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Post Your First Impressions

Always curious to hear.
Got mine yesterday.
It's all screen! Lighter, thinner than GS3. Feels more like a small, thin Note 2 which is a good thing to me. Not so bubbly as GS3. Screen is amazing. Bloatware is out of control. The back looks kind of like snake skin.
The speaker is much louder than GS3. So far, I love it. Haven't even tried the features yet!
Anyone else?:good:

Got mine yesterday as well. Extremely nice screen! Gorilla Glass 3 resists finger prints better then advertised in my opinion and the overall 5 inch display is incredible. Super zippy but yes, comes loaded with Samsung and AT&T Apps but this shouldn't be too surprising as Samsung did advertise there software quite a bit. Only natural they put there mark in it. On the flip side all this is easily fixable once a root is out but EVEN with this stuff the phone manages to handle it's memory well and work fast.
Overall I am glad I waited and after a couple of weeks I think there people freaking out are really gonna kick themselves for getting all worked up over stupid problems that are easily dealt with.

Got mine yesterday. see my bloatware thread.
Hardware is amazing and top notch. Software is so bloated and bogged down that, when combined with locked bootloader, I will strongly consider returning.
People might flame me for this, but even with the bloat disabled and using Nova launcher, my gs3 running slim bean is faster on everyday tasks.
Just hit 5% battery life and the phone just automatically reduced brightness to a point that I can barely use it, and phone won't let me crank it back up. Just way too much garbage.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337

WMguy said:
Always curious to hear.
Got mine yesterday.
It's all screen! Lighter, thinner than GS3. Feels more like a small, thin Note 2 which is a good thing to me. Not so bubbly as GS3. Screen is amazing. Bloatware is out of control. The back looks kind of like snake skin.
The speaker is much louder than GS3. So far, I love it. Haven't even tried the features yet!
Anyone else?:good:
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Click to collapse
screen is mind blowingly good, i had a HTC one for 3 days before i got my GS4 and honestly the one was closer to the s4 then i thought it would be. the one had less bloat and it stutter a bit less (after freezing bloat my phone has gotten ALOT better). camera is awesome love the quality and wow this phone is so small for 5 inches. coming from a note 2 and a temporary lumia 920 this thing feels tiny and light, honestly one of the major selling points of the gs4 is it's bezel less design (imo). if bootloader stays locked for long i am selling it or trading it for the one or octa core version.... its a shame that the stock rom is so bloated, i traded the one back because i thought sammy software would blow htc out the water but it didn't . One more thing, the GS4 tv remote works 10000 times better then the htc one. htc could not sync to my sound bar or u-verse box no matter what i tried, the GS4 had that working in seconds. i have 3 remotes just for my bed room and the fact that i do not need them is a huge plus.

phositadc said:
Got mine yesterday. see my bloatware thread.
Hardware is amazing and top notch. Software is so bloated and bogged down that, when combined with locked bootloader, I will strongly consider returning.
People might flame me for this, but even with the bloat disabled and using Nova launcher, my gs3 running slim bean is faster on everyday tasks.
Just hit 5% battery life and the phone just automatically reduced brightness to a point that I can barely use it, and phone won't let me crank it back up. Just way too much garbage.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
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Click to collapse
You might need to play with the settings some more for the auto brightness settings. As for the lag, AOSP ROMs have always been faster (in my experience) to Touchwiz Roms. I'm going to put up with the stock Touchwiz for as long as I can before trying out the first releases of AOSP on the GS4. I'm hopeful we will see some crazy development action if it's true the Quad-core international version ROM's can easily be ported to the US versions and vice versa. The international GS3 had so much to chose from. I was perfectly happy on my GS3 using AOKP, but I'm sure I'm not going to regret moving over to the GS4. I had the same debate when switching from the GS2 to the GS3.

I dont get mine till tonight, but I found one in a best buy mobile store and was surpised at how much stuttering I saw just going through the homescreens.
Im hoping that when I disable all the eye tracking stuff that will all run better.

porkaysi said:
the GS4 tv remote works 10000 times better
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I'm sold
I tried the htc one remote control feature and liked it. Only thing I really liked, glad to hear the gs4 one is better. Definitely comes in handy.
How is the camera? Especially the dual shot feature(I feel I'll be using this alot )? And the other camera features?

