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[Discussion] Your top 5 features you'd like to see in the SGS5?

What is up guys! With Galaxy S5 leaks starting to come out of the woodwork, it seemed like the right time to start discussing what you'd like to see. Instead of going right into listing off specs, lets start this discussion with Project Ara/PhoneBlocks in mind. If you were given a list of options to build your own S5, what would you put in it? I don't think were too far off from this, and if not the S5, I'd say by the S6 this will be standard.
Heres my own personal S5 wishlist, bumped specs all around are almost a guarantee, especially with Samsung at the wheel, so I wont be listing any of those. In no particular order, here's my S5 top5.
1. Tempered Sapphire Screen. Gorilla Glass is fine if your goal is to save a few dollars, but if you end up paying $50 dollars to house that fragile screen, I'd rather just pay more for a screen I'll never have to worry about scratching, even if I have a fist of sand in my pocket.
2. Self Healing Plastic. with a tempered sapphire on the front, and self healing plastic on the back, I might be looking at my first caseless phone in years!
3. MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission). with all this fighting over NFC, and 99% of retailers not even supporting it anyway, phones with MST can tap and pay at a mom 'n pop card reader, with no additional equipment needed. this is what should have been implemented from the start.
4. bring back the dedicated DAC. this ones probably not as important to many people as it is to me, but as someone loves loves loves listening to music on their phone, the S4 is just so disappointing when put next to the S3. in fact i still own my S3, and just use it as an in-car music player, because it just sounds that much better.
5 mouse over with air gesture when I first learned the Galaxy S4 was going to have hover gestures, I thought finally we can replicate mouse hovering for web pages, the single biggest drawback of smartphone web browsing today. but Samsung didn't implement this, in fact they didn't do anything whatsoever with it at all.. does anyone still even remember our phones have this? such promising technology gone to waste. Samsung if you're listening, million dollar idea right here ^.
well there it is guys, in no particular order, my s5 top5. id love to know, whats your top 5? swiveling camera? different form factors? maybe a flipstyle phone? leave your wishlist below!
soraxd [/out]

I only want one feature. The ability to make me a sandwich!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

The only feature I want the S5 to have is for TouchWiz to feel optimized. If they can get it to at least half the way iOS feels, I'd stick with it forever. Nothing else I care about.

MattMJB0188 said:
The only feature I want the S5 to have is for TouchWiz to feel optimized. If they can get it to at least half the way iOS feels, I'd stick with it forever. Nothing else I care about.
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I couldn't agree more. I actually love touchwiz, I just wish it was smooth and fluid as AOSP. The whole reason I have issues with "crack-flashing" is because our devs tend to create a more fluid feel in a custom ROM than with stock.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

Auto lock with a wearable. (So when it's not near it, it auto locks)

An unlockable boot loader all I want
mf3 rooted SHOstock 2.3

Minimalist throughout the device
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Vagi-port

Hi
konaman said:
Vagi-port
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Hi,
With all the rumours about an alum. case, I hope at least for
1- Removable Battery
2- SD card slot for storage
3-Less Samsung and/or ATT bloatstuff
4-Curved glass seems pretty cool!!
5-Faster processor/ more ram
Overall I am pretty happy with my S4 except for the
locked bootloader
Ken

I do not want aluminum. I had the HTC Inspire 4g. That had an aluminum housing. Yeah it was sturdy and felt great, but any kind of dent in it made the buttons completely unusable. It would either pin the buttons down in a closed circuit state, making the device unusable or put pressure on the screen making it crack.
What I would like to see is a slightly more robust plastic housing with a light yet strong aluminum internal frame like the Captivate I couldn't break that thing with a 20 ft drop. Impact zones. The S4 does not seem to have any at all.
They seriously need to either optimize TW or rebuild it. I love it, but it is lacking so much in terms of smoothness.
The option to unlock the bootloaders. Use KNOX and a warning that states that once the bootloaders are unlocked, we agree to have a voided warranty and understand that Samsung nor AT&T will not support that device anymore. Or use the IMEI to flag it. I am all for losing my warranty to do what I want with my device.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Not just for s5 buy for the whole galaxy line we need a new touchwiz ui

Sorry folks, this thread is closed as there is a sticky for this discussion...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2433789

Picked the wrong phone

Man, I guess I didn't realize how limited the production was for the Edge. Development is slow. I picked the wrong phone, didn't I?

Thinking the same, but then again, i don't know how to develop crap so i guess i can't complain. Honestly, i never expected a whole like with the regular notes but i think it will start to pick up soon. We have one member who seems to be making quality modules for the edge now so that's a start. We have root so basically it's all up to us how much and how fast it goes. But again, i can't really help unless something needs to done in SAS or Hadoop LOL. We can start paying the devs?

yeah u might have, if you wanted a lot of roms to flash , but me on the other hand I`m going to wait for 5.0 and then root, I`m really happy with the edge, but I have had the Nexus 6 and the moto X (2014) and I just love the edge screen with just the little flick of my thumb I have access to my most used apps right on the EDGE of the screen

I can't keep mine charged, keep burning it up in four or five hours. Of course I am on vacation with nothing to do. So I am playing with the phone a lot. LoL
Sent from my Samsung Note Edge using Tapatalk

Sounds like you did.
There isnt to much support for the note edge. It just came out a few weeks ago and its limited so not many people have it.
If you want to flash different roms daily then i dont think it was a good idea to get the Edge right now.
Now in the future there will be more suppose and a ton of edge panels.
Im good tho. I never flash a ton of roms. Just stay basically stock with some customization. I do wish there was more edge panels but i i know they will come, I see so much it can do.

