I'm looking to upgrade my phone, and am having trouble deciding which phone to purchase. For reference, any phone I buy will be rooted with the hopes of placing the latest release of CM on it. I am also a Verizon user, and will be using the Verizon version of these phones.
Galaxy Nexus:
Pros: Relatively cheap, made by Google so guaranteed a steady stream of updates for the next year or two, large community base.
Cons: Its hardware isn't top notch (although still good), and could possibly be considered 'outdated' in the Android world within the next few months.
Samsung Galaxy SIII:
Pros: Fantastic hardware, large community base (although not as large as the above's), if not updated regularly I can still see the community bringing out next-version updates via ROMs for the foreseeable future.
Cons: Expensive, may be a few weeks till rooted and custom ROMs available.
Of course, there's always the option that I wait a few months for Google to release some new phones with Jelly Bean pre-installed.
Thoughts?
ejsholly said:
I'm looking to upgrade my phone, and am having trouble deciding which phone to purchase. For reference, any phone I buy will be rooted with the hopes of placing the latest release of CM on it. I am also a Verizon user, and will be using the Verizon version of these phones.
Galaxy Nexus:
Pros: Relatively cheap, made by Google so guaranteed a steady stream of updates for the next year or two, large community base.
Cons: Its hardware isn't top notch (although still good), and could possibly be considered 'outdated' in the Android world within the next few months.
Samsung Galaxy SIII:
Pros: Fantastic hardware, large community base (although not as large as the above's), if not updated regularly I can still see the community bringing out next-version updates via ROMs for the foreseeable future.
Cons: Expensive, may be a few weeks till rooted and custom ROMs available.
Of course, there's always the option that I wait a few months for Google to release some new phones with Jelly Bean pre-installed.
Thoughts?
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Click to collapse
it depends on your opinion if you have the advantage of budget go for s3 without a 2nd thought....nexus if are budget constrained...both of them are best in their own price range...s3 better specs camera..nexus camera is not top class which might come into consideration.,....i dunno abt carriears in us....don know about that..........hope this helps.......
I would get the SIII, since Nexus doesn't have SD card and SIII specs are very appealing. But I find Nexus way prettier than SIII.
Related
I couldn't find the answer anywhere online or here with a quick search. Is the upcoming touchwiz update from Samsung based on Android 3.1 or will it be 3.2?
If it is 3.1, it's less than ideal considering competition such as Asus Transformer is already getting the 3.2 update.
Thanks,
Osho
It is going to be 3.1 I think, just like the EUR release. Samsung has been slow in terms of getting up to speed with Android releases.
Google is also not helping in this case as they will probably not release anything for AOSP development.
For the Galaxy S lines, we just starting to receive 2.3.3 on certain areas....
Yes, I was tempted to return the Tab 10.1 for the Transformer. I just like the Tab because of the size and screen.
killer23d said:
It is going to be 3.1 I think, just like the EUR release. Samsung has been slow in terms of getting up to speed with Android releases.
Google is also not helping in this case as they will probably not release anything for AOSP development.
For the Galaxy S lines, we just starting to receive 2.3.3 on certain areas....
Yes, I was tempted to return the Tab 10.1 for the Transformer. I just like the Tab because of the size and screen.
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I am also having misgivings about the GTab(whether or not it will get updates) I have tried the TF and really liked it and I had both side by side and the TF seemed smoother and faster. I was drawn in by the screen and thinness of the Gtab. I have a Vibrant cell phone that was just completely neglected by Samsung. I flashed the new TWupdate rom on the Gtab and now the home screens have lags etc. I still have 9 days left in buyers remorse and I am leaning in the direction of taking it back to BB and exchanging for TF. Asus seems to be dedicated to getting out updates to the Transformer and the overall rating on it is very very good. The only thing holding me back is that I got a Gtab that is unlocked and also a white one which I preferred. Not trying to knock the Gtab as it is a wonderful device just do not want to sit around for months and months waiting for updates that either never come or are after the fact. Will probably make the decision today.
