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I think the tone for the Thunderbolt launch was set with HTC's ridiculously pretentious slogan "this isn't your dream phone, it's the one after that." The expectations were set high. And them came the official announcement, with no release date and lackluster specs. But then again, the dual-core phones that were announced probably wouldn't be out for awhile, so excitement for the TB remained high.
Next, the Verizon iPhone is announced and then released shortly after. Pricing information puts the Thunderbolt at $250, making it one of the most expensive phones out there. This was surprising considering the specs, despite the 32GB SD card included. Release date rumors run rampant, with rumored dates coming and going. Best Buy starts taking money for pre-orders without a date or data plan pricing announced.
Some videos of the TB get posted on YouTube, including benchmarks. Disappointingly, the Thunderbolt can't even match up to the 9 month old Galaxy S in the gaming benchmarks.
Then, the final nail in the coffin for me: the release of the Atrix. Now, I personally have no interest in buying a Motorola phone, but it beats the pants off of the Thunderbolt in all of the benchmarks, is dual-core, has more RAM (1GB vs 768MB in the TB), has a significantly higher resolution screen (despite being smaller), and is about 20% thinner/10% lighter while having a 40% higher battery capacity. It also has Gorilla Glass, which the TB may well have but we wouldn't know. And, to add insult to injury it is $50 cheaper than the unreleased Thunderbolt.
After typing all of that out, HTC's slogan seems even more ridiculous to me (which I didn't think was possible). Now, this all may seem overly harsh, but this is a phone that you're going to be stuck with for 2 years with no options for early upgrade (thanks Verizon!). As time goes on without a release date, new phones are being announced and released and the Thunderbolt is losing its luster. I can't imagine them screwing this launch up any more than they have.
Anyways, I just wanted to vent my (and my wife's) frustrations and see what everyone thought...
magnafides said:
I think the tone for the Thunderbolt launch was set with HTC's ridiculously pretentious slogan "this isn't your dream phone, it's the one after that." The expectations were set high. And them came the official announcement, with no release date and lackluster specs. But then again, the dual-core phones that were announced probably wouldn't be out for awhile, so excitement for the TB remained high.
Next, the Verizon iPhone is announced and then released shortly after. Pricing information puts the Thunderbolt at $250, making it one of the most expensive phones out there. This was surprising considering the specs, despite the 32GB SD card included. Release date rumors run rampant, with rumored dates coming and going. Best Buy starts taking money for pre-orders without a date or data plan pricing announced.
Some videos of the TB get posted on YouTube, including benchmarks. Disappointingly, the Thunderbolt can't even match up to the 9 month old Galaxy S in the gaming benchmarks.
Then, the final nail in the coffin for me: the release of the Atrix. Now, I personally have no interest in buying a Motorola phone, but it beats the pants off of the Thunderbolt in all of the benchmarks, is dual-core, has more RAM (1GB vs 768MB in the TB), has a significantly higher resolution screen (despite being smaller), and is about 20% thinner/10% lighter while having a 40% higher battery capacity. It also has Gorilla Glass, which the TB may well have but we wouldn't know. And, to add insult to injury it is $50 cheaper than the unreleased Thunderbolt.
After typing all of that out, HTC's slogan seems even more ridiculous to me (which I didn't think was possible). Now, this all may seem overly harsh, but this is a phone that you're going to be stuck with for 2 years with no options for early upgrade (thanks Verizon!). As time goes on without a release date, new phones are being announced and released and the Thunderbolt is losing its luster. I can't imagine them screwing this launch up any more than they have.
Anyways, I just wanted to vent my (and my wife's) frustrations and see what everyone thought...
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I'm upgrading from an old school flip phone so I'm happy no matter what
Chopes said:
I'm upgrading from an old school flip phone so I'm happy no matter what
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Haha I'm just upgrading my DINC but I'm happy still too
I don't care about having the cutting edge I just want a decent phone and the TB is a decent phone
Sent from my Incredible using XDA App
I agree. No matter what you buy , there will be a better phone out the next week. Just get a good one and you will be happy with it. I have had my Inc almost a year and I have been very happy with it. It will be the same with the Tbolt.
Sent by my Droid Incredible
The OP is also forgetting that the Atrix is on another network.
So while it may be cheaper up front, you would end up paying far more per month for less data. Also, the Atrix is not LTE but HSPA+ so as ATT starts moving over to LTE, the ATRIX wont take advantage of it.
I agree but thunderbolt is still a good phone. Oh by the way Atrix is lte capable just reaserch it. I might be going with the atrix even though I hate Motorola. I might return.my inspire 4g since the bumped up the attic release date.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
This Best Buy commercial explains it all... I love it. The BB program kinda sucks, but the commercial hits technology to the tee.
nkd said:
I agree but thunderbolt is still a good phone. Oh by the way Atrix is lte capable just reaserch it. I might be going with the atrix even though I hate Motorola. I might return.my inspire 4g since the bumped up the attic release date.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
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I thought that was debunked since the FCC papers do not show a LTE radio in there. The rumor is of a possibly refreshed Atrix down the line with an LTE chip, but I thought the current one is categorically not LTE able.
andydumi said:
I thought that was debunked since the FCC papers do not show a LTE radio in there. The rumor is of a possibly refreshed Atrix down the line with an LTE chip, but I thought the current one is categorically not LTE able.
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No I swear I read from a very credible website and even could have been one of the videos where they said. Atrix 4G will be only phone that will be able to do LTE down the line when ATT upgrades their network. It was a few months back, I am sure if you google it a little, you might be able to dig it up.
superchilpil said:
I don't care about having the cutting edge I just want a decent phone and the TB is a decent phone
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Unfortunately the price point on the TB is not appropriate for a "decent phone".
andydumi said:
The OP is also forgetting that the Atrix is on another network.
So while it may be cheaper up front, you would end up paying far more per month for less data. Also, the Atrix is not LTE but HSPA+ so as ATT starts moving over to LTE, the ATRIX wont take advantage of it.
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No I'm not forgetting that at all. If I could live with 2GB/mo AT&T would be substantially cheaper than Verizon for me, but I won't go to AT&T as a matter of principal. But I don't think the argument holds up either way, because $200 has always been the ceiling for new phones on both networks (aside from the ridiculous Droid R2-D2).
My post is really about the phones anyway--my main gripe is that HTC/Verizon are pitching (and charging for) the TB as if it's some cutting-edge device, when it's nothing more than an incremental improvement over what was already out there and has significantly inferior hardware to a phone that will be shipping before it.
And as for LTE, lots of places will be waiting 2+ years for it to come to their area.
To the OP, what was u expecting some quad core phone that can run crysis on max. Sang so what if its not the fastest dam phone stay with ur Samsung. You act like this is some type of game system lol. I don't see the price as an issue. Really is a duel core going to improve my Twitter , Facebook, angry birds experience no lol. If the bionic,GS2
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
magnafides said:
Unfortunately the price point on the TB is not appropriate for a "decent phone".
No I'm not forgetting that at all. If I could live with 2GB/mo AT&T would be substantially cheaper than Verizon for me, but I won't go to AT&T as a matter of principal. But I don't think the argument holds up either way, because $200 has always been the ceiling for new phones on both networks (aside from the ridiculous Droid R2-D2).