Had a feeling production might be limited on this device, was going to wait a few and see how development goes, but i wanted to get a good price for my LG-G3, plus the production of these devices were rumored to be limited so I pulled the trigger. If things do not pick up then i will take my girls Note 4 she could careless about rooting and Roms and will take this device without complaint, so i guess i got that ace in the hole.

KING SKILLZ said:
Had a feeling production might be limited on this device, was going to wait a few and see how development goes, but i wanted to get a good price for my LG-G3, plus the production of these devices were rumored to be limited so I pulled the trigger. If things do not pick up then i will take my girls Note 4 she could careless about rooting and Roms and will take this device without complaint, so i guess i got that ace in the hole.
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Yeah, I got rid of my Note 4, but I'm starting to wish I hadn't. The Note 4 had a much more premium feel to it than this phone too.

pieces of cake said:
Yeah, I got rid of my Note 4, but I'm starting to wish I hadn't. The Note 4 had a much more premium feel to it than this phone too.
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ROM development is slow, but that's expected. Less of a premium feel, not so much. The Edge is top quality in regards to aesthetics. Don't get me wrong, though... The Note 4 isn't far behind at all. Just my $.02...

Let's not jump the gun here. If you stroll over to the AT&T Note 4 forums, they're in the same boat that we are currently. It takes time. And Ker~Man nailed it; the Edge has a very premium feel.

pieces of cake said:
Yeah, I got rid of my Note 4, but I'm starting to wish I hadn't. The Note 4 had a much more premium feel to it than this phone too.
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the Edge is built solid especially for a Samsung phone, but the Note 4 has that double chrome on it, and the chrome is a little wider, along with the symmetry of the phone it feels better built than the Edge in my opinion.

KING SKILLZ said:
the Edge is built solid especially for a Samsung phone, but the Note 4 has that double chrome on it, and the chrome is a little wider, along with the symmetry of the phone it feels better built than the Edge in my opinion.
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Agreed. The Note 4 feels significantly nicer in the hand, but the Edge is still nice for a Samsung.

Too Much Missing

I have had my Verizon Note 5 for 9 days now. I really want to love it. Like a wayward child I want to hold it and tell it everything will be ok. I want to look at its beautiful face and ignore the behavioral issues.
But I just can't.
I have had every note since Note 2 (and Note 2 with unlocked BL is STILL my daily driver.)
But with the note 5 i just cant get over everything that makes it a non note
I have been told that USB-otg works, but I mainly used the Samsung multimedia doc (from note 2) that allowed keyboard and mouse, charging and HDMI out.
The LG v10 seems like a step in the right direction... if only it weren't so blasted ugly!
Those of you who have had the phone longer... help me get out of my funk! cus as of right now this thing is getting returned in 3 days.

If you don't like it, return it. No one here needs to convince you of anything.
The is no right or wrong. To me the stylus makes it a Note, and I'm ok with the features. If you're not, that's ok - return the phone.
It is a lot of money if you aren't happy with it.
For me the V10 was too darn big. But that's me, you might be fine with it.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

The note 5 is a damn good phone. I've had mines since it came out. If u what a unlocked boot loader then return ur note 5 and buy one from Samsung. Yes I would love to have a unlocked boot loader but we all know how vzw is.The s-pen makes it a note not the boot loader being unlocked. The size makes it a note as well. There is to much good that out weigh the bad. Love my note 5 for now.
Sent from my Dope Note 5 using Tapatalk

Telemachus said:
I have had my Verizon Note 5 for 9 days now. I really want to love it. Like a wayward child I want to hold it and tell it everything will be ok. I want to look at its beautiful face and ignore the behavioral issues.
But I just can't.
I have had every note since Note 2 (and Note 2 with unlocked BL is STILL my daily driver.)
But with the note 5 i just cant get over everything that makes it a non note
I have been told that USB-otg works, but I mainly used the Samsung multimedia doc (from note 2) that allowed keyboard and mouse, charging and HDMI out.
The LG v10 seems like a step in the right direction... if only it weren't so blasted ugly!
Those of you who have had the phone longer... help me get out of my funk! cus as of right now this thing is getting returned in 3 days.
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Honestly, I have had my Note 5 since launch day and minus a few issues (on Verizon's end, NOT Samsung's), I love it. It does everything I need it to do plus more. I really love the S-Pen and the rapid charging. Battery life is fine with me (if you honestly don't have an external battery charger, wall charger, or car charger then you shouldn't have a high end device). The picture quality is unbelievable, etc. Honestly, to me, the Note 5 is on top of the food chain but this is your preference and your decision. If you're note happy with it, then return it and get another phone that you're happy with (that's the beauty of a 15 day return policy, haha). Don't spend a ton of money and settle for a phone that isn't meeting your needs. There's no right or wrong answer on purchasing a device.

I'm a longtime HTC fanboy (I just dig the aesthetic of Sense and HTC's general skinning) and have always hated TouchWiz. However, now that you can do some base themeing, it's a better experience.
At the end of the day, Samsung Pay is pretty damned awesome. That alone will keep me on the N5 for a long while.

