[Q] T-Bolt vs. Note II? - Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

Please read the post, in it's entirety before you scream "HEY NEWB!! This is how we do, hizere. You gots PWNED!"
Seriously. Read it. THEN reply.
I've got the TBolt now. Rooted, BAMF'd, and I've got it so that it runs. And is STABLE. The screen just died (dead spots in the touch sensors), but that's another story for another time. Aside from the communications aspect of what I need the phone for, I use the tether more than the 2-7,000 minutes a month that I'm using on the phone. I live in an area where I have no internets, aside from satellite, so the tether has saved me.
I like the phone. It works. It took me several months to get it to where I liked it. When I saw the Note, I swore that when it got to Verizon, I'd buy it. Well, here we are... So....?
What do I gain in giving up the TBolt for the Note?
Is the Note II rootable, and does the rooted tether work on it?
Is stability an issue with the ROMs for the Note?
I'm sure there are more questions, but it's midnight, and I'm fried. Thanks for you help.

bencozzy said:
If you are wanting tether strong signal the RAZR max HD has a stronger radio.
What other selling points are you looking at?
The s pen and big screen(non pentile) sold me on the note. Other wise I was going to get the RAZR max HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live RIGHT next to the tower, so the signal at the house isn't a huge deal. Do the "antenna enhancers" work, btw? A little random, but I've seen them on Amazon, and wondered if they work.
The screen size is the biggest selling point. I'm a big dude, with big hands, and I like the feeling of something substantial in my hands. Battery life is a big deal, hence the reason I've got the extended battery on the TBolt. Sometimes, I can't get to a charger.
I am finding the TBolt a tad slow, these days. Loaded with apps and all of the stuff I've thrown at it, it's just a little slow. My GF has the Razr, and it's substantially faster than the Tbolt in everything it does. Speed is something I'll like more.
I like having a plug-in micro-SD card. I've heard that some of the newer phones have eliminated this feature.
All this said, what made me look at the Note, and say, "THAT ONE! I want that one!"? The size. Performance increase was acknowledged, but it was the size of the phone that was the wow factor for me. If there's something that is a better fit for my application, I'm all for it.
The bulk of my phone use is texting, video streaming, and web browsing. The TBolt is acceptable, but honestly, if I had high speed connectivity and the phone was just my phone, I'd have been looking for something faster, and more robust months ago. And ESPECIALLY now that the screen is hitting the skids on me, I'd be interested in seeing if there is a better fit.

Canassis said:
I live RIGHT next to the tower, so the signal at the house isn't a huge deal. Do the "antenna enhancers" work, btw? A little random, but I've seen them on Amazon, and wondered if they work.
....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do and they don't.
If your phone only receive and and never transmit they usually worked. The effect is that your phone through parasitic coupling got a bigger receive antenna and got more received signals even with antenna impedance mismatched. Similar to an old UHF TV whenever you get close or touch the antenna the reception usually improved.
When your phone do transmit they don't work, the enhancers messed up your antenna transmit power impedance match, causing lost of effective transmit power for long distance coverage.

bencozzy said:
.....
Signal boosters if your talking about the stickers no they need to be in direct contact with the antenna to work. Repeaters do work though you'll gain a bar or two depending on various factors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The primary requirement is that the sticker had to be isolated from the touch of your hand which caused drastic changes in the enhancer antenna characteristics.
I had never seen any autotune antenna designs that could compensate for such drastic variance.

You guys rock! Thanks for all of your help.
Thanks for all of the info about the antenna enhancers. I'll go with that they work, but they might not, and they can create a disturbance in the force. :good:
If, based on what you've read above, any of you think a different phone would be a better fit, please.... tell me! This is merely a tool that I use. I need THE BEST tool for the application, and, frankly, I'm not current in my phone knowledge. I'm not hung up on a specific model or brand, I just have some preferences, but can overcome those with a better all around tool.
I want to verify that the Verizon Note II IS rootable, at this point. I also want to verify that root tether is NOT available, yet, on the Note II. That, obviously, is going to be the single biggest factor as to when I purchase the phone.

Given that the T-Mobile Note II was rooted, I would think that when the VZW Note II is actually released, it will be rooted too, but it's kind of hard to confirm/deny root before the general public gets the device.

If tethering is very important to you then you should consider how well the phone do at making connections, rooting and turn on features are well and good but if the connection is terrible having no data connection then even the best optimized perfect browser won't help.
According to the data collected here --> www.anandtech.com/show/4686/samsung-galaxy-s-2-international-review-the-best-redefined/11
The Thunderbolt did fairly well but DroidX and Droid2 are the best of the lot.

imnuts said:
Given that the T-Mobile Note II was rooted, I would think that when the VZW Note II is actually released, it will be rooted too, but it's kind of hard to confirm/deny root before the general public gets the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This makes sense, but if we're projecting forward, your guess would be that you super-nerds will crack that bizniz?
Is there ANY phone that has stumped the chump?

I'm sure it will get root fairly quick as well as the bootloader unlocked. You may have to wait a month though. But there are some app options that may let you tether without root (foxfi?)
I'm coming from the tbolt as well, 2 LONG years watching cool phones come and go. I'm very ready for this Note 2!

I am back on my TBolt after the last year on a GNex.. (shattered screen made me come back to my TBolt as a backup phone) And I put one of the newest ICS leaks on my bolt and I am shocked at how well it still runs.. on 3.x it ran like poop with horrible battery life, but on this ICS ROM, I can actually use the standard battery if I want too.. And the screen on the TBolt is not that hard to fix, might be worth it to resell or even to keep as a backup.. I did mine in about 25mins..
And Like you, I am beyond excited for the Note 2.. Its going to be awesome..

Note 2 is very complex Android device to say at the least. Probably the most complex Android device. For your use the Note 2 is way over kill. There are other large screen Androids that will be much more simple than Note 2. Like the HTC Droid DNA is a good example. Most Verizon devices right now will have the bootloader lock issue. But the community will find the way around that with each high end Verizon Android devices.
The point is that Note 2 is much more of a complex device than some would like to deal with. I would not be surprised that in Dec Verizon will get some Note 2 devices back because of the complexity of the device.
That said, if you are up to dealing with the complexity, then try out Note 2. If you can get over the complexity then you will love the Note 2 device.
Note: BTW - There is ClockworkMod Tether that doesn't need root. Just to let you know.
But yes, Verizon's Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will be able to root

The GN2 may have a higher learning curve, but it's by no means overly complex. My mom has one and she's figured out just about everything including multi window in under a week.
Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk

They are people that are not geeks and yet have the knack for such things. My mom is one of those people.
But you will be surprised on how many people will find Galaxy Note 2 over complex for them. And yet Galaxy Note 2 attracts those same people to it. Those are the same people that asks questions like, why do you need so much storage space? And the same people that only uses their devices for facebook, email, texting, netflix, tethering, and checking the scores. For those people Galaxy Note 2 is way over kill. This device is more for organizing your life, productivity, heavy gaming, hand drawing, heavy media, and for the geeks. This is really like the difference between Microsoft computer vs Apple computer.
As long as one understands and accepts that then they will learn it and love it. But if simplicity is what you are looking for then this device is not for you. It is more about your personality if you find Galaxy Note 2 too complex or awesomely joyful. That is what I was trying to make the point.
Personally I would like to see Note 2 features, including the S pen, multi window, etc become the standard in all Androids. Well done Samsung.

JaguarXT said:
They are people that are not geeks and yet have the knack for such things. My mom is one of those people.
But you will be surprised on how many people will find Galaxy Note 2 over complex for them. And yet Galaxy Note 2 attracts those same people to it. Those are the same people that asks questions like, why do you need so much storage space? And the same people that only uses their devices for facebook, email, texting, netflix, tethering, and checking the scores. For those people Galaxy Note 2 is way over kill. This device is more for organizing your life, productivity, heavy gaming, hand drawing, heavy media, and for the geeks. This is really like the difference between Microsoft computer vs Apple computer.
As long as one understands and accepts that then they will learn it and love it. But if simplicity is what you are looking for then this device is not for you. It is more about your personality if you find Galaxy Note 2 too complex or awesomely joyful. That is what I was trying to make the point.
Personally I would like to see Note 2 features, including the S pen, multi window, etc become the standard in all Androids. Well done Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I beg to differ. It is running the same software as the s3 (plus some s pen stuff) and the S3 sold a lot to non complex people. I have had 3 relatives all on iphones ask me about getting the s3. IMO the N2 and S3 are the simplest android devices for iphone switchers and the most complex for android vetrans that want complexity.

Why do you need root on the note 2 for? If its just for tether than its not needed, foxfi will work and it doesnt require root. If you need it for something else then that is a different story, but my guess is a month until the community figures out how to root and get around the locked bootloader.

My guess is a week. We kind of have kexec pros now just look at the s3 development before the BL got unlocked.

cortesjues said:
Why do you need root on the note 2 for? If its just for tether than its not needed, foxfi will work and it doesnt require root. If you need it for something else then that is a different story, but my guess is a month until the community figures out how to root and get around the locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Foxfi says in the description that it doesn't work well (at least wifi mode, which is all I use on it) on most JB phones. Obviously I dunno if it does or does not work on the VZW Note 2, but given its the same JB as all the other N2's, I doubt it will, as it didn't work on the Tmo Note 2 I sampled for a week. Hopefully that changes though (and they update foxfi to work on JB)
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

The Note 2 is going to be big enough that I won't need to tether my tablet or computer to it.
And can you change the billing card for your pre order? I am thinking about getting my first credit card and putting my pre order on that just because most cards offer an extended warranty on products bought with the card. I have the money right now and I would pay it off right away. It would be an easy way to start building credit and get a extra warranty on the first phone I have bought new since my OG DROID.
Other then that I am stoked to get my new phone. Using my ThunderBolt kinda sucks after a year with my GNex.
Sent from my ThunderBolt using Tapatalk 2

Related

Ditching iPhone for GNote

I've been an iPhone user since they first hit the market for no other reason than I'd always been an iPod user and I liked the concept of syncing everything to a single device. Sure, I could have made the Android switch a while ago but there wasn't a phone out there that really captured me quite like the GNote has.
Anyone else ditching their iPhone for the GNote?
I was kind of in the same boat as you. I had 3 different models of iPhone, before I finally got tired of the same ole restricted, small screen device and decided to jump ship when the rumored iPhone 5 wasn't to be. I went with the Galaxy Skyrocket, and have a white Note on preorder. I can tell you, it was the best decision I ever made! I couldn't fathom going back to an iPhone at this point. The openness of Android has been great.
I am dropping the iPhone 4s for the GNote. I don't have any real issues with the 4s but over time the Apple environment has felt restrictive to me. I use the bejeesus out of my phone too and the extra real estate and improved specs of the Note are valuable to me.
I had the Intl version for a few weeks and absolutely loved it (even though it completely crapped out on me). Great screen and Android is so much more enjoyable to live within if you have any "geek" tendencies at all.
The GNote will act as both smartphone and tablet for me - I have already passed my iPad on.
Purpleclad said:
I was kind of in the same boat as you. I had 3 different models of iPhone, before I finally got tired of the same ole restricted, small screen device and decided to jump ship when the rumored iPhone 5 wasn't to be. I went with the Galaxy Skyrocket, and have a white Note on preorder. I can tell you, it was the best decision I ever made! I couldn't fathom going back to an iPhone at this point. The openness of Android has been great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by openness besides greater customization than the iPhone (except when jailbroken)? While I've kept a watch on what's been going on with Android as a platform I've not read into as much as I probably should have in terms of what it can do, or better yet what a user can do. Being a previous iPhone user yourself, what do you like best about the Android platform?
xplan9 said:
I am dropping the iPhone 4s for the GNote. I don't have any real issues with the 4s but over time the Apple environment has felt restrictive to me. I use the bejeesus out of my phone too and the extra real estate and improved specs of the Note are valuable to me.
I had the Intl version for a few weeks and absolutely loved it (even though it completely crapped out on me). Great screen and Android is so much more enjoyable to live within if you have any "geek" tendencies at all.
The GNote will act as both smartphone and tablet for me - I have already passed my iPad on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine will act as both as well. I love the real estate of this phone. 5.3" is a lot. It looks like the difference between Rhode Island and Texas when compared to the iPhone (ok, maybe a little dramatic). At this point I think the kids have used my iPad more than I have. I used to take it to work all the time but lately I've been just leaving it at home. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPad, but carrying two devices around isn't something I want to do which is why I went the iPhone route to begin with. The GNote brings me back to a single device that serves multiple (practically speaking) purposes.
I currently using the IP4, I am dropping the 4S for the GNote.
I'm switching from iP as well. Last phone I actually purchased was a 3g. Loved it . . . it was amazing at the time . . . lol. My cousin gave me his 3gs when he upped to the 4s and even the difference there was night and day for me.
Same thing as you, though . . . no phone wowed me until I saw this thing. I was brainstorming in September when I decided I wanted a new phone. I wanted a tablet and a phone but didn't think it existed. I Googled things like "phone tablet hybrid" and eventually came across the Note. Haven't looked back since and next Friday is the day I've been crossing my fingers for . . .
By the way have you guys held one yet? Or passed by best buy and held their dummy model yet to get a feel of the actual size? its bigger than the iphone for sure. But doesnt weigh a whole lot more. This thing weighs almost the same as my htc inspire.
SysAdmNj said:
By the way have you guys held one yet? Or passed by best buy and held their dummy model yet to get a feel of the actual size? its bigger than the iphone for sure. But doesnt weigh a whole lot more. This thing weighs almost the same as my htc inspire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not. Was at a local BB last Friday before the pre-order and when I asked them about it they all looked confused. They couldn't even confirm if I could pre-order with them.
I did however play around with the Samsung Galaxy Player they had on display. For my hands it felt big but comfortable. I could easily reach from one side of the screen to the other with one thumb, and it felt great in landscape with both hands. I don't think the specs are exactly the same in terms of dimensions between the GPlayer and the GNote but I think it's pretty close.
Next weekend can't come soon enough...
CykoDad said:
I have not. Was at a local BB last Friday before the pre-order and when I asked them about it they all looked confused. They couldn't even confirm if I could pre-order with them.
I did however play around with the Samsung Galaxy Player they had on display. For my hands it felt big but comfortable. I could easily reach from one side of the screen to the other with one thumb, and it felt great in landscape with both hands. I don't think the specs are exactly the same in terms of dimensions between the GPlayer and the GNote but I think it's pretty close.
Next weekend can't come soon enough...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Luckily the girl I asked for the note display model at bestbuy went into a cabinet and pulled one out but of course the display wasnt even on and was fake. And yes then I went to the galaxy player, not much different. Maybe the note was a little taller,wider but I believe thinner. The weight was identical. The display was nice and thats only and 800x480 resolution.
This may be the longest week ever lol.
CykoDad said:
What do you mean by openness besides greater customization than the iPhone (except when jailbroken)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i cant speak for him, but i ASSume that is exactly what he means...customization.
i am in the same boat as y'all. i still have my 1st smartphone, the 3GS. the large screen was the 1st thing to draw me to this phone, then the s-pen. then when i heard about being able to customize it in various ways was exciting (not sure if or how this is possible with iP.)
seeing all of the great end-user reviews of this phone on the various forums, Youtube and even Amazon reviews, let's me know we cant be wrong.
ARTAQaf said:
i cant speak for him, but i ASSume that is exactly what he means...customization.
i am in the same boat as y'all. i still have my 1st smartphone, the 3GS. the large screen was the 1st thing to draw me to this phone, then the s-pen. then when i heard about being able to customize it in various ways was exciting (not sure if or how this is possible with iP.)
seeing all of the great end-user reviews of this phone on the various forums, Youtube and even Amazon reviews, let's me know we cant be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree! I've watched so many YouTube videos since the GNote hit the UK (and beyond) streets and have been waiting for it to find ours ever since. Hell, I've watched countless videos in languages I don't even understand just to see how this thing works for them. From what I've seen and watch in the last few months the GNote is truly amazing and I can't wait to finally get my giddy little hands on it.
The only other concern for you iphone users is the camera/video.
I havent seen the greatest reviews of photos and videos from the note where as the iphone camera is suppose to be one of the "best". I'm so hoping the at&t version note takes good pics and vids.
SysAdmNj said:
The only other concern for you iphone users is the camera/video.
I havent seen the greatest reviews of photos and videos from the note where as the iphone camera is suppose to be one of the "best". I'm so hoping the at&t version note takes good pics and vids.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't make the move to the iPhone 4s which does have a much better camera that the iPhone 4. From what I've seen, the GNote takes much better shots and videos that the iPhone 4. However, I myself don't take a lot of pics and vids with my current phone. The issues I've seen and read in regard to the camera function of the GNote did not play into my decision to make the switch. I've used my iPhone camera from time to time but when I know I'm going to events where I will take a lot of pictures I use my DSLR for that. Honestly, the only time I ever really needed my iPhone for a camera was when I was rear-ended early last year. That was really the only time I was glad to have some form of camera on me.
I am also switching from the IP4 to the GNote. And again, like many users said, none of the android phones really made me interested. I like the skyrocket, but I really want a HD resolution. But then I saw the Note, and how big the screen was, and im sold.
Ive played with the galaxy player, and thought it was a good size. Maybe ill sell my ipad2 after getting this phone.
geoldr said:
I am also switching from the IP4 to the GNote. And again, like many users said, none of the android phones really made me interested. I like the skyrocket, but I really want a HD resolution. But then I saw the Note, and how big the screen was, and im sold.
Ive played with the galaxy player, and thought it was a good size. Maybe ill sell my ipad2 after getting this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, my 13yo daughter told me she wanted the GPlayer instead of a new iPod when she graduates (if they call it that anymore) from middle school this year. I don't actually remember telling her I'd buy her a new iPod...
The benefits from android over iphone are numerous, two of the ones i find most useful
-folder management (dont have to deal with itunes to manage your music, just treat it like any folders on your computer)
-battery can be switched out, On my captivate I have three batteries and a dock that charges them so I always have one charged and ready which is quite nice.
There are more, especially the custom roms which are really sweet
Well I can tell you that the simple fact that you iPhone users are even on a site like xda tells me two things right away. 1 You guys all have some tech geek in you!! 2 Because of that, you guys will never go back to ios once you guys get the hang of android with rooting and flashing custom Rom's, which is becoming easier practically everyday compared to just a year ago.
MMAHavok69 said:
Well I can tell you that the simple fact that you iPhone users are even on a site like xda tells me two things right away. 1 You guys all have some tech geek in you!! 2 Because of that, you guys will never go back to ios once you guys get the hang of android with rooting and flashing custom Rom's, which is becoming easier practically everyday compared to just a year ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tx Havok, that makes me more confident that a noob like me can Root my upcoming Note.
and how many of us iOs guys are sick to death of "sync'ing" our iPhone to iTunes and it takes like 30-40 minutes just to "sync" to iTunes everyday...that is complete garbage and a waste of my time...i ASSume Android isn't like that.
ARTAQaf said:
tx Havok, that makes me more confident that a noob like me can Root my upcoming Note.
and how many of us iOs guys are sick to death of "sync'ing" our iPhone to iTunes and it takes like 30-40 minutes just to "sync" to iTunes everyday...that is complete garbage and a waste of my time...i ASSume Android isn't like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not at all.
For people coming from iPhones:
-Create a Google account if you don't already have one
-Go to music.google.com
-Download the music uploader
-Have it upload up to 20,000 songs to the cloud (for free)
-Download the app on your Note and they're all there.
You can pin music to your phone if it's something that you listen to frequently or if you won't have a connection for some period of time (eg. flight)
Any music that you add to your computer via ripping a CD or buying it on iTunes or whatever you use, will automatically get uploaded to your Google Music account
Also check out Google Docs. (docs.google.com)
There's a batch uploader so you can have access to all of your documents on your phone instantly. They're stored in the cloud so you can edit them on the go, go to any computer, sign in to docs.google.com, and continue working from where you left off.
They just added offline support about a week ago too for Docs

Other Samsung Galaxy devices

I went to "Best Buy" yesterday.
I saw the Galaxy Note, Galaxy Player (didn't know about it), and 4 different Galaxy tablets.
They were nothing but different size versions of our SGS2!
In my opinion: as far as functionality we have the best dealio! The Galaxy note is useless to me. It's just our phone, but larger! The player is our phone, but larger and without the phone part! Of course, the tablets are our phone, but larger! If I really want larger, I'll just connect my phone to a TV via HDMI!
What are others' opinions, and what did I miss?
I personally think its cool to see so many different variations of Samsung devices and encourage them to continue to CRUSH Apple with something that Apple cant provide, which is choice, and continue on their path to world domination.
side note...the I777 is unique in many ways to these other devices.
I mean, Samsung is showing off stuff at different price ranges for different people.
We got a large range of stuff like Samsung Galaxy 5 and Fit and etc. for people who want cheap Android phones, but not looking for the strong power but just for something to make calls on, text, something compact, and something they can play Doodle Jump on.
We got stuff like the Galaxy S II and SkyRocket for people who really want the raw power on their phone, but still, appeals to a large audience with mass advertising, promises fulfilled, and not that incredibly high of a price.
We got the Galaxy Nexus as an attempt to show off their best phone, the top of their line-up, as well as with pricing. If Samsung had anything to show as their work done beautifully, it would be that with Google backing it up completely.
And finally, the Galaxy Note is Samsung's way to step out of the crowd and show something that no one has yet, so it's just just a mess of 3-4 inch smart phones that are just thinner and lighter than the model before, holding most of the changes under the hood, which doesn't concern the majority of buyers.
They pretty much got all the different levels of consumers down, as opposed to Apple, which tries their best to hit all of them with one phone that lies in the middle of all of that, but in the end, the size of the phones is the main thing separating all of the Galaxy phones.
So I wonder how many galaxy players were sold... probably like 2 or 3.. I would rather have an iPod touch
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
So basically, you just want to say that you love your SGS2, right?
Why not just say directly?
There are absolutely no need to brag down other devices.
Same concept as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch. Different flavors for everything.. That is all...
LOL!
Is your period button broken, or do you just exclaim more than most? Lol
I agree, we've got it good. My mom is ordering a galaxy player 5.0 for my cousin. It looks really cool.
Sent from my Acer Iconia A500 using xda premium
votinh said:
So basically, you just want to say that you love your SGS2, right?
Why not just say directly?
There are absolutely no need to brag down other devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh lord we have an iPhone fanboy . I actually looked at getting one because yes they do just WORK. But I need the choices that the android operating system offers.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Picked up two Galaxy 4.0 players for my daughters, and they love em. They are really nice , cameras work great etc. Pretty much all the capabilities of our phones minus the "phone".
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Even though I have a full-blown phone, I have a Player 5.0 - really nice device thanks to the large screen and ginormous battery.
tylerdurdin said:
I personally think its cool to see so many different variations of Samsung devices and encourage them to continue to CRUSH Apple with something that Apple cant provide, which is choice, and continue on their path to world domination.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I am exclusively an Android user (which you can see from my sig), I have to say that the strategy of "crushing" Apple with "choice" did not pan out that well. Samsung is kinda ok on the phone front, especially with SGSII, but everything else is essentially lost. Tablet front was lost from the get go, because they "fought" IPad form factor instead of putting all resources into 7" one, and they lost even that battle because Amazon stepped in. It is unfortunate, but I personally do not know a single person who owns something that is 10" and is not an IPad, or 7" and is not a Kindle Fire...
I know plenty of people with Tab 10.1 units...
Entropy512 said:
I know plenty of people with Tab 10.1 units...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I've got an iconia A500 tablet, my wife does as well. They are both 10.1" tablets.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Well, I have 2 7" Galaxy Tabs, does not change anything. Entropy has one, you have some other, but I was mainly talking about what I see in physical world, among friends, at work, even while commuting...Apple everywhere :-(
pupochek said:
Well, I have 2 7" Galaxy Tabs, does not change anything. Entropy has one, you have some other, but I was mainly talking about what I see in physical world, among friends, at work, even while commuting...Apple everywhere :-(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have two 7" Galaxy Tabs and love them. They seem to be more like my captivate on the inside with the looks of our phone on the outside. Now the GENERAL POPULATION are definitely sheep and is why they choose apple for the most part. I know apple is good for the GENERAL populace but I think our phones would fair well even with these that don't modify them to their liking. And sitting at Starbucks with my Galaxy 7" tab I have gotten more WOW WHAT IS THAT because most GENERAL people just don't really KNOW about the other options when all they hear about is crapple. So my point is taken when they comment on the tab about how nice it is. Apple has done their job to blindfold many people. I think within the last year i have started to see some people switch over to Samsung GS or GS2 and never look back.
Sent From My KickAss ATT SGS2 SPORTING CM7
pupochek said:
Although I am exclusively an Android user (which you can see from my sig), I have to say that the strategy of "crushing" Apple with "choice" did not pan out that well. Samsung is kinda ok on the phone front, especially with SGSII, but everything else is essentially lost. Tablet front was lost from the get go, because they "fought" IPad form factor instead of putting all resources into 7" one, and they lost even that battle because Amazon stepped in. It is unfortunate, but I personally do not know a single person who owns something that is 10" and is not an IPad, or 7" and is not a Kindle Fire...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's weird .....only person I knew with a iPad was my sister in-law, who bought one without seeking my approval(because she knows I hate Apple) and within two days of owning it she brought it back to best buy and exchanged it for a 10" Galaxy.
I know alot of people with tabs.....none of those people own iPads. You see heavier concentrations of them....especially in the work place where co-workers do ruthless things like suggest you get an iPad. Same goes for Android.....everyone I know.....and I mean almost EVERYONE has some kind of android device.....most likely because everyone they know has one. I will buy an iPad as soon as there is no more iTunes, its completely themeable without jailbreaks, when.......ah forget it....ain't gonna happen.
Side note reguardless of Samsungs sales.....they still don't remove choices.
Sent from the baddest cellphone ever made.
Well, there are many differences...
The Note has Wacom baked in so that can use electromagnetic pens for precise input.
The player is more of an SGS1 variant.
There are several tablets and they are different...Also you cannot carry your TV during travelling isn't it?

Anyone come to the GS3 directly from an iPhone 4(S)?

Hi...just wondering if anyone has just come over to the GS3 from an iPhone4/4S - especially if you've always been a dyed-in-the-wool iOS fan previously!!
If so, what are your initial thoughts about the switch?
I've a few blinkered friends who just refuse to even consider anything other than an iphone....even though some have never even tried anything else!
I'd like to give them some feedback from you guys as to why they should at least think about it!!
Cheers....
Tell them the S3 has siri too lol, personally I'd just show them all the things your S3 can do that their iPhone cant.
I would....if I had one
Hopefully gonna get one next week sometime....
Willie_Heckerslyke said:
Hi...just wondering if anyone has just come over to the GS3 from an iPhone4/4S - especially if you've always been a dyed-in-the-wool iOS fan previously!!
If so, what are your initial thoughts about the switch?
I've a few blinkered friends who just refuse to even consider anything other than an iphone....even though some have never even tried anything else!
I'd like to give them some feedback from you guys as to why they should at least think about it!!
Cheers....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IOS 6 just having features that we used to have on android 1.6 so u gonna love it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2 Beta-6
Does it count if I'm a fandroid who's using iphone and is in an apple environment where I'm typing this from an ipad 3 and have access to numerous apple products and actually see out of the box?
Just show them these videos, they are very informative regarding the differences between Android and iOS: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1557484
If they're not very interested in technology they probably won't want to watch them... Though if they in fact aren't very interested in tech per my assumption, then I do feel that the iPhone is the best phone for them anyway, so if that's the case the videos aren't really needed.
When answering friends/family asking me which phone they should buy (I'm the phone advice guy) I always think: How interested is this person in tech such as computers and phones? How much do they know about tech? If the person is pretty uninterested and/or simply not a "settings/theme tweaker" kind of person, my answer is always and without fail the iPhone.
If the person is at least somewhat aware of new tech gadgets and has some rudimentary knowledge about phones, then things get more interesting.
I've had an iPhone4 myself for 11 months, and I did enjoy it. It worked very well, everything from GPS to basic phone stuff worked very well. I never had any problems, and I really felt I could trust in the phone to work when I suddenly needed quick GPS aid or something else. It never failed me.
The iPhone IS a good device, especially if you're more of a "set it and forget it" kind of person.
Me, I started to miss the customization options that Android offers, and the iPhone's tiny display was starting to annoy me. (Because of its size, other than that I loved the display.)
AND another big reason is the video series that I already mentioned earlier. Really opened my eyes. iOS is falling behind. Badly. Although not everyone cares about that. Those who do care should be sporting an Android.
i'll be switching from the iphone 4 to the samsung galaxy s3.
Have been using iOS for 2 years now. Never really liked iOS, but I guess I was just out of grad school and rode the popularity train and kept the iphone. Now I want a little more from my phone.
rjshenoy said:
i'll be switching from the iphone 4 to the samsung galaxy s3.
Have been using iOS for 2 years now. Never really liked iOS, but I guess I was just out of grad school and rode the popularity train and kept the iphone. Now I want a little more from my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir have come to the right place, here is a preemptive welcome to a while new world of mobile versatility and enjoyment... I'm thinking you won't be disappointed.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium
I am making the switch from the 4S to the S3. I have switched between all kinds of phones, currently back in forth between my Thunderbolt and 4S when I want to switch it up. However, the S3 just seems like it's ready to blow me away, where iOS is getting a bit stale to me.
Kiahnlliya said:
Just show them these videos, they are very informative regarding the differences between Android and iOS: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1557484
If they're not very interested in technology they probably won't want to watch them... Though if they in fact aren't very interested in tech per my assumption, then I do feel that the iPhone is the best phone for them anyway, so if that's the case the videos aren't really needed.
When answering friends/family asking me which phone they should buy (I'm the phone advice guy) I always think: How interested is this person in tech such as computers and phones? How much do they know about tech? If the person is pretty uninterested and/or simply not a "settings/theme tweaker" kind of person, my answer is always and without fail the iPhone.
If the person is at least somewhat aware of new tech gadgets and has some rudimentary knowledge about phones, then things get more interesting.
I've had an iPhone4 myself for 11 months, and I did enjoy it. It worked very well, everything from GPS to basic phone stuff worked very well. I never had any problems, and I really felt I could trust in the phone to work when I suddenly needed quick GPS aid or something else. It never failed me.
The iPhone IS a good device, especially if you're more of a "set it and forget it" kind of person.
Me, I started to miss the customization options that Android offers, and the iPhone's tiny display was starting to annoy me. (Because of its size, other than that I loved the display.)
AND another big reason is the video series that I already mentioned earlier. Really opened my eyes. iOS is falling behind. Badly. Although not everyone cares about that. Those who do care should be sporting an Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also the phone advice guy and I have the exact same thought process when considering what I think they should get.
It's really easy to overestimate how limited most people's tech knowledge is and I'm no guru.
Kiahnlliya said:
Just show them these videos, they are very informative regarding the differences between Android and iOS: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1557484
If they're not very interested in technology they probably won't want to watch them... Though if they in fact aren't very interested in tech per my assumption, then I do feel that the iPhone is the best phone for them anyway, so if that's the case the videos aren't really needed.
When answering friends/family asking me which phone they should buy (I'm the phone advice guy) I always think: How interested is this person in tech such as computers and phones? How much do they know about tech? If the person is pretty uninterested and/or simply not a "settings/theme tweaker" kind of person, my answer is always and without fail the iPhone.
If the person is at least somewhat aware of new tech gadgets and has some rudimentary knowledge about phones, then things get more interesting.
I've had an iPhone4 myself for 11 months, and I did enjoy it. It worked very well, everything from GPS to basic phone stuff worked very well. I never had any problems, and I really felt I could trust in the phone to work when I suddenly needed quick GPS aid or something else. It never failed me.
The iPhone IS a good device, especially if you're more of a "set it and forget it" kind of person.
Me, I started to miss the customization options that Android offers, and the iPhone's tiny display was starting to annoy me. (Because of its size, other than that I loved the display.)
AND another big reason is the video series that I already mentioned earlier. Really opened my eyes. iOS is falling behind. Badly. Although not everyone cares about that. Those who do care should be sporting an Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you forgot one point. a common belief held by typical users is that having an iPhone is cool an shows that you're classy and rich whereas android is for nerds and cheapsakes. they're too full of themselves to realize the different between being smart and efficient conpared to ignorant and foolish
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I remember my boss saw me playing with my brand new galaxy and said "lol, not everyone can have an iphone." i really wanted to bury my foot in his face, he had the damn 3GS! My phone would make the 3GS commit suicide just by looking at it! That is how most nontech folks see this.. Don't get me wrong on this, I'm no iphone hater but I'm beginning to feel some frustration against some users xD
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
I went from the Samsung Galaxy S2 to the iPhone 4s to the Xperia S to the HTC One XL. I am going to switch to the Galaxy S3 as soon as I find a good deal on an international one or as soon as it comes out for Rogers.
Although I didn't really have many complaints about the iPhone 4s after an iTunes restore. Here are my main problems with it.
It was the first to use bluetooth 4.0 but it sucks. The range is very poor and disconnects too easily compared to BT 3.0. To be fair, this also happens on my One X. I don't think BT 4.0 is ready for prime time yet and the battery saving is not worth it yet. I am not expecting the GS3 BT 4.0 to have the same range as the GS2 and Xperia S BT 2.1 but it will be better than the iPhone 4s BT 4.0 similar to how BT 4.0 is better on the HTC One X.
Here is the main reason I got rid of it though. EVERYBODY in my region has either the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s. It is like if everyone had your favorite jacket. I would stop wearing it and it wouldn't be my favorite anymore. Also similar to how uniforms make you look like part of a hive, an iPhone 4s makes you look like you are assimilated into some massive cult. It might be a shallow reason and might not bug everyone, but it REALLY bugs me. I like to have some individuality.
You can also tell them that the Xperia S is basically a nicer and classier looking version of the iPhone 4s. It performs just as well down to the keyboard. Not to mention it offers more freedom to boot.
However, I would choose the 4s over the HTC One X and all my other phones before the GS2.
Tomatoes8 said:
I went from the Samsung Galaxy S2 to the iPhone 4s to the Xperia S to the HTC One XL. I am going to switch to the Galaxy S3 as soon as I find a good deal on an international one or as soon as it comes out for Rogers.
Although I didn't really have many complaints about the iPhone 4s after an iTunes restore. Here are my main problems with it.
It was the first to use bluetooth 4.0 but it sucks. The range is very poor and disconnects too easily compared to BT 3.0. To be fair, this also happens on my One X. I don't think BT 4.0 is ready for prime time yet and the battery saving is not worth it yet. I am not expecting the GS3 BT 4.0 to have the same range as the GS2 and Xperia S BT 2.1 but it will be better than the iPhone 4s BT 4.0 similar to how BT 4.0 is better on the HTC One X.
Here is the main reason I got rid of it though. EVERYBODY in my region has either the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s. It is like if everyone had your favorite jacket. I would stop wearing it and it wouldn't be my favorite anymore. Also similar to how uniforms make you look like part of a hive, an iPhone 4s makes you look like you are assimilated into some massive cult. It might be a shallow reason and might not bug everyone, but it REALLY bugs me. I like to have some individuality.
You can also tell them that the Xperia S is basically a nicer and classier looking version of the iPhone 4s. It performs just as well down to the keyboard. Not to mention it offers more freedom to boot.
However, I would choose the 4s over the HTC One X and all my other phones before the GS2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow
kaal1010 said:
wow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It just works and doesn't bother me during use. I am very picky about fluidity and user interface.
A few years ago the thing that I liked about the iPhone was easy music syncing (I actually quite like using iTunes believe it or not), a good music player (continuous playback etc), good screen, and it was pretty consistent.
I felt Android had the potential but maybe the hardware needed to improve to accommodate the great features. The 'oh but the iPhone just works' argument maybe had some substance back then.
Now the hardware has accelerated so much and the developers have really started to fine tune the software, that argument just doesn't hold up.
Plus, now I've finally discovered programmes like PowerAmp and iSyncr that fill the music gap, I can have a decent amount of storage without being extorted, a nice big screen and I don't have to have the same phone every other person has.
For me, you just can't compare the iPhone to the current high end Android devices. The Apple fanboys might make a case when comparing it to the lower end devices but £ for £ Android is way ahead in my book.
Was playing with my father in law's 4S today. I don't know how anyone can say it's more "intuitive" or user friendly than android. I'm sure if you are used to iOS it feels like it, but it took me 20 minutes to figure how to turn off his email ding that drives him nuts from all his spam because obviously he barely knows how to do anything other than make phone calls and read email. Also wanted to make it so when you delete emails it ALSO deletes it from the server. Still haven't found a way to do it with his hotmail account, as he complained about having to delete all his junk mail twice. "Just works" my ass. I guess as long as you don't mind having it work like Apples wants you to.
kaal1010 said:
A few years ago the thing that I liked about the iPhone was easy music syncing (I actually quite like using iTunes believe it or not), a good music player (continuous playback etc), good screen, and it was pretty consistent.
I felt Android had the potential but maybe the hardware needed to improve to accommodate the great features. The 'oh but the iPhone just works' argument maybe had some substance back then.
Now the hardware has accelerated so much and the developers have really started to fine tune the software, that argument just doesn't hold up.
Plus, now I've finally discovered programmes like PowerAmp and iSyncr that fill the music gap, I can have a decent amount of storage without being extorted, a nice big screen and I don't have to have the same phone every other person has.
For me, you just can't compare the iPhone to the current high end Android devices. The Apple fanboys might make a case when comparing it to the lower end devices but £ for £ Android is way ahead in my book.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not saying Android isn't better than IOS. I agree it is. My One X however, just doesn't do it for me. It stutters and lags more than my iPhone 4s did. The BT also didn't work until a factory reset on the One X and even when it did it would disconnect during a conversation.
Also, my screen flexed until I popped it back in by putting a case on and the only way I can get it to run smooth is with Sslauncher. Sorry, my HTC One X sucks and my iPhone 4s didn't.
I like all my other Android phones over the iPhone 4s though even though one of them used a last gen Qualcomm S3.
CapsLockKey said:
Was playing with my father in law's 4S today. I don't know how anyone can say it's more "intuitive" or user friendly than android. I'm sure if you are used to iOS it feels like it, but it took me 20 minutes to figure how to turn off his email ding that drives him nuts from all his spam because obviously he barely knows how to do anything other than make phone calls and read email. Also wanted to make it so when you delete emails it ALSO deletes it from the server. Still haven't found a way to do it with his hotmail account, as he complained about having to delete all his junk mail twice. "Just works" my ass. I guess as long as you don't mind having it work like Apples wants you to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not really a good comparison. As it takes way more steps to change notification sounds in Androids email client.
All of this is totally biased. You're frequenting a forum that caters to the very people more likely to use android, regardless of what they had before. I think xda is more about the type of person than the tech they use, because most people who enjoy using their tech a specific way find xda like a beacon. Those that don't never bother, and that's the majority of people, with or without Android. The fact of the matter is whatever phone you think will make your life better, that's what you should get. Not everyone has a need for rooting, nfc, etc. Some people have dishwashers, but I get along fine washing it like a normal jackoff (even though I have a dishwasher). I'm also the same guy that flashes every other week. Not all tech is for everyone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA

Is the Rezound worth getting free over the other, newer phones?

I'm due for an upgrade now, and browsing through the phones on the Verizon store (I can't upgrade through any third party due to the fact I'm on a business account) the only decent 4g phone is the rezound.
I'm currently on a 2 year old Xperia Play, 3g, and it's only redeeming factor is the cool slide out gamepad I use to this day. However, it's seen better days and I gotta retire it. So my question is, is the Rezound worth the free price tag? I hear that rooting it is on the easier side, and that I can squeeze battery life/power out of it through this method, but I'm pretty new to phone hardware/software.
It's either that or pay 50-150 bucks for a new phone. I'd honestly rather not pay anything, but knowing that this phone is a full year old at this point might influence that decision.
Kamikaze-Turtle said:
I'm due for an upgrade now, and browsing through the phones on the Verizon store (I can't upgrade through any third party due to the fact I'm on a business account) the only decent 4g phone is the rezound.
I'm currently on a 2 year old Xperia Play, 3g, and it's only redeeming factor is the cool slide out gamepad I use to this day. However, it's seen better days and I gotta retire it. So my question is, is the Rezound worth the free price tag? I hear that rooting it is on the easier side, and that I can squeeze battery life/power out of it through this method, but I'm pretty new to phone hardware/software.
It's either that or pay 50-150 bucks for a new phone. I'd honestly rather not pay anything, but knowing that this phone is a full year old at this point might influence that decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're willing to spend the money, I strongly recommend the GSIII. I got mine for $99 right before Christmas.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
I'd rather have something like a gs3 too. I really like this phone but would trade it in a heart beat for a gs3.
Sent from my Rezound using xda premium
The rezound was ahead of its time so font let the one year mark scare you. However, if your gonna have to keep this phone for two more years you'd be better off with a newer peice of hardware, like the sgs3 or the DROID dna. Also the DROID razr m doesn't look to bad but idk about the modding process for moto phones
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
I've had my Rezound for a while now and I'm always looking at which phones are new. So far, because I don't like huge screens and I like my micro SD card I don't see many new phones for me. I also prefer HTC phones because of the superior cameras. So at this point the Rezound is still a good phone, but it doesn't seem to have 2 years worth of life left.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
The DNA feedback has been surprisingly good. Battery life is amazing, and it runs like a beast straight out of the box unrooted.
However it's been out a while and like always, there's something better on the Horizon. The GS3 is a nice phone but I wouldn't burn an upgrade for it if you plan to keep your next phone longer than a year or so.
I can't say much about the rezound that's negative. Most of the comments people made who were unhappy was back before we had official ICS firmware and ice cream sandwich source code.
Since you're considering spending a little money on a newer phone anyway, have you considered buying a cheap rezound from a third party (as in a nice used one off contract) and saving your upgrade for the next batch of new phones?
The other advantage there is the readily available development, and HTC dev unlock and s off, all of which exist already.
A friend of mine had an older phone that was decent, but wanted a new toy. He held his upgrade but bought a mint nexus 7 off of somebody local for an extremely cheap deal. Just throwing out ideas, I know it's not likely that's something you're wanting to do.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
I'm probably not the person to ask. I don't buy on contract anymore (not losing my unlimited), and there's really not another phone out that interests me right now anyway. The DNA is the only one that piques my interest at all, but I'm waiting for an AOSP RIL. Samsung is the only other manufacturer that has anything resembling an attractive package to me right now, but I don't like Samsung phone hardware (their screens completely kill the deal for me). All things considered, the Rezound is still the right phone for me right now, but I'd be hard pressed to recommend one on contract.
shrike1978 said:
I'm probably not the person to ask. I don't buy on contract anymore (not losing my unlimited), and there's really not another phone out that interests me right now anyway. The DNA is the only one that piques my interest at all, but I'm waiting for an AOSP RIL. Samsung is the only other manufacturer that has anything resembling an attractive package to me right now, but I don't like Samsung phone hardware (their screens completely kill the deal for me). All things considered, the Rezound is still the right phone for me right now, but I'd be hard pressed to recommend one on contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can agree with that. I love the brightness and vibrance of my GSIII screen, but it is nowhere near as sharp as my rezound. The battery life is pretty sick though.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
The battery life on the Rezound is, in my opinion, very poor. The only way my Rezound is useful to me is with the extended battery, which renders the phone a brick. Also, I'm tired of "plasticky" feeling phones. I haven't held a Droid DNA in my hands, but from what I've read about it, it feels more solid. That being said, I wouldn't get a Droid DNA until there's a strong dev community around it.
Appreciate the response guys. I'm probably going to just hold on to my upgrade. My Xperia Play may be a piece of garbage but it makes calls, browses reddit, and plays gameboy ROMs. I would have loved to get the 4g version of my phone but they just keep phasing out old phones and bringing in new ones so damn often.
Any phones I should be looking out for? I'm considering the DNA, but at 200 dollars on an upgrade that's pretty steep for me. Also, is a lack of micro SD becoming an industry standard? I don't keep up with the news like this, but reading some reviews for the DNA leads me to believe the 16 gig internal storage is all you get. I hope they don't go the way of Apple with memory capacity.
No. Save your upgrade for the next generation of phones.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Kamikaze-Turtle said:
Appreciate the response guys. I'm probably going to just hold on to my upgrade. My Xperia Play may be a piece of garbage but it makes calls, browses reddit, and plays gameboy ROMs. I would have loved to get the 4g version of my phone but they just keep phasing out old phones and bringing in new ones so damn often.
Any phones I should be looking out for? I'm considering the DNA, but at 200 dollars on an upgrade that's pretty steep for me. Also, is a lack of micro SD becoming an industry standard? I don't keep up with the news like this, but reading some reviews for the DNA leads me to believe the 16 gig internal storage is all you get. I hope they don't go the way of Apple with memory capacity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's becoming the industry standard on high end smartphones. Completely sealed except for the SIM slot. No expandable memory, no replaceable battery. I can see good and bad in it. I could easily get by with 8GB if I had to with everything I do being so cloud connected, but having more is nice and I don't like losing the option. The battery being internal is definitely doubled edged. It lets them optimize the battery to better utilize the internal space, which lets them squeeze the most out of the battery they can, but there are days I just need to pop a new one in.
shrike1978 said:
That's becoming the industry standard on high end smartphones. Completely sealed except for the SIM slot. No expandable memory, no replaceable battery. I can see good and bad in it. I could easily get by with 8GB if I had to with everything I do being so cloud connected, but having more is nice and I don't like losing the option. The battery being internal is definitely doubled edged. It lets them optimize the battery to better utilize the internal space, which lets them squeeze the most out of the battery they can, but there are days I just need to pop a new one in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately the downfall to non expandable memory and cloud solutions is the tiered data plans that people are being forced into. Streaming any kind of music from say... Google music's cloud storage will burn through your data like you wouldn't believe(I have almost 10 GB of music on my phone). I just... don't like it. That's one reason I opted for my GSIII. The ability to have a 64GB SD is worth being behind slightly in software or hardware.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
I just got the rezound today for free coming from an s2 on Sprint. I must say I'm pretty impressed! It's a bit heavy and I'm not rooting until I my 14 day trial is up. The beats headphones is a win win. Keyboard sucks but I'm overall happy for my first day. I'm more concerned about this 2gb of data I'm sharing with my girl than the phone itself. The DNA looks good but the battery and no expandable memory killed it for me
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
I love my rezound, but like others said..save ur upgrade. Ive always wanted an xperia play
Battery life is the only complaint I have on the rezound. Even a year old its as good or better than most other phones except a few high end phones. My wife got a razr m two months ago and its a very nice phone. Aside from the screen resolution its better than the rezound in almost everyway hardware wise. It's exactly the same hardware as the razr hd but a smaller screen. And it has jb. The ppi is crap on it is the only bad thing. And built in battery. But it does have an sd card. For an inexpensive phone it is extremely nice. But I still love my rezzie.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Right now is quite possibly one of the worst times to upgrade your phone. Just keep waiting, and you'll be glad you did. Seriously.
Kamikaze-Turtle said:
I'm due for an upgrade now, and browsing through the phones on the Verizon store (I can't upgrade through any third party due to the fact I'm on a business account) the only decent 4g phone is the rezound.
I'm currently on a 2 year old Xperia Play, 3g, and it's only redeeming factor is the cool slide out gamepad I use to this day. However, it's seen better days and I gotta retire it. So my question is, is the Rezound worth the free price tag? I hear that rooting it is on the easier side, and that I can squeeze battery life/power out of it through this method, but I'm pretty new to phone hardware/software.
It's either that or pay 50-150 bucks for a new phone. I'd honestly rather not pay anything, but knowing that this phone is a full year old at this point might influence that decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the GS4 is in production right now and the samsung mobile director said at CES that he needs to crank it out ASAP to stay competitive. Just be patient
I've had my rezound fit amidst a week and got 10 hours battery life today with light use and still have 30%
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
shrike1978 said:
I'm probably not the person to ask. I don't buy on contract anymore (not losing my unlimited), and there's really not another phone out that interests me right now anyway. The DNA is the only one that piques my interest at all, but I'm waiting for an AOSP RIL. Samsung is the only other manufacturer that has anything resembling an attractive package to me right now, but I don't like Samsung phone hardware (their screens completely kill the deal for me). All things considered, the Rezound is still the right phone for me right now, but I'd be hard pressed to recommend one on contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat as you. I renewed my contract before they stop grandfathering unlimited contracts and got the rezound. At this point I see no reason to upgrade. The phone has GSM, great screen, good camera, 4G(best part ), and it feels good. I would recommend this phone if you are in the market for a free one. If your desires are for something else make sure to research the community behind the phone. The GSIII has a CleanROM for it but unfortunately the developer jumps devices faster than most people can keep up. The rezound just got a relatively stable version of jelly bean that is only going to get better.

Should I get this or the HTC One... Honest opinion please

I currently have the Incredible 4G LTE Nd love but I need a bigger screen... I debated between both those phones... I know the HTC One comes out in the summer for us and the s4 will only be 16gb ... Is their a mod to put apps on the sd card since the s4 is limited... I know they coming with an update but we all know Verizon is bad with updates..
Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2
I had the HTC One before the S4 that I have now. All I will say is that as soon as the One drops on Verizon, I will be switching back. I test phones on a daily basis and the One is the best phone I've used to date. You won't be disappointed with either, but I prefer the One. Sense is much better than Touchwiz now IMO and the build quality and audio can't be beat. I prefer the screen on the One also
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I didn't buy the ONE (or wait for it) because of the reviews. You might like the HTC ONE based on if you want metal build, smaller screen (equals 468 ppi to 441 ppi in S4 slightly sharper text) and the BOOM sound (front facing speakers). With no SD expansion or removable battery, that was a deal killer for me. S4 has better specs and is already made for the AWS network for Verizon (faster LTE speeds). Also, HTC is by far the worst EVER of getting updates out for their phones (yes, even worse then Motorola at their worst)
for me S4 was the no brainer deal for me
miguel11691 said:
I currently have the Incredible 4G LTE Nd love but I need a bigger screen... I debated between both those phones... I know the HTC One comes out in the summer for us and the s4 will only be 16gb ... Is their a mod to put apps on the sd card since the s4 is limited... I know they coming with an update but we all know Verizon is bad with updates..
Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you will be rooting, the only thing the One would have over the S4 is BoomSound and a nicer case. Being unable to swap SD cards or batteries would bug me. If all you need is a bigger screen and you can wait, why not wait a few more months for a Note 3 or One Max?
I had an Evo 4G before the S4 (I never rooted it), so I've got nothing against HTC. HTC doesn't seem to offer (read, foist on you) the suite of apps Samsung does. Samsung seems to be trying to push their content store to compete with Google Play, so I hope future updates don't add tons of bloat related to the Samsung app store...
I find the storage argument quite invalid. Internal storage comparison: 32gb on the One vs ~9 on the S4. I know that the S4 has expandable storage, but that only helps in terms of media (stuff that can be stored on the cloud anyways), not apps. Also, the One will no doubt be equipped with AWS technology, so that argument is invalid too if we are comparing Verizon phones. No removable battery but it makes it through a day of heavy use no problem.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Not a fan of HTC anymore. I had all the EVOs.
I'd take the S4 all day long over the One. Just a matter of personal preference.
Doesnt HTC take a lonnnnnnng ass time or never to release source? While Samsung does it on day 1, yea good luck with HTC and the handicapped Roms for it.
wahoofan5 said:
I find the storage argument quite invalid. Internal storage comparison: 32gb on the One vs ~9 on the S4. I know that the S4 has expandable storage, but that only helps in terms of media (stuff that can be stored on the cloud anyways), not apps. Also, the One will no doubt be equipped with AWS technology, so that argument is invalid too if we are comparing Verizon phones. No removable battery but it makes it through a day of heavy use no problem.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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The firmware update that allows apps to be moved to SD card makes your invalid argument invalid again.
I pick the S4 for the reasons stated. No expandable memory, no removable battery, HTC has garbage update schedules, and weaker specs.
But that would require root, something the common user might not choose to do. And S4 users are currently unable to move apps to the SD card
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
It all boils down to preference. Most people want good battery life and cool apps or software. I've used both and when the One releases on Verizon I will have both and use both,
... But to answer the question I will use the S4 more since the battery does last a bit longer and it can do some pretty cool stuff, but most of all I believe there will be more customization on the S4. Lord knows I am a customization fool,. Cheers!!!
wahoofan5 said:
I find the storage argument quite invalid. Internal storage comparison: 32gb on the One vs ~9 on the S4. I know that the S4 has expandable storage, but that only helps in terms of media (stuff that can be stored on the cloud anyways), not apps. Also, the One will no doubt be equipped with AWS technology, so that argument is invalid too if we are comparing Verizon phones. No removable battery but it makes it through a day of heavy use no problem.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
This is certainly important if you do not want to root the S4. I bet there will be root apps that can redirect app installations to the SD card, if they don't already exist. And Samsung will probably get native full external card installation working eventually. Or they're going to see sales drop off as more and more people bump up against that limit, and scramble to fix it. Why they didn't do this in first place is beyond me - especially with such a small built-in card. Either they wanted to sell more of their own SD cards, they wanted an excuse to charge heaps more for just a little more memory, or Apple sued them into not doing it.
And batteries get old. It might need replacing. Sometimes.
I used to be a diehard htc fan since the original evo but after the one was put on hold, and the poor development and official htc support for the rezound, I doubt I'll go back. I will miss htc but they dropped the ball far too many times and I know it will happen again (maybe not for their current devices) even though they cannot afford to screw anything else up. So bottom line, do you want a pretty phone with nice sound and a slightly, yet not noticeably better screen? Or do you want a larger screen, insane amount of dev and Samsung support for years to come, and removable battery and storage?
Sent from my rooted S4 blessed with Cleanrom 1.2
wahoofan5 said:
I find the storage argument quite invalid. Internal storage comparison: 32gb on the One vs ~9 on the S4. I know that the S4 has expandable storage, but that only helps in terms of media (stuff that can be stored on the cloud anyways), not apps. Also, the One will no doubt be equipped with AWS technology, so that argument is invalid too if we are comparing Verizon phones. No removable battery but it makes it through a day of heavy use no problem.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
First of all, I apologize if it seems like we are "ganging" up on you - after all, the question at hand is a fundamental example of free choice and personal preference. With that said, I did want to make one (yet to be made) point specifically pertaining to your (above) comment on validity.
You mentioned that, in your mind, one of the factors that makes the removable storage on the S4 irrelevant is cloud storage - something that the major carriers frequently, if not enthusiastically offer up as a must-have storage solution. Cloud storage really is great, especially as their capacities increase, security strengthens, and prices drop. However there is one major, often overlooked problem with using cloud storage on your cellular device - DATA. Many (many) Verizon subscribers that have managed to hold on to unlimited data (myself) find themselves playing a game of "chicken" every time they want a new device. There's only so many tricks and hoops you can jump through to keep your unlimited data - just ask the countless hordes who've recently reached their "end of the road" in terms of unlimited data (Tip: These sad-sacks are easy to spot - just look for the gently sobbing individuals solemnly mashing their "Scan For Available WiFi Networks" button), The point is, last I checked; you need some sort of internet/data connection to peruse the "Cloud" - this is all well and fine if you're still rocking "Data God Mode", but wouldn't it make you feel a whole lot better if you knew all that cherished media you spent years collecting was ALWAYS available to you? I sleep better knowing all my Seinfeld episodes are safely at hand in my Samsung 64gb Class 10 MicroSD Card.
But all kidding aside - having to rely on cloud-based storage for your files is a great way to experience full blown anxiety and frustration first hand, believe me.
To the original poster: I'm bias. Why am I bias? Because my first-ever Android smartphone was the OG HTC Droid Incredible - after a year of countless "like-new!" replacements, I bought the Droid X and swore off HTC .... However ...Stupidly, the excitement over the HTC Thunderbolt being Verizon's first 4G device was far too tempting for me and I bought the damn thing. It took almost two whole years for HTC & Verizon to update the Thunderbolt to ICE CREAM SANDWICH, despite having been released AFTER the first ICS devices were already out. Sadly, I never got to see that wonderful update on my T'Bolt ..... you see, six months (and several rage induced ulsters) after buying my T'Bolt I threw the damn thing accidentally dropped it over the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Too bad. Never again, HTC.
wahoofan5 said:
But that would require root, something the common user might not choose to do. And S4 users are currently unable to move apps to the SD card
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
No, the update that is coming out will not require root. It's an OTA update that lets you move apps to the SD card again.
theresin said:
First of all, I apologize if it seems like we are "ganging" up on you - after all, the question at hand is a fundamental example of free choice and personal preference. With that said, I did want to make one (yet to be made) point specifically pertaining to your (above) comment on validity.
You mentioned that, in your mind, one of the factors that makes the removable storage on the S4 irrelevant is cloud storage - something that the major carriers frequently, if not enthusiastically offer up as a must-have storage solution. Cloud storage really is great, especially as their capacities increase, security strengthens, and prices drop. However there is one major, often overlooked problem with using cloud storage on your cellular device - DATA. Many (many) Verizon subscribers that have managed to hold on to unlimited data (myself) find themselves playing a game of "chicken" every time they want a new device. There's only so many tricks and hoops you can jump through to keep your unlimited data - just ask the countless hordes who've recently reached their "end of the road" in terms of unlimited data (Tip: These sad-sacks are easy to spot - just look for the gently sobbing individuals solemnly mashing their "Scan For Available WiFi Networks" button), The point is, last I checked; you need some sort of internet/data connection to peruse the "Cloud" - this is all well and fine if you're still rocking "Data God Mode", but wouldn't it make you feel a whole lot better if you knew all that cherished media you spent years collecting was ALWAYS available to you? I sleep better knowing all my Seinfeld episodes are safely at hand in my Samsung 64gb Class 10 MicroSD Card.
But all kidding aside - having to rely on cloud-based storage for your files is a great way to experience full blown anxiety and frustration first hand, believe me.
To the original poster: I'm bias. Why am I bias? Because my first-ever Android smartphone was the OG HTC Droid Incredible - after a year of countless "like-new!" replacements, I bought the Droid X and swore off HTC .... However ...Stupidly, the excitement over the HTC Thunderbolt being Verizon's first 4G device was far too tempting for me and I bought the damn thing. It took almost two whole years for HTC & Verizon to update the Thunderbolt to ICE CREAM SANDWICH, despite having been released AFTER the first ICS devices were already out. Sadly, I never got to see that wonderful update on my T'Bolt ..... you see, six months (and several rage induced ulsters) after buying my T'Bolt I threw the damn thing accidentally dropped it over the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Too bad. Never again, HTC.
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Click to collapse
Thunderbolt was released in March of 2011. The first ICS device was the Galaxy Nexus which was released November 2011. Does not invalidate your point, though. I was a 'bolt owner, too. It was out for about six months before viable LTE phones were releases (Rezound, Bionic), and even those were not all that great. It got truly usable when Liquid 3.2 was released for AOSP and SkyRaider Zeus was released for Sense. Those were a LONG time after the phone was released, though.
I view it as an early adopter thing, not an HTC thing. We are going to experience the same thing with AWS. Odds are this phone will suck for AWS...the hardware is too far out in front of the service release...no way there won't be issues that are patched around, etc.
S-off will really help get the dev work going on the One. I think it is a perfectly viable alternative to this phone really. Just a different flavor. I have never had a Samsung phone so for me, that was part of the appeal...something different.
if you really want screen size and don't mind the wait, the note 3 will be coming out this fall. 6" with 8 cores - though i don't think it's been confirmed. i'd like to get one, but the note 2's 5.5 inches is kinda pushing it for me, and i have preferred that the s4 to be 16:10 instead.
YouTube benchmarks on comparisons... You may be surprised how much slower HTC one is.
If you don't like touch wiz, there's lots of options... I use nova launcher on cube mode and love it.
While many defend it, sense does eat up processor attention.
Main advantage with HTC is reading in bright sunlight, 95 percent of my reading is indoors, metal case is nice.
I like options for different batteries, external memory, better camera, better software.... To each his own but benchmarks alone mean little if those benchmarks don't depict real life use.
If you love the best camera you can get, go S4, if you listen to music through speakers then HTC, if through headphones S4 has nice equalizing software.
I personally feel real life pictures can be boring.. I like high saturation of Hd amoled screen.
The Hd mode on the camera makes a perfect picture in crappy lighting!
The S3 has up to a 7000mah battery avail, not sure what they will come up with for the S4 but I don't like bring limited. http://zerolemon.com/
Anyway, each phone is nice, but they both have things the other doesn't.
Alan.. Sent with Galaxy S4
I own both and really like both. However, if I had to choose only one, it would be the S IV.
The main reason is battery life and how long the One takes to charge.
madsquabbles said:
if you really want screen size and don't mind the wait, the note 3 will be coming out this fall. 6" with 8 cores - though i don't think it's been confirmed. i'd like to get one, but the note 2's 5.5 inches is kinda pushing it for me, and i have preferred that the s4 to be 16:10 instead.
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Yea, that note 3 I have my eye on!
Alan.. Sent with Galaxy S4

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