screen is a total waste at this point and a awful gimmick that managed to suck me in to buy the phone. ( that was one of the reasons I bought it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gimmick.... eh, maybe somewhat. "Eye of the beholder" I suppose. I think it would have made more sense on the bottom, but then it just would have been a longer screen.
The way I see it being useful is having it on the bottom where your nav bar would be, and allowing it to swipe and change to something else beside the nav buttons. And this would give you back the screen space that you are loosing to the nav bar. But like I said, then you just have a longer screen overall.
Custom Roms already have features like this, so it wont be anything revolutionary except to those that didn't know such a thing existed.
I think it will gain more traction when LG decides to let devs expand on the 2nd screens functions and 3rd party support.
But the phone is beautiful right? The Note used to be my favorite phone line, but now it is in the dumpster along with the whole Galaxy line-up. It lays right there next to the iFone slopped in decaying banana guts, just beneath the rotting apple.
I've had Samsung phones back to the Captivate, and I REALLY like what LG has put out with the V10. For me it isnt so much a drastic change in the GUI/Software, that's all really just a change in the "theme". GUI wise, it's a bit refreshing to get away from Sammy. Hardware wise, I LOVE what LG did with this device, it's far more solid feeling than my Note III. It has a great weight. It did take a little getting use to the button placement, but after a month or 2 it's really MUCH more intuitive than the placement on the side rails. I suppose the bump to a higher rated processor would've been really nice, but for my usage I see zero lag/performance issues.
So to carry over from the Root bounty thread, and I KNOW this will cause a fury of discussions on device lock down/Root/locked bootloaders
I've mentioned this before in other areas, and unfortunately, I believe this is the way things are going to continue to move.
One of the things I think we (here at XDA) fail to realize is the full scope of a devices impact in the market versus the size and scope of XDA's "footprint". Take the S6 and S6 edge as an example. Estimated combined device sales figures are somewhere around 45 million (as of June 2015). XDA's current membership is close to 7 million in total, for ALL devices. If you (generously imo) estimate that 10% of all XDA members own a S6 or S6 edge, that would account for around 1.6% of the devices total sales.
As someone said in the other thread, that "we" should boycott the carries that are locking devices down...... under 2% of total sales(again for the S6/S6 Edge as the example)? I think they would barely even notice
It just makes really good business sense to cater sales to large scale corporations who require a secure device. Which is why I think Big Red and Big Blue are locking the devices down. This model, is really just securing all of the business that they ripped away from Blackberry.
T-Mo, seems to be moving in a different direction by catering to the "younger generation"/family's, etc. Which doesn't really "require" a locked system.
I think that we are still very lucky to have some really talented folks who are still able to dig in and get things done. Unfortunately, I fear this is going to become more and more difficult to do
This is all "what I think", not "what I know" so take it with a grain of salt
@fire3element
Log into your Verizon account online and look on the right side of the page. You should see "Plan Management" in red letters. Right under that are 2 red buttons. Click on the [My Products and Apps].
On the next page under the Get Products tab, click on "Free Products". You should see HD Voice. If that is enabled already, that might be why you can do that.
You were right... It was enabled on my line. I have been able to do this since I had my Rezound though (also on my G2). I still have an UDP and could talk while tethering or surfing... don't know why (rooted, custom ROM???) anyway. glad it is still working and I'll try it if I get into a place without 4G and report back. anyway..
kaluna00 said:
You were right... It was enabled on my line. I have been able to do this since I had my Rezound though (also on my G2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am pretty sure that the Rezound had separate data and voice radios. Let me clarify that. LTE radio is separate from the 3g/1x radio. The Note 3 and I believe up to the S5 have separated raidos. Think that changed with the Note 4 and other phone that came out around that time.
Note 3 had the 801 chipset, so most phones around that time had the same radio setup.
