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I need a new phone. My Galaxy Nexus is shot... It was my first Samsung phone though so I'm a little gunshy due to the problems I have had. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Galaxy S3 or wait for the Motorola Razr Maxx or HD that is supposedly coming soon.
Problems I had with GNEX
Data Drops - known problem, I put up with it, but it was annoying. Data would drop and then take min to reconnect, sometimes few times a day
Screen cracked two places - First phone I ever cracked the screen, but much larger screen then I had before (Dinc). Phone still usable but annoying. Both phones I'm considering have the Gorilla Glass so I assume this wont be an issue
USB Charging port - the final straw, the port went bad. GNex sometimes thinks it is charging when not plugged in and switches every few seconds causing the display to come on constantly and kill my battery within two hours from a full charge. Other times I have to plug in and out just to get it to charge overnight. I know the USB board can be replaced but seriously, not putting money into this phone. I'm worried the GS3 has the same USB charging problem board???
Google Wallet - Verizon blocked it on GNex and GS3... I assume they will block on Razr??? I am rooted so I was able to install the APK but it was always hit or miss as far as using wallet... only worked about 50% of the time. It would connect but then say the transaction did not go thru. I really want to use NFC.
How does the rooted ROM community view each phone? Will the Razr have as many custom ROMs? I will Root whatever phone I get.
The Razr Maxx's aren't out yet so can't tell how they hold up... The GS3 worries me most with the USB charging port and the above issues I had with the Samsung line...
Any comments appreciated. I have an upgrade avaible now so I don't have to wait, but I can limp thru the day with the Gnex plugged in at work a lot so if the Razrs are worth waiting for I can... unless they're not expected till January, but they claim BEFORE the holidays so I assume November?
Also, are there any phones I'm missing? I liked the Dinc and HTC Sense (I know... I know... ) but no HTC phones seem to have NFC and the flagship is not avail on Verizon. I need to stay on Verizon. I will root.
Thanks,
Jim
First i must say the GS3 is MUCH better than the GNex and i haven't had any data drops so far, the screen seems fine but as always be careful with it. I can't say much about the port because i've never heard of that going bad on anything before. Now about rooting and custom roms. From what i can see the GS3 will have a wide arrange of custom roms and support for awhile. The Razr Hd and Razr Maxx Hd will get support but i doubt it will come near as much as the Gs3 as the Gs3 is much more popular than any other android phone. Google Wallet is also blocked on all Verizon phones. Also i personally think the Razr Maxx Hd looks awesome but i already got a gs3 so thats that. Hope this helped your decision.
calaski8123 said:
I need a new phone. My Galaxy Nexus is shot... It was my first Samsung phone though so I'm a little gunshy due to the problems I have had. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Galaxy S3 or wait for the Motorola Razr Maxx or HD that is supposedly coming soon.
Problems I had with GNEX
Data Drops - known problem, I put up with it, but it was annoying. Data would drop and then take min to reconnect, sometimes few times a day
Screen cracked two places - First phone I ever cracked the screen, but much larger screen then I had before (Dinc). Phone still usable but annoying. Both phones I'm considering have the Gorilla Glass so I assume this wont be an issue
USB Charging port - the final straw, the port went bad. GNex sometimes thinks it is charging when not plugged in and switches every few seconds causing the display to come on constantly and kill my battery within two hours from a full charge. Other times I have to plug in and out just to get it to charge overnight. I know the USB board can be replaced but seriously, not putting money into this phone. I'm worried the GS3 has the same USB charging problem board???
Google Wallet - Verizon blocked it on GNex and GS3... I assume they will block on Razr??? I am rooted so I was able to install the APK but it was always hit or miss as far as using wallet... only worked about 50% of the time. It would connect but then say the transaction did not go thru. I really want to use NFC.
How does the rooted ROM community view each phone? Will the Razr have as many custom ROMs? I will Root whatever phone I get.
The Razr Maxx's aren't out yet so can't tell how they hold up... The GS3 worries me most with the USB charging port and the above issues I had with the Samsung line...
Any comments appreciated. I have an upgrade avaible now so I don't have to wait, but I can limp thru the day with the Gnex plugged in at work a lot so if the Razrs are worth waiting for I can... unless they're not expected till January, but they claim BEFORE the holidays so I assume November?
Also, are there any phones I'm missing? I liked the Dinc and HTC Sense (I know... I know... ) but no HTC phones seem to have NFC and the flagship is not avail on Verizon. I need to stay on Verizon. I will root.
Thanks,
Jim
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Click to collapse
Spotty data and drops all over the place here... coming from all htc devices it's horrible... that being said.. the phone is very nice n fast but if u can't live with the crappy Samsung radios anymore I'd say wait.
Google wallet can be fixed via rooting.
Sent from my unlocked VZW Galaxy SIII
I live in an area where I have 4g LTE everywhere so I can't say anything bad about the radio cause I have no issues with mine nor did I have issues with My Gnex (as far as the radio)... I would say that Samsung makes THE most cheapest phones out there as far as parts and build quality but I still LOVE my phone for some reason.... Maybe cause it's just fast as hell and some of the downfalls don't affect me but I will tell you that you had better make sure that you get a solid S3 NEW cause if and when it does fail their refurbs are a JOKE and I think I am on my fourth Verizon refurb cause they keep sending me garbage but I finally have one that I "think" is going to be good minus the power button being loose as hell but I think every S3 I have had has a loose power button... Just know that the bootloader is unlocked and if you go to another phone it's gonna be locked until these kickass devs over here figure it out... And as far as development goes, I am in LOVE!! Sooo many options with my S3's and I don't see it stopping anytime soon... Read the forums and make a wise decision but I don't regret getting this phone I think I have just been cursed by Verizon.... Just please don't buy an iPhone.... LOL Have a great day!
Coming from a Droid X (rooted) to a GS3 (not rooted yet) can't really complain. In Phoenix coverage is very good, even along desolate hwy's and out in the desert far from anything. Just recently drove across country and used Sirius/XM 90% of the way and made a ton of calls. XM app only dropped out 3 times, in some very remote areas of hwy. Didn't drop a single call and sound quality was good, even traveling at 75 mph. Sent a lot of SMS with Pictures taken along the way, all w/o problem.
Will say that inside of buildings here in PHX, I do see slightly lower signal strength than my Droid X. It's not a deal breaker as the structures I'm talking about are old and mainly steel and concrete. Took a short period of time to adjust to the TouchWiz, but it's no more difficult than any other manufacture tweaked OS. The phone definitely does not have the "built US strong" feel, kinda flimsy. I could drop the DX and not worry too much. This phone I spent a few extra $'s for a stronger case.
Overall, I'd say it's a good phone for now until something better comes along. Could be worse, gotta co-worker with an LG that drives him nuts. He's gonna need therapy one day.
Haha no iphone for me. Wife has one but I wont go over to the cult. Thanks for the replies so far... Seems people like the Samsung but it still has problems that make me worry. I'm tempted to wait for the Razr just too see them both but I think the GS3 has some better specs... I live in northern NJ outside nyc so very good coverage but my nexus still just periodically losses all connections and has to reconnect... Four replacements makes me nervous....
Jim
Xmeoff said:
Coming from a Droid X (rooted) to a GS3 (not rooted yet) can't really complain. In Phoenix coverage is very good, even along desolate hwy's and out in the desert far from anything. Just recently drove across country and used Sirius/XM 90% of the way and made a ton of calls. XM app only dropped out 3 times, in some very remote areas of hwy. Didn't drop a single call and sound quality was good, even traveling at 75 mph. Sent a lot of SMS with Pictures taken along the way, all w/o problem.
Will say that inside of buildings here in PHX, I do see slightly lower signal strength than my Droid X. It's not a deal breaker as the structures I'm talking about are old and mainly steel and concrete. Took a short period of time to adjust to the TouchWiz, but it's no more difficult than any other manufacture tweaked OS. The phone definitely does not have the "built US strong" feel, kinda flimsy. I could drop the DX and not worry too much. This phone I spent a few extra $'s for a stronger case.
Overall, I'd say it's a good phone for now until something better comes along. Could be worse, gotta co-worker with an LG that drives him nuts. He's gonna need therapy one day.
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Haha... I'm a cop so I prob need an otterbox, but I didn't get one with the nexus it would make the phone huge. I'm used top the size now so am otterbox prob wouldn't bother me. Just thought maybe with gorilla glass a thinner case might be OK.
Jim
If you are really worried about wear and tear on the usb port this mod should be right up your alley: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1877191
All in all, it takes no more than 20-30 minutes to install, worst case.
It depends how much you care and flashing roms, I'd wait for the razr maxx HD. It's suppose to have a locked boot loader, but they're unlocking all there new phones. Some new phones are suppose to be coming out in the next couple months, so you might wanna wait to see what's coming.
Sent from my Cocaine White S3.
If you can, I'd at least advise waiting a few months for the next Nexus, Maxx HD etc. Phones with the next gen chipset (S4 Pro etc) are coming out soon.
My S3 is a great phone, but I have to agree the radios are worse than my previous HTC phone. If you are in an area with poor signal, the S3 will frequently drop data and gps locks.
Wow that's a really cool mod... I like. As for flashing ROMs I am pretty crazy until I find one I like then I back off and usually just do the updates. Sometimes it takes a while to find something that has all the features I want.
I'm still undecided...going to go look at the store today and hold it.
One more question... I read the reviews talk about the screen on gs3 being a little darker... Is this a problem or is it fixed with the custom ROMs?
Jim
Being in New Hampshire, with no other 4g coverage here on any other carrier, the service is awesome. The screen seems a tad darker than my epic 4g was on Sprint, but it is far from a problem. Rooting is extremely easy. Like it takes 2 minutes literally. Tons of stable ROMs. I definitely made a really good choice with the GS3, you won't be disappointed.
calaski8123 said:
I need a new phone. My Galaxy Nexus is shot... It was my first Samsung phone though so I'm a little gunshy due to the problems I have had. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Galaxy S3 or wait for the Motorola Razr Maxx or HD that is supposedly coming soon.
Problems I had with GNEX
Data Drops - known problem, I put up with it, but it was annoying. Data would drop and then take min to reconnect, sometimes few times a day
Screen cracked two places - First phone I ever cracked the screen, but much larger screen then I had before (Dinc). Phone still usable but annoying. Both phones I'm considering have the Gorilla Glass so I assume this wont be an issue
USB Charging port - the final straw, the port went bad. GNex sometimes thinks it is charging when not plugged in and switches every few seconds causing the display to come on constantly and kill my battery within two hours from a full charge. Other times I have to plug in and out just to get it to charge overnight. I know the USB board can be replaced but seriously, not putting money into this phone. I'm worried the GS3 has the same USB charging problem board???
Google Wallet - Verizon blocked it on GNex and GS3... I assume they will block on Razr??? I am rooted so I was able to install the APK but it was always hit or miss as far as using wallet... only worked about 50% of the time. It would connect but then say the transaction did not go thru. I really want to use NFC.
How does the rooted ROM community view each phone? Will the Razr have as many custom ROMs? I will Root whatever phone I get.
The Razr Maxx's aren't out yet so can't tell how they hold up... The GS3 worries me most with the USB charging port and the above issues I had with the Samsung line...
Any comments appreciated. I have an upgrade avaible now so I don't have to wait, but I can limp thru the day with the Gnex plugged in at work a lot so if the Razrs are worth waiting for I can... unless they're not expected till January, but they claim BEFORE the holidays so I assume November?
Also, are there any phones I'm missing? I liked the Dinc and HTC Sense (I know... I know... ) but no HTC phones seem to have NFC and the flagship is not avail on Verizon. I need to stay on Verizon. I will root.
Thanks,
Jim
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Click to collapse
Doesn't Verizon offer a 14 day return/exchange policy? Worst case is try it, if you don't like it return it for another phone. Just don't root it during that time frame if you want to play it safe. Otherwise, ROMS provided for the GS3 are awesome in this community. I've had both the Sprint variant and now on Verizon for it's 4G LTE service.
Personally I'd wait a few months. Reception sucks but it's not too bad.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
I would go with it and a JB ROM... I almost bought the iPhone 5 and backed out to keep my GS3 and unlimited Data..thank god I went over 2 GB today lol
Sent from VZW Galaxy SIII
I am also in the upgrade search. Thanks to all that contributed it may have helped me a bit with my choice as well coming from my Dinc.
Yes thank you for everyone's input. The opinions seem to be a little split, but that is to be expected. I'm leaning towards the GS3. I went to my local Verizon guy I've been dealing with for years. He said hands down he would go with the GS3. He said the Razr is still a bit behind in specs. I also see that the GS3 is 2GB RAM and the Razrs are only 1GB... The GS3 felt nice in hand.. sleek and smooth. The Motorola is still too clunky feeling to me.. angular and just not sleek. Personal opinion.
He also said there is no set release date for the Razrs... and I can get the GS3 cheaper. I also liked the reviews of the TouchWiz gestures...Interested to see how they are. Do any of the custom ROMs maintain the Touch Wiz gestures or features?
I think with the better specs right now I'd go with the GS3. The biggest problems, screen and reception, seem to be issues I can deal with. I rarely use my Nexus at full brightness and I the reception seems to be better than NExus in my area.
Jim
Also the battery on the GS3 seems to be pretty good considering its not promoted as such like the Maxx HD will be...
intelinside83 said:
I would go with it and a JB ROM... I almost bought the iPhone 5 and backed out to keep my GS3 and unlimited Data..thank god I went over 2 GB today lol
Sent from VZW Galaxy SIII
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I almost got it too. Went to apple store and compared it hands on. I had 30 day return policy. Compared to the iphone, the colors are so much more vibrant! And the screen size is icing on the cake.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------
I'll also add that I own a macbook pro, and syncing--unless you run bootcamp--can be a PITA. Even with Android file transfer, it's often hit or miss.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
skater95 said:
It depends how much you care and flashing roms, I'd wait for the razr maxx HD. It's suppose to have a locked boot loader, but they're unlocking all there new phones. Some new phones are suppose to be coming out in the next couple months, so you might wanna wait to see what's coming.
Sent from my Cocaine White S3.
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Click to collapse
there is no way a Verizon phone will come with a unlocked bootloader unless its that dreaded iPhone.
If the N5 doesn't live up to your expectations which phone would you prefer instead even if cost were not a factor?
Is there another carrier flagship phone that you are satisfied would be flexible enough for you to be able to do all of the following?
root, rom;
restore to stock rom if necessary;
return to store after restoring stock rom;
upgrade via carrier upgrade plan after restoring stock rom?
make a potential carrier warranty claim after restoring stock rom?
If the Nexus 5 doesn't list up to my expectations, I will go back to my Galaxy Nexus. It may not be the most state of the art device but with CM ROM's and faux123's kernels, I can't go wrong with it.
jcsww said:
If the Nexus 5 doesn't list up to my expectations, I will go back to my Galaxy Nexus. It may not be the most state of the art device but with CM ROM's and faux123's kernels, I can't go wrong with it.
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Click to collapse
That's actually the phone I own also but I've got it pretty heavily loaded over the last 2 years. I really think I need at least another gig of ram to run well and a faster processor wouldn't hurt. The non-removable 2300 battery on the N5 is just a real disappointment. I've only owned nexus devices so far and I'm a bit concerned that a carrier flagship may not be flexible enough.
NCguy said:
That's actually the phone I own also but I've got it pretty heavily loaded over the last 2 years. I really think I need at least another gig of ram to run well and a faster processor wouldn't hurt. The non-removable 2300 battery on the N5 is just a real disappointment. I've only owned nexus devices so far and I'm a bit concerned that a carrier flagship may not be flexible enough.
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A non-removable battery might be a deal breaker for me. I like to be able to just swap batteries if needed. I sure hope it doesn't end up with a non-removable battery. I am not a fan of LG stuff in the first place and I avoided the Nexus 4 for various issues. With T-Mobile not announcing another Sidekick anytime soon, I need to upgrade. I don't like the physical home buttons on phones so that has kept me away from the S4 and other phones. My original Galaxy Nexus actually got damaged due to heavy rain I got caught in and I couldn't get another from my carrier. I ended up getting an S4 to trade my mother for her Galaxy Nexus.
To be honest, nothing beats the Nexus experience to me, and I can't even think of other choices with what I have experienced. When I think of a Nexus Phone I don't really give a huge deal for the hardware internals, because it's not really meant to be a show off with the latest hardware and the largest battery. Samsung soon will hit a 1000 cpu cores into their Exynos bully maybe, and yet their Touchwiz phone LAG and stutter. A properly minimally optimized OS over a good deal of hardware is what Google brings, not to forget the minimal design of the phone, and oh for a damn good price - I wouldn't ask for more.
jcsww said:
A non-removable battery might be a deal breaker for me. I like to be able to just swap batteries if needed. I sure hope it doesn't end up with a non-removable battery. I am not a fan of LG stuff in the first place and I avoided the Nexus 4 for various issues. With T-Mobile not announcing another Sidekick anytime soon, I need to upgrade. I don't like the physical home buttons on phones so that has kept me away from the S4 and other phones. My original Galaxy Nexus actually got damaged due to heavy rain I got caught in and I couldn't get another from my carrier. I ended up getting an S4 to trade my mother for her Galaxy Nexus.
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I played with the LG G2 for over an hour, and decided it was too Samsung 'cheapie' plastic to suit me. The HTC One Max would be my next phone, despite an S600 chipset, based on durability and useability, and those speakers would come in quite handy at times.
prob moto x
If the Nexus is a no-go on Verizon I'll likely wait until the Moto Maker site goes live for VZW and at least get 32 gigs of internal storage. Feels really good in the hand and super smooth
Sent from my VZW SGS3 rockin' Jelly 'Beans' Build 17 using Tapatalk 2
No choice but to keep it if i go n5.. i currently own a note3 and waiting to return for a n5... if i dont like it.. then too bad for me
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
jcsww said:
A non-removable battery might be a deal breaker for me. I like to be able to just swap batteries if needed. I sure hope it doesn't end up with a non-removable battery.
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Click to collapse
+1 - love just been able to swap a fully charged battery. Extremely convenient... though from the leaks it looks very unlikely. Though I'm quite over my S4 atm and wanna try something different - the N5 looks like it could be a good choice.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
beaver2233 said:
+1 - love just been able to swap a fully charged battery. Extremely convenient... though from the leaks it looks very unlikely. Though I'm quite over my S4 atm and wanna try something different - the N5 looks like it could be a good choice.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
That it does. That's why I have been looking forward to it. The camera sticking out a bit also bugs me about the phone also. These two things are bugging me very much. With the time I get out of my Galaxy Nuxus battery on normal use, it might be fine for me for normal daily use. If I need to go out of town though, camping, or some where I just can't get to a charger, I'll have to hold on to my Galaxy Nexus to make sure I've got something I can stretch out for a couple of days.
The wireless recharging for the Nexus 5 is something that really caught my attention as a good thing. Being able to just sit my phone down on my desk when I get in and have it charge is awesome! The screen also looks very nice for slightly under 5 inches. Hopefully the announcement and launch kicks off today.
Who buys carrier branded crap phones with their ugly logos ... Nothing can beat a Nexus in Android world.
kirdroid said:
Who buys carrier branded crap phones with their ugly logos ... Nothing can beat a Nexus in Android world.
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Click to collapse
Amen brother! Been on the nexus line since the nexus one. Hell sometimes I still miss the trackball. Lol
jcsww said:
A non-removable battery might be a deal breaker for me. I like to be able to just swap batteries if needed. I sure hope it doesn't end up with a non-removable battery. I am not a fan of LG stuff in the first place and I avoided the Nexus 4 for various issues. With T-Mobile not announcing another Sidekick anytime soon, I need to upgrade. I don't like the physical home buttons on phones so that has kept me away from the S4 and other phones. My original Galaxy Nexus actually got damaged due to heavy rain I got caught in and I couldn't get another from my carrier. I ended up getting an S4 to trade my mother for her Galaxy Nexus.
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Click to collapse
yeah me too about the battery thing. I like to have a removable batt so I can buy an extra and swap it if my other one drains. But I think powerbanks are also helpful for non-removable batteries as well. #confusing hahaha
The Nexus has always been a developer only phone. But as it is for the camera that megapixels don't matter, so it is for the battery that the mAh won't matter. We have previously seen that the phones with an extra large capacity battery yet not perform as per the expectations. Atleast Google doesn't stuff their phones with bloatware like Samsung. A Nexus always comes with a minimal OS coupled with a balanced hardware at an unrivalled price. A non-removable battery & no expandable memory have always been the let downs, yet 32GB is enough for me for storage & a battery lasting just over a day is well enough for me. Nexus ftw !
Sent from my GT-S5830 using xda premium
LG G2 Google Play edition.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
beaver2233 said:
+1 - love just been able to swap a fully charged battery. Extremely convenient... though from the leaks it looks very unlikely. Though I'm quite over my S4 atm and wanna try something different - the N5 looks like it could be a good choice.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I'm currently on an OG Note, recently bought a new battery and I have little problems with it. I'm mainly bored with it now and the USB port has some problems (€10 to fix). Minor issues and I'm sure I could use the phone for another year without ever really being bothered by it. I don't play games, so I don't really need all that raw power the new devices have. I have been looking for a new device for some time, just to have a new gadget and all.
I work for HTC indirectly so I have a One lying around here that I can use, but I can't root it so I have no use for it. I can't get used to the new Sense and their strange softkey layout (though that's more the fault of developers that don't keep to the design guidelines of Android, than it is HTC's).
I also had the S4, which I liked overall, but I found it too expensive, it had useless functions which I didn't want to pay for. Especially since you lose a lot of them when you put a stock rom on it. It has an AMOLED screen which, after two years of the Note, I'm not very happy about (uniform colours are a pain, and it degrades too fast). And it looks just like any other Samsung device (and I'm bored now). - I did get hooked on the infrared functionality though. I miss that every day.
Then the Z1 came along, looked refreshing and the waterproof stuff is a giant pro. Useless camera, but the rest was pretty good. Unfortunately the screen dissapoints.
So now I'm waiting for the Nexus 5. Absolutely no useless functions. Just a good and powerfull device that can last for another two years. No screwing around with roms and stuff and a good price.
If it dissapoints, I might go for an S4 as they're now in the pricerange of the Nexus 5 or I'll stick to the Note for another year, to see if something better comes up.
If not the Nexus 5, I'd go for the Oppo N1.
With out of the box CyanogenMod, IPS 5.9 inch display, and top-notch camera optics and dual user-controllable flash.
I have (had) the S4 and sold it today. I was extremely dissapointed with it in just about every way, and with the addition of Knox locked bootloaders being sneaked in by Samdung, that iced the "sell it now" cake for me.
I'm actually back to using the SIII in the meantime, and even with piss-poor driver support, it runs CM very well.
my choise is between Nexus 4 or Nexus 5
lombardo8 said:
LG G2 Google Play edition.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Actually, as far as the hardware goes, I am quite impressed with g2. That display seems so much larger than other phones of the same physical dimensions. Battery, processor, storage, etc. no limitations except no wireless charging. (except verizon version)
A play edition would be very tempting. Unfortunately it doesn't seem likely with the N5 being a somewhat close cousin. If the N5 had the exact same g2 hardware it would be a no-brainer for me even at a much higher cost.
This is just my opinion, with a couple hours of hands on with the Nexus 5, compared to my S4. I am not starting a flame war, or saying one is way better than the other, just my thoughts between these two great phone.
I have had my ATT S4 for a couple months now. And my brother just got his Nexus 5 this past week.
I dropped and broke my Nexus 4 back in September, and couldn't wait for the Nexus 5 release, so I find a killer deal at Best Buy for new S4's @ $49ea. Was bummed at first, I wouldn't be getting the new Nexus, and had to settle with just a plain Galaxy phone, but I am so happy now that I did.
Quick opinions;
- Screen; Maybe I am used to the Plasma deep blacks of my HDTV at home, but call me crazy, I actually like AMOLED, and love my S4 screen, the reds and blues just pop, and blacks are deep, and viewing angles are great. Where as the Nexus 5 looks washed out, with terrible viewing angles, just like my Nexus 4. I guess the bright whites on the N5 look better, that's about it.
- Performance; I know the benchmarks tell the story, the Snapdragon 800 blows the S4 out of the water. But in real world performance, using both phones side by side for two hours, I could barely tell a difference in speed, just messing around with the phone. But we both have Nova launcher installed, with same settings. I guess the N5 was a hair snappier, but honestly so hard to tell much of a real world difference.
- Battery life; My brother had the phone for maybe 5 days at that point, and he said battery life was ok. He said heavy use would drain the battery down pretty quick, but that standby time was excellent. He said on average was getting like 3.5h to 4h On Screen time. On my S4 I get 5.5h to 6h On Screen time, and my phone with extreme heavy nonstop use lasts 14 to 16 hours, and on light days goes 24+ hours easily. My S4 I know gets better battery life.
- Haptic Feedback; For some reason, I never really like the haptic feel on my Nexus 4, it felt strange compared to other phones I owned. Same feel with the N5, just a weird vibration or cheep rattle feel. My S4 feels more solid when vibrating or using haptic feedback.
- Build Quality; I know the Galaxy S4 is no Lexus, it's still all plastic, but even my Brother commented that the feel of my S4 felt more premium than his N5. He said the volume and power button on my S4 felt solid, and more machined accurately, with a better pressing feel. He said his N5 buttons felt very cheap.
- Bottom line; My Brother is coming from a Galaxy Nexus, and he said to quote "Going from the EVO 4G to Galaxy Nexus felt like a night and day massive upgrade, but going from the Galaxy Nexus to the Nexus 5 now, doesn't feel nearly as a big an upgrade" He likes the Nexus 5, but said it just doesn't totally wow him, or blow him away. He said the N5 is cool, he'll keep it, mainly due to the price, and he would never spend over $350 for an off contract phone anyways, so no way would he spend $650 on a flagship phone out of contract. He's on Straight Talk ATT with the N5 by the way.
- Vanilla Android vs TW; I am a big stock Nexus fan, I like pure Android the best. But on my S4, I am running Nova + Kit Kat icon pack, plus Wanam Xposed Framework, and several other rooted tweaks, so my phone doesn't even really like a TW device anymore. I really couldn't tell a massive difference OS wise between both phones.
IMO, I am happy with my Galaxy S4, and I am a big Nexus guy. After playing with my brother's N5, I wouldn't even do an even-Stephen trade for a brand new Nexus 5 over my two month old S4. I like my screen better, I have better battery life, plus i have gotten pretty used to the bottom middle button to press and turn the screen on, I really like that.
Oh well, this is just my opinion. I think the phone for me in 2014, will be a Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition, if they make one.
Zorachus said:
This is just my opinion, with a couple hours of hands on with the Nexus 5, compared to my S4. I am not starting a flame war, or saying one is way better than the other, just my thoughts between these two great phone.
I have had my ATT S4 for a couple months now. And my brother just got his Nexus 5 this past week.
I dropped and broke my Nexus 4 back in September, and couldn't wait for the Nexus 5 release, so I find a killer deal at Best Buy for new S4's @ $49ea. Was bummed at first, I wouldn't be getting the new Nexus, and had to settle with just a plain Galaxy phone, but I am so happy now that I did.
Quick opinions;
- Screen; Maybe I am used to the Plasma deep blacks of my HDTV at home, but call me crazy, I actually like AMOLED, and love my S4 screen, the reds and blues just pop, and blacks are deep, and viewing angles are great. Where as the Nexus 5 looks washed out, with terrible viewing angles, just like my Nexus 4. I guess the bright whites on the N5 look better, that's about it.
- Performance; I know the benchmarks tell the story, the Snapdragon 800 blows the S4 out of the water. But in real world performance, using both phones side by side for two hours, I could barely tell a difference in speed, just messing around with the phone. But we both have Nova launcher installed, with same settings. I guess the N5 was a hair snappier, but honestly so hard to tell much of a real world difference.
- Battery life; My brother had the phone for maybe 5 days at that point, and he said battery life was ok. He said heavy use would drain the battery down pretty quick, but that standby time was excellent. He said on average was getting like 3.5h to 4h On Screen time. On my S4 I get 5.5h to 6h On Screen time, and my phone with extreme heavy nonstop use lasts 14 to 16 hours, and on light days goes 24+ hours easily. My S4 I know gets better battery life.
- Haptic Feedback; For some reason, I never really like the haptic feel on my Nexus 4, it felt strange compared to other phones I owned. Same feel with the N5, just a weird vibration or cheep rattle feel. My S4 feels more solid when vibrating or using haptic feedback.
- Build Quality; I know the Galaxy S4 is no Lexus, it's still all plastic, but even my Brother commented that the feel of my S4 felt more premium than his N5. He said the volume and power button on my S4 felt solid, and more machined accurately, with a better pressing feel. He said his N5 buttons felt very cheap.
- Bottom line; My Brother is coming from a Galaxy Nexus, and he said to quote "Going from the EVO 4G to Galaxy Nexus felt like a night and day massive upgrade, but going from the Galaxy Nexus to the Nexus 5 now, doesn't feel nearly as a big an upgrade" He likes the Nexus 5, but said it just doesn't totally wow him, or blow him away. He said the N5 is cool, he'll keep it, mainly due to the price, and he would never spend over $350 for an off contract phone anyways, so no way would he spend $650 on a flagship phone out of contract. He's on Straight Talk ATT with the N5 by the way.
- Vanilla Android vs TW; I am a big stock Nexus fan, I like pure Android the best. But on my S4, I am running Nova + Kit Kat icon pack, plus Wanam Xposed Framework, and several other rooted tweaks, so my phone doesn't even really like a TW device anymore. I really couldn't tell a massive difference OS wise between both phones.
IMO, I am happy with my Galaxy S4, and I am a big Nexus guy. After playing with my brother's N5, I wouldn't even do an even-Stephen trade for a brand new Nexus 5 over my two month old S4. I like my screen better, I have better battery life, plus i have gotten pretty used to the bottom middle button to press and turn the screen on, I really like that.
Oh well, this is just my opinion. I think the phone for me in 2014, will be a Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition, if they make one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange
I hate touchwiz. I have had this phone 3 days and still tweaking to make it feel stock like my Nexus devices. I LOVE stock android. I have a MF3 GS4 so I cant ROM it and it annoys me a device that is as powerful as the N5 is still on 4.2 (ATT).
I honestly held both phones in the store and me and my GF both said the GS4 felt like flimsy paper next to the Nexus 5. The 5 just feels sturdier and like it has some sort of heft. Im worried having the GS4 in my pocket because bending my leg the wrong way puts pressure on it. Most Nexus devices feel strudy though. My Nexus7 is great and my Nexus S was a TANK!. My brother has gone through 3 GS4 screen and almost anyone else I know who has one has had their screen crack. I swear the image of the dandilion they use just LOOKS like a cracked screen so maybe its an omen.
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My S4 has decent battery now but I literally had to turn EVERYTHING off on it.
The bloatware on the S4 is CRAZY! Why do I need like 3 different movie and music players just because Samsung and ATT want to try and earn money from me using their store. Rooted the phone and froze all those apps out with Titanium.
Holding them side by side I liked the N5 screen better. Both being 5" I actually thought the N5 was smaller in hand until the rep corrected me. I personally prefer a smaller phone. Why have a phone 2/3 the size of my tablet? In the way of image, they seem the same to me.
I personally prefer a smaller phone.
I got the G4 because it was free and it would make a good backup device to have. My GF told me already she was getting me my N5 on Xmas.... Im just a nexus guy.
Thanks for your impressions between the two phones. Really helps my decision on considering getting rid of my S4 and switching to the N5.
The S4 and N5 weight the exact same at 130 grams. And size wise too, they are nearly identical. But I have a Spigen Neo Hybrid case on mine, adding more bulk and weight. I agree, without a case the S4 feels very light and wimpy.
Try Nova launcher with Kit Kat icon pack, and also install Wanam Xposed framework, both those will really allow some good tweaks, and make it look a lot different than stock TW.
Of course you need to be rooted. And with root, you can debloat this phone. I got rid of every ATT .apk, and a lot of Samsung crap I never use. By doing that, my battery life went up big time
Theoriginalgiga said:
Thanks for your impressions between the two phones. Really helps my decision on considering getting rid of my S4 and switching to the N5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not worth it IMO. The N5 is a side grade to the S4, not a massive upgrade by any means. I think the N5 has a lesser quality screen, and worse battery life than the S4.
Screenshot of my home screen;
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Zorachus said:
Not worth it IMO. The N5 is a side grade to the S4, not a massive upgrade by any means. I think the N5 has a lesser quality screen, and worse battery life than the S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What gets me is the locked bl of the S4. Back when I was able to run task650's rom I was getting .3% battery drop an hour in standby running 4 emails constantly pushing along with bunch of texting and a little game play. I'd average 20hrs with 3 to 4 hrs screen time which IMO wasn't bad at all. After I blew out the chip on that one (from it being on my dashboard from a 700 mile drive using it as GPS) I got a replacement with Mf3. Now I'm getting anywhere between 2.2% to 9% battery drain an hour with less than 2 hours screen time with the EXACT same setup and usage. By lunchtime I put the thing on the charger. Oh I've used TiBu and frozen 99% of all the bloatware, and it helped getting it down from 13% drain an hour. I want the ability to use custom ROMS as I feel the devs on XDA are miles ahead of any of the devs with sammy or any other company. I'm not a stickler for screens, so long as I can see it outside and I can read messages I'm fine. Now my brother on the other hand... he's special when it comes to what is screen looks like :laugh:. I'll check out the battery life on the N5, maybe find a custom ROM that'll get better battery life. Worst comes to it and I don't like the N5 I'll hang onto it for a few months and trade for the next latest gadget phone.
Thanks for your feedback!
I agree 100% on the locked bootlaoder. That really pisses me off, and almost made me sell my S4. But with Root, and Wanam Xposed framework + Nova Launcher, and other.apk's, I am very happy with my S4 now.
Yes The Nexus 5 is great with the freedom, and all the custom ROM's and Kernels, etc... To me that is a big selling point to a Nexus device.
But end of the day, I care about battery life #1, and a beautiful screen #2. My S4 is gets sick battery life, somewhat close to what my old Note 2 got, and from what I read here about the N5's battery life, my S4 blows it out of the water. And screen preference is subjective, but I like the 1080p AMOLED, compared to LG's IPS displays.
I also got a S4 for my Wife, and her battery life is great too, of course her phone is rooted, with ATT and Samsung .apk's deleted. She comes home after work with 14 hours of usage, and still has 70% battery life left, but with only like an hour or little more of On Screen time. Her phone sits on her desk at work, on the ATT network, no WiFi ever for her at her workplace, and she only loses like 30% over 12+ hours with light use.
yeah the MF3 lock screws the potential of this phone. Why is it still on 4.2 (mine) when its capable of running much more.... my guess is their bloatware isnt compatible with anything higher.
I use APEX launcher myself I just find it more stable in my past experiances.
I Think for the modding, updates, and sturdiness alone the N5 is actually a better phone and more of an upgrade IF you didnt pay for your GS4 and are stuck on MF3, if you paid money then off it and get teh N5
tevil said:
yeah the MF3 lock screws the potential of this phone. Why is it still on 4.2 (mine) when its capable of running much more.... my guess is their bloatware isnt compatible with anything higher.
I use APEX launcher myself I just find it more stable in my past experiances.
I Think for the modding, updates, and sturdiness alone the N5 is actually a better phone and more of an upgrade IF you didnt pay for your GS4 and are stuck on MF3, if you paid money then off it and get teh N5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well you can jump to 4.3 if you wanted to, but again the phone is locked down so you can't root or SS which makes it kinda useless IMO. As for launchers I use Nova Prime. I really like it and it isn't heavy at all.
Agreed, it's a fantastic device, with an unlocked BL this phone would still smoke the N5 hands down. Heck if I could trade my phone over to an MDL or MDM phone so I could reload a custom rom I'd do it and never think twice about the N5. But with the phone the way it is, it's only a little better than the Iphone. Heck that's where the button came from. If apple wouldn't have fought so hard about the button, the S4 wouldn't have one. I buy android to do what I want, how I want and if I can't do it, I want the ability to make it happen. With an android phone locked and bloated that just doesn't happen and IMO detracts from what Android stands for.
/rant
Theoriginalgiga said:
well you can jump to 4.3 if you wanted to, but again the phone is locked down so you can't root or SS which makes it kinda useless IMO. As for launchers I use Nova Prime. I really like it and it isn't heavy at all.
Agreed, it's a fantastic device, with an unlocked BL this phone would still smoke the N5 hands down. Heck if I could trade my phone over to an MDL or MDM phone so I could reload a custom rom I'd do it and never think twice about the N5. But with the phone the way it is, it's only a little better than the Iphone. Heck that's where the button came from. If apple wouldn't have fought so hard about the button, the S4 wouldn't have one. I buy android to do what I want, how I want and if I can't do it, I want the ability to make it happen. With an android phone locked and bloated that just doesn't happen and IMO detracts from what Android stands for.
/rant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you. The locked bootloader on the S4, and now the ATT Note 3 too, really sucks. Every Android phone I have owned, has been rooted, with customer Recovery on it, and ROM's flashed on it all day long. Now this S4 being locked down, is so alien to me, not being able to flash anything on it, I feel stuck, or like an iPhone without a Jailbreak.
Thank God for Root + Wanam Xposed Framework + Nova at least :good:
I blame ATT mainly for this BS. Samsung doesn't lock down other S4's or Note 3's. The International versions, and T-Mobile, and Sprint versions can all be unlocked easily. It's ATT pulling this crap.
The KitKat theme you're running - is it KitKat (Apex Nova Adw theme) by BLADEXDESIGNS?
Zorachus said:
I hear you. The locked bootloader on the S4, and now the ATT Note 3 too, really sucks. Every Android phone I have owned, has been rooted, with customer Recovery on it, and ROM's flashed on it all day long. Now this S4 being locked down, is so alien to me, not being able to flash anything on it, I feel stuck, or like an iPhone without a Jailbreak.
Thank God for Root + Wanam Xposed Framework + Nova at least :good:
I blame ATT mainly for this BS. Samsung doesn't lock down other S4's or Note 3's. The International versions, and T-Mobile, and Sprint versions can all be unlocked easily. It's ATT pulling this crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're right that the AT&T phones have been the hardest to crack but rest assured that Samsung will pass these locked bootloader techniques to the rest of them. Samsung has been in so many patent wars with Apple, they're really starting to follow suit with them.
I do mainly blame AT&T as well. their whole fear of network insecurity and "wanting to ensure user's experience" is just bull. They don't know how to manage their network which causes these issues. But I don't lift any responsibility from Sammy either. If Samsung wanted to embrace the true vision of Android they'd follow HTC's model. HTC offers (at least they used to) a "developer" unlock for theirs device from their own website. Sure it would void the warranty, but so does any rooting (which is another rant for another day). I'm voting with my wallet from here on out, no more locked phones and no more Samsung phones until they offer them unlocked as well. And seriously the person who invented the Qfuse needs to be taken out back and beaten with a rubber hose lol.
Theoriginalgiga said:
you're right that the AT&T phones have been the hardest to crack but rest assured that Samsung will pass these locked bootloader techniques to the rest of them. Samsung has been in so many patent wars with Apple, they're really starting to follow suit with them.
I do mainly blame AT&T as well. their whole fear of network insecurity and "wanting to ensure user's experience" is just bull. They don't know how to manage their network which causes these issues. But I don't lift any responsibility from Sammy either. If Samsung wanted to embrace the true vision of Android they'd follow HTC's model. HTC offers (at least they used to) a "developer" unlock for theirs device from their own website. Sure it would void the warranty, but so does any rooting (which is another rant for another day). I'm voting with my wallet from here on out, no more locked phones and no more Samsung phones until they offer them unlocked as well. And seriously the person who invented the Qfuse needs to be taken out back and beaten with a rubber hose lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Next phone I buy sometime in 2014, I will really investigate first, to make sure it can be unlocked easily. But unfortunately, that means paying full price for a 'developer edition' or getting a Nexus phone. I don't see any contract phones being rootable out of the box in the future.
For sure the Galaxy S5 and Note 4, on ATT, will be locked down tight like a submarine, no custom recoveries on those phones. Maybe the upcoming HTC 1 will be unlocked ?
There are only three phones I am interested in 2014;
- Galaxy S5 = Feb / March release, but will be locked down
- HTC 1 = March release, maybe open bootloader ?
- Asus Nexus 6 = October release.
Please take this discussion here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2433789
I currently have a Verizon S3. I got it on launch day over 2 years ago. I rooted it and put cyanogenmod on it as soon as I could. I use CM just because t runs much smoother than TW. Honestly, I don't need most of the extra features of TW, I just need a decent phone that runs smoothly. I am looking to get a new phone. I am going to pay full price, or find a used one. I am out of contract and I plan on keeping it that way as long as they continue to give me a $25/month discount. I have been looking at a few different phones but I just can't decide. Here is what I am looking for:
-I would like removable storage, but it isn't a must. I have the 16gb S3 and a 16gb SD card. I haven't even filled up the phone memory yet. I am almost always connected to WIFI at work so if I need something, I have it on Goolgle Drive or dropbox or MS OneDrive.
-Minimalist manufacturer OS skin. Like the Moto X. Practically Vanilla Android. Or at least the ability to root and load a very vanilla ROM. I have done a good amount of rooting and romming before. As long as there are decent directions, I can usually follow them well enough to get it done.
-Removable Battery. Almost an absolute. I am almost never sitting down long enough to charge my phone adequately. I currently have 3 OEM Samsung batteries for my S3. I have a desktop charger at home. One battery usually lasts me all day, but sometimes it will die mid-day if I used the phone a lot. I have to have my phone charged up and functioning at all times for work so I just carry one of the spare batteries in my pocket and swap it out once the phone dies.
-I don't want a huge phone. I don't need a Note. Or anything much bigger than 5". I bought an S4 a while back and I thought it felt a little bit big. I like the size of my S3. I don't want to go much larger. I have a tablet for reading or checking email, I don't need to do those things on my phone.
Those are my main requirements. I don't care so much about the camera, Or processor (as long as the experience is smooth), Or Speakers. I need the phone to be a phone.
I had been looking at the 2013 MotoX, although it doesn't have a removable battery. I can live without removable storage. Otherwise it would be perfect. I had hoped that the new MotoX would have had a removable battery, but no such luck. And they increased the size a bunch, so like many others, I am not really happy with they way that Motorola went with the updated version. Otherwise I have thought about an S4 Mini. But really, an S4 mini isn't even an upgrade from the S3, so that is practically pointless. So then I maybe thought about the S5 Mini. I realize that it hasn't been released on Verizon yet, I was going to wait. But looking at those specs, the S5 mini is almost exactly the same as an S3, so again, no point in "upgrading". I am open to LG and HTC phones, I just don't know much about them. I am hoping somebody will have some decent recommendations. Thanks in advance.
Have you heard about the new Sony phone: the Xperia Z3. It's already been released internationally. Sony is having a public event on Oct. 9th to formally announce it's US release. Verizon is rumored to be carrying a version of it as well. 5.2" screen, microSD slot which supports up to 128GB. No removable battery, although recent tests have given it some of the best battery life ratings ever tested; http://www.phonearena.com/news/All-bow-to-the-new-endurance-king-Sony-Xperia-Z3-scores-a-record-battery-life-for-its-category_id60922
That's more than twice the battery length of the S3 from that same test, so one battery life of the Z3 is probably similar to 2 normal batteries for the S3. The other perk from having a non-removable battery is being able to have a IP-68 rating, which is the highest level of water/dust protection available. The phone is essentially waterproof. Check out this cool unboxing video:
They are also releasing a compact version, with a 4.7" screen, but who knows if Verizon will carry it.
BattsNotIncld said:
Have you heard about the new Sony phone: the Xperia Z3. It's already been released internationally. Sony is having a public event on Oct. 9th to formally announce it's US release. Verizon is rumored to be carrying a version of it as well. 5.2" screen, microSD slot which supports up to 128GB. No removable battery, although recent tests have given it some of the best battery life ratings ever tested; http://www.phonearena.com/news/All-...-record-battery-life-for-its-category_id60922
That's more than twice the battery length of the S3 from that same test, so one battery life of the Z3 is probably similar to 2 normal batteries for the S3. The other perk from having a non-removable battery is being able to have a IP-68 rating, which is the highest level of water/dust protection available. The phone is essentially waterproof. Check out this cool unboxing video:
They are also releasing a compact version, with a 4.7" screen, but who knows if Verizon will carry it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm almost sure most of the phones they suggested probably will never be released on verizon. As nice as a lot of the newer phones are most of them have a slim chance to be released on vzw
From my Wicked S3 on SOKP
I have considered the Sony phones, just don't know how long it will be before they actually come to Verizon.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
They are solid phones. Just like nexus phones I have a bad feeling they never will be released on VZW
From my Wicked S3 on SOKP
I am sort of thinking I will hold on to my busted up S3 for a while. Nothing really has come out that is any better. About the closest thing would be an S4 or even S5. But I would have to root them and put CM11 on them as well. And I would have to get spare batteries (or use my battery pack) in order to get the same functionality that I currently have. That's really sad that in the two years since my S3 has come out, not one of the major companies has brought out a phone that fits my needs any better than my current phone. There is no feature that compels me to want to buy a new phone. The only thing that even comes close are the always listening/watching features of the new Moto X. But the battery, size, and lack of expandable memory pretty much kill it for me.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
har02052 said:
I am sort of thinking I will hold on to my busted up S3 for a while. Nothing really has come out that is any better. About the closest thing would be an S4 or even S5. But I would have to root them and put CM11 on them as well. And I would have to get spare batteries (or use my battery pack) in order to get the same functionality that I currently have. That's really sad that in the two years since my S3 has come out, not one of the major companies has brought out a phone that fits my needs any better than my current phone. There is no feature that compels me to want to buy a new phone. The only thing that even comes close are the always listening/watching features of the new Moto X. But the battery, size, and lack of expandable memory pretty much kill it for me.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither phone mentioned has an unlocked bootloader unless you find an S4 prior to being locked down. The S5 is rootable currently but that's it
From my Wicked S3 on SOKP
Right. I wasn't more specific. If I got those, I would have to root them and load a new rom which is next to impossible (or at least very difficult) right now. Might as well keep my S3. Easy to root.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
har02052 said:
Right. I wasn't more specific. If I got those, I would have to root them and load a new rom which is next to impossible (or at least very difficult) right now. Might as well keep my S3. Easy to root.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. The roms are very few on either of those if any at all. And I kind of knew what you were getting at
From my Wicked S3 on SOKP
So I went into the store just to get the feel of some of the phones. I could probably get used to the 5.2 screen of the moto x. I think that I will just have to get 32gb and carry my battery pack. Our should I wait for the droid turbo?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
I saw the leak from the Droid twitter account. You might disagree but I think that is a good looking phone. I think I will wait for it and get it as long as there is at least a 32gb model.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
I've always had an android phone. My love relationship with them started with Verizon and the Moto Droid. Needless to say flashing roms and rooting phones is part of the reason I but phones.
I'm not a big fan of the progressive size increase in cell phones, but I owned a fee large phones. My wife got and iphone 6 dividing our house a few months ago and while I would not get an iPhone, I marvelled at how is was small and manageable. Yet able to perform any task and take great pictures.
So I sold MY white LG g3 to get a blue 64gb S6. I rooted it immediately and it was quite impressive. It offered all of the things I like about the iPhone 6 and a great fingerprint scanner. I have two young boys and a selfish obsessed wife and the cameras on this phone are great. So great my wife takes pictures with my phone when we are out.
One day I decide I want a white S6. So I purchased one on Swappa.com and sold mine there as well. I confirmed that it still had a root able version of lollipop, but when I get the phone the seller upgraded the phone the day he shipped it. So I tried to rock with the unrootable S6 checking everyday to see if OF1 version of lollipop had been rooted. I hated the phone. For anyone that is stuck with a S6 on stock OF1, I understand your pain. In my opinion Samsung is losing money because of restrictions on the stock version of this phone. So I'm currently selling that phone on Swappa.com for reasonable price.
I went and purchased a gold 64gb S6 and it came rooted and the feel if the phone is night and day. The speed it just how I remember the phone a drunken my battery life is sick. With stock OF1 I would only average 11-14 hours with maybe 2-3 hours of screen time. This is my first day with the rooted s6 and I'm currently at 11 hours and 2 hours of screen time with a few restarts to flash different themed items and I still have over 40% of battery life left.
My recommendation is that of you love the form factor of this phone and everything else it has to offer and you are stuck on OF1 version of lollipop, sell your phone to get a root able version of the s6. You will practically break even with the swap.
Sent from my SM-G920V using XDA Free mobile app
Bxrider117 said:
I've always had an android phone. My love relationship with them started with Verizon and the Moto Droid. Needless to say flashing roms and rooting phones is part of the reason I but phones.
I'm not a big fan of the progressive size increase in cell phones, but I owned a fee large phones. My wife got and iphone 6 dividing our house a few months ago and while I would not get an iPhone, I marvelled at how is was small and manageable. Yet able to perform any task and take great pictures.
So I sold MY white LG g3 to get a blue 64gb S6. I rooted it immediately and it was quite impressive. It offered all of the things I like about the iPhone 6 and a great fingerprint scanner. I have two young boys and a selfish obsessed wife and the cameras on this phone are great. So great my wife takes pictures with my phone when we are out.
One day I decide I want a white S6. So I purchased one on Swappa.com and sold mine there as well. I confirmed that it still had a root able version of lollipop, but when I get the phone the seller upgraded the phone the day he shipped it. So I tried to rock with the unrootable S6 checking everyday to see if OF1 version of lollipop had been rooted. I hated the phone. For anyone that is stuck with a S6 on stock OF1, I understand your pain. In my opinion Samsung is losing money because of restrictions on the stock version of this phone. So I'm currently selling that phone on Swappa.com for reasonable price.
I went and purchased a gold 64gb S6 and it came rooted and the feel if the phone is night and day. The speed it just how I remember the phone a drunken my battery life is sick. With stock OF1 I would only average 11-14 hours with maybe 2-3 hours of screen time. This is my first day with the rooted s6 and I'm currently at 11 hours and 2 hours of screen time with a few restarts to flash different themed items and I still have over 40% of battery life left.
My recommendation is that of you love the form factor of this phone and everything else it has to offer and you are stuck on OF1 version of lollipop, sell your phone to get a root able version of the s6. You will practically break even with the swap.
Sent from my SM-G920V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been thinking of selling my rooted S6 so I can leave Verizon. I didn't see any other White 64GB S6s that were rooted on Swappa so I wonder if there's a decent demand.
I love almost e everything about the phone and it is rooted the biggest main issue i have is it lags alot for me. Yes i have a decent amount of apps but my m8 is set up exactly the same and it doesn't lag at all even with just 2 gigs of ram. And my other issues which this is mainly because of verizon is development is almost not there. I am grateful for the roms we do have but it still takes away from the phone for me somewhat.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
I HATE my s6. The cell reception is fine, I'm lucky enough to be rooted as well, but this thing is junk IMO. Don't get me wrong, the camera is ok and it was the primary reason to get this phone. I use it daily for pictures and it performs pretty well actually. The fingerprint reader works pretty fast most of the time as well, but I would absolutely 100% not buy this phone again or recommend it to anyone else. Even during pictures this thing is hot and battery life is unimpressive. Yes wireless charging is included, but once again super hot while charging as well.
Battery life got much better after root and the screen is amazing, but I'm jumping ship here in a few months, I actually consider it a downgrade from my LG G2 except for the camera
I miss my HTC ONE M8. Totally rootable, totally customizable. Love the specs on the S6, but Verizon is making a huge mistake locking their phones down. It's the antithesis of Android, Linux, and open source in general.
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dispozable said:
I HATE my s6. The cell reception is fine, I'm lucky enough to be rooted as well, but this thing is junk IMO. Don't get me wrong, the camera is ok and it was the primary reason to get this phone. I use it daily for pictures and it performs pretty well actually. The fingerprint reader works pretty fast most of the time as well, but I would absolutely 100% not buy this phone again or recommend it to anyone else. Even during pictures this thing is hot and battery life is unimpressive. Yes wireless charging is included, but once again super hot while charging as well.
Battery life got much better after root and the screen is amazing, but I'm jumping ship here in a few months, I actually consider it a downgrade from my LG G2 except for the camera
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Lol wat? You absolutely hate the phone because it gets hot? That's like the only negative thing you said
zathus said:
Lol wat? You absolutely hate the phone because it gets hot? That's like the only negative thing you said
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Yea I guess I should of clarified on that one, it was a long day
-The lack of a removable battery is a killer. My battery drain is pretty serious and needs charging throughout the day. Eventually I will need to swap that battery....
-My two S6s have both lagged from day 1. Removing bloatware helped but still laggy. Have to clear our app caches once a week or so.
-The camera lens is elevated from the back of the phone and makes it not lay flat well. Not a biggie, but annoying.
-Touchwiz.... I hoped we would have CM by now or something close but its a big setback.
Most of the other issues I have are software related and would be fine when/if we can unlock the bootloader. I've come to learn over the years that a waterproof phone is a big advantage here in Florida too, my gf's old S5 was actually just used during the last flood we had and was great. I guess I agree with the OP, it is a love/hate, just mine is more hate than love.
dispozable said:
Yea I guess I should of clarified on that one, it was a long day
-The lack of a removable battery is a killer. My battery drain is pretty serious and needs charging throughout the day. Eventually I will need to swap that battery....
-My two S6s have both lagged from day 1. Removing bloatware helped but still laggy. Have to clear our app caches once a week or so.
-The camera lens is elevated from the back of the phone and makes it not lay flat well. Not a biggie, but annoying.
-Touchwiz.... I hoped we would have CM by now or something close but its a big setback.
Most of the other issues I have are software related and would be fine when/if we can unlock the bootloader. I've come to learn over the years that a waterproof phone is a big advantage here in Florida too, my gf's old S5 was actually just used during the last flood we had and was great. I guess I agree with the OP, it is a love/hate, just mine is more hate than love.
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I agree with the camera lens. I like cases but hate that I need a case to protect that.
My battery gets me through and average day. But that is always a user experience. I can see how it wouldn't be enough for many users.
I've never hated it but there are days where I am less impressed than others. Where TouchWiz shows its ugly side. Hopefully whenever you get next works out better for you
dispozable said:
Yea I guess I should of clarified on that one, it was a long day
-The lack of a removable battery is a killer. My battery drain is pretty serious and needs charging throughout the day. Eventually I will need to swap that battery....
-My two S6s have both lagged from day 1. Removing bloatware helped but still laggy. Have to clear our app caches once a week or so.
-The camera lens is elevated from the back of the phone and makes it not lay flat well. Not a biggie, but annoying.
-Touchwiz.... I hoped we would have CM by now or something close but its a big setback.
Most of the other issues I have are software related and would be fine when/if we can unlock the bootloader. I've come to learn over the years that a waterproof phone is a big advantage here in Florida too, my gf's old S5 was actually just used during the last flood we had and was great. I guess I agree with the OP, it is a love/hate, just mine is more hate than love.
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Get a battery case. It's the only way.
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Yea it seems so I'm only stuck with it for a few more months and the gf and I are both bailing. Its a shame too because these phones are damn sexy too lol. Right now I'm stocked up on wireless chargers and have them strategically placed around work and home and it seems to be working out ok. Its not too terrible since there are no plugs to charge.
Came from a rooted s4 with xposed to the g6 and I feel lost. The g6 gets good battery life and works just fine but I am having major Bluetooth issues between that and sync for my car that I never had with the s4. I will do better research before making my next purchase. I don't care how good the camera is etc... If the boot loader is locked down I will purchase a different phone. Not everyone wants to use samsungs bloat ware. Also if I want to turn the volume up and blow my ear drums out I don't need a visible warning to appear telling me I might do that....I can hear just fine Samsung....
PhallusOfGod said:
Get a battery case. It's the only way.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
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templton said:
Came from a rooted s4 with xposed to the g6 and I feel lost. The g6 gets good battery life and works just fine but I am having major Bluetooth issues between that and sync for my car that I never had with the s4. I will do better research before making my next purchase. I don't care how good the camera is etc... If the boot loader is locked down I will purchase a different phone. Not everyone wants to use samsungs bloat ware. Also if I want to turn the volume up and blow my ear drums out I don't need a visible warning to appear telling me I might do that....I can hear just fine Samsung....
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I'm pretty sure the BT is a known issue. Does anyone know if the update fixes that? I know I cant get more than 5m or so from my phone before it cuts out. I used to get almost double that with my G2. I agree with you on the headphones warning too lol. Almost as bad is the Verizon crap it tries to install each time you hook it up to a computer. I flashed the fix but it sure was annoying waiting on root first. Guess we can blame V for the bloatware too.