Related
Seriously at this point with the whole issue of contesting the SLCD 2 as "better", would you ever settle for a non-oled screen?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA
Honestly, I think all the new screens look amazing. Ours especially, everyone I know with a smartphone they always get upset when they realize they don't have a Samsung with such a good screen.
This is my first Samsung phone, previously all i've had was HTC phones.. I'll say the last htc phone i had was the thunderbolt and sensation(yeah qHD.. not that great.), and they dont even come close..
YeH I came from an Atrix. The difference is ....astounding.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
I laugh at my Moto Backflip when I see it now and think "how the hell did I even use this thing" haha. I was so close to getting an HTC Inspire when ATT had the refurb GS2 for $10 and am sooooo glad I got it instead. One of the first times I'm not already anxious for my contract to run out to upgrade my phone.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Before this phone I had the Inspire...I don't think I'll ever buy a phone without a superamoled screen
The ducks symbolize death!
Phalanx7621 said:
YeH I came from an Atrix. The difference is ....astounding.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That may be an understatement.
Sent from your mom's house.
I had the HTC inspire and it dropped calls restarted it ruined my want for any other HTC device
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
I too came from the HTC Inspire to the SGS2...and the screen difference is just silly. However I can't knock the Inspire too badly...it was my first Android phone after owning iphones for 4 years straight and it was a pleasant experience. Lots of dev support too.
But no question I prefer Samsung now.
I love my G S II, and the vibrant screen. But, I haven't spent any time with the ONE X. Isn't that the first time any one (like a reviewer, professional etc, not a user here on xda) has claimed the SLCD 2 to be better than SAMOLED(+)? I've heard complaints that colors are oversaturated on the SAMOLED screens, but that's it. I prefer my screen over my wife's iPhone 4, but mostly because of size.
I have no loyalty to SAMOLED, I wouldn't let that drive my decision. I don't worry about technology details, I want to see and use it. The GS II has the best screen I've seen and used in person (I haven't had an opportunity to really play with the Galaxy Nexus either). I think I would prefer GS III over ONE X, but not because of the screen. If anything, the consensus is the ONE X screen takes the cake. I do have some loyalty to Samsung, though. Its been a long time since I've seen a really nice HTC, and I'm hesitant to jump on the first one.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
In the last two years I've had the Inspire, iPhone 4, Infuse, and SGS2.
The Inspire had the worst screen. I prefer the Infuse and SGS2 over the iPhone 4 screen despite the lower resolution.
I will not get a phone without SAMOLED unless the model has an engineering flaw (ie Galaxy S nonfunctional GPS). I love the deep black and vivid colors.
* I just wanted to add... The argument that a SAMOLED 1280x720 pentile screen doesn't look good is BS. Having played with a friend's Note, I can honestly say I cannot notice the pentile layout.
I recently checked out the galaxy nexus screen in person and wow, the pentile is no big deal! It's just so great seeing real blacks, especially in the dark.. Makes it look like things are floating
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA
I don't know why, but sammy's infuse samoled looks better than my I777.... The last one looks green-ish
Saludos desde Ecuador
SAMOLED screens have true blacks... because those pixels are turned off... but the new SLCD2 screens have true whites where as SAMOLED whites have a blueish tint because they tend to run colder.
It depends on what you like.
ntorresla said:
I don't know why, but sammy's infuse samoled looks better than my I777.... The last one looks green-ish
Saludos desde Ecuador
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Same here. My previous phone (Infuse) also had the trademark over-saturated popping out colors, but whites were very white and it was overall an amazing screen. For some reason, my SII's screen is a little bit dull and greenish as well, with whites not being quite as white, if not kind of yellowish.
Interestingly, I compared my SII's screen with my friend's (also SII) and they were very different. My friend's was more like my Infuse's, with crisp whites and the poppy colors. For some reason, it's just some SII units that seem to have a darkened/dulled out whites kind of screen. I don't know if it's a hardware issue or a software one, but regardless, it is the only thing right now that is preventing me from thinking my SII is flawless.
Someone else also told me that AMOLED screens can be a bit inconsistent and so the variation between even same units can be noticeable. That didn't really make me feel better because that just means I got the poopy screen while someone else got the nice one =_=
Went from a vibrant to a sensation. Blacks on SAMOLED are amazing, but I can totally live with LCD. One thing I could not live at all with is the burn in effect on AMOLED. This drove me crazy, as much as I loved the colors, I couldn't live with that.
I have a perfect screen luckily
I've never had the burn in effect
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA
philliple97 said:
Went from a vibrant to a sensation. Blacks on SAMOLED are amazing, but I can totally live with LCD. One thing I could not live at all with is the burn in effect on AMOLED. This drove me crazy, as much as I loved the colors, I couldn't live with that.
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I don't think the screen has actual burn in unless the screen is on an absurd amount of time, like a demo. If you are referring to what I think you are, its more like ghosting.
The captivate did this too. I could see what looked like burn in from the clock over certain colors. The xda app splash screen was an easy one to pick it out. Its worse on my GS II. The funny thing is the areas that are black in the notification shade cause a bigger effect than the areas lit up. I see the top bar being a little dulled, except the areas I would expect burn in, like the clock or signal. Because its reversed and black causes more discoloration I believe what I heard in the captivate days. It'd residual energy build up or something. They compared it to an e-ink screen. If the screen doesn't get a full refresh you see ghosts of images that look burned in. But you can clear them by refreshing the whole screen. A reboot for me almost always makes the effect go away. It then slowly accumulates and gets worse. The residual image also changes as I change ROMs or themes.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
Yeah, I love the sAMOLED+ on my i777.
But, I will say that while the blacks are deep and lovely, the whites have a very very slight tinge of coolness (blue) to them, which in certain conditions is annoying to me. I tend to only really notice when I look from my nice IPS computer monitor down to my phone.
Sometimes the colors are a little too saturated for me. I wish saturation was adjustable. Anyone know any tricks?
I had an Atrix with the pentile display before, and while the whites were a bit more neutral, the pentile-ness was definitely perceivable. There's a granularity that doesn't happen on my GS2.
I kinda miss that lapdock though.
I'm thinking about buying the Galaxy S III, but the Pentile screen is really holding me back. I mean, why buy a device with a screen that looks bad and has to be looked at for several hours a week?
I've heard that at high resolution, Pentile screens don't matter. But I want some opinions from all you people out there.
And what would you expect to see looking at a poor quality entitle screen?
My s3 is probably the clearest looking screen I've looked upon
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA
I've read some of the older device reviews on tech websites and whenever the device had a Pentile screen, the review always criticized it.
I'll trust Samsung on this, since there pretty good at making screens.
WiFi_N said:
I've read some of the older device reviews on tech websites and whenever the device had a Pentile screen, the review always criticized it.
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Click to collapse
Older AMOLED Pentile Display were bad because they have a low ppi (240ppi on the SGS1)
But SGS3 screen has a 306ppi and the "pentile effect" seems to be not there (at least I do not see it on my SGS3
Mopral said:
Older AMOLED Pentile Display were bad because they have a low ppi (240ppi on the SGS1)
But SGS3 screen has a 306ppi and the "pentile effect" seems to be not there (at least I do not see it on my SGS3
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Click to collapse
No matter what? Even if you're holding it like a inch away from your phone? I usually use my iPod touch (I have a Blackberry phone, it sucks for web browsing) when in the mornings when I don't feel like getting out of my bed. I usually hold it just 6 inches away from my eyes.
My S3 has to be the clearest screen I have ever seen. Had it for a few days now and still doesn't fail to amaze me whenever I turn the screen on.
You don't have to worry about holding it 6 inches or even 2 inches away from your face.
Its really beautiful...much better then my Nexus...
The best way to solve your problem is to go the nearest store and have a look at the demo unit. Don't believe what you hear or read, believe what you see.
Sent from my Incredible S using XDA
Arsaw said:
The best way to solve your problem is to go the nearest store and have a look at the demo unit. Don't believe what you hear or read, believe what you see.
Sent from my Incredible S using XDA
Click to expand...
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This.
HaruSoul said:
This.
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I live in a semi-rural area. The closest store to me is a over a hour's drive away. My schedule for the next couple weeks is packed, I will not have enough time to go over to the closest store and look at the phones.
WiFi_N said:
I'm thinking about buying the Galaxy S III, but the Pentile screen is really holding me back. I mean, why buy a device with a screen that looks bad and has to be looked at for several hours a week?
I've heard that at high resolution, Pentile screens don't matter. But I want some opinions from all you people out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw the Motorola Droid Razr before I knew what pentile was and I thought it looked weird and pixellated so it's certainely not placebo. At the ppi of the GS3 it doesn't matter imo. I do still notice it (but not like I can count the pixels.. but it just is a little bit different then normal rgb screens) but the screen is still somehow the best I've seen in a phone.
You shouldn't keep yourself from buying it because of this as it not even really noticable, it's the best screen there is imo and it even spares some battery.
I can notice the pentile effect if I stare hard at the screen from less than 10cm away. I've compared my S3 to the HOX and the HOX does indeed has a finer screen. But still the S3 has one amazing screen. The blacks are much better although the colours seems a little over saturated and slightly on the warm side.
WiFi_N said:
I live in a semi-rural area. The closest store to me is a over a hour's drive away. My schedule for the next couple weeks is packed, I will not have enough time to go over to the closest store and look at the phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then I guess you have two options 1.) Wait two weeks and then go look at the phone 2.) Go with a different phone.
The only time I notice the pentile screen is whilst reading some text. It is barely recognisable but if and when you notice it you'll subconsciously start to look out for it. But it is very minor indeed, and changing the font of text helps to more or less eradicate it.
Aside from that minor quibble re text I have to say that this screen is absolutely awesome. Colours and contrast are absolutely amazing. I tend to set the screen mode to Natural as I think this gives the best colour effect.
I know this screen is awesome because when I switch from it to my iPad 3's retina screen I don't feel any degradation, if anything pictures and videos look better on it than on the iPad 3 - and that's saying something!
Does this screen have the same issues as the Galaxy Nexus screen? Purple tint at low bright setting and whites looking like old yellow newspaper?
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
NardVa said:
Does this screen have the same issues as the Galaxy Nexus screen? Purple tint at low bright setting and whites looking like old yellow newspaper?
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't own the G Nexus, but there is no purple tint at low brightness. My S2 had a slight yet noticeable yellowing at low brightness - this does not
Yes, if you will use the phone under a magnifying glass
"Super Amoled Plus" will never work with High Resolution. They are not designed for that.
Move up dude
I my opinion It is noticeable, but only at ~3" away and I do have 20/20 vision but in any other situation It's fine, I have even fooled a few friends who own an s2 that it was a 'plus' display but as above you are best going to have a look
Its noticeable, coming from an Xperia S (which I gave to my wife for this phone) and having a G Note which died before the Xperia S, its the same for me as the G Note.
It's mainly around fonts and small icons which is more noticeable, definitely not in pictures unless you have super vision, but most of the time you're looking at fonts or small icons, so yes its there.
But FWIW I wouldn't trade it for the contrast, I've never owned a phone with such contrast (actually the Note was the same), but having said that in sunlight forget using this phone, side by side in sunlight with the Xperia S, the Sony wins hands down.