SysAdmNj said:
I'm sold
I tried the htc one remote control feature and liked it. Only thing I really liked, glad to hear the gs4 one is better. Definitely comes in handy.
How is the camera? Especially the dual shot feature(I feel I'll be using this alot )? And the other camera features?
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Click to collapse
just got the phone yesterday but i have not played with it a lot, studying for finals . but i did dual shot and it is cool and i could see it being fun to use. have not tried all the shooting modes but i am flying to NYC tonight and i plan on taking a bunch of photos and playing with the camera in depth over the weekend

SysAdmNj said:
I'm sold
I tried the htc one remote control feature and liked it. Only thing I really liked, glad to hear the gs4 one is better. Definitely comes in handy.
How is the camera? Especially the dual shot feature(I feel I'll be using this alot )? And the other camera features?
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Click to collapse
Here are some photos I snapped this morning in challenging conditions: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oll6vneulv13mz6/TZcApg0pCD
Overall, better than Galaxy S3 by a decent margin. But I used to have an iPhone 5, and my initial impression is that the IP5 takes better pictures than the GS4, at least in these conditions. I feel like it was extremely rare that I got a bad photo out of that phone, even in a relatively dark room as in these pictures, but as you can see in my link, several of these are pretty bad.

porkaysi said:
just got the phone yesterday but i have not played with it a lot, studying for finals . but i did dual shot and it is cool and i could see it being fun to use. have not tried all the shooting modes but i am flying to NYC tonight and i plan on taking a bunch of photos and playing with the camera in depth over the weekend
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Click to collapse
Well good luck with that, and post some of the pics when you can
phositadc said:
Here are some photos I snapped this morning in challenging conditions: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oll6vneulv13mz6/TZcApg0pCD
Overall, better than Galaxy S3 by a decent margin. But I used to have an iPhone 5, and my initial impression is that the IP5 takes better pictures than the GS4, at least in these conditions. I feel like it was extremely rare that I got a bad photo out of that phone, even in a relatively dark room as in these pictures, but as you can see in my link, several of these are pretty bad.
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Your pics look pretty good to me. I'm viewing them on my 24" monitor at work though. Cute dog btw. I'm sure compared to the ip5 the gs4 will have better detail due to the higher resolution in normal conditions? Is there an exposure setting? Or other settings to help low light conditions?

SysAdmNj said:
Well good luck with that, and post some of the pics when you can
Your pics look pretty good to me. I'm viewing them on my 24" monitor at work though. Cute dog btw. I'm sure compared to the ip5 the gs4 will have better detail due to the higher resolution in normal conditions? Is there an exposure setting? Or other settings to help low light conditions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that I've taken a second look, I guess you are right that they are pretty decent, except for one of them. I'm so used to looking at things on a small screen that when I blow it up on a big monitor I expect it to be just as sharp on a big screen as it was on a small screen!

phositadc said:
Now that I've taken a second look, I guess you are right that they are pretty decent, except for one of them. I'm so used to looking at things on a small screen that when I blow it up on a big monitor I expect it to be just as sharp on a big screen as it was on a small screen!
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Click to collapse
i agree. those pics you posted dont look that bad. that's the problem with the htc one camera (i own one) when you increase the resolution of the pic, the quality suffers due to only being 4mp. the gs4 is 13mp so it wont be as bad when you increase it's resolution (although there will still be some kind of quality drop off).

Just frickin' awesome. After having the Note this "cheap" plastic feels luxurious

Got mine today. Coming from an LG Optimus G. Here's a few thoughts.
1. I really like the keyboard. But since I've been a swiftkey user for a long time that's no surprise.
2. Screen is very good. Wish it was a little brighter when using auto brightness, but it is very good nonetheless.
3. Maybe I'm just not that picky, but I don't notice any lag. At least not anything bad enough to complain about.
4. Seems to charge pretty fast with the included 2 amp charger.
5. It might be plastic, but I can tell you I like the light weight and the feel in my hand better than my LG Optimus G...
6. I thought the 'swapped' menu and back buttons would bother me. But to be honest, I kind of like it better...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

I have a few questions,
1. Does the speaker have 'stereo sound' like the HTC one? Can you hear the base? What about hooking up to the headphone? Does it sound better than S3?
2. Anyone here uses Allshare cast? I have a Samsung LED Smart TV that I stream movies directly from my phone to the TV with a touch of a button on the S3. It does have occasional lags, however. Does the S4 do the same?
3. Does the S4 have the same amount of ringtones like the S3?

