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[Q] Give me your long term review of the Nexus S!

Greetings XDA folks! My Nexus One is being passed to my girlfriend, as she broke her Huawei Ideos, so now I'm looking at the Nexus S. I'm based in Taiwan, so I only will get the Super Clear LCD version. Really would like to hear XDA thoughts on this phone and how it has treated them over the course of their ownership...
- Hardware/software issues?
- How it holds up without a case - scratches/wear/tear?
My main concern is reliability in general. I prefer sticking to the stock Android experience and I'm okay with rooting/3rd party ROMs if they're reliable; so if you guys have other phone suggestions please feel free to plug them in! Much appreciated!

24bear said:
Greetings XDA folks! My Nexus One is being passed to my girlfriend, as she broke her Huawei Ideos, so now I'm looking at the Nexus S. I'm based in Taiwan, so I only will get the Super Clear LCD version. Really would like to hear XDA thoughts on this phone and how it has treated them over the course of their ownership...
- Hardware/software issues?
- How it holds up without a case - scratches/wear/tear?
My main concern is reliability in general. I prefer sticking to the stock Android experience and I'm okay with rooting/3rd party ROMs if they're reliable; so if you guys have other phone suggestions please feel free to plug them in! Much appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No complaints, have had the phone since the US release. But if you are in Taiwan, would you like to wait for a galaxy S II or maybe the original galaxy s? The original galaxy s is very rich in roms and performs quite well.
The screen for the nexus is NOT gorilla glass, so I have a screen protector on at all times, the back is very easily scratchable. If you are concern about keeping your phone in mint condition, I would suggest that you get a case or a replacement back cover. Only thing about the back covers though is that they have the NFC in it and so it can be limted or hard to find. Or otherwise get the one without NFC and "cripple" your phone.
Have had both the galaxy S and they nexus s, and I switch between both as my daily phone. If you got any questions, just ask me I will try to answer as best as I can. I wish I could get a new phone too but they wife will kill me

Hey suomaf, I would love to have the SGII, but as of now they have not given a release date here in Taiwan and I really don't want to fork more than 600 USD/415 EUR for import. I looked at the Galaxy S too, but hesitant about its GPS - whereas the Nexus S seemed to address that issue from other reviews I've read; or did they address this issue on a particular version that I'm not aware of? Thanks for your input, it's much appreciated!

Software wise I think its great. Also great if you love flashing ROMs.
I agree that the backcover scratches easily. A lot of cases will even scratch it, I found out the hard way.
Putting on a case protects it but adds bulk. Especially if you are used to using the Nexus One naked. I may give the Incipio Feather case a try next.
Also, you'll probably miss the notification LED. You can get BLN, but it isn't quite the same.
Another thing I miss is the desktop and car dock.
All and all, I think it's a pretty solid device. Just the ideal device for me is a hybid of the Nexus One/S
Sent from some reflashed Android device with Tapatalk

Hey DumbUglyDragon... interesting name... so it sounds like the Nexus S body needs a good amount of protection from visual scuffs. If I remembered correctly, the Nexus S doesn't come with a pouch like the Nexus One, right? I prefer naked phone with pouch, so any pouch options any of you Nexus S owners can suggest (if any)? Thanks!

24bear said:
Hey DumbUglyDragon... interesting name... so it sounds like the Nexus S body needs a good amount of protection from visual scuffs. If I remembered correctly, the Nexus S doesn't come with a pouch like the Nexus One, right? I prefer naked phone with pouch, so any pouch options any of you Nexus S owners can suggest (if any)? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the pouch that came with my old myTouch 3G (HTC Magic) for a while. It was basically a sunglass pouch. Kept it protected from scratches, but a bit cumbersome to have to open the pouch to pull out the phone every time I wanted to use it. But it is nothing like the ballistic nylon pouch the Nexus One came with

I love my Nexus S so much. Got it in late December; it's had to go in for repair once since then- it would go unresponsive if left asleep for more than a couple hours for some reason. Got fixed and returned by Geek Squad in about ten days. Other than that, it's been all good times. I can't tell you much on your second question; I've had an Invisible Shield and Amzer silicone case on it almost from day one. My mom's seems to be holding up pretty well without a case (she's only had hers for a month). As long as you don't drop the thing, it should be alright without one. I wouldn't trust not having a screen protector on it for any real length of time, though; especially if you aren't the super careful type.

I came from a 'dumb' sony erricson phone, to the Nexus S.
At first i was actually scared to take it out with me (being quite expensive and all), but i buoght a flip case for it so that part was sorted lol.
Definately buy some sort of protection for it though, otherwise it will scratch up.
In all honesty when i first got this phone i was not impressed (first smart phone), but now that ive had it for a few months, i find it simply amazing.
I am running the NS Collab ROM which is based off CM7 with the usual tweaks etc
Basically , you won't be dissapointed!

Only problems I've had with Nexus S have been the poor Google Skymap performance ... it jumps around everyone and is essentially unusable with the compass.
Using pure GPS is fine (so navigation and geocaching not affected) but the compass is poor.
Plus side, the phone is fast and smooth. It gets updates straight from Google, so no waiting for the maker to decide to release an update. It can be easily rooted and ROM'd if you want.
I do not use a screen protector or a case, because they make the phone look ugly. I use a Golla bag (http://www.golla.com/#/en/products/search/category/mobile/) that clips onto my belt and the phone has remained in tip-top condition.
Overall, very please with the phone and have no desire to change it for anything else.

I actually love the nexus s and I also have the original galaxy s. I beloved both perform equally well. You were concerned about GPS with the galaxy s, which CAN be remedied by using a custom rom but then you sacrifice the already low battery life even further. The nexus s has been an awesome phone to me. I would still suggest to wait or save for a 4g compatible phone. I'm not sure of coverage in your area but I was disappointed when I realized my nexus s was not 4g capable and its very similiar device the the original galaxy s.
My .02 cents.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

eatTHESEbullets said:
I actually love the nexus s and I also have the original galaxy s. I beloved both perform equally well. You were concerned about GPS with the galaxy s, which CAN be remedied by using a custom rom but then you sacrifice the already low battery life even further. The nexus s has been an awesome phone to me. I would still suggest to wait or save for a 4g compatible phone. I'm not sure of coverage in your area but I was disappointed when I realized my nexus s was not 4g capable and its very similiar device the the original galaxy s.
My .02 cents.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs / Kernels actually make your phone last longer in terms of battery life.
4G? Can care less.. but HEY! Look at the Droid Charge and Thunderbolt. It's definitely draining your phone's battery at a 4G speed
3.5G (HSDPA) is enough for me.. I'm not using my phone as primary internet.
Source: http://androidandme.com/2011/05/new...-battery-issues-that-haunted-the-thunderbolt/
Personally. I love the Nexus S, great screen, developer support is starting to increase. The only phone I'd consider as a competitor would be the LG G2x. But even then, I committed myself to only getting Nexus phones.

No worries man. I know it's off topic but what is the status of asus transformer stocks like in taiwan?

suomaf said:
No worries man. I know it's off topic but what is the status of asus transformer stocks like in taiwan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can buy them if you search a bit, there are a few here and there in some smaller retail shops. Online stores, it's more difficult to find. There are a lot of mix bagged feelings for ASUS Transformer for Taiwan folks.

eatTHESEbullets said:
I actually love the nexus s and I also have the original galaxy s. I beloved both perform equally well. You were concerned about GPS with the galaxy s, which CAN be remedied by using a custom rom but then you sacrifice the already low battery life even further. The nexus s has been an awesome phone to me. I would still suggest to wait or save for a 4g compatible phone. I'm not sure of coverage in your area but I was disappointed when I realized my nexus s was not 4g capable and its very similiar device the the original galaxy s.
My .02 cents.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! 4G isn't really pushed too much here in Taiwan, since we have a bunch of public Wi-Fi networks here - "WiFly" service; very convenient for anybody who comes to Taiwan! For the Galaxy S, I tried diving into see the ROMs available, but I'm going to stick with the stock Nexus experience; all the ROMs I see seems to look only beta and ongoing.

[POLL] Google edition or active?

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...

Alternatives to the Note 3

I have loved and used Samsung phones since I switched from HTC's fuze.
I had a Captivate, a Galaxy S, Note, Galaxy S3 and was planning on getting a Note 3. The Captivate and Note where grey imports and the Note 3 was going to be one. Another thing that I liked is that you could flash the latest rom from any region and use the modem from your region, did this with all of them.
Now with all the bootloader locking, Knox warning after rooting and now region locking it's very doubtful I'll get the Note 3.
Now this thread is here not to defend the Note 3, or to rant and vent against Samsung, but to provide alternatives to it. It should be a better phone that the Note 1
What would you recommend or what are you planning on doing?
Any recommendation should be unlockable, flashable and rootable as Samsung's phones USED to be.
So, do you guys have any thoughts on the following phones? Pros, cons against the Note 3?
HTC One Max? When will this phone be announced and available?
Sony's Xperia Ultra?
$769.50 Unlocked
Pros: Bigger screen
Cons:
No stylus
No flash on the back
Glass on the back
Screen seems to pick up scratches if you use a pencil and touch is not pressure sensitive. See Ericka Griffin's review
Note 8
$477.50 3G Unlocked
$589.50 LTE Unlocked
Pros:
Even bigger screen
Cons:
Probably would need a BT handset like Sony's SBH52 or Samsung HM5000 Pen Type Bluetooth 3.0 Headset
Outdated S3 hardware and lowres screen
Note 3 Developer's edition
Has anyone used the Note 2 Dev edition? Pros, cons?
Cons:
Really don't know if this will be available, and if it becomes available what capabilities it will or won't have.
So, any thoughts?

Sent from my LG-LS970

jgaviota said:
I have loved and used Samsung phones since I switched from HTC's fuze.
I had a Captivate, a Galaxy S, Note, Galaxy S3 and was planning on getting a Note 3. The Captivate and Note where grey imports and the Note 3 was going to be one. Another thing that I liked is that you could flash the latest rom from any region and use the modem from your region, did this with all of them.
Now with all the bootloader locking, Knox warning after rooting and now region locking it's very doubtful I'll get the Note 3.
Now this thread is here not to defend the Note 3, or to rant and vent against Samsung, but to provide alternatives to it. It should be a better phone that the Note 1
What would you recommend or what are you planning on doing?
Any recommendation should be unlockable, flashable and rootable as Samsung's phones USED to be.
So, do you guys have any thoughts on the following phones? Pros, cons against the Note 3?
HTC One Max? When will this phone be announced and available?
Sony's Xperia Ultra?
$769.50 Unlocked
Pros: Bigger screen
Cons:
No stylus
No flash on the back
Glass on the back
Screen seems to pick up scratches if you use a pencil and touch is not pressure sensitive. See Ericka Griffin's review
Note 8
$477.50 3G Unlocked
$589.50 LTE Unlocked
Pros:
Even bigger screen
Cons:
Probably would need a BT handset like Sony's SBH52 or Samsung HM5000 Pen Type Bluetooth 3.0 Headset
Outdated S3 hardware and lowres screen
Note 3 Developer's edition
Has anyone used the Note 2 Dev edition? Pros, cons?
Cons:
Really don't know if this will be available, and if it becomes available what capabilities it will or won't have.
So, any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see them releasing a developer edition for this phone as much as I would get one it is all about the Spen in Samsungs eyes but you never know

How are Sony's, HTC's and LG's attitudes to rooting now?

Acer Liquid S2 looks very interesting.
Almost same great specs as Note 3:
snapdragon 800 quad core 2.2, Adreno 330, 13mp camera (4K video rec), 1080p Corning Gorilla Glass (lcd) display, 2gb ram.
but with larger screen 6", 4 led ring flash (powerful flashlight), stereo speakers, microSD, up to 128 GB, and... fm radio!
Lte support: 800 / 1800 / 2600.
They haven't published a weight for it yet. No Knox or Region lock! I'm guessing hoping an unlocked boot loader! I have a new crush!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317

keeping my note 2 and buying the refreshed version of this W3 Windows x86 Desktop OS tablet for 280$
http://www.staples.com/Acer-ICONIA-W3-810-1600-81-32GB-Tablet/product_48343
because no phone or phablet will be 8.1" in display size
or have a real desktop OS that runs .exe files
and just use it in tandem using my note 2 to tether unlimited verizon 4G to the windows tablet. and keep the note 2 for calls, messages, notifications, GPS.
both in either pocket.

I was SO getting a Note3 to replace my Note2 as quickly as possible but recent events have turned me off and I'm in no hurry whatsoever anymore. I'm going to sit tight and follow how things develop.
If you're into Samsung have a look at the Mega which I had for about a week. It was really nice but I ended up returning it because when I set the brightness to 100% it would often "auto-dim" due to overheating.
Right now I'm keeping my Note2 but have actively started to look at other brands (I'm only one person and Samsung could care less about my business, but if bad reputation spreads things could change quickly).

Personally the only other phone alternative I would consider is HTC Max which I think is being launched on 15th Oct.
both ultra and mega are sluggish in comparison to Note 3 so a no no for me, and mega is plastic. Note 3 is lovely phone with good features but the beast is caged in cheap looking plastic and the bezel is ugly. The design has put me off somewhat but I love the features. So not sure what I'll do with it I've been offered iPhone 5s 64gb to swap, I'm considering it.

Xperia Z Ultra is the best alternatives.

How about HTC One MAX which will be coming soon?

Fact of the matter is none of the other large size screen phones are considered alternatives to the Note. An alternative or a substitute is something that fulfills the same benefit. Even now after two years of launching the note, there is no phone that provides you with same or equivalent multi tasking features and the S-pen.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk 2

The Xperia Z Ultra is too big with the bezels. I had it for awhile. And it scratches so easily.
If I wasn't getting the Note 3 it would be the LG G2. Nice big display and fast. I also had it for awhile to test. Great phone.

The Oppo N1 is the only interesting phablet alternative.

yes +1 for Oppo N1.
http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_n1-review-990.php

Tubgirl said:
I was SO getting a Note3 to replace my Note2 as quickly as possible but recent events have turned me off and I'm in no hurry whatsoever anymore. I'm going to sit tight and follow how things develop.
If you're into Samsung have a look at the Mega which I had for about a week. It was really nice but I ended up returning it because when I set the brightness to 100% it would often "auto-dim" due to overheating.
Right now I'm keeping my Note2 but have actively started to look at other brands (I'm only one person and Samsung could care less about my business, but if bad reputation spreads things could change quickly).
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riz157 said:
Personally the only other phone alternative I would consider is HTC Max which I think is being launched on 15th Oct.
both ultra and mega are sluggish in comparison to Note 3 so a no no for me, and mega is plastic. Note 3 is lovely phone with good features but the beast is caged in cheap looking plastic and the bezel is ugly. The design has put me off somewhat but I love the features. So not sure what I'll do with it I've been offered iPhone 5s 64gb to swap, I'm considering it.
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Regarding the Galaxy Mega, Samsung missed a HUGE (pun intended) opportunity with that device. I checked it out in person at an AT&T store. The first thing I thought was 'Holy Jesus, this thing is huge' (and i'm a pretty big guy, but even I was surprised at the size). The second thing I thought as I played with it was how laggy it was. I know they were just testing the waters, but they went too low-spec with that device. I think people like us (nerds and technophiles) could deal with the lower-res screen and the plastic feel of the phone, but the internals of the device killed it. If they had done slightly better specs (I'm talking maybe Note 2 range) and a slightly smaller screen (6"), there would have been people jumping all over that phone.
That being said, if they come out with a Galaxy Mega 2 next year that is actually speedy and a little bit smaller, then I might seriously consider buying one.

After a quick research I decided that I will wait for HTC ONE Max,My experience with my old HTC HD2 ,which is still my backup device,is very good.

Ascend Mate?
I used Huawei Ascend Mate for a while. It's a pretty good device, quad core, 2GB RAM, 6.1 inch, nice screen, good quality, and the price also. (I paid 350 euros for it in France, which is very cheap compared to the 750 euro price tag of the Note3). The cons were, only 8GB of inner storage (there's a slot for external SD card though), no stylus (this bothered me the most), not really good camera, and -well it isn't really important to every user- no custom software development. Rootable, so u can at least remove the bloatware. I've heard about some MIUI custom ROM for it, though, but never tried it.

hagba said:
After a quick research I decided that I will wait for HTC ONE Max,My experience with my old HTC HD2 ,which is still my backup device,is very good.
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Good luck. They botched the launch of the One and now the One Mini whose design (at least in China) the One Max shares. Not to mention their precarious financial condition.
azzerc said:
Hi guys.
I have recently upgraded to the HTC One Mini and I have to say that I'd love this handset if it wasn't for the fact that the plastic edge/chassis keeps cracking. I am on my second handset as Vodafone were happy enough to replace my first one when I reported this issue to them but it has happened again on my second. These small cracks were not there when I first got either of the two handsets but seemed to appear after a few days of use. I have been back to the store again and they will replace the handset or let me change to a different model/brand so there is no issue there. My question are: Has anyone else had this issue? As I can't seem to find any info on other instances. And, Does it's big brother the HTC One have the same issue as I may upgrade to that?
Cheers guys any info would be appreciated.
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=45061270#post45061270
HTC Corp is facing supply constraints on its latest smartphone, sources familiar with the matter said, piling pressure on already disappointing sales and increasing the likelihood the firm will post its first net loss this quarter.
The problems with the HTC One Mini, launched in mid-July to generally positive reviews, come partly from a casing shortage arising from design difficulties that are crimping production rates, one of the sources said.
The casing troubles come hot on the heels of shortages associated with the flagship HTC One model's camera module, indicating the Taiwanese company is still struggling to overcome supply chain difficulties which delayed the One's full launch and contributed to a record low first-quarter net profit.
Another source said consumer and telecom demand for the One Mini could not be met at the moment, even though analysts estimate that the company plans to ship only around 200,000 of the devices each month.​
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/24/htc-shortage-idUSL4N0HK18P20130924

BarryH_GEG said:
Good luck. They botched the launch of the One and now the One Mini whose design (at least in China) the One Max shares. Not to mention their precarious financial condition.
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who knows my humble contribution may help them with their finacial situation!,besides since I dont have a marriage arrangment with Samsung I see no harm in flirting around a bit!!.

Galaxy Note 2 hands down.

Any input ? Note 5 or s6 edge?

Any help would be great guys. I currently have a s6 edge on att but looking to switch to T-Mobile. I love my s6e but since I'm switching and have an option on changing devices on intertaining the note 5.
I never owned a note line always had galaxy series. Is it too big and gauky in your pocket. Is it comfortable to hold to your ear? Is the spen actually something you use?
Any pros and con's would be great.
The guys

Over 80 views and no comments ?

It kind of depends on if you think you will use the S-Pen or not. I personally found the Edge+ to be a little gimmicky. After you get over the awe of the curved screen, I felt that the Note had way more to offer. Both phones are identical aside from the S-Pen features for the Note or the curved screen and software that comes along with that. You have to decide what you think will fit what you plan on using the phone for.

I've been a note owner since the first iteration. For me, with medium to large hands, holding the note for any purpose, including phone calls is quite comfortable, although I use my bluetooth headset most of the time. I seldom use the spen, although the note while off function has come in handy a few times.
The device sits nicely in my jeans or coat pockets.

It comes down to personal preference.
I would go to Best Buy and play with both phones and decide for yourself.

Note 5. But then again you are in note 5 section. If I go ask in s6 I am sure they will pick they own phone.

I've had both, for me personally, I chose the Note 5. The dual screen is beautiful but it gets boring after a while and its not as comfortable to hold in your hand.

Note5 way to go.

I had the edge 6 and switched to the note 5, I prefer the larger screen, feels better in hand, stylus is a plus, and I got a free wireless charger for signing up for samsung pay.
Personally I prefer the note 5

sna66 said:
I had the edge 6 and switched to the note 5, I prefer the larger screen, feels better in hand, stylus is a plus, and I got a free wireless charger for signing up for samsung pay.
Personally I prefer the note 5
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I just switched myself. Tried signing up for Samsung pay but it won't take any of my 3 cards?
Sent from my SM-N920T using XDA Free mobile app

Note 5 is huge I prefer my old s6edge

David111jr said:
Over 80 views and no comments ?
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so no responses from you to the people who took time out to give you their feelings especially after you referenced your 80 views. I think most people think that phone decisions should be made by the end user after review and of course test driving a few at the stores. Also if you get jump on demand if you dont like one you can get the other.
So basically a thread asking for help with Google and a store to try things out at dont really make sense to me but with all that said did you choose a phone? No disrespect to you either these are just my thoughts... :good:

galaxy note 4

Thanks Iceepyon.
Have you rooted your note 4. Why I'm asking is that I like to try and make my device look different to the original. I have a small cellular shop in south Africa. At least 500 hundred cellular repair services. Close to each other. But I'm not in the repair side. What I'm doing in my shop is softwares installation. And selling second devices. But I've notes a lot of people love the way I make a phone look different. Just by adding nice lounchers. some I root to show people what is the different between a original and a rooted device. So I need to have diffrent ideas to keep the people coming inn and asking and looking at the phones.most of the they buy it. Now I love this note 4 as is but I see there is so much to do with rooted and I'm on the edge to root but before I do I like advice from people how know what is the best like you for instants if you have any ideas for me please advice me as I'll take it seriesly. I love what you do and effort u put in..

To be honest the OS on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 isn't as bad as what some people say it is. I've been using mine for about 3 years now. I got mine shortly after the Note 5 specs were announced. Even when it was running Lollipop, I had pretty smooth performance with the Note 4. I'm now currently running on the latest iteration of Marshmallow 6.0.1 with the latest security patches and it is very smooth. The only issue I have is that I can fully charge a new battery in it. Just the battery that originally came with it. However that can be remedied with the external battery charger.