Like the title says, I've been a Samsung leg humper since the original Galaxy S. In my line of work, I always had access to the latest handsets. Had almost every variant of the Original Galaxy S (ATT, International and T-Mobile 4G version) Galaxy SII again in ATT, International and T-mobile versions, The S3 in the Quad-Core International Version and T-Mobile Dual Core S4 version, then had also both the Note and Note 2.
I just preferred Samsung phones over other Android phones. My most recent addition is my T-Mobile Galaxy S4.
I am currently in the process of returning it! Wow did Samsung disappoint me in this edition. It feels unfinished, unrefined, slap together with a bunch of gimmicky tricks that I disabled immediately after 10 minutes of messing with them. The phone feels cheap... especially in the black version. That back plastic finish and pattern looks SUPER TACKY. They should have at least made it look like the finish on the Note 2's Titanium Gray, that at least looks pretty premium for plastic.
Don't get me started on the software, the phone LAGS. I mean A LOT! I was using a Nexus 4 while waiting for the S4 and boy is it night and day. The Nexus is buttery, the S4 lags in simple tasks like closing and opening the dialer and switching between homescreens, it lags when you open the camera. It stutters everywhere. It feels like a 2 generation old Android Phone, not the latest and greatest. It's quite pathetic really.
The stock keyboard is terrible, it lags when you type fast. It just can't keep up with fast typing. I was even pushed the latest software update a couple days ago which everybody raves fixes a bunch of lag, it helped but honestly the phone still lags and stutters all over the place. Completely inconsistent and frustrating. What really ticked me off was that Samsung disabled flash player support in their native browser and chrome. That was the last straw..
Today my T-Mobile HTC One arrived, I've been playing with it for the last 5 hours and I can't put it down! Well it's currently on the charger right now so I can play with it some more. That's the biggest compliment I can give it, when my S4 arrived, I played with it for maybe an hour and was so disgusted by the lag that I haven't really enjoyed picking it up and using it much since I received it 9 days ago! The HTC feels just so much more refined in everything, it feels finished and polished. Software is smooth, I saw a tiny, and I mean TINY bit of lag during closing a couple apps but it's nothing compared to the stuttering on the S4. Boom sound is overrated I think, the S4 is just as loud (seems almost louder?) but the HTC sounds fuller. I thought I was going to be blown away, but I wasn't. Sounds pretty good though, just not as amazing as all the reviewers make it seem. Camera is nice so far, nowhere near as feature packed as the S4, but it took decent low light pictures tonight. I'll try it again out in daylight tomorrow.
The LCD screen on the HTC ONE is so much better than the AMOLED screen on the S4 in my opinion. Text and everything seems just so much easier and smoother to look at. Everything looks crisp, and smooth.
Well that is it so far, I'm so glad I gave the HTC a shot. This one is a keeper for sure! Goodbye Samsung, you used to wow me with your products....HTC just kicked your butt on this round.
I completely agree that Samsung did not do as well as HTC this time
What is your line of work if you don't mind? I played with my friends s4 today- I have the note 2 and also noticed the lag on stock touch wiz and the keyboard. I put him on nova launcher and it was buttery smooth going through the phone's interface. I know what you mean by keyboards lag but I think Samsung will push an update to smooth things out, which honestly should have been done from the start. I like how the s4 looks with that texture but it is a bit tacky and wow does or attract fingerprints. It's plastic body does allow it to be thinner and lighter though. Each phone has its advantages and disadvantages .
JediX13
gonna give the HTC one a try if i dont like it, hopefuly the 32gb s4 will be out by then
Well after almost 24 hours of use I can report some other findings.
The Camera on the S4 is hands down better in good lighting, the HTC produces a lot of noise even in great light. A little disappointed in that area since I do use my phone to take lots of family photos.
NEED FOR SPEED: Most wanted. Not available on the HTC One but is available for the Galaxy S4. Lame. They have the same processor and the same screen resolution yet the Samsung supports it and the HTC one doesn't. It's one of my favorite time killing games. A little sad there...
The LED notification on the HTC seems to time out after about 5 or 10 minutes, which makes it useless. I sometimes come back and glance at the phone thinking there are no messages because the LED notifier turns off, I check my phone just in case and I have lots of texts and emails. Minus another point for the HTC. The S4 will glady blink all day long until you open it up to check it. This one really bothers me because I rely heavily on the LED notification.
Boom sound still is overrated...
Overall, the HTC disappointed me in a few areas so far... I've yet to find a phone that is near perfect as the Note 2. Which in my opinion is an awesome phone, just needed a little speed boost in games and maybe a tiny bit smaller form factor and it would have been perfect.
I'll hang on to the HTC for a while and wait to see what the Note 3 can offer...... So far the Note 2 is still my favorite handset of all time.
Nice to hear that update. I too miss the LED notification that the S3 has. It's nice having something, but Samsung really nailed the notification LED. I can live with the size of the LED on the One, but it would be nice to have more of it, and different colors for different notifications.
I also agree with the daytime photos. The One is good enough for my needs but the S4 does indeed pull in a great amount of detail.
I do however love "boomsound". I watch a lot of videos on my phone and can clearly hear the difference between the One, my GS3 (which I still have), and my Z10. It might not be louder than the other two, but man it just sounds better. If you do a blind sound test, you can clearly pick the One over the others.
HTC Could have really put a dent in Samsung's sales if they'd included an 8 "ultra pixel" camera.
Some of the things I agree with about the One. But I have a few pointers, I see no reason whatsoever why you're are getting noise on the One. The sensor is far to large to get noise unless you are in low light where it stills blows away other devices. Check your settings.
I've been using the camera in mediocre light with no noise.
As for the LED it is pretty much useless, especially coming from the world's greatest in the Galaxy Nexus. What I did was root and flashed the kernel that enables the capacitive lights to blink on a notification and it doesn't shut down after 5 minutes.