JasonJoel said:
6. I thought the 'swapped' menu and back buttons would bother me. But to be honest, I kind of like it better...
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Click to collapse
I actually really like the button setup. When I got my first smartphone like three years ago, it was a Blackberry, and it had a similar button arrangement. It went [PHONE][MENU][HOME/SELECT][BACK][END CALL]. My current Galaxy S2 is [MENU][HOME][BACK][SEARCH]. So the S4 will be the same as I am used to, and I will appreciate not having to get used to a new setup.

two issues.
1)wifi keeps on disconnecting... very annoying
i have another device on the same wifi, but it's not disconnecting at all.
2) RAM. even if i clear everything, i'm at 1.2GB ish.. i always notice the homescreen widgets refreshing themselves due to low RAM.
anyone else?
everything else is fine.
speedy, beautiful screen, good speaker, very nice camera, etc.

Speaker is very good; coming from S2
Bloat... Blah
Android without root, is like a day without sunshine.

fargonaz said:
Android without root, is like a day without sunshine.
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Click to collapse
This is a great comment! I agree 100%.

rsmolen said:
This is a great comment! I agree 100%.
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Click to collapse
I honestly dont feel a need to root with the One S4 I can see being pretty much the same. Too me stock is way more boring =/

Me and my S6 " The love hate love relationship"

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
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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.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get a battery case. It's the only way.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

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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Click to collapse
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.

returning the LGv20...

I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h

Is this a joke? This phone is smooth as butter especially compared to the v10, you're either running it with a poorly performing sdcard or you've got a defect.
UI is disgusting? What it's like every other freaking phone. There are plenty of 3rd party launchers to change it as you see fit.
Camera I am unsure of since I haven't really used it much yet but I am sure its not horrible like you're claiming.
Either way good luck with whatever phone you choose next. I am being sincere if my phone was like that I'd change too but mine has been good so far.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

evo4g63t said:
Is this a joke? This phone is smooth as butter especially compared to the v10, you're either running it with a poorly performing sdcard or you've got a defect.
UI is disgusting? What it's like every other freaking phone. There are plenty of 3rd party launchers to change it as you see fit.
Camera I am unsure of since I haven't really used it much yet but I am sure its not horrible like you're claiming.
Either way good luck with whatever phone you choose next. I am being sincere if my phone was like that I'd change too but mine has been good so far.
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Have you ever used a stock android phone such as a pixel or a nexus?..

egren58 said:
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
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Click to collapse
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just explaining my experience owning the phone since October so that you have more info about its capability.
Are you on a stock phone?
The rooting process and custom roms have allowed Dev's to fix many of the issues that existed on stock.
Lag? Mine is fast as sh*t. I came from the note 4 with one of the best custom roms (tx_dbs_tx) and this phone is much faster.
I'm on OvrDrive's rom and couldn't be happier. The latest update has the camera working faster and taking exceptional pictures. Better than my note 4.
Yes, the screen is not a sammy. When we are able to integrate kcal it will be close. I had kcal on an early rom version that really made the screen look good. Unfortunately, we have had problems with modifying the kernel, but I believe it is only a matter of time until it can be done safely.
I'm using a custom theme which looks great, especially at night. I don't spend a lot of time looking at my phone in a pitch black room, so I rarely see the bleed. This is the price you pay for a second screen, which I really like. I wouldn't trade the second screen for a phone without the second screen just to lose the bleed which I only see .01% of the time.
I got my wife an S7 edge. It is stock. Other than the great sammy screen, there is nothing that would make me consider trading my V20. I have so much more control over my phone than hers and can do much more.
If you are on stock, then maybe that is the problem. Rooted with a custom rom is great. If you aren't willing to go down that road, then, yes you should switch.

androiddiego said:
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just explaining my experience owning the phone since October so that you have more info about its capability.
Are you on a stock phone?
The rooting process and custom roms have allowed Dev's to fix many of the issues that existed on stock.
Lag? Mine is fast as sh*t. I came from the note 4 with one of the best custom roms (tx_dbs_tx) and this phone is much faster.
I'm on OvrDrive's rom and couldn't be happier. The latest update has the camera working faster and taking exceptional pictures. Better than my note 4.
Yes, the screen is not a sammy. When we are able to integrate kcal it will be close. I had kcal on an early rom version that really made the screen look good. Unfortunately, we have had problems with modifying the kernel, but I believe it is only a matter of time until it can be done safely.
I'm using a custom theme which looks great, especially at night. I don't spend a lot of time looking at my phone in a pitch black room, so I rarely see the bleed. This is the price you pay for a second screen, which I really like. I wouldn't trade the second screen for a phone without the second screen just to lose the bleed which I only see .01% of the time.
I got my wife an S7 edge. It is stock. Other than the great sammy screen, there is nothing that would make me consider trading my V20. I have so much more control over my phone than hers and can do much more.
If you are on stock, then maybe that is the problem. Rooted with a custom rom is great. If you aren't willing to go down that road, then, yes you should switch.
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Click to collapse
I am rooted. I have had the phone for about 10 days. I am on weta rom.. Is just I feel like this phone is phone is not the android experience I am used to.. I used the s7edge as well and did not like it either.. I am more of stock android. And I am starting to realize why people refuse to use anything but stock android.. I have had zero used for the second screen yeah it looks nice and I can see someone use it. But not me.. And the camera is. Really bad like dammed I think the nexus 6p takes netter pics. Selfies look like you have makeup.. Even with beauty turned off. AGAIN THIS IS MU EXPERIENCE.. Is my device defective?. Idk but highly doubt it.

I understand with the camera. I came from the v10 (also tmobile) and I can't figure out why the camera on the v20 takes such blurry/water color grainy what ever you call it pictures sometimes. Still hoping it's a software fix because the hardware is there. Should be at least as good as the v10 if not better... And it's not.
As for lag, I don't get it. Mine was smooth and fast for a while but now it lags sometimes. Open a text and count to 5 while I wait to see when it feels like actually popping up.
Sometimes I'm typing and waiting for the letters to pop up.
Ugh.
I wonder if it could be blamed on my SD card... It's the 200gb card that came with the v10.
I use SwiftKey keyboard. Never had a problem with lag before so I don't think it's the keyboard's fault.
My v10 was doing the same thing with the stock text messaging app and it wasn't even set to save anything so I don't think it had to do with large files or anything.
I set it up as new so I didn't bring a bunch of junk from my other phone and I don't really have all that many apps. I don't use the Facebook app and I don't have any problems at all with battery draining. The battery is awesome!
But I do wish I could figure out the lag. It doesn't make any sense that it should take so much time to open up my text messages. I would be tempted to blame it on the fact that I told it not to delete them anymore but like I said, the V10 was doing it and that one was deleting everything all the time!

I have costumized every aspects to get as close as to what I am used to and no luck at all.. I really tried to give this phone shot.. But just not for me..

planetbeen said:
I understand with the camera. I came from the v10 (also tmobile) and I can't figure out why the camera on the v20 takes such blurry/water color grainy what ever you call it pictures sometimes. Still hoping it's a software fix because the hardware is there. Should be at least as good as the v10 if not better... And it's not.
As for lag, I don't get it. Mine was smooth and fast for a while but now it lags sometimes. Open a text and count to 5 while I wait to see when it feels like actually popping up.
Sometimes I'm typing and waiting for the letters to pop up.
Ugh.
I wonder if it could be blamed on my SD card... It's the 200gb card that came with the v10.
I use SwiftKey keyboard. Never had a problem with lag before so I don't think it's the keyboard's fault.
My v10 was doing the same thing with the stock text messaging app and it wasn't even set to save anything so I don't think it had to do with large files or anything.
I set it up as new so I didn't bring a bunch of junk from my other phone and I don't really have all that many apps. I don't use the Facebook app and I don't have any problems at all with battery draining. The battery is awesome!
But I do wish I could figure out the lag. It doesn't make any sense that it should take so much time to open up my text messages. I would be tempted to blame it on the fact that I told it not to delete them anymore but like I said, the V10 was doing it and that one was deleting everything all the time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they are not doing very well in optimizing their software

egren58 said:
I have costumized every aspects to get as close as to what I am used to and no luck at all.. I really tried to give this phone shot.. But just not for me..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I get it. But why not give OrvDrive's rom a try since you are rooted? Can't hurt. His rom has the least complications of the others, not to bash them in any way. I appreciate the effort of all devs and know that behind the scene they are working together to some degree.
If you do find a better new phone, let me know. I might switch too.
Cheers.

androiddiego said:
Ok, I get it. But why not give OrvDrive's rom a try since you are rooted? Can't hurt. His rom has the least complications of the others, not to bash them in any way. I appreciate the effort of all devs and know that behind the scene they are working together to some degree.
If you do find a better new phone, let me know. I might switch too.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just ordered another pixel xl.. Since I lost my first one, But until then I will be using an iphone 7 plus.. And returning this back to T-Mobile...

egren58 said:
Well I just ordered another pixel xl.. Since I lost my first one, But until then I will be using an iphone 7 plus.. And returning this back to T-Mobile...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well good luck man hope it all works out for you. The no external memory support and the ridiculous price point for the pixel is why I didn't choose it.
To be honest I would not be using the v20 if a workable modern Samsung Note were out but we are about 6 months out for that and my v10 got the dreaded boot loop so I had to have a phone. Pixel is too expensive for what it offers, Apple is a scumbag company that I absolutely do not support and the s series from samsung doesn't interest me.
I am a big fan of removable batteries too despite not really using a phone long enough to need to replace the battery but I love aftermarket battery packs. LG is the only one to offer this and it looks like it might be the final high end model to feature this (the g6 looks to be water proof)
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

evo4g63t said:
Well good luck man hope it all works out for you. The no external memory support and the ridiculous price point for the pixel is why I didn't choose it.
To be honest I would not be using the v20 if a workable modern Samsung Note were out but we are about 6 months out for that and my v10 got the dreaded boot loop so I had to have a phone. Pixel is too expensive for what it offers, Apple is a scumbag company that I absolutely do not support and the s series from samsung doesn't interest me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was skeptical about the pixel.. But I'll tell you this..just the pure android and smoothness of a pixel phone alone is worth it.. I had never run into a single issue with that phone. Always butter smooth and never had a fc on any apps

LULZ.

Zero lag here. 3 months in. I'm using the H990DS model with no bloatware.
I also find the camera to be great. Love the wide angle lens as well. Not sure what you're smoking..

reaktor TuT said:
Zero lag here. 3 months in. I'm using the H990DS model with no bloatware.
I also find the camera to be great. Love the wide angle lens as well. Not sure what you're smoking..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera great?. I s voted one of the worst camera of 2017 based on consumer..

Not sure why you think the camera takes poor quality pictures. This was taken with the wide angle camera (which most people think is generally terrible) in super low light, in situations where most phones would fail.
I'm also not sure what's bad about the UI? There are now a dozen or so themes that theme the actual system ui, and a trillion different launchers to theme your icons and app launcher.
No lag here. Over 60 user apps installed.
I use the second screen all the time for the quick flashlight access and for controlling Play Music when the phones docked in my car.
Your phone is either a dud, or you've got an app rampaging in the background somewhere.
Edit: ignore my broken TV. It somehow was cracked while wall mounting, and we handled it like it was the world's most valuable but brittle gem stone.

The second screen is practically a requirement for me after a year with the v10, the music controls without turning on the phone is such a fantastic feature along with the quick function shortcuts.
I am going to definitely miss it if the v series turns into a non removable battery phone or the note 8 grabs my attention.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

egren58 said:
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, just learn how to root it. It fixes every problem you have and more.

StarCommand said:
Honestly, just learn how to root it. It fixes every problem you have and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been rooted. Since day one..

egren58 said:
I have been rooted. Since day one..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can't root a phone I don't want it lol.
Also, maybe its the ROM your using, there are a lot of factors that play a part.

[Help] considering buying this phone please share your experience

hi my note 5's screen got broke so I need a new smartphone
with my price tag the only solid options are the hTC 10 and the Huawei Mate 9
I found some reviews bashing the headphone jack performance of the mate 9 so for comparison with the galaxy s7 for example or the note 5 for those who owned both of the devices how is it.
also the gaming performance how is it ?for example how much fps you get with Riptide Renegade on high settings
and also I would like to know if there is a flaw or a problem you encountered with this phone.
sorry for being long and I would really appreciate your help.
thanks in advance

AlMaghraby said:
hi my note 5's screen got broke so I need a new smartphone
with my price tag the only solid options are the hTC 10 and the Huawei Mate 9
I found some reviews bashing the headphone jack performance of the mate 9 so for comparison with the galaxy s7 for example or the note 5 for those who owned both of the devices how is it.
also the gaming performance how is it ?for example how much fps you get with Riptide Renegade on high settings
and also I would like to know if there is a flaw or a problem you encountered with this phone.
sorry for being long and I would really appreciate your help.
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i have no complaints. There are minor ticks here and there but thats as expected. HEadphone jack is fine on my unit. BT is really nice. Battery is great. i avg 9-10 hours SOT per charge and thats over 2 days for me. ( 1d 18hr )
Ive tweaked a few things. i do not get push notifications unless it is from a text.
I also do not use FB apps. Instagram or SC. ( use Metal for FB and website for instagram )
ONLY use the chaarger included with it. or the one huawei makes for car charging.
Reception is great. Small things here n there on Tmo but it works well.
Camera is Excellent. i was 15ft away from a car at a show and in the photo you can read the tire sidewall!
CONS:
Limited cases and Glass coveres
Limited charger options
Trickle charge issue. ( old HTC things. unplug for a few minutes then plug back in for about 5-10 more. gives a true full charge )
I have a 128gb SD in and i love having 183gb to store anything on.
DO NOT use the internal batteyr estimator. Not accurate ( USE GSAM )
Compared to my Note 5 this is THE BEST phone i have ever used. Im going to sell my Note 5, eave sprint and stick just to Tmobile. or ATT idk yet.