My post is really about the phones anyway--my main gripe is that HTC/Verizon are pitching (and charging for) the TB as if it's some cutting-edge device, when it's nothing more than an incremental improvement over what was already out there and has significantly inferior hardware to a phone that will be shipping before it.
And as for LTE, lots of places will be waiting 2+ years for it to come to their area.
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Simple as this, dont like it.. dont buy it.
if you have to gripe to world so be it, but most people wont see eye to eye with you
i agree the price tag may be high but thats all i agree with
I will never stray from HTC again after i tried other android phones. they are **** crap compared to HTC
end of discussion/
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/cellphones/motorola-atrix-4g.aspx?page=2
While the Atrix 4G's speed was also reflected on our benchmark tests, it didn't blow other smartphones out of the water. The handset achieved an An3DBench score of 6,305, more than 1,000 points above the current average, but just 25 points faster that the Inspire 4G. Also, both the Nexus S (6,853) and Droid Pro (7,352) handily beat the Atrix 4G on this test.
Though the Atrix 4G notched a fast Linpack score of 32.7, beating the Evo Shift 4G (29.7) and T-Mobile G2 (28.7), the Inspire 4G logged a higher 37.58. The Atrix 4G's most impressive score was on the Benchmark CPU test, where it notched a record 2,369, almost 1,500 points above average, and almost 200 points higher than the myTouch 4G (2,190)./
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the tegra 2 chip is yet to be optimize fully in 2.2 so until the update to 2.3 and beyond to utilize the two cores, it will have comparable data to the sencond generation snapdragon in the thunderbolt/inspire/mytouch 4g/desirez.
superchilpil said:
Simple as this, dont like it.. dont buy it.
if you have to gripe to world so be it, but most people wont see eye to eye with you
i agree the price tag may be high but thats all i agree with
I will never stray from HTC again after i tried other android phones. they are **** crap compared to HTC
end of discussion/
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I probably won't buy it; but as you said it's certainly within my right to post my thoughts and I was just curious how other people felt about the whole thing. I prefer HTC's skin (if I couldn't have vanilla) and build quality over the other manufacturers, however my MyTouch 3G is an absolute piece of junk and has been since the day I got it.
And no, I'm not expecting a quad core phone in 2011, that's a false dichotomy. There are shades of gray, and I don't think expecting the TB to beat a 9 month-old phone in gaming is too much to ask. Considering I'd be stuck with the phone for 2 years, I don't want to worry about whether I'm going to be able to use new apps/play new games a year and a half from now.
There will be a phone like the Atrix on Verizon released in Nov. From a very reliable source.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Being me, money is an issue. $250 is obscene, but by pre-ordering with bestbuy, I received a $50 giftcard too. So it is actually $200. But I will be paying the tax of $250 and not $200. So $200 is the cost of current upper tier, so eh.
Actually guys the skype thing isnt a big suprise since the icon installed on the phone says "SKYPE DEMO" !!!
Even when youve seen videos online it was always a DEMO VIDEO of skype in action.
i am on att with the iphone 4 and was thinking about the atrix but when i seen the bionic and decided to wait i wish there was a release date for the bionic
I still dont see how its not cutting edge. Its one of the top phones that will be on the market. It has already been benched against 2 other "future release" phones (bionic & the samsung) and it beat them both in testing and the bionic is a dual core.
Yes its true there will be bigger and badder bad boys out there eventually but that is true for all electronics pretty much. Even when these newer phones come out this phone will still run neck and neck with them in terms of features and such. I can understand speed and memory for PC and laptops but this is a phone, how powerful do you need it. Yes I like the specs and all but I still dont think all the power it has will be fully tapped into by me.
Well said , my feelings exactly ! It is a phone , not a laptop or ipod.
It had a quadrant score of 1950, how fast does it need to be.
Sent by my Droid Incredible
Now that the Note for AT&T is official and we know the specs I wanted to get some opinions on the phone. I have personally been waiting for this phone to come subsidized to AT&T since it was first announced and now that it is finally here, I'm nowhere near as excited as I thought I would be and that all comes down to one thing:Snapdragon.
I know this topic has been debated before and some think it is vastly inferior to the Exynos while others that the difference is negligible but this is my biggest reservation about the AT&T version. I am currently using a Captivate at 1.5ghz running CM9 build 15 and while the phone may be old it is still quite smooth. I went into an AT&T store and played with a Skyrocket to get an idea of how the Note would feel and I was very disappointed. It seemed way more sluggish and unresponsive than my current phone and definitely slower than my friends Exynos powered GSII.
Another problem I foresee with the Snapdragon is the availability of custom roms. Now I may be spoiled with the amount of developers that the I9000 and I897 have had but with the hardware on the AT&T note being different than the international version, that may greatly limit the amount of developers it will receive. This may turn out to be completely false but my favorite part about android are all of the custom roms and if that were to mostly disappear it would be very disappointing for me.
I should also mention that LTE is a complete non-factor when taking this phone into consideration as I currently live in the Detroit area and we probably won't even see LTE in a year at the least.
If anyone would like to share their opinion on anything Note related I would love to hear it.
I too am in the same boat... I couldn't wait until the Note was state side but when I finally read the specs for the AT&T Note I started to loose interest. I have read all kinds of reviews on the skyrocket Vs SGSII / Snapdragon VS Exynos and while they were informative I couldn't help feeling like it's all personal preference. Unfortunately, my preference is leaning Samsung which leaves me with only one option. Buy an unlocked Note!
I also have the ATT captivate with ICS running Doc's rom though and think that's running smooth. (Battery could be better but that's for another thread) and I love how the community has picked up this phone and continue to support it even though it's an older phone.
I guess I'm going to have to wait and see what happens and hope that developers pick up the ATT Note like they have the captivate. Maybe the snapdragon wan't be so bad.
The main reasons I wanted the Note when it was announced:
Big screen
Exynos dual core
NFC
Front camera
8mp rear camera
Stylus
I guess one missing out of six isn't too bad
namtellum said:
I know this topic has been debated before and some think it is vastly inferior to the Exynos while others that the difference is negligible but this is my biggest reservation about the AT&T version. I am currently using a Captivate at 1.5ghz running CM9 build 15 and while the phone may be old it is still quite smooth. I went into an AT&T store and played with a Skyrocket to get an idea of how the Note would feel and I was very disappointed. It seemed way more sluggish and unresponsive than my current phone and definitely slower than my friends Exynos powered GSII.
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I had a Captivate before I got my Inspire, I wish I would have kept it, great phone, just wanted a bigger one. I think the reason it seems sluggish to you is because your Captivate is running CM9, while the Note is running GB with TouchWiz. Big difference there. Remember the difference between stock TW on the Cappy vs. CM? I agree that development may be slower though because of the hardware differences, but I'm sure that it will be a popular phone, and there will be some persistent developer that makes magic happen for us. Maybe designgears or DAGr8 will step up to the plate for us.
I think the smart money is with waiting for the reviews to come in.
The fact they pulled a switcheroo with the guts of the thing, might warrant delay on buying one. I mean, it would really blow to get all excited only to find it dog slow. You can speculate until your exhausted, but ......we shall see.
