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Hi there. I know there are some threads about this but they are seriously outdated.
I have an Atrix that I bought in the summer off of eBay and I love it. I'm running CM7 Ba2tF and everything works great (I'm getting 3 days of battery with moderate use). Thing is: my girlfriend loves it too, she has an old Nokia and has been thinking about upgrading for a while, so I was thinking about getting her an Atrix for Christmas.
There are some pretty affordable Atrixes on eBay now, but my question is: is it worth it to buy one now?
My girlfriend doesn't need the latest hardware, but it would be nice to have a decent phone (which the Atrix certainly is). She also doesn't need the latest software, but the Atrix seems more than capable to run ICS (either officially or not).
So do you think there are other phones for about the same price on eBay (200-250 €/270-340$) that would be a better deal than the Atrix?
Edit: I forgot to mention that we live in Portugal, and don't have a lot of money, that's the reason for wanting to buy an affordable (possibly used) phone on eBay. It obviously can't have a contract and must be SIM unlocked/easily unlockable.
Sorry if this is the wrong forum to ask. And I apologize for my poor english.
I like it a lot, I think its great. Especially now that Lapdocks are cheap.
Honestly, I'd probably be looking at getting the next great thing if I were buying now. I love my Atrix, but it's already old news imo. There's bigger and badder coming out.
ATRIX is one great phone that brought Motorola from its grave however there are better phones out there now and if u wanna wait, there will be even more.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
CaelanT said:
Honestly, I'd probably be looking at getting the next great thing if I were buying now. I love my Atrix, but it's already old news imo. There's bigger and badder coming out.
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I agree, but the reason i asked this is because we don't have a lot of money, and we don't live in the USA, so we can't buy new phones for a couple hundred bucks (I should have probably mentioned that). We are looking for an affordable phone, that's also a bit future proof, even if it is not the most recent device out there.
tsdedst said:
I agree, but the reason i asked this is because we don't have a lot of money, and we don't live in the USA, so we can't buy new phones for a couple hundred bucks (I should have probably mentioned that). We are looking for an affordable phone, that's also a bit future proof, even if it is not the most recent device out there.
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If I were strapped for cash I would get one if I could get a good deal. It's a great phone. I'm just a technoholic, so I'm looking for my next one right now. With 5 phones on our plan, I get 5 times the chance for a nice upgrade!
Yeah you can be waiting for years for the next best thing to come out and never get one because there is another one on its way about to come out also...
I think atrix is a great phone, I had it since the week they came out and still love it. I say get it, it's an awsome phone for the price and the specs that it has.
Although I'm running a different rom on it, I think the stock version runs great too for anyone getting into androids or smartphones.
I came here looking for a thread just like this. Funny how it works out. Thanks
ATT is running a deal to get an Atrix 4g for a penny with contract extension. Being cash strapped and wanting an android device that doesn't suck to replace my old Curve just became an option.
Also consider replacement costs if you don't have insurance. Depending on where you live I am guessing this could be more or less expensive. If you don't have phone insurance through a carrier, you can always ask about adding the phone to your home or renters insurance.
I'd say get it!
The Atrix 4G is anything but an old and budget smartphone.
It still has great specs and even better than some of the latest and greatest.
Just for fun let's compare it to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Atrix has many features the Nexus don't have, like huge battery, hdmi out, webtop, lots of accesories to choose from, a screen that will outlast that on the Nexus due to image burn-in problem on AMOLEDs, ICS capable, memory expansion through micro-sd, fingerprint scanner that really works great, and best of all, CHEAPER!
P.S.- I'm not saying that SGN is not a great phone, but on feature/cost ratio the Atrix blows it out of the water.
I had thought of that, but what about the galaxy s (not the s2)? It is slightly cheaper on ebay, probably because more were sold, and it doesn't have the flash or hdmi out or dual core processor, but it's still a pretty capable phone.
I know there are more than a few posts comparing these two devices out there, and I've seen some of those, but TODAY, would any of you opt for the galaxy S, that is about 40€ cheaper, instead of the Atrix? I am just looking for personal opinions.
Keep in mind that I own an Atrix, and I did a lot of research before buying it, including comparing it with the galaxy S. The point is, the galaxy S was a lot more expensive when i bought my Atrix, and I don't know if i would still buy it, if the prices were as they are today (although I probably would and will again ).
tsdedst said:
I had thought of that, but what about the galaxy s (not the s2)? It is slightly cheaper on ebay, probably because more were sold, and it doesn't have the flash or hdmi out or dual core processor, but it's still a pretty capable phone.
I know there are more than a few posts comparing these two devices out there, and I've seen some of those, but TODAY, would any of you opt for the galaxy S, that is about 40€ cheaper, instead of the Atrix? I am just looking for personal opinions.
Keep in mind that I own an Atrix, and I did a lot of research before buying it, including comparing it with the galaxy S. The point is, the galaxy S was a lot more expensive when i bought my Atrix, and I don't know if i would still buy it, if the prices were as they are today (although I probably would and will again ).
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Well the problem I see by purchasing any type of used AMOLED based smartphones is that the buyer runs the risk of getting a device with a burned-in screen.
For those not familiar with this "burn-in" term here's a brief explanation:
AMOLED based screens (even new ones like Super AMOLED +) use organic leds that produce it's own light, so there is no need of an electroluminicent backlight like that on normal LCDs, colors are brilliant (oversaturated to some) but the downside to this new technology is that unfortunately blue leds tend to degrade faster than the other colors, so after just a few months of use (according to reports all around xda and other sites) the user start to see ghosting or burn-in effects on screen, specially visible on whites.
That's one of the primary reasons why we got a change of color scheme starting on Android 2.2 Froyo like dark top task bars where static icons and information tend to burn-in quicker.
So, in conclussion, I would avoid purchasing any AMOLED based smartphone without looking at it first IN PERSON!.
How to check?
Simply hold the device and pump the brightness all the way to the max settings and then have a blank WHITE screen (i.e. maximized or zoomed in blank white web page) and look for ghost images specially where the top bar sits, or even squared and ghostly icons where the program icons used to sit).
There are lots of videos and pictures all over to see what to look for.
Cheers!
Rayan
Definitely get an atrix over galaxy S. Much more powerful phone. The price on galaxy S is artificially high due to demand for replacements from a lot of people that bought them. See that a lot on the used market with the mass consumer market phones just like old iphones.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
atrix
Forget the old Galaxy...I had one and it was crap. Slow, not enough memory, laggy, Froyo.
I read all the android news every day looking for my next phone. So far the only one that is tempting me is the Motorola Dinara, or XT928 coming to AT&T soon. It is a 4.5 inch screen and true HD 1280 x 960. The ones being delivered to AT&T will have removeable batteries, 1.2 GH dual core, and I like the design. Price will be a factor so I won't be able to actually purchase it till 6 months down the road. Whatever the case the longer you wait the more powerful phone you will get, its just the was it goes.
I think the ATRIX 2 with a fingerprint scanner would be a fantastic device for the $100 asking price. Recently played with one, I liked it.
I was in the same position of yours couple of weeks ago. My budget was around $300-350. I couldn't find any phone better than Atrix 4G on this budget! Man its one of the greatest phone still now in the market & it has the lower price of them all. Its the great phone with a great price! If I had money I'd buy another atrix!
16 GB internal, 1910mAh battery, 1Ghz processor. How many phones out there beats that?
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Atrix has the best price/performance ratio today.
Semseddin said:
Atrix has the best price/performance ratio today.
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Yes, I would but the Atrix again today. I am not the "chase the hottest thing today" kind of guy.
Atrix has very good specs in dual core CPU and 1 gig of ram. Remember that most phones are still single core.
I will listen to upgrade arguments when there will be a single app that requires more raw hardware power than what Atrix provides.
I would happily purchase the Atrix again today, it's the best phone I've ever had. Ill be waiting for a good quad core phone before I replace mine.
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Hi all, I'm new here, and new to the smartphone world in general.
I'm about to buy my first one, and it would be nice to hear your opinion about it.
My biggest concern about buying a smartphone is battery life, as I keep reading that most of them only last for a full day at most. Coming from an "old phone" (Sony Ericsson W580i) with an uptime of about 4-5 days, it would be quite a change, and could actually become troublesome.
My current choice would be a Sony Xperia, in particular the Xperia U, mainly for its design, size and price. It's an Android phone, and that's the reason why I'm asking for suggestions here: while I know Android is well regarded for its customization, I also heard that it's not the most "light" OS out there, generally requiring high hardware specs and energy.
The doubt came to me when a friend of mine bought a Samsung Omnia W, a Windows Phone: he probably just use it moderately, but its battery lasts for about three days, much longer than his previous Android phones (still one-day-life as he recalls).
I'm now wondering: is Windows Phone generally more "optimized", at least in its battery-management department, therefore lasting longer, or is it just the Omnia W having a really good battery?
From what I've seen WP also looks much smoother than Android, and that could actually set the point (buying a WP, that is). However, I know I wouldn't feel comfortable with WP, as its almost non-existant customization really isn't my thing.
The aspect in which you could probably help me out the most is: are there Android ROMs oriented towards a more light, battery-saving system? Would it be possible to achieve (at least) a 2-days uptime with an Android phone (in particular with an Xperia U)?
Keep in mind that I'm not planning on using it very intensely: no gaming, for example, and only synchronizing when needed (which means no full-time internet access).
Would it even be possible to make it last that longer just by careful app and resources usage/management? I don't even know if things might get better (or worse?) upgrading from Gingerbread to ICS.
Sorry if it's a bit long to read, thanks for your patience!
TL;DR version: how to make an Android Phone (Xperias in particular) last for at least 2 days.
Hi and welcome to the smartphone era
Smartphones' battery, in general, do not last more than a day. The big screen, the data transfer etc does not maker it worth creating larger batteries. Specially when people keep on wanting 'smarter' phones, which are thinner and lighter.
That leads most manufacturers to add a battery which will make it last a day.
But that aint bad - just plug it in every night.
I do not think windows phones are using less battery, again - if they would have used less battery the manufacturer would have installed thinner battery and gain points with a lighter and slimmer phone. Eventually it's all about usage. Keep using the phone with heavy games and you'll end up charging every couple of hours, let it sleep most of the day and you'll find out you can use it for two days without a single charge. That's the same of iOS, Windows and Android phones.