Snapdragon and other manufactures started merging to single radio setups to conserve power. The result is hindered operation, which is trying to be solved with software. Seems ok till you don't have a strong LTE signal or no LTE at all. The call dropping is also very aggravating. Specially those that use their devices for business... _________________yeah
Hate to admit it.. But guess that was just dumb luck. I normally have week LTE @my brothers house. I'll try it out next time I'm there.
kangi26 said:
I've mentioned this before in other areas, and unfortunately, I believe this is the way things are going to continue to move.
One of the things I think we (here at XDA) fail to realize is the full scope of a devices impact in the market versus the size and scope of XDA's "footprint".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are absolutely right. We are of little to no significance to the phone makers, but there IS a large market to influence with Unlockable devices. As has been proven with Nexus, One+, and Motorola sales.
On the subject of T-mobile, I think the majority of their decision to allow Unlockable devices is purely grasping at straws for more customers. That and the fact they realize the % of users that are even interested in this is just a small portion of the customer base, thus fairly irrelevant vs. being something that impacts their bottom line.
BUT WHY WON'T GOOGLE FORCE ALL MANUFACTURES TO ALLOW BOOTLOADER UNLOCKS FOR USERS THAT CHOOSE TO DO SO?? I mean it is GOOGLE's OS. They could make this mandatory.
And implement it the same way the Nexus line does. You can unlock your Bootloader, but you are forced to wipe the device in the process. Yes there could be ways around this, but so exist exploits to gain Root on devices without wiping.
I think Motorola has a good policy on this. You are allowed to officially unlock your Bootloader upon agreement that Moto is not responsible for your security thereafter, and your warranty is now VOID.
I see little risk allowing this with all devices. And this is what Android SHOULD BE.
Users need to have the choice to do with their devices what they want. I have a feeling that there is a bigger player in this that is keeping the Gubermint from forcing manufactures to abide by this like they did to Verizon with the Carrier unlocking.
fire3element said:
Yes, you are absolutely right. We are of little to no significance to the phone makers, but there IS a large market to influence with Unlockable devices. As has been proven with Nexus, One+, and Motorola sales.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that if we look a little at the device sales for last year,
Samsung sold 392 million
Lenovo, Motorola sold 84 million
LG sold 76 million (this would include Nexus)
and so on and so on(sales numbers get smaller). I think what were looking at is complete dominance in the handset market. Even Apple only sold 191 million, not even close to Sammy!
So to me, it's a "Do what you can to stay a viable device manufacturer", and to do that you have to get as many sales as you can. Being in IT in the Healthcare industry, I know what the company I work for requires. The more secure the manufacturer can make the device, the more likely they'll be in the running to get a sale/contract
fire3element said:
On the subject of T-mobile, I think the majority of their decision to allow Unlockable devices is purely grasping at straws for more customers. That and the fact they realize the % of users that are even interested in this is just a small portion of the customer base, thus fairly irrelevant vs. being something that impacts their bottom line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're spot on here! I've thought that for a while too
fire3element said:
BUT WHY WON'T GOOGLE FORCE ALL MANUFACTURES TO ALLOW BOOTLOADER UNLOCKS FOR USERS THAT CHOOSE TO DO SO?? I mean it is GOOGLE's OS. They could make this mandatory.
And implement it the same way the Nexus line does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that it's because Google is in the market to sell it's OS, and if they can provide a product that will sell and ship on well over 500 million devices in 2014. That's what I call makin' money!
To be honest, I've always thought that the reason Google came out with the Nexus line was to maintain a platform that was "Pure Google" knowing full well that the rest of the industry was going to be changed. And keep it the way the first rolled out and hoped it would be. I think that's really cool
I enjoyed the dialog you two posted and agree with it all and the parts in the middle.
Thanks Kangi26 and Fire3Element, good stuff.
This is my first LG device and in happy that I purchased it. I've read all through the forum people are complaining about things that could've been avoided before you left the carrier store or where ever the device was purchased. When I went in I had three devices in mind, this device the note 5 and Samsung Galaxy S6. I tested all three over an hour and half time frame and ended up choosing the LG V10. I've even dropped it or its been knocked off my counter to tile flooring about 4 or 5 times with no issues. The only thing that I've found that I don't like is the LG keyboard so I switched to the Google keyboard... Problem solved. I have good battery life, so I'm happy
Overall, I am happy with this phone. Yes there are some nitpicks, but ALL devices have them.
