Trying to pick up one of these beastly spec'd phones off of ebay this week. Anyone have any major gripes or anything on the development? I am coming from an Evo Shift, gets amazingly awesome battery life but I am growing tired of the keyboard and the small screen. My gfs ns4g makes my screen look old and tired and from all the reviews I have seen the screen on this one looks incredible. Sorry for the long rant, any info is appreciated.
DWake014 said:
Trying to pick up one of these beastly spec'd phones off of ebay this week. Anyone have any major gripes or anything on the development? I am coming from an Evo Shift, gets amazingly awesome battery life but I am growing tired of the keyboard and the small screen. My gfs ns4g makes my screen look old and tired and from all the reviews I have seen the screen on this one looks incredible. Sorry for the long rant, any info is appreciated.
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It's a really good phone for the development that we really don't have yet the battery life is really good on this without a custom kernels
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
I did notice dev was a little slow, but its kinda the same with the shift. Is the source code released for this so custom kernels can be made?
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App
DWake014 said:
I did notice dev was a little slow, but its kinda the same with the shift. Is the source code released for this so custom kernels can be made?
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App
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yes source code has been released a few kernels made. Things just move a little slow due to not many devs imho. But the phone is really good stock. Great battery life and reception
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Not hating on the photon or the devs. Lack of advertisement. Prolly the main reason why this phone isn't as popular. Sprint focused too much on the epic touch imo. So development is rather slow. It still is a solid phone. Though this is my second photon, i still get around 2-3 restarts a day at the least. Only Real issue so far. Build quality, reception, sound quality are all exceptional. Screen may have a qHD display but coming from an AMOLED display(samsung vibrant), the colors seem washed out. Viewing angles aren't the greatest. I'd give the Epic Touch 4G some serious thought. The exynos chipset, 4.52 inches of super AMOLED plus(resolution is lower but it's not pixelated like people make it out to be), still picture quality. All crowd pleasers. Reception isn't as good as the photons and build quality... It may seem a little toyish. But you can bet that the dev section there is really active. Especially since the international version of the phone has been out for a while.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
I have both the Photon and Epic Touch in my house (Photon is mine). Complaints on the Photon - none except there are few developers but progress is being made. Complaints on the Epic - slow to wake up, lower radio signals than the Photon, lower call quality than the Photon, poor speakerphone. Praise for the Photon - radio signal strength, call quality, battery life, ability to clear individual notifications, Motorola updates are hapenning. Praise for the Epic Touch - gorgeous screen, phone controls in notification drop down, screen size (could be a complaint for small hands), better looking stock Widgets, battery life, huge developer support. I can't say I know for sure, but evidently the Photon is EVDO Rev B ready but the Epic Touch is not - do your own research since I stopped my investigation when I was satisfied the Photon was EVDO Rev B ready.
darktranquility18 said:
Not hating on the photon or the devs. Lack of advertisement. Prolly the main reason why this phone isn't as popular. Sprint focused too much on the epic touch imo. So development is rather slow. It still is a solid phone. Though this is my second photon, i still get around 2-3 restarts a day at the least. Only Real issue so far. Build quality, reception, sound quality are all exceptional. Screen may have a qHD display but coming from an AMOLED display(samsung vibrant), the colors seem washed out. Viewing angles aren't the greatest. I'd give the Epic Touch 4G some serious thought. The exynos chipset, 4.52 inches of super AMOLED plus(resolution is lower but it's not pixelated like people make it out to be), still picture quality. All crowd pleasers. Reception isn't as good as the photons and build quality... It may seem a little toyish. But you can bet that the dev section there is really active. Especially since the international version of the phone has been out for a while.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
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Kind of makes me feel guilty, I've never had this restart issue. I do wish that could be pinned down.
Torisen said:
Kind of makes me feel guilty, I've never had this restart issue. I do wish that could be pinned down.
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Yea it's kinda annoying. I'd be in the middle of a call, talking, not realizing that it's restarting(cuz ridiculously slow boot up times). And i probably see the 'Dual Core' splash screen like 5 times a day. Sad that apparently it can't handle all that power. Or im just unfortunate. I really wanna trade or exchange this for an epic touch but im past the 14 days so fail...
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
beartrap said:
I have both the Photon and Epic Touch in my house (Photon is mine). Complaints on the Photon - none except there are few developers but progress is being made. Complaints on the Epic - slow to wake up, lower radio signals than the Photon, lower call quality than the Photon, poor speakerphone. Praise for the Photon - radio signal strength, call quality, battery life, ability to clear individual notifications, Motorola updates are hapenning. Praise for the Epic Touch - gorgeous screen, phone controls in notification drop down, screen size (could be a complaint for small hands), better looking stock Widgets, battery life, huge developer support. I can't say I know for sure, but evidently the Photon is EVDO Rev B ready but the Epic Touch is not - do your own research since I stopped my investigation when I was satisfied the Photon was EVDO Rev B ready.
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Everyone's talking bout Rev B. And it hasn't even been confirmed by sprint. Also there have been talks bout a 800mhz network that the photon doesn't support but the evo 3d and et4g do. Can go either way at this point
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I want them to turn on the WiMax tower in my area. Clearwire has one but it's not turned on and I have no idea why. Although Rev B would be awesome as well.
darktranquility18 said:
Everyone's talking bout Rev B. And it hasn't even been confirmed by sprint. Also there have been talks bout a 800mhz network that the photon doesn't support but the evo 3d and et4g do. Can go either way at this point
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
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Yea, not holding my breath given once the decision is made there will be a length of time to roll it out, but nice to know the capability is there if I'm lucky enough to be in an area that gets it early in the roll out. I don't know what you mean about not supporting 800 MHz, I just read the box the phone came in and it states it supports 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz CDMA.
Torisen said:
Kind of makes me feel guilty, I've never had this restart issue. I do wish that could be pinned down.
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Luckily, it's only happened twice since the last official OTA update.
beartrap said:
Yea, not holding my breath given once the decision is made there will be a length of time to roll it out, but nice to know the capability is there if I'm lucky enough to be in an area that gets it early in the roll out. I don't know what you mean about not supporting 800 MHz, I just read the box the phone came in and it states it supports 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz CDMA.
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Yea that's what I thought but apparently it doesn't support sprints 800mhz. Makes no sense but read it at multiple places. Can't link as I'm not on a computer right now
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
hopefully they'll fix that. But who knows. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Hi, i sold my atrix.....again to buy a photon xD....soo I live in portugal and I hope photon work fine here.
Since i live in portugal and i dont use verizon only sim card, its possible to disable verizon completly?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
EclipseX said:
Hi, i sold my atrix.....again to buy a photon xD....soo I live in portugal and I hope photon work fine here.
Since i live in portugal and i dont use verizon only sim card, its possible to disable verizon completly?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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There was a thread somewhere that showed how to bypass/stop the sprint activation thing on the phone.
Let me see if I can find it.
Edit:
Here you go:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1265816
Hope that's what you where looking for.
Bit the bullet on a NIB Photon for 280 on ebay
congrads! i also have a little small pros for the photon over the epic touch. most people pass them up, but they still count!
1. Photon has curved corners and allows it easier to hold.
2. SD card on epic requires batt pull to remove, photon is above the batt.
3. photon has a side button dedicated to camera, new epic does not (if you recall, the first epic did have this button so this is a step back imo for samsung)
both are great phones and both with make you super happy. If you were wanting a device to do alot of videos, pix, games and such then id go epic.
if your like me and looking for a phone that is best in class for reception and able to make calls, txt, emails, and such, then the Photon is you winner.
just remember, in a year they both will be old news ha ha
lroy said:
2. SD card on epic requires batt pull to remove, photon is above the batt.
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What's that above the batt I see? Lol . I own both phones just wanted to clear up that mistake.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
lroy said:
just remember, in a year they both will be old news ha ha
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Ha, try one month, the Nexus Prime / Droid Prime is right around the corner and its going to blow everyone away.
Related
Woo hoo guys and gals I just learned that I can get my upgrade now. I'm coming from the EVO 4G and want to know. Since u peeps already have the photon would u recommend me getting it or should I sit and wait and try my luck with the Samsung galaxy S2 coming out sometime this year? I'm asking here because all of you have first hand use with the photon some pros some cons so I'm sure you guys and girls will shoot me straight. Thanks
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i came from the Evo4G and not regretted it a bit. I love the screen, best phone/3G/4G/wifi/gps signal there is, never a moment of lag, love the curved glass look and gunmetal trim, better camera than the Evo, great battery life, it's rooted and an unlocked boot loader is about to be released by XDA developers. If you get it now, you can always exchange it in 30 days or go back to your Evo.
If I was you I would wait. This phone is cool but if ur coming from an EVO I don't think u will be impressed. Ive had two customers who both came from EVOs return the photon and get the 3D cause they didn't like it. I love this phone but i could see why people like the EVO better. Just my two cents.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
laraiza said:
Woo hoo guys and gals I just learned that I can get my upgrade now. I'm coming from the EVO 4G and want to know. Since u peeps already have the photon would u recommend me getting it or should I sit and wait and try my luck with the Samsung galaxy S2 coming out sometime this year? I'm asking here because all of you have first hand use with the photon some pros some cons so I'm sure you guys and girls will shoot me straight. Thanks
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Use the upgrade now. This phone is awesome.
I'd definitely get the photon as well. I have 3 friends on the evo 3d wanting the photon instead. None of my friends on the photon want to switch. Photon wins hands down.
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megan23247 said:
If I was you I would wait. This phone is cool but if ur coming from an EVO I don't think u will be impressed. Ive had two customers who both came from EVOs return the photon and get the 3D cause they didn't like it. I love this phone but i could see why people like the EVO better. Just my two cents.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
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I am the exact opposite. i felt like I would have lost more going to the 3D. Yeah you get 3d, but no kickstand, 5MP camera versus 8MP etc. The photon has the specs of the 3D (dual core, qHD screen, camera button, etc) plus the missing feature of the EVO 4G (kickstand, higher res camera, HDMI out, solid build). In addition it adds features such as the sd card slot which is HOT SWAPPABLE plus onboard memory, GSM, brighter screen in sunlight etc.
Both phones look like they will now be rooted (or soon enough) and both seem to have some good developers behind them. I chose the Photon for the reasons listed above as well as the cool nickname (MoPho) and much less of a GUI overlay (non-blur vs sense).
These are MY reasons for going this right. Hope that gives you a good viewpoint to help you decision.
In regards to waiting, there is the GSII (rumors are swirling saying it may not have the exyanos <sp> chip), nexus 3 and iphone 5 coming out. Only lots of rumors on those for now though.
megan23247 said:
If I was you I would wait. This phone is cool but if ur coming from an EVO I don't think u will be impressed. Ive had two customers who both came from EVOs return the photon and get the 3D cause they didn't like it. I love this phone but i could see why people like the EVO better. Just my two cents.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
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Yes, because they are morons.
This phone ****s Evo's. The Evo's hardware isn't even close to what this thing has. I have owned the Evo, and the 3d, the 3d is just a gimmick phone, that is all.
Lol - people are dumb
-Also, don't just ask this question in the Photon forums, of course they will say yes here. Do yourself a favor and do some research, go to some sites, read some reviews, learn for yourself and decide for yourself instead of having us make your decisions. The people here have it because they like it/love it. I loved my Evo don't get me wrong, but this phone is the next best thing, and in a year I will have the next best thing then, etc etc.
The galaxy s2 or whatever it is that Samsung is calling it won't hold a candle to this phone. But you could extend your 30 days period 3 times if the customer service rep you use is cool. (Sprint allows this, just keep getting a new photon until your gs2 comes out) And for f*cks sake don't exchange your phone at a corporate store, they suck.
nuff said. GL
-DJ
First of all its preference when it comes to evo or photon... both have their advantages and problems, and i have both devices. With that being said I already returned one photon and grabbed a evo3d (how it all started) because of random resets and vibrations. But i was still so impressed with what the photon is CAPABLE of being i had to open another line just to have it as well. Let me dive into photon problems; aside from my first experience which i will blame on a faulty device, i am now experiencing these ghost calls people have been talking about... where basically no one is on the line but obviously they are (when call is received or dialed out even) i experienced this several times and ran into sprint to verify with manager.. we pulled the battery and everything is fine. Guessing though from other posts that this wont be the last time i deal with this though.
The EVO3D works but literally does everything the photon does a little worse. So if the Photon is actually working its flat out the better device, has better display... inky blacks, better viewing angles, etc. Better processor in terms of optimization for gaming, more available ram and app memory.
Now what i mean by preference is if you like to use these launchers that come with the devices; either blur or rosie (sense). If youre just going to take the phone out of the box and use it the evo really is the better experience due to the noticeable lag/choppiness of Blur, and the smoothness of Sense. It really is that big of a difference IMO. However if youre like me you are running launcherpro (paid) or adwEX... both phones are snappier after installing said launchers but the photon is much snappier due to the lesser integration of the UI.
So basically in short lol if the photon is actually able to make calls, and is running launcher pro (all speeds on 10, with all animations off) then yes hands down better than evo3d. I prefer evo out of box experience though, over the photon out of the box experience.
Sent from my gingerbreaded delight using XDA App
Honestly, I can't fathom going to this phone now given the issues that it has currently. If they really fix the call issues, I may come back to it. Given that they haven't with other Motorola phones exhibiting this problem I'm not holding my breath.
I loved much of the phone....the design, build quality, earpiece and rear speakers were superb. The phone was extremely fast but enough of a difference to switch up for that?
The lockups, inability to dial and silent calls on multiple handsets makes it kind of useless as an actual phone.
Also, after looking at the Photon screen side by side with my original EVO screen I would take the EVO screen every day of the week
BUT...had the Photon functioned on calls and not randomly shutdown, overall I would have preferred the Photon.
I'm not really a "sense" person I'm running a sense rom but I'm always running either go launcher or launcher pro anyway. I won't miss sense and I won't deal with blur. Once the phone is rooted and bootloader unlocked would it be possible for developers to fix at least most of the problems that r plaguing the photon right now since many issues seem to be more or less software issues?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
probably... but then again they may also bring more to the table....
I was in the same boat as you. I had previously had an evo 4g than traded for an epic. I fell in love with the samoled screen of the epic and was determined to use my upgrade on the sg2, as I've used the DROID charge and the samoled+ screen is beyond stunning. Well, I got sick of waiting and decided to give the photon a try a few days ago and figured if necessary I have the 30 day return policy. The photon is an awesome all around phone. Everything works, and its fast. I enjoyed the epic due to the screen, but gps was worthless and bluetooth and wifi were inconsistent. I am worried that although the sg2 may have the best screen, there are going to be other problems with the samsung build quality. The only negative about the photon is MOTOBLUR, which is much worse than sense and not even up to par with touchwiz. Alot of people complain about the pentile screen but I actually like it alot. Blacks are much deeper than my evo 4g and colors aren't washed out. The photon is an all around great phone, and every thing works(so far for me at least). I don't play games or anything so I can't comment on that, but every day tasks on this thing are fast.
Sent from my Motorola Photon 4G using XDA App
I'm in the same boat as the OP...
Currently have the OG EVO, eligible for an upgrade and have been reading EVERYTHING and ANYTHING I can about this phone. Even though I'm still leaning towards getting it, there's a little voice in me saying to hang tight and see "what's coming around the corner." However, with technology, there will always be something better coming out next week, next month, or next year.
As for the Photon, I imagine the developer support that this phone will be receiving compared to the EVO and other HTC devices, won't be as as deep, especially if you're someone who IS coming from the EVO and used to that type of support. However, from what I've seen on this forum and others, the consensus seems to be that it's a great phone right out of the box. And if you're not a big fan of sense anyways and run your own launcher (like I do), then maybe it won't be that big of a deal.
More than likely, I'll be pulling the trigger and picking one up as soon as I get to a Sprint store to check one out. I'm just one of those types that always upgrades anyways and will likely be getting another phone next year too (assuming that I don't object to my wife's monthly shopping sprees so that I in turn, can "build up my credit" for justifying my annual phone purchases).
If I get the photon thru the corporate store vs best buy will I still get to keep my upgrade if I choose not to accept it before my 30 days are up.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I work for Sprint and was given both of them to use. I came from the EVO and loved it, so naturally I wanted to EVO 3D. I got it 2 weeks before the launched and loved it at first then the problems started. First the camera issues, when I take a picture it freezes up and I have to pull the battery to get it back. Sense 3 offers a lot of improvements to original sense (which I love) but has a few cosmetic flaws. I am not a stock Android fan, I love sense and it offers a lot of user friendly controls. I hate that every time I unlock the phone I get a wheel of screens and must wait a nano second to use the phone. The 3D camera isn't all that great and some 3D pictures gives me a headache, also the camera sticks out the back and if your not using a case, it can scratch the screen. Now I got my photon 2 weeks ago and I am amazed at how well it performs. I have not had any of the problems some people have, and I am already told that the problems will be fixed soon with the software upgrade. I missed my kickstand and the photon gives that back to me. The camera is nice, much better then the 3D. Only flaw I have with the phone is black, when you watch a movie the dark parts are really really dark and make it hard to watch sometimes. All in All I prefer it over the 3D, and I was never a Samsung fan so I wouldn't want the Within (galaxy 2). It took Samsung several months to upgrade to Android 2.2 and even then plagued with problems it had to be pulled twice, and the final version caused a few more texting issues and screen orientation issues that have yet to be fixed. Other problems with Intercept and Transform and no help from Samsung leaves me to never choice Samsung. Now the Nexus offers all the cool features of Samsung with none of their software issues since its pure Google.
I had the Evo 3D and liked it up to the point where I had lockups and tinny-sounding calls. I also experienced slowdowns and poor reception. When the Photon launched I checked it out, and decided to give it a try under the 30 day policy.
The build quality out of the box seemed better and the appearance was definitely more what I would expect from a top-end device. Once I booted up and began using it, I fell in love. The call quality is outstanding, speakerphone is excellent, battery life is great, and the screen is near-perfect.
It's obvious Motorola wants to be in the forefront of the portable device market once again. The Photon proves it.
I have not experienced any function issues at all with my MoPho. Smooth sailing here.
I came from the EVO4 where I kept getting low memory messages. EVO 3d has the same internal memory and I had no interest 3d. So far, I am exrememly happy with this phone. The build qulaity is superb. Its hard to put the phone down. I'm not so sure I would like thinner and lighter.....like Galaxy S2. The Photon gives you the feeling you have something. Believe me, the phone is not perfect. No phone is. But this is one of the best phones out there IMO. Do not hesitate one bit. Take the plunge.
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I was able to use both the Evo 3d and Photon side by side for about 12 days and went with the Photon. I really liked both phones but I liked the additional memory and, in my experience, better battery life and reception.
But, I would wait a few weeks and see what comes of the Samsung GS2. It looks like an awesome phone but I'm always leary of their update cycle.
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632627 said:
I enjoyed the epic due to the screen, but gps was worthless and bluetooth and wifi were inconsistent. I am worried that although the sg2 may have the best screen, there are going to be other problems with the samsung build quality.
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Click to collapse
I agree about GPS, Bluetooth, and Wifi on the Epic, and would add in overall call quality and consistency as the reason why I'm sticking with the Photon no matter what specs the SGSII has. The Epic pretty much convinced me not to get another Samsung phone.
So, given that the competition for the Photon over the next six months or so on Sprint will be the Evo 3D and the SGSII, I think the Photon is by far the better choice. Great call quality, best speakerphone I've had on a smartphone, great performance, love that my Tegra Zone games bought for my Asus Transformer will run on it, great screen for outdoor viewing (perfectly usable at noon in the SoCal sun), rock-solid GPS and Bluetooth, great car dock accessory, solid build quality, and good battery life.
Just a great phone.
Had one, and took it back because of the call problems. Now I'll wait to see the GS2, and will weigh against the Photon again (if they fix it). Until then, my Evo 4g continues to rock on.
How is the Motorola Photon 4G? I want to get one but wanted to know from any owner willing to tell me how they like it..
Thanks,
Josh Talltree
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
I would highly recommend newalker's review. When I got my Photon from a Motorola rep, I was a little skeptical, but I've been liking this phone more and more.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Buy it. Honestly it was this or "Epic 4g Touch" and I love my Photon. Or wait and get the Evo Design and have a 4 inch display, 5mp camera, single core snapdragon, and only 768mb of ram. And way less internal storage...
Sent from my Motorola Photon 4g
I posted a review of the Photon 4G on my website:
http://www.cdoubleop.com/post/8866866371/motorola-photon-4g-review
I had an epic then a nexus and now this and I love it battery life is amazing, radios are fast and powerful and screen is bright and crisp, plus the storage on this phone is crazy I have so many apps on this thing even all running and never have memory issues, love it get one don't bother waiting for the gs2 with the lower Res screen and worse camera and less storage. Take it from some one who knows samsungs, att the end off the day I guarantee it be like all other samsungs, glitchy, slow with software problems, and GPS issues and other radio issues all of their cdma phones have them. Get a photon cause once the bootloader gets unlocked and the gsm radios hacked this phone will be un stoppable. Oh yeah graphic capabilities are awesome btw.
Sent from my PHOTON using XDA App
If its anything like the atrix I highly recommend it. If it gets an unlocked bootloader. If you can't void your warranty on it, its just your average android phone.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
Its a pretty good phone but I think atrix better
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
Best phone sprint has out right now. Once we get an unlocked bootloader with 4g, this thing will be Beast
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
newalker91 said:
It does have an unlocked bootloader
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If the bootloader is unlocked then I would jump on it. It just came out so there is/will be a lot of effort put into developing for it. Plus it will probably at least get an ics update. That's not guaranteed, but it does help that Moto was just bought by google.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
i think it's sprint's best smartphone at the moment. at least til the epic touch 4g comes out sept 9.
for me signal strength and call quality are big factors. i've compared it to my friends' evo 3d and the evo 4g. in low signal strength areas - it routinely has more bars of signal strength than those phones. i've run speedtest's compared to those two phones as well. both evo's are peakier while the photon takes the steady and solid approach.
2200-2500 quadrant scores too with the photon. now if the epic touch 4g has great signal reception AND it's the more powerful phone (definitely) -- then i'll be the first to switch.
Did a little write up on both the 3D and Mo-Pho here:
https://androidgz.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/debating-on-an-evo-3d-or-photon-maybe-this-will-help/
Hope it helps!
Pew! Pew! Pew! From my Mo-Pho!
http://android-gz.com
Awesome and never read a more honest review.... Cheers I am getting the mo pho
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
adiallo77 said:
Its a pretty good phone but I think atrix better
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
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Photon is better because it is on Sprint.
Lmao. They're the same phone besides the screen size.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
abrcrmdl23 said:
the gs2 with the lower Res screen and worse camera and less storage.
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Click to collapse
Except that it doesn't have a worse camera or less storage. A quick Google search will prove that statement is absurd (hint, it's built into your phone - try it).
I just got my wife a Photon about a week or so ago, and it's a terrific phone. It's everything I was hoping the Evo 3d would be, but wasn't. Great signal, fast, good battery life, kickstand and great volume. The screen is just fine also.
Go play with one and you'll see for yourself.
Im not on sprint but being that the atrix and photon are similarly specced aside from both having Qhd screens but the photon screen is 4.3 inches. The photon should get excellent reception, gps, be fast overall, has good wifi reception and speed, super bright led backlit screen which should be turned down by the way to save battery, and I don't know what size battery it has but it should get great battery life still. Tegra games and heavy 3g downloading can and will suck juice fast so try to be plugged in for that. Is the speaker loud and clear also? It is by far the best mono speaker I have ever hears on the ATRIX. Nokia wins on stereo speakers though.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
The Photon is fast as hell, but no frills. Don't expect a whole lot of extra options; it just works well and works very quickly. Build quality is very good, although the back cover is awkward to detach. Battery life is also phenomenal, partially due to its RGBW screen.
Some people don't like the screen though, because the subpixel pattern is visible, especially at high brightness--to me images on the phone look halftoned, i.e. they look like newspaper images. I don't find that distracting, and I actually think it's kind of cool but some people can't stand it.
If you're a power user and you want to get the most out of this phone, you're going to need 3rd party apps. Fortunately, I already own a bunch from my previous Android phones. If you use a home screen replacement, one nice thing about MotoBlur is that its widgets are normal Android widgets, so they're compatible with most home screen replacements. The Photon is also super easy to root.
So overall, I recommend the Photon. However, I, myself, will probably be exchanging it for the Epic 4G Touch on Sept. 9, just because I think that phone still sounds like the best of the new pack.
I'm loving my photon coming from Evo 4G. The only way I'd dump it is Sprint getting the iphone 5.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
newalker91 said:
I hope you realize that you just stabbed us all in the heart. Such blasphemy you speak!
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I approve this message.
.: sent from Planet Photon:.
newalker91 said:
I hope you realize that you just stabbed us all in the heart. Such blasphemy you speak!
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Click to collapse
I'm neutral when it comes to ios vs android. I like the customization of android,but the apps and the UI is of much lower quality compared to ios,and the whole update thing is a crapshoot.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
Hi guys, I currently have photon which I do like. I I hate motoblur, and end up rooting it and removing sprint bloat, installing different launcher, sms app, keyboard as photons stock offering is very much lacking.
Now, I always love custom roms which makes phone snapper, and right now, photon doesn't really have much to offer as far as dev goes at all... Specially due to unlocking method which kills 4g and so much workaround required to get it working.
I have an opportunity to trade my photon in for an evo3d. As far as raw performance gods, which is better? Is tegra chip much better than the dual core in the evo? I know that with the evo there is much more development going on to say the least, but is the device pretty comparable performance wise? Isn't photons display a little richer? Even though both are qhd?
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Im going to give the best opinion before a battle breaks out. Go with whichever one your happier with. There both good phones.
Free Dirk!!!
The display on the EVO looks better in my opinion because if you look close at the photon it gets all colored its the pentile display. You will get mixed results about which phone has more raw power. The biggest differences are 3d vs global. The EVO also has an asynchronous processor and the photon doesn't. It's preference. Personally if I need my phone to last I can get a good 17 hours so I don't know if battery life is that important. But a lot of people saythat the photon is faster. I couldn't give you a verdict on that. They are both great phones.
boom!! from my shooter
knowledge561 said:
Im going to give the best opinion before a battle breaks out. Go with whichever one your happier with. There both good phones.
Free Dirk!!!
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Well said knowledge. I think we all know how this thread will end up.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
Could care less about gsm on the device, i like build quality of the evo, but I want something with better potential, performance, and display.
DJ1994 said:
The display on the EVO looks better in my opinion because if you look close at the photon it gets all colored its the pentile display. You will get mixed results about which phone has more raw power. The biggest differences are 3d vs global. The EVO also has an asynchronous processor and the photon doesn't. It's preference. Personally if I need my phone to last I can get a good 17 hours so I don't know if battery life is that important. But a lot of people saythat the photon is faster. I couldn't give you a verdict on that. They are both great phones.
boom!! from my shooter
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Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Funny that a thread with this same title got locked about a week ago. Compare development pages too. Your answer is clear.
afive720 said:
Could care less about gsm on the device, i like build quality of the evo, but I want something with better potential, performance, and display.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
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The display on the EVO is better. Again performance is a toss up. Ive seen very convincing results of the EVO heaving the more powerful processor but many people argue for the tegra two. You'll be pretty good either way.
boom!! from my shooter
ok?
phatmanxxl said:
Funny that a thread with this same title got locked about a week ago. Compare development pages too. Your answer is clear.
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+1 just compare development page.
Whichever one you have is the best
DJ1994 said:
The display on the EVO is better. Again performance is a toss up. Ive seen very convincing results of the EVO heaving the more powerful processor but many people argue for the tegra two. You'll be pretty good either way.
boom!! from my shooter
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As a owner of both.
Display: the 3D has a slightly crisper display but even with the brightness all the way down the Photon is still view-able in sunlight. Even with the brightness all the way up the 3D the screen is barely usable.
Battery: the Photon is heads and shoulders above the 3D. I'm a heavy user and was able to get more than a day worth of usage.
Radio: Photon wins here again. Locks and stays connected to 4G, 3G and voice signals much better than the 3D. The 3D would always drop connection on me whenever I tried downloading larger files.
Performance: Quadrant scores don't mean much but I consistently got around 2700 on the Photon running at stock speeds. The 3D only got 2200 max at stock speeds, the only time I got 2700-3000 I had to be overclocked at around 1.5Ghz. Remember the photon is only running at 1Ghz ( no overclocking available yet )
Sense vs. Blur: Sense adds a lot of apps and additional functionality but I do not use much if any of it, so for me it's just bloat. I prefer to replace rosie with Launcher Pro. The HTC gallery would never load my picasa album but the Photon's gallery loads my pics fine.
I never used the 3D functionality on the 3D but missed the kickstand on my OG Evo so the kickstand on the Photon is a welcome sight for sore eyes. The kickstand works in every orientation except upside down.
I travel over seas a lot so the gsm roaming is also a great addition.
Before either device launched the Photon was my original choice but being a gadget geek like most of you here, I caved and got the Evo 3D because it launched first.
There you have it, my summation of the features specs that are important for me.
five40 said:
As a owner of both.
Display: the 3D has a slightly crisper display but even with the brightness all the way down the Photon is still view-able in sunlight. Even with the brightness all the way up the 3D the screen is barely usable.
Battery: the Photon is heads and shoulders above the 3D. I'm a heavy user and was able to get more than a day worth of usage.
Radio: Photon wins here again. Locks and stays connected to 4G, 3G and voice signals much better than the 3D. The 3D would always drop connection on me whenever I tried downloading larger files.
Performance: Quadrant scores don't mean much but I consistently got around 2700 on the Photon running at stock speeds. The 3D only got 2200 max at stock speeds, the only time I got 2700-3000 I had to be overclocked at around 1.5Ghz. Remember the photon is only running at 1Ghz ( no overclocking available yet )
Sense vs. Blur: Sense adds a lot of apps and additional functionality but I do not use much if any of it, so for me it's just bloat. I prefer to replace rosie with Launcher Pro. The HTC gallery would never load my picasa album but the Photon's gallery loads my pics fine.
I never used the 3D functionality on the 3D but missed the kickstand on my OG Evo so the kickstand on the Photon is a welcome sight for sore eyes. The kickstand works in every orientation except upside down.
I travel over seas a lot so the gsm roaming is also a great addition.
Before either device launched the Photon was my original choice but being a gadget geek like most of you here, I caved and got the Evo 3D because it launched first.
There you have it, my summation of the features specs that are important for me.
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Nicely stated, if I wasn't getting the sgs2 next week, I'd grab a photon because of this. Lol
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Go with whichever phone meats ur needs!
Here's a screen cap of my battery usage
And I still have 30% to go.
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five40 said:
Go with whichever phone meats ur needs!
Here's a screen cap of my battery usage
And I still have 30% to go.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
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From that shot it looks as if you don't hardly use your phone at all.
Your phone idle is using twice the battery your screen is using.
felacio said:
From that shot it looks as if you don't hardly use your phone at all.
Your phone idle is using twice the battery your screen is using.
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He's also got 4g on. :|
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
Go with whichever phone meats ur needs!
Here's a screen cap of my battery usage
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felacio said:
From that shot it looks as if you don't hardly use your phone at all.
Your phone idle is using twice the battery your screen is using.
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Click to collapse
That's because I turn backlighting all the way down.
The screen is still bright enough.
I thought about it too. I switched to sprint from Verizon. I had a Droid x and decided to go with an evidence 3d. I had it over night and took it back and got a photon. It's way better than the evo. I'm not one for htc's sense stuff. The speaker is louder on the photon, camera seems better, and the phone is lite weight. I also like the trimmed edges
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Sprint is throwing all their money into marketing for the Evo 3D but the Photon is a better phone bar none. The Photon would be a beast if it had the dev support like the Evo 3D.
Even without the dev support the Photon is still better.
I'm rooted but the bootloader is still locked so no real modding/customization as yet.
I have 30 days to decide but I think my mind is already made up.
The Evo 3D almost made me switch to Verizon, that's how bad it's radio issues were for me.
five40 said:
Sprint is throwing all their money into marketing for the Evo 3D but the Photon is a better phone bar none. The Photon would be a beast if it had the dev support like the Evo 3D.
Even without the dev support the Photon is still better.
I'm rooted but the bootloader is still locked so no real modding/customization as yet.
I have 30 days to decide but I think my mind is already made up.
The Evo 3D almost made me switch to Verizon, that's how bad it's radio issues were for me.
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Wow, the issues you have or had make no sense. HTC radios are updated and improved more often and faster than any others I've seen. Price for the photon already droppped a hundred bucks at bestbuy. The only feature the photon has that I'm jelous of is the dock to t.v. control. Other than that laggy and and the too much plastic feel are overwhelming for such a high end phone.
And their off!!!!
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
Big day today source code released for our Photon, and SGS2 announced for Sprint. Coming out Sept. 16. So will you stick with the Photon, or switch to the SGS2 with it's big 4.52" screen? http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-outs-sprints-galaxy-s-ii-epic-4g-touch-ahead-tonights-event
I believe I'm staying with the Photon, that phone doesn't look very good to me. The Photon is a prized jewel when you take it out of the box. Very unique and the kernel was just released today so we are basically just starting. I believe in this phone and the devs we have here to unlock this thing proper and get us on some sick kernels!
-DJ
I love my photon but the extra screen on the sgs is appealing. Its going to be a hard choice.
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I thought about the sgs2 but god its ugly and Samsung as a company is entirely too unreliable when it comes to phone support
Sent from my PHOTON blaster!
I'm loving my MoPho! Although the SGSII does look appealing. i might have to test it out before my 30 days are up.
sgs2 is the way to go! sAMOLED plus ftw.
No way! I love the Photon! Had it for a month and still growing on me. I love the build of the mopho and don't think sgs2 can beat it even if it is thinner.
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My upgrade day is Thursday, I plan to go Photon and barring major failures I don't plan to take it back for the new epic. Reasons being Samsung is happy to sell you a phone and never support it. While amoled screens look great the resolution of the epic t4gs combined with the 4.5 size isn't a good combo. Samsung also typically has weaker radios, they sure are on my Epic. The masses will flock to it though then when the next big phone comes out the epic t4g will be considered crap.
love AMOLED but still no word on processor yet. I am gonna stick with the photon.
I feel the same way. Love the Photon and the dock! The Epic 4g touch will have to be a real beast to make me leave. The Epic 4g still doesn't have official gingerbread release. And the radios on the Photon are great!
My 30-day return period ended yesterday, and I'm plenty happy I stayed with the Photon. 800X480 resolution on a 4.5" screen doesn't appeal--I've always thought 4.0" was the sweet spot in screen size, with 4.3" being the upper limit for me. I'd certainly not want an even bigger screen with lower resolution, no matter the tech. And I'm one who really likes the sunlight visibility of the Photon's screen as well as the great battery performance.
As far as performance goes, yes, the Samsung chip is a little faster in general computing, but the Tegra 2 is still plenty quick and is better for gaming. The Photon is plenty fast for me, so I can't imagine a phone needing to be _faster_. And I love how the Photon is built--solid and attractive. The kickstand has really turned into a plus for me as well.
The only thing the SGSII has going for it as far as I can see is that dual-pane email client, and Google Talk with video. But, I've had Google Talk with video on my Transformer for months now and have yet to use it. And email on the Photon is fine. So, nothing lost there.
No, I'll take the outstanding phone quality, excellent GPS and Bluetooth, awesome car dock, and Motorola's better update history of the Photon over a bigger, lower-resolution screen and slightly faster processor. If I had found my Epic to be just spectacular in these areas, maybe I'd feel different, but of course I didn't. Quite the contrary.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
tuxytuxy said:
sgs2 is the way to go! sAMOLED plus ftw.
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I truly think it is funny when people decide on a phone because of its screen. Makes me smile. lol Is that because when people can't afford their bill they just use it as a pretty clock?
-DJ
scoobdude said:
love AMOLED but still no word on processor yet. I am gonna stick with the photon.
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Exynos 1.2 dual core. http://newsroom.sprint.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-epic-4g-touch-fact-sheet.htm
scoobdude said:
love AMOLED but still no word on processor yet. I am gonna stick with the photon.
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Click to collapse
The specs came out today, Samsung Exynos 1.2GHz dual-core processor.
I asked myself what I didn't like about my photon and the only thing I could think of was developer support but now with the kernel source released, here's hoping that negative turns into a positive.
Plus I rely on gps and samsung phones are horrendous when it cones to gps as well as updates....sgs2 will be on 2.3.4 for 2 years....
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Djspinister said:
I truly think it is funny when people decide on a phone because of its screen. Makes me smile. lol Is that because when people can't afford their bill they just use it as a pretty clock?
-DJ
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Click to collapse
It's thinner and lighter with the same specs as the photon. It will probably have the same battery life as the photon. It has a better screen (tell me you haven't once been annoyed by PenTile on the photon).
what more do you want? I mean, you obviously don't dive in to it when it comes out. you bait others, wait for reviews and then decide.
tuxytuxy said:
It's thinner and lighter with the same specs as the photon. It will probably have the same battery life as the photon. It has a better screen (tell me you haven't once been annoyed by PenTile on the photon).
what more do you want? I mean, you obviously don't dive in to it when it comes out. you bait others, wait for reviews and then decide.
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Click to collapse
I don't see how it will have the same battery life. The pentile screen on the Photon is why the MoPho has good life, the sgs2 has a larger samoled plus which may look better (possibly debatable based on the resolution) but wll drink more juice.
Battery life is nice, but not a huge decider unless one phone's is dismal.
Djspinister said:
I truly think it is funny when people decide on a phone because of its screen. Makes me smile. lol Is that because when people can't afford their bill they just use it as a pretty clock?
-DJ
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Click to collapse
as far as i am concerned the screen is one of its features..
im guessing teh same goes for the photon? when you cant pay your bill you just use webtop mode?
anyways i know the sgs2 will be a more powerful phone, and the photon will be overlooked between it and teh evo3d. even still tho my photon is on its way, there will be many things i miss about my nexus but im hoping ill get over it soon enough
oh and fyi to anyoen that thinks teh tegra 2 platform is better for gaming
::cough:: http://www.glbenchmark.com/compare....PH-D700 Epic 4G&D4=Samsung GT-i9100 Galaxy S2
>_>
just sayin....
Sidewinder7 said:
I don't see how it will have the same battery life. The pentile screen on the Photon is why the MoPho has good life, the sgs2 has a larger samoled plus which may look better (possibly debatable based on the resolution) but wll drink more juice.
Battery life is nice, but not a huge decider unless one phone's is dismal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sgs2 for Sprint is sporting an 1800 mAh battery.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Will the Sprint SGS2 have a kickstand?
So i have an epic touch 4g , and i was thinking of picking up the photon tomorrow because the epic is f***ing massive and plastic. But the samoled is beautiful and it is smooth as butter.
So I figured i would ask some owners of the device for some honest thoughts on if it would be a good switch .
Thanks
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
I can't tell *much* of a difference between my photon screen and my epic screen. Choice is yours in the end, but ultimately I couldn't give Samsung more money after the fail in terms of software and support of the Epic.
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sgtmedeiros said:
So i have an epic touch 4g , and i was thinking of picking up the photon tomorrow because the epic is f***ing massive and plastic. But the samoled is beautiful and it is smooth as butter.
So I figured i would ask some owners of the device for some honest thoughts on if it would be a good switch .
Thanks
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Well, I have had the Epic 4g and I do REALLY miss the Super AMOLED screen because it is brighter and a bit clearer than my Photon screen. I have not looked at the Epic Touch in person, however, I have been getting AT LEAST a full day with moderate to heavy use before I have to plug in my Photon. I don't know how your battery is lasting you on that, but I am not disappointed with my Photon AT ALL!
The best thing I can suggest is go to either google and check the specs of each phone, or I go to www.phonescoop.com to find the specs of the phones that I look at getting.
In the end it is up to you and what you want your phone to do.
Good luck.
I love my Photon. But there is no right phone for everyone. What it comes down to is what works for you. I thought that i would want to switch to the epic touch, but i am really happy with the Photon. It has the best signal I have had with Sprint. I use the internet alot, and with other phones there were places that it was to slow to use. The Photon doesn't have the development that other phones have, but a phone must be a phone first in my opinion.
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The samoled+ is gorgeous but it feels big and cheap.
The photon handles better in hand but im concerned ghost blur will make my phone lag out like crazy like the atrix .
Also the fact they use the pentile display.
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Well, I had an Epic Touch 4G for two weeks, and returned it. Not because I wasn't happy, I loved the device, but because the money was better used buying credits and working towards graduation.
That being said, the Epic 4G had great battery life for me, although it seems some on the forums have had an issue with this. I could easily get through a 12 hour work day and arrive home with 40% of my battery left and that's on moderate usage.
The radios on the ET worked pretty well for me also. Again, some people on the forums have reported otherwise. All in all, very comparable to the Epic before it. However, the device was quick to drop 4G at times.
The screen...well, it's great. I don't have the expectation that the Photon screen is in anyway going to compare, but, then again, I hear the ET's radios don't compare to those found on the Photon.
The ET is smooth as butter, it has some really cool features packed in, like a Font Switcher, that really should have been addressed by the Vanilla OS by now, in my opinion. Call quality was exceptional and all in all I don't expect the Photon to really outclass the ET in anyway.
Those are my honest interpretations of one side of that coin. Give me another two weeks, and I shall complete my thoughts.
I agree with sgtmedeiros on the signal aspect as well. The Samsung Epic 4g I had maintained good signal strength, but this phone can hold on to signal even better than the Epic could ever. A phone should be a phone first in my book as well, and what phone is a true phone if it cannot keep a decent cell signal?
If you have the money and wanna try it, then go for it. I do not believe you will be disappointed.
I'll make it real simple:
If your into rooting, modding, flashing ROMs and what the newest of the new, keep the ET4g
If your fine with stock w/root and just want a powerful, high quality and the most reliable android phone on sprint, get the photon.
I had the Nexus S before the Photon and I always had terrible signal and dropped calls. No matter how nice the screen is, I need a phone first and foremost. Plus the Photon's screen with the brightness turned all the way up isn't so bad.
jeffy2walgreens said:
I had the Nexus S before the Photon and I always had terrible signal and dropped calls. No matter how nice the screen is, I need a phone first and foremost. Plus the Photon's screen with the brightness turned all the way up isn't so bad.
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Click to collapse
True. And that's how I feel. Plus I'm excited to get back to the legendary build quality of Moto.
I've read so much praising the radio of this phone, are any of your data speeds actually faster?
Both phones are to a point where custom Roms aren't even necessary any more unless there are cool little things to add in that carriers took out.
The main issue for me will be the screen because the samoled+ is so color rich. But then again the photon is sharper.
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Both phones are quality and they have their own best
At the bottom line usually I'm concern on video recording and get early latest software so Motorola photon is best for me
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just say no to samsung. you will be happier
Epic touch does not record video in stereo, but has 1080p, photon does, but only in 720p.
Both are excellent phones. You cannot go wrong with EITHER phone so it really just comes down to what YOU prefer. I currently have the Epic 4G Touch and did have a Photon for a month. Both phones have pros and cons. The Photon has a better radio. You get a stronger signal by far but honestly have not had any issues with the Samsung as far as getting a signal when I need it. The Photon has well documented issues with no audio on calls and random reboots. I am staying with the Samsung because I like the look and feel plus how slim it is.
I will say that more people have commented on the phone than with any other phone I have ever owned.
I personally have both phones and even though the e4gt is a really nice device and they did a nice job with the new touch wiz, and the screen colors and camera ate great I find that overall I like my photon better. The feel in my hand, Tegra zone, radio strength and speed and I do like the photon screen while not as great as the amoled plus the higher resolution is what does it for me. I do also use the webtop dock and dedicated car dock and those accesories really trend to seal the deal for me since the e4gt doesn't have them. Both are great phones and it really just comes down to personal preference.
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I ended up getting the photon, thank you guys for the little push over the fence, so glad i did!
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I tried both phones. The Epic touch is a richer multimedia experience. The web pages are buttery smooth and online video streaming is a higher quality. I did notice however that on basic web pages (full and mobile sites) with both phones in 4g that photon did loaded most pages faster. Both devices are fast and packed with features. The epic touch has a better looking and larger(slightly) screen. The photon feels better in my hands. One key selling point is that the photon hands down has better call quality and radio quality. I manage a roast beef shop, but I also sale turkey, chicken, ham, shakes, fries etc... but my business is roast beef first. After all the bells and whistles a phone needs to be able to do phone stuff like clear call quality. That being said, to me the photon is the better device.
I was going thru the same thing and decided to keep my photon due to reliability.
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I have a Photon, but played a lot with the Samsung. Kept the Photon. Comments:
Samsung
- Colors are over saturated - they do 'pop', but they are not accurate
- Not as big as I thought it would be - size not an issue
- Screen low resolution was the show-stopper for me; a larger screen but lower resolution? What were they thinking.
- Build too light, flimsy and plasticy
Photon
- GSM SIM a big plus to me since I travel overseas
- Photon screen is brighter and whiter
- Screen much better outside
- I keep the screen turned down to 15-20% (too bright otherwise) - battery life is awesome
- USB charging port on the wrong side - makes the kickstand useless
- Awesome radio - haven't dropped a call yet
Tried network bandwidth in the store with both phones - Photon loaded first 75% of the time
But, you know, if the Samsung had a larger qHD screen, might have gone with it!