I think that due to wanting to integrate TW and due to their hardware getting released later, Samsung is a bit behind.
However Google seems to be pressuring manufacturers to be reasonably timely about updates with Honeycomb, after all much of their Honeycomb strategies have been stated as an effort to battle fragmentation.
It will still be android 3.1. Personally I think the TW update will much more beneficial to us then a 3.2 update. Android 3.2 just adds support for 7" screens and qualcomm processors and maybe some minor bug fixes but I'm sure TW will make our tabs much more stable and smoother anyways.
tenbeau said:
I am also having misgivings about the GTab(whether or not it will get updates) I have tried the TF and really liked it and I had both side by side and the TF seemed smoother and faster. I was drawn in by the screen and thinness of the Gtab. I have a Vibrant cell phone that was just completely neglected by Samsung. I flashed the new TWupdate rom on the Gtab and now the home screens have lags etc. I still have 9 days left in buyers remorse and I am leaning in the direction of taking it back to BB and exchanging for TF. Asus seems to be dedicated to getting out updates to the Transformer and the overall rating on it is very very good. The only thing holding me back is that I got a Gtab that is unlocked and also a white one which I preferred. Not trying to knock the Gtab as it is a wonderful device just do not want to sit around for months and months waiting for updates that either never come or are after the fact. Will probably make the decision today.
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I've heard some say that it's possibly a beta build of TW. That may explain why motion controls don't work. To be fair, you should probably wait for the official US release of the software before making judgements.
This version of TW is very likely to be the Aug 3rd release TW. It was briefly available a few days ago in USA while someone here updated. Motion control works in that version. And it's based on Honeycomb 3.1.
op whats new in 3.2?
killer23d said:
It is going to be 3.1 I think, just like the EUR release. Samsung has been slow in terms of getting up to speed with Android releases.
Google is also not helping in this case as they will probably not release anything for AOSP development.
For the Galaxy S lines, we just starting to receive 2.3.3 on certain areas....
Yes, I was tempted to return the Tab 10.1 for the Transformer. I just like the Tab because of the size and screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
International version of Galaxy S I9000 got the Gingerbread a long time back, and that's what Dev have been using to port the American counter port. In US, the updates are controlled by the Cell provider. Since Samsung Tab 10.1 esp. wi-fi, models have nothing to do with cell providers, I hope Samsung release the update shortly after Google release the new version of HC or ICS. I can say the same for Gtab LTE version (I remember people who got the xoom 3G model, didn't see the HC 3.1 for a long time, even though, it was updated for the wi-fi version. I guess same is true for the new HC 3.2 for xoom 3G).
Well, if Samsung fails to update Samsung Tab 10.1 (wi-fi) on regular basis, I'm sure, they are going to screw lots of people and may avoid buying their products or even recommending to their friends and families. Samsung needs to understand that, just by making a great product is not a great product in real world, until they too show a love for what their customers are missing and how soon those things can be fixed.
tabing said:
op whats new in 3.2?
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http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-3.2.html
Two main things : better support for some legacy apps (filling up the screen like iOS) and better support for SD cards.
Osho
i have a touchwhiz rom running on mine and it is amazingly smooth......
Hey yall,
I am looking to make the switch to Verizon and android from the Evil Empire of Apple. My big decision is the Bionic or the upcoming Galaxy Nexus. The extra features of the Galaxy are cool, but they are just little extras in my book. My big concern is ICS vs Gingerbread. I know that there is no anounced upgrade date, but based on previous experience how does the Android OS upgrade timeframes work? The price difference 150 for Bionic from Amazon Wireless vs 300 expected for the Galaxy is also a factor. Thanks guys and gals.
Scott
There is no eta (of such really). If a device gets updated, then so be it. If the company finds the device's hardware good enough, then its quite likely to be updated but there is no guarantee. Remember, even if your device doesn't get updated officially, there will be ports/roms developed for it unofficially (especially if its a popular device).
I currently have an S4 32GB, but want the extra display space, since notice web and gaming are better experiences with the Note 3. Was considering the G3, but the Qhd/801 combination is too much of a compromise for me: dimness, battery life / throttling with heavy use.
Question now is would the Note 3 be good, or better to wait for the Note 4? Current perspective:
+ Note 3 performs great and 1080p appears to be a better fit for current display tech and 28nm chipsets. Next year should be the year for Qhd with 20nm chips.
+ Note 3 is easy to root with Towelroot, so can freeze bloat and re-enable sd card writes (KitKat evil). I do NOT want to bother modding beyond that.
- Note 3 signal reception issues since the most recent update. Common issue? Been fixed if it is?
- Note 4 could be special and MAYBE the 805 has enough battery management tricks to offset some of the Qhd power draw. Plus the display will likely be more power efficient than the G3's.
- Note 4 might be locked down and not have root, take long time, or be very complex if can be rooted. Note 3 is simple NOW and I need a device with sdcard writes enabled for third party apps. This is more important to me than freezing bloat with TB.
I would normally just decide to wait, but am concerned VZW will update to kill rooting on the Note 3. I could see being happy with the Note three for two years- assuming no signal reception issues.
Note 4 would be my choice without thinking twice. it always gets better and i expect too see better camera, waterproofing (big for me) better screen, etc.....
also it has been noted the Android L (coming soon) had corrected the write to SD from KK.
i do appreciate root for sure but i notice i go less and less with needing it and my list shrinks as Android moves ahead. i freeze all the unremovable stuff i dont use on N3 that cant be removed with Stock but honestly i dont have an internal SD space issue so its not for clearing space. i would do it for space as a challenge but i have plenty so who cares anymore.
as far as freezing the stuff i dont want that is forced on me i find that most of it i can disable anyway in stock and on my Tab Pro 10.1 just for curiosity i left it completely stock with only disabling a few annoying things like TripAdvisor and i have not seen a performance or battery difference from when i first got it and did all that removing etc.. i usually do
so i vote Note 4
If L allows card writes, I would definitely wait. Not seen that mentioned in spite of that being the number one pushback issue from users with Kitkat.
rushless said:
If L allows card writes, I would definitely wait. Not seen that mentioned in spite of that being the number one pushback issue from users with Kitkat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here ya go
Yep and here is a summary:
Better Storage Framework:
In KitKat, Google introduced a few radical changes to the way storage in general and, in particular, SD Cards worked. Developers complained about the restrictive new storage framework, which broke SD Card support for a bunch of apps and overall was just more limited and not as robust. The good news is that the storage framework is getting a few enhancements in Android L which should take care of this problem for developers, granting full read/write access to directories and subdirectories, and allowing developers to group together file operations. This potentially adds more solid SD card support and may very well fix the current annoyances that developers have with the OS. Seeing as Android will be officially supporting devices with SD Cards in the future, it’s expected to see more and more robust support as the framework keeps getting better.
Looks like Android has reversed their Apple-like course. I am still ticked that ART uses 25% more storage space, but everything is give and take.
fletch33 said:
Note 4 would be my choice without thinking twice. it always gets better and i expect too see better camera, waterproofing (big for me) better screen, etc.....
also it has been noted the Android L (coming soon) had corrected the write to SD from KK.
i do appreciate root for sure but i notice i go less and less with needing it and my list shrinks as Android moves ahead. i freeze all the unremovable stuff i dont use on N3 that cant be removed with Stock but honestly i dont have an internal SD space issue so its not for clearing space. i would do it for space as a challenge but i have plenty so who cares anymore.
as far as freezing the stuff i dont want that is forced on me i find that most of it i can disable anyway in stock and on my Tab Pro 10.1 just for curiosity i left it completely stock with only disabling a few annoying things like TripAdvisor and i have not seen a performance or battery difference from when i first got it and did all that removing etc.. i usually do
so i vote Note 4
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Click to collapse
Not to be nitpicky but if the Note 4 is like the S5 it will be water resistant, not waterproof. I won't be getting the Note 4 until I see that it can be rooted, there are just too many advantages to having a rooted device over a non-rooted device. 2¢
I'd say all of your pros/cons are spot on. Just be aware that the S4 and Note 2 are generally considered Samsung's pinnacle at producing radios. I replaced my Note 3 due to signal issues, and while the replacement is a lot better, it is nowhere near as good as my Note 2 (which I went back to using during the replacement process). Several places where I thought Verizon just didn't have signal in fact turned out to be due to the phone. When I have -90dbm 3G on the Note 2, it equates to -115dbm of unusable 1X on the Note 3. You may live in a good signal environment (unlike me), but just be aware of what you may be getting into.
The S5 also has poor signal, from my experience and from others' posts, so I won't hold my breath for the Note 4.
Personally I would wait till the Note 4 is announced. It should be in September. There are many rumors about the Note 4, but so far no officially confirmed features. Android L may not come with release but would instead be an update, much like this past year with kitkat as Google may not allow another company to officially release a phone with the new Android before they do. If releases follow last year's pattern the new Nexus (or possible new Google flagship phone) would release about a month after the N4. Not to mention the rumors about the Nexus 6 with a 6 inch screen. Rumors about the Note 4 include possible form factor changes including a version with curved glass. The N4 may be overshadowed by the expected fall release of Samsung's future flagship Samsung F.
As for the N3 it is a powerful device and with root there is plenty of added potential. From everything I've read about the radios, the newer N3's actually have better signal than the original releases, however there is certainly no consensus in the community other than that most report poor signal & dl speed. We may see yet see a significant improvement in this department over the next year as Verizon continues to roll out XLTE across the country. The other benefit for N3 is our developers. While I'm sure once the N4 is released it won't be very long before root is gained and developers start to get to work, ATM we have a few dedicated devs that are looking to keep the N3 alive and feeling new for a good time to come. With an S5 port, maybe an N4 port in the future, and the upcoming Alliance rom, if you ever get to the point where you want something fresh and decide to go custom there would likely be support for at least a year after the release of N4 (maybe I'm wrong, but from talk from the devs I don't think I am).
No matter what you decide, I know that for me if I jumped the gun and a month or two later the next BIG thing came out I would probably kick myself, especially considering the price tag on our phones. Good luck deciding (or waiting lol).
September is not that far away. Wait for the official N4 announcement and decide then.
There is a thread in the stickies to discuss upgrading and other devices
Thanks
FNSM
Samsung set to discontinue Galaxy Alpha in favor of cheaper phones
The*Galaxy Alpha*might have been among the best phones Samsung ever produced — it's certainly*the prettiest*— if it weren't for a couple of stumbles: the battery didn't last long enough and its full flagship price forced it to compete against better-rounded rivals. Now, just a few brief months after its introduction, the Alpha is reportedly being supplanted by its successor Galaxy A5, which will take over as the leading Samsung handset for the mid-range market.
ET News*reports that the*Galaxy A5, which launched in China last month, is being brought over to South Korea as part of Samsung's effort to "take the bull by the horns" and*reorganize its slumping smartphone division. The 5-inch A5 is a continuation of the Alpha's design philosophy, emphasizing thinness and higher-quality metal construction, though it opts for a tamer spec sheet that will allow it to be priced at a more competitive 400,000 won (roughly $360). The report states that the A5 will be arriving in Samsung's home country in January or February, while the Galaxy Alpha will be phased out as production ramps down once the current inventory of materials is exhausted.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/29/7459743/samsung-galaxy-alpha-discontinuation-report
too sadly,what worry me is updates
Hope they maintain the updates
Just read the article myself and copied the link and went to XDA to make a post about it. You did it before me.
It pisses me off tho. They finally started making a decent specced phone with a quality feel, somewhat at least. I was hoping they'd continue and perfect it with future models. A5 sounds like a device I would never buy. Specs wise I'm reluctant I bought the Alpha to start with. Exynos is just never good. But the phone itself is decent and I have no battery quirks. That prolly has something to do with me being very introverted and I spend like 2 hours a month on calls.
To me, having a decent community for my phone on XDA is also a huge factor. The problem to me with Samsung will always be their Exynos processors. It makes developing for the device so much harder. Now for the Alpha another problem rises, it will be discontinued so it's limited how many people will ever get their hands on one now since dropped prices and supply will go hand in hand and eventually there will be no more phones. I haven't owned a Samsung phone for years simply because they chose their own noob processor and I returned because of build quality. This was a bad decision from Samsung and I feel like they don't really understand. Making more mid-range devices will not make more sales for them. It never has. I work as an IT administrator and we actually use mid-range Samsung devices. People with iPhones and such report "sluggish" behavior. And all I can say is.. Yeah, when you've tried a decent processor it's hard using a handset that uses some old cheap processor for power. It just wont feel as fluent. Even the common end user will notice that a phone runs sluggish.
It's my last Samsung device (for the time being) and I'm somewhat sad cause the S2 and the Galaxy Nexus was my first two decently specced Androids back in the day when they released. I'm sad that Samsung can't get their act together and decide what they want from their phones. Oh well, I'm just ranting.
All in all I hoped for Samsung to continue the fashion with a nicely specced hanset with below 5 inch screen. Guess all we'll get is the A5 or a bigger S5/6 or a Note. I'm just sick of the hype around big handsets. I have my tablet if I want a big screen for something. iPhone has like 2 models atm. - Why can't Samsung just like kick out a ****ty phone, a nice small phone, and then some beefed up S5/6 and a Note for the people that demands a phone on roids. I don't see why you need so many different handsets. All in all it doesn't matter if you choose a S4 Mini or a Core Plus or a Young or a Neo. They are all horrible old devices and they will not be up to standards. Focus on one of them, give em a touch-up.
Sorry, sorry, sorry. Now I'm really worried that this device wont even see half of the dev that happend on the Tab Pro that at least got a CM12 Lollipop release. Sigh.
Merry Christmas guys, and a happy new year.
- @samsung ,you done slipped up again. Make up your mind.
As long as it gets the update to Android 5 I couldn't care less. The Alpha is a beast and I've been very happy with it even coming from an S5. This bad boy has done me just fine, waiting for an S6 with the same quality as the Alpha, Samsung had better deliver or I'll be looking elsewhere to devote my loyalty to.
On the other hand....that is good news....
If sammy stops alpha, it will get a high after-sales value, it will be a rare collectible device,
ofc im happy with it, i do not want my phone to be in everyone's hands
Very sad news , i am very happy with my Alpha and this is Perfect phone.
Just bought it 20 days ago.
Why they want to discontinue
I just ordered the note 4 and it should be here tomorrow. With the new thinner design philosophy the bigger phones don't feel that bad when holding them. The alpha was a nice phone but the lagginess really got to me. I came from the Nexus 5, once you go smooth it's hard to go back to laggy. The note 4's display is just phenomenal to, can't wait to get it. I wish they would have waited a few days to announce this though, now the value on this phone will go down like mad.
I guess it's no surprise since this phone had little impact in the west. I don't think I will ever buy a carrier exclusive phone ever again.
omg i will never buy anything from samsung ever again.I dont know what happening to me first i planned to buy the Z2 then my cousin said Sony is no good buy Samsung,instead I was like okay.Im buying The Alpha even though I never ever like samsung phone but this phone look really good.And now sam**** is doing this to all of us(the alpha's owner) but i hope we still got update from sam**** because in xda there's not alot developer for this phone
ps1:sorry for being rude im really piss of right now
ps2:sorry for my bad English
ps3:I will never buy anything from samsung company again
Sent from my SM-G850F using XDA Free mobile app
dara007_168 said:
omg i will never buy anything from samsung ever again.I dont know what happening to me first i planned to buy the Z2 then my cousin said Sony is no good buy Samsung,instead I was like okay.Im buying The Alpha even though I never ever like samsung phone but this phone look really good.And now sam**** is doing this to all of us(the alpha's owner) but i hope we still got update from sam**** because in xda there's not alot developer for this phone
ps1:sorry for being rude im really piss of right now
ps2:sorry for my bad English
ps3:I will never buy anything from samsung company again
Sent from my SM-G850F using XDA Free mobile app
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How RUMORS of samsung starting to stop manufacturing of galaxy Alpha impacts usability of the phone? It seems, that Alpha will have Lollipop update. :fingers-crossed:
I just don't get all the rage coming from you guys. At least in Latvia it seems to be more popular within youth than SGS5. And it is cheaper on contract (monthly fees) than SGS5 or Z3C.... Developers will do their work, just wait. Coming from Galaxy 3 (i5800) I can say that slow progress at the start leads to better community in future, still love that phone .... And yeah, at the end there were like 4-8 real developers (everything started with one guy who made several custom kernels and later ported CM ROMs to Galaxy 3, others came and gone over the years, but each left their impact on development for the device), some themers and few system optimisers, but progress they made TOGETHER for that phone in terms of speed and functionality was huge.
SBartacusX said:
As long as it gets the update to Android 5 I couldn't care less.
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zarras said:
On the other hand....that is good news....
If sammy stops alpha, it will get a high after-sales value, it will be a rare collectible device,
ofc im happy with it, i do not want my phone to be in everyone's hands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly. Android 5 and rare device should give me pretty good price, when I sell this on Q4/15.
will we get lollipop 5.0 update?
goranzdr said:
will we get lollipop 5.0 update?
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Of course
goranzdr said:
will we get lollipop 5.0 update?
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Click to collapse
We dont mm know.
Samsung has yet too announce anything.
And to people thinking their phone "rare" your not going to magically make huge profit. The phone is not sought after and its definitely not "rare", it has low production to meet low demand.
King p1n said:
We dont mm know.
Samsung has yet too announce anything.
And to people thinking their phone "rare" your not going to magically make huge profit. The phone is not sought after and its definitely not "rare", it has low production to meet low demand.
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Click to collapse
yeah if the phone is rare its's very popular in the past and now it's discontinued or hard to buy. But this alpha is defferent i mean this phne is good at design and specs but price is abit high i think,no one really use it so it's not rare at all.Over all i love this phone but not Samsung.
Sent from my SM-G850F using XDA Free mobile app
This is bad news Lollipop update ok, but what's next? If Alpha will discounted after Lollipop we can flash CM or other custom ROMs, but they will not support heart rate monitor, LTE-A and fingerprint scanner.
Of course, this is a small sacrifice for newest software. But I would not want to lose these functions
Amaranth43 said:
This is bad news Lollipop update ok, but what's next? If Alpha will discounted after Lollipop we can flash CM or other custom ROMs, but they will not support heart rate monitor, LTE-A and fingerprint scanner.
Of course, this is a small sacrifice for newest software. But I would not want to lose these functions
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Well it's not like Google is going to release something huge as lollipop in 1-2 years so wouldn't expect Samsung to support newer androids than that either.
If you want good android version support, you bought a very wrong device.
Ranking:
Best support = nexus devices. (and google versions)
Second best = flagships, like s5, with qualcomm chipset.
Third = other qualcomm chipset devices
Fourth = flagships with Exynos chipset (example our device)
Fifth = other Exynos chipset devices.
leripe said:
Well it's not like Google is going to release something huge as lollipop in 1-2 years so wouldn't expect Samsung to support newer androids than that either.
If you want good android version support, you both a very wrong device.
Ranking:
Best support = nexus devices. (and google versions)
Second best = flagships, like s5, with qualcomm chipset.
Third = other qualcomm chipset devices
Fourth = flagships with Exynos chipset (example our device)
Fifth = other Exynos chipset devices.
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Click to collapse
Exynos 5430 is much better than s801 or may be s805 .
i have compared my Alpha with with friend's Xperia z3 , htc m8 , and all i can say is my is faster ,
i have compared loading time of Asphalt 8 , Brother in arms 3 , Gangstar vegas, modern combat 5 and all i can say is its loading faster on mine , s801 is no where nearer .
Also in multitasking , i found my Alpha more responsive , Fluid .
i never liked Nexus devices , used nexus 5 for 10 days , and ditched that Garbage looking and garbage feeling Stock android , and its having Zero functionality compared to our Alpha , if new Nexus 6 is For even 300 $ , still i will not get it :silly:
kktkaran said:
Exynos 5430 is much better than s801 or may be s805 .
i have compared my Alpha with with friend's Xperia z3 , htc m8 , and all i can say is my is faster ,
i have compared loading time of Asphalt 8 , Brother in arms 3 , Gangstar vegas, modern combat 5 and all i can say is its loading faster on mine , s801 is no where nearer .
Also in multitasking , i found my Alpha more responsive , Fluid .
i never liked Nexus devices , used nexus 5 for 10 days , and ditched that Garbage looking and garbage feeling Stock android , and its having Zero functionality compared to our Alpha , if new Nexus 6 is For even 300 $ , still i will not get it :silly:
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I didn't say anything about performance, my list is only about android version support and how easily the devices get custom roms. Read before posting
leripe said:
If you want good android version support, you bought a very wrong device.
Ranking:
...
Fourth = flagships with Exynos chipset (example our device)
Fifth = other Exynos chipset devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For example Note II with Exynos was released in 2012 and get Lollipop update in 2015. Samsung complies with the terms of updates (Google says about 18 month of updates). If Alpha will recieve update in spring-2016 - this good, but I'm afraid that because of the discontinue that will not happen.
I do not want something fantastic, do not want the latest software among the first. I just want to support. I want a new smartphone does not forget
I look at my friends at university with iphone 5s' they've had for >2 years and they work like they're brand new. Is that the case with android phones? I recently just bought a samsung galaxy s7 and then canceled the order because of my realisation that the price was ridiculous. What I am asking is that if I opted for the s6 now, will the lack of updates (as its older) reduce the life of the phone? Or does it not matter - a new s6 will last just as long as an s7?
I feel that any phone should work decently for atleast 2 years from its release date given that it has decent specs. After 2 years, the device usually starts to slow down. And this slowing down is inevitable.
This slow down happens because of all the software updates your apps gets. As apps introduces new features, it often requires more resources from the device. The weaker the specs are, the harder it is for the phone to keep up with the software updates.
If you only plan to use 2-3 apps on your smartphone and keep it in a condition similar to when you bought it (no root, no custom roms or anything like that), it would perform great. I have seen my parents take very good care of their old phones and they still work great!
So to answer your question, do you need the lastest one?
No, you just need to ask yourself how long do you plan to stick with the phone you buy.
With both s6 and s7 you should be able to use them for 3 years easily from their release date. So with s7 you got about 3 years and s6 you got about 2 years. After that who knows how much resource hungry would the new version of android or apps would be.
In my opinion, you could get OnePlus 3 and that too should last you for around 2.5 - 3 years with ease! That phone has 6 gigs of ram with snapdragon 820 and its half the price of s7 !!
Phones can easily last 3 to 4 years; the battery is going to be the first to go. Like the other poster stated, it's usually app updates and software updates that slow a phone down over time.
If you buy any upper tier phone made in the past 2 years, however, you'll be set for at least 3.
Keep in mind, slowdowns and problems with performance over time really only show when playing really demanding games. If you're just browsing or taking pictures or are on Facebook or Instagram the phone really won't ever be a problem.
But yea, I would highly suggest checking out models on Swappa if you're OK with buying used. I just grabbed a Nexus 6 (2014 release) from there this weekend. Tons of phones are in mint condition at steep discounts.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk