Hey Guys,
I know there are probably tons of threads such as this but I would like some concrete feedback from previous S2 owners and new S3 owners as to why the S3 really stands out. I saw a few threads and did enough searching to find out many reasons as to whether the S3 is truly a worthwhile upgrade or not. I'll be honest with you all, I love Android and I love my SGS2. Have had it ever since the launch date and I still don't see any phone out there that has quite truly been this staggering in terms of performance, user customizability and dependability. Sure it has had few hiccups and I have had a few bad ROMS installed before (particularly on Gingerbread) but I haven't had trouble with any ICS roms that I have used so far and I love how this phone handles so well even though I have put it through some extreme loads.
I have seen the S3 being sold in huge numbers within Toronto, even more than the S2 already and I am surprised because I think the 4S is truly a magnificent phone on its own. I'd appreciate your opinions and mostly would welcome previous S2 owners who upgraded this year to the S3 as to why they did so. I'll keep the S2 most probably even if I get the S3 because I truly adore this phone so I am not sure whether the S3 really would cancel the use of my S2 or not. I need good battery life and 2100mAH is a huge improvement and I hear the new phone can go the whole day even with extreme browsing, not sure if its true or not.
I don't play games, I browse, email and perform some normal trades, so it has to be a good premium phone to replace my S2. I don't see any phone out there other than the 4S and SGS3 that competes well against my S2. I'll be okay with stock roms for now, will root for sure but don't necessarily need a custom ROM already. I know the community and its ROMs will grow everyday and finally with Jelly Bean, someone nail it and get us the perfect ROM for the S3 so I'd be okay if there aren't many options on the list of custom roms at this moment.
Yes.
I would honestly just stick with the S2 and wait for the S4 whenever it comes out. Your phone is only a year old, take some more time to enjoy it. Unless you play games, really demand a larger screen or just simply have money to blow, then there's no reason to upgrade so fast.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
The 2GB's RAM is more than enough to make you jump ships. As a former S2 owner, I would definitely do it. Dev support for the S3 has picked up really fast. With CM10 previews being available now, i can only imagine how far this phone will go. Consider that the JB source code has only been out for what...a week or two? This phone will really go far.
Having owned (and still own) both, I'd say you're fine with the GS2 if you have no complaints.
For me, I had 'upgraded' (downgraded) to the GSM Galaxy Nexus, and gave my GS2 to the wifey... and regretted it so much that I bought the GS3 as soon as it came out.
The first thing I said was "ahhh thank God, feels like I have my phone back"
It's nice to have the latest and greatest, don't get me wrong - but I saw no short comings on the GS2, and the few new features of the GS3 are cool, but nothing to lose sleep over.
I'd say wait it out, if you don't have money to blow. If you do, then get it! The GS3 is every bit as good as the GS2 and then of course there is the extra RAM, slightly more internal memory, new features, etc.
but it's a toss up, honestly.
Also I should mention that I prefer the build quality on the GS2, the back cover and design was perfect IMO. Plus capacitive buttons are better than physical (and software buttons IMO)
This is not to take away from the GS3 AT ALL, the truth is the GS2 was simply the best phone ever made prior to the GS3.
Which is just another testament to the amazing GS2.
Sent from the current Heavy Weight champ GALAXY SIII
Thanks everyone for the awesome replies. I'll wait and look out for more suggestions in this thread. I am keen on the S3 and while I can afford it, I also am aware that having two phones of almost the same calibre is a waste so will have to get rid of the S2 if I do get the S3. The only things I am mostly fond of in the S3 is the new development behind all the ROMs and how everyone's making such a great effort into getting the best package out there to all S3 owners. I don't like too big of a phone and the S2 is just as big as it can do for me. I remember S2X and other LTE phones based on S2 came out after a few months of the I-9100 launch date so maybe I can get the second variant come fall/winter time.
auto_freak said:
Thanks everyone for the awesome replies. I'll wait and look out for more suggestions in this thread. I am keen on the S3 and while I can afford it, I also am aware that having two phones of almost the same calibre is a waste so will have to get rid of the S2 if I do get the S3. The only things I am mostly fond of in the S3 is the new development behind all the ROMs and how everyone's making such a great effort into getting the best package out there to all S3 owners. I don't like too big of a phone and the S2 is just as big as it can do for me. I remember S2X and other LTE phones based on S2 came out after a few months of the I-9100 launch date so maybe I can get the second variant come fall/winter time.
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The battery life improvement alone is almost worth it for me. Beyond that, the improvement is incremental. If you're not desperate for the HD screen and you are ok with the battery life on the GS2, I don't think you'll be blown away by the GS3
If you like the s2 as is, keep it. I think its sleeker, nicer to hold, and plenty fast.
Honestly if I were to do it again I wouldn't have bothered with the s3.
Sure its a bit faster, has lte and has a bigger screen, but it really isn't that big of an upgrade.
neubauej said:
If you like the s2 as is, keep it. I think its sleeker, nicer to hold, and plenty fast.
Honestly if I were to do it again I wouldn't have bothered with the s3.
Sure its a bit faster, has lte and has a bigger screen, but it really isn't that big of an upgrade.
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This is about as spot on as spot on gets!
I'm in the same boat and was set to return mine but work sent me out of town and I missed my window. :crying:
Other than that after my ICS update on the SGS2 a battery calibration kicked my battery life into overdrive and is giving me great usage.
Another thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the lack of Mass Storage on the SGS3. Its my biggest gripe and I really miss it. MTP can suck eggs till the chickens come home to roost. I use my phones alot for everything (play - work [office/field environment]) so its a real problem when I can't preview my pics on the phone through my computer when connected with my SGS3. I have to copy everything over to the PC first then filter through everything deciding on what I am/not going to keep/rename/edit. Also some people have reported having issues when trying to copy a large amount of files and/or large file sizes timing out when trying to transfer to the SGS3. I get that alot of the younger teens/early 20somethings don't care about this but I want my phone to do for me not work against me.
Sorry for my diatribe there...I could tell you how I really feel.
In short you are not missing out on anything if you don't get the SGS3. Don't worry about Jellybean either, the SGS2 WILL get it. Heck most likely even the HTC HD2 is getting Jellybean.
i would stick with the s2
Honestly its a minor upgrade. Would I go back to the S2 though? Hell No!
Sent from my SGS3!
ubigred said:
Honestly its a minor upgrade. Would I go back to the S2 though? Hell No!
Sent from my SGS3!
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This.
The Gs2 was an amazing phone for its time. Almost perfect. The gs3 is an incremental step above that. But it's hard to improve on perfection
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
rosedog said:
This is about as spot on as spot on gets!
I'm in the same boat and was set to return mine but work sent me out of town and I missed my window. :crying:
Other than that after my ICS update on the SGS2 a battery calibration kicked my battery life into overdrive and is giving me great usage.
Another thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the lack of Mass Storage on the SGS3. Its my biggest gripe and I really miss it. MTP can suck eggs till the chickens come home to roost. I use my phones alot for everything (play - work [office/field environment]) so its a real problem when I can't preview my pics on the phone through my computer when connected with my SGS3. I have to copy everything over to the PC first then filter through everything deciding on what I am/not going to keep/rename/edit. Also some people have reported having issues when trying to copy a large amount of files and/or large file sizes timing out when trying to transfer to the SGS3. I get that alot of the younger teens/early 20somethings don't care about this but I want my phone to do for me not work against me.
Sorry for my diatribe there...I could tell you how I really feel.
In short you are not missing out on anything if you don't get the SGS3. Don't worry about Jellybean either, the SGS2 WILL get it. Heck most likely even the HTC HD2 is getting Jellybean.
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The HD2 already has Jelly Bean bro !
man, tough decision even after its been debated 1000 times.
For me, the s2(epic touch 4g) was THE BEST PHONE I EVER HAD. Everything about that phone was just perfect. The display, even at 800x480 was amazing. Amazing camera, fast as hell, GREAT for gaming, great speaker. Even given its so so reception. Still the best phone ever to me.
I went ahead and took the plunge and upgraded to the s3. It is indeed a great phone. Its fast as hell, gets INSANE battery life, has a higher res screen which looks awesome (though because of the pentile arrangement viewing angles are not as good as the s2). Its got a great speaker and some real slick software features.
Heres what I miss about the s2. I miss the camera more than anything. The camera on the s3, while not a bad camera, to ME leaves something to be desired. The camera on the s2 was awesome.
I also miss gaming. its not as strong on the US s3 as it is on the s2. Mostly because of the increase in resolution. I feel like the s2 exynos was more than powerful enough to push the display on the s2. I dont feel the same way with the s4(krait) core and the s3. It just does not seem to perform as well. But that could be due to a number of things.
My opinion? If you got the money, then do it. If not, the s2 is STILL one of the best phones out there.
Im happy with my purchase for the most part. The s2 was a epic phone, the s3 is a minor improvement in my opinion
seoulstyle said:
I would honestly just stick with the S2 and wait for the S4 whenever it comes out. Your phone is only a year old, take some more time to enjoy it. Unless you play games, really demand a larger screen or just simply have money to blow, then there's no reason to upgrade so fast.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
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I would have to agree with seoulstyle on this one. Really the only thing I have noticed is biggerscreen, clairity of screen and battery life. I find it really difficult to type on the g3 vs my skyrocket in landscape mode. I had the s2, skyrocket and now s3. So if you have the cash to fork out do it, otherwise just wait. I haven't found the s3 usefull enough to say "man I glad I spent the money to upgrade to the s3" :-(
Dont get me wrong I really like the phone, but I paid the no commit price so its harder on the wallet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
If you got the money and more than one line with upgrades than do it.
It's a very nice phone, it not a huge upgrade, but an upgrade indeed.
If you really think about it from here on out how much better can a phone get. It's always gonna be small upgrades moving forward.
Well at least that's how I see it.
This phone is a beast and I personally like everything about it, so much that I haven't even had the urge to root and flash anything.
Maybe when JB is stable enough, but I'm actually happy stock.
Only real problem I've had is signal drops here and there, but I'm sure that will get fixed with a different modem or something.
Powered by the SGSIII
Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate all your efforts into helping me decide. So far I'm inclined to stick with the GS2 since its quite frankly one of the top 3 phones out there and I am so used to it too. I just wanted to experience Rogers LTE since I do have 6 gigs of data to play with. I also would welcome the longer battery life since the GS2 is a thirsty model with every single ROM/Kernel out there. I am going for the 2000mAH extended battery to see if there is a huge improvement or anything and if there is, then I'll stick with the phone till a new version of S3 comes out or better yet next year's S4.
Well, I really like the S3, it's a very smooth device. But, I think I'd wait on the developer community a little longer before deciding whether to upgrade.
Sent from my LOCKED (Verizon, you suck), SCH-I535.
KillaHurtz said:
The HD2 already has Jelly Bean bro !
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:highfive:
Related
I just got a Thrill 4G and Im thinking about trading it in for an Atrix. The phone is great but the battery life sucks, and I cannot see the 3D screen with sun glasses on. I live in AZ so they are on every time I go outside so that is an important deciding factor for me.
The Atrix is $49 today so Im thinking about getting one. I'd love to hold out for the SGS2, but who knows when it will be out and it will prob be $199.
So, would you buy an Atrix again if you had to do it over again?
If I wouldn't of had to sell my first ATRIX I wouldn't have. My fave phone!
Tapped from my ATRIX.
No-brainer imo --- the atrix is FAR superior; I'll admit that with stock gingerbread the phone is kinda meh....still an awesome phone but nothing mindblowing. I assume since you're here you'll be unlocking and flashing it...which makes the phone AMAZING. The 3-D stuff just seems so gimmicky to me and won't be perfected/well-implemented for a good amount of time to come.
As far as the SGS2, on paper it looks like an amazing phone but I'll have to wait to see - I had the captivate and was so disappointed with it (anyone that had that phone from the beginning knows how horrendous Samsung's support was). I hope that Samsung has learned a lot since the beginning of the GS line because a phone with such amazing hardware shouldn't have so many problems.
kisnerct said:
No-brainer imo --- the atrix is FAR superior; I'll admit that with stock gingerbread the phone is kinda meh....still an awesome phone but nothing mindblowing. I assume since you're here you'll be unlocking and flashing it...which makes the phone AMAZING. The 3-D stuff just seems so gimmicky to me and won't be perfected/well-implemented for a good amount of time to come.
As far as the SGS2, on paper it looks like an amazing phone but I'll have to wait to see - I had the captivate and was so disappointed with it (anyone that had that phone from the beginning knows how horrendous Samsung's support was). I hope that Samsung has learned a lot since the beginning of the GS line because a phone with such amazing hardware shouldn't have so many problems.
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I actually know exactly what you mean because I bought my Captivate a couple days after it was released. I still have it, dont use it, but I was really happy with it after flashing ROMS on it. The development forum on that phone is fantastic.
Yes, I would never have a stock phone. Did they ever get the bootloader unlocked on this phone? I know that was the major reason that people hesitated to get it.
i love my atrix. nothing out there is better to me. im running CM7 beta on it right now. so fast.
With CM7 , everything is happy
Love it, fast, nice camera, nice speaker, good gaming performance with THD games, great community.
timbrendelaz said:
I actually know exactly what you mean because I bought my Captivate a couple days after it was released. I still have it, dont use it, but I was really happy with it after flashing ROMS on it. The development forum on that phone is fantastic.
Yes, I would never have a stock phone. Did they ever get the bootloader unlocked on this phone? I know that was the major reason that people hesitated to get it.
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There's an automatic bootload unlocker in this very forum I won't bash you because I missed it myself, hahaha. It worked like a charm for me though.
Here is the link::
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1182871
kisnerct said:
There's an automatic bootload unlocker in this very forum I won't bash you because I missed it myself, hahaha. It worked like a charm for me though.
Here is the link::
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1182871
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I didn't miss it because I wasn't looking for it. I don't have an Atrix and was asking a question.
Everything I've read says that the Atrix also has poor battery life. I saw a thread on a battery calibration and mod that is supposed to help. I dont want to trade ina phone with bad battery life for another phone with bad battery life.
Both have a dual core CPU but the Atrix has 1GB of RAM which is nice IMO. I cant see the Thrill 3D screen with sunglasses on which sucks to me. The 3D is very gimmicky and hurts my eyes, lol. And there is only one ROM and the dev's seems to be bailing on this phone so I don't see a very good future in the Thrill dev threads.
timbrendelaz said:
I didn't miss it because I wasn't looking for it. I don't have an Atrix and was asking a question.
Everything I've read says that the Atrix also has poor battery life. I saw a thread on a battery calibration and mod that is supposed to help. I dont want to trade ina phone with bad battery life for another phone with bad battery life.
Both have a dual core CPU but the Atrix has 1GB of RAM which is nice IMO. I cant see the Thrill 3D screen with sunglasses on which sucks to me. The 3D is very gimmicky and hurts my eyes, lol. And there is only one ROM and the dev's seems to be bailing on this phone so I don't see a very good future in the Thrill dev threads.
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Bad battery life reports are the vocal minority. Most of us here consider the battery to be one of the Atrix's strong points. I can get 2 1/2 days with light usage on mine with CM7 installed on it. Thats with wifi set to never sleep, and with GPS and 3G/HSPA enabled.
I love the Atrix. Literally the only problem I have with it is the pentile display, and even then its a very minor issue.
It has a 1930mAh and all the review sites i've read say the battery life is very good. Flashing a custom rom will make it even better! People have been getting like 16-24 hrs with Wifi and everything on, constantly browsing the internet and playing games (read it on youtube)
This is my first Android phone. Came from 4 years with the iPhone. Ill tell you this...not looking back. This phone was great stock. Now running cm7, this thing is fuggin amazing... battery and performance are nothing short of great.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
timbrendelaz said:
I just got a Thrill 4G and Im thinking about trading it in for an Atrix. The phone is great but the battery life sucks, and I cannot see the 3D screen with sun glasses on. I live in AZ so they are on every time I go outside so that is an important deciding factor for me.
The Atrix is $49 today so Im thinking about getting one. I'd love to hold out for the SGS2, but who knows when it will be out and it will prob be $199.
So, would you buy an Atrix again if you had to do it over again?
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The Atrix is an incredibly solid device. Gotta give AT&T credit for getting a top-notch device out of Motorola.
well it sounds like you guys are quite happy with it. If the battery life is that great then it's a no-brainer for $49.99. I do believe hat Im gonna return my thrill today. It a cool phone, but im a power user and ROM flashing addict so it seems i'll fit right in.
timbrendelaz said:
well it sounds like you guys are quite happy with it. If the battery life is that great then it's a no-brainer for $49.99. I do believe hat Im gonna return my thrill today. It a cool phone, but im a power user and ROM flashing addict so it seems i'll fit right in.
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Good choice. The only HTC that is a solid Atrix competitor on AT&T (candybar Android w/o keyboard) is the Inspire4G, but honestly, after several HTC devices and several Moto devices, HTC may come up with cool designs and features, but Moto is great at implementing reliable, high-performing designs. I've never gotten the "oh, that is cheap" feeling with a Moto phone, while Samsung and HTC . . . meh!
Typically find out people who are complaining about battery life have heavy usage that would have even worse battery life on other phones. You had a captivate like I did, so I can tell you this phones battery kicks the **** out of the captivates....and will be even more amazing should you decide to UV it.
If you want to see a GOD AWFUL battery, **** around with an HTC inspire for about 6 hours lol.
Anyway, I think you should at least give the Atrix a try and worst case scenario you don't like it you bring it back within the 30 day window (assuming you will have one).
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
I guess I'm the lone dissenter here. I'm not a fan of the Atrix. Maybe I got a lemon but it seems like there are a lot of problems.
The build quality is suspect. Dust and even a very small piece of cat hair has gotten under the screen. The back plate/battery cover feels cheap and creaks when I hold it. The GPS is rarely able to get a lock on my position, rendering it useless. Also, bluetooth connection is unreliable. I've tried 2 vehicle systems and 3 headsets. They are all able to pair fine, but lose connection in the middle of phone calls.
And if you've done research on the Atrix I'm sure you've read all about Motoblur and how ugly it makes the UI. It's all true. I'm on gingerbread and I have to say its hideous. The stock in-call screen, dialer and photo gallery all look like something designed by an elementary student.
Can you flash it and fix the ugliness of the UI? I'm not a techy but from what I've read the answer seems to be mixed. It would appear yes you can just as long as the OTA update of gingerbread has not been installed on the phone. If it has, you're either screwed or prepare to spend the next 3 years of your life reading up on how to hack the device.
On the positive side, believe everything you've seen about the Atrix's speed. By far the fastest phone I've ever used. The screen is nice and bright as well.
landoftherich said:
Can you flash it and fix the ugliness of the UI? I'm not a techy but from what I've read the answer seems to be mixed. It would appear yes you can just as long as the OTA update of gingerbread has not been installed on the phone. If it has, you're either screwed or prepare to spend the next 3 years of your life reading up on how to hack the device.
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It sounds like you might have got a lemon. But, I had the ota update and flashed it the very same day with no problems at all so it honestly isn't that difficult.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
landoftherich said:
I guess I'm the lone dissenter here. I'm not a fan of the Atrix. Maybe I got a lemon but it seems like there are a lot of problems.
The build quality is suspect. Dust and even a very small piece of cat hair has gotten under the screen. The back plate/battery cover feels cheap and creaks when I hold it. The GPS is rarely able to get a lock on my position, rendering it useless. Also, bluetooth connection is unreliable. I've tried 2 vehicle systems and 3 headsets. They are all able to pair fine, but lose connection in the middle of phone calls.
And if you've done research on the Atrix I'm sure you've read all about Motoblur and how ugly it makes the UI. It's all true. I'm on gingerbread and I have to say its hideous. The stock in-call screen, dialer and photo gallery all look like something designed by an elementary student.
Can you flash it and fix the ugliness of the UI? I'm not a techy but from what I've read the answer seems to be mixed. It would appear yes you can just as long as the OTA update of gingerbread has not been installed on the phone. If it has, you're either screwed or prepare to spend the next 3 years of your life reading up on how to hack the device.
On the positive side, believe everything you've seen about the Atrix's speed. By far the fastest phone I've ever used. The screen is nice and bright as well.
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There are many options to get rid of the stock gingerbread Motoblur look. The obvious choice is CM7, which will do away with Blur entirely, and make your phone quite a bit quicker. Most themes available in XDA will get rid of the Blur look, and there is a huge selection in the App and Theme section. I use the ext4 Homebase Rom with his Honeycomb theme, and it significantly speeds up my phone.
I would recommend the Atrix over other Android phones for a few reasons. The biggest reason why I like it so much is because of the form factor. I like the 4 inch screen more than 4.3 or 4.5 or 9.3. Battery life has been pretty good, at least as good as I can reasonably expect from a smartphone. The hardware specs are comparable to any other Android device, and if you're willing to root and flash custom Roms, you will notice a marked improvement over stock performance (which I think is true of any Android phone). What really makes this phone as slick as it is are its accessories. I just bought the lapdock from Vancouver Craigslist for $150 and I love it. I knew when I bought it that it was kind of gimmicky (like the 3D from your Thrill), but for what I need this tool for, it's been outstanding. Nothing beats watching Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad on my hour commute to work while simultaneously charging my phone!
I love my Atrix, and it's a shame the phone got such a bad wrap off the bat due poor implementation of Blur on 2.2, and encrypted bootloader. Now with the unlocked bootloader and better blur, in addition to more and more custom roms being built, this phone is coming closer to its potential. I wish it had a metal back plate, but I understand the potential of worse reception and getting hotter than the plastic cover. All in all, the only phone I would remotely consider exchanging my Atrix for would be the Sensation, and even then I think I'd really have to be sold on the idea. I hope this helps with your decision.
Cm7 is a must on the atrix. I've tried other roms but none ever worked quite right. Annoying fc & other errors - but thanks to those devs for putting in the time & effort. Blur is complete crap: I couldn't even listen to my mp3s without the music stuttering bcuz the phone was busy searching for "suggestions" of similar songs I may like. Damn you, for the unwanted marketing on my device, at&t & Motorola. For a while, I very much regretted trading in my iPhone. But now all is well. Thank you cm7 devs!
So I just got my Atrix
It has 1.2.6 as a build on it, and from reading I'm not finding too much information on that build. I don't think that I want to do the OTA to 4.1.57 though because I keep reading about bricks. I'm going to put a ROM on it, more than likely CM7 so Im not sure what good it would do to update OTA. I'll have to root it though so I guess I can get on that first but all of the root guides are for 1.8.x and up.
I thinking about selling my note because I think this phone is going to end up like the att skyrocket and barely have any devolpment. I know the art note is really new but I'm really missing my galaxy s2 and all the development for the phone. Do you think there alot of devolpers out there who actually are interested in this phone and the hardware. I see alot of people trying to develop stuff for the phone and they don't even have the att galaxy note. I'm thankful for all the developers we have but I just see this phone getting alot of roms expescially ice cream sandwich roms.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Although this is my first Android phone, I am completely happy with the current Gingerbread experience. I didn't buy the phone for GB or ICS, and although ICS would be much nicer, I bought the phone for the niche hardware factor. If you'd like to go back to your old phone, do it. I hope you're happy with your decision. If you decide to stay, good for you as well. No one here, myself included, will try to convince you to stay on the Note. It's your decision, just do what you want.
Here's a quick tip: Flip a coin (with like heads for stay, tails for leave) and in the air you'll know what side you want. I forget where I learned that.
I love the Note and could never go back to a Galaxy SII personally.
How about getting the international version? Sure you only get Mini 4G but there is a lot more dev over there and better battery life . Persoanlly I am pretty happy with the note and of the couple of ROMs we have for our AT&T version I plan to keep going with this bad boy. My wife has the GSII and when I use her phone I have no regrets sticking with my note.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
Don't get me wrong I love this phone but I wish it was a little quicker and this is my second note because the first one was really laggy and froze all the time but the speaker on that phone was really loud when watching videos on YouTube now my new one is faster but the speaker is very low and I took it to att and they said it was fine and couldn't give me another one for that reason.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Hrmmm...having both the Skyrocket and the Note and comparing the levels of development I can't really agree with your statement...There is plenty of active development on the Skyrocket, and it seems to be growing every week. It took about 3 months for things to really pick up over there, I would expect the same with the Note
I could see your statement being true of say the LG Nitro...there just isn't much going on with that phone.
In the end if that is your only hang up (wanting more dev) then yeah I would say sell and get an international version, or a GS2...the issue there is how much longer do you think those devs will stick around? Within this year many of them will move on to the next great thing
Dsmforlife92 said:
Don't get me wrong I love this phone but I wish it was a little quicker and this is my second note because the first one was really laggy and froze all the time but the speaker on that phone was really loud when watching videos on YouTube now my new one is faster but the speaker is very low and I took it to att and they said it was fine and couldn't give me another one for that reason.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
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Buyers remorse period if your under your 30 days. they have to replace it.
Galaxy S - took a few months to get going
Infuse - took a few months to get going
Skyrocket - took a few months to get going
Note... I'm guessing the same pattern will apply
In the end, it's all up to the owner of the phone what he/she wants to do. I use my Note for my personal business phone and get a lot of use out of it. It's great for what I do and saved me from having to get a 7" tablet. I had the Skyrocket and absolutely loved that phone. My wife ordered the Note for my valentines gift and I gave her the Skyrocket (finally got her off the iCrap) - she's wanting a new ROM on hers now. If you like the Note, stick it out. At the very worst, you'll get a ICS eventually. If all you really want is ICS, then you may want to sell it off and save the cash for the GS3.
If you are selling it, how much you want for it?
I'm think about not selling my note..........
............
...........
Thinking.........
..............
..............
Hmmmmm..........
................
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Oh yeah.......NO WAY IN HECK I'M SELLING!
I've considered selling mine as well... but only to fund the purchase of the international model. I love this device, but the improved speeds of the unlocked model are calling me. If they could fix the lag, I wouldn't even have considered it.
Naturally its your choice - do what works best for you!
netsyd said:
I've considered selling mine as well... but only to fund the purchase of the international model. I love this device, but the improved speeds of the unlocked model are calling me. If they could fix the lag, I wouldn't even have considered it.
Naturally its your choice - do what works best for you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive thought about doing the same exact thing to go for the international version. I bought mine outright for $650 from AT&T being my area is appose to be getting LTE in June. But mine runs just fine on 3G, so i dunno. Could my Note be a tad faster? Sure but its deff not slow. So i dunno. I already lost $35 on a re-stocking fee for exchanging my White Note in for a Black one lol.
ive thought about selling my Rogers Note to buy the unlocked one also. It already has ics roms.
but Toronto has LTE pretty much everywhere i go and I LOVE the speeds. I dont know what to do. I mean ICS will EVENTUALY come to i717 but N7000 will never do LTE
The first month or owning a phone is usually people who either want the phone really bad or people who want to be bleeding edge and usually dump the phone prematurely.
Most people are either waiting for the price to come down used or are waiting for their upgrade. Devs will come with time, it seems 2 months is pretty normal for things to take off.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Why do i read nothing but people saying the Note is laggy and they think no one is going to support it. Its been out not even a month. I came from the iPhone 4s which is always smooth plenty of support and quality games. I've used the gs2 for awhile and i gotta say this phone is pretty beastly. I'm on saurom with 1.83 overclock and i don't notice lag at all after its fully booted. After i got everything where i wanted it i don't miss any other phone ever and playing emulators even with a touch screen is a delight. i would neverswitch back at this point. Just for the fact i can't take a smaller phone seriously now. The international version sounds great but not for the price. This phone is more then enough for me. My only complaint is the screen gets dusty with this dumb speck case lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
h3r3tic said:
Why do i read nothing but people saying the Note is laggy ...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, because there is Lag. I am running the same setup on my GSII Epic Touch and my Note and even over clocked the Note is slower than the Touch. I hate that when I have 6 tabs loaded in Dolphin it often runs out of memory on my note and the scrolling is slow and the tabs don't always preload. Though it is not enough to say I would return it, it is enough to say "ARGH why the lag!".
So in answer to the OP, wait for your 29 days then decide. If you want to wait past your 30 days to see what the chefs come up with and end up not liking the options then you can always sell it and move to a phone that you think has better dev options.
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Ok sorry i don't notice any but i also have no need for six tabs to be open. Do what you think is gonna benefit in the long run. this is my phone for the next two years in fourteen days our so after my thirty day and thus far i have been given no reason to return it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
When you guys say lag, are you meaning like you can count outloud "one one thousand" and it's taken maybe that long or half that long to open an application compared to X other phone?
I mean, I dunno. I'm not sitting here with three phones at the same time comparing each of them to each other. I came from a blackberry to a Captivate to an Inspire to a Thrill...those were laggy phones.
My buddy has a microwave that has higher watts. He was bragging about how much faster he could microwave burritos. I guess the 30 seconds he gets his food faster than me is a big deal to him. I suppose each of us puts importance in different things.
Now that i think about it my microwaves been a little laggy lately stuff is always cold. That's what i was understanding from all this myself. Why are benchmarks higher on the note overall if a sg2 is faster.or am i wrong?
Sent from my oversized communication device.
There not higher on the note my gs2 was way faster the 220gpu in the note sucks.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Try coming from the streak where there was one person that was developing for it. I am happy that there is alot more for the note then there was for the streak. I can't wait till there are more roms to flash
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Now I understand that I'm in a DNA forum, but am trying to get some responses from people who have made the switch. I love the amount of Roms and customization that I have with my s3. I can get 4 hours of screen time easy.
I'm just trying to see what in comparison to the S3 I'll be getting. I know the resolution is better and the quad vs. Dual processor etc.
Just trying to see what you all liked better after making the switch.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda premium
mpetruzz said:
Now I understand that I'm in a DNA forum, but am trying to get some responses from people who have made the switch. I love the amount of Roms and customization that I have with my s3. I can get 4 hours of screen time easy.
I'm just trying to see what in comparison to the S3 I'll be getting. I know the resolution is better and the quad vs. Dual processor etc.
Just trying to see what you all liked better after making the switch.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
battery, definitely better on dna. I'm at 65% right now with over 2 hours of screen on time. And this is with full brightness watching yt and playing games.
as you mentioned the screen and processor are better, and this definitely shows. I rarely see a loading screen and games look amazing and can run maxed out no problem
touchwiz vs sense. This is really for you to decide, sense is more polished, professional looking, and customizable on stock, but you loose features of touchwiz
But honestly, it is a decision for you to make. I recommend checking out some comparison videos on youtube
To be honest the battery was scaring me. I had a rezound and that thing was horrible. I don't use touchwiz cause I'm running aokp. I love flashing new ROMs and am scared there aren't going to be many since HTC likes to lock their phones down. I've never been a big fan of sense. I guess I could just install another launcher.
How about the size comparison. I know the specs are almost the same with the DNA a tad thicker.
sent from my blue police box flying through time!!
mpetruzz said:
To be honest the battery was scaring me. I had a rezound and that thing was horrible. I don't use touchwiz cause I'm running aokp. I love flashing new ROMs and am scared there aren't going to be many since HTC likes to lock their phones down. I've never been a big fan of sense. I guess I could just install another launcher.
How about the size comparison. I know the specs are almost the same with the DNA a tad thicker.
sent from my blue police box flying through time!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
although the dna is thicker on paper, it feels thinner because of how it is curved
ive had both.
s3 has more options. more roms. easier to unlock.
screen is fancier on the dna.
battery and sd card are up to you. i dont use much space or have ever switched out batteries so im ok.
hugest things for me right now are sense. it does NOT have as many options. it is NOT as polished, imo. its cluttered and illogical compared to the s3. youll see!
for example, no toggles in the status bar. and no options in the settings for it.
HUGEST gripe and a deal breaker if i cant easily root this thing soon (which is another problem. theyre still using adb.) its that the menu key doesnt bring up the menu. it brings up the latest apps. and you cant reroute it. its not in the settings. seriously wtf were they thinking?
and it gets worse. not only does it not work and you cant change it, but to allow you to use the menu in apps, what do they do? THEY PUT HUGE BAR on the screen!!!
its kinda like seeing a really really hot girl who has as all this style and all...and then you realize shes utterly crazy. or its like getting a porche and they take out the steering wheel and replace it with an atari 2600 joystick!
if i cant root this and thus fix this crap fast im taking it back.
phatmhat said:
ive had both.
s3 has more options. more roms. easier to unlock.
screen is fancier on the dna.
battery and sd card are up to you. i dont use much space or have ever switched out batteries so im ok.
hugest things for me right now are sense. it does NOT have as many options. it is NOT as polished, imo. its cluttered and illogical compared to the s3. youll see!
for example, no toggles in the status bar. and no options in the settings for it.
HUGEST gripe and a deal breaker if i cant easily root this thing soon (which is another problem. theyre still using adb.) its that the menu key doesnt bring up the menu. it brings up the latest apps. and you cant reroute it. its not in the settings. seriously wtf were they thinking?
and it gets worse. not only does it not work and you cant change it, but to allow you to use the menu in apps, what do they do? THEY PUT HUGE BAR on the screen!!!
its kinda like seeing a really really hot girl who has as all this style and all...and then you realize shes utterly crazy. or its like getting a porche and they take out the steering wheel and replace it with an atari 2600 joystick!
if i cant root this and thus fix this crap fast im taking it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rooting the dna is not hard, if it's to much of a pain to use adb return it and get a iphone. everything you pointed out is nit-picking.
phatmhat said:
ive had both.
s3 has more options. more roms. easier to unlock.
screen is fancier on the dna.
battery and sd card are up to you. i dont use much space or have ever switched out batteries so im ok.
hugest things for me right now are sense. it does NOT have as many options. it is NOT as polished, imo. its cluttered and illogical compared to the s3. youll see!
for example, no toggles in the status bar. and no options in the settings for it.
HUGEST gripe and a deal breaker if i cant easily root this thing soon (which is another problem. theyre still using adb.) its that the menu key doesnt bring up the menu. it brings up the latest apps. and you cant reroute it. its not in the settings. seriously wtf were they thinking?
and it gets worse. not only does it not work and you cant change it, but to allow you to use the menu in apps, what do they do? THEY PUT HUGE BAR on the screen!!!
its kinda like seeing a really really hot girl who has as all this style and all...and then you realize shes utterly crazy. or its like getting a porche and they take out the steering wheel and replace it with an atari 2600 joystick!
if i cant root this and thus fix this crap fast im taking it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. If you don't know how to use adb you shouldn't even bother with rooting. Just watch the "how to" video at the same time as you're unlocking it. It's pretty damn simple.
2. The menu button you speak of is easily fixed if you root and put a custom rom on your phone. All of the current roms allow you to reroute the recent button to menu/recents, which would get rid of the menu bar on the screen.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
phatmhat said:
hugest things for me right now are sense. it does NOT have as many options. it is NOT as polished, imo. its cluttered and illogical compared to the s3. youll see!
for example, no toggles in the status bar. and no options in the settings for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is really the only example. Other than that sense is far more polished and professional, touchwiz looks cartoonish
phatmhat said:
HUGEST gripe and a deal breaker if i cant easily root this thing soon (which is another problem. theyre still using adb.)
if i cant root this and thus fix this crap fast im taking it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can root the dna, and its not too hard either. If youre scared of using adb then go get an iphone
phatmhat said:
the menu key doesnt bring up the menu. it brings up the latest apps. and you cant reroute it. its not in the settings. seriously wtf were they thinking?
and it gets worse. not only does it not work and you cant change it, but to allow you to use the menu in apps, what do they do? THEY PUT HUGE BAR on the screen!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats not a menu button. As per android conventions there is a back, home, and recent apps button(I have no clue what samsung was thinking with their devices with their weird layout). Is it annoying that they took out the option to remap it, sure, but thats what rooting is for. And that black bar only shows up in apps that arent up to ics conventions, so yea, not that big of a deal in the first place.
and that 'hugh' bar, yea thats not htc's doing, its googles
Just so you guys know let's lay some facts out here
1 adb should be a skill before rooting phones like stated above you shouldn't be messing with a phone until you're comfortable with fastboot and adb
2. Verizon dictated the specs not HTC....god knows why Verizon didn't want a remap option available ....
3. My friend has the DNA and my father has the s3... If you're looking for aosp based roms samsung may be you're choice ....I have the one xl and cm10 runs beautifully on it but it's a tad behind other devices....sense grows on you after a while you'll see
---------- Post added at 07:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:57 AM ----------
Was going to add that the DNA' s screen is amazing though the s3 is still an amazing.device which I'd take any day
mpetruzz said:
Now I understand that I'm in a DNA forum, but am trying to get some responses from people who have made the switch. I love the amount of Roms and customization that I have with my s3. I can get 4 hours of screen time easy.
I'm just trying to see what in comparison to the S3 I'll be getting. I know the resolution is better and the quad vs. Dual processor etc.
Just trying to see what you all liked better after making the switch.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You spend so much time looking at your phone's screen, shouldnt you enjoy every second of it
but the batter is a good 30% lower then GS3
cheers
Thanks for all the replies. I really do like my Samsung. And since I'm a crack flasher I'll prolly just keep this. I love to try out new software and I'm really hooked on cm10 which I don't think is going to be available on the DNA.
sent from my blue police box flying through time!!!
I have S3 to compare. International version. The battery life is just a bit better on DNA. The screen, no need to say. Voice quality - HTC is much louder, clear speaker. Network reception quality is better on HTC. Both phones work on GSM. S3 running stock JB, DNA is running ROM. Design, for me DNA is much better designed. Plus, wireless charger is very useful on work desk.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda premium
I am able to upgrade from the Rezound to either of these phones (or anything else for that matter). I am up in the air about it. The Galaxy S3 has a big community from what I can see. The only thing that scares me about the DNA is whether the community will be there. The Rezound community is always bickering at each other and every time I turn around, we loose another developer. I rarely even look at the forum any more because there isn't much going on there. When I had my OG Droid Incredible, the community was just flat out kicking ass.
I am going to watch this thread and see if it can help me make up my mind. I may just wait to see what comes out later. Thanks for any more input (and I do realize I'm on a DNA thread).
in my opinion, if you have an s3, i wouldnt make the switch.
the DNA is sweet dont get me wrong, but theres something that still leaves me missing my s3. Sure its only a dual core, but that thing screams. The screen is better on the dna. Not by a ton, but it is better. However, I still prefer the contrast and saturation from super amoled displays. the DNA has superior radios as well. Holds a signal much stronger than the s3. Also, yes, the dev community on the s3 is HUGE as it is a cross carrier phone. I miss that as well. I hate the way sense looks and cant wait to slap an aosp rom on this thing.
I miss the speaker volume from the s3, and Im not a big fan of sense. I actually find that my battery lasted longer on my s3 than it did on this phone.
The power button and charger door flap piss me off as well.
Now dont get me wrong, the DNA is a AWESOME device and Im only nitpicking here. And I will be keeping it. The build quality is superb. But to me, the DNA is not worth the upgrade from the s3 unless you catch a super good deal on one. I managed to get one brand new on Craigslist for 450. I went from a gs3>ip5>DNA, so I just traded my ip5 straight up for a DNA. There are pros and cons to each phone, my advice would be to try them both in store
I went from gs3 to DNA and my biggest worry was battery life,which with identical use between devices has been unfounded. Where I really noticed the difference in the screens was in direct sunlight. The gs3s was hard to see and the DNAs is surprisingly clear. Hopefully a dev community grows here but we've already got some kernel devs. And some stock romsso we are off to a good start. Sweep2wake is awesome. sense does suck (as does touchwhiz imo)
sent from my unlocked and rooted droid DNA
I personally would wait for a bigger upgrade. I don't see much to be excited about on the DNA if you already have the s3 which is a fantastic phone in itself. I love my DNA, but for you that isn't much of an upgrade IMO.
Thanks for all the responses!! I'm leaning towards keeping my s3. One of the big factors is dev support. There are so many ROMs and tweaks since its a cross carrier phone.
I might just keep looking on craigslist or online for a deal. Plus is just read that the galaxy s4 is dropping in march.
sent from my blue police box flying through time!!!
I apologized if I ignore anything or repeat anything that's been said, but I couldn't make it through the first response.
The DNA is substantially worse in battery life when compared to the S3 during use. I could get 16-20 hours with moderate to heavy usage on the S3. The DNA will give me about 11-13 hours with the same usage. When not in use the DNA does at least hold up to the S3, but surprisingly I've only gone down 13% in the last 6 and a half hours.
I've had the S3 for the past 2 months. I've had the DNA for half a week.
What I liked about the S3 was TouchWiz. Not the look of it, but the features. There are too many to list and most of them are useful. Unlocking/rooting is pretty simple once you understand how to use Odin, and you're good from there.
What I like about the DNA is the size. It's definitely just a large smartphone (compared to my Note 2 which is damn big and requires 2 hands for optimum use), and HTC did a great job keeping the rest of the phone tucked into the screen and keep it super thin. The screen looks fantastic. The software... junk. Sense has nothing to offer other than a style, one that I don't find appealing. I'm dying to get an AOSP based ROM on this thing, AOKP would be awesome. Due to VZW blocking it from being unlocked via HTC Dev by default, rooting it is a long process and if ADB is new to you then you'll have a difficult time. Compared to the S3, there's barely any ROM options.
If I had to pick between the two, I'd have a tough time but I'd probably lean towards the DNA based on the large, nice screen, small size (for it's large screen). If battery is more important, there's a good change the S3 will be better. If size doesn't matter and you've got the extra $100, get the Note 2. Won't regret it.
As for the upgrade being worth it? Not unless you're dead-set on getting a new phone.
I've had my DNA since this past Saturday and I went by many reviews and articles saying how fast this phone was. With Sense being on the phone and already going through the lag fest that was the Rezound, I was skeptical.
But I bought it anyway and the hardware and screen are beauties to be seen. Battery life hasn't been amazing but has been acceptable.
Now on to everyday usage and performance. While I'm happy to report that this doesn't have nearly as much ridiculous home screen lag that the Rezound had, but doesn't anyone feel that the home screen scrolling feels heavy? Like I was saying there isn't much lag but the transition scroll from screen to screen just feels slow to me.
I know I have read a lot of people here saying how fast this phone is, but I'm just not feeling it. Coming from my S3 it seems to crawl around in general scrolling compared to it. Just to check, I grabbed my girlfriend's S3 last night right after using my phone for a bit and it seemed like everything was in hyper speed.
I have noticed opening apps speed and in app experiences are fine for the most part. But I'm having a hard time getting over the sluggishness of this UI at the moment.
And look, I'm not looking for a pity party or am doing this to ruffle feathers. I just wanted to post my experiences to see if anyone agrees and to hear other opinions. I am still within my 14 day return/exchange policy, so I want to make sure I leave no stone unturned.
At the end of the day this phone is by no means a slouch. Not trying to say that and it benchmarks crazy well. Just noticed these hiccups and am curious to hear opinions.
Thanks!
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda premium
My experience seems to be the opposite of yours actually lol. The SIII feels strange, awkward, and slow while the DNA feels perfectly smooth and snappy. Are you experiencing actual hiccups and lag? Or is it just more of a laggy feeling? It may just be the way the homescreens transition? Not sure.. but everyone I've spoken to with an SIII agreed that my DNA is significantly faster.
This phone kills everything on the s3 except sd and removeable battery.not sure what u did but my homie has the s3 and my phone smoked his ass.sense doesn't feel sluggish to me but that's just me.if u feel that way u could root it and flash a desense Rom
sent from my beastly powered DNA using Tapatalk 2
I think it's the sense interface which might make it seem a bit slower than the touchwiz interface. I would definitely keep the phone though .
I appreciate the responses guys, but I will have to respectfully and strongly disagree with the ones who say the DNA is much faster in home screen scrolling. I did a side by side with my gf's S3 and my coworkers Note 2 and they were both much smoother and faster in that department.
Like xShin said, it might just be how the Sense screens transition compared to Touchwiz but I can't say I'm a fan. It's to the point that it may be a deal breaker for me which is a shame since the screen and overall design is really good. Also battery life is starting to not be as good as I thought. The standby/idle battery life is fantastic. I only lose like 2% at night. But now that I'm using the phone more, the screen on time is pretty poor. I can watch it lose 1% every couple minutes.
I'm still not 100% sure that I will get rid of the DNA because there are many things that I love about it. But a few important aspects of it are letting me down at the moment.
Thanks for the responses guys, keep 'em coming!
The s3 on ICS has slight lag compared to s3 on jellybean. Trust me I have had it since launch. Also were getting a OEM 3000mah battery soon that only adds 1-2mm of thickness for an easy 6hr screen time on 4g I can't wait to get it
. I like the DNA but I can't go with the 16gb mine has 32gb and I also have a 64gb card
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
You could install the same launcher on both phones, and see which one seems quickest?
you want to know why the screen feels heavy? because sense 4+ has finally eliminated home screen lag that sense 4 had. they made it a uniform speed so there's never lag.. and there's not, and i have all 7 of the screens full of widgets. they changed the rosie and animations and it looks much better. The only difference is the s3 has a faster scrolling speed in touch wiz... and touch wiz is crap because e ery time you go back to the home screen, every widget redraws! for having 2 gigs of ram, it sure doesn't seem it. I have an s3 and while it's great, the dna is quicker for the most part, equal in other parts, and overall a better phone.
I've seen your posts dude. If you're unhappy, go return it for an s3..stop trying to justify keeping it with other users who like the device. If YOU don't, get rid of it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
cell128 said:
The s3 on ICS has slight lag compared to s3 on jellybean. Trust me I have had it since launch. Also were getting a OEM 3000mah battery soon that only adds 1-2mm of thickness for an easy 6hr screen time on 4g I can't wait to get it
. I like the DNA but I can't go with the 16gb mine has 32gb and I also have a 64gb card
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, I had the S3 since launch as well, and even on ICS the UI didn't feel as heavy as Sense on the DNA. With JB it's even a larger gap.
It's just a shame because I thought they would have learned by now that a phone with monster specs should not have any hesitation in the UI.
I know it doesn't bother most people, but I'm super sensitive to lag and slowness in a UI. And I know most people will tell me just to stop whining and get a different phone. And I get that, it's totally understandable.
I guess I am just venting because this phone has easily the best screen that I have ever seen. And as I said before, I'm not 100% getting rid of it, but I'm leaning that way.
Try a different launcher. Sense default transitions are 'slower' than those that you can have with other launchers.
I noticed this too, it just doesn't bother me. The phone isn't lagging, the transitions are just slower (and meant to be).
Before getting my DNA, I'd been playing around with the Verizon and at&t s3 at work. In addition to the ones I'd handled that I set up for customers, the DNA feels just as fast, if not faster than stock s3. I'd handed it off to a co-worker with a Verizon s3 and he was thoroughly impressed by the performance and ui despite having said he has had discomfort using HTC phones in the past (incredible and thunderbolt).
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
beddachedda said:
Try a different launcher. Sense default transitions are 'slower' than those that you can have with other launchers.
I noticed this too, it just doesn't bother me. The phone isn't lagging, the transitions are just slower (and meant to be).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. As I mentioned above, to prove to yourself it's not the processing power of the phone that's the problem, but sense animations purposefully being slower, try out a different launcher on both phones. Confident they will be the same speed.
I mean, it's fair to return the phone if you just don't like sense and don't want to mess with third party apps or roms, but don't be fooled into thinking the processing power isn't there.
WizeGuyDezignz said:
I've had my DNA since this past Saturday and I went by many reviews and articles saying how fast this phone was. With Sense being on the phone and already going through the lag fest that was the Rezound, I was skeptical.
But I bought it anyway and the hardware and screen are beauties to be seen. Battery life hasn't been amazing but has been acceptable.
Now on to everyday usage and performance. While I'm happy to report that this doesn't have nearly as much ridiculous home screen lag that the Rezound had, but doesn't anyone feel that the home screen scrolling feels heavy? Like I was saying there isn't much lag but the transition scroll from screen to screen just feels slow to me.
I know I have read a lot of people here saying how fast this phone is, but I'm just not feeling it. Coming from my S3 it seems to crawl around in general scrolling compared to it. Just to check, I grabbed my girlfriend's S3 last night right after using my phone for a bit and it seemed like everything was in hyper speed.
I have noticed opening apps speed and in app experiences are fine for the most part. But I'm having a hard time getting over the sluggishness of this UI at the moment.
And look, I'm not looking for a pity party or am doing this to ruffle feathers. I just wanted to post my experiences to see if anyone agrees and to hear other opinions. I am still within my 14 day return/exchange policy, so I want to make sure I leave no stone unturned.
At the end of the day this phone is by no means a slouch. Not trying to say that and it benchmarks crazy well. Just noticed these hiccups and am curious to hear opinions.
Thanks!
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Rezound rocks... Maybe you had a dud
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
earthrocker said:
you want to know why the screen feels heavy? because sense 4+ has finally eliminated home screen lag that sense 4 had. they made it a uniform speed so there's never lag.. and there's not, and i have all 7 of the screens full of widgets. they changed the rosie and animations and it looks much better. The only difference is the s3 has a faster scrolling speed in touch wiz... and touch wiz is crap because e ery time you go back to the home screen, every widget redraws! for having 2 gigs of ram, it sure doesn't seem it. I have an s3 and while it's great, the dna is quicker for the most part, equal in other parts, and overall a better phone.
I've seen your posts dude. If you're unhappy, go return it for an s3..stop trying to justify keeping it with other users who like the device. If YOU don't, get rid of it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen your posts too, and you've been helpful. Like I said, I'm not trying to ruffle feathers and I'm sorry if I have. And yes, I know I'm whining and all of that. I guess I'm just venting and trying to figure this all out.
You know what, I guess I am trying to justify it and am asking people to nudge me one direction. I know that's dumb, but it's how I work sometimes. And to be perfectly honest, I originally posted this thread and am staying active in it because I really do like this phone. I may end up keeping it after all. I was just a bit disappointed by the slower scrolling speeds, but I assume that I can get used to it like anything else!
I think I will keep monitoring battery life as well, and maybe that will end up being the deciding factor. When I had my S3, I made a vow to myself that I will never get another phone with battery life worse than that. The S3 hit a sweet spot with battery life for me.
And just to let you know, if this phone doesn't end up working out, I won't go back to the S3 but rather get the Note 2 since I already experienced all the S3 had to offer. But hopefully it doesn't come to that!
WizeGuyDezignz said:
I've seen your posts too, and you've been helpful. Like I said, I'm not trying to ruffle feathers and I'm sorry if I have. And yes, I know I'm whining and all of that. I guess I'm just venting and trying to figure this all out.
You know what, I guess I am trying to justify it and am asking people to nudge me one direction. I know that's dumb, but it's how I work sometimes. And to be perfectly honest, I originally posted this thread and am staying active in it because I really do like this phone. I may end up keeping it after all. I was just a bit disappointed by the slower scrolling speeds, but I assume that I can get used to it like anything else!
I think I will keep monitoring battery life as well, and maybe that will end up being the deciding factor. When I had my S3, I made a vow to myself that I will never get another phone with battery life worse than that. The S3 hit a sweet spot with battery life for me.
And just to let you know, if this phone doesn't end up working out, I won't go back to the S3 but rather get the Note 2 since I already experienced all the S3 had to offer. But hopefully it doesn't come to that!
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i hear you, man..it just boils down to the fact that if it's not working for you, gotta get rid of her, ya know? i personally love it, but then again, i also have a galaxy nexus, and a galaxy s3 to use as well. i don't sell my phones haha...i haven't gotten to play with a note 2 yet, but i have no desire to have a phone that big. seems like a giant S3 to me, and since i already have an S3, i'm content with the DNA, ya know?
You definitely need to try a different launcher. Install Nova Launcher, set the animations to very fast and watch it fly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
i dont what this dude is talking about. phone blows s3 away and note II must be on crack to think it is "not so fast"
I agree with the OP. This phone does have a slight lag to it even with another launcher. Its not much but its noticeable. I think whatever phone your coming from deteremines how you like the DNA.
And OP if you looking for a straight answer your not going to get it. Go to any phone section and make a thread like this and the answers will be the same.
Its very unlikely that your mind is playing tricks on you or your phone is defective. Its there but nothing that breaks the phone or usage.
Sense is still heavy for some odd reason and the 2gb of ram helps alot. Cant imagine what its like on older htc products without custom roms and tweaks.
Once development really starts I think all these slight issues will be worked out. I do understand that s3 has had more time to mature than DNA.
One thing the exynos has over snapdragon is media playback. Something this quadcore/2gb ram should be handling easy.
Op why don't you go into developers options and drop your animation scale from 1 to .5. Bet that speeds up your scrolling!
If I helped you in some way.... pass on the favor and help the next person!
I noticed people setting animations to .5 instead of off, what's the reason?
Hey guys,
Hoping to get some feedback from former HTC Rezound owners who are now onto the S4 (seen a few in this forum).
I'm strongly considering turning to the S4 as my next phone after 3 straight HTC phones. I see that Verizon officially announced the One coming, but with HTC company in disarray, lack of updates on all my HTC phones, and only a 4mp camera (ultra pixel or not, it's not going to be enough for pix you need to crop), and no removable battery or sd card slot, I'm close to jumping over. I've rooted all my phones, but kinda sick of being a guinea pig with half working stuff on ROM's that wasn't supposed to be on my phone anyways, and constant issues, etc just to get close to the latest OS.
With the S4, wondering about comparison in signal strength (4G) that you've seen (just as strong, weaker, etc), GPS lock time, camera (speed and quality of pix), overall speed of the phone (opening apps, mail, etc), and comparative lag, etc.
I'm more interested in a 32gb model if it ever comes to Verizon, so I'm trying to hold out a little longer before making my move, but any input on comparing the 2 phones would be helpful in solidifying my decision! (wife has the S3 by the way, and it's pretty nice, although she has Sprint and never gets 4G)...
Yo, I'll fill you in and answer as much as I can. Just got my s4 last week, had the rezound for about 1.5 yrs. Awesome phone, like it, still like it, was kinda hard to switch. I even left the store without buying the S4, but went back the next day. Glad I did.
I ran the rez stock for a while, but for some time ran the roms by Neo. Mostly rage, but switched to Infection towards the end. This phone has been great for me so far.
-signal strength to me seems a little better for 4g, not major
- wifi is better for sure. Rez wasn't bad but you needed the back cover and maybe it degraded over time???
-GPS seems fine for me, but never had issues with Rez
-camera is fine for me, seems fast enough, good pics too
-I find phone super fast, faster than Rez was, I don't notice any lag. But I never had major issues with that on the Rez tho
For me, it was a slightly tough upgrade, but I'm happy. Biggest for me has been battery life. I had to charge my Rez every 24hrs, this things lasts me at least 2 days.
So far, all I have done is root with TWRP, and froze all the bloat. I haven't flashed any different roms (TW or other). Wanting to see what it is like close to stock for a bit first.
Been very happy with my decision. Would do again, would recommend.
Hope that helps.
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I went form Rezound to S3 and now S4. I do not think you will be disappointed if you get an s4. The phone is superior in every way. My biggest gripe is that touchwiz is extremely ugly!! I use custom roms and themes so that does not really bother me too much. You will also notice that development here will be better than the Rezound. I was going to wait for the HTC One but the state of the company really scares me. I also like having the ability to expand storage. Hope this helps.
hpower1 said:
Yo, I'll fill you in and answer as much as I can. Just got my s4 last week, had the rezound for about 1.5 yrs. Awesome phone, like it, still like it, was kinda hard to switch. I even left the store without buying the S4, but went back the next day. Glad I did.
I ran the rez stock for a while, but for some time ran the roms by Neo. Mostly rage, but switched to Infection towards the end. This phone has been great for me so far.
-signal strength to me seems a little better for 4g, not major
- wifi is better for sure. Rez wasn't bad but you needed the back cover and maybe it degraded over time???
-GPS seems fine for me, but never had issues with Rez
-camera is fine for me, seems fast enough, good pics too
-I find phone super fast, faster than Rez was, I don't notice any lag. But I never had major issues with that on the Rez tho
For me, it was a slightly tough upgrade, but I'm happy. Biggest for me has been battery life. I had to charge my Rez every 24hrs, this things lasts me at least 2 days.
So far, all I have done is root with TWRP, and froze all the bloat. I haven't flashed any different roms (TW or other). Wanting to see what it is like close to stock for a bit first.
Been very happy with my decision. Would do again, would recommend.
Hope that helps.
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Very helpful - thanks! It's great to see good posts on the S4, but you don't know what kind of phone folks are coming from, so wanted to get a better perspective. Thanks.
jm700wx said:
I went form Rezound to S3 and now S4. I do not think you will be disappointed if you get an s4. The phone is superior in every way. My biggest gripe is that touchwiz is extremely ugly!! I use custom roms and themes so that does not really bother me too much. You will also notice that development here will be better than the Rezound. I was going to wait for the HTC One but the state of the company really scares me. I also like having the ability to expand storage. Hope this helps.
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I agree with the look not being totally appealing too. I'd probably do the same thing with a theme or shell (just saw a good review of the Yandex shell 3d launcher) as long as it doesn't lag or mess up the phone. Thanks.
Not sure I can add anything to what's already been said but I just made the jump from Rezound to S4 and I'm very happy. I was concerned with the transition to TouchWiz as I've used previous iterations on family members' phones and didn't like it. Sense was superior in nearly every way but to be honest, it could be worse and I'm getting used to it. I considered another HTC phone (DNA or One) but hated the idea of no SD card option and a non-removable battery. Speaking of battery, I don't think HTC is capable of manufacturing a phone with decent battery life.
Speed on the S4 is excellent though I've noticed some odd lag in the Google Maps app. I enabled developer menu and disabled all of the animations so that's helped. The Rezound was fast enough for me and if I had to go back to it, I don't think it would be an issue. Signal strength and quality are as good for me as with the Rezound. I was running VipreRez and had odd issues with WIFI whereby I had to disable/enable it now and then to stay connected...not an issue with the S4. GPS lock is very quick but I had no problems with the Rez. I don't use the camera much so I can't comment on that except to say that some of the camera modes on the S4 are pretty neat (possibly gimmicky).
The single largest difference is battery life and it's a MASSIVE difference. I could not make it through a day with the Rez if I used navigation, wireless tether or spent too much time talking. I use my phone only for business (no games) so for me it's phone calls, text, e-mail and a minor amount of navigation. I was constantly powering the phone from the car and plugging it in immediately upon returning home. The S4 has amazing battery life. I've easily made it 17+ hours with nearly 3 hours of screen on time, navigation and WIFI tether and been at or just below 30% at the end of the day.
The only issues I've had with the S4 have been adjusting to the size of the phone and lack of a search button. I have a difficult time reaching across the screen with one hand but I think I'll live with it. I used to press search and immediately type a client's name and get to them quickly. Now it takes an extra step or two but not a huge issue. Also, I miss the Sense clock..heh. I realize there are apps that emulate that clock but it was amazing. I thought the screen on the Rez was fantastic but the 5" screen on the S4 is truly amazing.
One last thing to mention. I always felt like the Rezound was the red-headed step-child of HTC phones. Not much dev support and accessories were difficult to come by. The S4 is a complete 180 from that due to the pervasive nature of the distribution. I expect loads of development and accessories for this phone.
Former Rezound user here too. I totally agreed with everything everyone has said. I did notice GPS , Wifi and 4G were a little better. I wasn't really nervous about TW . I actually like TW. Battery life is great as previously mentioned . Love the phone so far.
I went from the Rez to the S3 tp the S4. I really liked the build quality of the Rez. When I sold mine, it was like selling a child.
Wifi is awesome in comparison. 4G averages 25% higher in my tests. I guess it's just more consistent. Battery life is WAY better. I always had to have an extended battery on it. My S4 lasts me a whole day off intense use. I work IT and I'm on my phone all day. Development will be much better. Let's not even mention the screen comparison.
All in all, the upgrade is amazing. Worth every penny.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Former Rezounder and I just got the S4 today. I'm so excited to have this phone and I'm very happy to hear all the good remarks from this thread. I expected to see that there is more development for this phone compared to the Rezound. I agree that it was the red headed step child too lol. Anyways I'm gonna get started on rooting
Get the s4. You will leave terrible battery life, heat, and poor development behind. You won't regret it. I don't miss my rez that much
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
I had the Rezound. After Google I/O and not hearing anything about the Moto X phone I decided to jump on the S4 bandwagon. I had my Rez for a little over a year. It was an okay phone, hated the battery life, even got the extended battery and always got weird looks for how big my phone was. But I've gotta commend developers like Neo or Chad for bringing us 4.2 to the Rez. For me the standout points with the S4 are battery life, the camera and very very smooth UI. I'm excited to see what the future brings, development is explosive with the bootloader being unlocked now. I really want to like the HTC One but I need HTC to show better support for their phones, there was no excuse for the Rezound to not have 4.1 by now, even the Droid Bionic has it!
Rezound to S4 and the very first thing I notice was how freaking light it was I even told the verizon rep if he put the battery in LOL but after the initial shock the phone is so good, the only thing I noticed was the lack of CDMA support unless I am missing something here but if you not in a 4g area you get a lot of dropped calls unless being on Global has something to do with it.
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
I too had a Rezound and it's been passed down to my mother.. The Rezound is choppy and slow these days.. Still has a great screen though in my opinion.. the S4 is a no brainer to switch to.
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jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
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What's the big gripe and deal with needing 32gb internal storage? I'm sure pretty soon we're going to have working apps2sd and it's not an issue anymore. . It's also one of the reasons Vzw was able to sell it 199 on contract still.
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
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I was in the same boat as hpower1. I must have made 3 trips to the store to look at the S4. I went to a Corp store so I could buy it outright and put it on a 12 month payment plan. Didn't want to lose my unlimited plan. My wife and I only use about 1GB +/- per month but the "what if" factor kicked in. It helped sell me when I was on the phone with 611 and they told me that it wouldn't affect my upgrade. So if something else comes out in a year or so and we are not using over 2 or 4 GB per month that I could still my upgrade. They offered to buy back the Rezound but I declined. I moved it to another line to replace a D1. This thing (S4) is awesome. Light, fast, big screen. I put it in an OtterBox Defender case to help protect it. Makes it so much easier to hold. This is simply a GREAT phone. I got it last Friday night and couldn't take it any longer so Monday morning I rooted it just so I could disable some of the bloat and flash a mod that I wanted. Get it, you won't regret it. Also like others have said, the battery life is great but I have to admit that the Rezound got much better after flashing XenonHD and is still a great phone.
Oh, and I also installed a 64Gb card in it that I got off of Amazon.
Had my rezound for 1.5 years and it was definitely an above average phone with limited support from verizon and developers.
Although the developers that were there (Cleanrom) were terrific.
I had the incredible before the rezound so, like you, was contemplating waiting for the One.
I need to use spare batteries so I didn't bother waiting
For me, personally, everything is better with the s4 EXCEPT 4g signal strength.
Just to clarify, when I have proper strength, which is most of the time, the speed is superior.
What I'm talking about came to light last night.
I went to my first yankee game since getting s4 (I go to 30 games a year) last night and I had sporadic service, at best.
Maybe there was something in the air but my rezound got much better signal and data was good.
Since everyone else is saying theres is better with the s4, I'm beginning to lean towards it being a bad night at the stadium.
Anyway, I just wanted you to know my experience.
The phone is awesome, support on the forums is great (I'm running cleanrom now, but have tried hyperdrive too and it was equally good), and you will be very happy.
On a side note, Yankees won and I got to see Mo close which is a treat that is quickly coming to an end
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
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Click to collapse
You might regret it loosing ur unlimited plan , I did a payment plan.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I rocked the rezound for awhile back when it came out and loved it! Probably one of my favorite android phones to use! The s4 is pretty nice I just say coming from a note 2 too but if Verizon does in fact release a HTC one with more 16 gb of storage I will get one and switch between it and s4 depending on how nice it is and stacks up against s4!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
nes4r2 said:
You might regret it loosing ur unlimited plan , I did a payment plan.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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I won't give up my unlimited. It's sick how Verizon is gouging us lately and even pushing back upgrade dates - seriously Verizon?
I went to a Verizon store and the rep gave me some options how to keep unlimited whole still being able to upgrade a little early - something about adding a line and paying a little more per month. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess...
nes4r2 said:
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What's the big gripe and deal with needing 32gb internal storage? I'm sure pretty soon we're going to have working apps2sd and it's not an issue anymore. . It's also one of the reasons Vzw was able to sell it 199 on contract still.
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But if we don't get apps2sd it could be a problem in the future with 1/2 the 16gb internal clogged with OS, etc. Who knows how big some apps will be in the future, so don't want to get stuck with potential limited space. I'm sure its fine for now. It's also one of the main gripes I've read from professional reviews. Plus I'm just sick of having all my iPads, kindles, etc always running out of room and just don't want to deal with that potential issue at some point.
If I don't hear more about a 32gb soon, I'm sure I'll cave in before too long...