Can't argue with this.

On Amazon (in Germany) you can find now plenty of cases for Mate 9. I can recommend the Spigen rugged case that I purchased lately and it is really good. Glass protection is indeed a big problem: most of the items that claim they are for the Mate 9 are to narrow and the few ones that are having the right size are of a very bad quality.
The phone itself is great, better than everything I had so far (my last phone was an LG G4). The screen is "only" full HD, but to be frank, I do not see the need to have a higher resolution on a phone (it still can make 4K videos if this is what you need). Video recording quality is really great: the most beautiful colors I have seen on a phone video recording so far. Wide aperture photos are a hit among my family and friends (I am the only one now in charge to take photos in my family when we go out ). ANTUTU benchmark almost 120k - faster than my colleague's Galaxy S7 - so, whatever you want to do with it, it will do it great.
The only thing that I miss sometimes is the support for MHL (but it has other mirroring options). And I would have liked to have the option to hide the Android navigation keys in all applications but the screen is anyhow huge so, this is not a big issue either since the keys are anyhow hidden when you play videos or I read a book.

so what about notifications problems that is all over internet? is that solved already?
at least europe versions.. I want all my notification instantly like on other phones, no matter is that whatsapp or something else..
And is it true that notification are gone from lockscreen after unlocking phone or just putting screen on to see what is it?
i'm also considering to get this model

digitall1982 said:
so what about notifications problems that is all over internet? is that solved already?
at least europe versions.. I want all my notification instantly like on other phones, no matter is that whatsapp or something else..
And is it true that notification are gone from lockscreen after unlocking phone or just putting screen on to see what is it?
i'm also considering to get this model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notification problem happens with the Chinese version, as far as I know, i have the EU version and i get all the notifications.
Honestly, even now, this is the BEST phone there is, the first phone i don't need root as there are workaround for everything, performance, and battery and top notch, camera is great but slightly disappointing in low light, screen is big apparently now "old school" and very sharp and bright, stereo speakers are great, the DAC is average at best but still decent.

Fantastic phone, camera, battery life, screen, sound of speakers, build! Not so awesome is the update history of Huawei. Updates come late and limited.
The only real drawback is the lack of developers. I had hoped for LineageOS, but I think that boat is torpedoed and sunk.
Still GREAT value!

Battery is stellar. I've been in bed all day sick, with my phone by my side. Almost at 10 hours screen on time at 13% battery left. Bluetooth has been used, connected on WiFi.
It's the best phone I've EVER had. Well, S3 note 4 and G2 are up there.
The HD screen is fine. I had the G4 S7 previously. Don't miss the screens.
The video recording format is irritating in that 2k won't upload to YouTube. It's too modern.
Definitely give the phone a go. I bought the Chinese 6gig 128gig version converted to international ROM. Have contemplated selling but just can't let it go! Even my mate with his S8 loves it. Oh, and it's not got a curved screen, another plus for me!

Didn't want to buy a phone with non removable battery.
Pretty much a non issue with this phone as it's hot such a great battery and a sensible screen resolution so doesn't drain fast.
The camera bokeh effect is simply the best on the market by a mile. Low light is mediocre though.
Massive screen. Great speed. Phenomenal finger print sensor.
I hated the soft keys but you learn to hate them less.
Overall delighted with this thing.
Doesn't slow down. If anything it goes faster with time which is odd but just what they seek to claim!

what about 4k video and auto upload to google photos? is that solved or it must be converted into h264?

This is the best phone I've ever had. Coming from an s7 and wife has s8 plus and still use a note 5 for our home phone. It's without question my favorite! Screen still looks fantastic for 1080. The battery is off the chain. I could easily go 2 days and have, just generally charge it before I go to bed and is always above 50%. Fast!!!! Smooth!!! I don't know how they do it, but next to Apple this is the must fluid phone out there. Heck, I'd say it's smoother than my friends 7S. Only paid 400 for it and it's dual sim to boot.
Honestly can't say enough about it. Only get rid of it if mate 10 is better somehow. I am intrigued by less bezels.
Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

It's the best phone AFTER the B186 and up update, before that battery life was ****. I am on the 190 now with the phone updating to 193. It is the best phone in terms of battery life, performance and hardware/software. Too bad the update method is ****... like a HUGE TURD that third parties have to fill the gaps on this. Oh it's also **** that some of the huawei apps are in chinese (like the store) or whatever... It sucks BIG TIME.

I'm not a fan myself.
The Huawei android skin is yet another confusing and pointless skin that just causes issues and degrades Android. Go for a Google phone and have Android in it's true glory rather than in a compromised and inferior veneer.
Oh yes and it looks like I can 'kiss goodbye" to any updates from Huawei, with the Mate 10 phone now round the corner.
My last Android security patch was for April.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy S8, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

I can't believe I'm saying this but I love it! Other than that dumb fingerprint scanner :| Ughhh I just use pattern! feels really strange to use pattern thesedays
It also has that good old samsung lag and stutter but it's much more acceptable now. It stutters and it's nowhere near smooth 60fps but not torture either!
IT'S ALSO SOOOO goood in your hands! my s7 edge wasn't very nice to hold without a case

I love love love regular S8 but battery life is a real bummer
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Love it too, wish the snapdragon ver had root with magish

Lots of love on this thread!!

I know Im a bit late to the party, (I always wait about 3 - 6 months before buying a flagship, so the bugs get sorted) but I Just got my regular S8 (Ive used an S8+, but in UK... the + is STILL an extra £10p/month on contract).. and yep... I love it too.. its awesome and Bixby is actually useful and interesting now... Unlike HTC who have done Nothing with Sense Companion at all..
My only gripe with the S8 over the S8+ is the tinney speaker on the S8... the S8+ sounds far better and a bit louder as well... but on the whole... awesome phone.

I did the pre-order via BestBuy and luckily qualified for and recieved the 256gb sd card, AKG headphones along with the VR headset. So in that respect, extremely happy.
The phone itself is very good. The camera & video can be excellent especially in sunlight, night shots are good too.
With 64GB space I can take over 2000 pics and videos before I have to download and erase.
Speaking of space, one thing I have been waiting for, for years is the ability to hold all my mp3s on one device. The 256gb card does it for me. I think there's 40k odd songs on it right now. Of course during all this time of waiting, it's not really that important anymore with all the streaming services available. I have amazon prime/unlimited music so...
Speedwise I can't complain, I just pulled 50Mbps this afternoon on my local tower. The camera is mostly quick to respond though I miss the shake to wake camera app my last Moto had.
Biggest non-love is the screen. Not a fan of the long and skinny aspect ratio. I think the S7 Edge with 5.5" is the better form factor, but I had an S6 and didn't want an immediate upgrade, I usually skip a year. But really other than that I like everything about the S8. Does everything I want it to without complaining. Can't get much better than that!
---------- Post added at 12:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 AM ----------
..oh yeah Bixby. WTF is that stupid thing anyway? What a dumb name. Useless button. I wish they'd just kill it off, give it a graceful death and let the button be assigned in settings. sorry for the neg in the love thread but somebody had to say it

battery life? turn off sync
cricketgirl90 said:
I love love love regular S8 but battery life is a real bummer
(Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? How about turning off Sync and manually syncing only when you need to. I get the word "smart" is placed in front of the word "phone" but the real use of the device is as a PHONE. For any other use, even Samsung sells that "dock" thing where you *can* use the phone as an android desktop-like replacement, but even there, its plugged in while in that use!
Because I'm not constantly checking emails and not using those communications apps that many of your type of person seems to use, I don't need Sync turned on, and would rather have the option to do manual sync on EVERY app, where some fail this (or have in the past) requiring lots of extra steps too get them to sync when you want to ...
Its that constant SYNC of data that you aren't using *right now* that is always draining your battery. Otherwise I'm sure you're not complaining that you use all these apps all the time, and by nature of the fact that using memory and processing capabilities actually USE power from the only source it has (the battery) .. right?
Its not the same argument as the recent Iphone garbage where Apple was caught deliberately slowing down the processing to conserve battery draws to maximize the length of time the "smart" in the smartphone could actually run.. nor is the battery life an issue with regards to the explosive fire causing nature of the previous note gen phone right?
Or do you actually think you should be able to play racing games on your phone for hours at a time, without consequence? or have constant wireless or cellular data in use downloading or just even CHECKING for updates regardless if there are any ..
I don't begrudge your type of user from wanting more battery life, but you have to accept the responsibility for your actions too .. if you wanted longer battery life, you'd need to chose options more accordingly. This phone has no "user replaceable" battery, and in days of old, companies would make extra capacity batteries and would include a new back cover for your phone to allow for the bigger battery bulge..
I don't like the saying .. but its true in this case .. It is what it is. The battery will only last as long as the power draining apps you run can be sustained.
PS/Edit: by the way on my S8 I'm getting nearly 2 days of use, I play 4 games regularly, but none of them that require constant processing power, so the largest use of that power is the screen being on. And with that, I manually lower the brightness so that it is less than what the "auto" setting would use.
and an FYI ... anything that does "location" work ... thats a big energy hog too .. geo location with satellites is yet another battery drain. Social heart-beat apps too how do you think they know where you are or you know where they are? ... close proximity broadcasting and data transmissions .. you either find out through Bluetooth or a combination of that plus Geo-Location sent back to their servers .. data data data and MORE data.. ... read that as battery zapping bits moving about when you don't need them ... wanna know if your friend is close by? how about looking up and away from your phone for a minute?