The fact that I still get a removable battery and microSD card slot more than make up for the rest of the V10's issues.
But I will say I am still a Note fan. If the Note 5 had kept the removable battery and SD card, I'd most likely have bought the Note 5. My Note 3 has been an absolute beast, and still is to this day.
Unfortunately, the LTE reception issues have been getting so bad that I was forced to upgrade to a new phone. Otherwise, I would still be using my Note 3 until SamSmug got their $tuff together. If the V10 gets Root, I will be more than happy. Hope for a Bootloader unlock as well.
this thread is what we needed to vent and just bs. thanks bud.
fire3element said:
Overall, I am happy with this phone. Yes there are some nitpicks, but ALL devices have them.
The fact that I still get a removable battery and microSD card slot more than make up for the rest of the V10's issues.
But I will say I am still a Note fan. If the Note 5 had kept the removable battery and SD card, I'd most likely have bought the Note 5. My Note 3 has been an absolute beast, and still is to this day.
Unfortunately, the LTE reception issues have been getting so bad that I was forced to upgrade to a new phone. Otherwise, I would still be using my Note 3 until SamSmug got their $tuff together. If the V10 gets Root, I will be more than happy. Hope for a Bootloader unlock as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really loved my Note 3 as well, and was really on the fence with the Note 5. I loved the size and how small the screen bezels are, but there were a couple things that I really didn't like at all. The removable battery/no SD slot wasn't the straw that broke the camels back, it was oddly the glass back. I had that thing in my hand at the AT&T store, and it was WAY too slick for me
And really when I got the V10 in my hands, it just felt so much better than even my Note 3, I bought it on the spot (I had been looking at the specs for a while too)
kangi26 said:
The removable battery/no SD slot wasn't the straw that broke the camels back, it was oddly the glass back. I had that thing in my hand at the AT&T store, and it was WAY too slick for me
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Click to collapse
This is where we differ the most then. I absolutely have to have a case on my phones due to working conditions. After having the Zero Lemon extended battery + case on several phones, there is no way I would ever sacrifice having a removable batt on my main device again. That is unless there are no longer any phones with removable batt.
I had contemplated building a design just like what Zero Lemon sells back when I had my LG VX8700 flip phone. A triple cell battery that covered the entire length of the phone just made sense to me. I pondered on it for a while, but did not see how I could get a manufacture to build them.
Then when I got my Droid X, I bought 3 batteries and attempted to build one. It seemed to work ok, but again my working conditions are harsh. I had to stop using it in fear that I would lose/drop them while working.
Now that there is a manufacture making these tri-cell batteries, I don't think I could ever live without one. Just so close to what I had envisioned years ago so I guess it means more to me than most.
Not everyone's idea of portable I suppose. But when you can tether for 48hrs straight and never have to worry that your battery is going to go dead... now THATS POWAR!!!
Prob could jump start your car off one of these. LoL
fire3element said:
But when you can tether for 48hrs straight and never have to worry that your battery is going to go dead... now THATS POWAR!!!
Prob could jump start your car off one of these. LoL
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Click to collapse
HAA!! That's a riot!!
You know, that gives me an idea! You could take a spare back for the V10, epoxy it to one of these, run a cable to the USB ports.
You could run FOREVER, and jump a car all at the same time!!
---------- Post added at 12:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 PM ----------
fire3element said:
This is where we differ the most then. I absolutely have to have a case on my phones due to working conditions. After having the Zero Lemon extended battery + case on several phones, there is no way I would ever sacrifice having a removable batt on my main device again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the past few years, I've not been quite the power user I use to be, and also saw that the N5 had an option for larger memory (Not the BEST options, but I could've lived with it). And even my career changed too, so even a case isnt NEARLY as important as it use to be for me (I was in construction, so Otterbox was a MUST)
This very type of thread was created back when the device was launched here.