This was my feedback to samsung on the note 5. Not that they'll consider it, but nonetheless, I feel the same way.
I previously had a note 3, and absolutely loved it. It was the perfect phone for a power user. But time passed and it was time to upgrade and I figured I'd try the note 5. I'm regretting that decision more by the day. Honestly, if I could replace the battery, root it, and it had an ir blaster, it would be my new perfect phone. Nevermind it didn't get the spec bump this year - it's fast enough really. The phone is pretty, but a phone is a functional device first and accessory second.
I thought I could handle not having a replaceable battery - I was wrong. I'm on the road a lot and being able to replace the battery is invaluable. 3000 mah isn't cutting it.
I need to be able to modify the software if I want. I don't feel like I own my phone, and I resent it more the longer I think about it. I realize there are other options but, honestly, I really do like samsung phones. And I want to like this one.
I loved being able to control my entire htpc from my phone. I'm probably still a bit of a niche user in this regard, but why remove the ir blaster?
Bottom line, I'm going to have to sell this phone and get a Note 4, and hope you guys get it right next time. This one was a total miss for me. I wanted a newer note - you gave me a blown up S6 with a stylus.

Snow02 said:
This was my feedback to samsung on the note 5. Not that they'll consider it, but nonetheless, I feel the same way.
I previously had a note 3, and absolutely loved it. It was the perfect phone for a power user. But time passed and it was time to upgrade and I figured I'd try the note 5. I'm regretting that decision more by the day. Honestly, if I could replace the battery, root it, and it had an ir blaster, it would be my new perfect phone. Nevermind it didn't get the spec bump this year - it's fast enough really. The phone is pretty, but a phone is a functional device first and accessory second.
I thought I could handle not having a replaceable battery - I was wrong. I'm on the road a lot and being able to replace the battery is invaluable. 3000 mah isn't cutting it.
I need to be able to modify the software if I want. I don't feel like I own my phone, and I resent it more the longer I think about it. I realize there are other options but, honestly, I really do like samsung phones. And I want to like this one.
I loved being able to control my entire htpc from my phone. I'm probably still a bit of a niche user in this regard, but why remove the ir blaster?
Bottom line, I'm going to have to sell this phone and get a Note 4, and hope you guys get it right next time. This one was a total miss for me. I wanted a newer note - you gave me a blown up S6 with a stylus.
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Thais is exactly how I feel about the Note 5. I've upgraded, heck, pre-ordered two Note 3 and two Note 4, but I didn't upgrade to the Note 5. I just felt so under whelmed, plus the fact that it can't be rooted just sucks. It's a huge let down considering I have a Note 4 Developer Edition.
Ultimately I went with the Nexus 6P. I'm really liking it so far, and the more I use it, the more I can't justify the $200 price premium of the Note 5.

monkeyhandler said:
Thais is exactly how I feel about the Note 5. I've upgraded, heck, pre-ordered two Note 3 and two Note 4, but I didn't upgrade to the Note 5. I just felt so under whelmed, plus the fact that it can't be rooted just sucks. It's a huge let down considering I have a Note 4 Developer Edition.
Ultimately I went with the Nexus 6P. I'm really liking it so far, and the more I use it, the more I can't justify the $200 price premium of the Note 5.
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How attached are you to that note 4 dev edition?
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I've had many phones over the past year and settled with the Note 5. Although it's locked and unrootable I still chose it because I can do everything I liked to do on a rooted phone and more. No I can't physically remove unwanted system apps but I can hide and disable them with package disabler or the debloat tool. Removing them matters little because you can't make the system partition smaller to use the space anyways. The size is fixed. As for the IR blaster I never used it much and always ended up disabling it. The s-pen works the best out of all the note series I have used going back to the Note 3. If anyone is thinking about purchasing this phone or any other I suggest that you do your research before doing so. I had the S6 before this and loved it but always wished it was a bit larger and had the s-pen. So when the Note 5 came out I jumped on it and have been happy since day one. Yes root and a unlocked bootloader would be nice but I'm not about to switch to a inferior phone or carrier for that. It's just not worth it to me.

My Note 5 performs flawlessly

Just got the hotspot working. Started a VPN connection, then fired up foxfi free edition. Foxfi uses it's own vpn, so it disconnected mine. When foxfi timed out, hotspot stayed up. Not sure why, but it's working through the native tether. No VPN is connected now (full speed connection).

I like it, somewhat. I waited until I could find the right price. $400 on Craigslist. All set up and good to go. I don't like the size, it's too narrow for my hands. It is snappy and responsive. The camera is nice. I do groan a lot, missing things like the IR blaster and removable SD card. It's a nightmare to load everything on here and I dread the impending factory resets. But it's good enough, I guess.
I could have been more impressed though. Samsung set the bar way too high with the Note4 and Edge advancements they made when they released them. They have done no such thing on the Note5 though.
I don't really have complaints, so to speak. But it really could have been more innovative, as past Notes have been. It is still great. I do like it. But my expectations have not been exceeded as they always have been in the past with Samsung.

sbrownla said:
I like it, somewhat. I waited until I could find the right price. $400 on Craigslist. All set up and good to go. I don't like the size, it's too narrow for my hands. It is snappy and responsive. The camera is nice. I do groan a lot, missing things like the IR blaster and removable SD card. It's a nightmare to load everything on here and I dread the impending factory resets. But it's good enough, I guess.
I could have been more impressed though. Samsung set the bar way too high with the Note4 and Edge advancements they made when they released them. They have done no such thing on the Note5 though.
I don't really have complaints, so to speak. But it really could have been more innovative, as past Notes have been. It is still great. I do like it. But my expectations have not been exceeded as they always have been in the past with Samsung.
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Agree. If it wasn't for Samsung pay I would've actually ditched this phone and went another route.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Misterxtc said:
I've had many phones over the past year and settled with the Note 5. Although it's locked and unrootable I still chose it because I can do everything I liked to do on a rooted phone and more. No I can't physically remove unwanted system apps but I can hide and disable them with package disabler or the debloat tool. Removing them matters little because you can't make the system partition smaller to use the space anyways. The size is fixed. As for the IR blaster I never used it much and always ended up disabling it. The s-pen works the best out of all the note series I have used going back to the Note 3. If anyone is thinking about purchasing this phone or any other I suggest that you do your research before doing so. I had the S6 before this and loved it but always wished it was a bit larger and had the s-pen. So when the Note 5 came out I jumped on it and have been happy since day one. Yes root and a unlocked bootloader would be nice but I'm not about to switch to a inferior phone or carrier for that. It's just not worth it to me.
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I couldn't have said it better. I had the S6 decided to jump to this. Love it!
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

