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OK, I had fully decided to sit this one out. All week, I've been reading and watching reviews. Though I had a preorder at Radio Shack, I read the reports on launch day and decided to stay home and call in to cancel. I was one of the nay-sayers.
But yesterday, I was shopping next to the Sprint Store, and decided to go in to see it... and I was hooked. Went to Radio Shack, and the girl there saved me the last Evo 3D anyway, knowing I'd come in after all. How funny.
My reaction after having it for awhile? I truly love my OG Evo, but this device is much better in very noticeable ways:
1. The first thing I noticed is a small thing, but the haptic feedback is DRAMATICALLY better. Tighter and more subtle, just as it should be. Haven't heard this in any of the reviews, but I really like it. Makes the whole phone feel better for me, because I'm a fan of the feedback, especially with the keyboard.
2. This think is insanely fast and smooth. No lag, and it feels almost like it can read my mind going somewhere before I think about it.
3. Not a Sense fan, but I like the effects and speed of this. I could see myself staying with Sense if devs are able to improve on it. See gripes below on what I don't like.
4. Camera isn't as bad as I expected. It may even be significantly improved. The app definitely is. Low light stills are better. Video is improved but still awful, and the sound is not improved at all.
5. The 3D? I actually love it. It's fun... really a nice feature. But I can see that you have to have good eyesight and some patience for it. My wife took one look and wanted nothing more of it. Reminds me of the old Viewmaster images, and I was a big fan. Brings back a bit of my childhood. Good app idea is for Viewmaster to revive all its old collections and make them available for download. How cool would that be? Sign me up!
6. As a phone, I love that the speaker is loud enough, and call quality doesn't sound any worse. Not sure it's improved, though.
OK, now for some gripes:
1. Though I generally like the size and weight, the new screen actually feels much smaller. It's narrower, of course, which in combination with the higher resolution makes everything smaller in portrait view. I'm not sure the screen is brighter and better than the Evo as some have said... seems somewhat duller by comparison.
2. My biggest gripe is that the capacitive buttons are TOO FREAKING BRIGHT, and there doesn't seem to be a way to fix that. And they never shut off. Devs need to fix this or give us ways to adjust to taste.
3. The 3D in movies is much harder to see and notice. The movies have tended to make 3D effect more subtle, and therefore it's difficult to see dramatic effect on this smaller screen. That's both good and bad, I guess. Don't imagine I'll be investing in 3D movies on this, but who knows?
4. Small things... a little harder to hold (or maybe I'm not used to it yet), the speaker isn't as good or as loud and there seems to be a bit of vibration.
5. Sense 3.0, though fun and slick, feels confining and incomplete to me. I miss some of the customization I had in CM7, but would love to keep the lockscreen and weather effects. Somebody explain to me the function of that stupid carousel. First time, "whee!" but after just dumb. This phone desperately needs root and the devs to add things that are missing (customizable buttons on the notification bar, GB wink-out effects, custom rosie, etc.).
In conclusion, I expected to hate it, or not like it enough to try it. That was dead wrong. Is it enough for me to keep it? Well, some key improvements are missing for me, like a significantly improved camera (I'm a photographer, and very picky about this). Sure, I have better cameras, but this one is with me all the time. I'd like to remove the SD card without removing the battery.
I'm loving the 3D, but can see how some non-nerds would lose patience with it quickly. I'm guessing that we'll see a service for ordering 3D prints in the future and other sample 3D photos (c'mon, Viewmaster!), and that will be fun.
Bottom line is that it HAS to get root in the next 30 days, or it goes back for sure. I've seen too many improvements on the Evo with custom ROMs, and I've made my phone new again so many times over. Gotta have that. And just think what the devs could do with this phone.
Nice review! Interesting perspective.
Yeah... No clue about the carousel.. it spins to fast to be useful... I love mine too!
The buttons definitely are to bright... They need to dim with the screen.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App
I was leary of a launch day buy but I'm really glad I got it.
I really didn't care about 3d but I must admit I'm liking it.
Have to have root though.
Forgot to add.. I hate the app drawer, I want to fling it.
The charge port needs to be on right side.
The bright capacitive buttons where starting to get on my nerves as well. You can turn them off with the "screen filter" app from the market. The its primary feature is to dim the screen, but you can keep the screen at 100% and still disable the buttons' backlight.
Speaking of lights...why the hell would HTC take away my flashlight and give me a mirror? I used that HTC Flashlight all the time! Sure as heck don't need to be looking at my ugly self all the time, lol. I know I can download one, but just saying.
davec1234 said:
The charge port needs to be on right side.
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Click to collapse
You know, I think I like the port where it is. Nice place for my thumb to go. The narrower phone is making holding and thumb typing much more difficult in portrait mode... That's another gripe for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
-Apollo- said:
Speaking of lights...why the hell would HTC take away my flashlight and give me a mirror? I used that HTC Flashlight all the time! Sure as heck don't need to be looking at my ugly self all the time, lol. I know I can download one, but just saying.
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Click to collapse
And I look way uglier on that mirror. Development will add that back when we get root. Until then, the Switchpro widget works for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Cubfan99 said:
Video is improved but still awful, and the sound is not improved at all.
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Click to collapse
I'm still on the fence, but I do shoot video with my phone enough (hey, it's always with me) to have this turn me off. I've dealt with the Evo 4G's terrible (and I mean, TERRIBLE!) audio on videos because it's overall a great phone, but I was hoping the next generation would have fixed the problem. Poop.
First thing I noticed was the haptic feedback as well. I told the BB employee that it felt like the Droid X and he said that a few other people had told him that, too.
I didn't notice how bright the capacitive buttons were, so I guess it doesn't bother me.
I hate the app drawer as well! I don't like the "pages." I feel that pages could've been implemented better (um, horizontally maybe?)
As much as I thought I'd be keeping 3d off permanently I've actually had a lot of fun messing around with it.
One other small thing that bugs me is how the clock widget always seems to have to catch up when you go back to the home page from something else. It's frozen on the time it was when you were looking at it last and quickly flips to update. It's minor, and won't matter too much because I plan on not using the sense clock widget anyway.
Cubfan99 said:
And I look way uglier on that mirror. Development will add that back when we get root. Until then, the Switchpro widget works for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
LOL, no doubt! Thanks man, I'll give it a shot.
Flashlight is not lost guys, a member has already posted the apk in the themes and apps section... But here is one that I have... Install like any apk,
http://db.tt/btJ1IwC
Bussin Caps from my 3D shooter
The carousel would make more sense if it took you to the home screen every time you flicked it. You can use that instead of the home button.
Why I would use the carousel to bring me back to the same page I am on makes no sense to me.....
Thanks for the review OP, i think you were head-on with your points.
I do think tho, the narrowness of this device allows me to put a case on it and actually prefer its larger width, i loved that in the OG Evo.
As for the Carousel, kinda lame that once you flick it and it starts spinning, you can't put your finger on it and choose which screen to go to, it always recovers to the screen you flicked from.
Cubfan99 said:
You know, I think I like the port where it is. Nice place for my thumb to go. The narrower phone is making holding and thumb typing much more difficult in portrait mode... That's another gripe for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm right handed, talking while charging blows plus it stresses the port.
Just extract the flashlight apk from a sense rom in the EVO 4g dev section, it works fine on our phones.
Also I kinda like the narrower size, it fits better in my hand and pocket. I was ready for a new phone and I don't regret picking this one up at all.
phatmanxxl said:
Just extract the flashlight apk from a sense rom in the EVO 4g dev section, it works fine.
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Click to collapse
What a good idea. I'll try that.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
ktrotter11 said:
Flashlight is not lost guys, a member has already posted the apk in the themes and apps section... But here is one that I have... Install like any apk,
http://db.tt/btJ1IwC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dang... that's even easier. Thanks!!
mine goes back today.
i am tired of waiting for HTC and Sprint to release a phone that has been properly tested and functional.
ringers and notifications too low even at full volume
camera switch on my phone jiggle (cheap feeling)
occasional screen freeze
lower than desired photo quality
and of course...
locked bootloader
i have no intention of waiting for HTC to get off their asses. i know all the top devs are working hard and its appreciated, but my money will be spent on a different device
^
My contract is already up,and I have some questions about the note. For those of you using the note for a while. Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone? Screen quality how is it? Is it a fast phone? If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again? Call quality? I'm thinking about buying one tomorrow, and I wanted your input on the phone. Feel free to add any info that could be useful about the phone. Thanks guy's.
lildoggs said:
My contract is already up,and I have some questions about the note. For those of you using the note for a while. Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone? Screen quality how is it? Is it a fast phone? If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again? Call quality? I'm thinking about buying one tomorrow, and I wanted your input on the phone. Feel free to add any info that could be useful about the phone. Thanks guy's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The size is really overblown on a lot of web reviews. It is comfortable to hold, fits into all of my pants pockets just fine, is really awesome when browsing the web, and the size allows for the larger battery.
I have had the Note for a month now and do no ever see myself returning to a smaller screen.
The resolution is beautiful, but there are some issues with gradients and dark scenes in movies so be sure to walk into a store when buying it so that you can run some tests on the phone they are going to sell you. There is a thread here about black clipping with a lot of great tests to try out. Some Notes are worse than others.
I love the call quality on the Note. The only downfall is that you really have to lower the volume while in a call unless you don't mind folks around you hearing it. The ear speaker is very loud.
As far as speed goes...that really depends on your phone. I have seen posts where people are experiencing lag even though I haven't personally experienced any of it.
I started off with the white Note, but returned it due to the soft keys having bad light bleeding at night. They can be turned off, but it bugged me so now I have the black/blue one.
Also, try out the stylus. I didn't realize it until I exchanged my Note, but the stylus on the first one was really laggy and unresponsive. I thought it just sucked until I got the second Note. It should be snappy and precise.
I am now running DAGr8's ICS rom and have turned the DPI down to 240. It really enhanced the phone by making the resolution smaller which in turn gives you more space for widgets, icons, etc.
lildoggs said:
My contract is already up,and I have some questions about the note. For those of you using the note for a while. Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone? Screen quality how is it? Is it a fast phone? If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again? Call quality? I'm thinking about buying one tomorrow, and I wanted your input on the phone. Feel free to add any info that could be useful about the phone. Thanks guy's.
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Click to collapse
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. The Note is large, yes, but very easy to hold and get used to due to how thin it is. Screen quality is unmatched by anything out there in my opinion. The combination of Gorilla Glass, Super AMOLED, and 720p resolution are really awesome. Some people say they have lag, but I have not had or used a faster Android device. Also, if you are in an LTE area, you get that awesome speed too. If I didn't have it, I would still be drooling over it. I got lucky and got it for half off, but if I hadn't, I would still be waiting a couple months until summer to buy it, which I definitely would again. Call quality is also great, and speakerphone is also loud and clear.
Now for the other things I highly commend the Note for. The SPen is awesome. You may think it's gimmicky, but you would be wrong. It's great for jotting down quick notes while on a call. Great for making funny captions on pictures before you send them. Great for navigating the phone. Great for Swyping with the tablet Swype beta. Great for taking screenshots. Also, we now have ICS, which brings some new and exciting features, my favorite being face unlock. I really can't recommend this phone enough. People may say, wait for the gs3 or one x, but I don't see the attraction. We already have ICS, and those other phones are small compared to the Note, and won't have the SPen. You may think the size is too big, but you get used to it really easy, and my nope had now ruined any smaller of a device. Also, battery life is the best I've experienced on any Android, besides the RAZR MAXX, but who wants a Moto phone anyways?
Really, the only way I would upgrade to another phone is when the Note 2 comes out. I don't have a single complaint, and this screen is killer.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
To answer your questions.
Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone?
I came from a Streak, I'm a BIG guy and the phone sits well in my hands. My gf has freakishly small hands and she says it's too big for her hands, but loves the fact that she can put it into her purse and can easily find it. It does look silly holding up to your head and talking though.
Screen quality how is it?
Personally I think the screen quality is great for a 5.3" device. A lot of people are complaining about black crush (there's a good thread on it) and while it's there, personally it isn't enough to bug me, I've watched low res videos for a long time and it just doesn't bug me anymore.
Is it a fast phone?
A lot of people are complaining about lag on their phones and yes I can see it there from time to time but I run 2 RSS feed readers, 5 email accounts, 2 weather widgets, and quite a few other things. The device is speedy, I can play games like shadowgun without the hint of lag, when i tell the phone to do something it might think about it for an 1/16 of a second then away it goes. So is the phone fast? I say yes it is.
If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again?
In a heartbeat
Call quality?
I love it, it's clear and easy to hear people, except my gf, she has the original droid and that thing has a TERRIBLE mic and speaker. a lot of our fights have been caused by her phone . Again it does look silly when you hold it to your head, but I've never been one to shy away from looking silly.
In short, depending on what you want to do/replace with the phone I'd say buy it. I use mine to manage 100 servers and RDPing into them while on the move which it does a great job on. I can read docs on the go and pull up webpages to prove people wrong and they can read them without having to hold my phone.
Lastly, if you're in one of those great states that charge you tax on the full price of the phone (in this case 700 smackers), look for a Sam's Club. I bought my phone on release day from them for 260 and with tax it was under 300.
Thanks for posting these questions. I have my upgrade available later this month and I am strongly considering the Note.
What I want to know is, as far as anyone can tell, is there a color or build location that seems to have fewer problems overall? I have seen a few places that people seem to think the white ones are less laggy. There was some speculation that the China Notes have less black crush. I'm pretty color neutral on these. I just want to be able to look at the box and get a sense that the one they give me has a better chance of being issue free.
How in the hell would the color of the plastic around the phone affect performance? :what:
That's like painting flames on your car to make it go faster.
Black crush is fixed in ics
studacris said:
How in the hell would the color of the plastic around the phone affect performance? :what:
That's like painting flames on your car to make it go faster.
Black crush is fixed in ics
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Click to collapse
First, Black Crush is not fixed in ICS, they just lowered the point of full black so it would appear better. The dropoff is still severe, but it is less noticeable. I don't own the device but I have been following these things very closely.
Second, I did not come up with the color thing. It is based off what I was reading. In this case it is not at all like painting flames and expecting something to go faster. They very well might come off different assembly lines with different QA and different physical runs of parts. I know its a longshot, but that is why I am asking if anyone can verify. I realize it is more likely that the Chinese vs. Korean Notes may exhibit some differences. Again, I am asking in the Q&A section to be sure.
knight4led said:
First, Black Crush is not fixed in ICS, they just lowered the point of full black so it would appear better. The dropoff is still severe, but it is less noticeable. I don't own the device but I have been following these things very closely.
Second, I did not come up with the color thing. It is based off what I was reading. In this case it is not at all like painting flames and expecting something to go faster. They very well might come off different assembly lines with different QA and different physical runs of parts. I know its a longshot, but that is why I am asking if anyone can verify. I realize it is more likely that the Chinese vs. Korean Notes may exhibit some differences. Again, I am asking in the Q&A section to be sure.
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Click to collapse
From what I've read the only issue that seems different between the white and black is the micro crack that people have in the white ones. It seems spread wide on who has a good one and who has a bad one. So to be fair I can understand where studacris is coming from on the color. As for the black crush, I can't say either way as I'm running completely stock non-rooted, but I'd imagine that if it's hardware related then no it wouldn't be fixed with ICS, if it's software related, other phones would be experiencing the same issue. Lastly I guess a good question would be who bought their phone where and if it's running poorly or not to see if there's a correlation with the batches.
Hey guy's thank-you for posting your opinions and thoughts about this phone. If you have anything else to post please do so and I'll be here checking out this thread as the day rolls on.
I had a Streak for over a year, and I wouldn't have replaced it with a device with a smaller screen. Think about what you do/want to do with your mobile device. If you mostly use it for talking on, than maybe the Note is not for you. But if you do a lot of email, Web surfing, navigation, playing games, etc. than after you've used a Note for a week you'll never want to use a smaller device again, and you'll wonder how you ever did before
I have a white one and my phone rarely shows any lag, and my quadrant scores ate just as high as anybody's...not that wouldn't means much, but people seem to obsess over it. There isn't any difference between the two except that micro crack thing, although I'm sure that could also be a problem with the black version. I say that, because a similar crack would be nearly impossible to see in black plastic. When I had my old iPhone 3g, I exchanged it multiple times due to the problem that they had with cracking around all of the ports, and it was really only visible with the white ones. I looked at multiple black ones that friends had, and they all had the cracks, but you basically had to look at them with a magnifying glass in the right light to see the cracks. Therefore, I think it may be the same case with the Note.
Really, I can't recommend this phone enough. I dare a manufacturer to try and top it, because that would be a hell of a feat in my eyes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
Hey guys ! I own a HTC EVO 3D right now, but I'm going to switch it for an ATRIX 4G tomorrow.
I want to ask you... How do you feel about the ATRIX's screen? I know it's a TFT LCD with the RGBW matrix, which is what makes my brain twist and say "OH SH*T NO". What's your say on that?
Also... voice quality... Is it loud & clear enough? I mean, compared to other phones you might have owned...
And the camera?
-----
And... most of all... the chipset?! How is it going for you?! I hear it is actually less performant & more power-hungry than Qualcomm's dual core, but I don't really know...
awh its a great phone......but stock gb rom sucks. u wud love it if you are a social networking fan!! for me im pretty happy with my cm flavored atrix. the chip is good, camera is okay.....and about sound i dont give huge scores! display hmmm u shud love it!!
njarun said:
awh its a great phone......but stock gb rom sucks. u wud love it if you are a social networking fan!! for me im pretty happy with my cm flavored atrix. the chip is good, camera is okay.....and about sound i dont give huge scores! display hmmm u shud love it!!
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Click to collapse
This whole weekend I've been going back and forth, deciding to trade it for an ATRIX, then changing my mind and returning to HTC... Now I was sure I was gonna make the switch, but here I go again, returning to HTC.
The ATRIX's screen is TFT, as opposed to HTC's S-LCD, and that wouldn't be THAT MUCH of a problem if it didn't had the RGBW matrix... I read a lot on the phone, and that would just ruin my experience, probably making me feel the urge to blend the phone or something.
I think I'll stick to HTC... If only Motorola were to use standard RGB...
good luck
njarun said:
good luck
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Click to collapse
I feel somewhat bad for all this (the whole back and forth thing). No phone has everything you need... at least not without some drawbacks, GOD DAMN IT
Sense is hard to leave, especially with sense 4 out now.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA
Formhault said:
I feel somewhat bad for all this (the whole back and forth thing). No phone has everything you need... at least not without some drawbacks, GOD DAMN IT
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Click to collapse
as you are concerned about the screen, maybe i can help a little. first off, i have really great eyesight, pentile matrix displays make me want to hurt people, but its not all bad. the qHD resolution makes the subpixles much harder to see, i personally can only see them when its about a foot or closer to my face, some colors i can see it farther away, such as green, i can see some distortion about a foot and a half away form my face. but its very hard to see, its a HUGE difference form say, a captivates pentile screen.
next thing to keep in mind is the colors. yellow is a big complaint, i dont notice it to much but the colors are far from perfect, i feel the screen is a hair cold by default, and there are ways to reduce the blue if you are rooted, i did a guide on it a while ago.
last thing is gradients, they look bad, that is the only thing i really am disappointed with, you can see artifacting as the colors shift, although i dont know if im crazy but it seems better then before.
keep in mind that all of these things you will get use to with a little time, i got use to them quickly and i am a stickler for screen quality. one of the goods of the screen though is the battery life, the type of display saves a ton of juice thus making one of the longest lasting phones of its time. now that, I love.
im not trying to bash my own phone here, i love it, and always will, its an amazing device and was everything i wanted when i got it. the screen is something i can live with, and the the battery life plus the higher resolution makes up for it in my book.
let me know if there is anything else you want to know, hope i was a little helpful.
gh123man said:
as you are concerned about the screen, maybe i can help a little. first off, i have really great eyesight, pentile matrix displays make me want to hurt people, but its not all bad. the qHD resolution makes the subpixles much harder to see, i personally can only see them when its about a foot or closer to my face, some colors i can see it farther away, such as green, i can see some distortion about a foot and a half away form my face. but its very hard to see, its a HUGE difference form say, a captivates pentile screen.
next thing to keep in mind is the colors. yellow is a big complaint, i dont notice it to much but the colors are far from perfect, i feel the screen is a hair cold by default, and there are ways to reduce the blue if you are rooted, i did a guide on it a while ago.
last thing is gradients, they look bad, that is the only thing i really am disappointed with, you can see artifacting as the colors shift, although i dont know if im crazy but it seems better then before.
keep in mind that all of these things you will get use to with a little time, i got use to them quickly and i am a stickler for screen quality. one of the goods of the screen though is the battery life, the type of display saves a ton of juice thus making one of the longest lasting phones of its time. now that, I love.
im not trying to bash my own phone here, i love it, and always will, its an amazing device and was everything i wanted when i got it. the screen is something i can live with, and the the battery life plus the higher resolution makes up for it in my book.
let me know if there is anything else you want to know, hope i was a little helpful.
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Click to collapse
I do a lot of reading on my phone, and having that screen would kill me... Plus the gradients thing... I noticed it in a 480p YouTube video, ffs, lol.
The battery is all nice, the chipset seems good enough, but even though the screen is all bright in the sun, its downs are making me wanna throw rocks at it, lol.
Sent from my LeeDrOiD-loaded EVO 3D
You know what, I think I'm gonna give the ATRIX a try. I'm going in a couple of hours to see that guy to make the trade.
Got the phone. Tinkered with it already. Love it so far! This PenTile isn't really awful.
Formhault said:
Got the phone. Tinkered with it already. Love it so far! This PenTile isn't really awful.
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Click to collapse
Which phone do you like better now since you got the Atrix? Just curious.
Sent from my ATRIX using the Premium XDA App
Voelker45 said:
Which phone do you like better now since you got the Atrix? Just curious.
Sent from my ATRIX using the Premium XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's hard for me to answer this.
I loved the EVO 3D. The back design made it attractive, and the overall body... it was nice, alright. Also, the big screen was neat.
There were a few things that made me change the phone. The screen was somewhat yellowish (had to use Filter Your Screen to add a blue alpha so it would not be so yellowish on white menus and so brownish on gray menus - but that still didn't fix it 100%). The earpiece was creaky, and so was the loudspeaker on maximum volume...
I wanted the ATRIX for it has a bigger battery, a decent chipset, and a more robust design. I mean... the body is more compact - feels better in the hand, more secure, I'd say. Besides, on this phone I no longer feel the urge to smash it on the wall for yellow whites or creaky voices in-calls.
Also, the screen is just AMAZING. Even though it's a TFT, and it's got PenTile, I find it really nice. The whites are PURE WHITE. The blacks are BLACK!!! Also, if you know that ICS wallpaper... it really looks better on the ATRIX. The colors were somewhat washed on the EVO 3D - proof that S-LCD still needed work. To be honest, I think this TFT screen can be compared to the Samsung Galaxy S's SUPER AMOLED.
Even if I turn down the screen's brightness to the minimum, the whites still blind me during night time, especially if I hold the phone somewhat close to my face. On full brightness, in the sunlight, it ROCKS !!!
The only thing I wished for is some aluminium on the body. It's all plasticky... good thing I have an iCase Pro (MOMAX) case, otherwise... I wouldn't really like it .
Formhault said:
It's hard for me to answer this.
I loved the EVO 3D. The back design made it attractive, and the overall body... it was nice, alright. Also, the big screen was neat.
There were a few things that made me change the phone. The screen was somewhat yellowish (had to use Filter Your Screen to add a blue alpha so it would not be so yellowish on white menus and so brownish on gray menus - but that still didn't fix it 100%). The earpiece was creaky, and so was the loudspeaker on maximum volume...
I wanted the ATRIX for it has a bigger battery, a decent chipset, and a more robust design. I mean... the body is more compact - feels better in the hand, more secure, I'd say. Besides, on this phone I no longer feel the urge to smash it on the wall for yellow whites or creaky voices in-calls.
Also, the screen is just AMAZING. Even though it's a TFT, and it's got PenTile, I find it really nice. The whites are PURE WHITE. The blacks are BLACK!!! Also, if you know that ICS wallpaper... it really looks better on the ATRIX. The colors were somewhat washed on the EVO 3D - proof that S-LCD still needed work. To be honest, I think this TFT screen can be compared to the Samsung Galaxy S's SUPER AMOLED.
Even if I turn down the screen's brightness to the minimum, the whites still blind me during night time, especially if I hold the phone somewhat close to my face. On full brightness, in the sunlight, it ROCKS !!!
The only thing I wished for is some aluminium on the body. It's all plasticky... good thing I have an iCase Pro (MOMAX) case, otherwise... I wouldn't really like it .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the atrix family
Sent from my MB860
Formhault said:
It's hard for me to answer this.
I loved the EVO 3D. The back design made it attractive, and the overall body... it was nice, alright. Also, the big screen was neat.
There were a few things that made me change the phone. The screen was somewhat yellowish (had to use Filter Your Screen to add a blue alpha so it would not be so yellowish on white menus and so brownish on gray menus - but that still didn't fix it 100%). The earpiece was creaky, and so was the loudspeaker on maximum volume...
I wanted the ATRIX for it has a bigger battery, a decent chipset, and a more robust design. I mean... the body is more compact - feels better in the hand, more secure, I'd say. Besides, on this phone I no longer feel the urge to smash it on the wall for yellow whites or creaky voices in-calls.
Also, the screen is just AMAZING. Even though it's a TFT, and it's got PenTile, I find it really nice. The whites are PURE WHITE. The blacks are BLACK!!! Also, if you know that ICS wallpaper... it really looks better on the ATRIX. The colors were somewhat washed on the EVO 3D - proof that S-LCD still needed work. To be honest, I think this TFT screen can be compared to the Samsung Galaxy S's SUPER AMOLED.
Even if I turn down the screen's brightness to the minimum, the whites still blind me during night time, especially if I hold the phone somewhat close to my face. On full brightness, in the sunlight, it ROCKS !!!
The only thing I wished for is some aluminium on the body. It's all plasticky... good thing I have an iCase Pro (MOMAX) case, otherwise... I wouldn't really like it .
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Good reasons and observations. I really liked that. They way you responded about the evo 3d, I wouldn't buy that at all. Thanks for sharing.
Sent from my ATRIX using the Premium XDA App
bimasakti85 said:
Welcome to the atrix family
Sent from my MB860
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thanks
Voelker45 said:
Good reasons and observations. I really liked that. They way you responded about the evo 3d, I wouldn't buy that at all. Thanks for sharing.
Sent from my ATRIX using the Premium XDA App
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Don't get me wrong... MY phone was a bad unit - about the yellowish screen. Another friend had the 3VO and it was white, but compared to my ATRIX now, the ATRIX is white and his 3VO yellow.
The creaking earpiece was also a problem that occured later - I believe some water got in, idk.
The EVO 3D is a great phone.
Sent from my Neutrino-loaded ATRIX
Formhault said:
thanks
Don't get me wrong... MY phone was a bad unit - about the yellowish screen. Another friend had the 3VO and it was white, but compared to my ATRIX now, the ATRIX is white and his 3VO yellow.
The creaking earpiece was also a problem that occured later - I believe some water got in, idk.
The EVO 3D is a great phone.
Sent from my Neutrino-loaded ATRIX
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Nice Review. The atrix is a BEAST especially when throwing Neutrino behind it!
I came from a iPhone 4 to the Atrix a few months ago and it has it's ups and downs. My only real gripe of any consequence is the battery life. It isnt terrible, but you have to do a little tweaking (at least with CM7, I found so). I've been playing with ICS on it and so far have noticed a slight improvement in that arena. Plus ICS feels like a much nicer UI overall.
I love the size of the screen on, and I personally have found no problem with it. My main use for the phone (other than calls) is web browsing and reading using the Kindle and nook, and aldiko book readers.
And music playback of course. I have one playlist or another going most of the time if I am not talking to someone (desk job, might as well get my tune on).
My headphone jack failed a month or so after I bought the phone (used, off ebay), and while it was at Motorola getting fixed (warranty job, only paid shipping to them) I was back on my I4 for a couple weeks and I felt a lot better getting the Atrix back, and not just for Android. You just get addicted to the larger screen so easy.
My secondary gripe of any matter is the placement of the power button. Just feels very awkward to use 1 handed. But I added a wake on volume mod instead, and that problem was solved.
Genomerio said:
I came from a iPhone 4 to the Atrix a few months ago and it has it's ups and downs. My only real gripe of any consequence is the battery life. It isnt terrible, but you have to do a little tweaking (at least with CM7, I found so). I've been playing with ICS on it and so far have noticed a slight improvement in that arena. Plus ICS feels like a much nicer UI overall.
I love the size of the screen on, and I personally have found no problem with it. My main use for the phone (other than calls) is web browsing and reading using the Kindle and nook, and aldiko book readers.
And music playback of course. I have one playlist or another going most of the time if I am not talking to someone (desk job, might as well get my tune on).
My headphone jack failed a month or so after I bought the phone (used, off ebay), and while it was at Motorola getting fixed (warranty job, only paid shipping to them) I was back on my I4 for a couple weeks and I felt a lot better getting the Atrix back, and not just for Android. You just get addicted to the larger screen so easy.
My secondary gripe of any matter is the placement of the power button. Just feels very awkward to use 1 handed. But I added a wake on volume mod instead, and that problem was solved.
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I hate the iPhone. Overpriced, tiny 3.5 incher... Besides, Android is much better. Otherwise I would have gotten an iPhone...
If the EVO 3D unit I had didn't had those few things that I didn't like about (malfunctions, that is), I would've sticked to it. Just letting ya know. I consider the EVO 3D above the ATRIX (in some aspects, at leasts).
But compared to the iPhone 4S... The ATRIX wins big time. Bigger battery, better CPU, bigger RAM, better/nicer OS, bigger screen... The only thing I'm concerned about is the GPU. I know it's an 8-core UltraLowPower processor, but... does it really perform as good as/better than the PowerVR's or Adreno's?! I, for one, would say no but that might be some driver-related issue, which should/might be fixed when the official ICS drops...
Im glad you liked the Atrix. Its a pretty dam nice phone, im im love with it. Very fast and smooth. qHD screens are awesome. Great battery life. Feels very nice on my hand. Nice design, IMO. Welcome to the atrix family.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA
Formhault said:
But compared to the iPhone 4S... The ATRIX wins big time. Bigger battery, better CPU, bigger RAM, better/nicer OS, bigger screen... The only thing I'm concerned about is the GPU. I know it's an 8-core UltraLowPower processor, but... does it really perform as good as/better than the PowerVR's or Adreno's?! I, for one, would say no but that might be some driver-related issue, which should/might be fixed when the official ICS drops...
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Ouch, gonna have to disagree there. Nothing really beats iPhones os, its sooo simple and easy to use. Best thing about it is that they DONT need quad core, even my ipad2 runs perfect with gaming. The OS is so perfectly optimized that even with my wife's 3gs, there are only a few hiccups. The one thing that I will agree with is the 3.5 inch screen. That's too small. Imagine a 4.3 inch with that retina display....mmmm......
But these are all personal opinions, and no one will ever agree.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA
I would like for us to share tips on how to make using this larger device easier, especially one handed...
I will edit this post as people make suggestions. I just ask that you keep them in a list form (or otherwise organized manor) to make it easy for me to copy/paste into this post.
Ditched the stock launcher for Nova Launcher... (or other custom launcher)
Add a row and column of icons so the vast real estate of this phone can be much better utilized. How can this help with one handed use? Well now that you have more icons, closer together.. you can put them along one side of the phone to get at them more easily if you wish.
If the launcher offers gestures... set up a couple gestures. When not in an app, have a "down" gesture to open the notification panel. Prevents having to reach up and drag your thumb down to get at the panel. HUGE help!
Set up a "up" gesture to open the most recent apps list. Another shortcut allowing to reach less with the thumb.
You can set up all kinds of gestures.. use them to your one handed advantage!
We can also discuss the Note II overall/in general if you want. The pitfalls and perks... maybe even the Pro/cons of other potential high end devices that some may be interested in if they find the Note II just too large.
Why did I start this thread?
Well to get some tips for myself... and to allowed them to be shared. Plus I am very much on the fence with this device. I never really wanted a large phone. I thought my Galaxy Nexus was a little too big, but at least I was able to do most things one handed without feeling like my grip on the device was only poor at best. But my fiance wanted the Note II and wants us to have the same phone. (because if she has issues, usually after rooting and flashing custom ROMs, I know how to fix them most times, and I keep up with updates to ROMs and news better for my own device)
I love just about everything about this phone... The quad core really makes this phone run smooth, and the screen is the first AMOLED that I actually like, and the battery life is great, even if it didn't have a huge battery... but the size is proving difficult to adjust to. I went from a 3.7 inch MT4G to a Rezound with much less trouble.
So now I am looking at alternatives to the Note II and I see slim options. (on Verizon anyway)
The Droid DNA: Very nice screen... S4 Pro CPU thermal issues and battery life issues... and Sense... ugh Sense... I learned quickly when I switched to Verizon that Sense is a pain to get rid of, due to not being able to directly compile RIL from source like GSM. Not that I mind Sense as an overlay, its reasonably responsive... it just kills battery life compared to stock Android. Plus I just prefer AOSP based.
Droid Razr M: I would say it is about as close to the perfect sized phone there could be. (for me at least) Plenty of useful screen for a phone without the bulk... But the Pentile screen... ew... AMOLED has enough issues with colors being wrong or whites getting yellowed at lower brightness... don't make it worse with Pentile! The resolution may not be "high end" 720p or better, but qHD isn't bad on a phone. With pentile the graininess makes my eyes bleed. Its only dual core, but its still a decent CPU... but its dual core... A problem most other Android devices share right now.
Droid Razr HD (and Maxx): Pentile... once again... Even with the HD display, I still see it... I seen it on my GNex as well. (If you haven't noticed, I don't like Pentile displays)
The only viable Non-Android options...
HTC 8X: Very nice size and handy feeling phone... Windows Phone 8... its not as customizable as Android but not as limiting as iOS... and the interface is pretty slick. The aesthetics are a little odd, but the OS is fluid and smooth... The jury is still out on battery life... it has no built in turn by turn navigation, and the options to get it are limited in the market right now. The whole market is limited ATM... Some things do not feel as refined as they could be (like the keyboard) So it could be like an exciting beginning like Android was back in the day, or I could be spoiled by Android's current refinement level and be wholly annoyed... Dual core, but not limiting on a Windows phone really, it runs very smooth as I said. Its the little things that add up to me not really liking the phone, like navigation and keyboard I mentioned earlier.
iPhone 5: (hiss spit) The dreaded iPhone! Despite the general dislike of iPhones by Android users, it is a competent device... limiting... but competent. My multitasking is limited anyway, so that may not prove an issue... its the lack of customizing that gets me... Its is a really good size though... the 4 inch screen works well for one handed use, like the very similarly overall sized Razr M and its 4.3 inch screen. Compared to the prior iPhones, the size is an improvement... I just find the iPhone (mostly iOS it runs on) boring, very bland and boring. (the physical device itself is nice though) The only real benefit to switching to the iPhone 5 would be that if I chose to sell it in a few months because an Android device came along I really like on Verizon, I can sell it to someone wanting to upgrade but still in contract, and make enough to almost pay for the new phone.
So... there it is... the options as i see them. Feel free to comment and share your tips on using the Note II.
Seems to me that you've already decided to get a different phone rather than give this one a chance.
I have large hands so I dont have any trouble.
/sent from my Gnote2 using tapacrap\
Gnex is an amoled screen not pen tile. I just came from a gnex..at first I thought my gnex was big...then I got an extended battery for grip and the phone was perfect...now ive given my wife the 4.2.1 gnex and got the note 2 for myself...well seidio hasnt come out with a convert extended case or battery yet so I can agree that the phone is cumbersome to hold and I dare not hold it upto my ear like a brick lol. Blue tooth only. But I am adjusting I've had the phone for four days lol. If any thing there needs to be a case with finger perches smack dab in the back middle of the phone so you can grip it and still articulate your thumb acroas the screen one handed without the phone being pushed all the way up in your palm
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
Battery life on DNA is fine...I had it for 2weeks.
I have normal sized hands I would say I don't really have any issues when I'm not texting I hold the phone in the middle so I can reach the whole device and I use the one hand keyboard for texting so that's not a big deal
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
If I had given up on it... I would have already taken it back... I was at the Verizon store today returning the flip cover as I didn't care for it. Asked about the proccess to swap devices... didn't.
To be honest... the limited number of good options available, and the thought of "possibly" getting an iPhone made me physically ill... Ugh nausea over a phone... something is wrong with me.
Deckoz2302 said:
Gnex is an amoled screen not pen tile.
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It is AMOLED with Pentile... Anandtech confirms Gnex pentile (plus I can see the pixels... as I have very good eyes)
Dude, get a flygrip and call it a day
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
sleevasteve said:
Dude, get a flygrip and call it a day
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
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Interesting... but I think I would dislike it overall. It sticks to the back of the phone and looks cumbersome. Anything that I have to manipulate to make it work will not be useful when I am stuffed under an instrument panel of an airplane. LOL
I think as your post illustrates, there are just so many different phones for different use situations now. There's no reason to try to force one to be everything to everyone (yourself). It's a big phone. No one can make it seem like it's not, that's it's feature if you will. It's a notepad and a powerful mobile computing platform. It stands in for anyone who wants a multi use device to bridge the gap between a tablet/pc/phone.
I went from the iPhone to a much larger S3 and I never looked back. It was way larger, but I adjusted such that I couldn't look at a smaller screen and feel comfortable. It was large enough where I imagined using a phone just a bit larger that would take away some of that time I was wishing I had my tablet with me for reading and writing. Amazingly, that device exists and it looks like a larger version of the best phone I ever used, the S3. Hooray.
My point is this, think only of how you use the phone or how you want to use it. If comfort in the hand is primary, don't buy the Note 2. It's an amazing phone, but all those phones you listed are good. You have the option to break it down however you like. I considered the DNA for the beautiful screen, but I want expandable storage and battery, I wanted the option of the stylus. If it were about fitting in my pocket or hand most of all, I would never have left the S3.
Yeah, other than size its got the features I wanted. I am hoping I can adapt... if anyone has some tips to help that along. I also have a TPU case coming in the mail sometime that may add some texture and keep the phone from feeling too slick.
The screen is very important to me... the quality anyway. If the screen is poor, then I am unhappy with the phone. Which is why I eliminated many options, including the SIII.
here is an unboxing/preview of the flygrip.
http://www.examiner.com/article/unboxing-flygrip-kickstand-and-one-handed-phone-grip
Looks great, works great.
In and out of pocket isn't an issue.
Deckoz2302 said:
Gnex is an amoled screen not pen tile.
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Click to collapse
The GNEX is an Super Amoled screen that uses pentile technology.
First.. the Nexus DOES use a Pentile display. That has been beaten to death in various forums.
Second.. Flygrip? Really? I looked at their website and to me that thing is aweful. I do NOT want some big bulky thing protruding off the back of my phone. What is the purpose of it? To "hang" the phone off your fingers? Is this because you don't have a strong enough grip to hold the phone while manipulating it? Just seems very big and clunky to me.. and a nightmare to use with pants pockets.
I bought the standard shell case at Verizion that comes with a little fold out kick stand. If you are worried about the phone falling out of your hand and want the "hanging" thing that the flygrip offers, I verified that you can extend the kickstand on my verizon case and then slid a finger in the triangular gap.. so the weight is supported and the grip feels secure. Works pretty good! Not bad for a $15 case.
As for my Note 2. I'm a big guy (6'8") so this phone is PERFECT for me, proportionally speaking.
My wife has the Rezound (4.3" display).. it was funny to test our phones by putting it in our palm and reaching across with our thumbs. Her thumb extended past the edge of the screen a fraction of an inch farther than me.. so really, my GIANT note is really no bigger than her Rezound, when in the hand.
It's a big phone. Period.
I have done a few things to help when it comes to one handed use. There aren't many frustrations for me, but one of them is getting at the notifications, via the pull down menu.
I ditched the stock Sense launcher for Nova Launcher.. MUCH more customizable.
In Nova, I added a row and column of icons so the vast real estate of this phone can be much better utilized. How can this help with one handed use? Well now that you have more icons, closer together.. you can put them along one side of the phone to get at them more easily if you wish.
In Nova, I set up a couple gestures. When not in an app, I have an "down" gesture to open the notification panel. That right there solved my biggest frustration.. having to reach up and drag my thumb down to get at the panel. HUGE help!
The other gesture I set up was a "up" gesture to open the most recent apps list. Another shortcut allowing me to reach less with the thumb.
With Nova Launcher, you can set up all kinds of gestures.. use them to your one handed advantage!
I think having a case is a huge help. I don't really like the glossy back that Sammy chose for the phone. I highly suggest a case that has a soft or rubbery feel. I can't stand silicone cases as they stick in my pockets.. but most of the hard shell type cases the phone snaps into seem great. There are some really low profile cases out there that add almost no bulk.
I also, sadly, ditched the stock keyboard for swift key. I LOOVVVEEED the stock keyboard at first with the dedicated number row. But seriously.. no autocorrect?? WTF? I need that. so I went to swift key and have really enjoyed it so far.
That's about all I have for now..
After 5 days with this phone you couldn't pry it from my average size hands!
Sent from my rooted SGH-1605
Some good suggestions Gnome.
Not sure if they will solve all my issues, but they may help some.
I don't normally have to use this device one handed... but what advice can I give? Use Nova Launcher and Swipepad.
Nova gives you many one handed and two handed gestures. This helps a lot for the hard to reach areas like notifications.
Swipepad gives you 12 shortcuts (and an add on you can buy for more) to any app you want as well as shortcuts with the swipe of your finger from whatever edge of the screen you would like. I set it on the mid right edge and swipe in with my thumb and tada!
Hope this helps!
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
I prefer having things larger across the screen, but there are one hand settings that make the dialer, stock keyboard, etc stay to one side that you choose. If your thumb can't make it all the way over, turn this on.
Typing in landscape with both thumbs is MUCH faster anyways though. Two fingers is going to be faster than one.
Even with one handed mode it can be difficult.
I am getting better at it, but still not sure.
A case that has a good grippiness to it or a ridge/groove in the middle would allow some grip when using one handed where your hand can't wrap around the phone.
gnome_sayin said:
Is this because you don't have a strong enough grip to hold the phone while manipulating it?
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It's not about strength at all. My fingers are stupid short and if I'm holding the phone securely in my palm, I can just BARELY reach the middle of this beast. I almost got a flygrip but, like you, I opted for the rubberized case from Verizon with the kickstand, and I have found that to be a perfectly viable, AND FLAT when not in use, flygrip alternative.
I hold my phone with other my 4 fingers, not my palm. This is more comfortable and just as secure.
I came from the Samsung Galaxy S III and before that it was the iPhone 4, and iPhone 3g and before that Blackberry. I have been all over the place with phones and I get very excited when anyone releases the next huge phone. My main plan was to get the Galaxy S IV until it was actually revealed and I felt quite let down but what it was offering. I felt like they 'appled' things up by just making tiny upgrades just to get people to buy more of the same thing.
Then I read about the HTC One and was a bit skeptical. They were raving about the speakers and the Ultrapixel and all the other features and I just couldn't get past the fact it was HTC. My friend had the HTC One X and I saw how it lacked in updates and didn't have expandable storage or a removable battery. On my SIII I had an extended battery and would still manage to burn through it in a day of heavy usage. So even though I LOVED most of the things about the HTC One. I was scared of jumping ship and trying it.
As the weeks went on and the reviews came out I begun scouring the internet for every bit of information I could find on the HTC One. I read every review and I swear I surfed every forum and at the end of the day I was still impressed by the device and figured i could get over the lack of replaceable battery and extra space. So I made the leap and got the HTC One on AT&T.
I've had it a few days now and I'm still as impressed with this thing as I was when I was reading all the reviews on it. Everything from the 'BoomSound' to the 'Ultrapixel' camera was spot on like I read. The names of the cool features might be a marketing gimmick but they really are the things that make this phone stand out and make it unique.
BUILD QUALITY:
Do I even need to touch on this? Every review, every person who ever touched this device all same the same thing. That it truly is a sight to behold. Trying to put it up against my S III makes the S III look like a toy. This is one phone that I don't want to get a case for (and still haven't) because I think everyone needs to see the HTC One because this is how quality phones should be made. If you read the forums and some reviews they do mention there could be a slight gap around the plastic antenna band, and on mine that is also true. But it is SO tiny on mine that I don't even think it's an issue.
BLINK FEED/SENSE 5:
I have never used an HTC phone with Sense before, coming from the Galaxy S III SENSE is a HUGE step up from what Samsung had. I would often through CM10 or AOKP on my SIII just to get rid of the horrid UI on the S III. I read in reviews that blink feed was almost worthless and most people wouldn't use it and so I figured that be the case for me too...but the crazy part is, I actually DO use it! While I am sitting at work waiting for something to happen or I'm at dinner waiting to order I'm actually finding myself unlocking my phone and seeing what is going on with the world through Blink Feed. I LOVE RSS readers and being on top of things and Blink Feed helps with this without me having to even load up a third party app or anything. While Blink Feed is good they do need to open it up to allow me to import my RSS feeds and what not (like flip board, etc). Blink feed isn't perfect but I'm surprised by how much I actually use it.
On to Sense 5 I am quite impressed with it. Typically I'll throw Apex or Nova launcher on top of the UI and be done with it but after putting Nova on it for half a day I actually ended up uninstalling it. Part of it was so I could have Blink Feed back but the other part is I liked the overall look of Sense 5. It was clean and the buttons were nice. I wish I could use the Sense 5 icon for internet on instead of the look of the Chrome button since that's what I use and chrome now sticks out like a sore thumb on the dock, but I can live with that. Sense has done some nice things in the app locker section by letting you easily search for apps/hide apps and even put apps in folders. I've found that I use Blinkfeed as my main screen and the app launcher as my 'second screen'. I don't even bother swiping over any more to show more home screens.
CAMERA
The camera was the real reason I was excited about this phone. It was something different and something that sounded amazing on paper. HTC was doing something radically different and instead of going the way of the MegaPixel war, HTC was bypassing it completely. And for me, their bet has paid off. This camera will not be for everyone. For people who want amazing clear and detailed pictures then 4MP will probably not be enough. But I'm the kind of person who likes capturing the moments through out my day and sharing them with friends on FB or on G+. I like taking pictures during almost everything and the HTC One helps me with that tremendously.
Zoe mode is a nice change of pace where instead of just capturing a still pic it does the still with 3 seconds of video/sound. This allows you to then find the perfect picture in the 3 second period and edit and save that or even do things such as picking the best face from people in the photo and combining it into one, removing objects in the background, actually making peoples faces skinnier and many other tweaks. There are some options I don't think I'll ever use such as the option to make eyes bigger but I've used it to make funny pictures of my family by making them look like aliens!
The highlight reel is pretty neat and I find myself creating them and posting them to facebook. I think it was completely stupid of HTC to only include 4 themes and make it that you can't use custom music/themes but I have my fingers crossed that that functionality is coming. The highlight reel is a lot like the blink feed. It's a great start to something that can really shine, but HTC needs to get off it's butt and finish it to make it stand above the crowd.
The UI for the camera isn't very pretty or intuitive but the amount of options it offers easily makes up for it. Coming from the SIII it's pretty cool to be able to change everything about the camera settings and it allows people who take the time to learn to capture some pretty impressive shots. Even on full auto it takes good pictures but I think that one will need to learn to adjust the settings based on the situation they are in to get the best photos possible.
The lowlight shooting is hands down amazing. I was able to take a shot around 830 at night after the sun set, the cars on the road had their headlights on and the street lights on the side of the road were on, but the HTC One captured enough light to make it look like the sun was still out. It is crazy how much light this camera captures and when you're like me and love capturing photos of your kids in the house and might not always be in perfect lighting, then this phone is fantastic. Thanks to the quick capturing taking pictures of fast moving objects is also quite enjoyable. On the SIII (not so much on the iPhone) capturing moving objects would lead to very blurry photos, that isn't the case on the One.
I know this section got a bit big but I just wanted to run down some things about it. I didn't even mention the slow motion video, the hdr, the video hdr and other things such as the sequence shot. I have used the HDR pictures (there is a tweak out there on custom roms to enable front camera HDR too) and it's QUICK. The slow motion video makes the video quality really bad but it's still a fun effect. The camera is just something you need to use to be able to fully comprehend. I'll take a photo of something and show someone and they look at me like I'm crazy because they don't understand why I'm so excited about the picture. It's hard to describe just how low the lighting was in it and how awesome the One captured the photo.
BOOM SOUND/MICS:
Stupid name, awesome feature. I never understood why phones put the speakers on the back/bottom. It never made sense. The screen is on the front so why would I want the sound coming from a different location?! On the iPhones the speaker was on the bottom and on the S III it was on the back and I'd have to do this weird cupping movement with my hand to get the sound to make it around to the front of the phone just so I could actually hear what I was watching! And if I put the phone down some where then it'd get all muffled and horrible. The One does not have this problem at all. I'd say the front speakers can be on par with some netbooks/tablets if not louder. This makes watching videos/listening to music or even taking speaker calls a very good experience. It also has dual membrane mics that do a great job at making sure that you're recording sounds of things you actually want to record. Apparently the company that made them for HTC is being sued in Europe because they were supposed to wait 12 months to use them in another phone, but HTC isn't being held liable in that because HTC had no idea.
Now most of this review seems like it's all glowing and perfect for the One but it does have some issues. Things such as Blink Feed and the Highlight Reel (2 huge features HTC touted) feeling like they aren't finished. Or the fact the LED is only 2 colors (I miss being able to have the Notification LED on the S III let me know exactly what the notification was for before I even had the phone in my hand). I also know this isn't a big thing but I always feel like I'm going to scratch the phone when I set it down someplace just because of the noise it makes. Hard to describe but when you put something metal down it makes quite a bit of noise. I know it won't scratch or anything, but in my mind I can't convince myself it won't!
At the end of the day, I'm in love with the phone. It fits me and my life style perfectly and it captures why I love smart phones. I don't take pictures of my food but I spend a lot of my day capturing memories and sharing them with the people close to me. The HTC One makes doing that and keeping it organized thanks to events very easy! I would still recommend the S III to anyone that wants a great cheaper phone (specially since the price has dropped on it). But if someone asks me what the best phone in, I will say the HTC One without hesitating.
Same thing was going on with me, but I knew HTC always made high quality build phones. I took the jump from an N4 and haven't looked back. Your review was awesome and right on par with my thoughts about this phone too.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app
Great little review! Thanks for taking the time to write it up. I'm trying to hold off on getting the One, but I don't think I can after seeing it all over the place. The thing just looks too damn nice. I'm also really over the plastic body of the S3.
I got a question for ya though.. How is multitasking on the One? I completely hated it on the One X and even ended up returning the phone. I wouldn't even call it multitasking tbh. Dunno if you ever used the One X, but I was curious if any of the problems still persist.
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ovoxo. said:
Great little review! Thanks for taking the time to write it up. I'm trying to hold off on getting the One, but I don't think I can after seeing it all over the place. The thing just looks too damn nice. I'm also really over the plastic body of the S3.
I got a question for ya though.. How is multitasking on the One? I completely hated it on the One X and even ended up returning the phone. I wouldn't even call it multitasking tbh. Dunno if you ever used the One X, but I was curious if any of the problems still persist.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
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The multitasking was one of the things that turned me off about that phone. From what I heard it'd start closing things after you had one or two things open. With the One I haven't noticed anything like that and when I open my 'Open Apps' by double tapping home it is always full. Now it only shows 9 open apps at any given time. I'm not sure if it closes other apps if you get over that number or not. But if that's the case it hasn't affected my use at all. Maybe HTC wised up after the bad reviews or maybe it's because it has better memory management.
Thanks for the review robamacaf! Well written and very informative.
I have also grown tired of Samsung plastics and gimmicks. My recent devices have been HTC One X, iPhone 5, Galaxy S3, and a Galaxy Note 2.
HTC has always made nice hardware. Dare I say that even the One X had pretty good build quality when compared to the S3.
Like you, I assumed one of the 1st things I would do on the One would be to find a way to rid myself of BlinkFeed. That crazy thing happened to me as well and now I find myself using it and loving it.
Thanks for the awesome review!