I had the unlocked version. I expect; no I demand, the same performance.
Frankly, i'm not very optimistic. I don't like the sound of some of these posts.
should be ok
Doesn't the skyrocket or whatever it is called pretty much have the same chipset?
I got the international version for a couple of reasons. The #1 reason is I didn't want a carrier branded device. I want the phone as untouched by a carrier as possible, and usually you can only get that with an unbranded device. #2, was I didn't want to sign another contract. I've been on the old unlimited for a year now, and I prefer to keep it that way until at&t kicks me off of it. #3, in my market, I think h*ll will freeze over before we get LTE. 3rd largest city in the state but, at 200,000 people, it will be a while before it gets here, so the LTE radio wasn't an issue, I'm happy with H+, and I use wi-fi for anything more than checking email and a quick web browse anyway.
If the only thing at&t does to the Note is the radio, LTE, and the lack of the home button, then I don't see why it shouldn't be ok, but, carriers have a way of crippling devices, like disabling the FM radio & tethering, both of which I use just about daily.
p51d007 said:
Doesn't the skyrocket or whatever it is called pretty much have the same chipset?
I got the international version for a couple of reasons. The #1 reason is I didn't want a carrier branded device. I want the phone as untouched by a carrier as possible, and usually you can only get that with an unbranded device. #2, was I didn't want to sign another contract. I've been on the old unlimited for a year now, and I prefer to keep it that way until at&t kicks me off of it. #3, in my market, I think h*ll will freeze over before we get LTE. 3rd largest city in the state but, at 200,000 people, it will be a while before it gets here, so the LTE radio wasn't an issue, I'm happy with H+, and I use wi-fi for anything more than checking email and a quick web browse anyway.
If the only thing at&t does to the Note is the radio, LTE, and the lack of the home button, then I don't see why it shouldn't be ok, but, carriers have a way of crippling devices, like disabling the FM radio & tethering, both of which I use just about daily.
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Yes, the Skyrocket is the LTE version of the SGSII on ATT. It has the snapdragon processor. I had the SGSII before that but returned it for the skyrocket because DFW had launched the LTE network and I wanted to be on it. I heard the same back and forth, but I find the skyrocket a very capable phone and the snapdragon a capable processor in every way. The one disappointment I have had in the skyrocket is the bluetooth. I hope the LTE radio does not affect the bluetooth because the GNote has a very good bluetooth system. That will be among the first thing I find out about the ATT Version.
So you tether on your Gnote? No nasty grams from ATT?
I was bummed about the Exnos initially but then really thought about it. For me Exnos would only really matter if I played a lot of games. The games I play aren't that graphics intensive (Worms, Front Line Commander, Eternity Warriors, Wordfeud, etc). Everything I've thrown at my Touchpad, which also has a S3 SOC, with CM7/9 it has played more than fine. Now with ICS on it the TP really flies and that's even with no video acceleration and other goodies that the Note will have working for sure. ICS on the Note is going to be awesome. I think the S3 chipset will more than suite my needs. The Exnos at this point is more for the gamers and bragging rights.
For me the things I want in my next phone are:
1) Big A$$ Screen
Ever since they announced the Streak I've wanted a phone with a large screen and this is larger than the Streak's screen. Luckily there is a big a$$ battery that comes along with it to get you thru 1 day without needing to be next to a power outlet.
2) NFC
Lots of cool things you can use this for, especially mobile payments. I plan on keeping this phone for a long time so I want to be semi future proof.
3) Local warranty
After having so many Captivates crap out between my wife and I, the thought having to send back that many Notes to the Int'l vendor just doesn't sit well with me. AT$T will comp free stuff when you've returned so many and will even replace it with a new one to keep a customer happy, or in my experience they have.
4) Functioning GPS
The Captivates GPS was barely usable especially in Google Navigation. With the Barometer and GLONASS the Note should be a much better GPS experience.
You guys have summed what exactly my reasoning lol. Anyway, hopefully the differences are not drastic from the skyrocket family. If there is little difference other then screen and such, then porting from them (and the tmobile gs2, where most of the development is) can be used, with adding like s memo and such. That would make everyones life better, as maybe something like hellraiser (old infuse term lol its a package you flash after flashing another rom from a whole different phone in the galaxy s family) would be fantastic with a ton more roms to choose from.
kimocal said:
I was bummed about the Exnos initially but then really thought about it. For me Exnos would only really matter if I played a lot of games. The games I play aren't that graphics intensive (Worms, Front Line Commander, Eternity Warriors, Wordfeud, etc). Everything I've thrown at my Touchpad, which also has a S3 SOC, with CM7/9 it has played more than fine. Now with ICS on it the TP really flies and that's even with no video acceleration and other goodies that the Note will have working for sure. ICS on the Note is going to be awesome. I think the S3 chipset will more than suite my needs. The Exnos at this point is more for the gamers and bragging rights.
For me the things I want in my next phone are:
1) Big A$$ Screen
Ever since they announced the Streak I've wanted a phone with a large screen and this is larger than the Streak's screen. Luckily there is a big a$$ battery that comes along with it to get you thru 1 day without needing to be next to a power outlet.
2) NFC
Lots of cool things you can use this for, especially mobile payments. I plan on keeping this phone for a long time so I want to be semi future proof.
3) Local warranty
After having so many Captivates crap out between my wife and I, the thought having to send back that many Notes to the Int'l vendor just doesn't sit well with me. AT$T will comp free stuff when you've returned so many and will even replace it with a new one to keep a customer happy, or in my experience they have.
4) Functioning GPS
The Captivates GPS was barely usable especially in Google Navigation. With the Barometer and GLONASS the Note should be a much better GPS experience.
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Click to collapse
Well the Galaxy Note can give you a check by all of your criteria. I must comment on how much you will enjoy the GPS on the GNote. It really is pretty amazing! It locks onto a signal like a hungry dog on a bone and does not let go! Fast, accurate and Google Navi works like a champ! The GNote has access to about 57 or so satellites (US and GLONASS) versus the 27 or so in the US GPS network. That reduces time to lock and since you need 4 satellites to get a fix and altitude the Gnote is unrivaled in heavy urban areas like a downtown city.
Thoughts on the Note? Best AT&T phone available.
-NFC
-HD screen
-best GPS performance
-the chipset has tons of headroom for overclocking as we have seen with the skyrocket
-will be updated to ICS Touchwiz
-will most likely get an amazing CM9 port. (tablet mode would be awesome!)
-Incredible battery life. the best out of all smartphones from my experience
-Wacom screen w/ stylus
-LTE!
looking at the korean version of this phone (pretty much the same as the AT&T version) it has incredible performance and battery life.
I have a lot of people coming into my AT&T store asking about it. This phone has a lot of hype. I'll take a photo of our shipments when they get in.
Maroon Mushroom said:
Thoughts on the Note? Best AT&T phone available.
-NFC
-HD screen
-best GPS performance
-the chipset has tons of headroom for overclocking as we have seen with the skyrocket
-will be updated to ICS Touchwiz
-will most likely get an amazing CM9 port. (tablet mode would be awesome!)
-Incredible battery life. the best out of all smartphones from my experience
-Wacom screen w/ stylus
-LTE!
looking at the korean version of this phone (pretty much the same as the AT&T version) it has incredible performance and battery life.
I have a lot of people coming into my AT&T store asking about it. This phone has a lot of hype. I'll take a photo of our shipments when they get in.
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Click to collapse
Hopefully that means developers too! One of my main reasons i make sure there are developers.
Maroon Mushroom said:
Thoughts on the Note? Best AT&T phone available.
-NFC
-HD screen
-best GPS performance
-the chipset has tons of headroom for overclocking as we have seen with the skyrocket
-will be updated to ICS Touchwiz
-will most likely get an amazing CM9 port. (tablet mode would be awesome!)
-Incredible battery life. the best out of all smartphones from my experience
-Wacom screen w/ stylus
-LTE!
looking at the korean version of this phone (pretty much the same as the AT&T version) it has incredible performance and battery life.
I have a lot of people coming into my AT&T store asking about it. This phone has a lot of hype. I'll take a photo of our shipments when they get in.
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Click to collapse
This might be the Infuse reincarnation where it will get ICS probably in Feb 2013.
Who knows why Exynos was not embedded in the AT&T Note?
arjun90 said:
Who knows why Exynos was not embedded in the AT&T Note?
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Afaik current gen exynos is not compatible with lte. Same reason the skyrocket has the qualcomm s3
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium
elmerct said:
Afaik current gen exynos is not compatible with lte. Same reason the skyrocket has the qualcomm s3
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium
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Just keep in mind the S3 is still an amazing chipset. Look at the skyrocket forums. They've done amazing things with the same hardware
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
Exactly. I chose the skyrocket and couldn't be happier.
From my testing
Exymos- great for games
Snapdragon- better multitasking and the obvious lte compatibility
Maroon Mushroom said:
Just keep in mind the S3 is still an amazing chipset. Look at the skyrocket forums. They've done amazing things with the same hardware
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
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Sent from my SGH-I727 using XDA App
I know development will be fine for this Beast!! I need the LTE for when I'm on campus. My infuse doesn't do so well in some of the buildings, wifi is so so too. A Guy in my class has the vivid and he has almost full bars everywhere on campus. So the int. Version wouldn't be very useful to me.
What I am curious about is if At&t is going to force the new LTE data plan on me, considering there isn't any LTE where I live, and likely won't be for the next year or two at least. I've still have the old $30 smartphone unlimited data, would be pissed if they made me upgrade my data for basically no reason since I'd still only get H+.
tonyc0642 said:
What I am curious about is if At&t is going to force the new LTE data plan on me, considering there isn't any LTE where I live, and likely won't be for the next year or two at least. I've still have the old $30 smartphone unlimited data, would be pissed if they made me upgrade my data for basically no reason since I'd still only get H+.
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They probably will. The LTE plans are exactly the same cost for the commensurate HSPA plan you are on. You will still be able to get the LTE Unlimited smartphone plan for $30. You might travel to an area with LTE and then would be able to use it. The LTE SIM can also be used in a HSPA area and phone but if you keep your HSPA SIM you will not be able to use LTE if and when in an LTE area.
Just a guess on my part.
tonyc0642 said:
What I am curious about is if At&t is going to force the new LTE data plan on me, considering there isn't any LTE where I live, and likely won't be for the next year or two at least. I've still have the old $30 smartphone unlimited data, would be pissed if they made me upgrade my data for basically no reason since I'd still only get H+.
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Click to collapse
Nope, you won't be forced to change it at all. Sales reps encourage you to keep it. You're good to go.
If something happened and it was removed, as long as you say that you previously paid for it and was removed without your consent, you can get it back.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
So I have until about the middle of next month to decide if I'm keeping this or getting something better. I started a new Sprint contract (welcome me to the club?) and the Photon 4G was free with new activation. I've always been a big fan of Tegra 2 devices, I used to own a Transformer but I had to sell it to buy college books.
Now, I have the extra money to either buy a Nexus 7 tablet in that time (or whatever competitive tablet to the Nexus 7 is out at that point) or the S3 and maybe a cheap Allwinner tablet or something. Now if the phone is really THAT good, I could pony up for the S3 and still get a Nexus 7 but I'm trying to get the best 'bang for buck' performance.
My question is, is the S3 worth it? Would an over-clocked Tegra 2 hold its weight? Is the S3 even better for gaming? I was under the belief that the Snapdragon S3 processes faster than the Exynos quad core, the GPU on the Exynos is actually better. I do play games.
The one thing I don't like is that it seems like all the cool roms, like CM 10 hashes and heavily modded roms, tend to kill 4G. I actually am in a spotty 4G area but it's here and there so I like to have it when I can. I also feel like the dev support isn't as high as HTC/Samsung devices but root/unlock is there so it's not that big of a deal to just mod minimally and let apps take care of the rest.
The screen size isn't huge but it's big enough and while the resolution isn't 720p, it's a phone so that's not TOO big of a deal.
The thing is, I'll be locked to whatever device I get for at least 20 months and that's a long time, especially if LTE drops in San Diego.
The one thing holding me back is that while the device is great NOW, what about 8 months from now? Even the S3 will be skipping a few beats in 8 months.
What do you guys think? Pony up and potentially skip the Nexus 7, keep the Photon 4G, mod the crap out of it and pick up some cheap Allwinner tablet for my book reading or man up and buy both?
Essenar said:
So I have until about the middle of next month to decide if I'm keeping this or getting something better. I started a new Sprint contract (welcome me to the club?) and the Photon 4G was free with new activation. I've always been a big fan of Tegra 2 devices, I used to own a Transformer but I had to sell it to buy college books.
Now, I have the extra money to either buy a Nexus 7 tablet in that time (or whatever competitive tablet to the Nexus 7 is out at that point) or the S3 and maybe a cheap Allwinner tablet or something. Now if the phone is really THAT good, I could pony up for the S3 and still get a Nexus 7 but I'm trying to get the best 'bang for buck' performance.
My question is, is the S3 worth it? Would an over-clocked Tegra 2 hold its weight? Is the S3 even better for gaming? I was under the belief that the Snapdragon S3 processes faster than the Exynos quad core, the GPU on the Exynos is actually better. I do play games.
The one thing I don't like is that it seems like all the cool roms, like CM 10 hashes and heavily modded roms, tend to kill 4G. I actually am in a spotty 4G area but it's here and there so I like to have it when I can. I also feel like the dev support isn't as high as HTC/Samsung devices but root/unlock is there so it's not that big of a deal to just mod minimally and let apps take care of the rest.
The screen size isn't huge but it's big enough and while the resolution isn't 720p, it's a phone so that's not TOO big of a deal.
The thing is, I'll be locked to whatever device I get for at least 20 months and that's a long time, especially if LTE drops in San Diego.
The one thing holding me back is that while the device is great NOW, what about 8 months from now? Even the S3 will be skipping a few beats in 8 months.
What do you guys think? Pony up and potentially skip the Nexus 7, keep the Photon 4G, mod the crap out of it and pick up some cheap Allwinner tablet for my book reading or man up and buy both?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While getting photons ICS drivers complete our JB and ICS builds is seemingly inevitable, we don't have that same promise for an unlocked boot loader. So if by all means you 'need' 4g but still want to mod the hell out of your phone, go on and get the S3. In many ways, the Photon is a much better phone in my (perhaps biased) opinion. An extra two cores in your processor is well and good and all, but will those cores make a huge difference in the every day use of the phone? Would you be able to tell the difference past being able to crank up the settings in the games you play? Probably not enough to justify dropping 200 bucks and getting a totally different phone. The photon is already a beast at stock and blazingly fast after some modifications. And if Moto drops those drivers next month, **** is about to get really exciting up in here soon. Besides, its September, the new Nexus will be getting announced in like a month and a half. If you're considering a new phone, that would probably be the device to wait patiently for. As for me, I'm jump on board with whatever Nokia wp8 device drops in sprints lap (if it ever does).
Get the S3. It will last you much longer and you won't regret it after you get it. If you have to spend the money, spend it. You will get a greater return on your investment over the next 2 years.
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda app-developers app
Acvice said:
While getting photons ICS drivers complete our JB and ICS builds is seemingly inevitable, we don't have that same promise for an unlocked boot loader. So if by all means you 'need' 4g but still want to mod the hell out of your phone, go on and get the S3. In many ways, the Photon is a much better phone in my (perhaps biased) opinion. An extra two cores in your processor is well and good and all, but will those cores make a huge difference in the every day use of the phone? Would you be able to tell the difference past being able to crank up the settings in the games you play? Probably not enough to justify dropping 200 bucks and getting a totally different phone. The photon is already a beast at stock and blazingly fast after some modifications. And if Moto drops those drivers next month, **** is about to get really exciting up in here soon. Besides, its September, the new Nexus will be getting announced in like a month and a half. If you're considering a new phone, that would probably be the device to wait patiently for. As for me, I'm jump on board with whatever Nokia wp8 device drops in sprints lap (if it ever does).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The lines are even blurrier than that.
The US Galaxy S3 doesn't have a quad core so it's Tegra 2 vs. Snapdragon S4 Krait dual core. The S4 dual core is hands, feet, shoulders and head better than the Tegra 2 in terms of CPU performance. However, the S4 GPU is actually 'worse' than the Exynos and Tegra 3 GPU. So the question is where the Tegra 2 GPU stands against the S4 GPU. And the game settings are absolutely part of the reason I'll choose one over the other. I plan on playing the latest games, PSX roms, etc with the device over the two years I own it. That's also why I'm considering if even the Galaxy S3 is powerful enough.
The other issue is LTE network. I have NO idea when Sprint's LTE will drop in San Diego but I know it won't be two years. Once LTE drops, I'll be on the archaic, spotty inconsistent WiMax 4G connection. I miss LTE and I'm not sure if the Photon 4G will be LTE compatible.
I also wonder if it's worth it to just pick up a clean-ESN Photon 4G on Craigslist or Ebay and using that until the US quad-cores drop because the S3 maybe isn't 'enough' of an upgrade to justify the two year commitment when new phones might be on the horizon.
Essenar said:
The lines are even blurrier than that.
The US Galaxy S3 doesn't have a quad core so it's Tegra 2 vs. Snapdragon S4 Krait dual core. The S4 dual core is hands, feet, shoulders and head better than the Tegra 2 in terms of CPU performance. However, the S4 GPU is actually 'worse' than the Exynos and Tegra 3 GPU. So the question is where the Tegra 2 GPU stands against the S4 GPU. And the game settings are absolutely part of the reason I'll choose one over the other. I plan on playing the latest games, PSX roms, etc with the device over the two years I own it. That's also why I'm considering if even the Galaxy S3 is powerful enough.
The other issue is LTE network. I have NO idea when Sprint's LTE will drop in San Diego but I know it won't be two years. Once LTE drops, I'll be on the archaic, spotty inconsistent WiMax 4G connection. I miss LTE and I'm not sure if the Photon 4G will be LTE compatible.
I also wonder if it's worth it to just pick up a clean-ESN Photon 4G on Craigslist or Ebay and using that until the US quad-cores drop because the S3 maybe isn't 'enough' of an upgrade to justify the two year commitment when new phones might be on the horizon.
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Click to collapse
Photon unfortunately doesn't support lte. And if it makes you feel better I check out all the latest games and run psx ROMs all the time without a hitch. Most are developed for tegra 3 and almost all seem to be tegra 2 compatible and the ones that arnt usually note that they will be. Iono man, I just seriously advise against using your two year upgrade on the s3. I can almost promise that within two months something will come out that you'll be like "damn I really want this phone, I should have waited". One thing I've figured out about technology over the years is that after doing your research, if the product doesn't absolutely speak to you, just sit tight for a product that does.
If you are still within a time frame that you can switch out your photon for an SG3, than you might be also within the timeframe to cancel your contract without ETF reprecussions.
Based on the available phone lineups and uncertainty (LTE in sandiego, etc), locking in on a 2yr contract would be a poor investment. I would recommend going with a prepaid cell provider and getting a phone for that network that has a pretty good resell value.
examples:
pentaband galaxy nexus from google play store - tmobile walmart plan ($30/month)
CDMA phone from craigslist/ebay - straightalk
Try to get a photon 4G off craiglist!! I got mine for 80$ u can later sell it for an upgrade photon is a GSM phone more options to sell than the s3 from sprint and later in couple of months perhaps u can upgrade. Am also waiting on a better gsm/lte option from sprint as the photon Q has the gsm sim card embedded
Sent from my MB855 using xda app-developers app
I'm guessing it has something to do with them wanting to push the HTC phablet or having some sort of deal with HTC.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/6/3...s-invite-us-to-see-their-latest-collaboration
I think they want to release both phones at the same time. This is out of no where, but..... here's their motto for Christmas... "Large and in charge.."
Am I right?
drhoades01 said:
I'm guessing it has something to do with them wanting to push the HTC phablet or having some sort of deal with HTC.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/6/3...s-invite-us-to-see-their-latest-collaboration
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Click to collapse
This could be true.
Speculation:
It seems that Verizon is punishing Samsung (and us) for not letting them have their way with the GSIII. In attempt to appease the people that really wanted the Note 2, Verizon threw us a bone by giving us the pre-order. While that is going on, Verizon stalled to let the DNA run through the FCC and get a little exclusive time on the shelves. This pushes average Joe to purchase the only [good] phablet on Verizon at the moment. After the DNA's exclusivity, then they will let Samsung sell its phone.
*EDIT*
I am assuming the DNA does actually get on the shelf before the GN2.
Yeah, a lot of assumptions. Also, keep in mind Verizon really loves crapping on HTC way more than on Samsung, so there's that.
johnchad14 said:
Yeah, a lot of assumptions. Also, keep in mind Verizon really loves crapping on HTC way more than on Samsung, so there's that.
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Curiosity, was there something in specific you were thinking of?
I honestly thing that Verizon dislikes(?) all manufacturers equally. I just believe that HTC is not in a position to resist the demands of Verizon. Look at HTC's earnings and tell me that they can afford to not bow down to the carriers demands. If it turns out there was a deal to shelf the GN2 until after the DNA, then it looks to me like Verizon is punishing Samsung and giving HTC a treat for being a good little doggy.
I saw this on Droid life, too
I also find it funny that this phone only has on VZW logo on it on the front, and not on the back. I guess they only brand the crap out of stuff that is available on all carriers, which does make sense from a deluded, out-of-touch, business marketing stand point.
Still though, I hate the fact that they are obviously trying to push their 'exclusive' device, mostly because of even money invested or because of a higher profitability making everyone else suffer.
They also have multiwindow ROM that should be released soon - making the wait for VZW seem even more ridiculous. Locked bootloader, branded home button, and a release date of almost 1 month later than the last company to release the phone.
SFBPro said:
Curiosity, was there something in specific you were thinking of?
I honestly thing that Verizon dislikes(?) all manufacturers equally. I just believe that HTC is not in a position to resist the demands of Verizon. Look at HTC's earnings and tell me that they can afford to not bow down to the carriers demands. If it turns out there was a deal to shelf the GN2 until after the DNA, then it looks to me like Verizon is punishing Samsung and giving HTC a treat for being a good little doggy.
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Just felt that way traditionally, and probably as you said is mostly due to HTC's inability to really resist their demands. Was disappointed this year when HTC tried to simplify their lineup and got forced to make more carrier branded devices for Verizon. Mostly my feeling that HTC gets pushed around by Verizon too much goes back to wanting a Nexus One back in the day, and having it get delayed on Verizon then never released with HTC getting forced to retool it as the Incredible instead.
johnchad14 said:
Just felt that way traditionally, and probably as you said is mostly due to HTC's inability to really resist their demands. Was disappointed this year when HTC tried to simplify their lineup and got forced to make more carrier branded devices for Verizon. Mostly my feeling that HTC gets pushed around by Verizon too much goes back to wanting a Nexus One back in the day, and having it get delayed on Verizon then never released with HTC getting forced to retool it as the Incredible instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So that is what happened to Verizon's Nexus... I would also like to point out that even Sprint even made HTC brand their One X as the Evo LTE. Personally I wish carriers would but out on the phone marketing and spend the money on beefing the networks. Or, get this, stop charging us an arm and a leg. Anyway, if Verizon choose to hold back the GN2, then I stand by my speculations.
SFBPro said:
This could be true.
Speculation:
It seems that Verizon is punishing Samsung (and us) for not letting them have their way with the GSIII. In attempt to appease the people that really wanted the Note 2, Verizon threw us a bone by giving us the pre-order. While that is going on, Verizon stalled to let the DNA run through the FCC and get a little exclusive time on the shelves. This pushes average Joe to purchase the only [good] phablet on Verizon at the moment. After the DNA's exclusivity, then they will let Samsung sell its phone.
*EDIT*
I am assuming the DNA does actually get on the shelf before the GN2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think Verizon is "punishing" Samsung for anything. There's a far more obvious, and business-oriented answer. When it comes to Android devices, Verizon likes to advertise their Droid line over non-Droid branded devices. With the Note 2, like the Galaxy S III, the device isn't a part of the Droid line, and more importantly it's not a Verizon exclusive. The Note 2, like the S III, is available (or will be available) on all major U.S. carriers. Verizon would rather market exclusive devices, because by marketing those, they're also marketing the fact that you have to be a Verizon customer. The same doesn't hold true if they heavily advertise or put a lot of emphasis behind devices that are available on every carrier.
So, is Verizon holding back the Note 2's release because of the DNA? That's very likely a part of it. But it's not because they're trying to punish anyone. They want to give their exclusive devices most of the exposure, along with a head start, because if someone wants of those, they have to be on Verizon. It just makes more business sense to put an emphasis on exclusive devices when it comes to marketing and release, especially when Samsung is already doing more marketing for the Note 2 than Verizon does for pretty much any device (as they also did with the S III).
bsweetness said:
I don't think Verizon is "punishing" Samsung for anything. There's a far more obvious, and business-oriented answer. When it comes to Android devices, Verizon likes to advertise their Droid line over non-Droid branded devices. With the Note 2, like the Galaxy S III, the device isn't a part of the Droid line, and more importantly it's not a Verizon exclusive. Most importantly, the Note 2, like the S III, is available (or will be available) on all major U.S. carriers. Verizon would rather market exclusive devices, because by marketing those, they're also marketing the fact that you have to be a Verizon customer. The same doesn't hold true if they heavily advertise or put a lot of emphasis behind devices that are available on every carrier.
So, is Verizon holding back the Note 2's release because of the DNA? That's very likely a part of it. But it's not because they're trying to punish anyone. They want to give their exclusive devices most of the exposure, along with a head start, because if someone wants of those, they have to be on Verizon. It just makes more business sense to put an emphasis on exclusive devices when it comes to marketing and release, especially when Samsung is already doing more marketing for the Note 2 than Verizon does for pretty much any device (as they also did with the S III).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems logical as since it is a 'exclusive' device I'm guessing they pay some sort of premium too, so my bet is they try harder to make sure these devices are profitable.
My guess is VZW is holding back Note2 for two reasons, the home button and the DNA. It seems like there has been a low stock in regards to the note 2, so I'm wondering if that was an issue with the delay too.
Anyways, this marketing approach sucks for us, as this type of marketing works on on consumers who really have no interest in a specific device. Those who know exactly what they want, are likely not to sway, mostly all of us on this board.
I also think that the commercials for the Note II are targeting the wrong demographic as well. Should be more of a high-end device that can be used for every day calendar things showing off the S pen. Basically it has a kid drawing on the damn phone. I know that is ATT/Samsung, but still. I wonder how VZW commercials will be.
I'm still praying the device will ship early, but I really doubt it. I was reading old posts and a few people were claiming after thanksgiving, maybe a week after... from an "insider." way before oct. 24th.
bsweetness said:
I don't think Verizon is "punishing" Samsung for anything. There's a far more obvious, and business-oriented answer. When it comes to Android devices, Verizon likes to advertise their Droid line over non-Droid branded devices. With the Note 2, like the Galaxy S III, the device isn't a part of the Droid line, and more importantly it's not a Verizon exclusive. Most importantly, the Note 2, like the S III, is available (or will be available) on all major U.S. carriers. Verizon would rather market exclusive devices, because by marketing those, they're also marketing the fact that you have to be a Verizon customer. The same doesn't hold true if they heavily advertise or put a lot of emphasis behind devices that are available on every carrier.
So, is Verizon holding back the Note 2's release because of the DNA? That's very likely a part of it. But it's not because they're trying to punish anyone. They want to give their exclusive devices most of the exposure, along with a head start, because if someone wants of those, they have to be on Verizon. It just makes more business sense to put an emphasis on exclusive devices when it comes to marketing and release, especially when Samsung is already doing more marketing for the Note 2 than Verizon does for pretty much any device (as they also did with the S III).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your right, it is good business sense for Verizon to push their advertised Droids. I am not drawing my conclusions on Samsung being punished from this one incident. I believe this was Verizon's move in a power war between carriers and manufacturers. Like you said, the Droids are Verizon exclusives. Samsung started to build their brand with the Galaxy line and Verizon does not need competition to their exclusive. Since Verizon was not able to twist the widely popular GSIII to their liking, they choose to send Samsung a message through a popular but not "make you or break you" phone.
kimdoocheol said:
Seems logical as since it is a 'exclusive' device I'm guessing they pay some sort of premium too, so my bet is they try harder to make sure these devices are profitable.
My guess is VZW is holding back Note2 for two reasons, the home button and the DNA. It seems like there has been a low stock in regards to the note 2, so I'm wondering if that was an issue with the delay too.
Anyways, this marketing approach sucks for us, as this type of marketing works on on consumers who really have no interest in a specific device. Those who know exactly what they want, are likely not to sway, mostly all of us on this board.
I also think that the commercials for the Note II are targeting the wrong demographic as well. Should be more of a high-end device that can be used for every day calendar things showing off the S pen. Basically it has a kid drawing on the damn phone. I know that is ATT/Samsung, but still. I wonder how VZW commercials will be.
I'm still praying the device will ship early, but I really doubt it. I was reading old posts and a few people were claiming after thanksgiving, maybe a week after... from an "insider." way before oct. 24th.
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Click to collapse
I actually know plenty of people at my old job who let their kids draw on the device to keep them occupied. While I don't know which demographic would generate higher sales, I can say that their target exists.
Hopefully the whole exclusive devices idea will go the way of the dinosaur soon enough. I'm glad Samsung got their foot in the door this year on that one and hopefully it expands to other manufacturers. They're really only hurting themselves by raising costs, delaying releases, not carrying wanted devices...ah well.
SFBPro said:
Your right, it is good business sense for Verizon to push their advertised Droids. I am not drawing my conclusions on Samsung being punished from this one incident. I believe this was Verizon's move in a power war between carriers and manufacturers. Like you said, the Droids are Verizon exclusives. Samsung started to build their brand with the Galaxy line and Verizon does not need competition to their exclusive. Since Verizon was not able to twist the widely popular GSIII to their liking, they choose to send Samsung a message through a popular but not "make you or break you" phone.
I actually know plenty of people at my old job who let their kids draw on the device to keep them occupied. While I don't know which demographic would generate higher sales, I can say that their target exists.
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Click to collapse
Meh, it was more of a hit against getting an A-list celebrity to endorse the phone rather than show off the features of the phone. From the commercial all you really get is you can draw on pictures (who knows if this is an app or built-in? <-- saying from a potential viewer who has NO idea what the Note 2 is), it has a stylus, you can watch videos on it, and take phone calls. I really thought nothing of the Note 2 until I saw the review on youtube and features like multiwindow, etc. I think Samsung did great with the S3 commercials in comparison, that really took a hit at Apple and spouted off their features such as s-beam. I don't think you need A-list celebrities for these phones, rather just show off the features and why they are superior to other phones on the market, such as iP5. Like I said, I just think it shows how off marketing companies can be sometimes.
kimdoocheol said:
Meh, it was more of a hit against getting an A-list celebrity to endorse the phone rather than show off the features of the phone. From the commercial all you really get is you can draw on pictures (who knows if this is an app or built-in? <-- saying from a potential viewer who has NO idea what the Note 2 is), it has a stylus, you can watch videos on it, and take phone calls. I really thought nothing of the Note 2 until I saw the review on youtube and features like multiwindow, etc. I think Samsung did great with the S3 commercials in comparison, that really took a hit at Apple and spouted off their features such as s-beam. I don't think you need A-list celebrities for these phones, rather just show off the features and why they are superior to other phones on the market, such as iP5. Like I said, I just think it shows how off marketing companies can be sometimes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, gotcha. I do know that the SIII commercials worked because I heard people actually talk about them. Which I can't say that about Apple.
SFBPro said:
Ah, gotcha. I do know that the SIII commercials worked because I heard people actually talk about them. Which I can't say that about Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, they should advertise how the phone won't dim when you are looking at it, and stuff like that. I got sold on the features... or the fact that is quite literally the fastest phone on the market with a huge battery. Maybe this type of marketing will work on a few people, but I think people are into this phone are going to buy it for the features and not because LeBron has the phone. This isn't a "cutesy" phone that someone like Justin Bieber will use and all the teens will buy because of that,
Maybe when I get mine, I'll be able to slam dunk like LeBron or make a video of me doing it. Computer generated of course.
fwhomeboy said:
Maybe when I get mine, I'll be able to slam dunk like LeBron or make a video of me doing it. Computer generated of course.
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Click to collapse
That is my bet why we had to wait so long. All people who buy this phone will be able to dunk like LeBron.
It would be amazing if the DNA came out before the Note 2, lol
I wonder if the note2 verizon brand can be scraped off with a razer blade. I'm sure gonna try
OneSlickDeal said:
I wonder if the note2 verizon brand can be scraped off with a razer blade. I'm sure gonna try
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Click to collapse
Depending on how the logos are printed on the device, you might be able to use a pasty sugar water mix to gently remove the logos. The thought of using a razor blade on plastic kind of scares me.
Samsung isn't planning on releasing this phone on the big red until MAY30 WHICH is very close to June and isn't there going to be a couple phone in June around that same type with the new snapdragon 800 like that new moto phone coming out so I'm.curious wouldn't the new phone in June play the new gs4 obsolete ? Samsung gs4 release so late will make it its own demise ! why is Verizon releasing this phone so late i mean if there's a phone within the same month of the gs4 with twice the power then I won't consider the gs4 when I can wait just 2 weeks and buy somethin much more superior in hardware and stock android Samsung is about to lose a tons of money on Verizon if they wait all th way to may30 around the same month as sum very new phones with double the power .... Why didnt the gs4 release earlier ?? in may when moto announces there phone which will prob kill the gs4 in every way specs and software within 3week after the gs4 comes to store everyone will cancel there preorders and just wait and extra 3week to get the most powerful phone with a better screen n better snapdragon n prob more sensors and better battery and full stock android!
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda app-developers app
gabrielpina4 said:
Samsung gs4 release so late will make it its own demise ! Why didnt the gs4 release earlier ??
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That doesn't make a lot of sense. People in the U.S. typically get new phones when they become eligible so there's a steady stream of people year round looking to buy new phones no matter when they are released. People buy what pleases them. The DNA tanked on VZW and there were no other phones released before it or after it that caused its failure. And it was powerful and had the world's first 1080P display. People are still buying SGS3's in large quantities and probably will after the SGS4's out because the price will be reduced. The SGS4 will be on the market as a "flagship" for 9-12 months and Samsung's planning on selling 10MM a month. HTC, Motorola, LG, and Sony all introduced phones that competed with the SGS3 and it certainly didn't affect Samsung's sales last year. So there's no reason to expect it to this year either. And the average consumer doesn't know (or care) what a Snapdragon, Exynos, or Octa is.
Plenty of hot new phones came out after the Galaxy S3's July release in the U.S. like the Razr Maxx HD, Nexus 4, etc. yet the GS3 outsold all of them by a huge margin. The average consumer doesn't buy phones based mainly on hardware specs.
Verizon is launching it on may 23rd, not may 30th. I went to Verizon yesterday and there was a Samsung rep there showing the employees the s4 and they said the official launch date is the 23rd. I know that's still three weeks later than the rest, but at least its a week earlier than may 30th. I gotta question, is verizons s4 going to be harder to unlock and root than the rest of them? I heard Verizon likes to lock them down, and I've never owned a smartphone I've been holding out for this one. I own a nexus 7 which is obviously the easiest to unlock and root. But i know the s4 is a huge release so I'm kinda assuming that there will be a solid method to root for Verizon. Am i right?
According to official PR from Samsung today, it will be on all major US carriers by the end of April. I'm guessing April 30th.
The Galaxy S 4 is optimized for powerful performance on the nation’s fastest networks and will be available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless as well as U.S. Cellular, Cricket and C Spire starting during April. Additionally, consumers can find the Galaxy S 4 at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile, Costco, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Staples, Target and Wal-Mart. Exact pricing and retail availability will be announced by each of the carriers and retailers in the coming weeks.
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http://www.samsung.com/us/news/20687
hurricane350 said:
According to official PR from Samsung today, it will be on all major US carriers by the end of April. I'm guessing April 30th.
http://www.samsung.com/us/news/20687
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Available to carriers and carriers making the phone available to consumers are two different things.
And for the OP... i am not sure how new phones will make the s4 obsolete? a cpu does not a phone make....
Razzzzer said:
Available to carriers and carriers making the phone available to consumers are two different things.
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Click to collapse
But it says available on not to... I'm staying optimistic!
It also says "starting in april" that could mean that just one or a few carriers will roll it out in April.
Sent from my XT912 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
I.D.K. why the O.P. is saying that the galaxy s4 would be obsolete soon i mean come on the motorla x phone right now is just a nice looking rumor plus a processor in a phone doesn't make all that difference because maybe you saw last year's htc one X+ it smoked the galaxy but the battery was really bad plus i hardly ever think android needs more power right now they need to be more battery friendly and better screen really what do you want more than 441ppi ?? anyway looking at all those gs4 specs and concediring what happened with last year's gs3 i can tell you that the galaxy won't go down till the gs5 is out so don't worry if verizon goes a few weeks later than everyone else it will still sell like hot cakes.
I still have unlimited internet after 4/21 can I buy new galaxy s4 cell using the new 12 month payment plan that's effective on 4/21 without upgrading to the 200sub? Does anyone know I think everyone who still has unlimited internet should ask Verizon this.. I wanna get the new s4 but keep my unlimited internet so will this 12month thing work for me?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda app-developers app
Delete - posted in wrong thread on accident
I am going to tell you right now that Verizon's phones are the worst due to the spyware they bloat them up with. I hope they do as little to it as possible and there's no way verizon is going to pay for a S800 S4. They are cheap when it comes to there phones and replacing one that has gone bad is near impossible unless you take them to the FCC. If they ever touch my unlimited, I am gone with out a hint of doubt.
4ktvs said:
I am going to tell you right now that Verizon's phones are the worst due to the spyware they bloat them up with. I hope they do as little to it as possible and there's no way verizon is going to pay for a S800 S4. They are cheap when it comes to there phones and replacing one that has gone bad is near impossible unless you take them to the FCC. If they ever touch my unlimited, I am gone with out a hint of doubt.
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I actually find that replacing phones is very easy on verizon compared to sprint. I had sprint in the past and their customer service was atrocious. The Fascinate (Verizon Galaxy S) apparently had lots of problems, and they kept getting replaced until the Droid Charge came out, when Verizon just started giving out Charges to replace Fascinates.
The Charge had some problems too, and if you got enough bad ones from them, they even started handing out the Bionic, Rezound, and Razr too (phones that came out later with much higher specs). I even bricked my Charge and they just gave me a new one.
Verizon web page updated with Galaxy S4
Verizon web page updated today with Galaxy S4
The next big thing is coming.....late
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
I'm in the HTC camp.....
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda premium
They had to post something. The basically are going to be releasing with the third world, lol. Its ALWAYS something with them. They did their best to wreck the galaxy nexus, they were in on the Carrier IQ scandal, they have to plaster their dated logo on everything, and they sell pretty much the most bloated phones in existence. Yes, they have a good network, but frankly, I live in DFW...all the carriers have good networks here. It's flat, populated and affluent.
I have an upgrade, but their delay conveniently puts me within a month of my contract ending. My wife gets a ~25% discount through work, but I can get 15% on T-Mobile, and with the massive price difference, it actually makes T-mobile a better deal. I may even pickup up a used N4, get the $30 walmart plan thing, and wait for the Note III.
I guess as someone that pays attention and is tired of getting screwed and treated like an idiot sheep, I am just not their target market.
brizey said:
They had to post something. The basically are going to be releasing with the third world, lol. Its ALWAYS something with them. They did their best to wreck the galaxy nexus, they were in on the Carrier IQ scandal, they have to plaster their dated logo on everything, and they sell pretty much the most bloated phones in existence. Yes, they have a good network, but frankly, I live in DFW...all the carriers have good networks here. It's flat, populated and affluent.
I have an upgrade, but their delay conveniently puts me within a month of my contract ending. My wife gets a ~25% discount through work, but I can get 15% on T-Mobile, and with the massive price difference, it actually makes T-mobile a better deal. I may even pickup up a used N4, get the $30 walmart plan thing, and wait for the Note III.
I guess as someone that pays attention and is tired of getting screwed and treated like an idiot sheep, I am just not their target market.
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I don't know exactly which options you're choosing, but if you do the math I suspect you'll find that T-Mobile isn't the better deal. I've been doing research recently for an upgrade myself, and I found that corporate discounts actually significantly narrow the gap between T-Mobile and Verizon. Reason is because with T-Mobile ditching subsidies but lowering the monthly bill, the value of a discount on that smaller monthly bill is proportionately less. If you factor in the fact that a full price GS4 on T-Mobile is $630 vs $200 for Verizon, Verizon might actually come out ahead over the course of 2 years.
snapple232 said:
I don't know exactly which options you're choosing, but if you do the math I suspect you'll find that T-Mobile isn't the better deal. I've been doing research recently for an upgrade myself, and I found that corporate discounts actually significantly narrow the gap between T-Mobile and Verizon. Reason is because with T-Mobile ditching subsidies but lowering the monthly bill, the value of a discount on that smaller monthly bill is proportionately less. If you factor in the fact that a full price GS4 on T-Mobile is $630 vs $200 for Verizon, Verizon might actually come out ahead over the course of 2 years.
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If he used like 1GB a month sure it would cost less, but Verizon's network has really gone down the drain in the bigger citys. May as well have sprint 3G at times it get's so bad. Now if you live in bum ville sure Verzion win's. But he live's in the city so data speeds will be better on T-moblie.
Also no unlimited data any more with verizon and those like me that still have it get throttled.
brizey said:
I have an upgrade, but their delay conveniently puts me within a month of my contract ending.
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If you're considering using an upgrade, that means you don't have unlimited, in which case my question is... why bother with VZ?
4ktvs said:
Also no unlimited data any more with verizon and those like me that still have it get throttled.
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It's not throttled. When the network isn't congested (as you say, places like NYC during the day are crap) I still get great speeds.