Also I finally heard the difference today between beats on and off. The difference is night and day, you will lose a good quarter volume but the sound is worlds better. Loud < Quality.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I honestly thought I would be one of the few to get the One after having the S3. Looks like there are plenty!
I don't get any noise on my One either.
I think I'm going to get a HTC....
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Im using Galaxy S3 now, its a piece of crap. Im on vacation when the One isnt release yet. So I went and bought S3, will give this to my nephew.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
I owned the S2 and the S3, then I bought the HTC One as well. The S4 is just full of useless gimmicks honestly, and they are marketing it as such. They didn't change much other than internal hardware compared to the S3 and the HTC One is a completely fresh new idea.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
I think the S4 is a damn fine phone. However I've owned ever galaxy s and note series except the S4.
I needed the change. Just something different.
The ONE fit that bill perfectly.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
mr.orange303 said:
I think the S4 is a damn fine phone. However I've owned ever galaxy s and note series except the S4.
I needed the change. Just something different.
The ONE fit that bill perfectly.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I agree. Both are good phones. I bought the one at Wal-mart. Saw that they had a 14 day return policy. I expected to check it out and return the phone. But today the 2 weeks is up, and I just can't make myself give it up.
My latest phones iphone iphone 3g 3gs 4 4s htc sensation samsung galaxy s s2 note note 2 now the HTC one.
Samsung did screw up on their galaxy s3s (s4). I knew they were on this path without a better phone with metal body or any other material besides plastic. Even though most won't admit it people buy the HTC one because of its looks.
I too agree the galaxy note 2 is/was my most favorite phone ever since I got the first iphone in 2007 before that maybe the motorola rzr . The note 3 should not be bigger unless they make it narrower, The note 2 is still too wide.
I have been all samsung phones like you too. It wasnt really the koolaid it was because they did have the best phones since the s2.
HTC one camera sucks ass!
Yes i said it, ok low light its good, but its still 4 megapixels so if you're going to zoom at all there is no clarity.
Boom sound is overrated
my note 2 with volume mod is louder
I hate the HTCs notification!!!
I also hate the battery life. I'm biased because my note 2 lasts a day and half of heavy use without a charge yes 24 hrs + 12 hrs/
I also dislike the ceo of htc. Production delays (because of the 4 gigawiggle pixel) cost over a month of HTC ones sales they lost out on billions of sales!! because of the inferior camera. Why not just put a 8 or 13 megapixel camera??!??
I guess im a little angry because I bought HTC stock and because of the production delay it cost HTC its early lead before the S4 launch.
Both sides made huge mistakes
Samsung if they made the s4 with a metal build would have maybe crushed the htc one.
The HTC one lucked out that samsung didnt.
Because can you imagine if samsung's s4 came in a fancy new metal design?
HTC one metal design no microsd card no removable battery 4.7" screen
S4 metal design microsd card slot removable larger battery 5" screen
I'm good with my s4,i love the design on the one, but I wouldn't be able to live without a extended battery. Both phones are awesome, up to user choice. I just hate people putting rants and complains and blah blah blah. Both phones are flagship phones, they both are new. They both are good.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
So basically Dan there is no pleasing you. HTC one hands down better device than s4. It seems you want perfection though , which you will never get.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Okay, here is a picture I took in front of my friend's house. In good lighting.
Can somebody tell me WTF is up with the HTC ONE camera? It looks like utter **** at 100 percent crop in full daylight condition.
Quality reminds of something you get from those $20 kids toy digital camera.
Dan37tz said:
Okay, here is a picture I took in front of my friend's house. In good lighting.
Can somebody tell me WTF is up with the HTC ONE camera? It looks like utter **** at 100 percent crop in full daylight condition.
Quality reminds of something you get from those $20 kids toy digital camera.
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Click to collapse
that looks bad real bad. settings must be off?
I have noticed when I take a pic say of a building with a phone number. When i zoom to read the numbers. the numbers are blurry. Not with my note 2 and i would assume s4 13 mp
seattletecg said:
that looks bad real bad. settings must be off?
I have noticed when I take a pic say of a building with a phone number. When i zoom to read the numbers. the numbers are blurry. Not with my note 2 and i would assume s4 13 mp
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Yes the HTC one pictures look like they were taken by a home made Lego camera. Very Very bad.
Got the phone a couple days ago, wanted to share some first impressions as everyone (or most) here has been so helpful.....
1. Screen
One of the major reasons I upgraded. Obviously much sharper, rendering the nytimes in desktop mode is my de facto test and is quite glorious compared to the s3 indeed, though chrome seemed to have difficulty rendering the smaller text. I have the display set to dynamic, auto adapt off, auto correct tone off and the white point with these settings is definitely preferable to the s3. Initially I looked at my s3 and my first thought was, WOAH !, that the s4 screen was way too warm but then I looked at my desktop lcd and realized the s4 screen was very similar to lcd white balance. I guess our brains, or mine at least kind of calibrates to different white sources.
I was a little concerned about the brightness when browsing sites with high APLs (mostly white pages) as Samsung seems to have programmed in a bit of trickery with the auto brightness to save on battery. I can definitely confirm that firefox has a substantially brighter white luminance than either the stock or chrome browsers. Much brighter than I was able to achieve with the s3. It's nice to be able to crank it and hurt your eyes once in a while when your on the couch lol.
Outdoor viewing was surprisingly good considering it's an often used attack on the amoled screens, a notch or two better than my old s3, and that one was no slouch either.
Oh yeah, and the screen is dead black at night, kinda freaky as I feel like the phone if off, the s3 kinda gave me a vague glow in similar conditions.
2. Battery
Yeah, my s3 was giving me problems with this for some reason. I could get 2-3 hrs screen time max. Yesterday I got around 5 with high brightness, mostly wifi, and only a few of the samsung features turned on. Today was a bit more of a mix 80% wifi, 20% 4g, mostly max brightness and I am at 2 hrs 45 min with 45% remaining. I am cautiously pleased so far, especially considering all of the downloading and installing that was going on.
3. System interface :/
So I am using nova prime and that's helping a lot but like a few others here, I am noticing some strange hiccups/stutters in daily use that are pretty foreign to me coming from the s3. After turning off the samsung feature set, maps of all things is still hiccuping along when zooming or moderate panning. This is worse with a tilted satellite view but still noticeable even with just the road layout. Viewing photos in the gallery has a slight chop as well, using quickpics has been a temporary solution. I hoping for some kind of software update.....
Not a huge of the fan of the redesigned dialer, contacts list. Black themes should be a mandatory option (lol) with these oled phones.
One of feature that originally generated some excitement which was mercilessly quashed after reading reviews but then rekindled with the unit in hand was air hover. Using this in mail, messages with the haptic setting on is surprisingly smooth and useful, not to mention pretty cool. Your finger doesn't even need to be particularly close. Not sure about the air gestures, they seem pretty consistent but need to be used to add different functionality. I can imagine some neat implementations if developers decide to hop on board.
Design
Well I think I need some time to adjust to this but I can tell you that my observant roommate (who is a techie and just got the one) hasn't realized i got the new phone yet and I've been talking about it for a while. Even with all the installation beeps and ringtones that come with a new phone and him sitting on a nearby couch for hours he hasnt said anything. I ll see how long I can pull this off.
For me it definitely feels different in hand, not as slippery due to the less tapered edges which is good but also a bit less curvaceous and flirty (which I kind of liked in the s3). This feels more like a passat and the s3 more like a jetta I guess. Let me say that I do appreciate really well designed things in general and this phone doesn't make me cry so......
Last thing, I bought this phone off contract at full price and my purchase experience at the verizon store was really bizarre. Of course they must make less money when someone buys it outright but the salesman was like," why do you want to upgrade from the s3??" ,"The battery might be a bit better than your used to but don't count on it."..."So you're gonna like play around with the screen "(in mocking tone cause I told him I was interested in the new display) . That place sucks and the one out in the surburbs was even worse. Like used car salesman or something...
. Anyone else have this kind of experience?????
Also, anyone using lightflow with this device? In case you haven't guessed I love to freakin tweak thingszzzz...
best to yall.....
I came from the s3 yesterday.. picked up the s4 and couldn't be happier. I've had the phone for about 24 hours.. first thing I noticed was how clear the screen was. Not much if a difference over the s3 but it's there. Battery life as been great on stock un rooted rom. Compared to my s3 which was rooted running slim bean and a custom kernel overclocked and uv. I wanna say s4 is better. I like the feel of the s4 better other than the s3's rounded edges. Overall I'm happy... Will root soon!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium
I just upgraded yesterday as well. So far I am liking it. Initially I wasn't impressed but I shattered my s3 screen and figured since I had an upgrade on my other line I would go ahead and get it instead of spending $100 just to get another s3. I have already rooted and froze most of the bloat with titanium backup. I have never flashed any roms but since my s3 is still functional, I plan on using it to learn. I am already having fun with the irblaster changing channels on random TVs lol. Overall I'm happy so far.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Battery and other things
The battery is like night and day. Yesterday around dinner time my battery was at about 85%, and I use my phone constantly. On my SIII, I'd be lucky if it went the whole day without dying. That is one feature that I did not think would vary as much as it did, and am very happy with that.
I love the screen. It seemed a bit flickery (that's the best way I can describe it) for the first couple of days, but whatever was causing that (perhaps my imagination) has stopped.
The infrared sensor is much more useful than I had initially anticipated. Aside from being able to use it with multiple TV/set top box setups, I can screw with people in restaurants. :silly:
As a smartphone in general I have been very impressed so far.
Why would using Quickpic be temporary? First thing I do is set Quickpic as the default and hide gallery.
Frankly, I never really notice the stutters that other people talk about. When using an app that is reflowing from the net, there is no way to separate device issues from network issues, and I always notice it is these sorts of apps people complain about (maps, browsers, etc.).
yeah, quickpic was actually my goto image app on the s3 now that I think I about it....
The stutters and what not are definitely a little more pronounced on the maps app with the s4 than the s3 on the same
wifi network. Maybe it's the fact that the s4 is moving 2.5 times the pixels, maybe it's an early bug yet that will be fixed shortly,
maybe it's the way the snapdragon throttles the cpu too aggressively according to some thread I remember reading over or maybe I am just expecting too much buttery perfection
yeah just tried the ir blaster. 3 of my housemates were so seriously into watching the final episode of "top of the lake" about an hour ago and I was tempted to spoil the moment but I hadn't programmed the phone for that tv. oh well......
I've been skeptical of purchasing a samsung device because I don't generally fall for overly marketed items. That being said, I went ahead and pulled the trigger coming from HTC Rezound and I couldn't be happier about this device. It is no doubt a winner among users as long as you root and get rid of the bloat coming with it.
I love this phone... I mean love this phone, but had I not been having mad GPS problems with my S3 I would never have made this upgrade. It's just not a compelling upgrade over the S3, which is still an awesome phone. Most of the new features are very gimmicky. I have pretty much everything with the prefix "Smart" turned off and almost everything with the prefix "Air" turned off. The hovering trick is pretty much the only one I don't feel is a gimmick.
About Quickpic - that has been my go-to gallery app since the Thunderbolt but I actually like the S4 gallery better. The GUI is very slick and the hover image preview is actually useful.
I agree with a few of the topics covered coming from the S3
The screen is awesome, definitely noticeable to me, battery life seems to be up, GPS works perfectly, and the camera is pretty awesome; really like the wider angle on the front camera as well. Pretty motivational upgrade if you ask me..
However, I am noticing some UI lag, as mentioned maps as well as chrome. This could be that I was using cleanrom on the S3 and that rom is amazing! made the phone much snappier and fluid. Its out for the S4 now so will be giving it a try soon. Also apex launcher helped some.
and little things like the smaller notification led seems cheaper. the colors dont mix well. the power button isn't as clicky as Id hope for either.
I'm really happy with the battery life. My galaxy nexus went tops 4 hours on a charge. I can easily to 8 - 9 on this.
I have a lot of apps running that kill battery for me specifically Touchdown for work which It hink is one onf the biggest offendors. Maybe i should download gsam and follow it a little more closely.
I agree that the display is amazing, and the camera too, but the device seems no faster and radios no better.
From normal viewing distance, the display does not stand out either, but is better if you view closer. It is the size of the display that minimizes the higher def effectiveness.
I only have 6gb free on my S3 32gb, so do not see enough improvement to sacrifice the storage. I still want the S4, but only if a 32gb is ever released.
orangelight99 said:
Last thing, I bought this phone off contract at full price and my purchase experience at the verizon store was really bizarre. Of course they must make less money when someone buys it outright but the salesman was like," why do you want to upgrade from the s3??" ,"The battery might be a bit better than your used to but don't count on it."..."So you're gonna like play around with the screen "(in mocking tone cause I told him I was interested in the new display) . That place sucks and the one out in the surburbs was even worse. Like used car salesman or something...
. Anyone else have this kind of experience?????
best to yall.....
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Haha, I got mine with a new contract (Coming from Sprint, never had Verizon before). When the guy asked me if I wanted the insurance for $199 and I told him no, he was straight-up BEWILDERED. He literally could not comprehend how in the world I would not want to pay $200 to replace my phone if I smashed it. And then he was like, "Well, let's go look at cases now," as if he had just assumed I would, of course, want a case. But I didn't want a case. He was so flabbergasted. His eyes went as wide as possible and he just stared at me for a good 10 seconds before saying, "What if you drop it? What then?!"
It was more funny than weird, to me. I've never bought insurance for any phone I've ever had, and I've never regretted it. I honestly could not tell if the guy was seriously just that crazy, or if it was just some really stupid sales technique that, of course, did not work on me.
Ayesuku said:
Haha, I got mine with a new contract (Coming from Sprint, never had Verizon before). When the guy asked me if I wanted the insurance for $199 and I told him no, he was straight-up BEWILDERED. He literally could not comprehend how in the world I would not want to pay $200 to replace my phone if I smashed it. And then he was like, "Well, let's go look at cases now," as if he had just assumed I would, of course, want a case. But I didn't want a case. He was so flabbergasted. His eyes went as wide as possible and he just stared at me for a good 10 seconds before saying, "What if you drop it? What then?!"
It was more funny than weird, to me. I've never bought insurance for any phone I've ever had, and I've never regretted it. I honestly could not tell if the guy was seriously just that crazy, or if it was just some really stupid sales technique that, of course, did not work on me.
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Because one out of five people react to the bewildered face and get the insurance They ARE sales people, you know.
jimmiem said:
I love this phone... I mean love this phone, but had I not been having mad GPS problems with my S3 I would never have made this upgrade. It's just not a compelling upgrade over the S3, which is still an awesome phone. Most of the new features are very gimmicky. I have pretty much everything with the prefix "Smart" turned off and almost everything with the prefix "Air" turned off. The hovering trick is pretty much the only one I don't feel is a gimmick.
About Quickpic - that has been my go-to gallery app since the Thunderbolt but I actually like the S4 gallery better. The GUI is very slick and the hover image preview is actually useful.
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Is it possible to get quickpic to show the pics in internal memory without being rooted? I'm only seeing the pics on my SD card.
Super Sam Galaxy said:
I love the screen. It seemed a bit flickery (that's the best way I can describe it) for the first couple of days, but whatever was causing that (perhaps my imagination) has stopped.
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When you saw the screen flicker, were you outside by any chance?
I have noticed that when I am inside then step out into direct sunlight, the screen flickers while it ramps up to full brightness, then it stabilizes.
mutelight said:
When you saw the screen flicker, were you outside by any chance?
I have noticed that when I am inside then step out into direct sunlight, the screen flickers while it ramps up to full brightness, then it stabilizes.
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Actually, I hate to say it as I'm sure this will not help you diagnose any issues you may have been experiencing, but I don't think that I was. If I remember correctly it was mostly when I was in my apartment. I remember this because I have an overhead light that is florescent and I remember at least on one occasion wondering if that was what was flickering.
Sorry if that doesn't help.
Super Sam Galaxy said:
Actually, I hate to say it as I'm sure this will not help you diagnose any issues you may have been experiencing, but I don't think that I was. If I remember correctly it was mostly when I was in my apartment. I remember this because I have an overhead light that is florescent and I remember at least on one occasion wondering if that was what was flickering.
Sorry if that doesn't help.
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Oh, no worries! The only time I have seen the screen flicker was under the scenario I described or if I look down at the display with a pair of my active shutter 3D glasses.
I can see the PenTile dithering in the display however, so my eyes are fairly sensitive.
mutelight said:
Oh, no worries! The only time I have seen the screen flicker was under the scenario I described or if I look down at the display with a pair of my active shutter 3D glasses.
I can see the PenTile dithering in the display however, so my eyes are fairly sensitive.
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Oh, I see! Well I would assume in my case it was just the fluorescent lighting. My eyes are not all that sensitive, so I may not notice small flickers like that. The part that confused me is that it stopped! But I think that also suggests it's just the light, because sometimes they seem to flicker depending on how they are sitting, and if you tap them a bit they stop. Either that, or it actually was flickering, but to such an unnoticeable extent that I got used to it very quickly. It was one of those undefinable things where you feel like you saw it flicker but if you have to explain exactly what part flickered, you wouldn't really be able to.
elucid said:
Is it possible to get quickpic to show the pics in internal memory without being rooted? I'm only seeing the pics on my SD card.
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I didn't install it because I like the S4 Gallery better. You should be able to, though. Just poke around in the settings and look for included folders.
1. I can't work with one hand....well that's good thus the phone wont drop from my hand
2. The reaction of peeps..I have it few days ago.. when I walk ti work, in the elevator, in the office...all people are staring...one guy told me " Hey, why you dont you buy a TV Monitor (LCD he means) "
Are you proud ti show the Mega or you're like me prefer to fit it in your back pocket?
3. The hardware buttons...now i had s2, s3, note 1, note 2, even s4 for a few weeks.... I didnt have to seek the back button..I just move my hand to the lower right corner of the phone and voila the command is executed. ..but with the Mega I must center my hand and look fir the back button .. thats cz samsung kept the button at the same size as s3 s4 note 2...
4. The challenge is to get the bigger screen as possible in a smaller as possible frame.. the plastic around the screen I like it minimal...just like the LG G2
But afterall..its a great phone and this LCD screen is way better than other amoled on other samsung devices
I dont mind it, the mega is a different beast, with a lot of benefits that comes with a 6.3 screen & great battery. Look the bright side, and stop worrying about what closeminded people think about your choses, instead embrace that we think outside the box.
Peace out...
sent from S Galaxy MEGA
My Mega reminds me of one of my favorite quotations..."You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the same"!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527 using xda app-developers app
I showed my Mega to my class (I teach ICT) the other day and some thought its a Galaxy Note while some (Apple users) were put off by the size. I then pointed out that it's the trend of the smartphones nowadays and that Sony, Nokia, HTC, and ASUS have devices in similar size. I then used it as an opportunity to tell about the class requirement that they have to be able to suggest appropriately specced devices to different types of users. I will use my Mega next week for a demo on smartphones as computers by connecting it to the projector via MHL cable and use bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
This phablet is definitely NOT practical, its humongous and actually comedic in size, can't be used with one hand and probably we look like idiots when taking calls...
And you know what? Those reasons are EXACTLY why I love this phone!
I use mine just fine with one hand... since I have large hands the size is much better compared to other phones
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jzsidebott said:
I use mine just fine with one hand... since I have large hands the size is much better compared to other phones
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Same no problem holding it and typing with a thumb, well other than the usual spelling mistakes
Sent from my GT-I9205 using Tapatalk 2
The LCD is pretty ****ty agains Samsung AMOLED:s
And i would have wanted a faster GPU. Heavy 3D games doesnt work that well.
Other then that i love the size and all.
robertsydbrink said:
The LCD is pretty ****ty agains Samsung AMOLED:s
And i would have wanted a faster GPU. Heavy 3D games doesnt work that well.
Other then that i love the size and all.
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Click to collapse
How is the screen sh**ty against AMOLED? The Mega's SC LCD has purer whites, better sunlight legibility, more accurate colors, better viewing angles, more sub pixels (full RGB not pentile), and has longer lifespan. AMOLEDs have yellowish/bluish whites, over saturated colors, black clipping/crush, and the screen deteriorates after several months. This is very obvious when you look at them side by side.
Oh yeah .there is 1 important thing that is really bothering me about the Mega :
No AOSP ROM ??!!!!
Sure aosp will come ... Hope it comes for you guys before I get this device in next few weeks. If not I'll be waiting too ....good luck
√-2$HAYNE-√
gx3k said:
How is the screen sh**ty against AMOLED? The Mega's SC LCD has purer whites, better sunlight legibility, more accurate colors, better viewing angles, more sub pixels (full RGB not pentile), and has longer lifespan. AMOLEDs have yellowish/bluish whites, over saturated colors, black clipping/crush, and the screen deteriorates after several months. This is very obvious when you look at them side by side.
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I agree with whiter whites, better sunlight legibility (due to LCD having brighter LED backlighting), more sub-pixels than only some models (e.g. Note 2 has full RGB AMOLED) and longer lifespan (although it lasts long enough for most). Mega's LCD is far brighter and is very crisp indeed. I don't miss the 1080p resolution one single bit that's for sure.
But... AMOLED has far better viewing angles. No LCD comes even close. I have my Note side by side with my Mega and AMOLED kills the Mega's LCD in viewing angles and color consistency. Oh, and AMOLED (as a technology especially) does not exhibit half the stuff you say. Default setting has over saturated colors / crushed blacks because Samsung decided to. But you can easily change it in the settings to have far more accurate colors as well as less saturation and no crushed blacks. (e.g. Movie mode or the Adobe RGB mode on the S4)
It's the same thing with a Samsung plasma TV. You have to change it to Movie mode for more accurate / natural colors and finer shades of black etc. (which I have it set to)
Have both (wife uses the mega) and as for outdoor viewing they are on par in visibility. Not sure where people are getting that the note 2 has poor outdoor visibility. Also, pictures and videos are cleaner/sharper on the note 2.
But, I love the size of the mega and am thinking of getting one to use for work and keeping the the note 2 for personal and general use. If I didn't have the note 2, I think I would take a mega as my first choice over just about any phone regardless of the 'mid-range' specs everyone likes to sight when knocking it. The phone is capable of almost everything a high end phone can do and on a larger scale.
Sent from my SGH-I317 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
jakiman said:
I agree with whiter whites, better sunlight legibility (due to LCD having brighter LED backlighting), more sub-pixels than only some models (e.g. Note 2 has full RGB AMOLED) and longer lifespan (although it lasts long enough for most). Mega's LCD is far brighter and is very crisp indeed. I don't miss the 1080p resolution one single bit that's for sure.
But... AMOLED has far better viewing angles. No LCD comes even close. I have my Note side by side with my Mega and AMOLED kills the Mega's LCD in viewing angles and color consistency. Oh, and AMOLED (as a technology especially) does not exhibit half the stuff you say. Default setting has over saturated colors / crushed blacks because Samsung decided to. But you can easily change it in the settings to have far more accurate colors as well as less saturation and no crushed blacks. (e.g. Movie mode or the Adobe RGB mode on the S4)
It's the same thing with a Samsung plasma TV. You have to change it to Movie mode for more accurate / natural colors and finer shades of black etc. (which I have it set to)
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I had the original Note and it had black crush/clipping and yellowish/bluish whites no matter what setting you use. Try reading the forums, it's common. You can minimise it by tweaking the settings but it's still there. Screen deterioration is obvious after using it for several months. Some people even get burn ins and black dots on black background. I don't know about the Note 3, maybe the AMOLED tech has improved.
We have a Panasonic plasma and we get great shades of black no matter what the viewing mode is.
gx3k said:
I had the original Note and it had black crush/clipping and yellowish/bluish whites no matter what setting you use. Try reading the forums, it's common. You can minimise it by tweaking the settings but it's still there. Screen deterioration is obvious after using it for several months. Some people even get burn ins and black dots on black background. I don't know about the Note 3, maybe the AMOLED tech has improved.
We have a Panasonic plasma and we get great shades of black no matter what the viewing mode is.
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That was the original note. My note 1 had the issues you are describing about black crush but that was it. It is still going strong for 1.5 years with my son using it without any deterioration. My note 2 has none of the those issues and have seen very little mention of screen issues with it.
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Mad383Max said:
That was the original note. My note 1 had the issues you are describing about black crush but that was it. It is still going strong for 1.5 years with my son using it without any deterioration. My note 2 has none of the those issues and have seen very little mention of screen issues with it.
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Good on you if you have that experience. Unfortunately lots of people had the same problems I had:
Galaxy note 2 burn in --> LINK
Black spots on screen --> LINK
Yellowish screen --> LINK
More screen problems --> LINK
I'm sure they have improved on those issues but my experience still put me off getting a phone with an AMOLED screen.
Anyway, I'm happier with my Mega's screen. :good:
gx3k said:
Good on you if you have that experience. Unfortunately lots of people had the same problems I had:
Galaxy note 2 burn in --> LINK
Black spots on screen --> LINK
Yellowish screen --> LINK
More screen problems --> LINK
I'm sure they have improved on those issues but my experience still put me off getting a phone with an AMOLED screen.
Anyway, I'm happier with my Mega's screen. :good:
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Did you actually take the time to read the posts you linked?
All these except for 1 is about the note 1 or other older phones (s2) < mainly this.
First link only 1 mention of note 1, no note 2. All other mentions were S2s.
Link 2. More of the same , with the last concluding it was due to physical damage.
Link 3. Don't remember all of it but just the one person with the note 2 having issues.
Link 4: seems all note 1 related. I didn't read all 29 pages but what pages I read seemed like it was only a few people back and forth
My statement was that I had 1 of the note 1 issues (black crush) and that i didn't have any with the note 2. This is after a year's use. Pretty much inferring that the major issues were fixed with this iteration of the amoled screen and no need to speculate that it might be fixed with the N3. Who knows, it might have it's own set of issues. I am sure there are people out there who have had problems with the N2, but I just haven't seen as much mentioned.
Sorry that you had such a bad experience with your OG note. Have you tried/used a note 2? It was/is many levels above the original.
The Mega is a wonderful phone and I will probably end up with one of my own (besides my wife's). You seem to like the LCD panel better whilst I prefer sampled. All I can say is to each his own.
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Mad383Max said:
Did you actually take the time to read the posts you linked?
All these except for 1 is about the note 1 or other older phones (s2) < mainly this.
First link only 1 mention of note 1, no note 2. All other mentions were S2s.
Link 2. More of the same , with the last concluding it was due to physical damage.
Link 3. Don't remember all of it but just the one person with the note 2 having issues.
Link 4: seems all note 1 related. I didn't read all 29 pages but what pages I read seemed like it was only a few people back and forth
My statement was that I had 1 of the note 1 issues (black crush) and that i didn't have any with the note 2. This is after a year's use. Pretty much inferring that the major issues were fixed with this iteration of the amoled screen and no need to speculate that it might be fixed with the N3. Who knows, it might have it's own set of issues. I am sure there are people out there who have had problems with the N2, but I just haven't seen as much mentioned.
Sorry that you had such a bad experience with your OG note. Have you tried/used a note 2? It was/is many levels above the original.
The Mega is a wonderful phone and I will probably end up with one of my own (besides my wife's). You seem to like the LCD panel better whilst I prefer sampled. All I can say is to each his own.
Sent from my SGH-I317 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Sorry bout the links, I searched for them at a haste as I'm doing work at the same time. They are mostly about the Note 1 as that's the device I had. Anyway, I have been quite active in the Note forums when I had it so I know they are real issues. Like you said, to each his own.
The only thing I'm sorta getting annoyed about is I keep touching the bottom of the screen instead of the touch buttons. I guess there's a bit less room in that area compared to the Note 1. I'm fine with having more screen area. I'll get used to it.
Dude I have to say that I was surprised to read this post... you Knock the lcd screen which is probably the most gorgeous lcd I've ever seen with extremely bright whites, incredible depth of saturation, and brilliantly clear picture representation. As far the size your more worried about what people think than the benefits of what the 6 inch screen gives you? Maybe mega jsnt for you man. But I love mine so much I bought 3