As per your assumption that you will be a light user, there's a saying that the appetite comes with the food. Never say never my friend, many of my family and friends had made that 'smartphone' move in the last couple of years, and most of them claimed they will not get sucked into that extra-phone-usage - needless to say they all check their emails, visit Facebook, read the news etc...
It's really an amazing era when every question you have, you could simply ask Google of Wikipedia and get answered
Bottom line - assume battery will be roughly the same on all phones. The plus in Android is the custom roms and kernels - you could always try some different kernel/rom which will give you a couple of more hours on your battery. There are great developers working hard on such things, and while the manufacturers aim for the avg. user, perhaps your usage is closer to some custom ROM
Another thing - if being online and available means that much, and charging every day, or during the day, is out of the question, try to get a phone whose batteries are replaceable (when you can open the lid easily, and place another battery in its place). Not all phones has that feature, not all android phones as well.
That's my two cents, HTH,
Raven.
I can only speak to the two Android phones I've had experience with: the Droid Incredible and the Droid x2.
The Incredible, I get about a day out of it if I am lucky. That is with rather light use. Mostly, some communication (a call or two plus many texts), email checking, and maybe a little browsing. To the phone's credit, I am generally in a poor reception area, which will drain the battery faster.
With the Droid x2, on the otherhand, I have witnessed much better battery life. Usually only charging every other day. However, it is used less and in an area with better reception.
I have never used a Windows phone, so I can't contrast these Android phones to anything for you. However, the going reasonsing (so I'm told) is that Linux has terrible power management in comparison to Windows. Here we are talking strictly about desktop/laptop operating systems. Nevertheless, I would think this generalization can be extended at least a little bit into the phone world.
My only experience with Android is my current phone, the HTC Explorer. This is a budget phone with a slower processor etc. than the more well known phones, but it's battery life is fantastic in comparison. It's currently sitting on 45% having been on for 2 days and 17 hours. (I have had WiFi on for most of that time, no 3G or GPS). It will generally last me 3 or 4 days of moderate usage at least (some texting, checking emails, FB etc. a few times a day, a little browsing, playing an occasional game or two). The more advanced the phone, the more power hungry it is likely to be. As mentioned above, slimmer phones will also often contain smaller batteries, so that is something to consider too.
I love Android. I came from blackberry about 4 or so years ago to Android and I was in love! Ive had android ever since. I will stay with android now forever I love it that much! With android the customization is amazing almost endless on a rooted device.
I love the capabilities. I could go on for hours about why I feel android is the best! I think once you try it you will understand why its so popular. Best of luck to you.
Sent from my Sensation using xda premium
Android is the mother of all OS
What say guys ??
Real Contributors Dont BeG for Thanks
Cheers
Thanks for your input guys, it's really helpful.
Since it seems that most phones are just "built" to last the bare minimum (and that actually makes sense, now that I think about it), I guess I'll just have to go along with it and see for myself if the change is worth it. I obviously hope it is
One interesting thing that you pointed out is that better hardware comes with heavier battery usage, and that's making me wonder whether a dual core CPU (like the Xperia U I had in mind) would be a hindrance, considering what I need the phone for (no gaming for example).
Then again, it wouldn't make sense to buy a lower-hardware phone at the same price of a better one, so that Xperia is probably the best choice I have right now.
And I'll keep my eyes open for custom ROMs that might suit my needs, even just knowing that system development is not just going one-way (that is, a "heavier, more powerful system") but takes into consideration even a more "moderate usage" is better than nothing.
Sorry I know if everyone asked these general questions about what to buy the forums would be flooded. Hopefully posting in the general section I'm not getting in the way of any important development threads or anything. I wouldn't ask if I weren't really struggling with some indecision here.
I'm a Verizon customer, still have unlimited. Using a Droid Bionic with Carbon Rom. I'm planning to buy at full retail price to leave my data plan in tact.
LG wasn't really even on my radar. HTC One was originally what caught my eye for the styling and great reviews, then the new wave of Droids came out, and now the G2. I think I'm fairly decided in terms of currently available devices and don't need help there, I would get the G2 if it came down to what's on store shelves right now. I've seen comments on the HTC One camera ranging from amazing to garbage, and not sure I would like Blinkfeed. The One speakers would be nice but can't say I really need internal audio from my phone that much. Doesn't sound like the Droid Maxx battery is really thrilling anyone, plus with upgrading at full retail price it kinda isn't all that interesting to jump from one Moto Droid to another, it'll just feel like a differently shaped Bionic. Moto X seems interesting everyone keeps saying it's the best all around form factor and the most refined that an Android device has ever felt, but I think I'm ready for a bigger screen and battery.
I'm more a bit hesitant that I'll get the G2 and then the Nexus 5 or Note 3 is going to be amazing. Although I'm well aware of the crop of Nexus 5 rumors, apparently not having Verizon's LTE band (then counteracted by a newer rumor saying there may have been an FCC filing for a separate Verizon LG device that wasn't the G2 and could be their variant of the Nexus 5). Plus a rumored smaller battery for the Nexus compared to the G2 which would lower my interest in it. Note 3... I'm not really dying to own my first Samsung but it seems it might outdo the G2 in a few ways, more Ram, SD card slot, etc. Obviously anything compared to the Bionic I have will seem nice, 32GB (or the 20-whatever that's actually available after system install) on the G2 will be plenty, I am used to working with the 16gb I have on my Bionic and am used to having to send stuff to my PC harddrive if my phone gets too full.
I've owned LG in my cell phone history, had an LG Dare and then an Ally for my first Android phone. Their hardware is alright but if I recall correctly they are pretty iffy about timely updates and then just stop supporting devices once they hit a certain age. But then Motorola pulled the same stunt during my Bionic ownership and most of you will know about how long it took Bionic to get system updates. I don't think I ever really saw myself going back to LG as I've felt the same indifference towards them as the rest of the community for a while now, although it kinda says something about them that they're still good enough to keep getting contracted for the Nexus devices. And then this G2 landed on my radar out of nowhere.
G2 camera sounds great with a few reviews sprinkled in that suddenly didn't think it was all that amazing, but I take pictures like crazy, camera is important, I think I may even sell my Sony Nex 3 full size camera as a way to help pay for a phone upgrade, the big camera just sits here and collects dust when I can have a camera in my pocket all day in a phone.
Important aspects to me, battery life (sick of charging my Bionic constantly, I think my extended battery is wearing out because I can just watch the percentage drop like a rock as I use it), quality display would be nice after settling for the Bionic with it's blah pentile screen, camera as I mentioned above, other than that I browse, text message, need Tethering, and use Pandora in my car. And I do care about developer support, I like messing with Roms, but if the factory Rom is decent once you get it set up, I can live with not having as large of a dev community as S4 might have or whatever. So yeah with that said it seems like a no brainer saying display-battery-camera, G2 sounds to be the best at all of that right now, I'm just worried about what else is coming out this holiday season. I know the Nexus announcement is rumored for next month but I just hate to wait just to find out it's not coming to Verizon or is definitely going to have some lame 2300mah battery. You know how it is when you're ready to upgrade...
-I suppose we'd all be guessing, but how good are people feeling about the G2 getting a KitKat update in a reasonable time window? This is the LG flagship so I would hope for good support, but the LG skin and addons are so overwhelming and heavily skinned devices always take longer to get their updates out. I'd be thrilled to get this phone but that would quickly turn to disappointment if we're waiting for 4.4 longer than anyone else.
-How is developer support looking? Have any big names pledged to add the G2 to their supported devices? I really like Carbon Rom on Bionic. I suppose it's a good sign that root and loki happened right away but so far Rom releases, especially for VZW, looks slow.
-Speaking of ROMs, do we have any idea if any of the stock stuff like knock-on etc will ever be able to be pulled and applied to a custom ROM, or is it pretty much a guarantee that if you switch to anything but stock you're going to be sacrificing a lot of the factory features?
-I noticed the G2 doesn't even come up on the Top Devices window at the first XDA forum portal, is that a bad sign for community interest in the device? HTC One, Note 3, etc all show up as the top devices on XDA right now. Is there a community behind this device or not really? Does everyone dig the specs but shy away from LG with their heavy skin?
-It WiFi tethering working with the current root exploit? I use my Bionic as my home internet access, on the stock ROM it seems like FoxFi will stop working after a couple of days like it's detecting that I'm tethering, on Carbon ROM I can tether for gig after gig of data and no issue.
-I've seen more than one person gripe about thermal throttling and the G2 starting to run like utter garbage in certain conditions. That would certainly suck to spend 600 on. Is this widespread?
I don't think I'd regret buying it immediately but I see the potential that only a few weeks into ownership the "oh crap why did I go with LG" feeling will start.
For the awesome specs...yes. Its a great deal for what you get. I don't know if tethering is working yet but I do know pda net works. Top be honest with my wife and I we were concerned about going share everything but I got a music unlimited service for 50 a year and downloaded everything instead of streaming. We went from using 6+ gb a month to under 2. And almost all the music is ultra high quality which works perfect with the 24 bit DAC. I stopped using Pandora because of this...I can skip all I want no commercials and choose weekday I want. I am very happy with the lg UI MINUS the giant size. So fast there had been a fantastic dev community modding the stock rom. Coming from a GNex I am ecstatic to get TWRP already. I wouldn't be too sure that anything coming out from Samsung will be crackle since the S4 is locked down now. Battery is about 9-10 hours of straight screen and 24+ with normal usage including hours on and off of heavy use. The only thing I don't like is the weak out of the box speaker but they have already modded ATT gain to make it better. The Btooth audio and head phone quality makes for this Times a million. I don't see anything else coming close unless you are Andre the Giant and like the phablet Note type. The one is bigger with a smaller washed out color LCD. The speakers rock but it's not worth the lack of general power. Grey a quick window case it's s fantastic.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Wow. There's about 5 minutes I can't get back.
Nexus5 will most likely never hit Verizon.
Big name devs? This phone is like a week old. Time will tell.
Wi-Fi tethering not currently working.
Buy it. If you don't like it inside of 14 days, return it. By that time, news of the nexus 5 should be out.
Thank you Devs. From my LG G2.
Wifi tether wasn't working on the S4 or One, I just had both phones on Sprint and T-Mobile with various roms and kernels. The only other phone I considered was the Note 3 but I can't stand the home button, would have liked the extra real estate but the G2 is still manageable for me to use one handed and a stylus would have been wasted on me.
This phone doesn't even need roms tbh.
I'd buy this phone all over again. No other phone feels like this one a atm.
LG G2
I was following every phone to come down the pipe for the last six months or more. I had an LG Nitro HD for my last phone and my first was the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. The nitro was terrible. The only time that phone ran right was on stock gingerbread. The development was fairly slow and the community small because it was att only and wasn't popular at that. I was about as put off by LG as they come.
Two days ago, I bought the G2, and I absolutely love it. The battery life really is phenomenal. I say this because it had kept up with my initial high usage love for a new phone. I plugged in last night with 34% left after having almost six hours of screen on time at 80% brightness. The note 3 might be great,but then again it might not. Only 100mah larger battery with a .5in larger screen concerns me a bit. The processor is already insane in the G2 so that will likely not make a difference for a bit. The ram shouldn't be an issue for at least an upgrade cycle at minimum.
Honestly, the biggest difference between this and the nexus is battery and screen. Nexus is 5 in and only had 2300mah so unless Kit Kat has major battery improvements that phone was no longer a option for me. The tipping point for this phone over the moto x in my case? Development and community. This phone already has a larger forum Than the moto x. That's not the only determinant but helps significantly. Go check the nitro forum, this phone is already almost as large... this phone had root on day one I think it was and boot loader bypass within a week of launch. And a Rom 2days later. It may not be as fast some devices but that is still damn fast. Will this be a great dev phone? Too early to tell but it looks promising. And with the nexus being nearly identical hardware wise, that could help too.
Hope that helps.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
Hey everyone. Some of you may have seen me before on various LG forums, like the Optimus G, and the G2 (I've definitely seen some of you guys before on the OG forums), and I have a question for you guys who own the Sprint G3. Are you guys happy with your device? Like ROM wise, battery life, the entire experience in general. As of today March 1st, I'm eligible for an upgrade, and I was thinking of getting the G3. But I've been ghosting around the forums to spot any rooting quirks and goofs, and I've seen some regarding data on custom ROMs and stuff, which I'm kinda on the fence about. I'm planning on keeping my N5 for the AOSP ROMs, but this phone has terrible battery life, compared to the G2 I've owned for two weeks before I permanently switched to the N5. I see there's a decent selection of AOSP ROMs available for the G3, but I'm not too worried about that because I have my Nexus.
Tl;Dr: are you guys happy with your G3, and do you think its worth the upgrade, or should I wait for new devices to come out?
Get on GSM if you can. This CDMA crap has an always be problematic. GSM phones get way more love than the stupid sprint cdma garbage. We have great stuff going on here. Yet still better support for GSM. Battery life is great and the phone rocks.
---------- Post added at 02:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:28 AM ----------
As for me I am seriously contemplating getting a Nexus 6 just so I can get stock android without CDMA problems. All I want is stock. If I had the knowledge to make this phone what I want I would. I do not so I am at the will of others. No complaints though. So much great stuff has happened for this LS990.
As a previous owner of several G2's (Sprint variants) I'm happy that I now have a G3 finally (and yes it's the Sprint model). Having said that, I'm currently "stuck" at the moment because of a damaged digitizer but I'll be ordering a new display assembly here in short order hopefully.
Comparing the G3 vs the N5 directly it's pretty blatantly obvious that the G3 is vastly superior in most every respect that matters - I'm wondering if you meant to say the N6 instead because that would be more aligned in a comparison in terms of hardware:
- same resolution screens albeit LCD vs AMOLED, 5.5" vs 5.96" - the G3 "looks" sharper because of the much higher PPI at 538 vs 493 for the N6 - I have two friends that own an N6 at this time and the one thing I hear from them most often is they love the color saturation of the AMOLED panel but they wish it was LCD because in direct sunlight the AMOLED just washes out pretty severely, and I am the same way: I love AMOLED color representation but outside in daylight, forget it, the G3 wins without question (my opinion based on my own usage and experience, however)
- the N6 is technically more powerful with the Snapdragon 805 at 2.7 GHz vs the G3 with the 801 at 2.5 GHz but the difference is negligible in actual day to day performance
- 3GB of RAM in each device (given you have the 32GB model from Sprint) so that's a draw
- form factor isn't that different save for getting used to the G3 having the rear mounted controls, it takes a little getting used to but in the long run I've come to find it works fine for me after that "honeymoon" period
- pure stock Android on the N6 vs the very nicely themed G3 experience, this one is simply a personal preference and nothing more: I prefer the G3's UI actually; when I had my G2(s) over the past year I ran CloudyG3 on them (now properly renamed to CloudyG2, however) and loved it. I can see why people prefer the stock Android even in spite of them using some third party launcher like Nova or something else even so
- microSD slot for increased storage + the removable battery pushes the G3 into the lead for me, however - I'm not saying it's better automagically just because the hardware supports it, I'm saying that for me it's better because I prefer such aspects in my smartphones, those two things were lacking in the G2 and I'm happy that LG came around and added them because it makes the G3 nearly perfect to me (I wish it just had a 1920x1080 display, however)
- battery life is an important aspect as well and I'm confident that the G3 with Lollipop (since it's now available, even for the Sprint variant) should get improved battery life (there's that memory glitch with 5.0.1 but I'm sure it'll be addressed soon enough). Can't speak for the N5 or the N6 with respect to battery life but I'm pretty sure the G3 may give better results. GSMArena gave the N6 a 70 hour endurance rating and the G3 a 63 in the same test, so they're very similar overall depending on usage
Also realize that because of how the G3 is designed with the back-mounted buttons, the 5.5" display on it and the entire casing of the G3 takes up less space than the N6 does - the N6 is a very large device overall, a monster sized phone these days so that may play into your decision as well. There's a size comparison at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBrbCB50wJ0 - pretty dramatic difference.
But these kinds of comparisons are a dime a dozen these days, you've probably done the research already anyway, iamterence, so none of this is really new. What you have to decide is only something you can decide, as the case may be:
Which device suits your needs and requirements best...
What I suggest to people is sit down for a few minutes and do a pros/cons list of the things you need and require a smartphone in today's world to do for you given your usage expectations, then find a device that most closely matches the pros while having the least cons. It takes a while to do it obviously but when you're done you should have a lock on which device will be your choice.
If it's the G3 vs the N5, I'll take the G3 anytime. If it's the G3 vs the N6, I'd still take the G3 because I just prefer what it offers - pure stock Android on a Nexus is a nice thing, but it's lacking to me in many respects.
Also, I do agree with what was said above about the CDMA vs GSM thing overall but the G2 and the G3 really don't have much issues with getting GSM functionality. I personally can't stand LTE for various reasons but that's another thread altogether, so for me using HSPA+ on these devices is better in my situation and gives me 35Mbps or better where I live in Las Vegas which is pretty much saturated by T-Mobile service (my carrier of choice). If your intention - as a Sprint customer - is to use the device with that carrier then that whole CDMA vs GSM thing is a moot point anyway. If, however, you hope to use the device with another provider based on AT&T or T-Mobile's networks aka GSM then understand that unlocking the domestic GSM usage for the G3 isn't that tough at all, really.
Again, do the list, find what you need and require then match it.
I'd say grab the G3 and run with it but, you're the one that has to make the final decision.
ps
KnockOn/KnockOff/KnockCode... once you start using it you will seriously wonder why every smartphone hasn't been doing this since day one.
br0adband said:
As a previous owner of several G2's (Sprint variants) I'm happy that I now have a G3 finally (and yes it's the Sprint model). Having said that, I'm currently "stuck" at the moment because of a damaged digitizer but I'll be ordering a new display assembly here in short order hopefully.
Comparing the G3 vs the N5 directly it's pretty blatantly obvious that the G3 is vastly superior in most every respect that matters - I'm wondering if you meant to say the N6 instead because that would be more aligned in a comparison in terms of hardware:
- same resolution screens albeit LCD vs AMOLED, 5.5" vs 5.96" - the G3 "looks" sharper because of the much higher PPI at 538 vs 493 for the N6 - I have two friends that own an N6 at this time and the one thing I hear from them most often is they love the color saturation of the AMOLED panel but they wish it was LCD because in direct sunlight the AMOLED just washes out pretty severely, and I am the same way: I love AMOLED color representation but outside in daylight, forget it, the G3 wins without question (my opinion based on my own usage and experience, however)
- the N6 is technically more powerful with the Snapdragon 805 at 2.7 GHz vs the G3 with the 801 at 2.5 GHz but the difference is negligible in actual day to day performance
- 3GB of RAM in each device (given you have the 32GB model from Sprint) so that's a draw
- form factor isn't that different save for getting used to the G3 having the rear mounted controls, it takes a little getting used to but in the long run I've come to find it works fine for me after that "honeymoon" period
- pure stock Android on the N6 vs the very nicely themed G3 experience, this one is simply a personal preference and nothing more: I prefer the G3's UI actually; when I had my G2(s) over the past year I ran CloudyG3 on them (now properly renamed to CloudyG2, however) and loved it. I can see why people prefer the stock Android even in spite of them using some third party launcher like Nova or something else even so
- microSD slot for increased storage + the removable battery pushes the G3 into the lead for me, however - I'm not saying it's better automagically just because the hardware supports it, I'm saying that for me it's better because I prefer such aspects in my smartphones, those two things were lacking in the G2 and I'm happy that LG came around and added them because it makes the G3 nearly perfect to me (I wish it just had a 1920x1080 display, however)
- battery life is an important aspect as well and I'm confident that the G3 with Lollipop (since it's now available, even for the Sprint variant) should get improved battery life (there's that memory glitch with 5.0.1 but I'm sure it'll be addressed soon enough). Can't speak for the N5 or the N6 with respect to battery life but I'm pretty sure the G3 may give better results. GSMArena gave the N6 a 70 hour endurance rating and the G3 a 63 in the same test, so they're very similar overall depending on usage
Also realize that because of how the G3 is designed with the back-mounted buttons, the 5.5" display on it and the entire casing of the G3 takes up less space than the N6 does - the N6 is a very large device overall, a monster sized phone these days so that may play into your decision as well. There's a size comparison at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBrbCB50wJ0 - pretty dramatic difference.
But these kinds of comparisons are a dime a dozen these days, you've probably done the research already anyway, iamterence, so none of this is really new. What you have to decide is only something you can decide, as the case may be:
Which device suits your needs and requirements best...
What I suggest to people is sit down for a few minutes and do a pros/cons list of the things you need and require a smartphone in today's world to do for you given your usage expectations, then find a device that most closely matches the pros while having the least cons. It takes a while to do it obviously but when you're done you should have a lock on which device will be your choice.
