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Waterproof S4 confirmed "S4 Active"

Ya ya ya, every news article doesn't need its own thread...but sorry, this one does just as much as the Google Edition
Here's the link, instead of me giving you the "jist"
http://www.redmondpie.com/images-of-galaxy-s4-active-waterproof-samsung-flagship-smartphone-leaked/
...Wow, and I was about to get the sammy S4 this week too...guess I might wait now once again lol

i am so mad right now. i dont think i can exchange my phone now. good one samsung..release ur flagship that is made from plastic and release another device with the exact same specs, but with waterproofing and better build!

Itll most likely be more expensive. If that wasnt implied lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

As a Z user, I aswell am a little peeved. But all is well, I guess.

Well it says that the phone is only water "resistant" on GSM Arena, CNET & Sammobile and also that the camera has been downgraded to 8 megapixel.
http://www.gsmarena.com/see_the_samsung_galaxy_s4_active_for_the_first_time-news-6069.php
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57585356-1/shots-leaked-of-galaxy-s4-active/
http://www.sammobile.com/2013/05/20/samsung-galaxy-s4-active-leaked/

Liquipel has confirmed that they will have waterproofing available for our devices.
$80 isnt bad either.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

EpicMango said:
Ya ya ya, every news article doesn't need its own thread...but sorry, this one does just as much as the Google Edition
Here's the link, instead of me giving you the "jist"
http://www.redmondpie.com/images-of-galaxy-s4-active-waterproof-samsung-flagship-smartphone-leaked/
...Wow, and I was about to get the sammy S4 this week too...guess I might wait now once again lol
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Click to collapse
Yes !! Now my dreams of playing words with friends in the bathtub will finally become reality !!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

liquipel...

Bender B. Rodgriguez said:
Yes !! Now my dreams of playing words with friends in the bathtub will finally become reality !!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am pretty sure some other people will have different type of playing in the bathtub with this phone. Could be there dreams too!

MrPlNK said:
Liquipel has confirmed that they will have waterproofing available for our devices.
$80 isnt bad either.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Liquipel is a gimmick when used on cell phones. It's borderline being a scam actually.
The technology is impressive and it has merits but these demos of cell phones being dunked are very deceiving, let me explain why...
First off a little history with other gimmicks. Long time ago probably before many around here were kicking they used to demo these "amazing" knives under differing brands (Ginsu probably the most familiar). They would do crazy things with them at the displays in malls, fairs, etc. One was cutting deep grooves in the head of a hammer. People would reach for their wallet in droves to buy after seeing that. I mean a knife that could cut through a hammer? Problem is no one ever really scrutinized and realized the "hammer" had a head made of lead. Lead is very soft and any iron or ss blade will cut it with little dulling compared to say trying that on an Estwing. BTW if you did try this with a real hammer (I did!) you'd find your blade about as ruined as if you took a chainsaw to a steel door.
So what does this have to do with Liquipel and their demos? Simple. They never tell you what the "water" they use really is. I'm willing to bet it's distilled water with a very low conductivity. Others that have this treatment done to their devices are reporting their device stops working after a day or two! Of course, you're using tap water which has far more minerals and therefore much higher conductivity.
It gets even worse! The average spill (beer, soda pop, fruit juice, etc.) not only is much more conductive but can be acidic, leave sticky residues which are often highly hygroscopic (which means they will absorb moisture from the air when it gets humid, becoming active again), and this is just bad to have in your phone!
Toilet swims? Don't even ask!
Saltwater which a device would encounter if offshore fishing or beach going would probably be the worst thing ever that could happen to your phone.
Liquipel can keep the fluid from wetting your treated parts but it cannot keep it OUT of the chassis/enclosure. That's where this is flawed. Once you have fluid penetration (no sick jokes, please!) your device is contaminated and will never be the same. If you want a waterproof or water resistant device you must keep the water out, PERIOD! This requires a completely different strategy starting with the chassis and any physical interface that must connect from the outside to in. Real solutions are never pretty or compact. If you eliminated the headphone jack and USB port relying on wireless charging and bt/wifi for sound, etc. it would be possible. The buttons would be gasketed like waterproof wristwatches, for example. The speaker and mic would be a challenge depending on the water (depth) rating. A meter rating would be no real issue but 100 meters would!
Finally, getting your device treated gives you a false sense of security! There is nothing worse than believing you're OK when in fact you won't be as careful and allowing your device to get dunked!

cpufrost said:
Liquipel is a gimmick when used on cell phones. It's borderline being a scam actually.
The technology is impressive and it has merits but these demos of cell phones being dunked are very deceiving, let me explain why...
...
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Click to collapse
thanks, this is informative (ran out of thanks for today, so posting this
Regarding Active - it will have a smaller screen, and is only water resistant - highlighting this as I believe many people think it is also shock/impact proof.
Seidio is developing their Obex for SGS4, I will check it out once it is released, gives water and impact resistance.
http://www.seidioonline.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-obex-case-holster-black-p/bd2-hwssgs4-bk.htm
Although it is a niche product, adds too much bulk, and worsens the mic and speaker quality.