No need to start another.
Please carry on in the Lounge:good:
This thread has been closed
Thank you.
Its all the same, nevertheless. I find nexus 6P more elegant and unique, thus the reason buying it because theres so many people with samsung devices, even low class people which just filters out its uniqueness and its price tag making it look worthless outside. What are your opinions? If your on Samsung S6/Edge/+, would you have the need to upgrade to an device such as Samsung S7?
EDIT :
I've posted an explanation as to what low class in this instance means. forgive me if it had you in any way, i was never trying to make any of you owners sad, its just that for so many, they have this phone and it just gets rid of its status 'elegant'. Elegant is ment to be beautiful, stylish. But when everyone has this 'elegant' phone, where does the definition exist of being stylish?
EDIT2:
I love the samsung edge because its invention of curve screen. I've even had friends give them to me to try for an hour or so. The thing is that, i don't like people having the same phone as me. I was about to get the nexus 5x but one of my friends got it, so i went ahead with nexus 6p. But that doesnt mean that i would get another new phone if someone else has the same phone as me because that would be regarded as wasting money.
I agree I'm in a bond my Samsung smartphone if I should get the new one must have something waw and cool and interesting
I got my Galaxy S phone to be different from everybody else.
Then I got my Galaxy S4/S5 because they were simply the best.
Samsung is neither unique or the best anymore so...
Nexus6p stands strong in Android market . I hope Samsung won't compete to beat n6P with bloatware and bla bla. Hail nexus6p
After living with the LG G4 for a couple weeks, I'll be sticking with Samsung, if for no other reason that I FAR prefer the Home/capacative buttons that Samsung offers compared to the on screen buttons that all the other major makers use. Plus, I like Samsung's screens the best, & they are always at or near the top in camera, performance, etc. Custom ROMs take care of the bloat. Now, Samsung isn't perfect, & I am very disappointed by their removal of SD & replaceable battery, which is why I'm still hanging in there with my S4, which I had planned to replace with the S6. It looks like the SD is coming back, which will be probably be enough for me to go with the S7. If the S7 had replaceable battery, it would be a slam dunk for me. Despite the G4 having those features, it's size & button arrangement (including the power & volume) made it an overall less preferable unit to me than my aging S4.
I agree with the OP, my next device will be a Nexus one.
Not going to upgrade/downgrade from the note 4. But it will interesting to see if Samsung has learned something and if they will put the removable battery and a micro sd card back into their phones.
But yeah real buttons will always beat out in screen ones
So no one have an issue with this person stating even "low class" people have a Samsung?...Obviously not.
Sent from my Z10 using xda premium
If you can afford it buy Galaxy S7 or just buy some chinese Android phone.
But I definitely like to have microSD card back on Galaxy S7
You sound pretentious and terrible. Just because a company sells their product successfully does not make them worse. They're still using top of the line, listening to consumers by reinstating the microSD slot. You're not special because you have money to buy better products. If you wanna be so "different" go buy an iPhone. You have the same mindset as an apple fanboy.
Like most phones, upgrading every year isn't very appealing because there's only so much that can be improved. I wouldn't upgrade from a Galaxy S6. But I certainly will from my S5 Sport!
II-DJ-Messiah-II said:
even low class people
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Click to collapse
Really, low class? Well you are the Messiah so I guess everyone is low class to you.
I agree with some of you, I don't seen the point of upgrading every year, there isn't a big enough difference between each years models. I don't mind iPhone once they are jailbroken, I have an iPhone 4 that has been through hell and back with me and still kicking. I have been through a kyocera slide I got stuck in boot loop and bricked a HTC desire. Now have an LG G3 that I love and haven't had any problems. If your going from a device that that is a couple models older and is going obsolete then upgrade, but most of us don't have the money laying around to to by a new phone every year.
Have they even set a release date for the Galaxy D7 yet?
By low class, you have to understand that i am not defining those who have samsung as lower class. its your choice to have it or not. but the thing is that wherever i go, everywhere! people have got either samsung or apple in their hands and to me it feels like its just too many. it just destroys its elegancy and its price tag. i don't know how to explain but I hope i cleared some misconceptions
Not usually one to post, but you're not helping yourself any with your explanation. You still come off as elitist, shallow, and rather petty to be honest.
Who cares how many people have a phone? Are you going to tell me an iPhone isn't nice because millions of people have one? Or that the Galaxy series is suddenly not one of the best phones, simply because more people have it?
I dunno if this is going to be breaking news to you, but with contract subsidies and pricing offers and various discounts, even the most expensive of smartphones are a relatively cheap luxury item. With the modern reliance on cellphones, and mobile data, of course having a good phone is going to be something most people will spend a few extra dollars on. Is it really a newsflash that people want the best? Or did you not consider that most people are flocking to the Galaxy series, and the iPhone lineup, because they have a longstanding legacy of being two of the best, powerhouse smartphones available.
Furthermore.. elegance? Really? They're phones, not watches. They're consumption devices that have increasingly more and more uses.. not just little gadgets people get, to show off how rich or awesome they are. Only the geekiest of the geeks have a nerdgasm about how much more elegant their phone is than the average person. The rest of us standard model geeks would rather just enjoy our phones as the tools that they are, and try to find the one that works best for us.
Well done, ThePheonixChameleon. I totally agree, although what do I know, I'm an inelegant, low-class owner of a Galaxy S4, no less.
There is no need to get a Samsung devuce, because there is OnePlus out there...
I was a great fan of Samsung devices, and I'm still are. But now I have two OnePlus devices and I'm very satisfied with them. So I won't get any other device for now and the near future. :beer:
hella356 said:
Well done, ThePheonixChameleon. I totally agree, although what do I know, I'm an inelegant, low-class owner of a Galaxy S4, no less.
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Click to collapse
Ehh, I just picked up my fourth rooted Galaxy S3 off Swappa. Still clinging to that antique, cliche phone.. with it's plastic case and inelegant awesomeness that made it the only phone anyone wanted of it's generation.
I currently own a Galaxy S5 Sport. Great phone, but the first thing I did was flash CM12.1, waiting for CM13. Touchwiz is a piece of ****. Samsung phones are so much better than one would think if you get rid of the garbage stock ROM. I'm not just speaking aesthetically, the performance is atrocious. It's so smooth and never hangs up now, also doesn't force close when trying to do something intensive and the RAM management is much better!
victor1g said:
'm not just speaking aesthetically, the performance is atrocious. It's so smooth and never hangs up now, also doesn't force close when trying to do something intensive and the RAM management is much better!
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Totally agree. I also had a SGS5 before I exchanged it with the OnePlus Two. I tried a lot of different Rom's. The very best I flashed on it was AICP. I was very satisfied with that Rom. Maybe you will try it out. :thumbup:
I never thought I would be writing anything like this but wanted to share my initial thoughts of this device. I have been extremely loyal to HTC over the years with my first real smart phone being the Touch Pro 1, TP2, evo4G wimax, evo3D wimax, evo LTE, M7, M8 & M9. With rumors of the M10 ditching boomsound this year, I had enough. I firmly believed HTC designed and manufactured superior products over Samsung for many years but could never get ahead due to poor leadership at HTC such as messing up the camera & marketing to name a few. That said I don't think that is the case anymore. I saw the build quality jump on the S6 & now with the release of the S7 I don't see how HTC can keep running if the leaked M10 renders are true. I have worked and setup many Samsung phones over the years but this is my first real hands on for myself and wanted to share my initial thoughts on what stood out.
Build Quality: My M9 still feels more solid & premium over the S7 edge. That said the S7 edge certainly looks the part of premium and still a huge step up in build quality over previous S5 and below models.