If it's the G3 vs the N5, I'll take the G3 anytime. If it's the G3 vs the N6, I'd still take the G3 because I just prefer what it offers - pure stock Android on a Nexus is a nice thing, but it's lacking to me in many respects.
Also, I do agree with what was said above about the CDMA vs GSM thing overall but the G2 and the G3 really don't have much issues with getting GSM functionality. I personally can't stand LTE for various reasons but that's another thread altogether, so for me using HSPA+ on these devices is better in my situation and gives me 35Mbps or better where I live in Las Vegas which is pretty much saturated by T-Mobile service (my carrier of choice). If your intention - as a Sprint customer - is to use the device with that carrier then that whole CDMA vs GSM thing is a moot point anyway. If, however, you hope to use the device with another provider based on AT&T or T-Mobile's networks aka GSM then understand that unlocking the domestic GSM usage for the G3 isn't that tough at all, really.
Again, do the list, find what you need and require then match it.
I'd say grab the G3 and run with it but, you're the one that has to make the final decision.
ps
KnockOn/KnockOff/KnockCode... once you start using it you will seriously wonder why every smartphone hasn't been doing this since day one.
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You say that you're stick with Sprint because you have a damaged digitizer for your G3; is that because you flashed a ROM, or what? Because I remember back on the G2 forums, there was a VERY widespread screen damage problem that happened to a lot of people who flashed ROMs, and even to people who didn't. If that's a problem here as well, then I am instantly turned off, because that problem is just beyond stupid.
I know that GSM devices get mostly all the love as well, being stuck on CDMA myself for the past 3 years and counting. But the way I view it as: since I already have a Nexus device, with the G3, I'm actually gonna take the chance to appreciate stock debloated software, and maybe go AOSP if I'm feeling bored, but I plan on keeping my Nexus just in case I feel like going back to AOSP. But, to be completely honest though, AOSP gets a little boring after a while. See, I like minimal ROMs. I've flash a lot of ROMs on my device, but I always find myself coming back to near-vanilla ROMs, because I'm just not into all those features like that. Just give me a theme engine/RRO support, and maybe even a center clock mod, and I'm good to go.
Speaking of RRO, are there any ROMs here that support that yet? I really haven't looker, but Layers themes are AMAZING. I feel like they run more efficiently than the theme engine, but that can be a strictly placebo affect. If not, I know there's definitely theme engine, so I'm good either ways.
I'm actually kinda leaning towards the G3 myself now, and have been for a little while now. I guess I just needed something to solidify my decision. Really not into HTC phones, nor am I a big fan of Touchwiz, even with their clean slate revisiting. LG phones have never done me any wrong (Well, except for the G2 with it's screen problems), and we didn't get a 2nd gen Moto X, otherwise I'd hop on that in a heartbeat. The Nexus 6 is WAY too goddamn big for me, like way past my comfort zone. I travel across the country in a touring metal band, so something stupid would be bound to happen if I were to get that phone. I'd feel a lot more safer with that phone than with the goddamn whale that is the N6. But, like I said, I'd be getting the G3 to actually appreciate the stock LG software rather than trying to go nuts with AOSP.
If anything, if I don't like the G3, I'll just sell it for $250 or something.
No, I bought it with a cracked digitizer for $50 - the G3 itself is without any noticeable flaws and works great but the digitizer being cracked and non-functional leaves me with a device I can't use till I replace that (meaning the entire display assembly since the LCD and digitizer are fused; technically it's possible to separate them but I lack the expertise and the necessary hardware plus it's just not worth the hassles). The G2 issues in the past were an actual manufacturing defect on some particular devices, iirc, I could be wrong about that but it had something to do with specific LCD panels made by a specific manufacturer - it wasn't directly LG's fault, I mean, at least that's what I remember. There was an app you could run that would ID the exact panel in your G2 and then you'd know whether or not you might potentially have problems.
I've never ever heard of screen damage caused by ROM flashing - that just sounds a bit ridiculous, so perhaps there's just a misunderstanding of what those people were reporting. The one "issue" that the G3 suffered/suffers from is the fact that the super huge QHD resolution and scaling causing sharpness issues in some situations: either the onscreen image is too sharp or oversharp and loses clarity or it's not sharp enough and looks fuzzy. It's not a technical problem or a defect with the display, it's simple physics of the LCD being so high resolution at 2560x1440 and software/hardware scaling not being up to par - there are several fixes out that help alleviate the oversharpening but I can't speak for their effectiveness at this time till I can get this G3 of mine up and running again with the replacement display assembly.
Not sure what you're referring to with the "RRO" comment, and I'm not into themes at all personally. I typically use a black wallpaper on any device I own and keep everything 'stock' in terms of the UI itself which is why I said what I said about LG's stock UI on the G3 (and why I used it on the G2 with CloudyG3/G2). It's beautiful, incredibly functional, and fits the way I use the device better than "stock" Android ever could but again that's just me and my personal preference. I give LG big props and mad respect for it because it's gorgeous and gets the job done while being lean and mean while remaining snappy and responsive as well.
Aside from the Sprint bloatware (which can be disabled iirc, or removed entirely with root using Titanium Backup). I was using the G3 after I got it and my OTG cable with a mouse, actually. The damage to the digitizer was localized in most of the left and upper region - the bottom right quadrant was still functional but with the mouse plugged in the digitizer became irrelevant. No, I don't mean I was going to carry it around with a mouse, that would be ridiculous and stupid, I just mean that I got the G3 for that $50 knowing I'd be replacing the display assembly from the gitgo.
My mistake was that I decided to roll the firmware back to factory (ZV4) and in the process I didn't realize that LG has made some changes since the G2 release and they have this stupid "Mini OS" thing come up after a stock firmware flash - the only way to exit out of that Mini OS and into the normal firmware is to hold the Power button and tap a menu item onscreen which causes a popup to appear with an OK button - because the digitizer is/was damaged I wasn't able to press the OK button (it was like 1/16" of an inch inside the damaged area) so I was left with a truly dead G3 for all intents and purposes.
I tore it down yesterday and removed the display assembly and cleaned it all up so it's basically a fully functional G3 now waiting for a new display/digitizer which I hope to order here as soon as I can round up the funds, it'll be about $70-80 off eBay.
It's a damned nice smartphone, it really is. My own pros/cons list basically is like 99% pros for the G3 and just 1% con: I wish it had a 1920x1080 display on it because I have no use - I mean really, does anyone? - for such a high resolution on such a tiny display. I appreciate it, I do, but there's no legitimate purpose for such a resolution on such a small display: 1920x1080 would have been awesome enough, I would have been happy with it and had no issues but LG wanted to be the first to market with the QHD resolution and they made it happen with the G3.
Couldn't pass it up for $50...
iamterence said:
Hey everyone. Some of you may have seen me before on various LG forums, like the Optimus G, and the G2 (I've definitely seen some of you guys before on the OG forums), and I have a question for you guys who own the Sprint G3. Are you guys happy with your device? Like ROM wise, battery life, the entire experience in general. As of today March 1st, I'm eligible for an upgrade, and I was thinking of getting the G3. But I've been ghosting around the forums to spot any rooting quirks and goofs, and I've seen some regarding data on custom ROMs and stuff, which I'm kinda on the fence about. I'm planning on keeping my N5 for the AOSP ROMs, but this phone has terrible battery life, compared to the G2 I've owned for two weeks before I permanently switched to the N5. I see there's a decent selection of AOSP ROMs available for the G3, but I'm not too worried about that because I have my Nexus.
Tl;Dr: are you guys happy with your G3, and do you think its worth the upgrade, or should I wait for new devices to come out?
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I loved my OG and decided to go with this phone based off of my experience with that. I can honestly say I made the right choice. My normal routine with phones is to flash AOSP roms as soon as they are available, but with this phone, I've been pretty impressed with the custom stock roms and xposed. My battery life is great when I'm not using bluetooth, but one great thing is the charge time on this phone has greatly improved over the OG.
BonezMontana said:
I loved my OG and decided to go with this phone based off of my experience with that. I can honestly say I made the right choice. My normal routine with phones is to flash AOSP roms as soon as they are available, but with this phone, I've been pretty impressed with the custom stock roms and xposed. My battery life is great when I'm not using bluetooth, but one great thing is the charge time on this phone has greatly improved over the OG.
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Yeah, I'm definitely interested to see how stock debloated Lollipop runs on this phone. Its just weird hearing that the battery life is just "okay" considering that the G2 had amazing battery life. But I guess the G3 would be an improvement over the N5 anyways, this thing has horrid battery life. Think I'm gonna go to Best Buy tomorrow and snag a G3 for a dollar, instead of getting one from Sprint for $50.
It's been out for a week now and I don't see any discussions going on. Is it really as bad as all the reviews are making it out to be? Are we talking Blackberry Storm here or what?
I'm using it. It's not bad at all. The hinge is actually pretty solid. The only downside is since it's on Verizon, you cannot unlock the bootloader.
128 views and only 1 response in two days. The silence is deafening.
There are none for sale on Swappa and less than a dozen on eBay. This does not bode well for this phone. I'd love to have one, just for the nostalgia, but I think I'll wait until they're dirt cheap.
I'm not taking shots at any of you who have one. I hope you like it and it performs to your satisfaction, but let's face it, with a stratospheric price and subpar specs, Motorola screwed the pooch on this one.
Just so you know, I had a Blackberry Storm. Even waited in line for it. The two best days were the day I got it, and the day I got rid of it.
The silence only shows that the typical XDA member didn't buy it. The reviews seem to be done by people whose use of a cellphone is atypical from the target audience of the phone. Until the international version which is unlocked becomes available there probably won't be many comments here
I agree with Kingstu. This device is probably designed more towards fashion than spec. I have to say using it is very pleasant. The material used feels very nice and it's not sluggish. However, I do hope i can get root and magisk which is probably never going to happen on this Verizon crap.
I just got mine of eBay for a decent deal. Based in the UK so no bloteware installed.
I really like it so far. I've used the galaxy fold so was interested in coming back to a small phone while in my pocket.
It's a shame its got so much negatively on YouTube but the price is too high and I hope software updates will improve the camera and make the front screen more productive.
I hope it does sell well for future versions
Price is now £399 on the Moto store.
Had it for a week and loving it... Did pick it up for $799 Australian
Just got mine, on Argentina and was really difficult to get. The external display is great but I would love this phone to be a little bit wider.