Opinions on the s5 - Sprint Galaxy S 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hey all, I went from the gs3 to the HTC m8 and I have a guy that may want to trade me for his gs5. I'm seriously thinking about it but wanted to get a little input from you guys. How satisfied are you with the phone? I know every device has ups and downs, just trying to make an informed decision here.

I am pretty satisfied as you said every device has its ups and downs I have owned both the m8 and the s5 the only thing i miss about the M8 is the appearance as far as looks go the m8 takes the cake. The s5 definitely feels snappier and faster browsing around the phone opening apps etc it also seems to charge quicker. The fingerprint reader is pretty decent just make sure you register your thumb sideways so its more useful to you and you dont have to re-position your hand to use it. Overall i believe the S5 is a better phone and no worries as far as Roms etc it should get there soon the M8 had a headstart!

That's good. I think I may make the trade if the other guy is still interested. We are suppose to talk later.

metalfan78 said:
Hey all, I went from the gs3 to the HTC m8 and I have a guy that may want to trade me for his gs5. I'm seriously thinking about it but wanted to get a little input from you guys. How satisfied are you with the phone? I know every device has ups and downs, just trying to make an informed decision here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if you want some more input but in order to help I would have to ask the question.....what made you choose the M8 over the S5 initially? The answer I think will help to provide clues as to what your usage consists of.

I had quite a few htc phones before I got the gs3 and wanted to give them another shot. I like sense, I like the front speakers, the 32 gb storage, and the form factor. It's a nice looking, nice sounding phone. I really just wanted to switch it up a bit. Oh, and I wasn't too fond of Knox.

metalfan78 said:
I had quite a few htc phones before I got the gs3 and wanted to give them another shot. I like sense, I like the front speakers, the 32 gb storage, and the form factor. It's a nice looking, nice sounding phone. I really just wanted to switch it up a bit. Oh, and I wasn't too fond of Knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think one of the biggest drawbacks of the S5 is the 16gb internal. Wouldn't be a big deal if KK didn't keep app data from being moved over to the extSD. I know there are options such as Foldermount to get things moved but still would be nice to have more storage. Coming from the S3 to S4 to S5 I do like the newer TW layout better on the S5 and it has more options to customize. Never used the M8 so I can't give any personal comparisons unfortunately.

This is a very nice device. The dual WiFi antennas make for reasonable WiFi link speeds. USB 3.0 charges really fast and transfers data very fast. Screen is excellent and bright in daylight and dim at night which the s3 was not good at. Processor is extremely fast. My only small complaints are home button waking up phone in my pocket and menu button is now recent apps. Phone is not slippery in hand unlike the s3. Camera is excellent and fast. I'm not disappointed at all and I was not initially going to upgrade but I'm glad I did.
Sent from my SM-G900P using xda premium

Hey look what the cat dragged in I'm browsing this forum for the same reason. Much less activity than I hoped.
I have the M8 but 3G died on it after 3 weeks. I bought a backup that I can still return.
The replacement just came in and is sealed new.
So I can sell a factory sealed M8 and return the other and not be out much $$$.
So it's an opportunity to change my mind.
Pro's and Con's I see
As much as folks complain about the low Pixel Count on the M8 Camera it takes quite good pictures even in tough conditions.
Just read a thread of a lot of folks getting blurring pictures on the S5. That's EXACTLY what you get when pixels are too small. You need more light.
I use the camera lot for work and recording things. Like if I'm working on say fixing our Dryer I take pictures of the Model number and the broken part.
I do stuff like that all the time. I can get extremely close with the M8 camera. It's always in focus. And often works with or without flash even in less light.
I like the USB 3.0 on S5
Is USB MTP or Mass Storage on the S5. M8 does both.
I have not compared Speakers but I have to assume the M8 speakers are better.
And the new "Harman Kardon" ROM really does enhance the sound quite a bit. I was shocked to be honest.
There is something fragile in the M8 and several owners have had the same issue of losing 3G (after a few weeks). I'm worried it will happen again.
I believe all other Network issues are either local Sprint towers or Spark related issues and the S5 won't solve those.
Rumor has it Samsung's have slightly better reception. I can get 4G at the end of my driveway with the M8 and 1/2 a block away at work.
1% more Gain and I'd have 4G at work and home which would be a bonus.
I do like Blinkfeed on HTC. And I do like Sense.
The M8 is pretty heavy compared to S5. I wouldn't mind losing a few ounces.
There is a video on youtube showing an M8 running under water for like 30 minutes. But the question is, does it still run NOW.
You do have to replace the USB cover on the S5 to keep it waterproof and the cover is flimsy.

jbadboy2007 said:
This is a very nice device. The dual WiFi antennas make for reasonable WiFi link speeds. USB 3.0 charges really fast and transfers data very fast. Screen is excellent and bright in daylight and dim at night which the s3 was not good at. Processor is extremely fast. My only small complaints are home button waking up phone in my pocket and menu button is now recent apps. Phone is not slippery in hand unlike the s3. Camera is excellent and fast. I'm not disappointed at all and I was not initially going to upgrade but I'm glad I did.
Sent from my SM-G900P using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out Wanam Xposed to turn off "Wake device with Home button"
The battery cover of the black S5 is a little grippier than the white one as it was on the Note 3's.

mswlogo said:
Hey look what the cat dragged in I'm browsing this forum for the same reason. Much less activity than I hoped.
I have the M8 but 3G died on it after 3 weeks. I bought a backup that I can still return.
The replacement just came in and is sealed new.
So I can sell a factory sealed M8 and return the other and not be out much $$$.
So it's an opportunity to change my mind.
Pro's and Con's I see
As much as folks complain about the low Pixel Count on the M8 Camera it takes quite good pictures even in tough conditions.
Just read a thread of a lot of folks getting blurring pictures on the S5. That's EXACTLY what you get when pixels are too small. You need more light.
I use the camera lot for work and recording things. Like if I'm working on say fixing our Dryer I take pictures of the Model number and the broken part.
I do stuff like that all the time. I can get extremely close with the M8 camera. It's always in focus. And often works with or without flash even in less light.
I like the USB 3.0 on S5
Is USB MTP or Mass Storage on the S5. M8 does both.
I have not compared Speakers but I have to assume the M8 speakers are better.
And the new "Harman Kardon" ROM really does enhance the sound quite a bit. I was shocked to be honest.
There is something fragile in the M8 and several owners have had the same issue of losing 3G (after a few weeks). I'm worried it will happen again.
I believe all other Network issues are either local Sprint towers or Spark related issues and the S5 won't solve those.
Rumor has it Samsung's have slightly better reception. I can get 4G at the end of my driveway with the M8 and 1/2 a block away at work.
1% more Gain and I'd have 4G at work and home which would be a bonus.
I do like Blinkfeed on HTC. And I do like Sense.
The M8 is pretty heavy compared to S5. I wouldn't mind losing a few ounces.
There is a video on youtube showing an M8 running under water for like 30 minutes. But the question is, does it still run NOW.
You do have to replace the USB cover on the S5 to keep it waterproof and the cover is flimsy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The blurriness from the camera is most likely coming from a protective film that you can't see but it is there and once you remove it the pics are outstanding
Sent from my SM-G900P using xda premium

jbadboy2007 said:
The blurriness from the camera is most likely coming from a protective film that you can't see but it is there and once you remove it the pics are outstanding
Sent from my SM-G900P using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree. The film that is on the camera only goes around the lens. It does not cover the lens. Also, I took probably 40-50 pics in the same environment and about 90% were blurry but a few were not. If it was the film 100% would be blurry. There is a thread about the blurry pictures and the consensus is that the image stabilization setting is the cause for the blurriness. I have not disabled and tried it yet but others are saying that fixes the issue.
mswlogo said:
Hey look what the cat dragged in I'm browsing this forum for the same reason. Much less activity than I hoped.
I have the M8 but 3G died on it after 3 weeks. I bought a backup that I can still return.
The replacement just came in and is sealed new.
So I can sell a factory sealed M8 and return the other and not be out much $$$.
So it's an opportunity to change my mind.
Pro's and Con's I see
As much as folks complain about the low Pixel Count on the M8 Camera it takes quite good pictures even in tough conditions.
Just read a thread of a lot of folks getting blurring pictures on the S5. That's EXACTLY what you get when pixels are too small. You need more light.
I use the camera lot for work and recording things. Like if I'm working on say fixing our Dryer I take pictures of the Model number and the broken part.
I do stuff like that all the time. I can get extremely close with the M8 camera. It's always in focus. And often works with or without flash even in less light.
I like the USB 3.0 on S5
Is USB MTP or Mass Storage on the S5. M8 does both.
I have not compared Speakers but I have to assume the M8 speakers are better.
And the new "Harman Kardon" ROM really does enhance the sound quite a bit. I was shocked to be honest.
There is something fragile in the M8 and several owners have had the same issue of losing 3G (after a few weeks). I'm worried it will happen again.
I believe all other Network issues are either local Sprint towers or Spark related issues and the S5 won't solve those.
Rumor has it Samsung's have slightly better reception. I can get 4G at the end of my driveway with the M8 and 1/2 a block away at work.
1% more Gain and I'd have 4G at work and home which would be a bonus.
I do like Blinkfeed on HTC. And I do like Sense.
The M8 is pretty heavy compared to S5. I wouldn't mind losing a few ounces.
There is a video on youtube showing an M8 running under water for like 30 minutes. But the question is, does it still run NOW.
You do have to replace the USB cover on the S5 to keep it waterproof and the cover is flimsy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speakers on the M8 will be much better than the S5. Reception to me seems a bit more flaky than the S4 but I think this is TriBand related. Yes, the cover has to be on to keep it water resistant. How else would it be sealed up? The cover is not "flimsy" in my opinion. It is designed just as it should be. However, I also don't buy into the metal body being superior to plastic like it seems most peeps are but that is a whole other discussion.
Anyways, I think you have to decide what features are more important to you to make your decision. Both devices have advantages over the other.

CCallahan said:
I have to disagree. The film that is on the camera only goes around the lens. It does not cover the lens. Also, I took probably 40-50 pics in the same environment and about 90% were blurry but a few were not. If it was the film 100% would be blurry. There is a thread about the blurry pictures and the consensus is that the image stabilization setting is the cause for the blurriness. I have not disabled and tried it yet but others are saying that fixes the issue.
Speakers on the M8 will be much better than the S5. Reception to me seems a bit more flaky than the S4 but I think this is TriBand related. Yes, the cover has to be on to keep it water resistant. How else would it be sealed up? The cover is not "flimsy" in my opinion. It is designed just as it should be. However, I also don't buy into the metal body being superior to plastic like it seems most peeps are but that is a whole other discussion.
Anyways, I think you have to decide what features are more important to you to make your decision. Both devices have advantages over the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you take you fingernail and scrape in the corner against the lens the film will come off. Like I said you can not see it there is no tab indicating it's there. It was that same thread that some one else found the protective film.
Sent from my SM-G900P using xda premium

Had the HTC m8 for about a month, and this phone had problems going from a cell tower thats been updated with Sprint stupid spark, to a tower that was either LTE or 3G, and I was dropping calls in places that I never drop calls, I read on a lot of sprint forums that other people around the country was having similar problems. I exchange my phone for another m8, and the problems contiune, Sprint gave me the hardest time with this problem, sprint even told me I may have to wait for sprint to update certain towers in my area, Like sprint has the best record of being prompt ! So I had to raise holy hell to even make them condsider that the stories in the forums about the phone software not being optimized in he first shipments of the m8 not cooperating with their towers, finally I was able to switch to SGS5, haven't had a problems since switching. I really,reallly wanted the M8 over the S5, but came back to Sammy.

Wait, you got them to give you a gs5? Were you within your 14 days?

Only issue I have is not with the phone itself but with sprint spark and how data turns off when a call comes in kind of a pain when your downloading from lte or surfing the web with a Bluetooth in.
Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

sml2004 said:
Only issue I have is not with the phone itself but with sprint spark and how data turns off when a call comes in kind of a pain when your downloading from lte or surfing the web with a Bluetooth in.
Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually that is the phones fault no svdo. Simultaneous voice and data. Calls and WiFi data work though.
Sent from my SM-G900P using xda premium

CCallahan said:
I have to disagree. The film that is on the camera only goes around the lens. It does not cover the lens. Also, I took probably 40-50 pics in the same environment and about 90% were blurry but a few were not. If it was the film 100% would be blurry. There is a thread about the blurry pictures and the consensus is that the image stabilization setting is the cause for the blurriness. I have not disabled and tried it yet but others are saying that fixes the issue.
Speakers on the M8 will be much better than the S5. Reception to me seems a bit more flaky than the S4 but I think this is TriBand related. Yes, the cover has to be on to keep it water resistant. How else would it be sealed up? The cover is not "flimsy" in my opinion. It is designed just as it should be. However, I also don't buy into the metal body being superior to plastic like it seems most peeps are but that is a whole other discussion.
Anyways, I think you have to decide what features are more important to you to make your decision. Both devices have advantages over the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My daughter has an S5 and she says it's flimsy. Also seen it mentioned in a pretty good review comparing M8 vs S5. Same review mentioned camera being slow on the S5 and only adequate in day light.
One test folks can try is compare your daylight outdoor photos with indoor/evening photos. Bet ya the outdoor ones are not blurry.
Plastic can be done right. But the S5 looks like a toy phone with that double rib plastic chrome. I like the textured back.
Levono is supposed to start making phones soon. Perhaps we'll see a Carbon Fiber one soon. That would be a great material.
I put E-Grip on the back of my M8 to make it not so slippery. I have on all my phones. But it's especially needed on the M8.
I think an ever so slightly larger M7 would have been better.

Related

One week with the AT&T HTC One X

Well, I saw a Rogers user posting his comments after a week of use so I figured I'd post some opinion as well, especially since I disagree with several of his opinions.
First, I've noticed the wi-fi issue as well. As with some other posters my router is not known to be super reliable, so that could have some impact. Also, it seems that some folks are having success switching to G instead of N and that may also help as I believe I am on G at work and I haven't had any issue with wi-fi at work. Hopefully this can be fixed with a software update.
I first reported some disappointment with the warm hue of the screen, and either it is growing on me or it is burning in a little bit and the tans, greens, and oranges are starting to look better. The screen as a whole looks fantastic. Several people have remarked how it looks like a sticker on the phone or like the image is sitting on top of the glass. The resolution is fantastic and everything looks crisp vibrant. Reds, blues, and yellows look fine too. White seems pretty white to me. When comparing a white screen on the HOX to an AMOLED screen the HOX looks white and the AMOLED looks blue.
Battery life is about what I was expecting and seems to be on-par with the international version. I've not had any trouble making it from 8AM to 11PM even with pretty heavy usage. It's not as good as my Captivate on AOKP which could make it ~30 hrs under my normal usage which is relatively light. Because the HOX is such a great phone and it's brand new I've been using it a lot more so the most I think I've gotten is 18 or 19 hours which most people would consider fantastic in consideration of the usage.
Camera is by no means average and it absolutely smokes the iPhone 4S. I took some test shots with my wife's iPhone and the HOX just blows it away. The flash is much better, but even in low light without the flash the HOX looks better, has less grain to the photos and generally focuses better and has better color reproduction. The speed of the camera is incredible and using the burst mode to capture a moment is a stroke of genius if you have a dog or a kid that you want to take a pic of them doing something cute.
I've not had any status bar icon issues or in call volume adjustment.
My biggest complaint is not being able to turn off LTE since I'm not in an LTE area. I tried using a different APN and I didn't notice any difference and it didn't improve my battery life at all. I only had the new APN for ~2 days but I felt I may have been getting worse battery life, but certainly wasn't getting better battery life so I just went back to the stock APN.
I guess the Rogers poster was coming from an iPhone and remarked on a slight lag moving between homescreens. This is exagerated to say the least. This phone with sense 4.0 is the fastest UI I've seen on an android phone and the only phone that is more fluid is the iphone and that is due to apple putting realtime priority on UI rendering computations while Android puts industry standard normal priority on rendering. No matter how good the code is, no matter how fast the processor is, it's just never going to look like the iphone because it's never going to have realtime priority. That said, this phone responds instantly to all touches in virtually all parts of the phone. The only times I've seen lag is either app related or network related. It's a great user experience.
Another concern I saw in some other threads that I completely agree with is that the white smudges easily. In addition, the polycarbonate shell may be very durable in that it protects the phone, but it's basically the same material as a LEGO and as such can be dented with a drop as I've unfortunately experienced already. As far as the smudging the phone wipes back to a bright white easily, but probably needs to be cleaned every few days to keep it bright white and not getting dull. The white looks fantastic, best looking white phone out there, but I'd have to reluctantly recommend the grey if you aren't going to use a case in order to hide some dirt and dings more easily.
Overall, this is a fantastic phone. HTC has lived up to the hype and produced THE top android the device out right now. If you want the best in basically every area, you want an HOX right now, and it doesn't look like Samsung is going to beat it and it's going to take quite some time for the S3 to come to the US. If you've got an ATT upgrade in the next 2 months, you'd be crazy not to drop it on the HOX.
Hey since your on the AT & T version and you don't have the setting to turn LTE off. Type *#*#4636#*#* go to phone information and you can switch it to GSM/HSPA only. Let me know if that works for you!
My two biggest concerns right now are the wi-fi performance (which seems to be real and potentially fixed with a software update) and the battery life. In a few days we should see professional reviews for the AT&T model that will be able to compare the international and LTE editions under equal usage.
I know the white is harder to keep clean but I really prefer the look of it over the grey. Maybe I'd just make the effort to keep it clean.
I also think the camera lens is an issue with respect to scratches. I don't plan on using a case 95% of the time, so I'd have to find a DIY way to cover said lens while not in use. (I was thinking a small piece of electrical tape or something along those lines.)
I'm also going to wait until the WWDC keynote next month to see what Apple has in store for iOS 6.
If the wi-fi issue can get settled, battery life is solid while using LTE, iOS 6 isn't leaps and bounds better than iOS 5, then I'll probably make the jump. Some things to line up first though.
therulebookman said:
Camera is by no means average and it absolutely smokes the iPhone 4S. I took some test shots with my wife's iPhone and the HOX just blows it away. The flash is much better, but even in low light without the flash the HOX looks better, has less grain to the photos and generally focuses better and has better color reproduction. The speed of the camera is incredible and using the burst mode to capture a moment is a stroke of genius if you have a dog or a kid that you want to take a pic of them doing something cute.
I've not had any status bar icon issues or in call volume adjustment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did some more testing with the camera and no doubt it is able to create some fairly high quality shots. I just find the camera experience a bit easier overall with the i4s. We have matte grey walls at home and for some reason they always show up weird and distorted, I'll take a pic after work tonight and post it to show you what I mean.. I'll also post a comparison pic off the iPhone camera.
mattymon said:
Hey since your on the AT & T version and you don't have the setting to turn LTE off. Type *#*#4636#*#* go to phone information and you can switch it to GSM/HSPA only. Let me know if that works for you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried this before and posted results in my first thread about it. Doesn't work.
Odd question, can you do time lapse videos? I know this is an ICS thing, just wondering if HTC left it in?
BoostedSR20 said:
Odd question, can you do time lapse videos? I know this is an ICS thing, just wondering if HTC left it in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the phone yet but i remember from reading a review from neowin that they left the time lapse feature out.
blairh said:
My two biggest concerns right now are the wi-fi performance (which seems to be real and potentially fixed with a software update) and the battery life. In a few days we should see professional reviews for the AT&T model that will be able to compare the international and LTE editions under equal usage.
I know the white is harder to keep clean but I really prefer the look of it over the grey. Maybe I'd just make the effort to keep it clean.
I also think the camera lens is an issue with respect to scratches. I don't plan on using a case 95% of the time, so I'd have to find a DIY way to cover said lens while not in use. (I was thinking a small piece of electrical tape or something along those lines.)
I'm also going to wait until the WWDC keynote next month to see what Apple has in store for iOS 6.
If the wi-fi issue can get settled, battery life is solid while using LTE, iOS 6 isn't leaps and bounds better than iOS 5, then I'll probably make the jump. Some things to line up first though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know a lot of user's are concerned about getting the white version dirty, eBay has some clear gel cases for 2$, figured I'd share since a clear case won't hide the beauty of this device
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
rambo8987 said:
I know a lot of user's are concerned about getting the white version dirty, eBay has some clear gel cases for 2$, figured I'd share since a clear case won't hide the beauty of this device
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No clue if I'll end up getting the One X, but if I do, I'm only going to use a case when necessary (working around the house, etc). Love the way that polycarbonate feels in my hand. Camera lens needs to be covered with something though.
Has anyone messed with the APN settings and noticed a difference in battery life. You definitely can force HSPA/+.

This phone is complete garbage.

I started off with the One and didn't like it because my phones looked like this http://s16.postimg.org/rz4843lud/image.png
Like seriously I went through 3 of them and they were all like that, so I told my network I wasn't happy and I wanted to get a GS4 instead because I knew the build quality would be great.
So I did that and waited for the GS4 to come out and got my phone the other day and oh look another faulty phone. This time with the GS4 I have crazy ghosting issues and a pink tint of the screen, to top that off I have 3/4 dead pixels on the screen. Only now I'm out of exchanges and cannot exchange the phone again, even though I've had 4 faulty phones in a frigging row. Like are phones getting worse or something because this is the first time I've had any trouble. This isn't my picture but this is what my screen looks like at the bottom... http://i.imgur.com/9jhVEnr.jpg
On top of that though the phone has major problems elsewhere.
- I cannot install to Micro SD, like wtf? When did this change? I always could on my last Android phone a couple years ago. There is like 8GB internal on this phone that I can use, it's stupid, I've already filled it up with apps. The One had 29GB usable, so much better and the phone is cheaper too but there is only a 16gb version of the GS4 and it's way more expensive as well. In my mind Micro SD is made useless if I cannot install to it as everything else is on like Play or my pictures are automatically uploaded or video is all streamed now from stuff like Netflix etc etc.
- The loudspeaker is crap, they've made no effort with it, it's worse than my last phone and way worse than the One.
- The camera is crap, the FoV is too narrow, the shutter speed is too slow, no OIS, everything in the video is way too shaky and every picture is over saturated like mad. Like every picture looks like a cartoon and no settings I try is changing that, if you zoom into a picture it looks so stupid. The mics are just ****e, the audio quality is so bad, Samsung have made no attempt to improve them what so ever, good luck recording loud sounds because you cannot...
- Touchwiz is worse than ever, I mean I used to like it when it was based on GB, it was really nice and actually improved Android back then. Now however it's a bloated mess with far too many menus and nothing is where you expect to find it. If I'm trying to turn sensor features on and off for example, you think you've turned one on but it's not working, you have to then go through sub menus to find the one option that is off under that sensor menu. It's laid out so badly, it looks really bad now, so out dated and it lags quite often as a result. The worst thing of all is how much space it takes up....
Apart from the phone feeling so nice in the hand and being well made on the whole, I just cannot see any good qualities. I mean I wish I stuck with the One now, even with the Speaker grills coming off, the phone still manages to be way better. Sadly now I cannot have another exchange and go back and I doubt anyone wants to buy a GS4 with a crap screen. My only option left is just to complain to my Network and refuse to pay them until it is sorted because 4 faulty phones in a row is not acceptable IMO.
Post ur picture first. I dobt know why people come here with other peoples problem making it theirs and bash the devices they cant get.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
dead pixels? I have never seen an amoled screen with dead pixels, can you post a pic?
not saying I don't believe it, but that's just VERY rare
I'm hoping the screen issues are fixed soon by OTA or by the XDA members
install to micro SD... well... where have you been living for the past two years? lol
(there's another way though, check out FolderMount by a fellow XDA member)
loudspeakers, yeah true. not that it matters that much, to me at least. maybe samsung feels the same. they are good enough.
camera, I agree with the FOV. the rest can be improved over time with software, that's what XDA's for.
touchwiz, that's completely subjective. I kinda like it. even though I will be changing it, just because I like to make the phone my own.
advantages over the one?
1.9GHz, AMOLED display, bigger screen, removable (and bigger) battery, micro SD slot, air view (which will be supported by CM from what I've read!!), etc...
you know, there is no perfect phone. it's just up to you to choose which phone's downsides you'd rather live with.
I'm no samsung fan boy, but the S4 is just the phone I want. I can still see why people would chose the One, but I wouldn't.
Sorry but I've got to laugh.
You changed out three HTC One's cos the fit of the top of the handset was like 0.0001 mm out?
Get a grip man.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Tomo1971 said:
Sorry but I've got to laugh.
You changed out three HTC One's cos the fit of the top of the handset was like 0.0001 mm out?
Get a grip man.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, I mean seriously, I can barely notice the gap there. And he ditched One for that? LOL.
And honestly, seems like a troll - intentional or otherwise. Assuming that you are not trolling and is serious, get a replacement because I'm fairly sure that you've got a defective unit. Also post a picture of your screen because we'd all see to see that "miracle" unit.
Tomo1971 said:
Sorry but I've got to laugh.
You changed out three HTC One's cos the fit of the top of the handset was like 0.0001 mm out?
Get a grip man.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL
Terrorantula said:
oh look another faulty phone. This time with the GS4 I have crazy ghosting issues and a pink tint of the screen, to top that off I have 3/4 dead pixels on the screen. Only now I'm out of exchanges and cannot exchange the phone again, even though I've had 4 faulty phones in a frigging row. Like are phones getting worse or something because this is the first time I've had any trouble. This isn't my picture but this is what my screen looks like at the bottom... http://i.imgur.com/9jhVEnr.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Call Samsung and tell them the deal, they will correct it.
We get it, you don't like the phone, plenty do but you don't - so what do you expect the XDA community to do for you? Sell it or return it and buy something else, that's how things work in life, or were you hoping for someone to drop around, pick it up and morph it to something that's more suitable? Yeah really...
tuxonhtc said:
+1, I mean seriously, I can barely notice the gap there. And he ditched One for that? LOL.
And honestly, seems like a troll - intentional or otherwise. Assuming that you are not trolling and is serious, get a replacement because I'm fairly sure that you've got a defective unit. Also post a picture of your screen because we'd all see to see that "miracle" unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the HTC Ones were deemed as faulty by your provider and the S4 is deemed the same, there is no reason why you cant get many many replacements.
Its only if your right to refund/replacement is 'cos I dont like the phone' does the issue of running out of replacements become an issue.
TBH, Ive said before, and I will say again, I think people can be a little too over critical of devices that have gaps or apparent 'faults'. Its only due to forums like this that things get noticed. I can see a very slight pink tinge on my screen but been honest, I doubt if I would of seen that if I didnt know others had reported it.
My S4, as did the Note II before it, seems to be ok build wise.
I owned S3 since it begin shipped. Now I own s4 and have to say that, loudspeaker is much better than s3. I don't know how one's speaker but I am happy with s4's.
The S4 is actually a very good phone all the gesture features etc are very good, sound qaulity in audio is fantastic and loud too, phone looks and feels great,
however I do agree that 8gb internal sucks the not being able to transfer apps doesnt really bother me much, he FoV in camera does suck and so does video audio, especially when compared to my HTC one.
Overall it is a better phone than the HTC one but itsnt worth nearly £90 - £110 more (carphone and phones 4 u) and I will be getting one when the price drops from £580/600.
Get to see what Samsung do because my Network wants nothing to do with it, tbh don't want to deal with them anymore if this is how I get treated. Those gaps on the HTC One weren't off by a little bit, they were slowly lifting up more and more, you could push them in, clearly not glued properly. Why should I settle for a poorly built device? Lock into a contract for 2 years, just not good enough. All three HTC Ones had dead and bright pixels anyways, like had 5+ each but they were so small you couldn't see them unless you turned brightness to full.
Anyways considering my screen looks like that and has massive ghosting issues, exactly like what other people have posted, it's my right to have it changed. I didn't use my pictures because it wasn't coming out on my camera, that image though shows exactly what it looks like much better than any of my shots. I obviously have a GS4 because I compared the camera to the One and the 808 in another post and you can obviously tell from the FoV.
I think this thread has run its course... closing it before the real trolling starts

Verizon S5 Thoughts/Feedback Thread

After having mine now for an hour and using it....the fingerprint scanner doesn't work as good as I would like it. My thumb is at an angle when holding the phone. I added it in using that angle, but it wants you to come straight down, which means I have to change the way i hold it to use it and have it register.
Verizon added so much bloat it's crazy!
the heart rate monitor. absolutely useless to over 90% of the consumers.... maybe even 95%
Seems they screwed up adding all the extra features that as mentioned here, a lot probably will not use. Finger print scanners are prone to screw up and the heart rate sensor seems frilly for most. The cost of this "customer will like it" fluff is a bigger device. The device IMO is now too big in relation to the display and awkward with one hand for most people. The S4 was near borderline already.
Samsung truly has a bloat and new feature fetish. They seem to think the combination appeals more to customers. For the majority it seems No, but the minority is perhaps Yes. Catch is everyone gets stuck with a bigger, bloat ridden device- like it or not if want the S5.
The funny thing is the S5 now has near the same overall size of my S4 with a bigger battery.
M8 is also too big IMO, so the S5 is not alone in this regard.
I actually found the chrome trim be terrible looking, and despite my plans not to use a case, had to get a thin black bumper to cover it. There is no doubt the M8 looks better, and is very comfortable to hold. I had to have the S5 because the screen just seemed much better, and part of it isn't wasted by the nav bar like on the M8.
I haven't had enough time to play with all of the features yet, however the screen has been nothing but impressive so far. I don't like the new settings so far, but that's probably because I'm just not used to it.
---------- Post added at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 PM ----------
rushless said:
M8 is also too big IMO, so the S5 is not alone in this regard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My biggest beef with the M8 was that the speakers make the phone so much bigger than it needs to be. If you hold the S5 and the M8 next to eachother there is about half an inch of wasted space, especially if you factor in the navbar. For people that use the speakers, it might be worth it, but I would not.
turbosrrgood said:
I actually found the chrome trim be terrible looking, and despite my plans not to use a case, had to get a thin black bumper to cover it. There is no doubt the M8 looks better, and is very comfortable to hold. I had to have the S5 because the screen just seemed much better, and part of it isn't wasted by the nav bar like on the M8.
I haven't had enough time to play with all of the features yet, however the screen has been nothing but impressive so far. I don't like the new settings so far, but that's probably because I'm just not used to it.
---------- Post added at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 PM ----------
My biggest beef with the M8 was that the speakers make the phone so much bigger than it needs to be. If you hold the S5 and the M8 next to eachother there is about half an inch of wasted space, especially if you factor in the navbar. For people that use the speakers, it might be worth it, but I would not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is the screen in direct sunlight? I saw a review comparing it with others at max brightness which showed not much improvement. I think only Auto-Brightness will really max out the screen's brightness and I'm not sure if they manually maxed it out or it was it on auto.
And are you using it on the default mode or did you change it to cinematic?
i love the fingerprint scanner..works perfectly for my thumb for 1 handed use..
only thing i'm not liking right now is it seems to have that same body shift issue my white S3 had, that my S4 didn't..like as if the battery isn't big enough for the cavity, so it moves and makes the body feel like its twisting so it makes some lil snappy creak noises. kinda sucks, but oh well. maybe the battery just isn't big enough for the spot,w ho knows.
raichur0xx0rz said:
How is the screen in direct sunlight? I saw a review comparing it with others at max brightness which showed not much improvement. I think only Auto-Brightness will really max out the screen's brightness and I'm not sure if they manually maxed it out or it was it on auto.
And are you using it on the default mode or did you change it to cinematic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Granted I only spent about 5 minutes with it outside so far, but the difference was HUGE from my S3 (which I really struggled with in the sun). I did not mess with any display settings yet, so it was all default. I got it on lunch and I'm working, so I've only been able to play with it here and there.
The display continues to be impressive, which is the main reason I wanted it. I can't speak to the difference between the s4-5, but between the 3 and 5 its night and day.
I'm excited to get it home and drop in a sink of water.
I like the phone. Definitely has a lot of features that I won't use but that's a Galaxy device. If we're on XDA, we know what we're getting into. The bigger size to achieve the IP67 certification is somewhat annoying but again, nothing unexpected and a nice feature. One that I'm sure will save more than a few people. So, despite the usually Galaxy "extras", I'm enjoying it. I will have to get a replacement as there is a permanent " smudge " on the display. Almost as if there's a coating for the IP67 certification and that coating wasn't applied correctly. No biggie. As long as VZW cooperates lol.
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Not going to lie I hate this phone, they dropped the ball in gs5, I am not going to use it until the gracious devs get root and unlocked bootloader
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
damn..i just took some outdoors pics and they came out terrible. like, awful.
full light shots outdoors in the sun, blacks were coming out smudgy and blotchy and not good at all..i'm going to be super pissed if this camera turns out to be worse than my G2..that's the whole damn reason why i got this phone.
jayochs said:
damn..i just took some outdoors pics and they came out terrible. like, awful.
full light shots outdoors in the sun, blacks were coming out smudgy and blotchy and not good at all..i'm going to be super pissed if this camera turns out to be worse than my G2..that's the whole damn reason why i got this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's see these pics. No way worse than G2.
Not liking the recent apps button. Came from an s3 and I'm used to tapping for the menu to come up. Now it's needs a long press. If I could just swap the long and short press functions I would pretty happy. Only had it since 10am.
Screen is definitely better than the s3. Using it to navigate on the dash on a bright sunny made it very apparent. S3 looked dark and hard to see, the s5 looked way better and easy to see.
The chrome around this all black is not to my taste, but I'm hoping my new uag case will cover it.
jayochs said:
damn..i just took some outdoors pics and they came out terrible. like, awful.
full light shots outdoors in the sun, blacks were coming out smudgy and blotchy and not good at all..i'm going to be super pissed if this camera turns out to be worse than my G2..that's the whole damn reason why i got this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might find this interesting. I've spent the afternoon confirming these results.
http://m.blogs.computerworld.com/sm...rs.com&subid=cfcd208495d565ef66e7dff9f98764da
Edit: that is a huge link!
cRookeD Nexus 5
Crooke356 said:
You might find this interesting. I've spent the afternoon confirming these results.
http://m.blogs.computerworld.com/sm...rs.com&subid=cfcd208495d565ef66e7dff9f98764da
Edit: that is a huge link!
cRookeD Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yeah its huge. Lol.
So pretty much great camera with some bad moments?
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
I just took this in my garage...cam is fine for me.
greatnesstx said:
Not going to lie I hate this phone, they dropped the ball in gs5, I am not going to use it until the gracious devs get root and unlocked bootloader
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you hate it....not sure what you were expecting over what you saw on the S4.
jagrave said:
Lol yeah its huge. Lol.
So pretty much great camera with some bad moments?
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea. From all the devices I've ever owned, and it's a lot, that seems to be the case. Except for iPhone. I've never owned one but it's apparently perfect
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I just dropped mine a sink full of water. Still kicking. I recorded the drop.
I just realized that the screen lights up every time I get a text. Stays on for a few secs, but I cannot change that.
Light Manager works......w/out root.

This phone has been available to purchase for one month. Give your thoughts!

I am not disappointed in my purchase. And the development is already extraordinary.
Sent from my Vipered M8
Lovin every second spent with this device. No complaints on my end.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Premium HD app
Best phone on Verizon right now unless you're a cell phone photographer.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Best phone I've had in years
Sent from my VZW HTC One M8
I like it a lot. Not the slightest bit of stuttering yet. I've yet to root because I don't need it yet and I'd like my warranty to last at least a few months. Sadly on stock my ps3 controller OTG doesn't work. Might sound pity but that was a huge letdown.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
I traded my lockeddown galaxy s4 and all its accessories for this phone as soon s-off had been achieved. lucky me that a friend was adding a new line but wanted the s4 and has zero intentions of doing any modifications to the the phone. I am very impressed with this phone my only irritation is that if I have one of my pics set as wallpaper after a restart it's totally zoomed in/resized. this isn't egregious enough for me to actually try and fix though... not that it stays long anyway being flash happy lol.
I am happy with mine. I have a few problems but they are relatively minor.
1. Speaker grills. Make sure you get one that the grills are flush with the glass if you are going to use a screen protector that goes around the speakers.
2. Why in the hell would HTC only put a red/green LED notification light on it???? That is plain stupid.
wtoj34 said:
I like it a lot. Not the slightest bit of stuttering yet. I've yet to root because I don't need it yet and I'd like my warranty to last at least a few months. Sadly on stock my ps3 controller OTG doesn't work. Might sound pity but that was a huge letdown.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have an XBox 360 controller, they supposedly work via OTG also. I only have a wireless controller (which didn't come with a USB charger cable, or else I lost it) so I can't test it.
As far as the M8....I love it. Development is great, and the M8 itself is a fantastic device. I just wish the radios were a bit stronger. I have frequent issues at my gym with the reception cutting out, which apparently the phone doesn't deal with very well...I have to toggle airplane mode to get data going again, which happens usually 2-3 times during a workout. However, the reception inside my gym is horrible anyway (and it's only slightly better out in the parking lot. usually 1-2 bars, max).
Also, I do feel bad about hiding this beautiful phone inside of a case, but the damn thing is just too slippery...
Terrific phone, best available right now for sure. For a long time I completely undervalued a great stock software experience thinking CM would provide a better experience than, say, touchwiz. I was very wrong. CM on the GS3 was mostly stable, but that's just it... Mostly. It never got to the point of stability that CM7 enjoyed with Gingerbread. Things are different now.
HTC by far has the best stock experience of any manufacturer skin available. I find this experience to be equal to AOSP in my tastes. They did an elegant job.
Quality control/build quality is something I've learned a lot about by having this phone. I don't think I'm going to pit a metal chassis as highly as I did when deciding to go with this phone.
I had to return two of them due to minor imperfections and decided to settle with this one which over time is seeming to degrade dramatically.
- One of the plastic strips on the back is sunken in a bit and yields sharp edges when you run your fingers across it. It also looks bad from certain angles.
- My camera does not sit evenly in its hole. Rather, it's slightly tilted by 5-10 degrees. As far as I can tell this does not affect picture quality but again, feels unpleasant when your finger glides across the camera hole which you will occasionally.
- Speaking about fingers on camera, you'll be wiping it down a bit to clear the smudges. It's indented nature will make it harder to fully clean. Because of this, its easy to scratch the lens. I'm looking into camera lens protectors now.
- As mentioned, the speaker grills are problematic. Mine are mostly flush with the screen, but again, it's that MOSTLY again. On top of that, my bottom grill seems to have minor warping/a wavy surface. Light reflections emphasize this flaw but it's probably the least of my worries.
It's funny how I thought I was getting this phone for it's superior materials and build and ended up feeling unfulfilled in that aspect but being fully enamored with the software. Most of my build flaws are either diminished or not noticeable covered by a case, which I always use a little protection. Because of this, plastic is fine for me in the future if it means more consistent quality and longevity. I don't feel the superior materials when I'm using a case anyway.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
thunderbls said:
I traded my lockeddown galaxy s4 and all its accessories for this phone as soon s-off had been achieved. lucky me that a friend was adding a new line but wanted the s4 and has zero intentions of doing any modifications to the the phone. I am very impressed with this phone my only irritation is that if I have one of my pics set as wallpaper after a restart it's totally zoomed in/resized. this isn't egregious enough for me to actually try and fix though... not that it stays long anyway being flash happy lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn you got so lucky!
I had to sell Note 3 (locked) to get this phone. I also had a One Max in between.
85gallon said:
I am happy with mine. I have a few problems but they are relatively minor.
1. Speaker grills. Make sure you get one that the grills are flush with the glass if you are going to use a screen protector that goes around the speakers.
2. Why in the hell would HTC only put a red/green LED notification light on it???? That is plain stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. This is true. My first and second HTC One M7 had bad problems with unevenness.
2. Thats the best part about it. I love it! The HTC One M7 the light was barely noticeable. Now I can see it!
Div033 said:
Terrific phone, best available right now for sure. For a long time I completely undervalued a great stock software experience thinking CM would provide a better experience than, say, touchwiz. I was very wrong. CM on the GS3 was mostly stable, but that's just it... Mostly. It never got to the point of stability that CM7 enjoyed with Gingerbread. Things are different now.
HTC by far has the best stock experience of any manufacturer skin available. I find this experience to be equal to AOSP in my tastes. They did an elegant job.
Quality control/build quality is something I've learned a lot about by having this phone. I don't think I'm going to pit a metal chassis as highly as I did when deciding to go with this phone.
I had to return two of them due to minor imperfections and decided to settle with this one which over time is seeming to degrade dramatically.
- One of the plastic strips on the back is sunken in a bit and yields sharp edges when you run your fingers across it. It also looks bad from certain angles.
- My camera does not sit evenly in its hole. Rather, it's slightly tilted by 5-10 degrees. As far as I can tell this does not affect picture quality but again, feels unpleasant when your finger glides across the camera hole which you will occasionally.
- Speaking about fingers on camera, you'll be wiping it down a bit to clear the smudges. It's indented nature will make it harder to fully clean. Because of this, its easy to scratch the lens. I'm looking into camera lens protectors now.
- As mentioned, the speaker grills are problematic. Mine are mostly flush with the screen, but again, it's that MOSTLY again. On top of that, my bottom grill seems to have minor warping/a wavy surface. Light reflections emphasize this flaw but it's probably the least of my worries.
It's funny how I thought I was getting this phone for it's superior materials and build and ended up feeling unfulfilled in that aspect but being fully enamored with the software. Most of my build flaws are either diminished or not noticeable covered by a case, which I always use a little protection. Because of this, plastic is fine for me in the future if it means more consistent quality and longevity. I don't feel the superior materials when I'm using a case anyway.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Plastic Strips: Wow, that does blow. After you mentioned that I tested mine to see if they were like yours. Not at all. Completely smooth. You cannot detect a variance in height variance. Even while running my fingernail over them.
- Camera fit: I inspected mine; Perfect symmetry.
- Speaker grills. I know this issue well because of M7. I got lucky on this one because that offset drove me insane.
TBH: with all the little tweaks your phone has... It sounds like it has been dropped or twisted. Yes it could be bad build quality as well but I would really hate to think that.
is there any way you can exchange yours? Mine is near perfect, its sad to see yours is so... crappy.
scrosler said:
-Plastic Strips: Wow, that does blow. After you mentioned that I tested mine to see if they were like yours. Not at all. Completely smooth. You cannot detect a variance in hight however, as suspected the material feels different but not unexpected
- Camera fit: I inspected mine as well. Perfect symmetry.
- Speaker grills. I know this issue well because of M7. I got lucky on this one because that offset drove me insane.
TBH: with all the little tweaks your phone has... It sounds like it has been dropped or twisted. Yes it could be bad build quality as well but I would really hate to think that.
is there any way you can exchange yours? Mine is near perfect, its sad to see yours is so... crappy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I just got unlucky but oh well I'll live. The first time it was a tiny crack in the corner, the second time was a bump on the bottom speaker grill and was tired of replacing so I decided to just live with the third. I feel like it's punishment for being so picky or something lol
I'm past the 14 day return window but even if I wasn't I was tired of bothering the people at the Verizon store. It's a third party one and they were really nice and helped me keep my unlimited data, so I felt like I was being a hassle. It's also my fault for not examining it close enough to notice the crooked camera, even when they were insisting that I deeply inspect it before going with it.
No drops at all either. I've had it in a case practically since I got it as well. Hell maybe it's the case's fault (for the plastic bands, at least). Sounds like you got lucky, I figure it's just my turn to have some quirks as I've been pretty lucky with tech up to this point. Honestly I'm probably making them sound a lot worse than they actually are too.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
scrosler said:
2. Thats the best part about it. I love it! The HTC One M7 the light was barely noticeable. Now I can see it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I am having that problem with this phone. It is barely noticeable. But I am coming from a Moto RAZR MAXX with a large LED that is capable of multiple colors. I had lightflow set to use blue/white mostly. Some yellow. I guess the main reason I am *****ing is because I am red/green color blind. I can't tell the difference in the colors they offer (red/green)
I don't expect special treatment, but WHY do companies CONTINUE to offer colors that are not visible/distinguishable by about 10% of the population? Why not just use easily distinguishable colors? Like Blue and Yellow.
[/rant]
I'm happy with mine. I don't see any of the flaws mentioned here or anywhere else for that matter. Camera, speaker grills, screen, they are all as they should be. As far as I can see anyway. I love this phone.
That said, I do have one and only one beef about it. The notification LED. No, not that it's not bright enough or the colors available. It's that it only stays on for 5 minutes or so. I'll admit I haven't spent a whole bunch of time searching for an answer but I've spent enough and have yet to come up with a way to make it stay on until I've looked at whatever it is it's notifying me about. Sounds like it's been this way a bit for HTC for a while though. This is my first HTC phone and I'm used to picking up the phone and seeing that light flash. Regardless of how long ago it's been since I've received a call, text or whatever. I'd much prefer to be able to just glance at the phone and see if anything's happening as opposed to having to pick it up and turn on the screen.
I suppose they do it for battery savings. Don't know. But, I find it hard to believe that turning that little diode off after 5 minutes saves anything worth saving. It's not like it's going to be 2 days before I look at it. That said, I can't blame it on the phone. It's HTC's software that comes into play there.
Anyway, other than that, I'm a happy camper.
Yes, yes I did.. get lucky with obtaining this phone. ???
Div033 said:
Yeah I just got unlucky but oh well I'll live. The first time it was a tiny crack in the corner, the second time was a bump on the bottom speaker grill and was tired of replacing so I decided to just live with the third. I feel like it's punishment for being so picky or something lol
I'm past the 14 day return window but even if I wasn't I was tired of bothering the people at the Verizon store. It's a third party one and they were really nice and helped me keep my unlimited data, so I felt like I was being a hassle. It's also my fault for not examining it close enough to notice the crooked camera, even when they were insisting that I deeply inspect it before going with it.
No drops at all either. I've had it in a case practically since I got it as well. Hell maybe it's the case's fault (for the plastic bands, at least). Sounds like you got lucky, I figure it's just my turn to have some quirks as I've been pretty lucky with tech up to this point. Honestly I'm probably making them sound a lot worse than they actually are too.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a follow up to this and a warning to any others out there, I managed to reset my camera lens to a very level angle (maybe 0.5-1 degrees off still) by pressing gently but firmly down on the raised side.
I think what may have happened is I pressed down a little too hard when cleaning the lens, causing it to become uneven. So be gentle when you wipe down your camera lens!
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Definitely happy with my purchased of the M8. 1 flaw we all kno Wat that is but besides that I pleased . Not one lag unlock boot loaders s-off can't get no better. And 6 sense smooth no delays waiting for apps to open.
Sent from my Insanely powered M8 using Tapatalk
Not so sure if I'm happy with mine yet. I am not liking this camera and it might be a deal breaker. I like being able to zoom and crop photos and the resolution is just too low. Also I don't notice any improvement with low light shots. Right now I'm debating about getting a gs5. Trying to figure out if I still want to mod my phone. I had a rezound which I enjoyed flashing.
The strengths of this phone
1. Very smooth and responsive.
2. Phone speakers sound great.
3. Overall audio quality is good
4. Very refined sense.
5. Cut and paste texting(sense feature).
6. Great front facing camera
7. Sd slot
8. Soff and root
9. Remote
10.gestures! I love the tap to wake
The bad
1. Poor camera
2. Non removable battery(not a huge deal but nice to have)
3. I don't feel the aluminum body is very rugged and will show drops or scratches very pronounced.
4. Slippery why aluminum if I have to buy a case anyway.
5. When I hold it I get the feeling it's premium but it also feels fragile.
6. Battery life isn't what I expected.(I've only had the phone for a week so I think it's still working itself out.)
Overall good phone but camera ruins it.
Sent from my HTC one m8
xmoox said:
Not so sure if I'm happy with mine yet. I am not liking this camera and it might be a deal breaker. I like being able to zoom and crop photos and the resolution is just too low. Also I don't notice any improvement with low light shots. Right now I'm debating about getting a gs5. Trying to figure out if I still want to mod my phone. I had a rezound which I enjoyed flashing.
The strengths of this phone
1. Very smooth and responsive.
2. Phone speakers sound great.
3. Overall audio quality is good
4. Very refined sense.
5. Cut and paste texting(sense feature).
6. Great front facing camera
7. Sd slot
8. Soff and root
9. Remote
10.gestures! I love the tap to wake
The bad
1. Poor camera
2. Non removable battery(not a huge deal but nice to have)
3. I don't feel the aluminum body is very rugged and will show drops or scratches very pronounced.
4. Slippery why aluminum if I have to buy a case anyway.
5. When I hold it I get the feeling it's premium but it also feels fragile.
6. Battery life isn't what I expected.(I've only had the phone for a week so I think it's still working itself out.)
Overall good phone but camera ruins it.
Sent from my HTC one m8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get a GS5, make sure you get one with a good camera. They are failing miserably. LOL
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/samsung-to-replace-galaxy-s5-phones-affected-by-faulty-84127046184.html
xmoox said:
Not so sure if I'm happy with mine yet. I am not liking this camera and it might be a deal breaker. I like being able to zoom and crop photos and the resolution is just too low. Also I don't notice any improvement with low light shots. Right now I'm debating about getting a gs5. Trying to figure out if I still want to mod my phone. I had a rezound which I enjoyed flashing.
The strengths of this phone
1. Very smooth and responsive.
2. Phone speakers sound great.
3. Overall audio quality is good
4. Very refined sense.
5. Cut and paste texting(sense feature).
6. Great front facing camera
7. Sd slot
8. Soff and root
9. Remote
10.gestures! I love the tap to wake
The bad
1. Poor camera
2. Non removable battery(not a huge deal but nice to have)
3. I don't feel the aluminum body is very rugged and will show drops or scratches very pronounced.
4. Slippery why aluminum if I have to buy a case anyway.
5. When I hold it I get the feeling it's premium but it also feels fragile.
6. Battery life isn't what I expected.(I've only had the phone for a week so I think it's still working itself out.)
Overall good phone but camera ruins it.
Sent from my HTC one m8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was recently a leaked photo of a Verizon Xperia Z2. I'd sooner get a Z2 than a GS5.
I agree with many of your points though I just don't think anyone should have to deal with the horror that is Touchwiz.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Of course, the One (M8) isn't a phone that's going to be to everyone's tastes. It's amazing product, the camera is fantastic and the battery has improved a bit and also with its with it's stunning design, this with the price. Everything I'm looking for a smartphone, its already here! Since I bought my M8, I did embrace and love it since then.

I'm out. I'm done with Essential

Edit at end of post.
This all goes back to before I even ordered the phone. I wanted the grey one. I emailed twice about it. They kept telling me it will be released soon and to watch their social media accounts to find out when it will be released knowing full well they weren't releasing those. This was months ago and those additional colors are still not out. So that was deceit #1. My last phone was an S6. Its connector was so loose a charging cable wouldn't stay in. Coupled with a diminished battery capacity, I needed a phone and I didn't want another Samsung.
I decided to go ahead and order the black one. As soon as I completed the order, I got a message asking if I wanted to know when the phone is certified by Verizon. Wait, what? At no point was that knowledge made public before my purchase. Android Authority put something out the next day or so. That was deceit #2.
About that time, the bandwagon of bad reviews based solely on what the PH-1 didn't have as well as the crappy camera app hit the media. I don't consider any of those things essential to a phone. I actually thought it was good to omit them and I didn't really care about the camera app. I'll admit, I defended Essential...a lot. I'm eating crow right now.
It arrived and the first thing I noticed was how freaking slippery this thing was. Unless it was on a perfectly horizontal surface, this thing was sliding off.
The second thing was the rough, fine sandpaper like plastic around the screen. I don't like the feel, at all, of that plastic. More importantly, why wasn't the entire side titanium? That's what was advertised. All I heard about is how durable the ceramic and titanium combination was. The drop test animation on their website show there phone hitting at a perfectly perpendicular angle to the surface. That was deceit #3. More on that later.
I put in the Verizon sim from my S6 and saw that my phone now had half the reception of my S6...half. Sitting next to my wife with her S6, she's pulling 4G and in out of 3G and 1X. All the settings were correct according to Verizon. I am in a weak cell area, yes, but never dropped calls. Calling now is virtually impossible without calling over WiFi...which brings me to the next issue. I'm with Verizon, so natively I have no WiFi calling or visual voicemail and whatever other features Verizon has limited me from using. There's even less signal in my area with AT&T so I'm stuck with Verizon. Wonderful. With some help from an XDA member, I was able to get Hangouts set up for WiFi calling but now I'm using two dialers.
Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone.
After one week, rub marks began to appear on the ceramic back of the phone. I ordered a skin to cover it up.
After 3 weeks, rub marks appeared on the screen! Listen, I am extremely anal about the care of my phones. No keys, no coins. The only thing that goes in my left front pants pocket, ever, is my phone. So, apparently cloth takes it's toll on this phone.
My phone was one of the ones with the cheap paper mesh over the ear speaker (really?). That thing is pretty much non-existent at this point. They wouldn't replace my phone for that like they did for everyone else before me but that's fine, they offered to repair it for free which I declined. I didn't want the hassle of being separated from the phone that long.
My phone freezes occasionally, like completely freezes, unable to even turn off the phone until it restarts itself after about 30 seconds or so.
The screen off wake up or whatever it's called never works when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I have to shake it to see the time - pointless, since, at that point, it's easier to just fingerprint unlock than to shake it.
Many screen touches don't register, this is probably the most annoying thing overall about this phone.
The camera is really laggy, but everybody knows that.
And then the thing happened, I dropped it. From pocket height, I dropped it and it hit on the Achilles heel of the phone, the edge of the screen. Remember that plastic? Well, that thin plastic curves up to the edge of the phone. It gets thinner and thinner towards that top corner of the screen and it doesn't protect anything, especially the weakest part of gorilla glass, the edge. It cracked the corner of the screen. If that edge is not protected that will be a deal breaker on all future phones. That edge was supposed to be covered with titanium, damnit.
It still works but it's an eyesore and every time I look at this phone, I feel taken. I feel like a fool for buying this phone. It is a very aesthetic but poorly designed cheap ass phone sold at a premium price. They literally cut corners on this build. They owe me some titanium and whole slew of accessories, btw, but they can keep it all. I'm not even going to buy another one for $450 which I think is the going price now.
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I was thinking maybe the Pixel 2, but it appears they have issues of their own....maybe a flip phone.
Edit 12/28/2017:
In order to get data working after being connected to any WiFi, a restart is required. After a restart, I'm connected to LTE+ or whatever is actually available. This is true every time after being connected to WiFi. Credit to another user in these forums.
The one I just got from best buy about 3 weeks ago is a very noticeable difference. I know what you mean and I also had 3 returns but the latest one after reading the comments on xda really led me to believe there is a bad batch. So before I left the store I inspected it and hand weighed it. Even asked the rep to hand weigh it and there was a difference. right now I have no problems to report and I'm quite happy.
Even the signal issue that is claimed I haven't experienced because it's on par with my m9 and assumably my x pure.
Honestly... I know your stuck with your rant... But give it the final xda try. Inspect it before leaving the store and you will notice the weight and the back is much less slippery.
Also... I recommend worth Ave group insurance. Had them for years, and it's 79 dollars for a year with 800 dollar coverage and 50 dollars deductible which is deducted from the 800 dollar claim
The charger is usb-c cause it uses usb-c power delivery, just like the pixel. That's the correct standard and can handle higher wattage.
The scratches on the back are the oleophobic coating, not the ceramic.
The gorilla glass 5 scratches just the same as other devices with that version of gorilla glass.
If you weren't happy with the device, return within the 15 return period. I did. You can always rebuy.
The reason Essential can't give a date for the other colors is because the manufacturing process for that ceramic is difficult. They're doing each color in batches because you can't make multiple colors of ceramic at once in one furnace. You didn't see Xiaomi making different colors of the mi mix. It was black and many months later the white. That's all, and they're a much larger company with more resources.
The phone has improved since launch. 1st production models seemed to have QC issues (one reason I returned mine)
I received mine on Tuesday from Amazon it took me all of about half and hour to figure its going back 15Dbm difference then my moto z force. Not acceptable.
The workmanship on my white one is stellar. Absolutely zero issues the connectivity is great better than any device I've ever had on Verizon. The cameras responsive works great I'm not a professional photographer, I don't need professional photographer level results, but I get very good pictures. Absolutely love this device and with the Incipio its running naked, no screen protector.
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Honestly i was excited to get this phone i could get pass all of the small issues but then I noticed the following problems with the screen.
The screen is really slow to respond to touch input My pixel xl did not have this problem.
The display itself is an IPS display but this screen is the worst one i have seen perform on a phone there is a lot of ghosting (image blur on a moving object)
I compared it to a unit that was on display on a store and it had the same slow touch input and ghosting issues.
So the slow touch input affects the phone as to how fast you can type and switch apps etc. The phone does not respond to fast actions very well and sometimes misses touch inputs.
You can drag your finger on top of an app and swipe it left or right and you can see that the app will be way far back where your finger was a second ago. s8, pixel xl, note 5 dont have this problem (I own them) The display on this thing is disappointing and you can also observe horizontal lines on the display.
I think this phone would of been successful if they used an AMOLED display.
I would say that the display has very realistic colors but thats it.
Whats the point of a high end spec'd phone but has an underperforming display....
I'm the sort of person who's not the first in line to get anything. I wait for things to percolate and germinate and then make my move. I also usually wait until cases are available before buying.
Just recently got my PH-1, just over a week old and it's just great. Haven't even bothered with rooting or modding, just fine stock. Got a nice Tudia case from eBay and all's well.
Using it with Sprint, no problems or issues of any kind. Best activation process i've had in all my years with Sprint (considering the horror that i went through with the Nexus 6P).
I'm in. Very in with the PH-1.
So I get a lot of what your saying, I went the other and have learned to love my PH-1. In-Fact I will go as far to say it is my Favorite phone to carry all the way back to OG Moto Droid...
One comment about your rant though:
"Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone. "
So many phones come C to C now. My desktop and laptop both even have a couple C ports. Spend the $3 on Amazon for a cable if you need one man, this is not a fault of Essential.
Here's what I got for USB to USB C
USB Type C Cable, Snowkids USB C Cable (USB 3.0)(2-PACK 6.6ft) Nylon Braided Fast Charger for Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 G6 G5 V20,Nintendo Switch,Galaxy S8 Plus,Google Pixel 2,HTC U11 Plus (Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5KL10L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_X8MdAb1EMKPS8
---------- Post added at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 AM ----------
LordLugard said:
I'm the sort of person who's not the first in line to get anything. I wait for things to percolate and germinate and then make my move. I also usually wait until cases are available before buying.
Just recently got my PH-1, just over a week old and it's just great. Haven't even bothered with rooting or modding, just fine stock. Got a nice Tudia case from eBay and all's well.
Using it with Sprint, no problems or issues of any kind. Best activation process i've had in all my years with Sprint (considering the horror that i went through with the Nexus 6P).
I'm in. Very in with the PH-1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol we're about the same boat except my first phone didn't activate on sprint
bigmook said:
The workmanship on my white one is stellar. Absolutely zero issues the connectivity is great better than any device I've ever had on Verizon. The cameras responsive works great I'm not a professional photographer, I don't need professional photographer level results, but I get very good pictures. Absolutely love this device and with the Incipio its running naked, no screen protector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be going solely based on signal bar icons. If you compared dBm readings, you'll see essential is significantly worse than whatever phone you last came from. Signal is definitely one of the weakest points of this phone.
No sir I am going by real world usage as compared to my Nexus 6p which was totally functional. I don't look settings I just use it if it works it works. And it works very well.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
in case you did not know, they replace the phone for $200.
I got one from amazon for verizon and i havent had any signal issues. I am on Oreo beta now as well. As for the front screen i do have a slight knock in it as well not sure from what.. I did get the $13 tpu case off amazon and it does help quite a bit.. with handling it.
And I will prob be moving to the LG v30 when it comes available on amazon.. Since i can buy it try and if i dont like it return it with out being hit with stupid fee's
I wanted to pick up a oneplus 5T but people say oneplus doesnt support verizon..
Bye Felicia!
Titanium to the edge of the screen would break the screen if the phone got warm and then cooled down, since metal expands/contracts. So yea, dropping your phone on the edge is going to break the screen, but the alternative you're ranting about would cause the phone to break if you had it in your pocket and pulled it out in cold weather.
umx said:
I got one from amazon for verizon and i havent had any signal issues. I am on Oreo beta now as well. As for the front screen i do have a slight knock in it as well not sure from what.. I did get the $13 tpu case off amazon and it does help quite a bit.. with handling it.
And I will prob be moving to the LG v30 when it comes available on amazon.. Since i can buy it try and if i dont like it return it with out being hit with stupid fee's
I wanted to pick up a oneplus 5T but people say oneplus doesnt support verizon..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen some folk on reddit that dropped their already activated Verizon SIM in the 5 and had it connect to LTE with VoLTE. So long as you don't *need* the CDMA to work, it should work. Just don't ask Verizon for any help.
Seamonkey79 said:
Titanium to the edge of the screen would break the screen if the phone got warm and then cooled down, since metal expands/contracts. So yea, dropping your phone on the edge is going to break the screen, but the alternative you're ranting about would cause the phone to break if you had it in your pocket and pulled it out in cold weather.
I've seen some folk on reddit that dropped their already activated Verizon SIM in the 5 and had it connect to LTE with VoLTE. So long as you don't *need* the CDMA to work, it should work. Just don't ask Verizon for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as I get LTE and 4g thats all i care about.. verizon isnt of any help anyways lol..
umx said:
As long as I get LTE and 4g thats all i care about.. verizon isnt of any help anyways lol..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most LTE phones should work on Verizon 'out of box', provided they have the antennas necessary. I know the OnePlus 5 was missing a couple of Verizon bands, but the majority of them were there.
Seamonkey79 said:
Most LTE phones should work on Verizon 'out of box', provided they have the antennas necessary. I know the OnePlus 5 was missing a couple of Verizon bands, but the majority of them were there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea ill have to give it a shot.. and see.. worst case ill grab a v30 used or wait to next round of phones.
Ok, the rest of your rant is pretty justified. I feel you. These are valid points. However, you just start bringing up random stuff that doesn't make any sense to a complaint about the phone
bL1X said:
I put in the Verizon sim from my S6 and saw that my phone now had half the reception of my S6...half. Sitting next to my wife with her S6, she's pulling 4G and in out of 3G and 1X. All the settings were correct according to Verizon. I am in a weak cell area, yes, but never dropped calls. Calling now is virtually impossible without calling over WiFi...which brings me to the next issue. I'm with Verizon, so natively I have no WiFi calling or visual voicemail and whatever other features Verizon has limited me from using. There's even less signal in my area with AT&T so I'm stuck with Verizon. Wonderful. With some help from an XDA member, I was able to get Hangouts set up for WiFi calling but now I'm using two dialers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, wifi calling doesn't work because Verizon hasn't properly provisioned it in their system? That is a problem with the phone?
It seems like it is a problem with Verizon, which you should be asking them to fix.
Just leave it at: The signal sucks. I am looking at this phone right now. Signal sucks. I agree.
The whole Verizon thing just seems like a weird complaint
Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Literally no phone with USB C comes with the type of charger you are discussing. ZERO.
USB C-USB C cables are capable of 3A
USB A-USB C is limited to 2.4A
All phones with USB C come with a USB C-USB C so that the phone will charge faster! Every single one since the Nexus 6p/5X
The screen off wake up or whatever it's called never works when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I have to shake it to see the time - pointless, since, at that point, it's easier to just fingerprint unlock than to shake it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have my old Nexus 5x sitting right here. I decided to run a little experiment.
The Nexus 5x was about as successful as the PH-1 at "wake up". It missed about 25% of the time.
This feature is notoriously iffy.
I mean, I get the rant. You seem upset. I understand.
Those three points just seem arbitrary and don't even reflect legitimate issues with the phone.
The essential phone is Verizon approved... Correct?
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