Related
I'm upgrading phones this week, & currently have mytouch 3g. I want to do a survey to see which u guys would choose, the Vibrant or the G2, both have there ups & downs, but just wanted to get some criticism on them both
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App
Vibrant is a better phone
don.t be wow'd by the high benchmarks etc. Remember you are looking at the device alot and G-2 is not as good to look at besides other than 2.2 on it this very second, I can't see why anyone would want it other than it is the newest.
I'm looking for which has the best benchmarks, handling capabilities exc, not looks
sent from htc magic superfroyo using xda app
Go ahead and pick the inferior htc phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
If you get a vibrant I guarantee you will love it. Root and flash the bionix rom. Simply amazing. Speed performance battery life. The g2 has potential but you'll be waiting a little bit since it just came out and I believe there isn't a way to permanently root it yet either
Its also very heavy, bulky, and the keyboard sucks. I had the vibrant, took it back and got g2, took it back after having it for a week, and got my vibrant back. Its all personal preference though. Only thing I miss is the led camera flash. Used it as a flashlight when I went camping.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
LOL ask in this section and surprise everyone bashes the g2. Ask in the g2 forum, and I bet you know what will happen. Good luck finding objective comparisons.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I think everyone here is a bit biased. I'm probably a bit less so.
I'm assuming you've looked at all the reviews on site's such as Android Central? I do remember the G2 being praised for battery life. They went so far as to say that it was the best phone on battery that they'd seen. AC also compared the form and finish to the venerable Nexus One. That caught my eye since I carried (and preferred!) the Nexus One to the Galaxy S (european version) until I dropped the crap out of it. I miss it terribly.
The Vibrant is a nice phone, no doubt about it. But I've been struggling with the GPS issue and it's really beginning to get on my nerves. Reflash!, everyone says. WEll, I have...many times. It only works if I open a location-aware app before I leave my house. Then, since it determines my location with assistance from my own wireless network, I'm able to drive away with confidence. If I'm already driving when I open G-Maps, I'm screwed. It takes much too long to get a fix and just isn't practical.
Otherwise, I love the phone. If you go with the Vibrant, just be sure to test out GPS thoroughly in those first few days. Keep your MyTouch handy so that if you have issues and T-Mobile gives you a hard time, return the phone. You'd be well within your rights to return it in the first month (though I think you take a restocking fee type of hit).
Good luck!
You will actually be very surprised to see just how many people are unhappy with their g2 over in their forums. I was one of them. Go look over there and read some of the posts by g2 owners before you decide.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I'm still debating with myself over getting a g2 and giving up the vibrant.
I like the support the g2 is already receiving, the battery life, it has froyo and we're still tba, camera flash(which does have it's uses), the trackpad has it's uses, less lag and neat features being announced (uma).
That being said... I don't want/care for a physical keyboard and hspa+ hasn't/won't make it to my area until next year. I really like the vibrant screen size (larger screens make phones seem more super phone-ish), it's great with all games, which is what I've always wanted an iphone for... It does have plenty of potential, but not a lot of support.
Seeing the issues coming up with the g2, I'm not sure I want to give up one set of issues for another. I'll probably hold onto my vibrant to see how the mytouch hd turns out unless either of these get the issues resolved. It's not like I'd be settling with some outdated hunk of junk if I do hang onto it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Disclaimer: I've had the Vibrant since the first week, but I have also spent a considerable amount of time with a friend's G2.
The Vibrant is lighter, has a bigger screen and more internal storage. Yes, you can add a microSD card, but there is something to be said for walking around with half a dozen ROMS on the internal SD while still having space to record a few hours of 720p video and using the microSD just for music.
HSPA+ will be a great thing for mobile devices in the future, but I like to wait until the 2nd generation of hardware when it comes to network standards. 3G is plenty fast for mobile web in most areas and I can stream from Last.fm while doing turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps. Seriously, what more would I need? Even downloads from the Market or Amazon MP3 are fast enough over 3G (for now) and if I need faster, WiFi is pretty much everywhere.
Vibrant is my first mobile device without a keyboard. Hooray for Swype.
In all honesty, only you can make this decision. Go into the T-Mo store when they're not busy and spend as much time as you can with both devices. Attempt to disregard what appears to be issues with software or the fact that the G2 has Froyo already. Educate yourself. Buy. Be happy.
Will the g2 be able to receive future updates, I heard gingerbread will only work with 4in screen & 1g processor. If that's the case I will definitely be getting the vibrant.
sent from htc magic superfroyo using xda app
Isn't there also a lock that stops you from customizing the ROM on the G2? I am pretty sure there is...
But you should go with the vibrant.. It is thinner, has a bigger & better screen, amazing, fast, you can overclock it to 1.2Ghz (Or 1.3Ghz if you buy a kernel..)
Master™ said:
Isn't there also a lock that stops you from customizing the ROM on the G2? I am pretty sure there is...
But you should go with the vibrant.. It is thinner, has a bigger & better screen, amazing, fast, you can overclock it to 1.2Ghz (Or 1.3Ghz if you buy a kernel..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, they made it unrootable. made it read only so that when you root, as soon as you reboot phone, root is gone. HTC actually told me they didnt know anything about it when i first emailed them, then about a week later after tmos press release, HTC called me on the phone and explained to me how it was unrootable, for now at least, is what she said. i had already taken mine back and got the vibrant though the day before they called me. (but, i know the devs here will eventually be able to root it, i just didnt want to get stuck with it and go beyond my buyers remorse period.)
I know the g2 can be rooted but it wipes root when it reboots
sent from htc magic superfroyo using xda app
DEFINITIONOFREAL said:
I know the g2 can be rooted but it wipes root when it reboots
sent from htc magic superfroyo using xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, therefore not custom roms on it..
Go with the vibrant
I have both phones and have had 4 warranty exchanges on my Vibrant. Latest because the update bricked my phone.
I personally prefer the G2 for everything not media related. If I am going to watch a movie on a 4inch screen I would prefer the Vibrant. However for everything else especially GPS I prefer the G2.
The keyboard is nice IMHO. I had a Nexus before the Vibrant. Both devices have ups and downs. If you want a solid phone that has great GPS and is Blazing fast go with the G2.
If you want a phone you can easily root, has a great screen and the best GPU of any phone currently on the market, then get the Vibrant.
Gr8gorilla said:
I have both phones and have had 4 warranty exchanges on my Vibrant. Latest because the update bricked my phone.
I personally prefer the G2 for everything not media related. If I am going to watch a movie on a 4inch screen I would prefer the Vibrant. However for everything else especially GPS I prefer the G2.
The keyboard is nice IMHO. I had a Nexus before the Vibrant. Both devices have ups and downs. If you want a solid phone that has great GPS and is Blazing fast go with the G2.
If you want a phone you can easily root, has a great screen and the best GPU of any phone currently on the market, then get the Vibrant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree with you on the GPS part, I have never had a problem with it.. Not even on stock
I returned my vibrant and picked up the G2 I had no choice the vibrant call quality sucks in a semi no one could here me when I talk. The vibrants very laggy and a mong other issues I'm sorry to say I think its the biggest wast of money . And now that I have the G2 I see huge performance difrence. The only good thing vibrant has is one of the best screens .
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
When you say speed r u talking about the new hspa service or what ever or the speed of the device functionality itself, & roms r coming for the g2 seen a video of cyanogen on 1
sent from htc magic superfroyo using xda app
Hi all,
I am thinking about getting my high schooler an Android device and pay for 2gb data @ $30/mo rather than unlimited text (on our family plan at $30.) We can use google voice for texting for free if need be.
We can get a certified Fascinate for $40 with a 2 year contract.
I have a Droid X2 and it probably wouldn't be my first choice.
Its an amazing machine. The word is that the new version sgs2 is close to getting released. Like the nexus, it will be larger, faster, etc. Pricier too (everything new is always more $$$). So if you are willing to dish out some cash...you may want to hold off.
Personally, this phone is just simply amazing. A mini tablet. And these forums help one release the phones full potential.
Just my 2 cents.
sent from outerspace
nitwit said:
Hi all,
I am thinking about getting my high schooler an Android device and pay for 2gb data @ $30/mo rather than unlimited text (on our family plan at $30.) We can use google voice for texting for free if need be.
We can get a certified Fascinate for $40 with a 2 year contract.
I have a Droid X2 and it probably wouldn't be my first choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What type of person is he/she? The reason I ask is because this phone is an amazing piece of hardware..good processor, lots of memory, amoled screen, super light weight, and very durable (as far as dropping and not having screens crack..in my experience, and its been dropped on a stone driveway from the passenger seat of my Jeep multiple times...) And for the price you're looking at paying..I would say do it...however...
These phones are really "De-tuned" with the touch wiz interface, and loaded with tons of Verizon and bing apps that clutter up everything, and some folks report missed calls in the past, and lack of updates on Verizon's/ Samsung's end don't help the situation however I believe the certified phone will come with the latest Verizon update ed05 and it supposedly has fixed the missed call issue some have experienced..if your son/daughter isn't too tech savvy or doesn't like to tweak things or tinker with gadgets they may find the phone a little glitchey from time to time, and rather just ..ok..sill a good phone but, ok.
However if they are the type that don't mind tinkering and learning about gadgets or technology, with a little learning and reading the devs and community have made this phone really bad ass, with a custom rom and kernel this phone can have a completely different interface if desired and the processor does well with overclocking speeding up the phone to a near glitch free, smooth, sleek, piece of hardware that is hard to beat, with an overall fun enjoyable experience...I love my phone as you can tell and I think I would still like it if I had still been stock to this day and never even found xda, but they helped me love my phone again...basically for the price its a good phone even if left stock and for the price you can't go wrong, whether they leave it alone and use it as is, or flash one of the many available roms and or kernels. This phone is pretty brick proof when getting into roms and kernels and hell, for the price, my sd card that its in my fascinate cost me about 40 bucks!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
I'd absolutely consider it, though I'd look at what other phones were available at what prices. I also think you've got some good advice above about looking at the type of user your child will be.
My wife and I got our Fascinates last November and are still very happy with them. I've run a ton of different ROMs on it and am always tinkering with it. She runs stock only and only rooted when I could convince her that there was a definite concrete advantage (tethering her tablet on a long road trip.)
Of course, buy-in is very important since you've got to live with that teenager. I'd be tempted to offer the fascinate, but let them choose another phone at the same price or use their own funds to make a reasonable upgrade. But if I were looking for a phone for my middle-schooler, the fascinate would be high on the list. I'm really trying to hold out on a smartphone for him til he gets to high school though.
My only complaint of the Fascinate is the antennas are a joke, especially the data reception. I live 1/2 mile away from the nearest tower and yet when my data connection is active (showing up & down arrows) I usually only get 1 bar on average, but when it switches to dormant (a "D" below the 3G which means the bars are the voice signal) it's usually around 3 bars. Data speeds using Speedtest are always low (200-500k d/l) unless I can physically see the tower. On the plus side I've never missed a call even with low signal.
Other than that I really like my Fascinate. Battery life is pretty good for the stock battery, but then I don't use Facebook which I've heard can cause a huge battery drain. I also keep Wifi and GPS off until needed. I know a lot of people don't like Touchwiz but it's honestly my favorite stock launcher. The Program Monitor widget is really helpful in making sure an app that can tie up the CPU isn't left running, which is better for Android than a Task Killer.
I've tried both stock ROMs as well as custom ones and so far my favorite ROMs I've used are Superclean and GeeWiz.
I've rarely had the issue where I've missed a call and not have it show up on my phone and I think I've missed one text message and that was way back on Superclean. However I live in an area where we don't have LTE anywhere near us which some people who have these problems think is related.
I don't regret getting the Fascinate but I'm not certain I'd buy it again; I'd rather go for a Charge since it's LTE and has a similar interface; however I'd wait until it drops some more in price. But then you probably won't find a better phone for $40 than the Fascinate.
Hope you find this useful.
scarfman4 said:
My only complaint of the Fascinate is the antennas are a joke, especially the data reception. I live 1/2 mile away from the nearest tower and yet when my data connection is active (showing up & down arrows) I usually only get 1 bar on average, but when it switches to dormant (a "D" below the 3G which means the bars are the voice signal) it's usually around 3 bars. Data speeds using Speedtest are always low (200-500k d/l) unless I can physically see the tower. On the plus side I've never missed a call even with low signal.
Other than that I really like my Fascinate. Battery life is pretty good for the stock battery, but then I don't use Facebook which I've heard can cause a huge battery drain. I also keep Wifi and GPS off until needed. I know a lot of people don't like Touchwiz but it's honestly my favorite stock launcher. The Program Monitor widget is really helpful in making sure an app that can tie up the CPU isn't left running, which is better for Android than a Task Killer.
I've tried both stock ROMs as well as custom ones and so far my favorite ROMs I've used are Superclean and GeeWiz.
I've rarely had the issue where I've missed a call and not have it show up on my phone and I think I've missed one text message and that was way back on Superclean. However I live in an area where we don't have LTE anywhere near us which some people who have these problems think is related.
I don't regret getting the Fascinate but I'm not certain I'd buy it again; I'd rather go for a Charge since it's LTE and has a similar interface; however I'd wait until it drops some more in price. But then you probably won't find a better phone for $40 than the Fascinate.
Hope you find this useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow I get 6mbps down, 3up... with 3 bars.
Are you serious? I thought I had it good when I get 1mbps down with four bars close to the tower. I am on USCC but still I've never seen a verizon user with 3g that fast.
MrManiacNF said:
wow I get 6mbps down, 3up... with 3 bars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't think that was possible on a 3G connection. The most that it should get is something like 2.4mbps and I've never seen those speeds on any phone or aircard over 3G. Are you sure those speeds aren't over Wifi?
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
I would definitely recommend it.
Especially if they didn't want to dish out the additional cash for one of the newer models. I love my Fascinate!
scarfman4 said:
I didn't think that was possible on a 3G connection. The most that it should get is something like 2.4mbps and I've never seen those speeds on any phone or aircard over 3G. Are you sure those speeds aren't over Wifi?
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the telus fascinate is 3g+, meaning it supports 4g. Those are his 4g speeds and I think he is trying to rub it in a bit...that focker lol.
Oh and yes I would definately get a fascinate again, especially for free like I got mine!
I would definitely recommend one. Got mine last year on black friday for free at best buy. if you shop around you should be able to find a new one for free on contract, rather than a certified one for $40.
Also, as another poster mentioned the antennas are terrible, especially the 3g. But enough places have wifi to keep that from being much of an issue.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Thanks all for your replies.
I am looking strongly at this device, and now vzw is offering $100 to upgrade from a 'basic' phone so that sweetens the deal.
The weak antenna would kill me, but my company pays for my bandwidth. For hers, maybe I'll look at it like built-in bandwidth throttling to keep her under the 2gb a month :0)
I like to tinker, so I'll help her get it all set up with a good rom.
one thing you can try is to remove the stock battery cover and get a different case such as the otterbox or bodyglove. On my fascinate when I removed the cover, signal went from -96db to -83-86 range, wich is a huge improvement. the problem is this don't work for every fassy, but it did on mine.
My daughter is now a proud owner of a used Fascinate. I figured for $120 w/o a contract we don't have much to lose/we can always resell and get most of it back.
Now to explore the various roms you've cooked up over here. It will be nice to have some choices (my dx2 has really only one active rom developer atm - I believe he was quite active here at one time - nitro.)
nitwit said:
My daughter is now a proud owner of a used Fascinate. I figured for $120 w/o a contract we don't have much to lose/we can always resell and get most of it back.
Now to explore the various roms you've cooked up over here. It will be nice to have some choices (my dx2 has really only one active rom developer atm - I believe he was quite active here at one time - nitro.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it..hopefully she'll like it!! Imo at this point the most fully functional, least glitchy rom still to date is com rom 2.0 w/2.1 patch..it's smooth, pretty snappy, very customizable, and everything works...but either way here's a link for one stop rom, kernel, and recovery shopping!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1013312
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Im using the PWGB 2.0 beta 3 eh09 with ec09 radio, ive tried them all and this one is king!
here it is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1242747
I just picked my fascinate up a few weeks ago from amazon. My eris screen became unresponsive in a highly used area. I rooted and flashed the latest geewiz rom and couldn't be happier. I'm confident you will be too.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
I've been with Sprint for over 10 years, the last 2 of which I've had an HTC Evo 4G (rooted). I'm looking to switch over to Verizon in the next week or so and I'm leaning towards the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx (unless someone has a better suggestion for a top-of-the-line Android offering). I'm looking for some advice/suggestions on how to make the switch - I have Titanium Backups for all of my apps - is it possible to restore these on the Droid Razr Maxx if I root this too? Also, I'm very used to HTC Sense on the Evo 4G - how will this impact the switchover, and is it possible to flash a Sense ROM on this new Verizon phone? Sorry if any of these questions are dumb, I've been stuck in the Sprint world for so long, I don't know what's going on outside of it.
Thanks for any help in advance!
Sorry for the double post, please feel free to delete this thread.
I just made the same switch! A few things about this device... No, you cannot run a sense rom on this device, and I dont believe titanium back-ups will work either (havent tried myself, but I'd be surprised if they do work)
I always used go launcher on my evo, and have done the same with my razr, so the switch-over wasnt all too noticeable for me in that regard. If it must look like sense, there are multiple clock widgets in the market that will give you the sense clock and weather look.
I havent rooted yet, but from what I've read, its a bit more involved than the evo, and there really arent very many custom roms available. Not too big a deal for me, as the only reason I rooted my evo, was because sprint released updates that caused issues with my evo, and wanted the option to downgrade from the terrible update. The razr seems to work just fine out of the box. We will be getting an update to ICS soon, and I will wait to read the forums, and see if its just as functional before I update myself.
I was very happy when I made the switch! Sprint always treated me great, but the network is just not as good as verizon's, at least not up here in Maine! I spent a lot of time roaming with sprint, and even when on the sprint 3g network, speeds were horrible, calls would drop, etc... Now, I get full signal most places I go, no roaming and slow speeds. Add the 2days minimum I get outta the battery on my razr compared to the 6hrs I got on my evo, and I wont be looking back!
I may be wrong, but I think TB should work for your user apps. I just used TB between three different phones, because I didn't feel like downloading the apps I wanted.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA
Thanks! So what are the main benefits to having root with this phone, if there aren't many ROM's available? Their hotspot is already free with the plan, correct (or at least it will be with their new pricing options, which will be available on 6/28)?
Edit: I guess that's a dumb question, because I'll still have the option of restoring my apps with TB, as well as continuing to back them up from then on....not to mention removing bloat, etc... But when I rooted my Evo, the two main reasons were to try out different ROMs and to use the hotspot, both of which seem like they'll be non-issues with this phone.
I am currently in the same situation and extremely torn.
I was on the Evo 4G with MikG 3.11. The phone worked perfectly and the development was great as you know. Never had to worry about data caps/overages and generally got enough coverage and speed to really bother me too much.
Then the wife broke her screen on her Evo and the 4g LTE came out. I gave her mine and upgraded to that one. First one was a complete mess and wasn't even assembled right. The second didn't work well either with WiFi bouncing and random bugs. Couldn't get a third one as Sprint won't replace after one return. (Best buy said the same thing when I got the Razr BTW).
After the Sprint run around I said screw it and dumped them. The Razr was a let down at first in two ways. The rom on my OG Evo was miles ahead of the stock Razr. Playing with the promises of the LTE Evo was pretty awesome just too buggy. I do like sense as well. Lot's more polish and I personally don't get the sense bloat people talk about. My current Razr (and the wife's) is on par response wise as my old Evo.
Sure the battery is cool and more memory is nice but it doesn't really feel like an upgrade. Maybe the fabled ICS update might help with polish and performance. Who knows?
My biggest worry is the higher price of Verizon monthly and the data cap. Best Buy told me there was a promo going on for 4gigs for the price of 2gigs. Well I called today inquiring about it and guess what. Nope that special was over when I bought my phone. Now more horse **** to deal with. (Probably never should have left sprint, oh well).
I now don't feel as free with this one due to the data cap. When I spoke with Verizon rep today he told me if I streamed stuff moderately, used navaigation etc. I would probably go over. And yes for some reason during that 4 day period before my regular monthly period started my wife and I were at one gig. Great. Remember even though I had Sprint their speeds are pretty crappy so was used to using WiFi a lot. But now i am constantly looking at that stupid widget.
I don't know what I am going to do. I have had four dropped calls today on verizon and my GPS wouldn't connect two days ago. I was relieved when I found the place with my own sniffer and I saved some precious data! But I don't think that is really how I should have felt.
I hate US cell companies. Really hate em. And yes I would drop it if I didn't have to work. Now I am going to go stick my head in a dead tree and twist. Stupid cell phones. Promise so much and try so hard to not deliver.
Team420 said:
I always used go launcher on my evo, and have done the same with my razr, so the switch-over wasnt all too noticeable for me in that regard. If it must look like sense, there are multiple clock widgets in the market that will give you the sense clock and weather look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give a name of any "weather widget" that looks the closest to the weather widget on htc sense?
Thanks in advance...
refuse2bstopped said:
Can you give a name of any "weather widget" that looks the closest to the weather widget on htc sense?
Thanks in advance...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sense analog clock widget, fancy widgets, animated weather widget,clock ... Gotta be at least 20 in the play store...
Just an FYI.
So far over the weekend including Friday day I was able to use over one gig of data and 311 minutes on talk time. The Verizon rep said I would have to call back when the billing cycle actually printed to bill to know my actual bill.
Now how the hell was I able to do that when on WiFi all weekend and use minutes as well. That makes no sense at all. Weekends free right for minutes?
Some how today I was able to use 25 Mega bytes on the drive to and from work 15 minutes each way. This isn't my first android and I didn't stream a thing, have all the data set not to do anything unless on WiFi.
Beware.
Hey guys,
Hoping to get some feedback from former HTC Rezound owners who are now onto the S4 (seen a few in this forum).
I'm strongly considering turning to the S4 as my next phone after 3 straight HTC phones. I see that Verizon officially announced the One coming, but with HTC company in disarray, lack of updates on all my HTC phones, and only a 4mp camera (ultra pixel or not, it's not going to be enough for pix you need to crop), and no removable battery or sd card slot, I'm close to jumping over. I've rooted all my phones, but kinda sick of being a guinea pig with half working stuff on ROM's that wasn't supposed to be on my phone anyways, and constant issues, etc just to get close to the latest OS.
With the S4, wondering about comparison in signal strength (4G) that you've seen (just as strong, weaker, etc), GPS lock time, camera (speed and quality of pix), overall speed of the phone (opening apps, mail, etc), and comparative lag, etc.
I'm more interested in a 32gb model if it ever comes to Verizon, so I'm trying to hold out a little longer before making my move, but any input on comparing the 2 phones would be helpful in solidifying my decision! (wife has the S3 by the way, and it's pretty nice, although she has Sprint and never gets 4G)...
Yo, I'll fill you in and answer as much as I can. Just got my s4 last week, had the rezound for about 1.5 yrs. Awesome phone, like it, still like it, was kinda hard to switch. I even left the store without buying the S4, but went back the next day. Glad I did.
I ran the rez stock for a while, but for some time ran the roms by Neo. Mostly rage, but switched to Infection towards the end. This phone has been great for me so far.
-signal strength to me seems a little better for 4g, not major
- wifi is better for sure. Rez wasn't bad but you needed the back cover and maybe it degraded over time???
-GPS seems fine for me, but never had issues with Rez
-camera is fine for me, seems fast enough, good pics too
-I find phone super fast, faster than Rez was, I don't notice any lag. But I never had major issues with that on the Rez tho
For me, it was a slightly tough upgrade, but I'm happy. Biggest for me has been battery life. I had to charge my Rez every 24hrs, this things lasts me at least 2 days.
So far, all I have done is root with TWRP, and froze all the bloat. I haven't flashed any different roms (TW or other). Wanting to see what it is like close to stock for a bit first.
Been very happy with my decision. Would do again, would recommend.
Hope that helps.
-
I went form Rezound to S3 and now S4. I do not think you will be disappointed if you get an s4. The phone is superior in every way. My biggest gripe is that touchwiz is extremely ugly!! I use custom roms and themes so that does not really bother me too much. You will also notice that development here will be better than the Rezound. I was going to wait for the HTC One but the state of the company really scares me. I also like having the ability to expand storage. Hope this helps.
hpower1 said:
Yo, I'll fill you in and answer as much as I can. Just got my s4 last week, had the rezound for about 1.5 yrs. Awesome phone, like it, still like it, was kinda hard to switch. I even left the store without buying the S4, but went back the next day. Glad I did.
I ran the rez stock for a while, but for some time ran the roms by Neo. Mostly rage, but switched to Infection towards the end. This phone has been great for me so far.
-signal strength to me seems a little better for 4g, not major
- wifi is better for sure. Rez wasn't bad but you needed the back cover and maybe it degraded over time???
-GPS seems fine for me, but never had issues with Rez
-camera is fine for me, seems fast enough, good pics too
-I find phone super fast, faster than Rez was, I don't notice any lag. But I never had major issues with that on the Rez tho
For me, it was a slightly tough upgrade, but I'm happy. Biggest for me has been battery life. I had to charge my Rez every 24hrs, this things lasts me at least 2 days.
So far, all I have done is root with TWRP, and froze all the bloat. I haven't flashed any different roms (TW or other). Wanting to see what it is like close to stock for a bit first.
Been very happy with my decision. Would do again, would recommend.
Hope that helps.
-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very helpful - thanks! It's great to see good posts on the S4, but you don't know what kind of phone folks are coming from, so wanted to get a better perspective. Thanks.
jm700wx said:
I went form Rezound to S3 and now S4. I do not think you will be disappointed if you get an s4. The phone is superior in every way. My biggest gripe is that touchwiz is extremely ugly!! I use custom roms and themes so that does not really bother me too much. You will also notice that development here will be better than the Rezound. I was going to wait for the HTC One but the state of the company really scares me. I also like having the ability to expand storage. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with the look not being totally appealing too. I'd probably do the same thing with a theme or shell (just saw a good review of the Yandex shell 3d launcher) as long as it doesn't lag or mess up the phone. Thanks.
Not sure I can add anything to what's already been said but I just made the jump from Rezound to S4 and I'm very happy. I was concerned with the transition to TouchWiz as I've used previous iterations on family members' phones and didn't like it. Sense was superior in nearly every way but to be honest, it could be worse and I'm getting used to it. I considered another HTC phone (DNA or One) but hated the idea of no SD card option and a non-removable battery. Speaking of battery, I don't think HTC is capable of manufacturing a phone with decent battery life.
Speed on the S4 is excellent though I've noticed some odd lag in the Google Maps app. I enabled developer menu and disabled all of the animations so that's helped. The Rezound was fast enough for me and if I had to go back to it, I don't think it would be an issue. Signal strength and quality are as good for me as with the Rezound. I was running VipreRez and had odd issues with WIFI whereby I had to disable/enable it now and then to stay connected...not an issue with the S4. GPS lock is very quick but I had no problems with the Rez. I don't use the camera much so I can't comment on that except to say that some of the camera modes on the S4 are pretty neat (possibly gimmicky).
The single largest difference is battery life and it's a MASSIVE difference. I could not make it through a day with the Rez if I used navigation, wireless tether or spent too much time talking. I use my phone only for business (no games) so for me it's phone calls, text, e-mail and a minor amount of navigation. I was constantly powering the phone from the car and plugging it in immediately upon returning home. The S4 has amazing battery life. I've easily made it 17+ hours with nearly 3 hours of screen on time, navigation and WIFI tether and been at or just below 30% at the end of the day.
The only issues I've had with the S4 have been adjusting to the size of the phone and lack of a search button. I have a difficult time reaching across the screen with one hand but I think I'll live with it. I used to press search and immediately type a client's name and get to them quickly. Now it takes an extra step or two but not a huge issue. Also, I miss the Sense clock..heh. I realize there are apps that emulate that clock but it was amazing. I thought the screen on the Rez was fantastic but the 5" screen on the S4 is truly amazing.
One last thing to mention. I always felt like the Rezound was the red-headed step-child of HTC phones. Not much dev support and accessories were difficult to come by. The S4 is a complete 180 from that due to the pervasive nature of the distribution. I expect loads of development and accessories for this phone.
Former Rezound user here too. I totally agreed with everything everyone has said. I did notice GPS , Wifi and 4G were a little better. I wasn't really nervous about TW . I actually like TW. Battery life is great as previously mentioned . Love the phone so far.
I went from the Rez to the S3 tp the S4. I really liked the build quality of the Rez. When I sold mine, it was like selling a child.
Wifi is awesome in comparison. 4G averages 25% higher in my tests. I guess it's just more consistent. Battery life is WAY better. I always had to have an extended battery on it. My S4 lasts me a whole day off intense use. I work IT and I'm on my phone all day. Development will be much better. Let's not even mention the screen comparison.
All in all, the upgrade is amazing. Worth every penny.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Former Rezounder and I just got the S4 today. I'm so excited to have this phone and I'm very happy to hear all the good remarks from this thread. I expected to see that there is more development for this phone compared to the Rezound. I agree that it was the red headed step child too lol. Anyways I'm gonna get started on rooting
Get the s4. You will leave terrible battery life, heat, and poor development behind. You won't regret it. I don't miss my rez that much
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
I had the Rezound. After Google I/O and not hearing anything about the Moto X phone I decided to jump on the S4 bandwagon. I had my Rez for a little over a year. It was an okay phone, hated the battery life, even got the extended battery and always got weird looks for how big my phone was. But I've gotta commend developers like Neo or Chad for bringing us 4.2 to the Rez. For me the standout points with the S4 are battery life, the camera and very very smooth UI. I'm excited to see what the future brings, development is explosive with the bootloader being unlocked now. I really want to like the HTC One but I need HTC to show better support for their phones, there was no excuse for the Rezound to not have 4.1 by now, even the Droid Bionic has it!
Rezound to S4 and the very first thing I notice was how freaking light it was I even told the verizon rep if he put the battery in LOL but after the initial shock the phone is so good, the only thing I noticed was the lack of CDMA support unless I am missing something here but if you not in a 4g area you get a lot of dropped calls unless being on Global has something to do with it.
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
I too had a Rezound and it's been passed down to my mother.. The Rezound is choppy and slow these days.. Still has a great screen though in my opinion.. the S4 is a no brainer to switch to.
---------- Post added at 09:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 AM ----------
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the big gripe and deal with needing 32gb internal storage? I'm sure pretty soon we're going to have working apps2sd and it's not an issue anymore. . It's also one of the reasons Vzw was able to sell it 199 on contract still.
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same boat as hpower1. I must have made 3 trips to the store to look at the S4. I went to a Corp store so I could buy it outright and put it on a 12 month payment plan. Didn't want to lose my unlimited plan. My wife and I only use about 1GB +/- per month but the "what if" factor kicked in. It helped sell me when I was on the phone with 611 and they told me that it wouldn't affect my upgrade. So if something else comes out in a year or so and we are not using over 2 or 4 GB per month that I could still my upgrade. They offered to buy back the Rezound but I declined. I moved it to another line to replace a D1. This thing (S4) is awesome. Light, fast, big screen. I put it in an OtterBox Defender case to help protect it. Makes it so much easier to hold. This is simply a GREAT phone. I got it last Friday night and couldn't take it any longer so Monday morning I rooted it just so I could disable some of the bloat and flash a mod that I wanted. Get it, you won't regret it. Also like others have said, the battery life is great but I have to admit that the Rezound got much better after flashing XenonHD and is still a great phone.
Oh, and I also installed a 64Gb card in it that I got off of Amazon.
Had my rezound for 1.5 years and it was definitely an above average phone with limited support from verizon and developers.
Although the developers that were there (Cleanrom) were terrific.
I had the incredible before the rezound so, like you, was contemplating waiting for the One.
I need to use spare batteries so I didn't bother waiting
For me, personally, everything is better with the s4 EXCEPT 4g signal strength.
Just to clarify, when I have proper strength, which is most of the time, the speed is superior.
What I'm talking about came to light last night.
I went to my first yankee game since getting s4 (I go to 30 games a year) last night and I had sporadic service, at best.
Maybe there was something in the air but my rezound got much better signal and data was good.
Since everyone else is saying theres is better with the s4, I'm beginning to lean towards it being a bad night at the stadium.
Anyway, I just wanted you to know my experience.
The phone is awesome, support on the forums is great (I'm running cleanrom now, but have tried hyperdrive too and it was equally good), and you will be very happy.
On a side note, Yankees won and I got to see Mo close which is a treat that is quickly coming to an end
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might regret it loosing ur unlimited plan , I did a payment plan.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I rocked the rezound for awhile back when it came out and loved it! Probably one of my favorite android phones to use! The s4 is pretty nice I just say coming from a note 2 too but if Verizon does in fact release a HTC one with more 16 gb of storage I will get one and switch between it and s4 depending on how nice it is and stacks up against s4!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
nes4r2 said:
You might regret it loosing ur unlimited plan , I did a payment plan.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't give up my unlimited. It's sick how Verizon is gouging us lately and even pushing back upgrade dates - seriously Verizon?
I went to a Verizon store and the rep gave me some options how to keep unlimited whole still being able to upgrade a little early - something about adding a line and paying a little more per month. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess...
nes4r2 said:
[/COLOR]
What's the big gripe and deal with needing 32gb internal storage? I'm sure pretty soon we're going to have working apps2sd and it's not an issue anymore. . It's also one of the reasons Vzw was able to sell it 199 on contract still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if we don't get apps2sd it could be a problem in the future with 1/2 the 16gb internal clogged with OS, etc. Who knows how big some apps will be in the future, so don't want to get stuck with potential limited space. I'm sure its fine for now. It's also one of the main gripes I've read from professional reviews. Plus I'm just sick of having all my iPads, kindles, etc always running out of room and just don't want to deal with that potential issue at some point.
If I don't hear more about a 32gb soon, I'm sure I'll cave in before too long...
How many of you are still using a Rezound?
I still am and it's my first and only smartphone I've ever owned. Still working great! Of course I wish some things were better (like the battery and lag) or that I had a better phone, but the Rezound has been good for me. I may get an S5 or might wait it out a little longer until the 64-bit chips come.
Still rockin' the Rezzy
I'm in about the same boat. The Rezound is my third smartphone. I had a Touch Diamond and an Ozone before, both HTC. I really like the build quality of HTC, but I'm hesitant to get another one because of the update timing questionability and the nonremovable battery trend. I am happy they added the external SD card option back with the M8, though. I don't want to risk my unlimited data and I can't afford to buy a new phone at full price right now, so I'll be sticking with the Rezound for a good time (probably at least until the end of the year) longer. Mine i is working fine still, so no worries here.
I just retired mine after a 2 1/2 year run, picked up a G2 on swappa to keep my unlimited. My Rezound was still working fine, just got tired of the poor battery life on it.
Still using my rezound, can afford to replace it but don't want to, so long as it's still usable.
Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using xda app-developers app
mjones73 said:
I just retired mine after a 2 1/2 year run, picked up a G2 on swappa to keep my unlimited. My Rezound was still working fine, just got tired of the poor battery life on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought an extended battery for my Rez and running a custom build of LiquidSmooth 3.0, I'm quite happy with it for now. Yes, there's more capable hardware out there. But this still meets my needs for now.
We have two Rezounds that are about 2 years old and we still love them. These are our first smartphones and with the developer community doing such fine work to keep them up-to-date I can see no reason to change. The battery life has been decent enough and switching to larger screen phones isn't something we want to do. I like the extra screen real estate, but don't want the larger form factor when lugging it around.
Bill
Still using the rezound here. I too is trying to stick with this phone as long as I could with my unlimited data. But at the same time I'm long over due for a new phone.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
I still use the Rezound. Not for calling+texting+data-ing like I did for a while not so long ago, but just as my game phone for games that are too laggy on my Rugby Smart (my current actual phone for calling, texting, etc.). On a good day I can get about 1.5 hrs of battery in game play, but It's plugged into either the wall or the computer most of the time anyway so that doesn't really bother me. If my Rugby were to ever break (HIGHLY UNLIKELY, it was designed to do QUITE THE OPPOSITE), the Rezound would be my next option for a backup until I would either fix the Rugby or replace it with a device that has better battery life compared to the Rez (everyone else has nicknames for it, this is mine).
I could just get an extended battery for it, but that's like 10 whole dollars. That is 2/3 of what I paid for this phone, so it's not even worth it to me to replace anything that still works (the camera glass was a different story, i just HAD to replace that). I originally got the thing as a see-if-I-can-fix-it phone from a friend who thought it was broken forever and was able to fix the darn thing with the help of XDA. And of course, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out GSM was a hidden feature on it. Anyway, if I got an extended battery my rubber case I got with it would be too small and I'd hate to see such a nice case go to waste.
Still using the rezound and hoping to get an xperia z2 soon. Might switch carriers to T-mobile, anyone have opinions on t-mobile?
I am happy with tmobile. I got the unlimited everything plan for 45/month and coverage is great. They even let you tether to other devices! Tmobile says you only get like 500mb of tether data, but if you root your phone and use an app like Barnacle Wifi Tether you can get around that limit.
Sent from my Rugby Smart SGH-I847 on the official XDA app!
Still using my Rezound, kind of fed up with it but nothing seems worth committing to yet. The M8 is close to perfect but I'm still hesitant.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
I just upgraded to the S5 (keeping unlimited plan). I'm not holding my breath on getting a root for it - seems like the guys over there are panicking already.
I just really feel like my ReZound is still up and running because I was able to swap out the battery - the original isn't lasting much more than 8 hours on minimal use today. I feel the next phone I get needed to have a battery I could swap out as well - and the only one that currently meets that need is Samsung (unfortunately). Here's hoping that in two years, when I'm eligible for upgrade again - that HTC brings back a phone with an interchangeable battery and expandable memory or maybe even whatever Google ARA comes out as.
I am still using my rezound and plan to for a little longer right now I cant decide between htc m8 and the galaxy s5 Im trying to figure out how to keep my unlimited data. I just went to best buy and they said I cannot do the line swap to keep it so I am exploring other options. I might have to upgrade sooner than I thought though because my screen just died on my phone. I took it apart and looks like I missed some corrosion from when I dropped it in a lake 6 months ago. I ordered a replacement screen so I hope that will fix it.
it was a great short run
moved on from the rezound after only 5 months of owning it (just died in my pocket no bump on over clock normal cm11 )
great phone doe other wise in every way thank you neo and suzzo for all your works and sun dream .Got me the g pro and i am pleased with it in all areas except camera picture saturation fixed by fv5 anyway
I'm still on mine and went to Sun Dream's Rom running sense 4+4.1+5 and it is super snappy,solid and beautiful...I tried AOSP ROMs that were running 4.3+ but they were too buggy for me.
I have a hairline crack across my phone but I'm trying not to be anal and replace it...thinking about upgrading but see no good options for data plans...
Huachipato said:
I just upgraded to the S5 (keeping unlimited plan). I'm not holding my breath on getting a root for it - seems like the guys over there are panicking already.
I just really feel like my ReZound is still up and running because I was able to swap out the battery - the original isn't lasting much more than 8 hours on minimal use today. I feel the next phone I get needed to have a battery I could swap out as well - and the only one that currently meets that need is Samsung (unfortunately). Here's hoping that in two years, when I'm eligible for upgrade again - that HTC brings back a phone with an interchangeable battery and expandable memory or maybe even whatever Google ARA comes out as.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you like the S5 compared to the ReZound?
It is different - but I like it. The screen is beautiful. The interface is different - not bad or good - just not what I'm used to. I do like the home button though - long press to get Google Now and double press to get S-Voice. There are quite a bit of Samsung apps that I'm enjoying. S-Health is nice, but there is a widget that shows how many steps you have taken in the day - and for some reason it motivates me to walk more. The Smart Remote is very complete - including remote codes for my WD-Live box and drop down for every room I have in the house. There is another app call BeepNGo - where you can put all your club/membership cards on (Tom Thumb, AutoZone, etc...). The screen will show the bar code and it can be scanned at the register. There are coupons in that app as well.
NFC actually works. Verizon activates ISIS - which is like Google Wallet. There are deals on it and where it can be used. Google Wallet works as well - which is nice. I've heard in the past that Verizon locked it down - so it is nice to see it up and running.
Camera is absolutely amazing IMO. It struggles a bit in low light, but it really is a champ everywhere else. The software allows you to download more picture taking options - including now the sphere mode. The effects sometimes take a little time to correct - but at least the camera works to it's fullest (yes - taking a little jab at ReZound camera issues in Kit-Kat)...
Everything I wanted in a phone - it has it. I managed to drain the battery one day of really heavy use - but otherwise the battery does a great job. I'll be getting a spare at some point.
The root is still not found - and as a result I'm missing the native WiFi Tether - which was really cool to have on the ReZound. There is a way to get the connection using the USB cable and PDA+Net software - but it really is a backwards hack to get it up and running.
A lot of people complain about the look & feel of the phone. Quite honestly - I don't care for - the first thing I did was buy a case for it. If I had the M8 - I'd do the same thing. I will always want a cover to keep the phone from getting scuffed and better protect the screen and camera lens.
Bottom line - I like the phone a lot. I'm not going to trade the replaceable battery for the ability to root (which I feel is the current trade off at the moment).
Huachipato said:
It is different - but I like it. The screen is beautiful. The interface is different - not bad or good - just not what I'm used to. I do like the home button though - long press to get Google Now and double press to get S-Voice. There are quite a bit of Samsung apps that I'm enjoying. S-Health is nice, but there is a widget that shows how many steps you have taken in the day - and for some reason it motivates me to walk more. The Smart Remote is very complete - including remote codes for my WD-Live box and drop down for every room I have in the house. There is another app call BeepNGo - where you can put all your club/membership cards on (Tom Thumb, AutoZone, etc...). The screen will show the bar code and it can be scanned at the register. There are coupons in that app as well.
NFC actually works. Verizon activates ISIS - which is like Google Wallet. There are deals on it and where it can be used. Google Wallet works as well - which is nice. I've heard in the past that Verizon locked it down - so it is nice to see it up and running.
Camera is absolutely amazing IMO. It struggles a bit in low light, but it really is a champ everywhere else. The software allows you to download more picture taking options - including now the sphere mode. The effects sometimes take a little time to correct - but at least the camera works to it's fullest (yes - taking a little jab at ReZound camera issues in Kit-Kat)...
Everything I wanted in a phone - it has it. I managed to drain the battery one day of really heavy use - but otherwise the battery does a great job. I'll be getting a spare at some point.
The root is still not found - and as a result I'm missing the native WiFi Tether - which was really cool to have on the ReZound. There is a way to get the connection using the USB cable and PDA+Net software - but it really is a backwards hack to get it up and running.
A lot of people complain about the look & feel of the phone. Quite honestly - I don't care for - the first thing I did was buy a case for it. If I had the M8 - I'd do the same thing. I will always want a cover to keep the phone from getting scuffed and better protect the screen and camera lens.
Bottom line - I like the phone a lot. I'm not going to trade the replaceable battery for the ability to root (which I feel is the current trade off at the moment).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your feedback.
How is the data and voice reception compared to the Rezound? I've been thinking about getting the S5, but I don't want reception issues, especially with data because where I work, the overall phone reception is less than other places, but my rezound does ok at work depending on where I place myself.
sdsubball23 said:
Thanks for your feedback.
How is the data and voice reception compared to the Rezound? I've been thinking about getting the S5, but I don't want reception issues, especially with data because where I work, the overall phone reception is less than other places, but my rezound does ok at work depending on where I place myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's about the same. Maybe slightly stronger, but not much of a difference.
Still using mine, hope it lasts until I get a OnePlus One.