Bloat/UI: I have always not liked TouchWiz and always preferred sense. While this is certainly more feature packed, many things on the phones are worthless and it still feels pretty bloated. I really miss the big HTC weather clock I have been using since the touch pro.
Boomsound: One of my favorite features of the M9 which rumors of ditching it on M10 caused me to be done. While the speaker sounds decent on this phone, covering it up while watching videos is annoying and you just can't replace front facing stereo speakers.
Rooting: I have been rooting for years, HTC has also been fairly root friendly with the exception of the evo3D and encrypted boot loader. M7, M8 & M9 I have all S-OFF for full control which I love. With Samsung having Knox, I have to choose between a warranty void or locked down phone. Yes HTC voided the warranty as well but if you had S-OFF you could reverse everything there is no e-fuse. Xposed on touchwiz roms from what I know isn't as friendly on Samsung devices having to use custom versions to get it to work.
Those things I already was well aware of, so the things I like so far that have stood out to me.
The screen: Higher resolution, always on display and colors have more pop. Screen is very nice, especially with a little bigger display. The edge I find pretty cool as well.
Notification Light: Much bigger and noticeable light on the Galaxy the my HTC. Might not be a big deal to some, but I like it.
Thin: Feels thinner and lighter than my M9 while still having a bigger screen.
Gear VR: While this is super cool and pretty wild, the resolution on the Gear VR sucks. Feels like watching 240P youtube videos. That said it's still pretty cool, it's cheap and I'm sure future versions are going to be insane.
Buttons: While I find a finger print scanner worthless, have a physical home button I like along with back lit back and recent apps keys vs having them on screen. I highly prefer this layout over on screen which means more usable screen. The M7 had this and the M8 they moved to on screen while still have the HTC black bar which I thought was just stupid and wasted screen space. I like how Samsung has it layed out.
I haven't had the device that long but this is my initial reaction after a short period of time with the phone. I wouldn't be oppose to going back to HTC in the coming years (if they are even around) if they can get there act together as I do prefer a lot of things on the HTC. There are a lot of other features other people might value more than me that I didn't even mention. My biggest concern at this point in time is if I want to trip knox or not as you can't go back. I'm leaning towards yes even if it breaks Samsung Pay as I really like having xposed assuming it works on this phone and of course full root access which I have become dependent on.
I understand what you are saying. I've been a completely dedicated HTC customer for about 12 years. My first HTC was the PPC-6600 Harrier (back in 2004 I believe). The last one was the OneMax. I have not been happy with anything they have made after that. They have cut corners and sacrificed features in an effort to save money. When they should be building better products.
So I decided to try Samsung. Although it is smaller than I would like, I'll make the best of it. But if the Edge Plus comes out is "Sept" as I've read, I'll most likely go with it.
I'm not going to compare the features of these phones. But I will say this, I do like Sense system more. And as soon as I root this it will have Sense apps and widgets.
I just read that root may not be possible on this phone. I'll give it a week and see how I really like it. But I'm thinking of taking it back and waiting on a larger screen Samsung or HTC.
It's not bad. I just don't know if I like it enough without root to keep it for very long. And if I'm going to take it back in don't have long.
Wow you have been even more loyal then me. HTC TP1 was my first real Smart phone. I use to buy Samsung flip phones A940 if you remember that which by the way had awesome speakers on it and even an accelerometer. I have actually been pretty happy with HTC's products. Boomsound on the M7 was fantastic, they did mess up the camera though while it took good lowlight shows, the resolution was awful and 4MP just isn't enough. Part of the reason I stayed away from the Galaxy for so long, I just viewed it as an over priced plastic phone which didn't feel premium at all. I noticed a change on the S6 last year which is when I for the first time considered changing. People didn't brace the M9, so they release the A9 to compete with itself just idiot leadership at HTC. Now the M10 no boomsound? They just seem to be going backwards. While I already really miss my front facing speakers on the M9, the features on the S7 edge are amazing. Not only am I done with HTC for the time being, but I have kept lots of friends loyal to the HTC brand. Not saying I wouldn't ever go back but losing super loyal customers like yourself & I is what could put HTC under.
Looks like this phone may never have root or anything custom as the bootloader is locked. Coming from S-OFF devices to a device locked down like fort knox sucks. I already miss root, Xposed, AdAway & TI just to name a few. Even if we get root it will trip knox rendering certain features useless like Samsung Pay which I would prob rather have root than Samsung Pay but I haven't tried it out yet. I'm gonna stick with it for now see what happens, I just think devices are only going to become more secure and locked down as we move forward.
As far as you waiting for the edge +, it will be interesting how they do that this year if at all since the S7 edge really isn't that much smaller than the Note 5 where last years S6 edge was smaller. I really like the size of the phone, lots of screen but doesn't feel too big. I do miss sense as well, I have never been a fan of TouchWiz and the amount of bloat on this thing is unbelievable but it can be cleaned up. I knew what I was getting into. I'm gonna stick with it for now as I think the pro's outway the cons at least at the moment.
Sim-X said:
Wow you have been even more loyal then me. HTC TP1 was my first real Smart phone. I use to buy Samsung flip phones A940 if you remember that which by the way had awesome speakers on it and even an accelerometer. I have actually been pretty happy with HTC's products. Boomsound on the M7 was fantastic, they did mess up the camera though while it took good lowlight shows, the resolution was awful and 4MP just isn't enough. Part of the reason I stayed away from the Galaxy for so long, I just viewed it as an over priced plastic phone which didn't feel premium at all. I noticed a change on the S6 last year which is when I for the first time considered changing. People didn't brace the M9, so they release the A9 to compete with itself just idiot leadership at HTC. Now the M10 no boomsound? They just seem to be going backwards. While I already really miss my front facing speakers on the M9, the features on the S7 edge are amazing. Not only am I done with HTC for the time being, but I have kept lots of friends loyal to the HTC brand. Not saying I wouldn't ever go back but losing super loyal customers like yourself & I is what could put HTC under.
Looks like this phone may never have root or anything custom as the bootloader is locked. Coming from S-OFF devices to a device locked down like fort knox sucks. I already miss root, Xposed, AdAway & TI just to name a few. Even if we get root it will trip knox rendering certain features useless like Samsung Pay which I would prob rather have root than Samsung Pay but I haven't tried it out yet. I'm gonna stick with it for now see what happens, I just think devices are only going to become more secure and locked down as we move forward.
As far as you waiting for the edge +, it will be interesting how they do that this year if at all since the S7 edge really isn't that much smaller than the Note 5 where last years S6 edge was smaller. I really like the size of the phone, lots of screen but doesn't feel too big. I do miss sense as well, I have never been a fan of TouchWiz and the amount of bloat on this thing is unbelievable but it can be cleaned up. I knew what I was getting into. I'm gonna stick with it for now as I think the pro's outway the cons at least at the moment.
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Click to collapse
TW vs Sense... minor annoyance. I got used toit, I'm sure you can too.
Root vs Samsung pay... well, that's a little bit more complicated. Samsung pay works only with certain (quite limited) cards and banks. So far for me only AMEX and Citi credit card are supported. You need to find out first, whether you have a card that's supported otherwise this whole dilemma is moot. I live without root since last year's Note 5. Samsung pay is just more valuable to me than a few tweaks I can easily live without. It's quick, convenient and it just works. The only place so far I found it doesn't work is Walmart. Because Walmart registers don't support NFC and if you have a card with chip, they won't accept magnetic swipe. (which Samsung pay simulates if no NFC is possible)..
Stank0 said:
TW vs Sense... minor annoyance. I got used toit, I'm sure you can too.
Root vs Samsung pay... well, that's a little bit more complicated. Samsung pay works only with certain (quite limited) cards and banks. So far for me only AMEX and Citi credit card are supported. You need to find out first, whether you have a card that's supported otherwise this whole dilemma is moot. I live without root since last year's Note 5. Samsung pay is just more valuable to me than a few tweaks I can easily live without. It's quick, convenient and it just works. The only place so far I found it doesn't work is Walmart. Because Walmart registers don't support NFC and if you have a card with chip, they won't accept magnetic swipe. (which Samsung pay simulates if no NFC is possible)..
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Samsung Pay has been working for me at Walmart since Sept of 2015. I use a chipped Chase visa card. Be sure to tell the cashier it's a credit card & tell them you have the security numbers if they ask (which is the last 4 digits of your CC).
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
I might have to give it a try at Wal-Mart and see how I like it. I had Google Wallet back in the day on evo LTE with very limited retailers at the time it would work at. When it did work it wasn't the smoothest so since then I haven't been using anything. I don't see Samsung Pay being valuable to me, but you make a good point if it doesn't work for my cards then decision should be easy. That said if the bootloader is locked from what I have read this year it is on Sprint then unless that changes there will be no knox trip anyway. I'll give it a whirl see if I like it, I have a chase card I can try at wal-mart next time I go.
optimummind said:
Samsung Pay has been working for me at Walmart since Sept of 2015. I use a chipped Chase visa card. Be sure to tell the cashier it's a credit card & tell them you have the security numbers if they ask (which is the last 4 digits of your CC).
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Your Walmart must have upgraded their card readers. The Walmart I'm using does not accept magnetic swipe if your card is chipped. It will reject it and say to use the chip reader. Samsung pay emulates magnetic swipe so when I try it, it tells me to use the chip reader. They also don't have a NFC sensor, so I can't use it there. But that's a minor annoyance. I'm not frequent shopper at walmart anyway.
---------- Post added at 07:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------
Chase should work AFAIK.
I've tried Google Wallet before too but that was a huge PITA. This is a completely different game. This Samsung Pay thing is actually useful.
Stank0 said:
Your Walmart must have upgraded their card readers. The Walmart I'm using does not accept magnetic swipe if your card is chipped. It will reject it and say to use the chip reader. Samsung pay emulates magnetic swipe so when I try it, it tells me to use the chip reader. They also don't have a NFC sensor, so I can't use it there. But that's a minor annoyance. I'm not frequent shopper at walmart anyway.
---------- Post added at 07:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------
Chase should work AFAIK.
I've tried Google Wallet before too but that was a huge PITA. This is a completely different game. This Samsung Pay thing is actually useful.
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My Walmart has a card swipe On the right side + a chip card receptacle on the bottom.
Sometimes it doesn't work the first time but it's been due to cashier mistakes.
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optimummind said:
Sometimes it doesn't work the first time but it's been due to cashier mistakes.
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That wouldn't surprise me at all.
I don't have to be right ALL the time.
Been using htc android phones since the Dream on t-mobile.
I jumped on the S7 edge because of the aesthetically pleasing display, but more importantly because I had an old M8 that was chugging along. If the M10 had come out this month I would probably went with that. I may return the S7 edge and wait out till the M10 due to the seemingly large hurdles with how locked down it is.
Shame, since I really believe this is easily the best Samsung phone I have touched, but no foreseeable xposed functionality is a big no no in the long-term for me.
Slayix312 said:
Been using htc android phones since the Dream on t-mobile.
I jumped on the S7 edge because of the aesthetically pleasing display, but more importantly because I had an old M8 that was chugging along. If the M10 had come out this month I would probably went with that. I may return the S7 edge and wait out till the M10 due to the seemingly large hurdles with how locked down it is.
Shame, since I really believe this is easily the best Samsung phone I have touched, but no foreseeable xposed functionality is a big no no in the long-term for me.
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I'm missing Xposed as well
Still liking it? I had my OneMax replace by Asuron. I got the LG flex 2. Its not a bad phone. With Xposed, debloated andall the Sense apps; the damn thing acts just like an HTC. But with a better screen.
Ive read the HTC 10 is going to be a tiny 5.1".
Ill hang on to this till someone makes a rootable 5.7-5.9"