It's always about compromise. TBH if you're the active type that wants to keep your phone working the easiest way is to put it in the equivalent of a storm case. Otter makes one that's in the ATT stores. TBH that's the only way I would carry my phone to the beach. Sand gets into everything and wrecks it - fast!
I have actually seen folks at the beach using a macbook!
Don't worry, it won't be long before connectivity will be a part of life, thought reading, embedded devices, and anti tinfoil hat tech! :laugh:

How nice of that article to included a photoshopped pic above the actual sneak peaks.
The original link should be the OP of this thread:
http://www.gsmarena.com/see_the_sam...he_first_time-news-6069.php?utm_source=feedly

some updates...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxkQavIz9wA&feature=player_embedded

kreoXDA said:
thanks, this is informative (ran out of thanks for today, so posting this
Regarding Active - it will have a smaller screen, and is only water resistant - highlighting this as I believe many people think it is also shock/impact proof.
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EpicMango said:
some updates...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxkQavIz9wA&feature=player_embedded
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Click to collapse
According to some comments in the video, this phone is also only a dual core S4 Plus MSM8960, which is even further of a disappointment.

well you could always just but a waterproof S4 here https://www.liquipel.com/
or get your current phone treated.
I contacted them, they're still testing the treatment and it's effect on things like air gestures, etc. should be ready soon tho. I'm considering getting this done, but wonder how it effects things like heat venting, etc
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

soraxd said:
well you could always just but a waterproof S4 here https://www.liquipel.com/
or get your current phone treated.
I contacted them, they're still testing the treatment and it's effect on things like air gestures, etc. should be ready soon tho. I'm considering getting this done, but wonder how it effects things like heat venting, etc
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
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You should check the first page of this thread >.>

Solariis said:
You should check the first page of this thread >.>
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You should include post #'s because your post is on the first page of this thread, in my browser.
Phones & computers - we all have options for how many posts we want to view on a single page.
It's post #10 btw.

Worse camera.
It has a worse camera. Only 8 pm. Although, it is much better looking the the stock GS4.

SamMobile has stated that ACTIVE will have OLED in one article and TFT LCD in another??????
Which is it?
¢ via SGH-I317

Metal S5

If this is true, it will probably sway me to buy, even if it isn't rooted, and unlocked.
http://nvonews.com/galaxy-s5-in-metal-body-20mp-camera-coming-in-june/

spotmark said:
If this is true, it will probably sway me to buy, even if it isn't rooted, and unlocked.
http://nvonews.com/galaxy-s5-in-metal-body-20mp-camera-coming-in-june/
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As I know you like flashing many different types of ROMs...are you sure you'd want to give that up?!
That is very cool though that it'll finally fit in with some of the other flagship phones as far as build quality, and that camera is obviously sweet!
I just don't know it I could give up root and a custom recovery... Very tough call. I'm thinking it will get rooted... I hope! Have you donated to the massive root bounty yet?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I prefer plastic. Better shock resistance and signal reception. Given Samsungs rep for radio reception, yikes.
Metal might also mean no replaceable battery.

God this would be so lame. It seems crazy for them to launch a flagship device followed by the same device, but better, in the same year. How insulting of them...
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Very strange. Hey here's what it was supposed to look like!!! Lol
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

ks3rv3rg said:
God this would be so lame. It seems crazy for them to launch a flagship device followed by the same device, but better, in the same year. How insulting of them...
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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If you want assurance you are good for a year, go by an iPhone. It's technology, what do you expect.

fillyo said:
If you want assurance you are good for a year, go by an iPhone. It's technology, what do you expect.
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That's strange logic. The same device, just better specs, in the same year is not logical. Especially when the current s5 is already selling out the iphone. Would be better tactics to hype up next year's s6. if they do do this it will have nothing to do with technology as the new components could have been added to the current s5. It would be purely for a large monetary gain.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

It does seem like a low blow, but I guess whatever keeps the money machine turning.

