Hello everyone, this is my first post and I'm happy to finally become a member of this community after shedding my buggy LG touchscreen phone.
I got this Amaze 4g on Monday at the T-Mobile store since they had very limited phone stock and the sales reps highly recommended it since they had dropped its price to the same as the SGS2. This is my first smartphone but I'm now disappointed to find out that the Galaxy S2 has much more dev support and is a bit better for gaming and power-using. I keep seeing youtube videos that hail the Amaze 4g as the winner in most if not all head to head reviews.
I'm now contemplating returning this for a Galaxy S2 since gaming is a big part of my spare time, but I'd have to pay a damn $50 restocking fee. Is the Galaxy S2 that much better to justify paying the $50? Am I really missing a lot?
I would love to hear more from gamers using the Amaze 4g. Most reviews of heavy games on the Market like Modern Combat 3 and Dead Space have reviews of SGS2 users, and I could find no Amaze 4g users among the reviews. I'm not really much of a picture taker, so the camera on the Amaze isn't something I would miss too much. I'm not looking to start a flame war or anything of the sort. I just want to make sure that I have a capable phone to play these games before I buy them.
They have the same processor so gaming shouldn't be too different performance wise.
The reason your seeing more reviews for the galaxy s 2 is because the gs2 is a more popular phone world wide compared to the amaze.
I work for tmobile and the most popular phone people ask for is the gs2, maybe due to proper ads by Samsung where HTC kinda stopped with advertising their flagship phones since they roll out a new one every month.
So don't worry, u got urself an amazing phone!
Sent From My HTC Amaze
howhi50 said:
They have the same processor so gaming shouldn't be too different performance wise.
The reason your seeing more reviews for the galaxy s 2 is because the gs2 is a more popular phone world wide compared to the amaze.
I work for tmobile and the most popular phone people ask for is the gs2, maybe due to proper ads by Samsung where HTC kinda stopped with advertising their flagship phones since they roll out a new one every month.
So don't worry, u got urself an amazing phone!
Sent From My HTC Amaze
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Click to collapse
Hey.. leak out some kernels and phone info so we can grow the development...
Just stick a usb in.. copy, paste, and no one will ever know.
Just get a Galaxy S2 and feel good about it.
It's your choice not mine and if you don't feel like just get a right one for you.
You are stuck with this phone for Maximum 2 years.
Get a phone you want to use for 2 years.
I am a bit of a heavy user on my phone when it comes to games, all i use my phone for is games, facebook, text, and some other things xD haha. that said, i havent recieved my Amaze yet BUT i played Deadspace and Eternal Legacy (big game, over 1GB) on my Sensation and they ran butter smooth. now with the CPU underclocked and less RAM it would obviously not run as smooth as the Amaze.. the sgs ii will run just as smooth as the amaze in games. they have the same CPU/GPU/amount of RAM.
I'll vouch for this, I had the SGSII for a week and I hated every minute of it...the resolution is lower even though its a amoled screen, I don't think the colors are even that much better to be honest, the blacks are just darker, thats all.....I hated everything about it, the camera, how big it was, how big everything on it was...I did a direct sunlight test, and HTC IS better even though they advertise that super amoled is better, its BS. it has more dev support becauses samsung doesn't put as much restrictions on their phones as HTC does. That's the reason.
Camera is immensly better on the HTC. I absolutely hate Touchwiz, where as Sense seems much better.
Its ultimately your choice
Just to be clear when you're talking GS2 are you talking the GS2X with the Snapdragon or S2 with Samsung's more powerful Exynos processor?
Either way the Amaze has the upper hand in terms of resolution and Camera, keyboard if you're using stock Sense keyboard vs TouchWiz IMO. Game play goes to the Amaze if you're comparing Snapdragon's but if you're looking at the Exynos I'd give gaming to Sammy.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Love my Amaze, although I don't like the feel in my hand. My hands aren't that big so the curved back makes it difficult to hold it tightly.
Actually wished it was squared off more, like the SGS2, but it's a minor issue.
Held the DROID RAZR and that thing holds very nicely, but no removable battery (and not being on T-Mobile) kills it for me.
Overall, very satisfied with my Amaze, although it took installing LauncherPro & disabling a bunch of preinstalled apps using ADB using ZergRush 1-Click Temp Root.
I love the amaze as well.
Did a lot of researching before picking one up, but so far it's been worth it (other than battery life, and possible video recording issues.). Got a nice score of 1057 on Vellamo, so I'm plenty happy about performance. In terms of hardware specs, it's pretty much one of the high end ones, with a balance of storage and features. (Unlike a couple of other options out there.)
Hasn't locked up/random reboot on me yet!
Of course, I came from the Motorola xt720 (extremely buggy at times), which was my first android device. So my experience isn't as great as some others.
Currently on stock ROM, but it's unlocked and rooted. Just waiting for a nice stable ICS build to come along!
I came from an SGS1 and I loved that phone, especially since it had so much development. To be completely honest, if WIND Mobile had the SGS2, not a single doubt in my mind that I would've gotten that handset instead of the Amaze, simply because the SGS2 is leaps and bounds ahead of the Amaze in terms of custom ROMs and whatnot.
That being said, I still love my Amaze because it is by no means a bad phone. It's just a lot newer than the SGS2 and it's a shame that HTC is making it harder for developers to get into coding for the Amaze.
I love HTC I guess you could say I'm a fanboy so take this with a grain of salt. My friend has the Samsung C(r)aptivate and my mom the Samsung Galaxy Tab (1st gen), and when ever I upgrade either one I f**k it up in some way or another, because for some reason I always have to go back to stock before I do anything but having an HTC I forget this. I don't know about the SGSII since I've never rooted/flashed one but I love my HTC Amaze it should be better than the SGSII by a bit since it is clocked faster stock, however SGSII have an accelerated internet browser so it is a bit faster in web browsing. So all in all it is looks, feel and preference. I love the heft of this phone and the way it feels in my hand, Sense is the best interface other than AOSP although it is a bit heavy, IMO TouchWiz is garbage. So they are pretty damn similar phone (unless it is the SGSII Hercules which is exactly the same). As mentioned before Samsung has better development since it is a joke to root it and have no Nand lock etc...
WikusVanDeMerwe said:
Hello everyone, this is my first post and I'm happy to finally become a member of this community after shedding my buggy LG touchscreen phone.
I got this Amaze 4g on Monday at the T-Mobile store since they had very limited phone stock and the sales reps highly recommended it since they had dropped its price to the same as the SGS2. This is my first smartphone but I'm now disappointed to find out that the Galaxy S2 has much more dev support and is a bit better for gaming and power-using. I keep seeing youtube videos that hail the Amaze 4g as the winner in most if not all head to head reviews.
I'm now contemplating returning this for a Galaxy S2 since gaming is a big part of my spare time, but I'd have to pay a damn $50 restocking fee. Is the Galaxy S2 that much better to justify paying the $50? Am I really missing a lot?
I would love to hear more from gamers using the Amaze 4g. Most reviews of heavy games on the Market like Modern Combat 3 and Dead Space have reviews of SGS2 users, and I could find no Amaze 4g users among the reviews. I'm not really much of a picture taker, so the camera on the Amaze isn't something I would miss too much. I'm not looking to start a flame war or anything of the sort. I just want to make sure that I have a capable phone to play these games before I buy them.
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Click to collapse
My 2cents worth, the Amaze has only been out a few months, the Devs are working on it, so custom roms are slow coming out. Personally I really like the Amaze, and have never had a Sammy, so can't say on that. Finally it's all up to you and your preferences.
You my good sir did not mess up... The amaze is waaaayyyyyy better than that sgs2. First, just look at how the amaze is made compared to the same old plastic on the sgs. Second, the camera, don't even get me started, this phone has the best camera I've ever owned to be honest, I don't buy expensive cameras, infact I've only owned one camera. Third, there is more developement on sgs2 because its pretty obvious, Samsung has managed to put their galaxy line in the mainstream, popular enough to be competing head on with the iPhone. And remember that HTC doesn't release their phones the same way everytime, they change how their phones are made every few models, take a look at the sgs line and its pretty much the same. Also the amaze has a qhd screen, the sgs has has a 480p screen if I'm not mistaken, and when I look at the sgs it looks all pixaleted if you know what I mean. And finally, the dev here is still in its baby steps, its all about patience.
And as for gaming, my experience has been great, I've been playing gta3 with no fcs no lag, I've also played asphalt 6 and worked awesome.
Sent from my HTC Amaze 4G using xda premium
Plus, the Amaze is one of the few to receive the ICS update (hopefully this month). And once that drops, I believe development for the Amaze will pick up substantially.