I did like my s8 UNTILL all the adds started, now its none stop with adds, so as a life timer haven a samsung phone, i now have decided to switch over to a iphone, simply due to iphones are not having the intrusive add issues samsung has going on, so to sum this up you at samsung are going to loose alot of customers because of the adds you think u must put out, so ill say good bye to samsung shortly and start a new chapter with my new iphone, you guys must realize u made the phone we buy the phone it now becomes our phones and if we wanted all the adds we would go online and get them, we dont want all the adds like you have now, get rid of these adds and you will gain back lost customers

ImdaGOonch said:
I did like my s8 UNTILL all the adds started, now its none stop with adds, so as a life timer haven a samsung phone, i now have decided to switch over to a iphone, simply due to iphones are not having the intrusive add issues samsung has going on, so to sum this up you at samsung are going to loose alot of customers because of the adds you think u must put out, so ill say good bye to samsung shortly and start a new chapter with my new iphone, you guys must realize u made the phone we buy the phone it now becomes our phones and if we wanted all the adds we would go online and get them, we dont want all the adds like you have now, get rid of these adds and you will gain back lost customers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ads? What ads were you getting? And when did they start? Which cellular carrier?
The only thing with ads in them are the apps you use. Example Visual Voicemail .. the current version of it you either pay for it, or you get ads, regardless if you're using the full extent of the program or just using the basic version of it. And so in a case like that, the answer is simple really .. don't use that app, I mean like ever.
Other than visual voicemail there hasn't been any samsung included app on mine (under Boostmobile) that generated ads, external to using the app and even with visual voicemail, it won't show you ads unless you're actually using the app. I do have gripes that the basic apps that came with the phone lost some of the features that were in the older (other) generations of the phone but in 60 days of use not one ad ever.

Yes i love the s8 honestly i love this phone so much. roms custom kernels, hacking the samsung them strore doing all the crazy stuff getting 35 hours battery time on single charge listing to 16 hours of music time that display is so cool even that iphone X is suppose to befaster or whatever the S8 is so much better lol the only phone i consider to bay after i had my s8 since is it came out about year ago was the Note8 but it was to big:

I can get 35h off the charger and 7 hours of SOT with mine. I don't have any complaints whatsoever. Root isn't even a necessity for me anymore because there's so many built in features.

I came from multiple iphones (before them I had android devices). I must say this phone is awesome! Only thing I would like to be better is sot. I can only have 3/3,30h...

ImdaGOonch said:
I did like my s8 UNTILL all the adds started, now its none stop with adds, so as a life timer haven a samsung phone, i now have decided to switch over to a iphone, simply due to iphones are not having the intrusive add issues samsung has going on, so to sum this up you at samsung are going to loose alot of customers because of the adds you think u must put out, so ill say good bye to samsung shortly and start a new chapter with my new iphone, you guys must realize u made the phone we buy the phone it now becomes our phones and if we wanted all the adds we would go online and get them, we dont want all the adds like you have now, get rid of these adds and you will gain back lost customers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this dude SERIOUS??

I'm in the first love with my S8 omg the screen and size , performance , sound it has them all!!! I'm running stock 7.0
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk

verytobyb said:
I'm in the first love with my S8 omg the screen and size , performance , sound it has them all!!! I'm running stock 7.0
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gotta update to 9.0. :good:

Settler11 said:
You gotta update to 9.0. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i did!! and i live the New gestures features i dont use navigation bar anymore
This is such an amazing Phone its sad ghat se are not going to receive any more updates
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk