Better full keyboard phone than MT4GS? - T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide

I am having flex cable issues (again) and I'm looking at possibly getting a new phone and wondered if anyone had any opinions of what other options are out there for people that must have a physical keyboard on their phone. I would love to hear from others who have researched the same thing or have even tried other phones. Thanks.

Really this phone is probably the best combination of quality of keyboard, speed, performance, camera and dev support
There are some with better keyboards (HTC vision, Samsung sidekick IMO) and some faster but none that match the camera (vision probably has best dev support and then doubleshot is next)
The galaxy relay is nice and possibly the only phone you can possibly call an upgrade to this one, lg is making one that is about the same as the relay but if it doesn't get developers than this one is still better
All in all, its still hard to beat the doubleshot so for the money I would recommend to just fix yours
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

demkantor said:
Really this phone is probably the best combination of quality of keyboard, speed, performance, camera and dev support
There are some with better keyboards (HTC vision, Samsung sidekick IMO) and some faster but none that match the camera (vision probably has best dev support and then doubleshot is next)
The galaxy relay is nice and possibly the only phone you can possibly call an upgrade to this one, lg is making one that is about the same as the relay but if it doesn't get developers than this one is still better
All in all, its still hard to beat the doubleshot so for the money I would recommend to just fix yours
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your response and feel the same way. I have 2 doubleshots and this 2nd one is starting to have flex cable issues causing the hard buttons to not work. I replaced the flex cable on the first one when the keyboard stopped working then when the touch screen stopped working and it wasn't the digitizer I got another flex cable but it didn't work out of the box. I sent that back and got a used one for cheap but now the flex cable on it is crapping out. I wish I could buy a GOOD flex cable of higher quality that would last longer. It's really the only problem I have with this phone.
Now that I have two of them though it's good for being able to narrow down part problems. I would caution people buying them used though as that almost guarantees you will not have to wait too long until you experience flex cable issues (according to my personal experience).

Most helpful Demkantor. I am on my second Doubleshot (both used). The first one had flex cable issues out of the box (could not hear the caller without turning on speakerphone) so I sent it back almost immediately. This one works great (except the trackpoint goes in and out - which isn't a big deal) but I wonder how much life is left in it. Getting one fixed is tricky for me because there isn't a T-Mobile in Canada, so even tracking down parts to do it myself may not be worth the hassle.
I will make a note of the Samsung Relay as it looks like the best option for me, if and when (knock, knock) I need to go that route.

joel.maxuel said:
I will make a note of the Samsung Relay as it looks like the best option for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have since abandoned that route. Weird reason ... the Relay looks to be a little too big (I have a small camera case on a lanyard I keep in my pocket so I don't lose my expensive phone).
I have been keeping watch on the LG Optimus F3Q, a tiny bit shorter but a little wider than the Doubleshot (which should still fit my case). Bonus for me over the Relay is that it comes with Jellybean (4.1), so I would rather put the XPosed Framework on it than a ROM. Still no forum yet, but there is a discussion thread (where there is an unlock method - or two, and work on the bootloader):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2650840
It appears I'll be visiting the States this fall so I will look to see what I will be getting myself into.

Related

Looking to buy triumph but need opinions and feedback

Hello all, I've been with virgin mobile for about 2 years now and I've owned the LG otimus v and HTC wildfire s, I currently own HTC wildfire s and I'm not liking it, I'm thinking of buying the triumph. So my question is how do you like the triumph? What is the good and the bad? Should I buy the triumph or wait for new virgin mobile phones to come out? I ask here cause members here no phones more then regualr internet reviews so I want to ask the people that no this phone in and out
NookColor Cyanogenmod 7.1 "Overclocked"
Well, I have to say I have a love/hate thing going on with my MT.
I would say my biggest disappointment is battery life. I know Android doesn't get great life, but out of the box, this thing will last maybe 5 hours in your pocket. I use juice defender and can get about 15 hours in 1 charge with medium-light use.
Reception is a little spotty sometimes, I get about 80-95dbm everywhere I go. When I had my OV I would get 75-85dbm.
One thing I really do like about it though is I have never had any major issues with software. Hardly anything ever FC'd on me.
And the screen size and resolution is pretty nice, nothing to really jaw dropping, but way better than the OV.
Overall, I am happy I made the switch. Aside from my displeasure with Virgin Mobile, this is a pretty decent phone.
If you have any more questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them.
Sent from my Triumph using Tapatalk
Well I have the MT, although I switched to T-mo, because where I am VM service isn't the greatest. So I have a MT4GS, so my opinions might be b bit biased because of that although I have had the triumph longer...
Good: Fairly fast processor, flash support, led flash on camera, gorilla glass screen, 4.1" screen, HDMI out support, lots of dev support, virtually unbricakble, can record in "720p".
Bad: ****ty touchscreen that barely recognizes 2 touches, VM speeds aren't that great (at least for me), blue tinted screen (at least on mine and other people have complained about it), regular lcd screen, capacitive buttons, no dedicated camera keys, speakers aren't that great, screen will sometimes be whitewashed or graphically screwed up (turn screen off and on and its fixed), Touchscreen ignores touches at times, rebranded, the 720p capture isn't that great mainly this and pictures are because of a POS camera sensor.
It may seem like there are lots of bads, but they really aren't that major if you don't play a whole lot of games, because this touchscreen is not made for that. Its ultimately up to you to choose. VM may or may not come out with a phone anytime soon that has equal or better specs than the MT, so if you want to wait you can, but the MT isn't all that bad. I've had mine for a few months and rooted it, installed custom roms, etc. My main problem is where I live I get horrible service on my phone and with T-mo I get a near perfect signal and 4G! Its definitely a upgrade from the OV (I used to own one), the wildfire its an upgrade in some aspects I haven't owned it so I could only tell you on paper its better.
Great info both of you, thanks to you two my mind has been made up and I will get the triumph, perhaps when the price will go down a bit, I just bought the wildfire s so I'm gonna wait a bit, but hopefully soon I will be over in this part of xda
NookColor Cyanogenmod 7.1 "Overclocked"
Android311 said:
Great info both of you, thanks to you two my mind has been made up and I will get the triumph, perhaps when the price will go down a bit, I just bought the wildfire s so I'm gonna wait a bit, but hopefully soon I will be over in this part of xda
NookColor Cyanogenmod 7.1 "Overclocked"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or even better. On android forums where its more active
great ill look over there
Ok well those guys aren't wrong, but my Triumph has all the issue's that many people have reported maybe it's because i bought it when it first came out. Anyway my Triumph has crap reception but theres an app for that lol, also some roms make my phone hot as hell & the battery charging sucks, sometimes it won't charge & i have to go through all this bull**** to get it to charge again. On the other hand i would never go back to the Samsung Intercept this phone is a beast when set up right so i guess it's a love hate relationship for me & the Motorola Triumph.
O I see, I'm sure its way better then my wildfire s....god I hate my wildfire s, Idk y virgin mobile would even allow this to be sold to there customers
Sent from my HTC_A510c using XDA App
that bad huh ? To be honest i think it might be my phone my wife has one & hers seems to be good, so i guess it's a crap shoot on if you get a good one or a bad one.
That's true! The virgin mobile HTC wildfire s has a diffrent design back door so you can't buy extended batterys and hard to find nice cases, all the good stuff is on the gsm phones (tmobile) phone feels cheap, i can't stand sense roms bad battery life to small lol and it goes on....
Sent from my HTC_A510c using XDA App
HTC wildfire s vs LG optimus v, I'd chose the optimus v
Sent from my HTC_A510c using XDA App
Good to know about the HTC wildfire though, i was gonna get my mom one but i think i'll pass on that. Don't wanna deal with another UNDER CONSTRUCTION phone all the time LOL.
jaaydogg said:
Good to know about the HTC wildfire though, i was gonna get my mom one but i think i'll pass on that. Don't wanna deal with another UNDER CONSTRUCTION phone all the time LOL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What phone of VM's isn't under construction? I think the only solid android phone they had was the OV all the others seem to have some major problems at times.
My motorola triumph, the samsung intercept i had it seems most of VM's phones have problems.
jaaydogg said:
My motorola triumph, the samsung intercept i had it seems most of VM's phones have problems.
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Click to collapse
Yea seems like it. The only phone I didn't have any problems with (besides VM's network being slow as hell), was my rumor touch. Then when the OV cam out I didn't have any major problems. The MT doesn't have major problems on my end, but it does have a lot of minor problems that shouldn't be there. Not to mention a touchscreen that barely recognizes 2 touches on both the MT and the OV. That's one thing I hated about them.
Have you removed the crappy stock screen protector ? Not the peel off one that's on it right out the box. Did this to mine & had Ghost Armor put on it & now the touch response it fantastic.
jaaydogg said:
Have you removed the crappy stock screen protector ? Not the peel off one that's on it right out the box. Did this to mine & had Ghost Armor put on it & now the touch response it fantastic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I did. I put a zagg invisible shield over it, but now since its not my main phone anymore I took it off so I just use it with the glass.
And it still has touch issue's huh ? I guess add it to the list of BS this phone can provide us LOL. On the other hand i had zagg protector on my triumph too, Ghost Armor is better & guaranteed for life.
Ya I was thinking about selling my wildfire s to go back to the optimus v, although I don't like the wildfire s but that's only my opinion, I'm not telling any one not to buy it but just my thoughts of why I don't like it, but if some want to try the wildfire s give it a shot
Sent from my HTC_A510c using XDA App
jaaydogg said:
And it still has touch issue's huh ? I guess add it to the list of BS this phone can provide us LOL. On the other hand i had zagg protector on my triumph too, Ghost Armor is better & guaranteed for life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zagg is garaunteed for life too. And its a hardware issue. The digitizer is a pos either that or the phone just can't track the fingers either way if you put both fingers together on the same horizontal area the axis snap together tel you move further apart. Get a visual touch test app and you'll see what I mean.

[Q] Upgrade to which phone?

Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Jahai said:
Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry to tell you, but I think you are at the wrong place. Everyone here likes his desire s.
If you need a big screen, try galaxy note or use pc
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App
Jahai said:
Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would advise you to wait for the Mobile World Congress before upgrading... you'll have many more options within a couple of months...
But if you still want to upgrade now, here's my input :
1. Sensation : ? Why would you want to consider that? It's an average phone, and from whatever time i've spent on it on my friend's phone, it's nothing to write hone about. Does anyone even remember the original Sensation anymore (Especially after the XL and the XE?)
2. The SGS2 is a very very fast phone, with great hardware, but i have two issues with it : The screen has a bluish tinge to it, and colour reproduction is inaccurate across the spectrum. Secondly, it looks like a plastic business card holder
3. The Galaxy Nexus is a lovely looking device, the form factor is very attractive. In my discussions with zeekiz (who bricked his DS and migrated to the GN) he says he loves the phone and it's not slow or anything like you mentioned. Plus, you'll be the first person to get the next Android version update (Jellybean). Thirdly, it always makes sense to go for the newer device, both for the gains in hardware, as well as company support that comes more easily and lasts longer for newer (especially) flagship phones.
Best of luck choosing your next device!!
Jahai said:
Hey guys,
I really want to upgrade my phone. Currently I have a Desire S but the screen is far to small for my needs :/
So i want to upgrade. There are 3 phones were i'm interested in: the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus and the normal Sensation.
I really like the speed of the S2 and the hardware home button, but the resolution is incredible low on this device Against that there is the Nexus, its a bit slower from what i've heard but has a beautiful screen in my opinion. Did any of you guys know if the decrease in speed is noticeable in daily use? I really like that it is also supported directly from Google and get the updates asap.
There are also the Sensation because i like the aluminium case from HTC.
I prefer the Nexus and the S2 a bit over the Sensation. So which phone you recommend for me?
- Cheers Jahai
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a small note here, with my experiance the 3.7' of the Desire S is the largest screen size for a mobile that I can -almost- fully use with one hand, whenever you go beyond that, you may have to get used to work with both hands, and that made me drop the sensation in favor of my DS
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium
I came from a HTC Sensation to the Desire S as i found the Sensation too big. Surprisingly i have found the Desire S not much slower.
I would also wait for the MWC...but if you can't wait, IMHO Sensation is a good device especially after it's rooted and equipped with the custom ICS based roms made for the XE version (with CPU at 1.5 Ghz)...i think capy's work.
Anyway you have a lot of roms to try even with ICS out there.
Regarding the SGSII it's ok if you want a plastic phone....
Galaxy Nexus has a good screen and it's not slow but i think it's a little big, you will clearly need 2 hands if you want to use it properly.
cpx07 said:
Regarding the SGSII it's ok if you want a plastic phone....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No-go for me... Plastic toy feeling
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App
eyahl said:
No-go for me... Plastic toy feeling
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App
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Right on! Exactly my thoughts about the SGS2. It feels like a business card holder!
Wait for mwc and HTC edge if price isn't the big deal
Otherwise, i personaly would buy a sensation, the gs2 is sure a nice device, but like mentioned above the screen isn't the best and the plastic body feels weird.
The galaxy nexus isn't a device for me, there are 2 dealbreakers at my opinion, even if the resolution is better than at the gs2 the grapic chip is wors and there is no sd slot.
The update cycle is sure a point and the nfc also, but for my opinion it's a pure developer phone.
The sensation is from hardware almost the same like the sensation xe and every rom can be exchanged between those 2 devices, there is no nfc, for sure, but the gs2 also haven't got one, so this isn't a point of interest for you i think.
Also even if all of them have them same frequenzies the sensation runs at a stock speed of 1.5 ghz with an xe rom, so it got the highest frequency of those phones.
Swifted from my Desire S far away from my PC
yeah i'd wait for MWC but if not galaxy nexus for all the reasons above. It is definitely not a slow phone, especially since google probably built ICS for the nexus. The only thing i hate about the nexus phones is the fact that they're always released at awkward times. By awkward, i mean right before all the new hardware comes out. My brother has an S2 and it does have a horrible plasticky feeling. While the galaxy nexus is the same, it seems to hide it better. The white S2 is even worse! It has no grip on the back which makes it absolutely horrible to hold, not to mention a liability too.
It's been a while since I did a megga-post.....
From what I'm hearing about HTC's line-up for MWC, I hope they also announce a sensible phone. At the moment I really don't know what I'll get, as the current rumours all seem to have several problems for me.
1. Screens too big.
I have a non-upgradable 2.5" thumb. I've spoken to my network provider but they wont give me a larger one. I do not want to have to change grip or use two hands to turn screen on/off. The DS screen size is perfect. It is fine watching films on Netflix.
2. Quad core. Really?
Does anyone remember the Coca-Cola/Sprite stunt yo-yo's from the eighties? (Bear with me here, work is a little slow today and I feel a rant coming on.) They were a massive craze when I was at school. They came in two versions. "Standard" and "Pro". The Pro ones cost nearly twice as much. Why was that? It was because the Pro version had "Pro" written on the side. That was it. They were the same size and weight as the standard version. But every kid in my class practically sold a kidney to get the pro version, because to show up in the playground with the standard version stood you out for ridicule, and everyone was certain the Pro version could do better stunts. What is quad core going to give us? How often is it going to be running on more than 2 cores? Can it do better stunts? My single core phone can render web pages quickly, run any game I've asked it to, record 720p video at 30fps, and has a smooth and lag free UI. It just doesn't have "Pro" written all over it. That word seems to brain-wash kids into doling out dosh! Kids love the idea of being "Pro". Look at what every premium version of any app on the Android Marketplace is called.
3. Skinny form-factors
Leading to phones being bendy and having a non-removable battery. I like my solid aluminium DS. I've held the SGS2. It feels like a kinder surpise egg. Squeeze it too hard and I worry it'd break. Plus if we are having to have a (pro) Quad Core phone don't we need a bigger battery? Did you know the HTC Edge has a fifth core (super pro) that is a very low power companion core for when the phone is off in your pocket? Turn your phone on (without dropping it changing your grip to reach the button) and expect laptop battery life from the 40nm chip. Will it come with a Pro Charger?
4. No SD Card slot.
OK most of the phones with these also claim built-in 32GB storage which is fine for capacity, but what if I brick my phone larking about on XDA? What if it just packs in? Currently all my music/photos/documents would simply be removed and put into another phone. If it's built-in and your phone wont boot.....Are the cloud-storage sites encouraging phone manufacturers to do this?
5. Build Quality.
HTC seem to have really dropped the ball with this one. They used to be fantastic. However I know 3 people who have bought the DS since September (on my recommendation) and all of them have been back for repair at least once. One of them died for the second time two nights ago with the dreaded eMMC chip failure again! WTF? Did they replace the faulty board with another one prone with the same weakness? She also waited 6 weeks to get that phone back the first time. I feel guilty now. Also check Amazon for the reviews of the DS. Since September it's started getting a load of 1 star reviews and they all read the same. It seems I was lucky in buying my DS on it's release, before it seems HTC moved production to the local wine bar/crack house. There is no way I'm spending £450 on something I'm not confident will last a year or will take me 6 weeks to get repaired.
If HTC...no if ANYONE announce a phone that has: A screen under 4", solid build, removable battery, SD card slot, improved camera optics, decent amount of RAM, reasonable battery life and justifiable processing power, then I'll get my wallet out. Or if it comes with a free Pro Yo-Yo. They do better stunts.
Basically I want a DS with a nicer camera and bigger battery. And a sticker that says "Pro" on it.
wnp_79 said:
It's been a while since I did a megga-post.....
(Bear with me here, work is a little slow today and I feel a rant coming on.)
Basically I want a DS with a nicer camera and bigger battery. And a sticker that says "Pro" on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brilliant!
Love the rant (and i thought i was the only one with this illness)
I agree on mostly everything you've said above... especially HTC screwing up on its strengths... build quality, sub-par components, and progressively bloat-ier (i know that's not a word) Sense... Though i'd still buy an HTC instead of a Samsung, all things set aside, they do better stunts!!
Yeah. Your words seem to come right from my mind.
a desire s pro would be really cool
Sent my thoughts to your head with XDA App
If i had the choice, i'd choose the sensation in a heartbeat.
First, it has the beat build IMO. The SGS 2 is too plasticky and since it's far too thin, it feels weird in my hand. The galaxy nexus is waaaaaay to big. The sensation is perfect
Second, HTC Sense. It is just too good and i can't get a device that has no chance of getting Sense. Besides, touchwiz sucks and the stock experience on the nexus can be acieved through an AOSP ROM.
That said, the super amoled screen is quiet good ad a plus point of both sammys.
That said, i recommend you wait till MWC. Something awesome will surely come up. There is a thread, full of leaks on the two upcoming htc devices, the One X and the One S.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1476788
it has to be the htc amaze, i think its a great phone, in addition to that htc has quality in its build, as in our desire s the aluminum feel is way better than the plastic in most samsungs

The last decent QWERTY?

I've got this MT4GS with a recently replaced screen giving me all sorts of problems, Tmo doesn't have any more of them in-stock for an actual replacement. So lately I've been lurking around the ApexQ forums here, considering whether I take Tmo up on their offer to replace the MT4GS with a Relay. Is this it? Is this the end of the line for higher end sliders?
I get so annoyed when I walk into a Tmo shop and they give me the stink eye over my physical keyboard.
"You should really try Swype"
"Keyboards are going away"
"No one really uses those"
"Just try the S4 out, you'll love it"
Try to swype out a thousand words, then do it with a physical keyboard. I'm a bit of a writer, it might be a tine platform for me to write from, but it works great. Sliders are niche preference, will the entire market really give that up? I'm waiting for Google IO before I make any decisions (because it's coming up pretty soon) but haven't heard any rumors of a high end slider coming down the line. Am I the only one holding my breath here?
Also, I've seen a couple of you post on these forums that have had the MT4GS, I think I would miss the 8MP camera the most. Any thoughts on switching over?
I don't have the relay but I follow it and have played with one. It feels similar in many ways to the MT4Gslide (I have this) but you can really feel the improvements in speed as well as a five row keyboard is just awesome. Being its part of the galaxy s line there should be a fair amount of updates, speculation of course as Samsung hasnt been the best at supporting hardware keyboard phones.
You will miss the camera, not that this one is horrible its just that the MT4Gslide has one of the best ever made. I'm not a huge sense fan but it is better than touchwiz (in my opinion) but more of a resource hog. It is possible to port it over to Sammy phones and has been done before, but I doubt anyone would bother on this phone.
Overall if its a free upgrade I would take it, being I refuse to buy phones from carriers this one would cost me full price and I haven't decided if that's worth it yet.
Good luck on your decision!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
i got both. here are the differences with the relay:
- relay's screen is super amoled pentile... colors are great, resolution sucks big time, pixels can be seen and the red ones are very tiny and the matrix will be very noticeable in some cases
- relay's camera is 5 mp vs 8 of the doubleshot. it is just inferior in both quality and resolution, not much else to say.
- relay keyboard is nicer imho but lacks replicated alt, shift, home, back, menu keys
- battery lasts much longer than the famous 1900mah anker for doubleshot
- the cpu is so much faster, ~2.5x from my findings, also, it heats a lot less
- it is noticeably ligher but more plasticy and flimsy
- stock ics and jb. more development going on
all in all, it is a sidegrade... you lose on some aspects and gain in some others... anyway the high end qwerty era is over since the desire-z/droid 2 period...
I've owned just about every GSM QWERTY device made for android over the past 2 years. I can safely say the Relay is one of the better phones that I've owned for a while.
The G2 was the best phone I've ever had.
The camera is not amazing. It will do in a pinch, but I would take a better keyboard over a better camera any day. The 4G Slide keyboard was horrid. One of the worst I've ever used. I use the keyboard much more than the camera, so my decision was simple. It's based on your preferences, really.
But just remember you don't have many options.
I've been using my relay for about 4 months now and overall I like it a lot.
Some good thoughts first:
The keys are very very good. I find they're slightly less conducive to touch typing than my Sidekick 4G was, but still one of the best small keyboards I've ever used. I can't imagine using a purely touchscreen phone, Swype or not. There's just no competition.
The phone is very quick. I've never once thought to myself "Man, I wish this would happen faster." The OS isn't quite 100% seamless, but it's close enough that I can't find anything to complain about. And things like videos, emulated games, etc are all full speed. The only times I've ever had to wait for something was when I was accessing files, and that's due to my bargain basement SD card.
The battery life has been great. I have no problem getting through my day without carrying a charger with me. Now, I'm not as active a user as some (I don't use facebook, for instance,) but I'm often looking things up on my phone while working, and even using the flashlight, and I always have between a half and a third of my battery when I get home.
The screen and the camera both fall under the category of "It's a phone for chrissakes, what are you expecting??" for me.
The screen is bright, vibrant, sharp. It looks great indoors and passable outside. There's enough room for what it needs to do. If you complain that you can't watch a 1080p movie on your phone, the problem is with your head and not your device. I guess if you offered me a higher resolution I'd take it, but I really don't feel like it needs more. And I wouldn't want the screen to be any bigger. If I wanted a massive screen in my pocket I'd buy an iPad. And then kill myself.
The camera is a dog, but so is every other phone camera in the world. Yes, this one is worse than many. But if you care about what your pictures look like, a $40 digital camera bought used off craigslist will take pictures which are 10 times better than the best cell phone camera on the market. And it's easier to carry a separate phone and camera than it is to have a separate phone and keyboard. So why everybody focuses on the sub-par camera is beyond me.
There's only one thing about the phone which I actually feel is bad, and that's the shape. Coming from a Sidekick 4G, the ergonomics of the phone are a big step down. The Sidekick was a fantastic phone to hold in the hands, both closed an open. The Relay is about as nice to hold as a brick. There's a small lip all around the phone that presses awkwardly against your ear, and it's got a certain awkwardness when open as well. No surprise there, the Galaxy S line has always looked like a knockoff of the iPhone 3G. Why would they start making something comfortable now? </curmudgeon.>
So, yeah. I like it and there's nothing else on the market which comes close to being as good as it. I'd buy one again. I'd suggest it to other people. But I'd also hope that this isn't the last QWERTY Android phone for my network, as there's still room for improvements.
i've came down the g1 (htc dream), g2 (htc desire z), relay lane.
i have my relay now for like 4 weeks. and there's really nothing i can seriously complain about. the cpu and gpu are fast and still come with some reserve. the memory is plenty. the qwerty is a big step up from the dz with the additional row. and battery life is just sweet the dz had the better display when you were outside. the relay's go the far better once you get out of the sunlight.
usually, when i got a new phone, i also got a better cam. but seriously: 5mp is enough for every day use. and as some already stated: it's a cell phone. if you want to have high-end-images, you don't get around buying a dedicated camera. and seriously.. it's the same with the screen resolution. 800x480 is enough for text, websites and pictures to be displayed properly and sharp on the small display. what's the use of a 4" full hd display? besides showing off? again... it's a cell phone. if you want high resolution, get a tablet.
*if* somebody asks me for a cell with a hardware keyboard there really - from my pov - is no reason not to recommend the relay.
and i think it's really a pitty it's not available here in europe and quite hard (and expensive) to get.
i really hope there will be new qwertys that will be available here as well. (the most recent here on sale is the dz).
admittedly the hardware keyboard phones are a niche, but those who want them will be willing to spend a lil more to get them.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app
I have also used many qwerty phones over the years and have been using the relay for about 5 months now. Previously I have used lg shine xenon, lg shine plus (last lg phone I will ever buy) Sony xperia pro, samsung captivate glide and now the relay. The xperia pro keyboard was the best I have ever used. Too bad it had such low on board memory and only a single core processor.
I hear you on the death of qwerties I can now type quite well with SwiftKey but still love a qwerty for messaging, emails etc. I get the same look from sales staff when I have asked about qwerty sliders.
The relay is the fastest qwerty I have used, bit more than the glides 2x core tegra 2, I also found the keys on the glide to be too flat and there were only 4 rows. Good tactile feedback on the relay, keys are spaced out well and travel is easy. However as mentioned the build quality is not the best and mine has a noticeable wobble when typing. Updates seem good so far although will probably not get past 4.2. I actually went out and bought a q10 last week, loved the new OS but the keyboard was simply too small for me, and for the build quality and screen size the q10 is waaaay over priced, so decided to return it.
On a side note I did a little bit of cosmetic altering the my galaxy s3 stock 2100mah batteries and got them to fit in the relay.. As I live in canada the relay isn't even sold here, and I place battery life pretty much at the top of my list. Need that spare battery and a charger. Anyways good luck with your relay if you get it.
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I'm sure samsung will release a follow up to the Relay, as they seem to be the only manufacturer big enough to support this niche market.
Just give them some more time. They definitely need som enew phones and fresh designs to break up all the slab phones that are coming all the time.
Well, I got the Relay. And with it I end a 8 year HTC only stint which started with the Blue Angel. Fun times...
I just got it today so not much of a chance to play with it. At the moment doing the update. Afterwards will see what else I can do. I find it a bit useless at the moment to try any other ROMs. A bit too early...
I've had 3 previous Android sliders before getting this one - the original G1, Motorola Milestone (which I gave to my husband because it was too big and heavy for me) and the HTC Desire Z. Aside from the Desire Z's incredibly stupid flipping hinge mechanism which I'm convinced was responsible for the display cable dying, it is my favourite of the four (it developed this problem where the screen would die every time I opened the keyboard - I actually disassembled it to see if I could fix it but couldn't)
This phone's not bad and I don't mind it feeling "plasticky" since it's light, while the hinge mechanism seems a lot more solid than HTC's ridiculous designs for the G1 and Desire Z, but the keyboard is LOUD. You have to press the keys really hard and I'm convinced people can hear me typing, which is really not what you want for a mobile device. If you're tweeting under the table during a boring company meeting, you better be good at pretending you're taking minutes!
I also have this weird problem, specific to the Facebook Android app, where it will jump to the top of the page randomly while I'm in the middle of typing a comment. I thought I was pressing something by accident but I've tried typing really carefully and that seem to not be the issue.
I do really miss having a trackball or optical joystick from the HTC devices. It's fine to have arrow keys on the physical kb, but when you have the phone closed sometimes you still want to be able to navigate around and click.
Really happy to have found this thread, has anybody looked at or tried the Motorola Droid 4 ??
It boasts 8MP camera and high definition display, looks like battery lasts a while.. says its splash proof and also has the 4 row keyboard.
I enjoy my glide, but they keyboard with the press on them hasn't ever given me much of an ability to type without looking at the keys..
On my blackberry after a while I was able to roll my fingers across without hardly looking at the keyboard, on computer i type 100wpm so pretty important for me to have a fast typing keyboard. even software app keyboards can't keep up and screw swipe.. without feeling where to rocker my fingers to form words im doomed to choose from autocorrect.

Trying to decide between S4 HTC One and LG Optimus G Pro

These seem like the three hottest phones right now, and i know i throw this up in the S4 forum so i am sure to get a bit biased replies, i am curious about comparing all 3.
To me it seems like the One has better sound quality and screen, the S4 supposedly has a bit better speeds (and probably best development) and the OGP has biggest screen size.
I don't love the interface design on the One, specifically no menu button or ability to see recently used apps, could be a deal breaker on it's own. The LG phone is an interesting one...seems like a nicely designed phone, and if you don't really have a need for most of Samsung's zany apps and stuff, it might be a great phone. Biggest problem i am worried about is - lack of development. I got burned on an OG Note when the Note 2 arrived and Samsung basically moved on, never to release an official JB version. I would hate to buy into another great phone only to get burned by lack of a following or something.
I'm sure anyone would be happy as a clam with any of these three bad boys, but anyone have an opinion when comparing them first hand?
Dillsnik said:
These seem like the three hottest phones right now, and i know i throw this up in the S4 forum so i am sure to get a bit biased replies, i am curious about comparing all 3.
To me it seems like the One has better sound quality and screen, the S4 supposedly has a bit better speeds (and probably best development) and the OGP has biggest screen size.
I don't love the interface design on the One, specifically no menu button or ability to see recently used apps, could be a deal breaker on it's own. The LG phone is an interesting one...seems like a nicely designed phone, and if you don't really have a need for most of Samsung's zany apps and stuff, it might be a great phone. Biggest problem i am worried about is - lack of development. I got burned on an OG Note when the Note 2 arrived and Samsung basically moved on, never to release an official JB version. I would hate to buy into another great phone only to get burned by lack of a following or something.
I'm sure anyone would be happy as a clam with any of these three bad boys, but anyone have an opinion when comparing them first hand?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I owned the One for a week and switched it for GS4. The Audio on the One sounds better(double front facing stereo speakers > single backfacing speaker) although the volume is about the same, and the screen is brighter, However the 4MP camera couldn't get enough detail for me and the photos looks really fuzzy on my 1440p screen. The AMOLED screen on the GS4 is beautiful and not too bad in sunlight either(One'LCD is better under the sun, but not much better).
Another benefit of GS4 is that the battery life is significantly better than the One, even when I run the GS4 at max brightness(Dynamic Mode) at all times,
Haven't used an Optimus G Pro, but I have both the One and S4. You're right about the button placement on the HTC, it's infuriating. There are custom kernels that allow you to sweep the capacitive buttons or hold the HTC logo to wake and sleep the phone, but they don't work as reliably as I'd like. The S4 is much better in that sense, in my opinion anyways. I prefer the screen on the HTC. I do a lot of Web browsing and I find it's much easier on the eyes. I've done a factory reset, turned off animations, and disabled S-Voice, but my S4 is noticeably more laggy than the HTC. It's actually shockingly laggy given the hardware. I don't take a ton of pictures, but when I do it's almost always in good lightning conditions, so for me the S4 camera trounces the camera on the HTC.
At this point you honestly can't really go wrong. Battery life is similar for my usage, maybe marginally better on the S4. If you can live with 32gb of storage (realistically about 26gb) I'd go for the HTC.
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I used the Optimus G Pro (OGP) for 2 days before exchanging for a GS4. I exchanged because the battery life on the Optimus G pro was horrible. I had a NOTE II before and that battery would go all day & some. The screen did get a little brighter than the Galaxy S4, but that was the only benefit for me. I changed because of the battery drain, the lack of assessories, and the predicted lack of development. Both have locked bootloaders, but I figured I would get that unlocked sooner on the GS4 and have more ROMS available to me. I did like the customizable options included with the OGP, but I would choose the GS4 over it again if I had a chance.
I have all 3 phones. I use the LG Optimus G Pro as a daily driver at this point as my sgs4 lags big time and battery life sucks. My batter life on LG Optimus G Pro is very good and I have a note 2. I can go two days with heavy usage no issues. The screen is the best on LG Optimus G Pro compared to HTC one and sgs4.
HTC one build, look and feel is the best it is the iPhone of the android world. However I had the capacitive buttons they suck. The sound is better then any phone out there and I think screen looks good but battery life sucks. Will have decent dev support and comes in 64 or 32gb. No removable battery or sd card.
Sgs4 has nice big screen, 16gb storage total crap as 9gb is only use bale, you can get 32gb now. Cheap plastic build feels worst from all 3 phones. The phone is not as smooth as HTC one or LG Optimus G Pro unless you use a custom rom like CM. The size and screen is perfect if you want a bigger screen but not a big phone. Will have decent dev support. Removable battery and sd card slot.
Lg Optimus G Pro comes in 32gb with micro sd and Removable battery. Has best screen from all phones I have. It is super fast and battery is great. Boot loader is locked with no info if it will ever be unlocked so development is none at this point. Screen is 5.5 and 1080p. I like note 2 so this is a direct replacement for it until note 3 comes out. The phone is actually lighter and not as wide as note 2 so easier to hold single handed.
Hope this helps.
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Galaxy s4 Octa is better than all others... GRAPHIC CPU SCREEEN RAM MEMORY DDR2 ETC ETC
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ardianow said:
Galaxy s4 Octa is better than all others... GRAPHIC CPU SCREEEN RAM MEMORY DDR2 ETC ETC
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To bad it's not lte and costs a lot in US to folks like negri or expansys but yeah I agree the intl sgs4 is better always is the case with samsung they give us in US the crap version.
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Of you are looking for development then the answer is simple, GS4. Reason being is Google is releasing an S4 with stock Android and it is supported by Google, not Samsung. We should have the best of both worlds. Pretty easy decision if you ask me
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Have all three, imo its S4, G Pro, One in that order. Ever since development took off for the S4 and the lag was removed, S4 hands down is the best phone on the market (again, imo)...Optimus G Pro was a huge surprise as its an EXCELLENT phone with a great screen and decent battery (nowhere near as good as Note 2, right on par with S4)...the only issues I have with G Pro is reversed capacitive buttons and the screen is impossible to see outdoors, which is when I simply grab my S4 and go...the One is a great phone, I just got too used to physical home button and multi-tasking (through multi-window or Q Slide), plus I really, REALLY don't care for Sense in any of its iterations...G Pro volume is low even with an aux cable in my car, but fine with Bluetooth, S4 is loud, and One is loud. Clearly One wins design, but if functionality is what you want, I'd go with S4 and G Pro every time.
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jev3gs said:
Of you are looking for development then the answer is simple, GS4. Reason being is Google is releasing an S4 with stock Android and it is supported by Google, not Samsung. We should have the best of both worlds. Pretty easy decision if you ask me
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC one is also releasing a Google edition this summer so choice is narrowed down again.
Sent from my LG-E980 using xda premium
I was another one of those guys on the fence between these three phones. Ended up ruling out the LG for two reasons: I can't stand the gov't issue LG phones they gave us to use at work and I really don't think I can handle lugging around a phone with a 5.5" screen in my uniform all day.
So that put me between the One and S4. While the one is favored for its front-facing speakers and LCD3 screen, it features no removable storage or user-accessible parts. Have a failed battery? Too bad, need to replace your entire phone. Need more space? Too bad, you only get what's on it (even though 64GB isn't too shabby). So, yes, the One is basically the iPhone of the Android world that just so happens to already have a decent amount of development now, but what will it be like when HTC moves on to whatever new phone it chooses to support? Those of us who owned an Evo knows exactly what I'm talking about.
That being said, the consumer-level development on the One is impressive. They've managed to remove the menu bar for apps that aren't ICS-compliant (Viper will, for one) and allowed you to finally bring the clock speeds back up to be comparable to (if not better than...at your own risk) the S4.
I will personally stick with the S4. There's always a bigger push for development for Samsung's phones, they tend to have better resale potential, and I will actually benefit from a user-accessible battery and SD card storage. Since the S4's SD slot is SDXC-compatible, should they manage to find an ability to have a cards' size in excess of 64GB, you've got MONSTER potential for storage.
One more vote for the S4, and not one from a Samsung fanboy. I was reluctant to decide on it after my Epic 4G was an Epic FAIL, but I feel it's the superior phone for me.
I would opt for the Samsung Galaxy S4 just because there is more development in it other then the other two phones. Also IMO the phone is much easier to use and has a smaller learning curve then the HTC One. The lag on the S4 truly sucks but for some reason I feel the lag is going away with time or as apps update so maybe the problem is getting taken care of. I primary feel the lag when receiving text messages. I use the iPhone as my benchmark for software and smoothness and the Galaxy Note 2 was the closest android phone to iPhone in terms of stability lack of lag and reliability. I thought samsung was taking things in the right direction but I feel they took a step back with the S4. Hopefully they redeem themselves!
For me, it came down to how I was going to use the device. Rarely do I play games or watch movies/tv on my phone, so why would I need front facing speakers anyway? I have a bluetooth stereo speaker if I want to listed to music with friends (jawbone). The ability to replace the battery, sd-card, and the lack of a MENU button pushed me over the top for the ONE. With the LG, it ended up just plain being too large, I have enough tablets in my life. The S4 actually isn't that big, the screen is just bigger because there's a smaller bezel. That left me with one choice, the S4, as much as I hate the rounded corners and plastic feel, the first thing we all do is put a case on it anyway.
sabre31 said:
HTC one is also releasing a Google edition this summer so choice is narrowed down again.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Cause there's no proof of that rumor. HTC denied it anyways so yeah.
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---------- Post added at 09:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:43 PM ----------
thdaddy34 said:
I would opt for the Samsung Galaxy S4 just because there is more development in it other then the other two phones. Also IMO the phone is much easier to use and has a smaller learning curve then the HTC One. The lag on the S4 truly sucks but for some reason I feel the lag is going away with time or as apps update so maybe the problem is getting taken care of. I primary feel the lag when receiving text messages. I use the iPhone as my benchmark for software and smoothness and the Galaxy Note 2 was the closest android phone to iPhone in terms of stability lack of lag and reliability. I thought samsung was taking things in the right direction but I feel they took a step back with the S4. Hopefully they redeem themselves!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The note 2 was laggy as first too. It'll be fixed.
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S4 is a piss poor release from Samsung. Let's all get our fanboy hats off for a minute. It will be a good phone do to custom roms and devs supporting like CM. People jumped all over apple for releasing iPhone 5 which was similar to iPhone 4s. Samsung copied and did same thing with s4 compared to s3. Note 2 was stable and lack free from day one I had it and used it every day from first day of release until sgs4 was released. I do have an sgs4 and samsung could have done much better.
sabre31 said:
S4 is a piss poor release from Samsung. Let's all get our fanboy hats off for a minute. It will be a good phone do to custom roms and devs supporting like CM. People jumped all over apple for releasing iPhone 5 which was similar to iPhone 4s. Samsung copied and did same thing with s4 compared to s3. Note 2 was stable and lack free from day one I had it and used it every day from first day of release until sgs4 was released. I do have an sgs4 and samsung could have done much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The gs4 and gs3 was a pretty decent jump. you talk about it so negatively... why do you have it
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jetlitheone said:
The gs4 and gs3 was a pretty decent jump. you talk about it so negatively... why do you have it
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have all the newest phones but I also am unbiased and don't stick to one brand or phone and call it like it is. With time and with custom roms sgs4 will be good. It is not my daily driver until cm10.1 comes out for it.
It just blows my mind how Samsung got it so right with the Galaxy Note 2 and couldn't replicate it with the Galaxy s4. I would assume all they had to do was take a product or software that was one of their best and improve it but instead they made it worse. I am really hoping for an update to be released soon to fix many of the software glitches. I am also wondering if this is more of an American galaxy s4 problem that's the international version does not suffer from or A cross-platform problem. But other than the occasional lagginess the Galaxy s4 blows away the competition.
sabre31 said:
I have all the newest phones but I also am unbiased and don't stick to one brand or phone and call it like it is. With time and with custom roms sgs4 will be good. It is not my daily driver until cm10.1 comes out for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same for me. I had the One IPhone 5 and the galaxy note 2 and this is my favorite by far. The lag isn't too bad at all especially with custom kernels and such. Why use cyanogenmod with this though?
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jetlitheone said:
Same for me. I had the One IPhone 5 and the galaxy note 2 and this is my favorite by far. The lag isn't too bad at all especially with custom kernels and such. Why use cyanogenmod with this though?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest my phone is really lagging I may have a bad unit to be honest I am hoping cm10 will fix this or some custom tw rom. But phone is perfect screen size and size for phone.
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[Q] Good upgrade from HTC Evo Shift? Or maybe not?

I am ready to upgrade from my Sprint Evo Shift 4G and wondering if the Photon Q is a good choice.
Why I liked the Shift:
+ Physical keyboard
+ Cyanogenmod 7
Why I didn't like the Shift:
- Tricky to root (had to wait a few months before it was even possible)
- Lousy Otterbox model (sloppy fit: broke after one drop, replaced, broke again, but still safe-guarded phone)
- CM 8+ ports ran terribly
I like that the Photon Q has a physical keyboard, but that really seems to be the only thing going for it. The Galaxy S4 and HTC One are both faster and better in just about every other way. I know it's not fair to compare them to the Photon Q since they're much newer, but the Photon Q seems to be the only physical keyboard phone left. The final nail in the coffin seems to be that Cyanogenmod does not officially support the Photon Q; is that true? If so, why?
I would really miss having a physical keyboard, but maybe I'm just set in my ways and need to go virtual. Are there any other Sprint QWERTY phones announced for the near future?
All my research is talking me out of the Photon Q, so I am curious what users here think.
IMHO the evo shift was a terrible device and did not deserve the "evo" moniker.
Official CM support does not happen overnight. The devs who are working on CM almost have all the major bugs squashed to submit to CM.
We have CM10.1 and a lot of offshoots based on it. They all run well from my experience. The only thing that has really bothered me is when I travel, the battery life is not as good as stock.
But I prefer all the options aftermarket ROM's provide, so I compromise. It's not like the battery goes dead in an hour, but I have noticed higher drain vs. Stock.
Regardless, there's no kb phones on the horizon that I know of. I hate to say it, but this might be the last great slider. HTC officially stated they are not going to make any more devices with kb's.
As for your concerns - the device is officially unlocked from the manufacturer. The day I got this phone it was rooted, unlocked, and I quickly was running my own source built kernel.
The otterbox issue is still present if you will - the piece that clips to the back is great, the piece that clips to the screen is not. It's difficult to make hard protective cases for qwerty sliders.
Veggiesama said:
Why I liked the Shift:
+ Physical keyboard
+ Cyanogenmod 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I, too, came from the Shift to the Photon Q. Obviously CM7 isn't on this device, but it still has the physical keyboard and the button layout is similar enough that it doesnt take a whole lot of getting used to.
Veggiesama said:
Why I didn't like the Shift:
- Tricky to root (had to wait a few months before it was even possible)
- Lousy Otterbox model (sloppy fit: broke after one drop, replaced, broke again, but still safe-guarded phone)
- CM 8+ ports ran terribly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As arrrghhh already mentioned, unlocking the bootloader is a much, MUCH easier affair on the Q. That makes flashing things such as ROMs and kernels all that much easier. I've yet to seriously try any of the CM10 or 10.1 ROMs yet for personal reasons, but there are great reviews and it seems as if all the kinks are on the verge of being ironed out.
The issue with the Otterbox is common to slider phones, although I did get a case for the Shift (Best Buy brand I believe) that had a solid piece across the top/bottom of the screen instead of short clips on either side. May be something to look into. Although Otterbox usually replaces damaged pieces without too much hassle ... maybe they'll look into that issue a bit more in the future.
As far as keyboard phones this may be the last hurrah. I'm just glad things are starting to come together on the dev end of things where we have a few quality options. Physical/tactile interaction is going by the wayside (keyboard phones, physical cds/dvds, etc) so you kind of have to make the decision on if all that really matters to you. I'm still hoping one of the phone manufacturers decides not to leave us in the dark. My fingers are too big for a touchscreen keyboard and I refuse to walk with a tablet strapped to my back in order to text.

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