It's been over 2 weeks, and I'm still not fully in love with this phone. But, I'm loving the really nice screen and camera. Cause I vid chat with my girlfriend, play retro snes games and watched alot of HD tv shows from my DVR.

Would be nice if the note had the same curved edges as the edge plus. But then again, I prefer the curved back more because its easier to hold. Im sure they could have pulled off both if they really wanted to. However that would be one less change they can make make for the note 6 next year.
Sent from my VK700 using Tapatalk

toskabab said:
Would be nice if the note had the same curved edges as the edge plus. But then again, I prefer the curved back more because its easier to hold. Im sure they could have pulled off both if they really wanted to. However that would be one less change they can make make for the note 6 next year.
Sent from my VK700 using Tapatalk
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Maybe a note edge 2 for next year?

godfirst said:
Agree. If it wasn't for Samsung pay I would've actually ditched this phone and went another route.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
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I have Samsung Pay, but haven't used it because I'm a bit paranoid because of the breach with T-Mobile. How has it been for you?

alhadee12 said:
I have Samsung Pay, but haven't used it because I'm a bit paranoid because of the breach with T-Mobile. How has it been for you?
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Awesome. I barely pull out my wallet. It's just convient. Will see how long it takes for more supported banks, but by first quarter next year I'd things haven't picked up, I'll probably ditch my note.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

godfirst said:
Awesome. I barely pull out my wallet. It's just convient. Will see how long it takes for more supported banks, but by first quarter next year I'd things haven't picked up, I'll probably ditch my note.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are looking to get rid of your Note?
Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

8 generations of HTC & I switched... Initial Thoughts

I never thought I would be writing anything like this but wanted to share my initial thoughts of this device. I have been extremely loyal to HTC over the years with my first real smart phone being the Touch Pro 1, TP2, evo4G wimax, evo3D wimax, evo LTE, M7, M8 & M9. With rumors of the M10 ditching boomsound this year, I had enough. I firmly believed HTC designed and manufactured superior products over Samsung for many years but could never get ahead due to poor leadership at HTC such as messing up the camera & marketing to name a few. That said I don't think that is the case anymore. I saw the build quality jump on the S6 & now with the release of the S7 I don't see how HTC can keep running if the leaked M10 renders are true. I have worked and setup many Samsung phones over the years but this is my first real hands on for myself and wanted to share my initial thoughts on what stood out.
Build Quality: My M9 still feels more solid & premium over the S7 edge. That said the S7 edge certainly looks the part of premium and still a huge step up in build quality over previous S5 and below models.
Bloat/UI: I have always not liked TouchWiz and always preferred sense. While this is certainly more feature packed, many things on the phones are worthless and it still feels pretty bloated. I really miss the big HTC weather clock I have been using since the touch pro.
Boomsound: One of my favorite features of the M9 which rumors of ditching it on M10 caused me to be done. While the speaker sounds decent on this phone, covering it up while watching videos is annoying and you just can't replace front facing stereo speakers.
Rooting: I have been rooting for years, HTC has also been fairly root friendly with the exception of the evo3D and encrypted boot loader. M7, M8 & M9 I have all S-OFF for full control which I love. With Samsung having Knox, I have to choose between a warranty void or locked down phone. Yes HTC voided the warranty as well but if you had S-OFF you could reverse everything there is no e-fuse. Xposed on touchwiz roms from what I know isn't as friendly on Samsung devices having to use custom versions to get it to work.
Those things I already was well aware of, so the things I like so far that have stood out to me.
The screen: Higher resolution, always on display and colors have more pop. Screen is very nice, especially with a little bigger display. The edge I find pretty cool as well.
Notification Light: Much bigger and noticeable light on the Galaxy the my HTC. Might not be a big deal to some, but I like it.
Thin: Feels thinner and lighter than my M9 while still having a bigger screen.
Gear VR: While this is super cool and pretty wild, the resolution on the Gear VR sucks. Feels like watching 240P youtube videos. That said it's still pretty cool, it's cheap and I'm sure future versions are going to be insane.
Buttons: While I find a finger print scanner worthless, have a physical home button I like along with back lit back and recent apps keys vs having them on screen. I highly prefer this layout over on screen which means more usable screen. The M7 had this and the M8 they moved to on screen while still have the HTC black bar which I thought was just stupid and wasted screen space. I like how Samsung has it layed out.
I haven't had the device that long but this is my initial reaction after a short period of time with the phone. I wouldn't be oppose to going back to HTC in the coming years (if they are even around) if they can get there act together as I do prefer a lot of things on the HTC. There are a lot of other features other people might value more than me that I didn't even mention. My biggest concern at this point in time is if I want to trip knox or not as you can't go back. I'm leaning towards yes even if it breaks Samsung Pay as I really like having xposed assuming it works on this phone and of course full root access which I have become dependent on.

I understand what you are saying. I've been a completely dedicated HTC customer for about 12 years. My first HTC was the PPC-6600 Harrier (back in 2004 I believe). The last one was the OneMax. I have not been happy with anything they have made after that. They have cut corners and sacrificed features in an effort to save money. When they should be building better products.
So I decided to try Samsung. Although it is smaller than I would like, I'll make the best of it. But if the Edge Plus comes out is "Sept" as I've read, I'll most likely go with it.
I'm not going to compare the features of these phones. But I will say this, I do like Sense system more. And as soon as I root this it will have Sense apps and widgets.

I just read that root may not be possible on this phone. I'll give it a week and see how I really like it. But I'm thinking of taking it back and waiting on a larger screen Samsung or HTC.
It's not bad. I just don't know if I like it enough without root to keep it for very long. And if I'm going to take it back in don't have long.

Wow you have been even more loyal then me. HTC TP1 was my first real Smart phone. I use to buy Samsung flip phones A940 if you remember that which by the way had awesome speakers on it and even an accelerometer. I have actually been pretty happy with HTC's products. Boomsound on the M7 was fantastic, they did mess up the camera though while it took good lowlight shows, the resolution was awful and 4MP just isn't enough. Part of the reason I stayed away from the Galaxy for so long, I just viewed it as an over priced plastic phone which didn't feel premium at all. I noticed a change on the S6 last year which is when I for the first time considered changing. People didn't brace the M9, so they release the A9 to compete with itself just idiot leadership at HTC. Now the M10 no boomsound? They just seem to be going backwards. While I already really miss my front facing speakers on the M9, the features on the S7 edge are amazing. Not only am I done with HTC for the time being, but I have kept lots of friends loyal to the HTC brand. Not saying I wouldn't ever go back but losing super loyal customers like yourself & I is what could put HTC under.
Looks like this phone may never have root or anything custom as the bootloader is locked. Coming from S-OFF devices to a device locked down like fort knox sucks. I already miss root, Xposed, AdAway & TI just to name a few. Even if we get root it will trip knox rendering certain features useless like Samsung Pay which I would prob rather have root than Samsung Pay but I haven't tried it out yet. I'm gonna stick with it for now see what happens, I just think devices are only going to become more secure and locked down as we move forward.
As far as you waiting for the edge +, it will be interesting how they do that this year if at all since the S7 edge really isn't that much smaller than the Note 5 where last years S6 edge was smaller. I really like the size of the phone, lots of screen but doesn't feel too big. I do miss sense as well, I have never been a fan of TouchWiz and the amount of bloat on this thing is unbelievable but it can be cleaned up. I knew what I was getting into. I'm gonna stick with it for now as I think the pro's outway the cons at least at the moment.

Sim-X said:
Wow you have been even more loyal then me. HTC TP1 was my first real Smart phone. I use to buy Samsung flip phones A940 if you remember that which by the way had awesome speakers on it and even an accelerometer. I have actually been pretty happy with HTC's products. Boomsound on the M7 was fantastic, they did mess up the camera though while it took good lowlight shows, the resolution was awful and 4MP just isn't enough. Part of the reason I stayed away from the Galaxy for so long, I just viewed it as an over priced plastic phone which didn't feel premium at all. I noticed a change on the S6 last year which is when I for the first time considered changing. People didn't brace the M9, so they release the A9 to compete with itself just idiot leadership at HTC. Now the M10 no boomsound? They just seem to be going backwards. While I already really miss my front facing speakers on the M9, the features on the S7 edge are amazing. Not only am I done with HTC for the time being, but I have kept lots of friends loyal to the HTC brand. Not saying I wouldn't ever go back but losing super loyal customers like yourself & I is what could put HTC under.
Looks like this phone may never have root or anything custom as the bootloader is locked. Coming from S-OFF devices to a device locked down like fort knox sucks. I already miss root, Xposed, AdAway & TI just to name a few. Even if we get root it will trip knox rendering certain features useless like Samsung Pay which I would prob rather have root than Samsung Pay but I haven't tried it out yet. I'm gonna stick with it for now see what happens, I just think devices are only going to become more secure and locked down as we move forward.
As far as you waiting for the edge +, it will be interesting how they do that this year if at all since the S7 edge really isn't that much smaller than the Note 5 where last years S6 edge was smaller. I really like the size of the phone, lots of screen but doesn't feel too big. I do miss sense as well, I have never been a fan of TouchWiz and the amount of bloat on this thing is unbelievable but it can be cleaned up. I knew what I was getting into. I'm gonna stick with it for now as I think the pro's outway the cons at least at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TW vs Sense... minor annoyance. I got used toit, I'm sure you can too.
Root vs Samsung pay... well, that's a little bit more complicated. Samsung pay works only with certain (quite limited) cards and banks. So far for me only AMEX and Citi credit card are supported. You need to find out first, whether you have a card that's supported otherwise this whole dilemma is moot. I live without root since last year's Note 5. Samsung pay is just more valuable to me than a few tweaks I can easily live without. It's quick, convenient and it just works. The only place so far I found it doesn't work is Walmart. Because Walmart registers don't support NFC and if you have a card with chip, they won't accept magnetic swipe. (which Samsung pay simulates if no NFC is possible)..

Stank0 said:
TW vs Sense... minor annoyance. I got used toit, I'm sure you can too.
Root vs Samsung pay... well, that's a little bit more complicated. Samsung pay works only with certain (quite limited) cards and banks. So far for me only AMEX and Citi credit card are supported. You need to find out first, whether you have a card that's supported otherwise this whole dilemma is moot. I live without root since last year's Note 5. Samsung pay is just more valuable to me than a few tweaks I can easily live without. It's quick, convenient and it just works. The only place so far I found it doesn't work is Walmart. Because Walmart registers don't support NFC and if you have a card with chip, they won't accept magnetic swipe. (which Samsung pay simulates if no NFC is possible)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung Pay has been working for me at Walmart since Sept of 2015. I use a chipped Chase visa card. Be sure to tell the cashier it's a credit card & tell them you have the security numbers if they ask (which is the last 4 digits of your CC).
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk

I might have to give it a try at Wal-Mart and see how I like it. I had Google Wallet back in the day on evo LTE with very limited retailers at the time it would work at. When it did work it wasn't the smoothest so since then I haven't been using anything. I don't see Samsung Pay being valuable to me, but you make a good point if it doesn't work for my cards then decision should be easy. That said if the bootloader is locked from what I have read this year it is on Sprint then unless that changes there will be no knox trip anyway. I'll give it a whirl see if I like it, I have a chase card I can try at wal-mart next time I go.

optimummind said:
Samsung Pay has been working for me at Walmart since Sept of 2015. I use a chipped Chase visa card. Be sure to tell the cashier it's a credit card & tell them you have the security numbers if they ask (which is the last 4 digits of your CC).
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your Walmart must have upgraded their card readers. The Walmart I'm using does not accept magnetic swipe if your card is chipped. It will reject it and say to use the chip reader. Samsung pay emulates magnetic swipe so when I try it, it tells me to use the chip reader. They also don't have a NFC sensor, so I can't use it there. But that's a minor annoyance. I'm not frequent shopper at walmart anyway.
---------- Post added at 07:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------
Chase should work AFAIK.
I've tried Google Wallet before too but that was a huge PITA. This is a completely different game. This Samsung Pay thing is actually useful.

Stank0 said:
Your Walmart must have upgraded their card readers. The Walmart I'm using does not accept magnetic swipe if your card is chipped. It will reject it and say to use the chip reader. Samsung pay emulates magnetic swipe so when I try it, it tells me to use the chip reader. They also don't have a NFC sensor, so I can't use it there. But that's a minor annoyance. I'm not frequent shopper at walmart anyway.
---------- Post added at 07:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------
Chase should work AFAIK.
I've tried Google Wallet before too but that was a huge PITA. This is a completely different game. This Samsung Pay thing is actually useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Walmart has a card swipe On the right side + a chip card receptacle on the bottom.
Sometimes it doesn't work the first time but it's been due to cashier mistakes.
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk

optimummind said:
Sometimes it doesn't work the first time but it's been due to cashier mistakes.
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wouldn't surprise me at all.
I don't have to be right ALL the time.

Been using htc android phones since the Dream on t-mobile.
I jumped on the S7 edge because of the aesthetically pleasing display, but more importantly because I had an old M8 that was chugging along. If the M10 had come out this month I would probably went with that. I may return the S7 edge and wait out till the M10 due to the seemingly large hurdles with how locked down it is.
Shame, since I really believe this is easily the best Samsung phone I have touched, but no foreseeable xposed functionality is a big no no in the long-term for me.

Slayix312 said:
Been using htc android phones since the Dream on t-mobile.
I jumped on the S7 edge because of the aesthetically pleasing display, but more importantly because I had an old M8 that was chugging along. If the M10 had come out this month I would probably went with that. I may return the S7 edge and wait out till the M10 due to the seemingly large hurdles with how locked down it is.
Shame, since I really believe this is easily the best Samsung phone I have touched, but no foreseeable xposed functionality is a big no no in the long-term for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm missing Xposed as well

Still liking it? I had my OneMax replace by Asuron. I got the LG flex 2. Its not a bad phone. With Xposed, debloated andall the Sense apps; the damn thing acts just like an HTC. But with a better screen.
Ive read the HTC 10 is going to be a tiny 5.1".
Ill hang on to this till someone makes a rootable 5.7-5.9"

V20 review, kind of. Came from Note 7.

Well, here's my thoughts. I've been with Samsung exclusively for a while now. Last non Samsung phone I had was the HTC Evo 3d. Loved that phone. I had the Galaxy s3, the note 3, the s6 edge plus, then the note 7.
First, there is no denying that the Samsung is sexier than the v20. There's really no contest there. The all glass/metal construction of the Samsungs is beautiful. When I got the recall notice for the 2nd time my initial plan was to say "never Samsung again". My coworker had a n7 too, and swapped for a S7 Edge. I held the phone and absolutely loved the look and feel of it. I regretfully decided to give Sam one more chance. I called around to every tmo in Charlotte and finally found one that had two s7e in Stock. My wife also had a n7, we pretty much always have the same flagship device.
We drove across town to get it, and the rep informed me that would have to pay 180 down for EACH new device. I protested saying there is no way in hell I'm paying as multiple tmo reps told me I could just come in and swap, but he wouldn't budge. I left furious.
After calming down I decided to call tmo and just order the two s7e. The rep told me I'd have to go the store again, ugh.... I explained the entire story to her and she took mercy on me saying she would just send the phones to me no money down and I could just return the n7s to my local store. Thank God.
Then she tells me the s7e is on backorder until Nov 28th. This wasn't acceptable. Then it hit me: the universe was pushing me towards LG. I asked if we could just pre-order two v20, and she said of course. We even get the cool headphones.
That was Monday. We received the new phones Wednesday (9 days before launch, nice touch tmo!) and immediately opened them up.
Now, I've never had an LG phone before. Maybe before smart phones, but never a smart LG. So being that I was so accustomed to Samsung I'll admit I was a little disappointed when I first held the phone. It just wasn't quite as "sexy" as the note 7 was. Not even close, really.
But, after using it for a day, I've come to a few conclusions. First, the design on the v20 is much more "industrial", and I don't mean that in a bad way. It definitely feels much sturdier than the Samsungs, and though it's a trade off on looks, it's a win on functionality.
The software, I quickly learned, is the undeniably faster than the n7. I had such a hard time admitting to myself when I had the note that a 900 dollar flagship could be laggy, but It really was. I've been using Samsung so long I apparently grew accustomed to the lag. This is NOT the case with the LG. Even with all my apps installed (and I have a lot) it's not laggy in the least bit. Again, you trade off some of the sexiness of TouchWiz, but get more functionality.
A removable battery? What a novel idea. It's been years since I've had one. This means of course that the phone isn't completely sealed, which again trades sexiness for functionality.
The only thing that really disappointed me was the lack of water resistance. That was a feature I was truly excited about on the Sam, because I love taking photos and the prospect of pulling out my cam in the pouring down rain was a cool one. So one strike there.
I thoroughly enjoyed the "always on" display of the note 7. Functionally wise, the second screen for the LG does the same, in fact more. I'm still getting used to it, but I really love being able to access things like flashlight and settings instantly. This is definitely not a gimmick to me.
The screen? Jury's out for me on that one. The note 7 was absolute dropping, but it's not like the LG is a slouch. I mean really guys, 2k on any screen this small is going to look amazing. I do miss those amoled blacks, though. I'll admit that.
What will TRULY make this phone amazing for me though is if we find out the bootloader is unlocked. I regret deeply that I haven't been able to root my last 3 phones because Samsung keeps everything knoxed up so tight. If I can root and start installing custom ROMs, I'll be like a fat little prick in a snickers factory. I'll be quite happy.
Android 7 is exactly what I expected, amazing.
I can't believe I actually considered iPhone after the n7 debacle. I read reviews from lifelong Android users that switched to iPhone and they all said after a month they were begging for their Androids back. I'm so deeply ingrained in Googles ecosystem that it wouldn't have been feasible. Not to mention my entire smart home/entertainment pretty much requires I have android.
I hope this will help someone decide.

Oh, one other thing, I LOVE that LG included a IR blaster on this phone. It's something so simple but I LOVE being able to turn my TV on and off from my phone. Well done LG!

thatisandwas said:
....sexiness of TouchWiz ....
I hope this will help someone decide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But there is something that people either dont know, or dont understand. Touchwiz interface is mainly a launcher with few other things added to the UI. (settings and camera look). But the launcher part, it can be easily fixed. Just download the TouchWiz launcher and you are good to go! you have the launcher in the play store, and it will definitely work on the LG V20

Good point! I'm more of a Nova / Google now launcher guy, depends on how I'm feeling. But an excellent tip for those on the fence!

Well here's my thoughts. I've had the phone for about 6 hours now and I haven't put it down. Its extremely light and fits in my hands perfectly. As stated above its not as sleek as the n7, but ill be throwing this in a case soon so that's not an issue for me.
Pros...its fast. Zero lag. The audio is phenomenal in my opinion. The audio volume is high too, you don't want to turn it all the way up with headphones.
I really like the dual screen. I like to have notices pop up and I like flipping between a ps.
Downside...its not a blazingly crisp screen. Its like the note 4...a step behind the note 5.
Its going to take some getting used to having all your apps on the screens instead of an app drawer. Its a pain to find apps because I don't know how to alphabetically sort them.
That's the worst I can mention
Batter life is ok so far...it is slow to charge though. I've charged it twice about 40% each.
Hoping we are bootloader unlocked. If we get that I'd give this phone 5 stars.

bjhatch said:
... Its going to take some getting used to having all your apps on the screens instead of an app drawer. Its a pain to find apps because I don't know how to alphabetically sort them....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To activate appdrawer, read this: http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-v20-tips-and-tricks-716837/
bjhatch said:
Hoping we are bootloader unlocked. If we get that I'd give this phone 5 stars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if you happen to have tmobile's variant, then congratulations, you get unlockable bootloader (already confirmed) >>> although not root yet

joseguillen1994 said:
But there is something that people either dont know, or dont understand. Touchwiz interface is mainly a launcher with few other things added to the UI. (settings and camera look). But the launcher part, it can be easily fixed. Just download the TouchWiz launcher and you are good to go! you have the launcher in the play store, and it will definitely work on the LG V20
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate when people say this. TouchWiz is the entire UI, apps, and framework, the launcher is just one aspect of it. Yes you can replace the launcher but that doesn't make the device not run TouchWiz.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk

Nick281051 said:
I hate when people say this. TouchWiz is the entire UI, apps, and framework, the launcher is just one aspect of it. Yes you can replace the launcher but that doesn't make the device not run TouchWiz.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol i never said you would get the whole TouchWiz package. I said "Only the launcher part", I know TouchWiz is more than just the launcher , settings and camera interface as i said. However, since the V20 is not a samsung , there is no way you can get the full TouchWiz package, only the launcher. And people will have to adjust to that like it or not. Its either keep the phone or go back to samsung

joseguillen1994 said:
To activate appdrawer, read this: http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-v20-tips-and-tricks-716837/
And if you happen to have tmobile's variant, then congratulations, you get unlockable bootloader (already confirmed) >>> although not root yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that, just figured out how to enable the app drawer...this is 100x better.