I can understand the draw of metal phones and I may be in the minority, but I actually prefer plastic. Metal looks nice and everything, but in my use the paint on metal phones inevitably chips off or they become severely scratched (Droid), or you have to put a case on them which defeats the purpose. I'd actually be happy not to have the chrome bezel on the S5 for that matter.
I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see this, they could launch it several months from now to keep heat on the iPhone 6. It would also satisfy the many people who want a higher quality finish (who are likely more careful than I).

ks3rv3rg said:
God this would be so lame. It seems crazy for them to launch a flagship device followed by the same device, but better, in the same year. How insulting of them...
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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if its just a metal phone then <> better... just different.... I like the plastic myself

Razzzzer said:
if its just a metal phone then <> better... just different.... I like the plastic myself
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Click to collapse
True, but if the rest of the article is true and it includes the new specs that are better, that would be lame.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

These are Korean only variant for testing next generation modem chipset.. same thing happened to S2 and S2 HD LTE (release as AT&T Skyrocket in USA later). I don't thing any other country will run wideband plus channel bonding together anytime soon.
---------- Post added at 01:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 AM ----------
And of course no metal S5 sorry guys
---------- Post added at 02:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:59 AM ----------
Main reason why this 906S/K/L devices are surfaced is largest carrier in South Korea, SKT, under reputation issue now. They advertised LTE-A (Channel bonding together 20MHz + 20MHz from different frequencies) as their main benefit. However recently they refarmed their 800 area to 40MHz wideband, and since no devices can use 40MHz + 20MHz simultaneously most users switched back to wideband 40MHz only mode. No speed differences but people are complaining about getting their LTE-A branded devices crippled.

While im happy with my S5 for now, im kind of upset if this turns out to be true, especially within the time frame. I'd be fine with a holiday season release or something but if it turns out to have better specs (Snapdragon 805, 3Gb Ram, QHD) maybe a bigger battery and the same footprint in a metal body, most would argue that they prefer the plastic and some would say metal. I would just be more pissed that these werent in the plastic S5. The 3 GB of ram would of helped with some of the lag the S5 has. I could do without the screen but the 805 processor is top notch. Sucks that a lot of us who adopted the S5 will miss out on this.

ks3rv3rg said:
God this would be so lame. It seems crazy for them to launch a flagship device followed by the same device, but better, in the same year. How insulting of them...
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Better is in the mind of the beholder, since having a device that will likely: be easier to crack the screen with drops, have weaker reception and no replaceable battery does not in any stretch seem better to me.
Looking like no 32GB S5 (metal or plastic), so no harm no foul anyway here. Here is hoping an "S5.5" is released this fall with an 805 SoC and 32GB :fingers-crossed: Yeah right

ks3rv3rg said:
True, but if the rest of the article is true and it includes the new specs that are better, that would be lame.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
What's lame it would be here ?

ks3rv3rg said:
God this would be so lame. It seems crazy for them to launch a flagship device followed by the same device, but better, in the same year. How insulting of them...
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
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Motorola did kinda the same thing (jbigger battery but same phone) when they released the Razr Maxx shortly after the Razr. Luckily, there was a relatively easy way to take install the Maxx battery into the OG Razr

rushless said:
I prefer plastic. Better shock resistance and signal reception. Given Samsungs rep for radio reception, yikes.
Metal might also mean no replaceable battery.
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This could also mean that unless it's built in, there would be no decent case with Wireless Charging.

Update: Apparently the Prime is not a mass release device afterall due to an expensive display and design.
Preupdate
The S5 Prime is real and apparently coming to the US. Looks like Samsung are pulling out all stops to stunt the iPhone 6 (there are two models) launching (4.7" and 5.5") and are expected to sell huge. Apparently there will be 128GB models as an option for the first time.
The sad thing is the Prime will probably be a 16GB version only and also be locked down like the S5. Looks like my S4 will be the first device I have used for two years since..... I do not think I have ever had a phone for two straight years. Close, but not a full 24 months so far.
Good thing the S4 is still a great device

Franzie3 said:
While im happy with my S5 for now, im kind of upset if this turns out to be true, especially within the time frame. I'd be fine with a holiday season release or something but if it turns out to have better specs (Snapdragon 805, 3Gb Ram, QHD) maybe a bigger battery and the same footprint in a metal body, most would argue that they prefer the plastic and some would say metal. I would just be more pissed that these werent in the plastic S5. The 3 GB of ram would of helped with some of the lag the S5 has. I could do without the screen but the 805 processor is top notch. Sucks that a lot of us who adopted the S5 will miss out on this.
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Lag on new high end phone you say? You can thank Samsung and all their garbage for that one!

Yea aluminum and glass would be much better

What would you like to see in the Mate 10?

I would like it to get ip68 rating, even bigger screen with bigger battery, better software, much better low light camera with f1.7 and larger pixels, better DAC and better stereo speaker that don't have distortion on highest volume.

I'd like to see them fix the problems with the Mate 9 first. Otherwise I'll be going back to Samsung.

Less bezel with the same screen size, wireless charging, and battery life as good as the Mate 8 was.

Derpling said:
I would like it to get ip68 rating, even bigger screen with bigger battery, better software, much better low light camera with f1.7 and larger pixels, better DAC and better stereo speaker that don't have distortion on highest volume.
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Asking for a $1,000 phone there mate, aren't you?

Better camera in low light
Better video recording quality
Hi dac sound quality
Better software
Better speakers quality like axon 7

zayidhs said:
Asking for a $1,000 phone there mate, aren't you?
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well it was 700 already so not much more

I would like more of everything at a lower price...

RR-99 said:
I'd like to see them fix the problems with the Mate 9 first. Otherwise I'll be going back to Samsung.
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What's wrong with the mate 9?
---------- Post added at 02:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:00 PM ----------
Go back to 6 inch screen. Qhd with 4000ish mAh battery. Switch to AMOLED even if they stick with 1080p.
Make the regular yearly upgrades to the specs.

RR-99 said:
I'd like to see them fix the problems with the Mate 9 first. Otherwise I'll be going back to Samsung.
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Click to collapse
Really?? I came from an S7 Edge AND a Note 4 and I think this phone is better for my purposes with no problems for me, albeit wanting IP98 certification and fast focus camera [yes, S7 had these but I was willing to forgo for other features]

RR-99 said:
I'd like to see them fix the problems with the Mate 9 first. Otherwise I'll be going back to Samsung.
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Click to collapse
I can't speak from experience, as I don't own one ATM.
I don't know what RR-99 is speaking about, but In align with his comment, the one reason I have not purchased this phone so far is the apparent issues with the GPS.
Regarding everyone wanting water proof capability, I would NOT trade an SD slot for that. I have a habit of avoiding water with my phones. I realize accidents happen...and did have my experience with a device in a toilet in the early days, so I am almost paranoid in my water avoidance.
The other thing I would like to see is 6gb ram. I know the pro has that, but it is smaller, and doesn't have the fingerprint sensor on the back. I like that. I did try a LG V20 for a while and came to really love that feature.
Oh...one other thing I'd like to see is an unlocked version that works on both GSM and CDMA. I would like to be able to go to a different carrier w/o need to purchase a different phone.

QI Charge IP68 Water Resistant
i would like to have on the Mate 10 QI Charge and IP68 Water Resistant

zayidhs said:
Asking for a $1,000 phone there mate, aren't you?
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Click to collapse
It doesn't have to be 1000$, the fact that sammy and iphone overpriced, does not mean others should be.
All of those can be done with 400-600$ phone, stretch it to 700$ if you will.

intruda119 said:
What's wrong with the mate 9?
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Click to collapse
GPS faults
Notifications
Feeble vibration
Tiny notification light
And a few others, all documented in these threads.

RR-99 said:
GPS faults
Notifications
Feeble vibration
Tiny notification light
And a few others, all documented in these threads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubt xda speaks for the majority.
Fan boy aside, I haven't experienced those issues. But then again I don't use social media apps.

pure nexus experience
less huawei bloatware, iaware is disgusting, so is the rest of their software that clutter this phone unnecessarily.
edit: also, maybe huawei should hire a ton of linux experts to tweak the android OS for performance
theres alot of tunables that can be modified for a better experience (i.e journaling, noatime, f2fs partitions, etc)

Bigger screen definitely. 5.9" feels small. Bigger battery or otherwise better battery life, though I seem to survive for about 3-4 days on a single charge, so it's okay as it is.

For the Mate 10 I wish no pre installed apps from Cheetah Mobile and/or Kingsoft (parent company).
https://forum.xda-developers.com/mate-9/help/odd-behaviour-pre-installed-app-t3521031/page2
Sent from my MHA-L29 using XDA Labs

-ErrorFile- said:
Bigger screen definitely. 5.9" feels small. Bigger battery or otherwise better battery life, though I seem to survive for about 3-4 days on a single charge, so it's okay as it is.
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really?... "so its ok" on "3-4 days on a single charge" or are you kidding? what other phone compares?
if your going to complain about battery, atleast say that they should look into other technologies for better capacitors.

virtyx said:
really?... "so its ok" on "3-4 days on a single charge" or are you kidding? what other phone compares?
if your going to complain about battery, atleast say that they should look into other technologies for better capacitors.
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Oh, looks like what I meant came out wrong. The 3-4 days are already amazing and I've never owned a smartphone with this good battery life before, but of course I keep hoping for improvement. I hope now I'm being clear enough. :good:

I would like to have not any problems with flashing - ROMs without Authentication, easy rebranding.
It would be great if Huawei will cancel their freaking desire to localize useful things:
- dark interface for all models, not for AMOLED only
- ability to hide navigation keys (not for Chinese firmware only)
- double tap 2 wake (not for a few devices only)

photo processing speed vs pixel 3

The photo taking capability of the Pixels is one of the biggest features. 3a has a slower cpu and (unconfirmed?) lack of Pixel Visual Core.
Did anyone compared a reallife photo processing speed between 3 and 3a? How long the 3a takes to save a photo, in the night mode especially?

Is it just a matter of process speed or will the 3 and 3xl produce superior photos compared to the 3a series?

When I was playing with a 3a XL at Best Buy, it seemed to take 3-4 seconds to process a picture - including night mode. If I took a picture and immediately opened it in the gallery, I would see the progress circle moving to completion. I don't have access to a 3 or 3xl to compare it to, but I suspect it is near immediate processing with the pixel visual core. I should also note that the camera is available to take more pictures immediately - you don't need to wait for the image to be processed before taking another picture.
So while there is a small delay processing pictures with the 3a or 3a XL, it is neither annoyingly long, nor does it prevent normal usage of the phone/camera. Honestly it will hardly be noticeable in normal operation IMHO.
---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:40 PM ----------
Sturdyturdy said:
Is it just a matter of process speed or will the 3 and 3xl produce superior photos compared to the 3a series?
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Click to collapse
It's my understanding that it is simply a difference in processing speed. The pictures with the rear camera are identical to the 3 series.
Of course the front facing selfie camera is different from the original 3 series, so the images from the 3a front camera are slightly different (or at least harder to compare) from the original, but the photo quality is nearly identical with the front camera too.

sic0048 said:
When I was playing with a 3a XL at Best Buy, it seemed to take 3-4 seconds to process a picture - including night mode. If I took a picture and immediately opened it in the gallery, I would see the progress circle moving to completion. I don't have access to a 3 or 3xl to compare it to, but I suspect it is near immediate processing with the pixel visual core. I should also note that the camera is available to take more pictures immediately - you don't need to wait for the image to be processed before taking another picture.
So while there is a small delay processing pictures with the 3a or 3a XL, it is neither annoyingly long, nor does it prevent normal usage of the phone/camera. Honestly it will hardly be noticeable in normal operation IMHO.
---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:40 PM ----------
It's my understanding that it is simply a difference in processing speed. The pictures with the rear camera are identical to the 3 series.
Of course the front facing selfie camera is different from the original 3 series, so the images from the 3a front camera are slightly different (or at least harder to compare) from the original, but the photo quality is nearly identical with the front camera too.
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I did have the 3a for a few hours last week but ended up sending it back. The phone felt very cheap in my hands,camera was marginally better than my s9. All in all i felt the phone was from 2014 with a 2019 camera

Sturdyturdy said:
I did have the 3a for a few hours last week but ended up sending it back. The phone felt very cheap in my hands,camera was marginally better than my s9. All in all i felt the phone was from 2014 with a 2019 camera
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Really? You thought it felt cheap? I don't get that impression at all. Feels nice to me. I don't like my phone's to be made of metal and glass. Plastic feels nice.
Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

jmtjr278 said:
Really? You thought it felt cheap? I don't get that impression at all. Feels nice to me. I don't like my phone's to be made of metal and glass. Plastic feels nice.
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Let's not forget the fact that because the back isn't glass, you don't need a super bulky case to protect it.

When people say it feels cheap I respect their opinion but I personally think that it doesn't feel cheap at all, not even close. It actually feels really nice. Out of all the items that are made of plastic that I've used before, this is really good plastic. It's not low-quality plastic, this kind of plastic is beautifully smooth and you can tell it's very good quality.
I mean let's be fair here, not all plastics are created equal.
Some people put the 3a down because it doesn't have the best glass body/metal, a slower Snapdragon, no water resistance, etc.
However, If you want all those features on a brand NEW phone for $400 dollars then you live in a dreamland and need a reality check.
If you want all those features then go ahead and shell out the cash for a Pixel 3, or whatever else is in the market. It's not the 3a's fault.
The 3a is not the best phone out there, it's not trying to be. The amazing camera, screen, performance, quality, and the vanilla Google experience is great value for its price.
This phone is a very good phone for what it is. I'm personally very happy with my purchase, and I haven't been this excited about a phone in a long time.

zonedgold said:
When people say it feels cheap I respect their opinion but I personally think that it doesn't feel cheap at all, not even close. It actually feels really nice. Out of all the items that are made of plastic that I've used before, this is really good plastic. It's not low-quality plastic, this kind of plastic is beautifully smooth and you can tell it's very good quality.
I mean let's be fair here, not all plastics are created equal.
Some people put the 3a down because it doesn't have the best glass body/metal, a slower Snapdragon, no water resistance, etc.
However, If you want all those features on a brand NEW phone for $400 dollars then you live in a dreamland and need a reality check.
If you want all those features then go ahead and shell out the cash for a Pixel 3, or whatever else is in the market. It's not the 3a's fault.
The 3a is not the best phone out there, it's not trying to be. The amazing camera, screen, performance, quality, and the vanilla Google experience is great value for its price.
This phone is a very good phone for what it is. I'm personally very happy with my purchase, and I haven't been this excited about a phone in a long time.
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It wasnt so much that though, the phone looked really nice and felt light and felt nostalgic holding a phone without glass and metal. But i was buying it to replace my s9+ so I was comparing it on that in which case obviously the s9+ will win. But it seemed to me they made too many cut backs. Audio quality sounded average. I checked in call speaker and too much sound leaked out. I also had some glitches whenever i clicked battery settings the settings app would force close. Also the snapdragin 660. I get it mid range and all that. But the fact is the 660 came out mid 2018 since then weve had the 670 and the newer 2019 710. So my 2 cents were if google want to make a mid range phone in 2019, then use mid range 2019 hardware and not give people a year out of date phone already. Its £400 in the UK and $400 dollars in the US. Makes no sense. If that phone was £250-300 I would have nothing to moan about. However for 400 you can get many top ranged phones 2nd hand.
---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 PM ----------
jmtjr278 said:
Really? You thought it felt cheap? I don't get that impression at all. Feels nice to me. I don't like my phone's to be made of metal and glass. Plastic feels nice.
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For you too ^^^

Sturdyturdy said:
It wasnt so much that though, the phone looked really nice and felt light and felt nostalgic holding a phone without glass and metal. But i was buying it to replace my s9+ so I was comparing it on that in which case obviously the s9+ will win. But it seemed to me they made too many cut backs. Audio quality sounded average. I checked in call speaker and too much sound leaked out. I also had some glitches whenever i clicked battery settings the settings app would force close. Also the snapdragin 660. I get it mid range and all that. But the fact is the 660 came out mid 2018 since then weve had the 670 and the newer 2019 710. So my 2 cents were if google want to make a mid range phone in 2019, then use mid range 2019 hardware and not give people a year out of date phone already. Its £400 in the UK and $400 dollars in the US. Makes no sense. If that phone was £250-300 I would have nothing to moan about. However for 400 you can get many top ranged phones 2nd hand.
---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 PM ----------
For you too ^^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do know this phone comes with a snapdragon 670, correct?
Also, people keep complaining that they want a cheaper Google phone. Them one comes out they complain that it costs too much. This would have been the case if it cost $250. It would have been, "yeah it's nice but for $250??? I would have loved to see it cost $75 with all the corners they cut."
I'm enjoying this device immensely so far. Checks a ton of boxes for me. I use it to check email, make calls and limited social media. I am not a heavy gamer. Apps load quickly, battery lasts me through almost 2 days, screen looks beautiful, I thought sound was ok out of the box but it is worlds better after installing viper.
Good luck with your s9. I'm going to sit here and enjoy my 3a.
Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

jmtjr278 said:
You do know this phone comes with a snapdragon 670, correct?
Also, people keep complaining that they want a cheaper Google phone. Them one comes out they complain that it costs too much. This would have been the case if it cost $250. It would have been, "yeah it's nice but for $250??? I would have loved to see it cost $75 with all the corners they cut."
I'm enjoying this device immensely so far. Checks a ton of boxes for me. I use it to check email, make calls and limited social media. I am not a heavy gamer. Apps load quickly, battery lasts me through almost 2 days, screen looks beautiful, I thought sound was ok out of the box but it is worlds better after installing viper.
Good luck with your s9. I'm going to sit here and enjoy my 3a.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bad 670. Oh well still a newer 710. Enjoy your phone. I may change my mind. Have to see how the development scene turns out. But with no lineage for pixel 3 or 2 series im not that optimistic.

I can say this about the processing speed, it processes night sight faster than the pixel 2xl and takes better pictures

Sturdyturdy said:
My bad 670. Oh well still a newer 710. Enjoy your phone. I may change my mind. Have to see how the development scene turns out. But with no lineage for pixel 3 or 2 series im not that optimistic.
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Click to collapse
99% of smartphones are released with outdated chipsets. There's ALWAYS a newer one. It takes time to develop and sell a phone based on the most up-to-date chipsets, which means by release time, the next one is coming out.
Most phones have > 12mo planning phase

nickmv said:
99% of smartphones are released with outdated chipsets. There's ALWAYS a newer one. It takes time to develop and sell a phone based on the most up-to-date chipsets, which means by release time, the next one is coming out.
Most phones have > 12mo planning phase.
---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 AM ----------
Seriously? Grow up dude, people are allowed to not like stuff. This isn't communist XDA, people are entitled to their opinions, even if they're strong.
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Click to collapse
Yeah thats true. Im thinking about getting it again tbh. Just gonna wait a couple months and see how development is going. The new issue about the misaligned ports. Dont think i bothered to look when I had it. See someone in here saying he was having to send back his 2nd replacement.

I prefer glass and metal but come on... 3a isn't cheap at all. It's a very beautiful phone.

nickmv said:
99% of smartphones are released with outdated chipsets. There's ALWAYS a newer one. It takes time to develop and sell a phone based on the most up-to-date chipsets, which means by release time, the next one is coming out.
Most phones have > 12mo planning phase.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont worry, I actually bought the phone again last night. Now ive spent a day with it and have my case and tempered glass. I love it.

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Brand new SM-N986B/DS unopened box on my desk. Do I open it?

Having read all the arguments about Exynos vs Snapdragon I'm now thoroughly confused.
It also seems the U and O Snapdragon variants only cover some of the bands used by my telco (Three in the UK).
So, I can return this unopened box if there is a SD variant that works in the UK properly, or, if it's all a load of nonsense, I can open it and begin my Note 20 journey.
What do we say XDA?

Honestly I've seen the videos and I've seen the comparisons and it comes down to if you really want to go with the agreement that SD is better or take the semi Fair fair trade offs...
Dual sim and esim are not available on the US versions without tweaking the device.
Base storage is 256 vs the 128 we get.
However I noticed some of the exynos versions don't have all the 5g bands
---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 AM ----------
Keep in mind this is just my opinion. DEX and a few other options worked just fine with my note 10 that I had and it was exynos.

GDHAMTON7 said:
Honestly I've seen the videos and I've seen the comparisons and it comes down to if you really want to go with the agreement that SD is better or take the semi Fair fair trade offs...
Dual sim and esim are not available on the US versions without tweaking the device.
Base storage is 256 vs the 128 we get.
However I noticed some of the exynos versions don't have all the 5g bands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I've no need for dual sim or esim. Just looking at performance if it will work on Three in the UK. And realistically what difference would it make to me? Any at all I'd wonder.

joebongo said:
Thanks, I've no need for dual sim or esim. Just looking at performance if it will work on Three in the UK. And realistically what difference would it make to me? Any at all I'd wonder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dual SIM is awesome for travel - personally, I don't want to go back to single SIM.
From what I've seen of the comparisons between the Exynos and Snapdragon, the real world differences are not that great (with the possible exception of battery life). There is even some suggestion that Exynos can handle 5G in both SIM slots whereas Snapdragon might not - but this is still an outstanding question in my mind at least.
That said, I elected to get the Hong Kong SM-N9860 (Snapdragon), as 5G isn't as important to me as performance, battery life, and dual-SIM capability. Plus, HK has Samsung Pay, so that works on the phone as well - if your phone is from a country that doesn't have Samsung Pay, it won't work.
Hope this helps.

Use it as a paperweight or to prop up your computer screen. That way the battery life will be better.

Your imei numbers are visible mate!!!!
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 01:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------
It must be daul sim as I can see 2 imei numbers..
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

Battery life is terrible and it keeps dropping calls. I've had my one since release but have phoned for a collection and refund today. I've tried everything but it never gets 5 hours SOT. It's OK in standby but as soon as you start using it the battery percentage drops instantly. Signal is also poor on Vodafone UK but no problem with my other handsets.

Well so far not much love at all for the Exynos. I thought I'd have enough "yeah it's fine, crack on" type replies.
I'm surprised really, my guess would have been that it was basically ok!
I'm going to leave the box unopened and see what people say over the rest of the day and tomorrow!

I have the SD dual sim n9860.
Even the snapdragon has unsatisfactory battery life, IMHO.
I don't think Samsung test their devices for long enough before release.
This should have had the 7000 mah battery they are now starting to use, even if the device got thinker and heavier.

ekerbuddyeker said:
I have the SD dual sim n9860.
Even the snapdragon has unsatisfactory battery life, IMHO.
I don't think Samsung test their devices for long enough before release.
This should have had the 7000 mah battery they are now starting to use, even if the device got thinker and heavier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I have seen online, part of the issue is the requirement for a separate modem from the SoC, as Snapdragon is pushing (or being pushed to offer) a 5G solution that isn't quite ready for prime time. Adds a lot of cost too, mostly for the benefit of marketing.

I have the 986b it's fast
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

Well so far I'm on the verge of returning the phone. I can't find a single post on the internet saying yes it's ok compared to SD, mainly for heat, battery and apparently camera differences, noticeable with low light shots.
I don't think I've ever had a phone unopened on my desk this long ever!

Seen some comparison YouTube videos and tbh there isn't that much difference 5 or 6% on some tests and even the exynos came out better on one bench mark can't remember witch now but to the average user won't be noticeable battery life slightly better but again minimal I watched a run down vs sd and exynos exynos died and sd had 7% left so not much better anyway people moaning about battery its different for everyone depends on user and what doing and how set up I get quiet good battery with few tweekts hear and there and its simple just plug in to charger for 30 min and hay presto loads of battery plus we get 256GB and akg headphones so not all bad I've decided to keep mine now and its early days things will improve with updates as well was going to get galaxy z flip 5G but 3300mah and mediocre camera and hefty monthly cost £88 will stick with note 20 ultra its a beast and that bronze is ? i got a good deal out of voda 48GB data with entertainment no upfront £58 month should of been £78 and £49 upfront for just 24GB thats what it is now, but I was on a double data promo when I exchanged handset so she left me on the previous plan with 48GB Bonus [emoji106]
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

The performance is OK, no issues there. It's just the battery life that is horrendous. Having gone back to the Note 8 over the past couple of days it's actually better, but only has a 3300 battery. Something definitely not right with this phone. Could just be a bad battery but I can't be arsed going through an exchange and setting up all over again for the same thing to happen.

DoobyDroid said:
Seen some comparison YouTube videos and tbh there isn't that much difference 5 or 6% on some tests and even the exynos came out better on one bench mark can't remember witch now but to the average user won't be noticeable battery life slightly better but again minimal I watched a run down vs sd and exynos exynos died and sd had 7% left so not much better anyway people moaning about battery its different for everyone depends on user and what doing and how set up I get quiet good battery with few tweekts hear and there and its simple just plug in to charger for 30 min and hay presto loads of battery plus we get 256GB and akg headphones so not all bad I've decided to keep mine now and its early days things will improve with updates as well was going to get galaxy z flip 5G but 3300mah and mediocre camera and hefty monthly cost £88 will stick with note 20 ultra its a beast and that bronze is ? i got a good deal out of voda 48GB data with entertainment no upfront £58 month should of been £78 and £49 upfront for just 24GB thats what it is now, but I was on a double data promo when I exchanged handset so she left me on the previous plan with 48GB Bonus [emoji106]
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you might be referring to this comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHxRH8aYnUU
And I agree, it would appear that the differences aren't as great IRL as the benchmarks might suggest - I went for the HK SM-N9650 anyway, as it would seem to have the best of both worlds - Snapdragon (although jury appears to be still out on usability of 5G) dual-SIM, and 256GB storage.
---------- Post added at 03:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:41 PM ----------
kradcliffe said:
The performance is OK, no issues there. It's just the battery life that is horrendous. Having gone back to the Note 8 over the past couple of days it's actually better, but only has a 3300 battery. Something definitely not right with this phone. Could just be a bad battery but I can't be arsed going through an exchange and setting up all over again for the same thing to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using 5G? I have also read that the separate modem will drain more battery as well as opposed to an integrated SOC solution: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...65-is-a-step-backwards-for-smartphone-design/

jtOttawa said:
Are you using 5G? I have also read that the separate modem will drain more battery as well as opposed to an integrated SOC solution: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...65-is-a-step-backwards-for-smartphone-design/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, switched 5g off as we don't have it here, but no difference to battery life with it on or off.

kradcliffe said:
No, switched 5g off as we don't have it here, but no difference to battery life with it on or off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what the article suggests as well, I believe - that there will be additional battery drain due to the separate modem regardless.

kradcliffe said:
The performance is OK, no issues there. It's just the battery life that is horrendous. Having gone back to the Note 8 over the past couple of days it's actually better, but only has a 3300 battery. Something definitely not right with this phone. Could just be a bad battery but I can't be arsed going through an exchange and setting up all over again for the same thing to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How horrendous is horrendous? Am on a SD Note 10 plus here, a US version I think which some days of moderate use can get quite low, others I can go to bed with 40pc plus left.

kradcliffe said:
The performance is OK, no issues there. It's just the battery life that is horrendous. Having gone back to the Note 8 over the past couple of days it's actually better, but only has a 3300 battery. Something definitely not right with this phone. Could just be a bad battery but I can't be arsed going through an exchange and setting up all over again for the same thing to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well considering the s20 ultra had a 5000mah you would of thought the note 20 ultra would be getting into the 5500+ at least tbh , i had the s20 ultra as well and not alot in it still had to charge around T time for 20 mins just to last the evening on both devices and I've found that on most of the flagships with 90/120hz and WQHD its just a battery hog feature pretty much goes for S20+ S20 ultra Oneplus 8 & 8 pro , oppo find x2 pro all phones I've had and returned all the same need charge at some point to last the day the only phones I've experienced with decent battery is unfortunately Huawei p30 pro and p40 pro now they have excellent optimization and ram management got to give Huawei that one just a shame with all the ban crap no GMS or I would of hands down kept the p40 pro for sure excellent phone
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

Horrendous is just over 4 hours SOT. Boot up at 7am and empty by 4pm. Loses 10 percent battery in 40 minutes.