Sent from my HTC Desire Z using xda premium
someone mentioned that the gs2 has lower clock speed, i think for the original one.. yes. but the tmobile hercules t989 it has the same clock speed.
anyways, there's too much exaggeration that the tmobile gs2 development is light years ahead of us. they do have a few devs, but they're not light years ahead of us. a lot of their devs are leaving, and its mostly just tweaked touchwiz, like how ours is tweaked sense. Yeah there are some asop roms, but don't think by having a gs2, you'll be flashing roms like crazy.. because you're not (yet).
I've had the amaze for 2 months before switching over to the gs2. Don't get me wrong, the amaze is a beautiful and fast phone with the better camera... much better. The only thing that bothered me is the battery life. the battery life is simply okay.. this could be fixed by running something other than sense or having a spare or two (one should be enough). but yes sense kills the battery. if it wasn't for the battery life, i would still be using the amaze.
listen to everyone else about the screen. the washed out screen isn't as bad as it sounds. you won't notice it at all when playing games. i played games on both phones. the amaze will give you more details and it will pop out more with more accurate colors. like i said on one of my breakdowns of the two phones.. if you're a gamer, you would want to go with the amaze simply because the games look better. functionality is the same for both phones. You're gonna kill your battery playing games on either so buy a spare anker and you're good to go.
As far as gaming the amaze is pretty bad as far as touch screen compared to the SGS2. i noticed this on few games that my buddy at work(who has t-mo sgs2) informed me about where multi touch gets faulty the more you play or longer you go with out rebooting you phone. This is not the case on his galaxy.
few games that come to mind are jelly defense, jet car stunts, flick golf, also on GTA3.
Well, I'm happy to hear more people have been gaming on the Amaze 4g. I've downloaded Zenonia 3 and Dead on Arrival and they make my phone's left side of the screen really hot. Yesterday whenever I would quit Zenonia 3 and go to the Task Manager, the phone would lock up and do a restart. It did this consistently 3 times! On the last time it switched off the mobile network by itself which was very frustrating.
I find the Amaze to be a bit laggy when navigating menus, especially regarding the touch-screen's feedback. I have yet to take a pictture with this greaest of cameras. Can Sesnse be removed? I just would love to know if this will get better but it is more of a gamble than anything. I hope when ICS comes out things get better. If the T-Mobile store doesn't get a SGS2 by next monday I'll have to stick with the Amaze.
Thank you all so much for the comments and advice.
I did a lot of soul searching when I was deciding on SG2 or Amaze.
What I like in the Amaze:
1) Camera buttons
2) Notification Light
3) Better form factor, SG2 feels too wide and square (personal preference)
4) Higher resolution
5) Solid/higher quality build perception
What I like from SG2 is:
1) AMOLED screen
2) Better battery life out of the box
3) Better benchmarks (bragging rights but doesn't translate into better everyday use)
4) Lighter feel
5) Better brand recognition
I initially ended up with the Amaze because they were out of SG2. I don't regret it after comparing it with two of my friends with SG2. I can still return the Amaze but I guess I'll keep it. The only thing I hate so far with the Amaze is the softkeys light bleeds onto the screen. Battery life so much better after I rooted and custom rom.
You guys shouldn't regret having the amaze, I am not happy with the sgs2. I use to have an amaze I really miss my amaze its impossible to get use to this stupid resolution. More devs don't matter when the roms aren't up to quality a lot of them haven't been updated in a long time. Juggernaut is the best so far IMO but the amaze feel is better x makes quality roms. No notification light is annoying to now I have to use bln.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
ebatr8 said:
You guys shouldn't regret having the amaze, I am not happy with the sgs2. I use to have an amaze I really miss my amaze its impossible to get use to this stupid resolution. More devs don't matter when the roms aren't up to quality a lot of them haven't been updated in a long time. Juggernaut is the best so far IMO but the amaze feel is better x makes quality roms. No notification light is annoying to now I have to use bln.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
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agreed with every point. the amaze community is much better imho... that explains why we're still over here lol. I would most likely be back to the amaze in a little bit.
Related
Hi, Evos!
Coming from a Galaxy S2 (verdict: terrible) I now own a HTC Sensation, which I am very happy with - I think it is a truly great phone, I even like the stock software (although I prefer ADW Launcher EX to Sense), and especially love the form factor and ergonomics of the phone. Battery life is pretty "sensational" as well (with HTC Sense-sync disabled, but everything else, like push-mail or IM clients, as-is).
Unfortunately, I seem to have bad luck as my phones display has gotten defective - my merchant would either allow me to replace the phone or get a full refund. Choosing the refund would allow me to wait for the HTC Evo 3D GSM-release, which is very soon.
So my questions are: How is day-to-day with the Evo 3D? Judging from the pictures, I am a bit worried about the phone feeling bulky compared to the Sensation (which has a much more round contour). What are the expectations for the developer-scene? The Evo 3D seems to have more interested programmers behind it than the Sensation.
I would love to hear your impressions! I am especially interested in hearing opinions of XDA users who own both phones, or have had access to both phones. Thanks!
i have not played with the Sensation but I was surprised at how the phone feels in my hand, which is very nice. It has good weight but doesn't feel bulky. I came from the HeroC and was a little worried going from one that was small to one that was so big. But I have barely even noticed. As for day to day usage, I think it works great. I haven't had battery problems unless i sit and play some big game for a couple of hours.
It's great, size wise: the EVO 3D is chunkier (The version Europe will get could be thinner, our CDMA powered phones tend to be thinker, also battery life on your EVO will be better than ours & your Sensation, as it packs a bigger battery. The Sensation feels better in the hand but the EVO 3D isn't uncomfortable at all, its better in the hand than the EVO 4G was.
We have fewer hardware issues & our software issues were addressed fast, it could be HTC or Sprint, I'm not sure but updates have been pretty swift.
Again this could vary with the EUR EVO 3D.
The Developer scene is good, some minor things may be interchangeable now but once the bootloaders come loose, ROMs won't be interchangable with this section.
Thats not to say you won't get great development when it lands. Its a waiting game as it stands.
You'll like the dedicated camera button, bigger battery, the 3D, the Extra ram & the slightly better processor.
Vondafone should be the 1st to get it I think. An unlocked one should come later if you're gonna stay on Austria Telecom.
I so far love it. Feels good in my hand very solid feel. the haptic touch is very tight and screen is responsive to everything.
What was the downfalls of the Galaxy 2 since most sites are trying to say its a step up from the EVO 3d/Sensation.
PartyMango said:
Hi, Evos!
Coming from a Galaxy S2 (verdict: terrible) I now own a HTC Sensation, which I am very happy with - I think it is a truly great phone, I even like the stock software (although I prefer ADW Launcher EX to Sense), and especially love the form factor and ergonomics of the phone. Battery life is pretty "sensational" as well (with HTC Sense-sync disabled, but everything else, like push-mail or IM clients, as-is).
Unfortunately, I seem to have bad luck as my phones display has gotten defective - my merchant would either allow me to replace the phone or get a full refund. Choosing the refund would allow me to wait for the HTC Evo 3D GSM-release, which is very soon.
So my questions are: How is day-to-day with the Evo 3D? Judging from the pictures, I am a bit worried about the phone feeling bulky compared to the Sensation (which has a much more round contour). What are the expectations for the developer-scene? The Evo 3D seems to have more interested programmers behind it than the Sensation.
I would love to hear your impressions! I am especially interested in hearing opinions of XDA users who own both phones, or have had access to both phones. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't mind me asking (and not to stir the topic off course), why did you rate the SGS2 as terrible? I would appreciate the feedback.
I currently own the evo 3d, it is a great phone. Feels great, runs FAST, and the battery life is great for myself. You can't go wrong with it. The extra ram compared to the sensation is nice as well.
Thanks for all your responses so far, I really appreciate the feedback! I am strongly considering waiting for the Evo 3D, I think I may be able to bear the Nexus One for a few more weeks - it seems so tiny now
u921333 said:
What was the downfalls of the Galaxy 2 since most sites are trying to say its a step up from the EVO 3d/Sensation.
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BlueGoldAce said:
If you don't mind me asking (and not to stir the topic off course), why did you rate the SGS2 as terrible? I would appreciate the feedback.
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Click to collapse
I think the Samsung Galaxy S2 has quite a few very significant downfalls/design problems. While in theory a great phone (fast, very thin design) these did push my decision to buying a Sensation:
low display resolution: 800x480 is no longer enough for me - fonts get much crisper and more readable with qHD, websites display a much larger area, list views are better. The Sensations/Evo 3Ds higher resolution makes all the difference, improves the quality by a lot.
extreme colour banding: The S2s display shows an extreme amount of colour banding, apparent in almost all applications. Better black levels aren't worth such atrocious colour reproduction.
uncomfortable ergonomics: Yes, the design is very slim, but that comes at a price: The thin edges make the phone pretty uncomfortable to hold, long calls are awkward due to the sharp upper edge, very close to the speaker. The hand-feeling is very off, compared to the cushy Sensation.
TouchWiz is absolutely terrible: What Samsung did to Android is extremely sad - their launcher apes the iPhones launcher, including all of its faults (no sorting of apps by alphabet, unelegant). The TouchWiz stock-android-replacements (calendar, email, music) are all of atrocious quality, including glaring bugs or featuring terrible usability.
I cannot speak to the GS2, but coming from the Epic to the EVO 3D, I have a thought.
It seems that samsung makes some really great hardware, but their software/support is minimal at best.
HTC in comparison seems to have much stronger support in terms of apps, widgets, and just overall Android enhancement. Not only was touch wiz anemic as far as features go, but it seemed to lock out any other customization.
For example, i couldn't find any sort of lock screen app/widget/customization that would replace the stock locker. instead, it sorta came either before or after the samsung lock. The Epic just seemed hard to tweak/customize, and they offered no worthwhile widgets or apps of their own. Stock Clock? Weather Clock? The froyo update finally allowed some sort of location-aware weather, but that was barely functional at best.
It also appeared that, while samsung, on the surface, had the better hardware, the OS and apps did not seem to take proper advantage of the better CPU/GPU setup. Now, I did try the leaked gingerbread, and it was a significant improvement. However, there were stability issues that kept me away. Plus, i had no faith that the Epic would continue to get support and upgrades. I think that Samsung/Sprint would rather push the new hardware rather than risk cannibalizing new sales by upgrading previous products.
So, overall, samsung/sprint have left me very skeptical of any future purchases, not because of quality or hardware, but because of the policies and behavior of the manufacturer.
By the way, while this appears to be off topic, I should mention that I currently have an EVO 3D, which makes the epic look like an unpolished toy at best. And I think the Epic is great, but totally mismanaged/underutilized.
Well I think the gs2 is a nice phone.
However I both chose and love my EVO3d because...
I started android day 1 with g1. It was a work horse. Everything worked.
Eventually I went to the Samsung Vibrant. The damn phone had a great screen. But never worked right.
It never got updates. Took forever.
Moved on to the g2x. It had potential. But my phone would heat up to the point I had to take it out of my pocket. Once in a meeting and luckily my boss was willing to hear me out and felt it. She just said damn. You need to get exchanged.
My wife could not get hers to switch from data to WiFi . No matter the amount of resets. Ever.
Tmobile sent refurbished phones. The phones were 18 days owned. they tried to replace brand new 18 days owned purchased full out phones with refurbs.
We left to Sprint and got the EVO3d.
Mine is all love and good. Hers has a signal issue. Hers has to be returned.
We have issues. We went through wirefly. They need 250 to return a phone. Then they refund. We can't afford that. 4 kids.
So I'm worried wirefly just sold me a defective phone and I won't be able to get a working EVO
Sprint says hers has never connected right to the network. It doesn't stay connected.
It's a defective unit.
If it wasn't for that we would be as satisfied as we were with our g1's.
The phone is great.
I've played a plenty with the sensation. Pretty much the same. But when you power up the sensation its smooth for a little. The you open the internet. Or xda. It keeps that running in the background cache.
Then you see that jittery effect.
The EVO3d does not suffer the jitter type problem. Ever. It is just smooth.
Honest.
3d movies. Wow.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App
Another Galaxy negative: As someone who always carries a spare battery and therefore exchanges it regularly (when needed), the flimsy SGS2 back cover was pretty unnerving to me - especially combined with the much worse battery life I experienced with that phone, compared to the Sensations pretty excellent runtime.
Noiro said:
Vodafone should be the 1st to get it I think. An unlocked one should come later if you're gonna stay on Austria Telecom.
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I am not all that exalted about HTCs decision to have a one-month Vodafone/A1/Swisscom exclusivity period before the unlocked release. But I will probably wait the wait for the SIM-free option.
Okay, trying to find out all of the relevant things about this phone is a lot more difficult that it sounds, getting some real world experiences from the XDA community makes more sense. I am coming from a Samsung Vibrant, a device still without 2.3 from the manufacturer, that has always had pretty bad GPS, and leaves a lot to be desired..
Feel free to offer any of the positives/negatives you've found switching from your old device, compare, contrast.. anything goes. A few of my specific questions:
Battery life? Under heavy use, not just because you have a million apps with notifications every 5 minutes..
The ease of rooting and recovering if something goes wrong? I've never came close to bricking my old phone, but we have software we can flash(odin) the original software with in download mode-- does this phone have protections like that?
Development and community support? I've never owned an HTC, so I am wondering if they are better about updating devices? Does the dev community here have difficulty getting drivers and such to create new roms(or upgrade to ICS)?
Think about the concerns you had before you upgraded to this phone(for those who actually think things out, not the "oh, shiney!" crowd), did this phone fill your expectations, is there another phone you wish you had bought(or one coming out you would hold out for) that works with T-mobile?
The only thing this phone seems to be missing is NFC, and I'm unsure about how the screen quality is versus my amoled galaxy S. The only other phone I'd consider that is out now is the S II, but something about it leaves me underwhelmed..
Please, be positive, no flaming, no telling me I should spend hours/days using search to find outdated answers to my questions- this has the potential to help other people considering the device!
Silentbtdeadly said:
Okay, trying to find out all of the relevant things about this phone is a lot more difficult that it sounds, getting some real world experiences from the XDA community makes more sense. I am coming from a Samsung Vibrant, a device still without 2.3 from the manufacturer, that has always had pretty bad GPS, and leaves a lot to be desired..
Feel free to offer any of the positives/negatives you've found switching from your old device, compare, contrast.. anything goes. A few of my specific questions:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my signature. This phone suits my needs. The others have been good for what I needed them for (Sensation: similar but the Amaze has better everything; more RAM, better backlit illuminated camera, 2mp front camera, NFC, dedicated video/camera button), (Galaxy Note: has everything I needed, but camera was slightly slower and I have Tmobile and I couldn't handle the EDGE data only) I don't regret getting the Amaze. It is slightly heavier and thicker than the Sensation, but its solid.
Silentbtdeadly said:
Battery life? Under heavy use, not just because you have a million apps with notifications every 5 minutes..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is not that great if you are a power user. I have 3 batteries and it gets me through the day. I usually do not need to use the 3rd battery. I use the phone for practically everything. Gaming: Shadowgun 30mins-45mins, texting: 30-50 msg, Netflix streaming: Yo Gabba Gabba 30mins, Music playing via bluetooth headphone 1hr at the gym, phone calls via car bluetooth for 30mins, regular phone calls 30mins-1hr, surfing the web 20-40mins, xda forum for 30-40mins. With all those things, I use 2 batteries. If I cut the activities in half, I can use 1battery and it will last me around 12-14hrs. (My rooted sensation did better at 16hrs, but I don't mind the 2hrs sacrifice)
Silentbtdeadly said:
The ease of rooting and recovering if something goes wrong? I've never came close to bricking my old phone, but we have software we can flash(odin) the original software with in download mode-- does this phone have protections like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use the search button: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1324177
Silentbtdeadly said:
Development and community support? I've never owned an HTC, so I am wondering if they are better about updating devices? Does the dev community here have difficulty getting drivers and such to create new roms(or upgrade to ICS)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone is roughly a little over a month old. Don't expect the community to be brimming with new things, especially with the announcement of ICS. Most developers do not want to dev something that will last only 2 months and then have replaced by a totally new firmware (ICS). So there will be a slight lull during this couple of months. But there are some great developers like Xboarder56, NRGZ28, mike1986 and Revolution that is keep this phone relevant. I really appreciate these guys.
Silentbtdeadly said:
Think about the concerns you had before you upgraded to this phone(for those who actually think things out, not the "oh, shiney!" crowd), did this phone fill your expectations, is there another phone you wish you had bought(or one coming out you would hold out for) that works with T-mobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The build quality is top notch (at least initially) for HTC phones. IMO it is definitely better than the current Samsung phones out now. The Galaxy Note was a nice phone but you can totally tell that it did not use premium material for the overall phone. The glass looked nice, but it did not have Gorilla glass.
Silentbtdeadly said:
The only thing this phone seems to be missing is NFC, and I'm unsure about how the screen quality is versus my amoled galaxy S. The only other phone I'd consider that is out now is the S II, but something about it leaves me underwhelmed..
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This phone DOES HAVE NFC. Check the specs. (Near Field Communications)
http://htc.t-mobile.com/amaze-camera-phone#/Specs
Having come from the Vibrant:
Great battery life-QS1.5.1
Great build quality
Great camera
Easy to root
Easy to backup
Easy to flash
[CWMR]
you can't really brick this phone because we're stuck with s-on. Usually bricking occurs when you mess with bootloader and radio. However, with s-on we can't change that unless its through an OTA update.
Rooting takes a minute, recovery is done with CWM recovery, so it should be familiar.
btw the vibrant sucks balls.
however the gs2 is supposedly a huge upgrade to all their crappy predecessor so you can check that out too if you're afraid of the change from samsung to htc.
You can always invest in a mytouch 4g or sensation to see how it's like. They're both AMAZING phones har har but of course they lack in hardware specs, but they're both better than any other samsung phones out there except the latest ones.
Best T-Mobile phone going right now!
Let me start by saying I have been with Android since day 1. Started with the G1, then Mytouch 3g, the Nexus One, the Vibrant, the Mytouch 4g, and now the Amaze. I have not had a problem with any HTC phones and they are all still running today. The only phone I had any issue with was the one Samsung (also still running). I am not an HTC "fanboy" if something better came along I would certainly buy that.
The Amaze is the best phone T-Mobile offers right now. Compared to your Vibrant you'll be blown away with the quality of the phone the fact that everything works as it should.
HTC has a good track record of updating their devices OS's (Even the Mytouch 3g got Froyo before the Vibrant) and they do it OTA, no Kies. HTC's have always been quickly adopted by the development community for their relative ease of rooting and overall usage of "common" hardware that allows you to make ROM's for several different devices with very little modification.
Gingerbread is not a huge leap from Froyo. Most everyday users would be hard pressed to find a real difference. What will be different is going to HTC Sense from Samsung's TouchWiz interface. This will be a case of "It's up to you" totally depends on your own personal taste. I personally couldn't stand Touchwiz.
Battery life has been a little better than my MT4g was and seems to be about on par with or maybe a little better than my Vibrant. I have not owned a phone since my Palm Treo 650 that I didn't have to charge at least daily so I don't think there will be any surprise for you here.
Lastly, the screen. It is very nice and smooth. The resolution is higher than SGS2 therefore making it very crisp. It is not AMOLED, however, so you will not have the vibrance and deep contrast of the AMO screens. Your blacks won't seem as black and your bright colors will not jump out of the screen at you like the AMO screen does. Once again this is somewhat of a personal preference but compared to the Samsung devices this may be the only slight disadvantage.
This phone has the best camera ever offered in a smart phone. It has as much or more computing power of any phone on the market. The device is very solid, it just feels high quality and it has all of the bells and whistles that any smart phone out now has including NFC. I can't imagine this phone not exceeding any expectation you would have for a smart phone, unless you need a phone with a battery that lasts several days between charges, then you my friend have un-realistic expectations. Ha!
In a nutshell..
Good -
Sharp and Bright screen. Blacks levels are ok light bleed makes it worse. Still better than GS2 screen because of sharpness and IMO color accuracy.
Very fast camera. Dedicated buttons for camera and camcorder. They also wake the phone which is a huge plus IMO.
Eye pleasing . White model looks great IMO. If this were a super light/thin phone itd be a no brainer.
Bad-
Just big , heavy, and Fn bulky. Simply doesnt feel as good as other phones in the hand.
Lack of support. I give nothing but credit for wonderful work by Xboarder and others but take a gander at GS2 forums , or when Galaxy Nexus drops there forum. I just dont expect this place to ever be buzzing with the number of great tweaks , enhancements , and features other phones may get. ICS ROMS will likely be on other phones much sooner than Amaze.
Galaxy Nexus and its HD screen are going to be available soon. Just something to consider. HD screens will be more prevalent and the Amaze fast camera and gorgeous screen wont be as impressive by weeks end.
Love my Amaze
I've had a Nexus One for over a year (prior to that it was a Droid). I've also used the original Galaxy phone as well as the Evo.
I've been waiting patiently for a Galaxy Nexus for months as a replacement for my Nexus One. After seeing the camera shots - which are identical in shot quality to the (poor) camera on my Nexus One, I knew I could not possibly get a Galaxy Nexus. For me, camera quality is very important, since my phone *IS* my point-and-shoot, and the Galaxy Nexus camera simply blows. So I gave up waiting to get a GN.
I went into the T-Mobile store to play with the GSII side by side with the Amaze. Both are very good. For me, I went with the Amaze.
1. Build quality, IMO, is top notch. Yes the phone is heavy. To me it has a really solid feel. It's like comparing a S300 Mercedes to a Fiat - both may actually provide similar reliability, but the Mercedes feels far better built.
2. The screen is excellent. I suspect the GN will be better, but side-by-side with the GSII the Amaze had the better screen IMO. The GSII's AMOLED "pops" more but the improved resolution on the Amaze made the real difference.
3. The camera on the Amaze took better photos, and I liked the software better. The flash is amazing for a camera phone.
4. Battery life has been a huge improvement over my N1/Cyanogenmod phone. In normal use I go all day easily without charging. If you aren't playing games or heavily using Maps, I suspect you'll never need to "top up."
5. Great network performance. I haven't benched the speed, but the network feels 3X faster than my N1.
6. The new Sense is much better than TouchWiz IMO.
I want to say this is some great quality feedback, definitely hit everything I asked then some. I have a multitude of reasons for wanting to upgrade from my vibrant besides the "oh, shiney!" factor. Not a huge fan of touchwhiz, poor gps performance, lack of updates, no camera button, etc.. The biggest issue I have right now is price, I'm not willing to go contract with tmobile, and I don't want to pay the current full price like I did with my vibrant-- so if anyone decides they want to get a different phone and knock a fair chunk off of their amaze to get rid of it, bookmark me(I'm looking at you deleriousbb!)
The best points for me I've read about so far:
picture quality, I do want a good camera in my phone since it is the device I have with me always, who knows how many pictures I've lost by not having a dedicated button too..
I forgot it DID have a NFC- that was the original thing I was looking for when looking for a phone, trying to find one that is a little more future proof, this phone being the only one that I could find with hardware specs that sounded good.
Hell, it even has FM radio, something I wish I had a few times now..
Heavy- I actually LIKE this, my vibrant felt far too light, I want to have a solid feeling phone, and if it can double as a brick to be used for self-defense-- so be it.
Overall this sounds like a phone worthy of upgrading to(I really want to make sure I am upgrading) from my vibrant, more or less future proof.. the only thing it doesn't have that I see in the near future is a quad core processor, and those only interest me because of the battery savings they are supposed to offer.
I don't know about the s-on thing someone mentioned, that locks the radio too? That would be the only downside I've seen so far, changing radios has been the way I get the best battery out of my phone thus far, but I suppose I can deal(and have something to research). I also don't know much about how the qHD led screen compares to the vibrant, I was looking forward to better battery life because I know amoled screens use more power than most and using black reduced that..
I guess the only question that didn't get answered is if there is a phone out or coming out that people wish they had held out for? I am not impressed by the galaxy nexus- no external sd, no camera button, lower mp camera(yes I understand better quality sensor), and a few other things.. but I am a hardware guy, and this phone is superior in specs, and the feedback makes me feel good about that.
Also, is there anyone who thinks they may be trying to sell their phone anytime soon? I see myself buying this used rather than going contract(I hate contracts), so I am going to have to wait till there is a price I like more..
Thanks again everyone for the great info, besides everything about the phone that sounded so great, it sounds like you guys are pretty friendly, supportive, and overall helpful!
Check out XDA's market there are some pretty cheap phones there. usually range about $400 for amaze. So you can sell your vibrant for iono $150? on CL and pay $250 more for an amaze.. on contract you already pay $200?
So anyways I actually have a gs2 in hand right now so i'll add some things, although it is similar to what manmythlegend said.
the gs2's connectivity is actually on par with the amaze. I would say amaze's gps is slightly faster but gs2's wifi connectivity is a bit stronger and has quicker connection time.
amaze's camera is better, GS2 appears to have more options on the camera and has their own scenes to choose from, BUT it does not compare to the amaze's scenes at all. BTW I love how the amaze's dedicated button works even when phone is locked.
Screen. the super amoled compared to the amaze's screen reminds me of mt4g good and bad displays. gs2 looks awesome when you view it from every angle. Amaze reminds me of an old LCD when you view from different angles the blacks become like gray. However, I hate how gs2 looks all stretched out and it's not as sharp. think iphone 2-3 vs iphone 4. Amaze is defintely more uhh pretty, its like the UI and icons actually pop out at you compared to gs2' where everything looks blended in a bit.
Another factor, I do not like gs2's blue tint when viewing websites or anything with a white background, it actually feels bad for my eyes. oh and amaze's color seems to be more true.
But remember this, Amaze's battery right now is SO SO, so if you're a heavy user make sure to carry a spare or your charger around.
This may seem like a bias review, but I'm actually pointing out what I normally use on a daily basis that the gs2 would not do for me as the amaze would.
keypoints
1. CAMERA (love amaze's camera and its scenes)
2. Web browsing or anything that has to do with a white background (XDA APP ahem), blue tint is no go for me..
3. base on user preference. I like the weight of the amaze. It tells me that my phone is in my pocket and that it's sturdy to carry around. The amaze's curve body makes it feels better in my hand.
There's something about the gs2 that just doesn't feel right. probably the width or depth of the phone, not exactly sure. I have about an average adult male size hands and the width of the phone might be the thing that is bothering me or that it's actually too thin that makes it feel weird, idk grip both phones, you'll see what i mean.
things that will bother you on the amaze:
the light bleed from the bottom (fixed with screen filter or other ways) and possibly the mediocre battery life.
GREAT GREAT reviews here. Just what I was looking for.
My G2 has some wear and tear and TMo said they would do an early upgrade where I could get the Amaze for $250. I went to the store and played with the Amaze, and it was a pretty nice looking phone at face value.
I, too, wanted to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to drop on TMo, but I despise Samsung. If I had to use Odin every time I flash, I'd be pissed. HTC is perfect for people who love to flash roms, and I am that guy.
Really thinking I should do this...only thing that had me thinking, was whoever said that development for this phone would be weak. xboarder is a BEASt, though - dude was in the G2 forum for a few months and had things going.
Should I do this?
enserio said:
GREAT GREAT reviews here. Just what I was looking for.
My G2 has some wear and tear and TMo said they would do an early upgrade where I could get the Amaze for $250. I went to the store and played with the Amaze, and it was a pretty nice looking phone at face value.
I, too, wanted to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to drop on TMo, but I despise Samsung. If I had to use Odin every time I flash, I'd be pissed. HTC is perfect for people who love to flash roms, and I am that guy.
Really thinking I should do this...only thing that had me thinking, was whoever said that development for this phone would be weak. xboarder is a BEASt, though - dude was in the G2 forum for a few months and had things going.
Should I do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the SGS2 uses CWM recovery to flash too, you only need odin to install the recovery, after that you're golden.
I'm testing out the sgs2 for the day, and i'll update my opinion on it by the end of the day... so far battery life is good, camera is definitely no comparison to amaze, camcorder seems better though. wifi and bt connectivity is definitely stronger and connection time is quicker on the sgs2. HD games, amaze is better (more details). anything with fonts/texts goes to amaze.
It does support NFC btw, and also AT&T 4G bands.
Screen resolution is great, and its better than the S-AMOLED of the SGSII (which has some discoloration issues it seems).
The SGSII S-AMOLED has a very bright and saturated screen so the colors are shot at you, but if you are a pro as I think you are, and not a "oh, shiny!" fella... You know that definition is better and more important than brightness.
Unless you don't care, then that's different.
4G on the phone is pretty fast, and so its installing apps.
The 1.5 dual-core does not score that high on quadrant as the SGSII (especially the Exynos) does, but you know that they are to be taken with grano salis, and in everyday usage its pretty fast.
Camera is amazing, period.
Video quality is great, but sound recording should be much better on a device like this.
The HTC phone itself however, does have downsides:
Reception (its fair, but not amazing).
Battery, with heavy usage on 4G, will last you few hours. On 2G, a bit more. Phone does get warm by the way. Its not something that should worry you, but it is bothersome when you are on the phone playing a video or what have ya, you get a phone call and have to talk to a distance of the device.
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
The touchscreen is tricky. It seems pretty responsive overall, but I did have doubts sometimes. But overall no big issues for me so far.
The phone also does have an heft. It doesn't seem that big a deal, until you place this 4.3" monster phone in your pocket. Its bothersome, at least to me.
Final words: I am trying to sell the HTC Amaze 4G. It is a great media device, but an horrible communication device. This solely depends on you. I have been using a BB 9700 for the past two years and I went back to it after 8 days of impossible phone calls with the Amaze, battery that lasts nothing (on the Amaze of course), and I personally suck and can't stand typing on screens. Sure, the Amaze thrashes my 9700 on so many levels, but for what I need, the 9700 does a far superior job than the Amaze.
Hope this helped.
Capitan Totti said:
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you have a defected phone or earpiece. From what I know the amaze doesn't come with an earpiece. I use my old mytouch 4g one and i do not get this issue. well good luck with your deals!
edit: that sounded sarcastic lol, I wasn't trying to be haha
The reception on my amaze is light years ahead of my old samsung galaxy s 4g. I would have one bar on the highway to town and the amaze has a full signal. (2g) just amazing.
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
I don't have this issue at all. It sounds to me (like someone else mentioned) like you have a defective Amaze.
Teo032 said:
Sounds like you have a defected phone or earpiece. From what I know the amaze doesn't come with an earpiece. I use my old mytouch 4g one and i do not get this issue. well good luck with your deals!
edit: that sounded sarcastic lol, I wasn't trying to be haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By earpiece I mean the speaker part.
FranzDages said:
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
I don't have this issue at all. It sounds to me (like someone else mentioned) like you have a defective Amaze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, what do I do now? Can I go back to the store and try another one? And see if its defective or not?
Capitan Totti said:
By earpiece I mean the speaker part.
So, what do I do now? Can I go back to the store and try another one? And see if its defective or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have a minimum of 14 days to exchange it from where you purchased it. After that you might have to send it in to HTC for repair/replacement.
enserio said:
GREAT GREAT reviews here. Just what I was looking for.
My G2 has some wear and tear and TMo said they would do an early upgrade where I could get the Amaze for $250. I went to the store and played with the Amaze, and it was a pretty nice looking phone at face value.
I, too, wanted to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to drop on TMo, but I despise Samsung. If I had to use Odin every time I flash, I'd be pissed. HTC is perfect for people who love to flash roms, and I am that guy.
Really thinking I should do this...only thing that had me thinking, was whoever said that development for this phone would be weak. xboarder is a BEASt, though - dude was in the G2 forum for a few months and had things going.
Should I do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have obviously owned a Nexus S. We don't use Odin. Anyone who uses Odin on any Nexus (from Samsung) is a moron. Rooting and flashing recovery is all performed via fastboot and then make a clockwork backup like normal. The Galaxy Nexus will be the same way. All you need is fastboot.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
Capitan Totti said:
So, what do I do now? Can I go back to the store and try another one? And see if its defective or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep if you can't exchange at store anymore then call Tmobile to do an exchange.
Sent from my HTC Amaze 4G using XDA App
14 days are now gone guys...
And when I went back and told them, they said that I had to pay $50 dollars... which I found ridiculous... So I didn't do anything apart from trying to sell the phone.
i might be trading my s2 for a amaze. can u guys tell me the goods of this phone? whats it better than s2? i dont want "just cuz you have a amaze u like it better". i want some real reasons ha.
is ics coming to this phone ota? or custom rom?
build quality?
battery life?
I was debating between the two when I updated, and I went with the amaze. Felt better, looked better, better camera/video, and I liked the screen better. Screen seemed smoother too. Only thing I don't like about it is the battery, it really does lose out in that category.
overall though, I liked the amaze better.
how about ics? whens that coming for amaze?
read an article some mfg's are bringing updates out very soon. depends who your provider is
im tmobile. you think ics will come out?
and r there any other things amaze has over the s2?
The phones are virtually identical in terms of hardware. The S2 will benchmark a bit better because of its lighter operating system but in terms of real world use, they're both fast phones.
You just have to ask yourself whether you prefer Sense or TouchWiz. Otherwise, go to a T-Mobile store and try playing with an Amaze and decide for yourself whether or not you like its build, how it feels, which screen you prefer, how important the camera is to you, etc.
Additionally, this phone may or may not ever attain S=off, so although flashing new roms is not difficult at all if you read, it is not as straightforward as it is with other devices.
In terms of an official ICS update, it's supposedly releasing early this year:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/07/htc-announces-specifics-on-ice-cream-sandwich-upgrades/
I had the amaze for a couple weeks and now the s2 I can tell you its just a matter of personal preference. I preferred what the amaze has to offer over the s2, camera mainly so now I'm trying to find someone to trade with the s2 is a good phone a lot of people choose it over the amaze but to me the things it offers like screen, being thin, tw aren't what I want.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
i can get trades for a amaze quick around my area. i wont have a external sdcard, so how will i flash the new recovery etc.
g1user101 said:
i can get trades for a amaze quick around my area. i wont have a external sdcard, so how will i flash the new recovery etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i saw buy a externel sdcard thats the best there only like 10 bucks for 4gbs
Well I'm coming off the HD2 so it's like taking a big leap and in lots of ways the Amaze is just a better piece of hardware. One of the things I do miss is the phenomenal development that went on in the HD2, you name it and someone was working on it. I really like MIUI but so far it's not been ported.
I cant complain about the work here, damn these guys are good and the ROMS are incredible. I'm using the latest from Xboarder and cant think of anything that doesn't work and work well. Even the battery is good & lasts about the whole day with some pretty heavy road warrior usage. One thing I did was pick up the Anker battery and charger off Amazon, for $18 you get the charger and 2 batteries, I never worry about running out of juice, it's a good system.
I'm an HTC guy, I looked at the S2 but just liked the amaze better but it's a personal preference, they are both solid phones. I push this thing in ways I never thought possible and it just works.
I'd not say the Amaze is going to blow your mind if you're coming from an S2 but HTC pays a lot of attention to detail and it really shows in this device.
The build quality, camera and Sense are all very refined and make for a rather polished device. Go for it
shirazir said:
I'd not say the Amaze is going to blow your mind if you're coming from an S2 but HTC pays a lot of attention to detail and it really shows in this device.
The build quality, camera and Sense are all very refined and make for a rather polished device. Go for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks ha. well is htc going to push out ics for amaze first then samsung?
Thinking of picking this up too. I had 3-4 S2s and the screen issue is what killed it for me.
What are some options of extending the battery life via better roms/kernels? I know the synergy kernel for the s2 (t989) was amazing.
If the battery life is bad, I'd rather just wait for the next thing.
I have both the Samsung Galaxy SII and the amaze. Both are practically the same. I prefer HTC Sense over Samsung TouchWiz. The battery life is quite bad on the Amaze, the SII definitely has a better life. However, the resolution the galaxy is horrible for its size. Overall, both are great phones, it comes down to the UI.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
I gave up my sensation for the sg2 because I thought I had to have the sg2. As soon as I got home I was already disappointed. Could not get over how blue the screen was. The size was awesome but size is nothing if the color is poor. Touchwiz is gay, go buy a iPhone if you like it. Sg2 felt cheap too. Being my sensation was sold, I exchanged for amaze. Htc just plain and simple makes great phones. Coming from the sensation to the amaze was kind of a let down. Phone isn't any better except the camera and dedicated shutter button. The fact of no development with the amaze makes it rather boring. Waiting on ics.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA App
90teggy said:
I gave up my sensation for the sg2 because I thought I had to have the sg2. As soon as I got home I was already disappointed. Could not get over how blue the screen was. The size was awesome but size is nothing if the color is poor. Touchwiz is gay, go buy a iPhone if you like it. Sg2 felt cheap too. Being my sensation was sold, I exchanged for amaze. Htc just plain and simple makes great phones. Coming from the sensation to the amaze was kind of a let down. Phone isn't any better except the camera and dedicated shutter button. The fact of no development with the amaze makes it rather boring. Waiting on ics.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything on the software side of the SGS2 (blue tint screen, TouchWiz sucking) could've been fixed on XDA.
I can't stand the 480x800 resolution on that 4.52in screen.... Also, it felt too light (SGSII)...
I have both the Amaze and the Sensation and I love them both. The Sensation has tons of ROMs and development. The Amaze has less development atm BUT the work that xboarder does IS OUTSTANDING. Plus, the camera is very nice.
Sent from my HTC Sensation with Beats Audio using xda premium
thanks guys. but im a teen with no money for a sdcard. how will i like root ang get the new recovery on the phone without a sdcard?
g1user101 said:
thanks guys. but im a teen with no money for a sdcard. how will i like root ang get the new recovery on the phone without a sdcard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to make you feel bad, but my teen daughter (14 years old), got a 16gb class 8 microSD as soon as she completed her small house chor. She needed the extra space so bad for storing the songs she wanted to carry around, and I was in a good mood for spending the few bucks it cost me.
In any case, you can do everything you're asking for without an sdcard. Go visit the [FAQ] or the [How to Root] threads and see for yourself.
By the way, I did buy both SG2S and the Amaze on the day it came out, and I am letting my wife use the SG2S. She thinks exactly the opposit. I feel lucky that she didn't chose the Amaze!!
ringochan said:
Not to make you feel bad, but my teen daughter (14 years old), got a 16gb class 8 microSD as soon as she completed her small house chor. She needed the extra space so bad for storing the songs she wanted to carry around, and I was in a good mood for spending the few bucks it cost me.
In any case, you can do everything you're asking for without an sdcard. Go visit the [FAQ] or the [How to Root] threads and see for yourself.
By the way, I did buy both SG2S and the Amaze on the day it came out, and I am letting my wife use the SG2S. She thinks exactly the opposit. I feel lucky that she didn't chose the Amaze!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm surprised your wife likes the SGS2, most females I know hate the phone or any with similar dimensions due to the phone being "too big" for their girly ass hands. Plus they're addicted to BBM anyways (ugh, BlackBerry)
The Amaze looks manlier in my opinon anyways
Long story short... leaving my family's unlimited everything plan (my bro just got married, fiancee getting moved into the plan, thus, kicking me out of Sprint...Stupid max of 5 lines). I am OK with this, since I need my Evo3D has got a busted screen - so I get a new phone, and I love Tmobiles 4G speeds in MN. So, I am jumping on my GF's family plan.
Long story longer... I had the Epic 4G, and told myself I would never buy a Samsung product again (long update times, awful battery, etc) But, after looking at ICS upgrade time frames for the SG2 and the Amaze 4G (same ICS dates as E3D), I think I may be leading to the SG2 based completely based off of that. SG2 is supposed to be Q1, but my guess is Junish.
Anybody played with both and have solid opinions on these two devices?
I am going to miss the unlimited everything from Sprint. But, I really never utilized it to the full potential anyway.
Thoughts?
HTC all the way for me. I wont touch another samsung product. Im very happy with my amaze. Do not regret it at all.
Amaze or s2? thread #13984938737399765087 LOL
Go with Nokia!
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA App
My gf has the galaxy s 4g (I know its not the s2...) But it tends to freeze a lot and not deliver messages etc. I haven't had many problems with the amaze and I got it recently (Sunday) and I'm loving this device. Very smooth to hold, very responsive and its a great phone. I'd go with the amaze all the way
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA App
It's a matter of preference so I'll just sum it up for you, short and sweet,
Samsung Galaxy S2
- bigger screen
- flashing ROMs is easier
- Touchwiz is lighter than Sense
- Thinner and lighter than the Amaze (noticeable difference)
- Super AMOLED screen will result in more vibrant colours and blacker blacks
- Known to have common screen defects
- Able to use Samsung Galaxy S2 SkyRocket ROMs
HTC Amaze 4G
- Better build quality
- S-On, bootloaders can still be unlocked
- Notification LED
- SLCD screen with higher resolution
- Capacitive backlight bleeds onto the screen
- Better camera
- Sense UI is more eye-candy but takes up more resources
I'm pretty sure both are getting an official ICS release, but that being said, Xboarder is developing an AOSP ICS for both of these phones.
adslee said:
It's a matter of preference so I'll just sum it up for you, short and sweet,
Samsung Galaxy S2
- bigger screen
- flashing ROMs is easier
- Touchwiz is lighter than Sense
- Thinner and lighter than the Amaze (noticeable difference)
- Super AMOLED screen will result in more vibrant colours and blacker blacks
- Known to have common screen defects
- Able to use Samsung Galaxy S2 SkyRocket ROMs
HTC Amaze 4G
- Better build quality
- S-On, bootloaders can still be unlocked
- Notification LED
- SLCD screen with higher resolution
- Capacitive backlight bleeds onto the screen
- Better camera
- Sense UI is more eye-candy but takes up more resources
I'm pretty sure both are getting an official ICS release, but that being said, Xboarder is developing an AOSP ICS for both of these phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help on this one.
I thought both devices had the same CPU, but I may be wrong here.
Very true on the S-ON.. I am coming from an EVO3D.. and the Hboot 1.5 has been a bit of a sore subject. I guess I will have to play with them and make a game time decision.
Sucks I dont have any spare tmobile phones laying around so I could just wait for the One S... and there is no way I could live with a flip phone for 2-4 months. Oh well, F me right?
If you don't want screen bleeding issue, washed out picture while taking it with flash in night, having wifi with a foil mod, and a camera that you need to put a black electrical tape, plus blue strips of line if your in a direct sun light then go with the GALAXY.. plus S-Off is still haven't achived yet..
If you don't want a plastiky feeling that it might easily broke and gps locking on minimal satelite a bad camera compare to AMAZE then go with the AMaZE
the amaze is built with confidence and durability while samsung just think ''uhh ok lets put our big screen in our recycled plastic casing.." the amaze has a plus and negative side so is the galaxy.. the galaxy has a lot'of development and mods while amaze has at less development so it is up to you to decide and pick what suit you most...
hyperkamote said:
If you don't want screen bleeding issue, washed out picture while taking it with flash in night, having wifi with a foil mod, and a camera that you need to put a black electrical tape, plus blue strips of line if your in a direct sun light then go with the GALAXY.. plus S-Off is still haven't achived yet..
If you don't want a plastiky feeling that it might easily broke and gps locking on minimal satelite a bad camera compare to AMAZE then go with the AMaZE
the amaze is built with confidence and durability while samsung just think ''uhh ok lets put our big screen in our recycled plastic casing.." the amaze has a plus and negative side so is the galaxy.. the galaxy has a lot'of development and mods while amaze has at less development so it is up to you to decide and pick what suit you most...
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i don't have half the problems you're referring too... lol, only the capacitive button "screen bleed" (which has multiple software fixes now), and the back cover squeaks...
the reason why i chose the amaze over the galaxy is cuz, like most people, i hated samsung's ridiculously huge screen with low resolution that they decided to combine for the galaxy...
and i would gladly make that choice again if i had to, however in hindsight, i would say go for the htc sensation, similar phone with tons more development, which the amaze is lacking...
Bdix said:
Go with Nokia!
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA App
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Yes! Get a nokia. That way t-mobile can go from "exceeding expectations" to "Record selling" with 1 more person buying it!I kid.. I kid!
smatthew45 said:
i don't have half the problems you're referring too... lol, only the capacitive button "screen bleed" (which has multiple software fixes now), and the back cover squeaks...
the reason why i chose the amaze over the galaxy is cuz, like most people, i hated samsung's ridiculously huge screen with low resolution that they decided to combine for the galaxy...
and i would gladly make that choice again if i had to, however in hindsight, i would say go for the htc sensation, similar phone with tons more development, which the amaze is lacking...
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Click to collapse
haha i forgot about the squeaking back since I'm on Kraken case by trident.. yes i know there are fix for that but for me i still go with htc,, i have line up htc from mytouch 3g to nexus one, to hd2(which has a lot of mods, development and customization) and so on..
If you asked me, I would go with the Amaze 4G.
I just switched to TMobile when I get my IRS loot. I was on Sprint at first, and the phone I sold before going to TMobile was the Epic Touch (GS2 on Sprint).
A couple things to note is that the Sprint version of the GS2 has a Exynos CPU. The TMobile version is Snap Dragon "I think". The Sprint version was very snappy and no lag at all through out the whole phone. Mine was with root and custom rom though. The Samsung UI is plain compared to Sense UI that you find on HTC phones such as Evo / MyTouch ect....
Even though the screen has better color it also has a downgrade in the resolution department compared to the Amaze \ Evo 3D. Not to mention the camera is better on the Amaze also. When I say better I mean NIGHT / DAY better. The GS2 has a beautiful camera in the quality apartment but the Amaze is like times 2 of the GS2 camera.
I sold my Sprint GS2 and picked up an Amaze off Craigslist and using the prepaid 49.99 plan.
Long story short...... Both phones are good and both have a resale value of at least $350+ I would go with Amaze 4G
@The O.P......
Look,
WHY bother with either since the HTC X is coming out?
Furthermore, IF you really don't need a smartphone,
Why not wait until Google's design (3 virtual buttons instead of 3-4 physical buttons) shows up on HTC's phones probably later this year?
I made the mistake and bought the Amaze 4g only to find out this crap about Google and it's "virtual button" phone...soon to take over the market in another phase.
My 2 cents,
stefnuts
IMO if you have to chose between them, i think the amaze is a bit better, i love my amaze, had a i9000m which i loved aswell. dont bother with one x, its garbage Tegra 3 blows! go with one s which has a s4 chip (rapes tegra3 in performance.)
ed116 said:
IMO if you have to chose between them, i think the amaze is a bit better, i love my amaze, had a i9000m which i loved aswell. dont bother with one x, its garbage Tegra 3 blows! go with one s which has a s4 chip (rapes tegra3 in performance.)
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Big shock! The tegra 2 in my galaxy tab 10.1 sucks pretty badly.
buy a cheap phone on CList and wait for the new phones to come out.
Rumored to get the One X, we are getting the Blaze. Hopefully the Lumia 900 variant as well
I tried a Galaxy S2, and liked many things about it, but finally went with an Amaze. The Samsung has several points in its favor. It has a larger AMOLED screen (no backlight/button bleed at all) and the battery life is nothing short of amazing (for an Android). I can't comment on the camera because that's not something I'm particularly interested in, even though it's one of the Amaze's main selling points.
What sorely disappointed me about about the Galaxy was how dreadful the audio output was through the headphone jack. I listen/watch to a lot of music and music videos and audio quality is high up my list of priorities for a cell phone. With default settings the Amaze sounds great, and is even more impressive with SRS turned on. The qHD display also is very sharp, though the contrast seems too high (darks are too dark and brights are too bright.)
Disappointments with the Amaze so far have been the capacitive button bleed (easily fixable), the amount of bloatware and the truly alarming way video playback chews up the battery. I'm loathe to root it just yet, as I'm not fond of nuking my warranty, but I may have to if I keep getting annoyed by Slacker and other junk running in the background.
I hated my G1
Liked my G2 a lot
LOVE MY Amaze 4G. I just cant put it down.
Have seen GS2 in peoples hands, although the colors are superb, the low resolution bugs me, its not as clear as the Amaze. Also Samsung has customized the hell out of the OS to a point that as an Android user since 2008 I couldnt do simple tasks like putting a shortcut to a webpage on the screen and opening the app drawer.
Don't really have any of the problems that most people seem to have with the Amaze (no squeaks, WiFi works great). My only current beef with the Amaze is that we don't currently have S-OFF, which is keeping a lot of developers from making roms for this phone. I buy Android phones because I like rooting and trying out new roms...I'm getting bored with this phone already.
MildewMan said:
Don't really have any of the problems that most people seem to have with the Amaze (no squeaks, WiFi works great). My only current beef with the Amaze is that we don't currently have S-OFF, which is keeping a lot of developers from making roms for this phone. I buy Android phones because I like rooting and trying out new roms...I'm getting bored with this phone already.
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I totally understand, when I had my G2 there was new roms every other day. I flashed them all and I just loved all the amazing roms
Sent from my HTC Amaze 4G using XDA App
http://www.androidcentral.com/samsu...-wireless-and-us-cellular-services-starting-m
Is it wrong that I feel slightly compelled to return my EvoLTE (got a few days left in my 14) and get the SGS3? With a global launch of nearly identical phones (save for CDMA, frequencies, etc, S4 in the US), it is gonna be a hit phone. I really have very few issues with the EvoLTE besides the goofy multitasking button (for which I installed the mod).
I know the screen is technically inferior, but most who have used SGS3 seem to agree our eyes can't tell.
2GB RAM is REALLY compelling, and I think its going to have a kicking dev community, and no locked bootloader.
Please don't write me off as a troll. I'm not a hater, I like the EvoLTE. I'm just going to be stuck with a phone for 2 years, and feel under pressure to make the right choice.
ill keep my htc. i prefer sense over crappy touchwiz or whatever its called
but if you want it so bad you should get it ^_^
I just read the news on phonearena...and I knew without a doubt I would find a post like this here.
First off...the international version of the SIII will have a great dev community, the sprint version....not as much. Will it be good/great? Maybe....but it won't top the evo. From what I can tell...most of the great dev community from the Evo 4g is/has moved here. I mean, cm9 is already out....what does that tell you?
The screen is inferior...and 2gb of ram sounds great. I just don't see how it is really can be considered better.
This is how I see it, and I have owned several brands of phone, no fanboyism here. (Evo-Evo3d-epic 4g touch-iphone 4s-Galaxy nexus).
The evo has better build quality, feel, screen, UI overlay, and support from HTC...yes support, look at both versions of the epic. Both suffer from slow updates and bugs...
GSIII- possibly more ram, few innovative features (or gimmicky depending on who you are). The GSIII has worse build quality, worse screen, touch wize makes the phone look gingerbreadish, and the support from samsung on sprint has not been the best in the past.
That beings said, I believe the phones will have similar performance levels. If the GSIII has two gigabits of ram, that will be cool, but I doubt the everyday user will see a huge difference, if any.
Yes the evo 4g lte has weird multitasking...but the aggressive memory managing can be turned off in a custom rom. Plus sense is great, and so is AOSP. You can do either with this phone...but you have the options of touchwize (which may be great if you like it) and AOSP on the GSIII.
Is really debatable which is better. Engadget thinks the one X series is better...while phone arena thought the GSIII series is better.
There are great devs here too. For me I'm keeping the Evo.
Sent from my EVO using XDA
Crap radios,weird looking (my opinion),poor build quality,touchwiz,GPS issues ,screenes not as good.I never have a problem with a gig of ram. I just think it isn't necessary... yet anyway.it's gonna be a beast for sure, just don't like Samsung...definitely a matter of opinion .I don't think there will be that much of a difference in performance.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2)
Horrible radios! i was getting half the speeds of what i do now, voice and data. Never going back to Samsuck
Sent from my Viper tuned ltEVO
Why is the SGSIII screen worse than the EVO 4g LTE?
As others have said radios are not good however I guess this will be the true test as far as radios seeing how they are using Qualcomm chip with radio built in... And then we will know if its just their crappy programming or something. Lol also the screen is up to you I have a gn basically same screen as sgsiii and its ok however the sgsiii is slightly better I guess cause of spacing?
Touchwiz isn't good imo and its the same look as it has been HTC at least reinvented the wheel this time around to.make it better in some ways. The extra 100 in batt will help some probably due to the screen. However I have seen many people say and or show up over on the LTE side from the og and other places.
2gigs of ram gimmick IMO I know some people say they have reloading issues when they hit home I haveny had that or anything... Not to mention the iPhone beat the sgsiii in a drop test I want to see EVO LTE in a drop test with it lol. So its all up to you keep man. And what you like better and if you want to bite down on a 35$ restock fee or 70$ restock fee if you.get the gsiii and decide you want EVO back lol.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
I'll be sticking with my LTEvo based on looks alone. The SG3 may beat out the LTE by a hair, but not by much if any. Ive been told the US version SG3 will have the same dual-core S4 Snapdragon processor as the LTE and the only thing it has on the LTE is the 2GB ram. Its a nice phone no doubt but the build quality on the LTE is simply amazing. Im happy with my LTE but im sure the SG3 will just as nice! Its great to have two awesome phones to choose from!
BlueGoldAce said:
I just read the news on phonearena...and I knew without a doubt I would find a post like this here.
First off...the international version of the SIII will have a great dev community, the sprint version....not as much. Will it be good/great? Maybe....but it won't top the evo. From what I can tell...most of the great dev community from the Evo 4g is/has moved here. I mean, cm9 is already out....what does that tell you?
The screen is inferior...and 2gb of ram sounds great. I just don't see how it is really can be considered better.
This is how I see it, and I have owned several brands of phone, no fanboyism here. (Evo-Evo3d-epic 4g touch-iphone 4s-Galaxy nexus).
The evo has better build quality, feel, screen, UI overlay, and support from HTC...yes support, look at both versions of the epic. Both suffer from slow updates and bugs...
GSIII- possibly more ram, few innovative features (or gimmicky depending on who you are). The GSIII has worse build quality, worse screen, touch wize makes the phone look gingerbreadish, and the support from samsung on sprint has not been the best in the past.
That beings said, I believe the phones will have similar performance levels. If the GSIII has two gigabits of ram, that will be cool, but I doubt the everyday user will see a huge difference, if any.
Yes the evo 4g lte has weird multitasking...but the aggressive memory managing can be turned off in a custom rom. Plus sense is great, and so is AOSP. You can do either with this phone...but you have the options of touchwize (which may be great if you like it) and AOSP on the GSIII.
Is really debatable which is better. Engadget thinks the one X series is better...while phone arena thought the GSIII series is better.
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Really!? Have you even seen the ET4G forum!? it is probably the most dev'd device around and will only move on to the SGS3 the EVOLTE is a great phone but as of rt now Samsung is making much better and stable product then HTC, aside from the camera options the Evo is just barely catching up to the Touch(imho)
Think about it the Hero came out and was the best phone ever made then just before the EVO( the reason we have anything like we have now) and all the heros started crapping out then now come the EVOLTE and all the Evo4G are crapping out now Im not big on conspiracy but look at the pattern.
Again these are only my opinions and observations
After owning an EVO Shift then a Nexus S 4G I am sticking with the EVO. The feel of the phone is better and I believe HTC uses better internal parts. I never had reboots at all on my EVO Shift. I had reboots and screen of death frequently on my Nexus.
I also will never own another phone with a pentile screen, no matter what people say I can't see.
BlueGoldAce said:
First off...the international version of the SIII will have a great dev community, the sprint version....not as much. Will it be good/great? Maybe....but it won't top the evo. From what I can tell...most of the great dev community from the Evo 4g is/has moved here. I mean, cm9 is already out....what does that tell you?
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this.
I had the Epic 4G Touch since launch and even though I had no problems with the development, it was SLOW to start. it got root fast (that's to zedomax) but everything else came slowly, AOSP came 3-4 months or so after release, everything else was pretty much dominated by one or two devs/teams. Why? Because CDMA came later and is less popular than GSM, and which is global - the International version is GSM and the conversion of roms from GSM to CDMA is more difficult and time consuming than you would think. Rest assured there will be some devs as there always is with galaxy phones but you can't compare it to the amount there are with the International/GSM galaxy phones.
This phone, and however, blew me away with what we have thus far. Why? Because there isn't a "GSM" version to suck most of the great devs away from our development. it's got the best starting development out of all the Sprint devices I've seen(next to the OG EVO, and of course)
Several of the gimmicky features of the S3 are apks that have been leaked already (posted s voice and floating video player in themes&apps section). that said, I there isn't really anything that makes the S3 unique except the 2 gb ram and the HD pentile screen (debatable)
BlueGoldAce said:
First off...the international version of the SIII will have a great dev community, the sprint version....not as much.
The evo has better build quality, feel, screen, UI overlay, and support from HTC...yes support, look at both versions of the epic. Both suffer from slow updates and bugs...
That beings said, I believe the phones will have similar performance levels. If the GSIII has two gigabits of ram, that will be cool, but I doubt the everyday user will see a huge difference, if any.
but you have the options of touchwize (which may be great if you like it) and AOSP on the GSIII.
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Click to collapse
Actually, Epic Touch had very good developer support.
The samoled hd screen is indeed inferior.
Samsung phones definitely have better build quality, but they are made of plastic, so it's a wash.
Epic Touch had good support from Samsung.
Touchwiz is actually a much better skin than Sense. Especially sense 4, which is a bloatware and a resource hog. One thing you can expect from GS3 for Sprint is that it's going to have stellar software, where everything is hardware accelerated to the max and buttery smooth and fast.
I'm probably gonna keep the evo cause I hate the look of the gs3, but I'm also hoping that we can steal some of their software.
BigRitz said:
Really!? Have you even seen the ET4G forum!? it is probably the most dev'd device around and will only move on to the SGS3 the EVOLTE is a great phone but as of rt now Samsung is making much better and stable product then HTC, aside from the camera options the Evo is just barely catching up to the Touch(imho)
Think about it the Hero came out and was the best phone ever made then just before the EVO( the reason we have anything like we have now) and all the heros started crapping out then now come the EVOLTE and all the Evo4G are crapping out now Im not big on conspiracy but look at the pattern.
Again these are only my opinions and observations
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I doubt people are going to move from the ET4G, which is less than a year old, to the GS3. I am sure some of themore hard core crowd will but most people are under a contract or are quite happy with their phone. The reason a lot of people are moving to the new EVO is because they were on contract with the OG EVO or are using their last yearly upgrade from the 3D.
The Dev's alone will keep me from keeping my EVO. They made me like my 3D even when I had buyers remorse over the S2. They almost made me not have to buy this phone, thanks to the ONE s Rom. I'm also liking what I'm seeing so far, even though the phone has only been out for a week.
Sent from my EVO using XDA
I just want to get this straight when we say build quality is good on Sammy we are referring to the phone withstanding a drop decently yes? Cause internal build quality radios n what not are less then amazing.
and the sgsiii is not as sturdy as the sgsii if anyone saw the vids of the two dropping compared to ip4s
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Screen : research pentile , you'll see people viewing it under a microscope with some criticisms. Shrug.
Development community.. With sprints phone being more or less identical to verizons, I think it'll be at least as good. But for me, I just want a stable cm9, which really only takes a couple good devs. And both phones will have that, so I'll concede a wash.
Gps and radios, good points. Certainly one of the reasons I chose htc after my og epic. But maybe just maybe they got it figured out?
When picking a phone for 2 years, specs are key for me. Think about your computer: twice the ram is significant. Particularly considering the multitasking issues I too have experienced on this phone. Almost no apps truly save their state when you go away from them for a few min. And we'll be hoping both android 5 and 6 go on these generation phones (via Cyanogen probably) so more ram may be significant at that time.
Didn't have any issues with my epic build quality, came to appreciate the plastic even.
Also- isn't the gpu better, or will it be the same as evo in the us models?
Argh
ckoadiyn said:
I just want to get this straight when we say build quality is good on Sammy we are referring to the phone withstanding a drop decently yes? Cause internal build quality radios n what not are less then amazing.
and the sgsiii is not as sturdy as the sgsii if anyone saw the vids of the two dropping compared to ip4s
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
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Yes, that epic touch was built like a tank.
Edit double post
One more thing. Will Samsung ever make a phone that has a working GPS? I'm still waiting for my girlfriend's GS2 find a "GPS signal"
Sent from my EVO using XDA