From HTC one S to Samsung S3? - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Here is a tough one.
I have the option of a refund from my retailer until the end of the month, if I return my HTC one S that I use now. Would you think it's worth it to get the S3 instead?
I have held iny hand the s2 and the design of did not amaze me, nor its speed. HTC is much better in those aspects.
Only downsides for me on the s3 are the huge size of it with that big screen and potentially a battery issue due to he screen.
Having said that, a bigger battery most likely will be out
sent with HTC1S

Why don't you have a quick Google for the battery specs of the two phones? The S3 battery is huge - certainly should be more than enough extra oomph to cover the requirements of that screen.
And, of course, you can always buy a second battery for the S3 - try doing that for any of the new HTC phones

Yes, I always kept a second battery for my previous phones, not that I really used it, but it was nice to know that after a year if the battery was giving up I could just easily replace it.
I'm intrigued by the fact that it has all the nice features and only wished it wasn't that big really. I usually put the phone iny pocket, and although this is nice and slim, it's as if made for a 6 foot man's hands!
sent with HTC1S

Well I now preordered the Samsung s3 in blue.
HTC one S is going back to Htc to get stuffed....
sent with HTC1S

Related

Is it me or is the 3d not even in the same ball park

I know this may have been discussed, but I went to look at the samsung nexus and samsung galaxy sII and wow do theses phone blow the 3d away. I was really surprised. The 3d is not even in the same ball park. I like my 3d but the 2 just make it feel so cheap. The screen doesnt even compair to either 2. The cameras are so much better than the 3d. If anyone says different they are on crack. Come a few more weeks i'll be able to upgrade and once sprint gets the samsung nexus I will defiantly make the switch. I have always had htc phones but its time to move on to bigger and better things.
They may seem nice at first but I've had nothing but bad experiences with samsung phones. I'm just one person though...I'm gonna stick with htc. Just my 2 cents.
We're comin from a pure power source.
it's just you.
to each his own though. my honest opinion of the s2 was that it felt cheap like a toy and had no "robust" feel to it. the earpiece speaker/call quality was **** compared to my 3D, the screen was low resolution, it had all kinds of bugs, and the OS looked like something from a nintendo game.
i will reluctantly be buying a nexus as well, reluctantly. and it will just be to try it out. i am skeptical simply because it is a samsung.
cds36 said:
I know this may have been discussed, but I went to look at the samsung nexus and samsung galaxy sII and wow do theses phone blow the 3d away. I was really surprised. The 3d is not even in the same ball park. I like my 3d but the 2 just make it feel so cheap. The screen doesnt even compair to either 2. The cameras are so much better than the 3d. If anyone says different they are on crack. Come a few more weeks i'll be able to upgrade and once sprint gets the samsung nexus I will defiantly make the switch. I have always had htc phones but its time to move on to bigger and better things.
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I'm gonna help you out and predict most people's responses:
Troll, have a good life, great story bro, etc.
You might consider giving a better argument. For instance, my gf's galaxy nexus seems to have a brighter and sharper screen. It's also a light phone. The camera appears to instantly take the shots. In fact I took a photo with it of a moving car and the car was barely blurred.
Yeah im in no way bashing Htc I was just really surprised. I know getting updates from samsung is like pulling teeth thats why im going with the nexus straight google.
karate134 said:
I'm gonna help you out and predict most people's responses:
Troll, have a good life, great story bro, etc.
You might consider giving a better argument. For instance, my gf's galaxy nexus seems to have a brighter and sharper screen. It's also a light phone. The camera appears to instantly take the shots. In fact I took a photo with it of a moving car and the car was barely blurred.
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True ... The argument just go see for yourself and compair. Like I said i like my 3d, but these just seem to be in a different class.
I hated how the EVO 3D felt in contrast to my Exhibit II 4G. Something about the overall plasticness that makes it feel lighter and more better.
Not to mention, the plastic body helps absorb shock much better than the dense material HTC uses. I'm glad I got rid of my EVO with its crappy radio.
My 2¢
I've had them all.
Motorola - best antenna
Samsung - lightest
HTC - most development
Or you could just go buy an iphone. Studies have shown, if you own an iPhone you're more likely to have sex
Go for it and enjoy! I'm happy with my 3D and the better dev community here.
Yes it is in the same ball park! I had the SGS2 for about 5 months and yes it was very good and I loved the super amoled plus screen, the things i don't like about it is that if feels cheap in the hand and the lack of Led Notifs (yes you can get bln but that doesn't cut it) Also Touchwiz sucks. From personal experience I would say the SGS2 devs are superb and it does have a great community, I have not looked around the 3D's forum to compare the two, even if it did have a bad community I don't mind as I got this phone at a great price and ill hopefully have it until it's life is over (which I hope isn't soon)
If you want a phone that feels like you could break it apart with you hands by all means go for the Sgs2. The galaxy nexus on the other hand I have to agree that it does look like it's in another league.
fpineda101 said:
Go for it and enjoy! I'm happy with my 3D and the better dev community here.
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THIS!
Dev support here is huge, and never liked Samsung aside from their screens to an extent...
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
I liked using my Evo 3D. I'm using a Nexus S 4G right now (got a really good deal), and I just love the screen. The amoled screen, to me, looks much better than the TFT displays HTC uses. The 3D screen is light years ahead of the Evo 4G screen with it's pink hues when displaying at white background.
I will also say the camera sensors in the samsung devices are of better quality than what HTC uses. Again, this is in my experience, and I'm also not a professional photographer.
To say the 3D is not in the same ballpark as the SGSII, or Galaxy Nexus really isn't fair. At the time of release, the 3D was almost on top of the world. Shortly thereafter, the GSII came out, with its exynos processor, which has better performance than the Snapdragon used in the HTC devices.
Also, the Galaxy Nexus is a newer phone, with a larger screen, higher resolution, plus it's running the latest version of Android. This phone will eventually become "crappy" as the quad core devices come out, or future versions of android roll out that make this phone "sluggish". No phone stays on top for very long. The Nexus One, and Evo 4G are the only phones that have largely kept their halo status, despite their age.
in my opinion from first glance its easy to choose the gs2 or galaxy nexus over the e3d. but after having played with all 3 and knowing ppl with the others and there expierence im gonna go ahead and stick with htc..
screen wise although i love how awesome the super amoleds look the low resolution on the gs2 with such a big screen is a super turn off for me. the galaxy nexus on the other hand is just pure awesomeness screen wise. but the e3d's size and resolution are way more important than how vibrant it is. and this one might just be me but i find the slcd color reproduction to be way more accurate and not excessively vibrant as oppsed to samoled but the blacks suck..
as for the processor i still cant figure out why everyone goes crazy over the exynos its an awesome processor but as is the msm8660 in the e3d neither chip beats the other outright both having strong and weak points. and if uve played with a sense 3.5 or ics rom u know how awesome this phone will be when we do eventually get our update. right now thou its still great sense 3.0 isnt as fluid as 3.5 or above but its fast and runs apps amazingly. i cant stand touchwiz but thats not important because some ppl do. only stock android or sense for me
camera ill give that one to samsung they win big time haha. but the e3d camera still gets the job done and with the right settings i still manage to get some great shots.
i want to get the nexus ive been wanting one forever but the only thing stopping me is the lack of a microsd which isnt to crazy because id still have the same amount of memory i do now but there is no room for expansion which sucks. and i might actually miss sense to much. the widgets mainly but for me sense makes android so easy to get around.
and the build quality of sammy phones is just terrible. such great hardware put into this cheap plastic shell feels like a toy. i love my evo and my e3d ive dropped em several times and have no dents or scratches on my screens and ive never used a case the worse ive gotten is wear marks from using them for so long...
dont overlook the e3d it stands up really well against those two. they all got their perks that make em great just pick which is right for you.
I'm not sure why everyone gets hung up on the "poor build quality" of the samsung devices. They are made of plastic, and are light weight. Other than that, they are built very solidly. They do have glossy plastic, which shows scratches much easier than on matte plastic. The Evo 3D is entirely encased in a plastic wrapper, but it's heavy. The weight is the only difference in "build quailty".
HTC has had issues with light leakage around their screens. Dust getting between the digitizer and the LCD. I've heard of samsung phones getting blown speakers, lower signal quality (both wifi and 3G/4G), and lack of updates, but beyond that, their devices are fairly solid. HTC has recently been putting out better quality devices, so they have learned from past mistakes.
I'm just curious to see if there are truly a higher percentage of breakage with samsung phones, vs HTC phones.
Please note: I'm not hating on HTC phones, as every smartphone I've ever owned, with the exception of the Nexus S 4G, have been made by HTC. I just don't hear about samsung phones breaking all the time.
The nexus just came out, it should be "better"
The gs2 is good too but they have made like 10 skus of one device and mismatched different hardware on each one which blows for the end user
big screen with no HD, this one has this chip, 4g here not 4g there.... pure milk age of there first widely popular phone
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
It's you. One word. Touchwiz.. At least we have the option of either sense, aosp, or miui.
I love my 3D. My next phone will be the next HTC Lte phone in sprints lineup.
Sprint EVO 3D.
HW version: 002
TWRP v1.1.1
Hboot 1.4.1000
Radio: 1.06.00.1216
for me its the glossy plastic that feels cheap. the lightweight is nice but i prefer a lil weight like the e3d gives u a better grip on it in my opinion. my cousin had the vibrant and any drop wouldnt break the phone but would eat chunks of that plastic were with the plastic htc uses it doesnt dent so easily worst u get is a nice scratch. the galaxy nexus seems interesting because it looks and feels much higher quality imo but i havent heard much if it actually is.
now for defects i havent experienced any and this is my 3rd htc android phone (hero, evo, evo3d) now im probably just lucky as both my evos were launch day and my hero i bought after at&t decided to rape me with some bull**** bill lol. i know there have been defects and although they r bad i much rather have light leakage or dust as opposed to weak signal and no gps.. but thats what warranties are for. there will always be a bad apple in a bunch as long as i can get it replaced for free i wont complain about it
i dont hate samsung btw. there phones are nice ive been considering getting one but for now im liking what htc has been doing and unless samsung changes it up its probably gonna stick that way because from the rumors of sense 4.0 i think im going to fall in love all over again..
only gripe i have with htc that i think they should consider is jumping on the samoled bandwagon as long as they keep the high resolution it would make them the top choice haha
Having had the Sprint version of the SGSII for a few months, I can definitely say this phone is in the same ballpark. My main issue with the SGSII (again, I'm only referring to the Epic Touch 4g here, I have no experience with the other versions) was the build quality, followed by the array of annoying bugs.
The build quality was particularly bad, the plastic felt very cheap and was scuffed extremely easily. The back of the phone is made from some of the thinnest and flimsiest plastic ever, it would come off so easily. The redeeming factor here was the screen, it was fantastic and easily one of the best screens on the market right here. The resolution was a little low but definitely not bad.
Moving on to the bugs...
The first bug that became apparent to me (and practically everyone else) was the random loss of service that would occur. It became very annoying when your phone would randomly drop out of service and stay like that until you clear the RAM or reboot the phone. Many people couldn't even use the phone for a business phone because they had to remain in contact with people, and having to check constantly for LoS was a HUGE annoyance. Next is the GPS, utterly terrible, there are no other words to describe it, it would take up to 20 minutes at times just to get a lock. I remember on one occasion a few days after buying the phone, I was planning on going to a concert and using it to navigate (Between the Buried and Me/Tesseract/Animals as Leaders ) but on the way back I could not receive a lock on the satellites and by the grace of god I somehow managed to make my way back home.
Still, the SGSII is an amazing phone with great specs, but in my personal opinion, from the build quality and support from htc alone, this is better.
Jesus guys....... no offense, but are we comparing a phone that was released June of last year. Buy what you like!! All three are great phones!!
I've handled the E4GT, the GNex, and, of course, my own Evo 3D.
And I prefer the 3D by far. The E4GT, while fluid, feels too insubstantial for my tastes. The 3D is thick and heavy, and I love that. My Evo 4G survived drop after drop and it still works, and I'm confident my 3D will be able to do the same (In fact, near the end of my time using the OG Evo, I would throw it every time it overheated and shut off; still nothing wrong with it besides a few scratches and that overheating issue).
The E4GT may have a better camera, but the 3D is no slouch itself. I have been very satisfied with the pictures I have taken; I'm not a professional photographer by any means, and most of you are in the same boat.
I have always looked at Sense as superior to Touchwiz. Touchwiz is more fluid, but Sense seems to have better integration and it just feels more solid.
It's the development community that makes the difference though. Compared to the 3D, the development community for the E4GT is abysmal. As said by Viperboy, "I really can't wait to get the Galaxy Nexus & get rid of the E4GT. What a development failure, IMO. Phone is great but no good development." Last I checked they barely if at all have CM and MIUI, and they don't have much at all for ICS.
The GNex is a good phone, but the specs are a bit disappointing and I don't see it as being an immensely better phone once other phones start to run ICS. It's main advantage is the screen.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Note worth the extra price?

I know I'm posting this in the AT&T Note forums, so the responses might be a bit biased, but here goes anyways. I was very interested in the Note from the first time I heard about it. Today I finally got around to going to an AT&T store and comparing a few phones. I was very impressed by the Note's screen, but I found it to be just slightly too big. It almost seemed like it would be perfect if it were 5.0 inches, not 5.3. Anyways, I was also very impressed by two other phones: the LG Nitro HD and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. I've compiled a list of pros, cons, and prices, focusing directly on comparisons between the three phones. Pros are "+" and cons are "-".
Samsung Galaxy Note ($299)
+ Dat screen! Beautiful large Super Amoled display
+ Great battery life
+ Good development support
- Slightly awkward to type with
- Pen not as accurate as I hoped (perhaps problem with it being a worn out display unit)
- Phone was just too big for my hands.
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket ($199)
+ Much nicer screen than expected, I was worried the low resolution would be a negative but it was hard to tell to my naked eye
+ Great development support
- Slightly too small
- HD Version coming soon
LG Nitro HD ($99)
+ Very nice sharp, colorful 720P IPS screen
+ $200 cheaper than the Galaxy Note
- Slightly too small
- Poor battery life
- Poor development
I dismissed the HTC One XL because it lacked a removable battery and SD card slot, but I might reconsider it because it seems like it would fit the screen size I'm looking for. I've just been waiting for so long before I was eligible for an upgrade, and the waiting is getting annoying. Is the Samsung Galaxy Note worth the extra cost and getting over the awkwardness? I was convinced I would fall in love with it when I finally got to use it, but that wasn't really the case, so I'm a bit hesitant. Let me know what you think.
Put it this way I paid 650 full price, so I'd say yes lol. Deff worth the extra "upgrade" price compared to those others you listed.
I had the skyrocket, it was a great device, but still prefer the galaxy note. So yes its worth the extra money. The battery life is longer, the screen is just goregous, you can definately notice the difference in screen quality from the 2 especially after using the skyrocket for a few months. My s-pen is accurate as long as i dont have it leaned too far sideways. also got use to the screen size in a day or 2, i can actually 1 hand text with ics keyboard
Wait for the HTC one x if you can. Sounds like that screen size will fit you perfect
I got the note and I m waiting got the one x
Personally, price for me wasn't even a thought. Not that I'm rolling in money... actually the note broke the bank for me. But this is something I use all day every single day. With something like that I don't consider price. It's more a matter of which phone you will enjoy the most and which will be most useful to you.
I am torn as well. I owned the skyrocker prior...the nitro is on sale for 49.99 and you can get the skyrocket refurbs for that price.. .hell the vivid refurb is a penny.
I have a ton of obligations i could put the money towards if I take the note back
I really like it but is it worth it....decissions decissions
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
100 bucks extra over the lifetime of the phone comes to $4.16 a month. But for me, it was worth 100 just to play with it in the last month. Love this phone!
jpeg42 said:
100 bucks extra over the lifetime of the phone comes to $4.16 a month. But for me, it was worth 100 just to play with it in the last month. Love this phone!
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I thought I was slow to upgrade. Don't remember the last phone I kept active for two years. Lol.
Disclaimer: This is not advice. It is just something that fell from between my ears.
Thats the other thing i keep telling myself....i have more upgrades coming up lol
biglittlegato said:
I thought I was slow to upgrade. Don't remember the last phone I kept active for two years. Lol.
Disclaimer: This is not advice. It is just something that fell from between my ears.
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
One word yes!
Sent from the TermiNOTEr! ;-)
Similar to what JPEG is alluding to, the answer to "Is $100 worth it?" is heavily dependent on how you evaluate the situation. I use my phone so frequently and for so many things that $100 is well worth the increased productivity and avoided frustration. Those other phones may be cheaper up front but the cost of the frustration and decreased satisfaction from a cheaper phone every time you use it for the next two years is far larger than the $100 you pay. This is a top shelf phone with a top shelf price.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note worth the extra price?
Absolutely to me
Is it worth it.....Hell yeah..... Besides all the great functions other memebers have listed, the ease of quickly pulling up the S note app has gotten me 2 really sexy ladies numbers....LOL.... I love this phone
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA Premium App
I got the phone for $150, but I think it'd definitely be worth full price as well. The screen is amazing and you adjust to the large size in just a few days.
tdude51 said:
Samsung Galaxy Note ($299)
+ Dat screen! Beautiful large Super Amoled display
+ Great battery life
+ Good development support
- Slightly awkward to type with
- Pen not as accurate as I hoped (perhaps problem with it being a worn out display unit)
- Phone was just too big for my hands.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note worth the extra cost and getting over the awkwardness? I was convinced I would fall in love with it when I finally got to use it, but that wasn't really the case, so I'm a bit hesitant. Let me know what you think.
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I don't work for AT&T - and your money is your money so I can't tell you how to spend it. But I can address your cons from my perspective.
I agree that it seems slightly awkward to type with... or it did. I tried a bunch of keyboards and settled on Smart Keyboard Pro. I'm now just as fast on the Note as I was in the iPhone 4S. Spend a little time and you'll find the right fit for you and the screen (which may not be the same keyboard you used to use).
Pen accuracy - it'll improve as you adjust to the device. My first couple days with the phone I thought the pen was a gimmick. Now I've come to find it's a great tool and I take a ton of notes with it.
In the store the phone felt stupid big to me. And like you I felt it was just too big for my hand size. Reality is (and many here will tell you) - you adjust to the size and it takes on an almost normal feel. I think your hands are accustomed to the size of your current phone and so anything larger feels, well larger and out of place. Sure no matter what (unless you have Shaq hands) the far side of the screen is going to take an adjustment to reach, but the act of holding and interacting with the device will normalize in a short period of time. For me it was about a week and it stopped feeling awkward. Now after about 2 and half other phones just feel (and look) foolishly tiny.
The short period of time (even if it was an hour or two) in the store with the phone is (for me) - not enough to really get used to the Note or determine how you're going to feel about it. Its a fabulous device that's worth getting to know. Take the 30 days and if you don't like it pay the restocking fee. But I know for me - there's very little chance mine's going back to AT&T to get put back on the shelf.
Now, for one other recommendation: If you get the white - get a case or order the black back from Samsung fulfillment. The white back is slick as snot. I put the black one on and the grip is excellent.
netsyd said:
I don't work for AT&T - and your money is your money so I can't tell you how to spend it. But I can address your cons from my perspective.
I agree that it seems slightly awkward to type with... or it did. I tried a bunch of keyboards and settled on Smart Keyboard Pro. I'm now just as fast on the Note as I was in the iPhone 4S. Spend a little time and you'll find the right fit for you and the screen (which may not be the same keyboard you used to use).
Pen accuracy - it'll improve as you adjust to the device. My first couple days with the phone I thought the pen was a gimmick. Now I've come to find it's a great tool and I take a ton of notes with it.
In the store the phone felt stupid big to me. And like you I felt it was just too big for my hand size. Reality is (and many here will tell you) - you adjust to the size and it takes on an almost normal feel. I think your hands are accustomed to the size of your current phone and so anything larger feels, well larger and out of place. Sure no matter what (unless you have Shaq hands) the far side of the screen is going to take an adjustment to reach, but the act of holding and interacting with the device will normalize in a short period of time. For me it was about a week and it stopped feeling awkward. Now after about 2 and half other phones just feel (and look) foolishly tiny.
The short period of time (even if it was an hour or two) in the store with the phone is (for me) - not enough to really get used to the Note or determine how you're going to feel about it. Its a fabulous device that's worth getting to know. Take the 30 days and if you don't like it pay the restocking fee. But I know for me - there's very little chance mine's going back to AT&T to get put back on the shelf.
Now, for one other recommendation: If you get the white - get a case or order the black back from Samsung fulfillment. The white back is slick as snot. I put the black one on and the grip is excellent.
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Thanks for your advice! I'm glad to know that it just takes a little bit of getting used to. I'm very excited about this device, I was just surprised once I finally got my hands on it. I don't really have much to lose with the 30 day return window so I think I'm going to go for it. The development seems to be getting better every day, and I love tweaking my devices and getting the most out of them. I also am in big need of a new device for watching movies, listening to music and playing games (mostly on emulators). I think I will really enjoy doing that with the Note.
I was struggling with the same problem as the OP, just wasn't sure which to go with. I ended up deciding, mostly because I'm signing a 3 year contract, that I would go with the device with the best hardware, being the Note. I was worried about the size possibly making it awkward, but what I've found after owning it for just about a month now is that It's actually perfect.. My hands aren't small, but they're not huge either, and I can use it one handed for 90% of what I use it for, but I love tilting it on it's side and typing with two hands. I owned an HTC Touch Diamond prior to this, it has a stylus as well, and I found I'd always use the stylus for some of the smaller icons, well on the Note I hardly ever have to use the Stylus, just use it for editing photos really. The stylus is hardly noticable, if you use it great, if not then hey it's just an extra.
I think you'll get used to the size very quickly, and once you do, you'll have a super hard time going back to any other phone. I still have my Diamond Touch, use it as an alarm clock hah, and I get SO frustrated trying to manage it's tiny screen, and I remember when I first got it thinking it was perfectly sized haha... Oh how times change.
Imo phones like the Note are the future. I have a samsung laptop as well, 17" beast that I carry around a lot, and they make an awesome pair. It's kind of funny too, as they're both Samsung units, the stock back piece for the Note matches the edges of my laptop. Very esthetic combo. (RF711 laptop if anyone cares. )
( Also I type roughly 100wpm on a regular keyboard, so texting on phones has always been super tedious for me. When I tilt the Note on it's side and use the larger keyboard I can type faster then I ever have on a phone before. It's actually amazing I love it hah. )
I think the note has ruined me!!!! I've been using it for 7 days short of a month now and I have to say I loooooove it!!
I was skeptical of leaving IOS for android. I've played with android b4 setting up my GF's rooted nook color as a tablet
and its really buggy at times, I kept thinking to myself hmmm if the phones are this buggy then I'm gunna hate it!!!
But I took the plunge and haven't looked back since its very smooth and very few bugs. the size was giant to me
at first, but It has really become normal to me now. I pick up my old 3gs and I'm feel like its a tiny little toy!!!! LOL
So I say yes it is worth the price!!! I'm a photographer and I love showing off my photos on this phone!!!
I dont have a note so I cant speak on that front, but I can tell you the LG Nitro is what I would NOT go with. Played around on it a handful of times and every time it was slow and somewhat unresponsive.
If HTC one x is going to be unavailable for your network then go for Note. I moved 4s to nexus galaxy to Note and must say would not swap this device for any othrr device. Of course when One X is available that's a different story.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

Considering exchange of HTC One X for S3

I've had my One X on AT&T for a couple of weeks now, I quickly fell in love with the design and build quality of the hardware. The screen is simply the best I've ever seen. The camera and camera app are great. I'm coming from a Captivate so of course everything is an improvement. But there are a few minor but important to me things that are really bugging me, I was wondering if S3 owners could let me know how they are. I'm trying to stay with the stock ROM this time around.
First, I was looking forward to finally having a notification LED again. But the HOX's is utter crap. It's tiny, dim, green only, and dismisses itself after a few minutes. Is the S3's easy to see in a well lit room? Can you customize the colors for different notification types?
Second, the vibration is absurd on the HOX. It's too strong and too loud and completely uncustomizable. Can you change the vibration intensity or the pattern for notifications or other things on the S3? Is it noisy when it vibrates?
Lastly, I am surprisingly disappointed in the battery life. I feel like Anandtech's review really led me astray here. It seemed manageable for the first few days but now I really feel like I have to curb my usage during the day so I won't have to immediately plug it in when I get home. I've even tried to set it up for power saving but it seems like after 12 hours off the charger with pretty moderate usage (maybe 2hrs of screen time) it is begging to be plugged in. Any thoughts on the S3 in this regard?
Thank you for any input. I'm not looking forward to having to pay the restock fee or cover the price differential (got the One X for $120) but I'll do it if it will alleviate these little things that constantly bug me through the day.
My thoughts...
Short answer. It depends.
I had the One S for two months before switching to the T-Mo version of the S3. Though the One S and One X aren't identical, they're pretty similar in terms of hardware, UI, and features.
Modding
Though I can't speak for the One X, if you frequent XDA and love to tinker with your phone, I think the S3 is going to offer more opportunity. Its the same exact phone with all carriers so there will probably be more development. There weren't a ton of One S developers and the phone had already been out for some time. That being said, if you're less inclined to tinker, I really feel that Sense 4.0 has come a long way. Its clean and well put together (especially compared to the Touchwiz UI on the S3). Touchwiz has a thousand features you'll never use and misses features you'd always use (like being able to change a song on the lockscreen as opposed to having to unlock the phone).
Storage
Lack of expandable storage sucks. Even with Dropbox, if you're on a 6 hour flight (which I am frequently), streaming doesn't help. If you're one that can live without your whole media collection with you and don't mind streaming, I'd give the edge to the One X, but if you (like me) fly alot, the S3.
Battery
My brother in law has the One X, and I had the One S. Perhaps it was the smaller screen, but I never had an issue with the battery. It would last 18 hours commonly and seldom needed a recharge. I doubt the S3 battery is much better, but the fact you can carry around other batteries helps. Though.. IMHO, Duracell and others make a USB charger that you can plug in to your phone for a charge. Is it better to carry one of those around or a spare battery? Either way it sucks because you have to carry something. I'd say this is a draw.
Audio
I'm sure many will flame me and disagree, but the audio absolutely sucks on the S3 (at least the US version since we were robbed of the Wolfson chip). Bland, bass-less. Its like listening to music with a tin can on your head. I think this will get better over time as devs make modifications (like Voodoo sound), but for now, its crap. People around here seem to dislike Beats audio, but I gotta say.. It sounds significantly better than the stock S3. Hopefully that gets fixed, maybe it never will.
Camera
This is a tough one. I loved the camera on the One S (and presumably, One X). PM me and I'll send you some shots I took with it. You would have a hard time believing its not a DSLR. The S3 camera is good... It has some nice features. I'm not sure it holds up as well in low-light and I'm not sure it captures color as well as the One series. Just MHO. Both are great, but I felt with the One S the quality of picture I was getting eliminated my need to carry a second camera. I'm not sure I feel the same way about the S3. Pictures still seem like they were taken by a camera phone...
I'm not gonna lie... I've had the S3 for a little over a week. I like it. But there are still so many things I miss about the One series. I'm hoping as the dev community grows for the S3, eventually I'll be happy I made the switch.
Hey thanks for your thoughts on this. Pretty much what I was thinking... they're both great but each does some things better than the other. It's funny you mention the audio, I did think the One X sounds pretty impressive when I loaded some music on it. Hopefully I can find a demo S3 in store so I can find answers my nitpicky questions about the notification LED and vibration functions.
The LED is pretty bright, and stays on. I can easily see it from across the room.
not sure about the vibration, I rarely use it and have never experienced the One X
Battery life is surprisingly good one the S3, and as mentioned you can always get a second battery, I got a battery charger from Samsung and it came with an extra battery for $50 between those two I never run out.
I know you said you would like to stick with the stock ROM but if you are willing to load a custom ROM this one: http://goo.gl/WP6TC is giving me much better battery life than the stock one.
a coworker has the EVO 4G LTE (Sprints version of the One X) and it is pretty nice and feels a bit more solid but I like the removable battery and SD card slot on the S3 and considering Samsungs bootloaders are unlocked and they make the source code available immediately I knew there would be more development for the S3 than the One X.
both phones are awesome but the grass is always greener on the other side so I'm sure whichever one you go with you're gonna want the other, at least that's how I am.
I've been pretty happy with the S3 for the <2 weeks I've had it. now I just need Sprint to hurry up and flip the switch on LTE in LA.
Good Luck Man!
The only reason I would consider getting a One X over my S III is the screen. Not a fan of the PenTile display and its much dimmer than the One X. However, I'm keeping the S III because of a massive developer base.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Swapped my HTC One X for the SGS3...and absolutely love my decision. Best feature of all is the eye tracking, the fact that when im reading the phone and the screen never turns off is worth it alone. Then you have better battery life, I can actually get an entire day out of a charge on this phone unlike the HOX, I get better signal here in ATL and have less drop calls, then you still have the replaceable battery and expandable memory...and finally NFC
Like I said, got rid of my HOX for the SGS3 and LOVE IT!!! Do it today, tomorrow, yesterday
PS- I personally think the screen looks so much brighter and better than the HOX
I had the evolte this blows that out of the water hands down. The evolte really should have sold for $150 not $200 this is a $200 device
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
I bought the HTC One X and held onto it for 29 days, then returned it for the SGS3 (which i preordered a couple weeks before it came out).
I liked many things about the HTC One X. The screen quality was a little bit better on the HOX, but its smaller. The SGS3 uses a pentile display, which means that even at the same resolution as the HOX, you can still see the pixels, but its something that most people wont notice. The SGS3 is seems like its a little bit brighter than the HOX too, but not enough that the average phone user would ever even notice the difference.
They both have the same processor, but the SGS3 has 2GB ram vs the 1GB ram on the HOX. Now most people wont notice a difference with the RAM, but for all that multitasking, it really does help! Oh speaking of multitasking, the HOX cant do it and the SGS3 can! If you go to the task list on the HOX and click on a screenshot of a program you had open, it is what it is.. just a screenshot... The HOX literally runs the program again rather than holding it in memory, so you never get to keep your position when multitasking...
When it comes to audio, the HOX stock is definitely better with Beats Audio, and the phones speaker seems to have a little better sound as well, but it wasnt as loud as my GS3 is.. When it comes to headphones or streaming to your car stereo, or even your in home stereo, the HOX is definitely better, but for the SGS3 and even the HOX, you can download equalizers from the play store that brings the balance back to the SGS3 when compared to the HOX. Also, the device you have it connected too probably has its own equalizer or somewhat of one that helps as well.
Memory is a huge issue on the HOX, you have 16GB and nothing but 16GB. If you want or need more, too bad... SGS3 has the MicroSD slot so you can expand up to 32GB (or was it 64?). And for giggles, you could carry multiple microsd cards with you if you wanted!
Battery was ok on the HOX, and its significantly better on the SGS3, especially with bloatware removed and an active task killer (i've always had great luck with these, i dont understand how some dont see a difference?). I typically get around 20 hours with medium use of my SGS3, but my HOX would have to be plugged in by the end of the day, or by bedtime if i barely used it...
Speaking of the battery, the day i got the phone, it froze on me... Every possible combination of buttons and hooking it upto the computer in every possible way, running certain programs, adb, nothing would reboot the phone or turn it off.. Ended up waiting over 7 hours for it to die after i spent 3 hours trying to shut it off. I can not live without a removable battery!!! F U HOX! Anyway!
Overall, i think the SGS3 is a better phone. Not MUCH better, just better. The LED light is bigger, brighter, and the ear piece speaker doesnt block the it like the HOX. The battery is bettery, the removable battery and external storage is a huge plus, but the HOX's screen is barely better, has better stock audio, and Sense 4.0 is definitely better than Touchwiz, BUT!!! I dont use either... I typically install Apex or LauncherPro and use one of them. The HOX has a nicer looking lock screen, but the SGS3 lock screen features and the way it works is much nicer.. I prefer the watery stuff over the orb thing. And i like being able to say "Hi Galaxy" or whatever i choose to unlock it hehe
When it comes down to the decision, your not really caring about custom roms and things like that, so your decision should come down to the size of the phone. The SGS3 is bigger, but has a bigger screen, and with a case is even bigger. The HOX is smaller and has a smaller screen. Feel them both in your hands, and play with the screens. It wont take you long to decide which you prefer. Either way, if i were you i'd go with the SGS3 because if you decide in the future to root and install custom rom's, you'll have much less of a hassle with SGS3 than the HOX.
1: the led on th s3 is a lot stronger ive tested
2: havent compared vibrations so i am not sure
3:the battery life is a lot nicer on th GS3 so i would switch if i was you not to mention the GS3 has rremovable battery and external SD slot so battery and storage are better...
modding wise the SGS3 is known as a great phone for developers. if you ever want to not use the stock rom, there are many options for roms out and most developers havent had the sgs3's delivered yet! within weeks there should be a fix for just about any problems you encounter with the phone.
switching to the sgs3 would be a good choice as the it is better in about every criteria you mentioned. one problem is though, the super amoled pentile display is darker and a bit more saturated than the HOX unless you like that. hope i helped
Wow, tons of good info! Thanks everybody. I was leaning towards just keeping the One X, as several people have told me even if I switch, the grass is always greener on the other side. But from what people are consistently saying, battery life may be reason enough to switch. I don't like having to curb my phone usage to make it till evening without running on fumes.
I don't agree at all with the statement regarding the SGS3 screen being a bit brighter. I had an EVO 4G LTE (ONE X Clone) and returned it for a SGS3. The first thing i noticed is how much DIMMER the SGS3 screen is compared to the EVO 4G LTE. It is almost unviewable on a sunny day. The SGS3's max brightness is like 75% on the EVO 4G LTE. Also auto brightness is really bad on the phone. It defaults to a setting that is way too dim. I'm still undecided if I should return the phone or not. Unfortunately, i'm not really impressed with either phones. Both have their flaws.
PMad said:
I bought the HTC One X and held onto it for 29 days, then returned it for the SGS3 (which i preordered a couple weeks before it came out).
I liked many things about the HTC One X. The screen quality was a little bit better on the HOX, but its smaller. The SGS3 uses a pentile display, which means that even at the same resolution as the HOX, you can still see the pixels, but its something that most people wont notice. The SGS3 is seems like its a little bit brighter than the HOX too, but not enough that the average phone user would ever even notice the difference.
They both have the same processor, but the SGS3 has 2GB ram vs the 1GB ram on the HOX. Now most people wont notice a difference with the RAM, but for all that multitasking, it really does help! Oh speaking of multitasking, the HOX cant do it and the SGS3 can! If you go to the task list on the HOX and click on a screenshot of a program you had open, it is what it is.. just a screenshot... The HOX literally runs the program again rather than holding it in memory, so you never get to keep your position when multitasking...
When it comes to audio, the HOX stock is definitely better with Beats Audio, and the phones speaker seems to have a little better sound as well, but it wasnt as loud as my GS3 is.. When it comes to headphones or streaming to your car stereo, or even your in home stereo, the HOX is definitely better, but for the SGS3 and even the HOX, you can download equalizers from the play store that brings the balance back to the SGS3 when compared to the HOX. Also, the device you have it connected too probably has its own equalizer or somewhat of one that helps as well.
Memory is a huge issue on the HOX, you have 16GB and nothing but 16GB. If you want or need more, too bad... SGS3 has the MicroSD slot so you can expand up to 32GB (or was it 64?). And for giggles, you could carry multiple microsd cards with you if you wanted!
Battery was ok on the HOX, and its significantly better on the SGS3, especially with bloatware removed and an active task killer (i've always had great luck with these, i dont understand how some dont see a difference?). I typically get around 20 hours with medium use of my SGS3, but my HOX would have to be plugged in by the end of the day, or by bedtime if i barely used it...
Speaking of the battery, the day i got the phone, it froze on me... Every possible combination of buttons and hooking it upto the computer in every possible way, running certain programs, adb, nothing would reboot the phone or turn it off.. Ended up waiting over 7 hours for it to die after i spent 3 hours trying to shut it off. I can not live without a removable battery!!! F U HOX! Anyway!
Overall, i think the SGS3 is a better phone. Not MUCH better, just better. The LED light is bigger, brighter, and the ear piece speaker doesnt block the it like the HOX. The battery is bettery, the removable battery and external storage is a huge plus, but the HOX's screen is barely better, has better stock audio, and Sense 4.0 is definitely better than Touchwiz, BUT!!! I dont use either... I typically install Apex or LauncherPro and use one of them. The HOX has a nicer looking lock screen, but the SGS3 lock screen features and the way it works is much nicer.. I prefer the watery stuff over the orb thing. And i like being able to say "Hi Galaxy" or whatever i choose to unlock it hehe
When it comes down to the decision, your not really caring about custom roms and things like that, so your decision should come down to the size of the phone. The SGS3 is bigger, but has a bigger screen, and with a case is even bigger. The HOX is smaller and has a smaller screen. Feel them both in your hands, and play with the screens. It wont take you long to decide which you prefer. Either way, if i were you i'd go with the SGS3 because if you decide in the future to root and install custom rom's, you'll have much less of a hassle with SGS3 than the HOX.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say go for it. I was all HTC and then they dropped the ball on quality and overall build. I made the switch to Samsung phones and won't go back.
There's a reason why Samsung's SIII was more anticipated than any HTC phone out there. It wasn't just marketing.
spydc said:
I don't agree at all with the statement regarding the SGS3 screen being a bit brighter. I had an EVO 4G LTE (ONE X Clone) and returned it for a SGS3. The first thing i noticed is how much DIMMER the SGS3 screen is compared to the EVO 4G LTE. It is almost unviewable on a sunny day. The SGS3's max brightness is like 75% on the EVO 4G LTE. Also auto brightness is really bad on the phone. It defaults to a setting that is way too dim. I'm still undecided if I should return the phone or not. Unfortunately, i'm not really impressed with either phones. Both have their flaws.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...
I turned up the brightness on both devices. You have to look at the same picture. The S3 is much more vibrant. It's not dimmer at all. With the black backgrounds on the E4GL, it looks flatter. Your decision is biased.
Since I don't think I saw anyone mention it. I the vibration is not too loud or too strong. You can also customize it with a few patterns. I think I there are like five or six to choose from. Also you can't customize the LED but it is plenty bright.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
benzin84 said:
Since I don't think I saw anyone mention it. I the vibration is not too loud or too strong. You can also customize it with a few patterns. I think I there are like five or six to choose from. Also you can't customize the LED but it is plenty bright.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the G S III its pretty prominent and audible. You can also create custom patterns.
There's a pp called light flow, but its currently being re-worked for the G S III, but you can change it.
chrischoi said:
I'd say go for it. I was all HTC and then they dropped the ball on quality and overall build. I made the switch to Samsung phones and won't go back.
There's a reason why Samsung's SIII was more anticipated than any HTC phone out there. It wasn't just marketing.
...
I turned up the brightness on both devices. You have to look at the same picture. The S3 is much more vibrant. It's not dimmer at all. With the black backgrounds on the E4GL, it looks flatter. Your decision is biased.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WRONG. It is MUCH dimmer.
Turn the screen to white on both in a store and compare. You will be sad.
AMOLED has severe flaws. One is it's just plain dim especially on whites.
Also PenTile sucks. It's not too bad with such a high resolution but it's still noticeable to me even at arms' length.
The S III screen is sh!t even compared to an old Droid. Everything else about it is awesome. Except Wifi dropping which is also a pretty big deal but other than that it's great.
But the screen is important to me. I'm having serious thoughts about keeping my VZ S III. I just ordered it mainly because of the unlimited data going away and S III being "the phone" of 2012. I'm so disappointed on the crap screen.
macdroid01 said:
WRONG. It is MUCH dimmer.
Turn the screen to white on both in a store and compare. You will be sad.
AMOLED has severe flaws. One is it's just plain dim especially on whites.
Also PenTile sucks. It's not too bad with such a high resolution but it's still noticeable to me even at arms' length.
The S III screen is sh!t even compared to an old Droid. Everything else about it is awesome. Except Wifi dropping which is also a pretty big deal but other than that it's great.
But the screen is important to me. I'm having serious thoughts about keeping my VZ S III. I just ordered it mainly because of the unlimited data going away and S III being "the phone" of 2012. I'm so disappointed on the crap screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your crazy dude. I LOVE the screen in the s3. I took my evo lte back. I much prefer the screen on the s3
I had the [email protected] one x for 3 weeks and brought it back for the S III. Reason: swappable battery, sd card and 4.1 upgrade this fall.
Yes, the one x has a better screen for outside, and the format factor is slightly better but the above won me over. Wifi and 4G speeds are the same. Quadrant score is also higher on the siii for some reason.
The ui on the siii really isn't bad considering and I don't regret my decision.
Someone mentioned the Siii having a dimmer screen. That's because the default brightness is lower than the default on the one x. Yes the one x can get brighter (not really viewable at that point) but not for what I saw. Once I made changes to equal the one x they were equal.
This from a guy who has had two HTC android phones previously.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
I had one for 3 weeks too, but i was already worrying about space when the drop box promo was killed... I was upset and left without enough storage on my HOX for what I wanted, especially music. Multitasking was pretty poor too, it reloaded most apps most of the time, even swapping between just two normal apps.
Removable storage, battery, and proper multitasking/ram for the future sold me. I wasn't thrilled with the design when the GS3 was launched, it looked bad really. I still prefer the One X's sexy body and screen, but this is much better than I expected. Easily a solid 9 to the HOX's 10.
Accessory selection will be MUCH wider for the GS3 vs the AT&T One X. Higher numbers sold, more carriers carrying it, and matching versions around the world mean big things for cases, docks, etc.
Vibration feels a lot more higher class than the One X which almost felt like something was rattling . The LED light is diffused a lot to make a big light up area as well.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747
Sweet, thanks for the input on the LED and vibration. Things aren't looking so good for my One X. Still hoping to find a working demo S3 to try out before making my decision.
I had the international One X and T-Mobile One S, I like them both but the deal breaker for me was lack of sd card and the kinda poor battery life. Not to mention the LED notification light was a joke.
Sent from my S3 using xda premium

Very impressed

Got my DNA roughly a week ago and have been comparing it with some of the newest phones that colleagues and co-workers have. I knew I'd be impressed with the device after reading the specs and reviews of this beast when compared to the s3, but I really never expected out to be this amazing.
The screen is large, yet the phone is comfortable in the hand. The contour and taper of the rear polycarbonate is among the most, of not the most, comfortable phone I've picked up. A lot easier to handle than Samsung's s3 and note 2. The only real downside is that the back absorbs skin oils very easily and van be a core to clean. I just got through cleaning mine out and it looks as awesome as the day I got it though I know that will change by tomorrow night.
Comparing it to the s3, the note 2, the optimus g, and the evo 4g lte, I was delightfully surprised to see that the only things it was lacking in comparison to its competitors were things that didn't bother me at all, namely battery and sd slot. I was also mildly disappointed with the camera clarity when compared to the optimus g, but my eyes are better than most and other people I showed the comparison couldn't see the same lack of crispness, so I'll not list that as a downfall. The DNA blew everything that wasn't the optimus g away in the benchmark tests, we decided on and really brought to light the superiority of the HTC device over its Samsung rivals. Audio quality was really no contest with the dna's beats audio. Surfing and other everyday routines were personal preference for the most part with some of us absolutely hating the sense ui. I personally prefer sense to any other android ui at the moment. In terms of feel and ergonomics, the almost universal consensus was in favor of the DNA.
At the moment, my phone is the envy of the workplace with some co-workers still running devices as old as the iPhone 3gs. The unlocked SIM slot makes it one of the only stock international capable phones in the store (we sell phones where I work) and is the only 1080p phone in the store.
As amazing as the phone is though, there are definitely some issues with it. Compatibility issues with the phone run rampant and can get very irritating. Battery life, while more than sufficient for typical use, needs to be watched like a hawk over periods of extended use. Pre-installed Verizon apps feel cluttering on grid. SIM card slot is not very easily accessible. The SIM card comes pre-installed and did cause issues upon arrival. And probably most annoyingly of all, the cover for the usb port is just horrible. It falls apart way too easily even worth mild, careful use. Running my finger along the edges of the phone, I can feel a very deliberate bulge where the "door hinge" is at on an otherwise flat surface. It is incredibly annoying to someone like me where the look and feel of the device is just as important as its functionality.
All in all though, this droid has very much impressed me, which I think it's a big thing considering how much I thought I knew I was getting coming in. It's exceeded my expectations in ways I've never even thought of and will likely continue to do so for quite some time now.
On an unrelated note, I was actually somewhat disappointed in the widely respected diztronic case for the DNA. It came in a few days later than expected (ended up having to wait over the weekend), it blocked of the notification light (though I already knew this going in), it made the power button harder to press (the complete opposite of what I'd heard), and it leaves an imprint of their logo on the back of your phone when you take it off (though I've had good luck getting it out thus far). I'll definitely only be keeping it on at work when I'm selling people on phone cases lol.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
Nice thoughts, largely agree, particularly about the case though I just took it off and enjoy the bare phone in my hand.
I keep my phone of at home and at this point only use it to not look like an assy salesman when I try to sell people on cases. Not to say cases are horrible, they're just horrible for this phone. I'd probably put an impact resistant case on something as squishy as an s3 and would definitely use out to cover up the twilight sparkles of the optimus g and the nexus 7. To me, the look and feel of the phone matters just as much as its functionality. With the DNA, it just looks and feels perfect as is. Not too much on any modern Verizon phone right now. Only one that comes close is the wp8x imo.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app

[Q] best atrix 4G replacement (ergonOmics)

perhaps i am being a little too demanding, but i wanna know what phone most closely resembles my "TrIXteR" as far as button/jacks go....the Atrix is my first smartphone and still works "perfectly"....but i do realize it won't last forever.....i also understand the quad-core device choices are limited, and more will come....i just want a phone has tactile features that are similar'...i am using go launcher & widget locker, so the screen layout means nothing to me, i was and will be rooted again but do not use any roms...point is any stock android will suffice as far as UI...i just know what is inevitable ...my phone will be replacedd, and wanna plan ahead...that said, screen/demention/hardware don't matter as muc as where the volume, charger, headphone, and power button are located.
Personally I'm really disliking this pattern of newer phones getting bigger & bigger.. The new GS4 has a 5" screen??!?!?!?!?!
I've grown accustomed to Atrix's 4" screen but am willing to go up to 4.5-4.7" for the replacement. Keeping other features in mind too, I'm kinda liking the HTC One X+ or the full blown HTC One. Smaller still is the slightly older HTC One V & it still has nice features
i agree...size does matter....especially when an otterbox defender is on it...
It's a tough call. I personally pay close attention to accessories, which the Atrix 4G has many.
Not having to fiddle with cords is why I liked the Atrix 4G standard dock. Wireless charging will likely be a favorite accessory as that's what most of us use the most.
In-car use is a winner also using the car dock. For new phones, having an easy to use dock will help, or perhaps a wireless charging surface, which will stop the phone from sliding around, therefore doubling as a suitable dock surface.
I would only buy a phone with a maximum screen size of 5" for one handed use. It's amazing that a human thumb can stretch that far as it is.
Outer casing is critical in my mind. This is where the Atrix 4G fell short with it smooth plastic sides. As soon as your hands are dry, holding a smooth plastic phone in your hands is the same as clutching a melting ice cube. Therfore a phone with some amount of texture wins in my mind. In addition, the material that the outer rim to the screen is made from will determine if a shock is transmitted directly to the point of impact or transmitted evenly to the device.
I'm --> <-- this close to choosing my next phone, but knowing that the Snapdragon 800 is coming to market makes it hard to settle on something today.
I replaced mine with a galaxy note i717. Big phone. I like it. I think the galaxy s2 is basically the same phone but smaller. I replaced my wife's matrix with a pantech burst. You can get one on eBay for less than $100 USA. It has official ICS and there is development going on for cm10. note is on cm10.1. Burst screen seams better than atrix to me. Burst battery not as good and charge port is oddly placed in middle of right side
Hi
maybe u can try, nexus 4 or LG L7 that are good phones and have almost the same ergonmics

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