joseguillen1994 said:
Lol i never said you would get the whole TouchWiz package. I said "Only the launcher part", I know TouchWiz is more than just the launcher , settings and camera interface as i said. However, since the V20 is not a samsung , there is no way you can get the full TouchWiz package, only the launcher. And people will have to adjust to that like it or not. Its either keep the phone or go back to samsung
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just the way you said it seemed like you were trying to say that it was just a couple of minor changes and not fundamental changes to base stock Android is all but I see what you're saying now
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk

Nick281051 said:
Just the way you said it seemed like you were trying to say that it was just a couple of minor changes and not fundamental changes to base stock Android is all but I see what you're saying now
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, i figure that part of the post might be misunderstood at some point along the way lol.

joseguillen1994 said:
To activate appdrawer, read this: http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-v20-tips-and-tricks-716837/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you so much for this. this is just what i needed

Exactly what I wanted to hear!
I am coming from a S7E and that phone itself is literally a bad ass electronic device.
The reason I am upgrading is....i dont know really, my addiction to smartphones? I guess it dwells down to wanting to have the latest OS update honestly. And the only two phones that are running it out the box happen to be TWO very awesome devices.
The reason why I went with the V20 over the PIXEL XL are because of availability mostly. But then I started to think, the option to remove the battery and expand storage is a plus! So I am not too concerned with my decision.
Things that I was on the fence about, Camera and screen quality. I guess I can live with having second best in both of those categories. As long as it isnt the worst then I can accept it.
Cant wait to receive this baby, I have two cases waiting already. WOOHOO!
Oh, I also tried the IPhone 7 route. I thought maybe I could finally sway away from Android since Apple has finally made a no compromise phone...wrong. The hardware is fantastic...but Apple doesnt do notifications and other small tasks as well as Android. I returned the device after 12 days of use. The Jet Black paint also scratched in that time frame. Glad I will be back on an Android.

Came from an S7E(also own a HTC 10)and man is it way faster. You mentioned the Note 7 was laggy the S7E was laggy as hell for me and I owned three different ones. Here are some quick observations.
-Battery life is great especially on Standby(thanks in part to Nougat's new doze)
-The Screen is not bad as some people say. It looks great, yes it's not Amoled but Blacks look suprisingly good.
-At night there is light bleed from the second screen that is very noticeable
-Sound is Killer on this, surpasses the HTC 10 which also has great audio
-No waterproof sucks, didn't know I would miss this
-My only quirk with the Software is the settings menu. I reccomend changing the theme to the High Contrast theme and also changing the DPI size
But ya Great Phone, haven't had a chance to test out the rear camera, but from what I can tell the front camera is only meh

Is it just me or is the fingerprint sensor on this wayyyyy better than the Note7? It seems to get my finger every single time (even when it's not on there that well). The Note7 would struggle a lot and say it didn't get it. Like others, I'm not too crazy about the placement of it but I'm sure it'll grow on me with use. Just not used to it yet. Having the option for a "knock code" while the screen is off is really nice and makes up for it. I will agree I liked the amoled screen on the Note better but it's not that big of a deal to me. I feel like I'm in the minority but I actually liked the look of the edge screen and how it made the profile of the phone smaller. Yes, the functionality of it was really gimmicky but it made it look nice. Overall I'm happy with this phone so far though.

@volfan22 @adolfo778 thanks for sharing guys! You have convinced me to at least try out the v20. Put in a pre-order today!

volfan22 said:
Is it just me or is the fingerprint sensor on this wayyyyy better than the Note7? It seems to get my finger every single time (even when it's not on there that well). The Note7 would struggle a lot and say it didn't get it. Like others, I'm not too crazy about the placement of it but I'm sure it'll grow on me with use. Just not used to it yet. Having the option for a "knock code" while the screen is off is really nice and makes up for it. I will agree I liked the amoled screen on the Note better but it's not that big of a deal to me. I feel like I'm in the minority but I actually liked the look of the edge screen and how it made the profile of the phone smaller. Yes, the functionality of it was really gimmicky but it made it look nice. Overall I'm happy with this phone so far though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No the fingerprint reader is as it should be on any phone. Super fast and accurate. The Note7 one was crap and an embarrassment for that phone. The Note 7 had so many little flaws that I am glad it went into flames. Seriously. The fingerprint reader on the Nexus 6P was similar to the V20 one. When I got my note 7 I was so disappointed: It was slow, inaccurate and you physically had to press the key which was just stupid.

mgymnop said:
No the fingerprint reader is as it should be on any phone. Super fast and accurate. The Note7 one was crap and an embarrassment for that phone. The Note 7 had so many little flaws that I am glad it went into flames. Seriously. The fingerprint reader on the Nexus 6P was similar to the V20 one. When I got my note 7 I was so disappointed: It was slow, inaccurate and you physically had to press the key which was just stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note7 was the 1st phone I've had with a fingerprint scanner and after getting this phone, it's crazy to see how different they are. You're right, the scanner on the Note blows lol.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

Seriously though. This smartphone is getting better and better for me everyday. I have 65 apps (USER APPS ) installed and many of then constantly synch, and the battery could easily last for more than 2 days if i dont use it alot . (I said easily, so it means it could be even more)

I was one of the ones that stitched to an iPhone after being an Android user since the G1. I lasted 6 months before I was back to Android. If Apple opened up the API then I could deal with it but simple tasks I took for granted on Android were hard to accomplish on iOS. That being said, I use an iPad because I think iOS has Android beat on tablets.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk