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?
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Related
My first post! Awesome. Right, to it then?
Hello XDA community! Short and simple, I managed to break my phone. If I were being honest, I'd say it may be more even trashed than just broken.. that tends to happen when dropped onto it's corner from a fair height. So then! That brings me to my current dliemna:
There are a TON of options for reasonable phones right now. So... WHICH to get?
That's kinda broad. Let me be a little more specific. I have my eyes on the Galaxy S2 at the moment. I believe its release for AT&T is this 18th. It's an amazing power house of a phone with a beautiful screen, plenty of space (int/ext) and good RAM. Plus... it's drop dead gorgeous.
However anyone paying attention to Android's raging takeover of the mobile phone market knows of the up and coming "Nexus Prime." Though beyond few spec details, most is speculation on the machine.
My question? I can wait four days... and get an amazing phone for a great early upgrade price. Or.... I can wait for my 2 year contract and pick up the nexus prime in February (my renewal) for probably around the same price.
Current phone --> screwed. It would benefit me to have a device to use til then. However... I'm pretty much stuck once I get one. Worth waiting for and suffering til then?.... idk. I have an HTC Aria at the moment. Not too great a phone to be honest. Pretty basic. But it can still text and call. Good enough.
LAST of all! By all means here... call me out. >.> I'm sure I've missed plenty of options. Other phones... upcoming releases....
My personal notes: AT&T, 200mb Data Plan (constant wifi access), Price no object, Overall Qual > Gaming ability, Appreciate fair size screens (big thumbs), yes I'll be modding, Don't need a physical keyboard, Obviously I'm shooting for Android here but for discussion purposes all options will be considered.
Well, by all indications the Nexus Prime will basically be a Galaxy S2 with maybe a 720p screen. If you luuuurv hi-res screens, it might be worth sticking around for the Prime launch. If you're okay with WVGA though, I wouldn't expect the Prime to blow the S2 out of the water in any other regard.
Roelith said:
Appreciate fair size screens (big thumbs)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you looked at the Galaxy Note? 5.3" 1280x800, due out Q1 next year.
Thanks Sjael! That helped some. I think I'll definitely end up shooting for the GS2. I don't really want to wait that long and I get the feeling that the GS2 will be more than enough for what I need.
Hi,
I have a Samsung Captivate (running AT&T stock 2.3.5, unlocked) and am almost about to pull the trigger on the Skyrocket (late to the party.. I know). What am I getting into? I keep reading about ICS delays, unable to root, unlock etc. Is it worth it?
I thought about waiting for S3, but maybe not.
Go ahead, do your best, talk me out of the S2 Skyrocket..
Regards
Nick
Don't get the Skyrocket, your better off waiting for the S3 for sure, or the HTC One series, basically our phone, although a great one, sadly has little to nothing going for it anymore versus any new phones coming in the next few months, basically there's no point getting the Skyrocket anymore. Hope that helped.
wasabiman123 said:
Don't get the Skyrocket, your better off waiting for the S3 for sure, or the HTC One series, basically our phone, although a great one, sadly has little to nothing going for it anymore versus any new phones coming in the next few months, basically there's no point getting the Skyrocket anymore. Hope that helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one specifically from HTC? I love the Samsung screens. Have noticed that the HTC screens looked "washed out" - is that still the case?
Well it depends what carrier you're on, no one knows for sure which phones from the One series are gonna land on what carrier, but ATT will probably get the higher end One X, while Sprint might get the One S. Also I think the new HTC phones use Super LCD 2, so might not be that bad, worse than AMOLED tech for sure but probably fine tbh. Also I think the new Sony Xperia phones are coming out too, those might now have the craziest specs but they're really nicely designed and are gonna have some of the better cameras to be on phones this year For those you'll want thr Xperia Ion, look it up it's a beautiful device ^^
I have had my Skyrocket for about a month and love it. I rooted it and removed a bunch of the AT&T and Samsung stuff, but it is otherwise stock.
I came from the Dell Streak/Venue family of phones. They worked very well but the Streak was too big (5 inch screen) for everyday use and the 4 inch screen of the Dell Venue was just too small. The 4.5 inch screen of the Skyrocket is just right for my needs.
The Skyrocket is very snappy and unless I have a heavy use day the battery lasts all days for me (12-14 hours). Today has been light use, almost none really, and the battery is at 73% after 13 hours. Most days I am in the 25-30% range after 18 hours.
I use Launcher Pro as my home launcher and am not big on widgets that update. I do not use twitter or facebook, but do have 3 push email accounts that I use K-9 for. My biggest non-phone uses are as an e-reader (Kindle, Nook) and as an mp3 player (usually wired directly to the vehicle radio*).
I use the GPS 4 or 5 times a week to check traffic with Google maps or look for alternate routes due to an accident. The gps locks fast and I have had zero issues with it.
Right now a refurbished Skyrocket is $20 with a new contract at the at&t web site. This is what I paid for mine.
* For the connection to the vehicle radio I use a Scosche cable. It includes a mic and makes the phone hands free.
what phone to wait for...
defriend said:
Hi,
I have a Samsung Captivate (running AT&T stock 2.3.5, unlocked) and am almost about to pull the trigger on the Skyrocket (late to the party.. I know). What am I getting into? I keep reading about ICS delays, unable to root, unlock etc. Is it worth it?
I thought about waiting for S3, but maybe not.
Go ahead, do your best, talk me out of the S2 Skyrocket..
Regards
Nick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good suggestions ideas and experiences already posted, I thought I'd share how my wife now enjoys her new Samsung Galaxy Note. It is HUGE. Too big for me to carry in my pocket so I'm stickin' with my skyrocket. She has a purse instead of a pocket, and her eyes are even worse than my own so a bigger screen was a no brainer. It's a nice phone, that note, it sure is. Nice big screen, seriously.
This skyrocket I use is pretty darn good, suits all my needs. I rooted it with no problem, and I flashed a version of cyanogenmod on it, and it's flawless. Cyanowiz it's called here in the forums for skyrocket. It eliminates all the AT&T carrier IQ, so I can turn on the wifi hotspot and let my friend at work use it, as his Sprint service and signal is sub-par, and it makes his iphone 4 go faster. Downside of showing off like that is it blows the lid off my tiered data plan.
(no ICS yet, heard it was buggy anyway)
I'm not sure how much better a device can get, I hear rumors of an Iphone 5 and mentioned by you is a S3? Cool! Perhaps hanging in there with the captivate a bit longer will yield an even faster more modern device.
I'll just say the difference between the skyrocket and the captivate is a dual core processor and yes it's faster, but if we're talkin' out of pocket expense as something to consider, it pays to stay a tad out of date and content with what you already have! If you're eligible for upgrade, you're also eligible to kick AT&T to the curb with no extra cost and consider other carriers. I'd talk to neighbors and friends about the performance of Verizon etc, instead of automatically just starting a new 2 year contract with AT&T, check all your options.
Hope that helps decide.
Get what you want...end of story
Don't worry to much about what others want or think. If you wait for the S3 which I admit will be awesome....how long till it is obsolete or "old" about 3 months. then everyone will want the "samsung/htc/??? Universe infinity blackhole 7" that is all the time you really have being the latest and greatest.
I love the skyrocket and I'm sure i'd love the S3 or note or any "current" phone. You get what you want, but hey if your buying I'll take a Note, not sure why though lol, XDA is a great place to look around and see the communities before you choose.
Skyrocket isn't worth it anymore, get the note.
Get a note
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
I haven't personally held the note, but it looks huge! I would guess its not so good on battery, but that's just a guess.
Sent from SKYROCKET
NexusMod 4.0
Romracer 0.3
Yes.. I am looking at $20 for the refurb. Hopefully refurb means somebody just returned it because it was too much power in their hands rather than beat the crap out of the phone and send it back...
Will probably stick to At&T due to GSM (I travel internationally once every few months). Will probably get the phone unlocked a few weeks after getting it.
Samsung Note feel too big.. is it?
Nick
fukenbiker said:
Good suggestions ideas and experiences already posted, I thought I'd share how my wife now enjoys her new Samsung Galaxy Note. It is HUGE. Too big for me to carry in my pocket so I'm stickin' with my skyrocket. She has a purse instead of a pocket, and her eyes are even worse than my own so a bigger screen was a no brainer. It's a nice phone, that note, it sure is. Nice big screen, seriously.
This skyrocket I use is pretty darn good, suits all my needs. I rooted it with no problem, and I flashed a version of cyanogenmod on it, and it's flawless. Cyanowiz it's called here in the forums for skyrocket. It eliminates all the AT&T carrier IQ, so I can turn on the wifi hotspot and let my friend at work use it, as his Sprint service and signal is sub-par, and it makes his iphone 4 go faster. Downside of showing off like that is it blows the lid off my tiered data plan.
(no ICS yet, heard it was buggy anyway)
I'm not sure how much better a device can get, I hear rumors of an Iphone 5 and mentioned by you is a S3? Cool! Perhaps hanging in there with the captivate a bit longer will yield an even faster more modern device.
I'll just say the difference between the skyrocket and the captivate is a dual core processor and yes it's faster, but if we're talkin' out of pocket expense as something to consider, it pays to stay a tad out of date and content with what you already have! If you're eligible for upgrade, you're also eligible to kick AT&T to the curb with no extra cost and consider other carriers. I'd talk to neighbors and friends about the performance of Verizon etc, instead of automatically just starting a new 2 year contract with AT&T, check all your options.
Hope that helps decide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
March / April are the worst months for buying laptops, desktops and phones.
It's the end of the quarter and all the new stuff is about to come out and all the old stuff is already almost a year old.
Why do you want to pay regular price for old hardware? That's like buying a blackberry.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
I know that you guys probably see dozens of these kinds of threads from confused geeks like me who just can't make up their minds, but I'm really stuck here. I've been up for hours reading about all of the handsets on the market right now and I just can't settle on one option that I like the best for my situation. I'm hoping that some of the more experienced users can help me out on this.
For context, I've been using an HTC Desire for the past two years no problem. I love the phone, but it is showing it's age and the internal memory is an issue. So I would like to get a new one, that can last me at the very least two more years. My budget is around 600 dollars.
I live in Canada, so the situation with carriers is pretty bad. I'm currently on Telus (HSPA+) and would prefer to own my phone so that I can bypass this whole contract crap and negotiate better prices for my monthly bills.
Anyways, boiled down, this is what I'm looking for:
Compatible with Telus HSPA+ Network (Rogers is a plus)
Either a MicroSD slot or 32+ onboard storage
At least 24 hours of battery life on a single charge
Decent performance, don't really play games but would like a lag free interface
Healthy hacking community
Good build quality and durability. It should be able to take a fall
Flash camera. Camera quality is a negligible factor but I use the flashlight every day.
Out of all of the devices I've seen thus far, I'm leaning most towards the OneX+. But I've also looked at the Galaxy Nexus and liked it as well. There is also the SGS3 but I think that phone is really ugly and don't really like it. Choices... choices... can I hear a voice of reason here?
What do you think about a Motorola Atrix 4G. It have a dual-core CPU (1Ghz), 16Go of internal memory + MicroSD slot up to 32Go. HSPA+ compatible, a great assembly quality with Kevlar. A high-capacity battery (more than one day of autonomy). A good healthed developers community.
I think it's the best phone for your requirements. It's not the all brand new smartphone, but you'll keep it for a longtime if you take care of it
GoL LuM
PS: I forgot to say it have two very powerful LEDs flash (more powerful than Galaxy S2 flash)
Sorry for my bad english
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
GoL LuM said:
What do you think about a Motorola Atrix 4G. It have a dual-core CPU (1Ghz), 16Go of internal memory + MicroSD slot up to 32Go. HSPA+ compatible, a great assembly quality with Kevlar. A high-capacity battery (more than one day of autonomy). A good healthed developers community.
I think it's the best phone for your requirements. It's not the all brand new smartphone, but you'll keep it for a longtime if you take care of it
GoL LuM
PS: I forgot to say it have two very powerful LEDs flash (more powerful than Galaxy S2 flash)
Sorry for my bad english
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hadn't though of that one actually. From the looks of it, everything that I want is there. However, from the development pages, it looks like Motorola is being quite active in suppressing the hacking community, especially by not providing them graphics drivers which leads to numerous bugs in ICS and JB. That might be a deal breaker for me unless an Atrix4G owner can weigh in and clear my suspicions.
Note 2 if that isn't too big for u! Idk y u don't like s3 but 20million + people who bought it can't go wrong! and u oughtta sacrifice somethin to gain somethin! Just sayin. Ur wish! And BTW one x + is great. Isn't nexus4 there? Cuz nexus is already too old!
Ps - and don't ever think of buying moto. I myself own an atrix2. They r too unresponsive / ignorant about their customers. Worst OEM ever. And they have everything locked down (bootloader), so not really much of development!
Lifehacker7 said:
Note 2 if that isn't too big for u! Idk y u don't like s3 but 20million + people who bought it can't go wrong! and u oughtta sacrifice somethin to gain somethin! Just sayin. Ur wish! And BTW one x + is great. Isn't nexus4 there? Cuz nexus is already too old!
Ps - and don't ever think of buying moto. I myself own an atrix2. They r too unresponsive / ignorant about their customers. Worst OEM ever. And they have everything locked down (bootloader), so not really much of development!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note2 is far to big for my tiny hands, haha. The reason I don't like the S3 is because of the garish chamfered edges and the design that basically screams "no we aren't copying apple" while not offering any real inspired design. It's just too unrelentingly samsung. While Moto might be the worst OEM, I think samsung is pretty close.
Nexus 4 is out of the question because of it's pathetic amount of internal storage and no MicroSD slot. Also it is basically a glass enclosed phone so it won't have the durability of something like the one x+.
Honestly, I think I am going to go with the One X+ because it seems that it has the best internal battery, great specs, though I will probably hobble it a bit for extra battery life with a more efficient kernel. Also it seems that it could survive re-entry into the atmosphere with that fused ceramic/metal enclosure.
Then again... I might just go with the S3. I mean it is butt ugly but it has everything that I want in a phone. MicroSD, removable battery, nice screen, hacking community... damn. It's really not making it easy on my that the phone costs 150 dollars less than the OneX+. Plus the button is on the side as opposed to the top, which is nice.
CentiZen said:
I know that you guys probably see dozens of these kinds of threads from confused geeks like me who just can't make up their minds, but I'm really stuck here. I've been up for hours reading about all of the handsets on the market right now and I just can't settle on one option that I like the best for my situation. I'm hoping that some of the more experienced users can help me out on this.
For context, I've been using an HTC Desire for the past two years no problem. I love the phone, but it is showing it's age and the internal memory is an issue. So I would like to get a new one, that can last me at the very least two more years. My budget is around 600 dollars.
I live in Canada, so the situation with carriers is pretty bad. I'm currently on Telus (HSPA+) and would prefer to own my phone so that I can bypass this whole contract crap and negotiate better prices for my monthly bills.
Anyways, boiled down, this is what I'm looking for:
Compatible with Telus HSPA+ Network (Rogers is a plus)
Either a MicroSD slot or 32+ onboard storage
At least 24 hours of battery life on a single charge
Decent performance, don't really play games but would like a lag free interface
Healthy hacking community
Good build quality and durability. It should be able to take a fall
Flash camera. Camera quality is a negligible factor but I use the flashlight every day.
Out of all of the devices I've seen thus far, I'm leaning most towards the OneX+. But I've also looked at the Galaxy Nexus and liked it as well. There is also the SGS3 but I think that phone is really ugly and don't really like it. Choices... choices... can I hear a voice of reason here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man all this screams SGS3 and your better off getting it. everyone has said how much they love it. I would avoid htc though, theyve been changing for the worse...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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....
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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...
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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: