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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Related
Greetings earthlings. I was thinking about making the switch from the gnex to the rznd. I was wondering if there were any stock roms out there (no sense). Also how does flashing a rom work with s on? And finally anything else I should consider before making the switch?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Aaron Rodgers Beard said:
Greetings earthlings. I was thinking about making the switch from the gnex to the rznd. I was wondering if there were any stock roms out there (no sense). Also how does flashing a rom work with s on? And finally anything else I should consider before making the switch?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should consider that the Nexus sucks and the Rezound is amazing.
Just kidding, but the Rezound really is better. I've only had HTC phones, so I don't know how the Nexus flashes ROMs, but we can do it right in recovery. The only (small) hassle is that we have to flash kernels through the bootloader, but our devs have come a long way in simplifying that process. There are a few ROMs that are stripped of Sense as well.
Aaron Rodgers Beard said:
Greetings earthlings. I was thinking about making the switch from the gnex to the rznd. I was wondering if there were any stock roms out there (no sense). Also how does flashing a rom work with s on? And finally anything else I should consider before making the switch?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, as best I understand it, you will not be able to flash alternate radios or splash screens.
As the responder above me indicated, there are no straight AOSP ROMs at this time. Check through the Android Development section and see if any of the "Senseless" ROMs fit your needs.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
Having owned both the Nexus and the Rezound, I dumped the Nexus and went back to the Rezound. You won't regret it.
The Rezound was only unlocked last week so roms are a little limited at the moment. However, we have some great devs working on it.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
I made the switch from a SGN.... I must say, your going to miss some things that the Nexus had (ICS), but your really going to love things the Rezound brings to the table. There are a handful of roms out now. I think the Senseless rom you'll have to install a 3rd party Launcher. I've come to really enjoy Sense... I;ve read about people wanting to get Sense off thousands of times... My only question is... Why? It actually functions quite awesome...
I'm quite happy with the Rezound, the Dev Support is great, and I'm almost positive there will be quite a few more by the 15th when everyone returns their Nexus because the Reception and speaker both are terrible!!
Good luck..
Don't forget the Rezound will be getting ICS soon as well. It's only a temporary loss.
Evo4gLI said:
Don't forget the Rezound will be getting ICS soon as well. It's only a temporary loss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Soon? More like next fall.
i too am thinking of switching from Gnexus to Rezound.
I think in a couple months the truth is going to come out that the Gnexus is actually quite a very subpar phone.
PenTile matrix display, abysmal battery life, and the extremely poor camera quality are enough to have me switch to the rezound.
here is my main concern though, what kind of battery life do you guys get? with my gnexus LTE enabled all day, i could only get about 2 hours of on-screen time. what about the rezound?
thanks in advanced.
Thanks for all the info! Does android wifi tether currently work with rooted rezounds? Also are speeds on lte better? (Noticed lower speeds on gnex)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
yes wifi tether does work.
I currently just traded my GNEX for a Rezound.
Best choice I've made.
As the GNEX is a great phone.
The Rezound is just amazing.
You won't be upset if you do choose to trade up.
S-ON isn't too bad since we have root.
S-OFF would be ideal, but I'm plenty happy with what we have and is to come
I came from a GNEX and really, really like this phone. The thing that impressed me the most is the screen.
The GNEX has a big, beautiful screen but the colors seemed kind of washed out. The Rezound, the colors just pop and seem very vibrant. Greens are a brilliant green, red's are brilliant red. It's hard to explain, but it is very noticeable.
I also noticed a considerable difference in the camera quality on the Rezound compared to the GNEX. Sure, you're not going to take 20 photos in a second with the Rezound but you do get better quality pictures. Feature wise, both phones offer the same recording features/
I have flashed a couple roms, it was very easy and am very encouraged by the development work that is going on.
I'm one of those few people who actually like Sense, so I really do like what HTC has done with the UI. The ICS dialer pissed me off to no end, it was huge bulky and just seemed very.. blah. While the Sense dialer isn't better, it is at least a bit more functional.
One last thing I would throw out there is that I never knew about the UOT Kitchen (can't link yet, but search the forums and you'll find it) until I happened across a post in this forum. I have to say, it is one of the coolest and easiest ways to give your phone your own personal flair. I'm sure that ICS / GNEX will be supported on the Kitchen but for now, you at least get that benefit on the Rezound.
Anyway, hope this helps somewhat.
Wintrmte said:
I came from a GNEX and really, really like this phone. The thing that impressed me the most is the screen.
The GNEX has a big, beautiful screen but the colors seemed kind of washed out. The Rezound, the colors just pop and seem very vibrant. Greens are a brilliant green, red's are brilliant red. It's hard to explain, but it is very noticeable.
I also noticed a considerable difference in the camera quality on the Rezound compared to the GNEX. Sure, you're not going to take 20 photos in a second with the Rezound but you do get better quality pictures. Feature wise, both phones offer the same recording features/
I have flashed a couple roms, it was very easy and am very encouraged by the development work that is going on.
I'm one of those few people who actually like Sense, so I really do like what HTC has done with the UI. The ICS dialer pissed me off to no end, it was huge bulky and just seemed very.. blah. While the Sense dialer isn't better, it is at least a bit more functional.
One last thing I would throw out there is that I never knew about the UOT Kitchen (can't link yet, but search the forums and you'll find it) until I happened across a post in this forum. I have to say, it is one of the coolest and easiest ways to give your phone your own personal flair. I'm sure that ICS / GNEX will be supported on the Kitchen but for now, you at least get that benefit on the Rezound.
Anyway, hope this helps somewhat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UOT kitchen ? Hmm have to search for that sounds like something fun to play with.
http://uot.dakra.lt/
aohus said:
i too am thinking of switching from Gnexus to Rezound.
I think in a couple months the truth is going to come out that the Gnexus is actually quite a very subpar phone.
PenTile matrix display, abysmal battery life, and the extremely poor camera quality are enough to have me switch to the rezound.
here is my main concern though, what kind of battery life do you guys get? with my gnexus LTE enabled all day, i could only get about 2 hours of on-screen time. what about the rezound?
thanks in advanced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't give a good answer to that as my area isn't 4G... I have chargers everywhere in my house and at my office so Battery Life isn't such an issue for me. I have flashed two roms today and have been playing with it non-stop all day and I think it has been on the charger maybe two hours.. Maybe someone in a 4g area could respond to that better.. I do know that on a normal day, it is way way better than my Nexus... The batt life was HORRID on it.. On the Rezound I wouldn't consider getting the bigger battery, because the battery isn't that bad for me.. In 8 days of owning the SGN, my battery went dead 3x... Rezound hasn't gone dead yet..
I loved the SGN... I'll be the first to tell you.. If it had a louder speaker and a better reception, I'd still have it... But the rezound has a awesome speaker, and the reception is hands down as good as my Droid X or better...
Its a big decision for you to make.. I don't think you will be unhappy making the switch...
I made the switch. I miss ics miss
I don't miss the poor battery life.
I don't miss the loud signal in reno
I don't miss the soso camera
I don't miss the plastic cheap feel.
I have the bigger rezound battery. I haven't used it. The stock battery seems fine.
I love the camera.
It's really fast.
I think I like the 720 screen better on the rezound.
Beats is lame. The headphones are heavy and barely stay in my ears.
I'm not a fan of sense but I don't hate it.
I will keep the rezound. It just works.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
jeph0r3 said:
Its a big decision for you to make.. I don't think you will be unhappy making the switch...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.
We have both phones on our corporate VZ account. I am in charge of that account and get my phones for free.
If I wanted a GN I could have one tomorrow, but I am not impressed with the GN AT ALL and I couldn't wait to get one for months before it was actually released.
I do like the huge screen size, I wish my Rezound had a 5" screen, but there is absolutely NOTHING ELSE I like about the GN.
~John
For me it turned out to be more simple than I thought, I had been up for an upgrade for about 6 months (previous phone BB Curve). I was debating on specs and features of the Razr, GN, and Rezound. I would go back and fourth on what i really wanted. But as soon as I waled into the store and actually picked up the phone, i knew which one I wanted. Razr felt horrible in the hand and just down right uncomfortable (i am really not a thin kinda guy). GN felt as if even with a case it would break at even the smallest drop. But the RZ felt solid even w/o a case.
Even after looking at how the phones worked, it still went to the RZ. Now my decision was even more correct now that I have it fully rooted.
I get great battery life (for the type of phone)
Great platform for whatever I use my phone for
Great picture quality
and a VERY solid device that I have a feeling I will be happy with for 2 more years.
ajglenn03 said:
For me it turned out to be more simple than I thought, I had been up for an upgrade for about 6 months (previous phone BB Curve). I was debating on specs and features of the Razr, GN, and Rezound. I would go back and fourth on what i really wanted. But as soon as I waled into the store and actually picked up the phone, i knew which one I wanted. Razr felt horrible in the hand and just down right uncomfortable (i am really not a thin kinda guy). GN felt as if even with a case it would break at even the smallest drop. But the RZ felt solid even w/o a case.
Even after looking at how the phones worked, it still went to the RZ. Now my decision was even more correct now that I have it fully rooted.
I get great battery life (for the type of phone)
Great platform for whatever I use my phone for
Great picture quality
and a VERY solid device that I have a feeling I will be happy with for 2 more years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on the 2 more years.. Especially with the Roms coming out now.. The devs are doing some AWESOME WORK...
A2Aegis said:
Soon? More like next fall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do you get that from? HTC said first qtr
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Sheldor1967 said:
Where do you get that from? HTC said first qtr
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guy obviously has no idea what he's talking about.....
Sent from my HTC Rezound via Tapatalk
Ok I got my Gnote yesterday at BestBuy(upgraded from my skyrocket). When I got home to play with it it seemed to drag a$$ and was pretty choppy, almost like it was pushing it limits on memory or something. I restarted the phone but no help. Next I downloaded golauncher thinking it would help but no luck.
I’ve also noticed that whenever I select wallpaper it zooms all the way in on the pic (which looks like crap) and it doesn’t scroll. I’ve tried everything. Help me XDA
I hope there’s a simple fix for all these issues my phone is having. My skyrocket was flawless. Hell my infuse don’t seem too bad now.
Video quality isn’t that great either. What gives Samsung?????
I was able to get better wallpaper using zedge on the market. It doesnt zoom in like selecting from folder.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
Actually read other reviews before inferring that all notes have performance comparable to yours - mine is hardcore fast. No lag, no stutters, no nothing but performance. Download some appstore apps to monitor background processes and see if there is a rogue something running. That, or you may have a faulty device.
Coming from an Atrix, SGS2, Skyrocket, Droid Razr, and International Galaxy Note this is the smoothest phone I've ever owned. Only issue I have is getting calendar to sync with Google calendars.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
demetriew said:
Ok I got my Gnote yesterday at BestBuy(upgraded from my skyrocket). When I got home to play with it it seemed to drag a$$ and was pretty choppy, almost like it was pushing it limits on memory or something. I restarted the phone but no help. Next I downloaded golauncher thinking it would help but no luck.
I’ve also noticed that whenever I select wallpaper it zooms all the way in on the pic (which looks like crap) and it doesn’t scroll. I’ve tried everything. Help me XDA
I hope there’s a simple fix for all these issues my phone is having. My skyrocket was flawless. Hell my infuse don’t seem too bad now.
Video quality isn’t that great either. What gives Samsung?????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is running the same way. Checking memory usage it is definitely pushing its limits. I'm at 557mb right now. Hoping it's just this rom and when we have development it'll improve.
Either way, I love this phone. I've had no issues with camera or video quality.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Err0xx said:
Actually read other reviews before inferring that all notes have performance comparable to yours - mine is hardcore fast. No lag, no stutters, no nothing but performance. Download some appstore apps to monitor background processes and see if there is a rogue something running. That, or you may have a faulty device.
Coming from an Atrix, SGS2, Skyrocket, Droid Razr, and International Galaxy Note this is the smoothest phone I've ever owned. Only issue I have is getting calendar to sync with Google calendars.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well ACTUALLY I was only speaking of my note... If you took the time to read my post before rudley trying to correct me!!!
Also thank you for your help in this matter...
hiii_imkris said:
Mine is running the same way. Checking memory usage it is definitely pushing its limits. I'm at 557mb right now. Hoping it's just this rom and when we have development it'll improve.
Either way, I love this phone. I've had no issues with camera or video quality.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But how is it that we're the only 2 ppl with lag out of all the new notes that came out???
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Mine was lagging really bad as well... at least with the tw launcher. I dl go launcher with the ICS theme and its slightly faster but still lagging
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Are all of you closing down your background apps and/or running on power saver mode?
There is no reason you should be that laggy.
Sent from Tapatalk Pro on my Samsung Galaxy Note™, an AT&T LTE smartphone
I have not Seen any Lag Unless I Use a Launcher. othcr than that Seems to Be just as Smooth as my Skyrocket.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Factory reset if laggy. There really should be no lag, go try another note and trade in. When i get mine next week, ill be sitting there all day making sure it responds well, if not ill argue. Edit: ok there may be a little but it can not be worse then my infuse lol.
Actually my note is kinda "laggy, sluggish, choppy" as well. I'm kind of a sad man right now, I still LOVE this thing but it's performance is not all that great at the moment for me.
Not entirely sure why either...I tried a few launcher none make it better and some make it worse.
grrr...
what kind of Lag. I have only Seen It while Using a Launcher. It actually Is JUST as Smooth as my Skyrocket when right next to it .
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Same here. very dissapointed. Its slower than my infuse, but then my infuse is running a custom rom.
Worst example by far is the market. load it up and scroll up and down, soooo choppy and laggy. starting to think I might have made a mistake not getting the international. I'm really surprized.
I'm sure once I overclock it and toss launcher pro on it I will be happier, I'm just really surprized that I have to do that.
TripKidd said:
Same here. very dissapointed. Its slower than my infuse, but then my infuse is running a custom rom.
Worst example by far is the market. load it up and scroll up and down, soooo choppy and laggy. starting to think I might have made a mistake not getting the international. I'm really surprized.
I'm sure once I overclock it and toss launcher pro on it I will be happier, I'm just really surprized that I have to do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really strange. I am completely stock right now with all the bloat still installed, microbes live wallpaper, and I just tried this in the market and get no lag whatsoever.
I went to the AT&T store and the Note was laggy. I killed background tasks, eliminated widgets, removed bloatware... nothing
I really like the screen size + google maps navigation but I'm not good at rooting so I've gotta see if this lag stuff continues on stock before taking the plunge.
Hmm :/ I'll take a video of it tomorrow. All power saving options are off, nothing much running in the background. Maybe I should take it into an ATT store and compare it side by side to the ones on display.
I'm glad most others aren't having this problem, that means its something that can get fixed or replaced rather than just being an underpowered processor for the resolution of the screen.
Its a new device with a new processor... Its funny to me how much people are seriously complaining and stressing about "lag". You guys do know the international one had a bunch of "lag" when it came out right? Its a new device that will see updates to its system that help improve UI. **** if you arent willing to get your hands dirty and root/freeze apps/rom the thing, what are you doing on a developers site?? Its not the phones problem, its your unreasonable expectations. Ask international note owners from day 1 if they had "lag". How many *****y My PHONE IS LAGGING threads do we need? If you hate it and arent willing to go through the process of improving it yourself, return it and wait a few months.
Oh and have a nice day
Ryanscool said:
Factory reset if laggy. There really should be no lag, go try another note and trade in. When i get mine next week, ill be sitting there all day making sure it responds well, if not ill argue. Edit: ok there may be a little but it can not be worse then my infuse lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just spent the last 24 hours trying to customize my gnote. now u say hard reset may fix my problem... has anyone tried this yet?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
imitenotbecrazy said:
Its a new device with a new processor... Its funny to me how much people are seriously complaining and stressing about "lag". You guys do know the international one had a bunch of "lag" when it came out right? Its a new device that will see updates to its system that help improve UI. **** if you arent willing to get your hands dirty and root/freeze apps/rom the thing, what are you doing on a developers site?? Its not the phones problem, its your unreasonable expectations. Ask international note owners from day 1 if they had "lag". How many *****y My PHONE IS LAGGING threads do we need? If you hate it and arent willing to go through the process of improving it yourself, return it and wait a few months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^Somebody needs to get laid STAT!
I'm absolutely willing to do all of that, and I will, but going from a captivate, to an infuse, to this, and having it be the slowest out of the box when the other two were single core just strikes me as not right. And with others stating that they don't have this issue, makes me think there must be something going on here. Before I mask the problem with the OC kernel and a new launcher I'd rather know that there isn't something wrong with my specific note.
Glad the lag doesn't bother you
imitenotbecrazy said:
Its a new device with a new processor... Its funny to me how much people are seriously complaining and stressing about "lag". You guys do know the international one had a bunch of "lag" when it came out right? Its a new device that will see updates to its system that help improve UI. **** if you arent willing to get your hands dirty and root/freeze apps/rom the thing, what are you doing on a developers site?? Its not the phones problem, its your unreasonable expectations. Ask international note owners from day 1 if they had "lag". How many *****y My PHONE IS LAGGING threads do we need? If you hate it and arent willing to go through the process of improving it yourself, return it and wait a few months.
Oh and have a nice day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello folks, I am no stranger to HTC land but am currently using an Epic 4g touch. After the terrible amount of lag I experienced on my Evo 3D I swore to never go back to HTC again because of sense. I am an exteme speed demon, lag in the UI and basic phone functions make me go crazy, I just can't take it.
I have played with a few floor models and they seem nice. I must ask, after using the phone for a period of time and using custom roms, what's the verdict on this phone? Should I get this instead of the Galaxy S 3? Please note, lag is my biggest concern.
I think most people agree sense is better than touchwiz. So far this phone is great being stock, but if you flash custom roms the phone is even better and thats the key in any phone so far.. Custom roms fix the issues carriers put in there. I say get the phone, build quality is amazing
Why dont you make up your own mind and stop posting things like this on a device specific forum. Questions like "is device A, better than device B" usually end up in piss matches.
Sent from my EVO using XDA
I'm not so much trying to start a pissing match, rather I'm asking you folks if after a month or so of usage if you have noticed lag or slowdowns. As touchwiz is much less RAM consuming than Sense is, I wanted to know as a speed purist if Sense bogs down this phone like it has in my previous HTC experience.
PaulB007 said:
I'm not so much trying to start a pissing match, rather I'm asking you folks if after a month or so of usage if you have noticed lag or slowdowns. As touchwiz is much less RAM consuming than Sense is, I wanted to know as a speed purist if Sense bogs down this phone like it has in my previous HTC experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you flashed any ICS roms on your 3d? If you have you will quickly notice
how much more efficient sense runs on ICS. Now imagine running sense on a much better chip. Hope that answers your question. Case close.
hes right.. sense runs better on ICS for some reason, get the phone
I don't mean to sound harsh, but normally (because tons of people have been incredibly happy with their phones) I would say yes, get the phone, you won't be sorry. However, reading your OP, I get the feeling that if you do get the phone, a week later we'll all be seeing yet another "OMG, sense sux! HTC broke multitasking!!!! This phone lags soooooo much!!!!1!" thread. So my advice to you would be no. You will not be satisfied with this phone.
Go with the GS3 -it has 2GB of ram you know...
I've had mine now for a little under 24 hours, rooted within 1 hour of owning, and have flashed 3 roms so far. I can say I love it, best phone I ever owned, came from EVO og. My wife has the iPhone4s, and though she says she loves her phone she did say she was now jealous of my EVO LTE. I think you should at least get it, run through the paces in the two weeks you have to decide. Then go from there.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Hey guys, quick back story. I have been an Android user for several years. I've had phones such as the Incredible, Charge, Thunderbolt. Rezound, Razr Maxx and Galaxy S3. I just recently got rid of my Galaxy S3 for a HTC 8X Windows 8 Phone. I was getting tired of Android and constantly flashing ROM's. I was a flashaholic and had to get myself away lol.
Anyhow, after about a week with the 8X, I really like the phone and OS. However, I'm starting to miss Android. I miss the larger screens and wealth of apps.
Fast forward to today and I'm sitting here considering switching back. And if I do, I'm not getting another GS3 since I've already been there, done that so to speak. My frontrunner is the DNA.
I know nobody can make the decision for me, but I want opinions! Should I switch back, and would this be the phone to get?
I also have a couple questions before I jump back:
1. On my Rezound, homescreen scrolling lag in Sense absolutely killed that phone for me. I can't stand any type of scrolling lag and I'm very sensitive to it. Does that exist on the DNA, or is that a thing of the past? Please be honest.
2. I see that the phone can already be rooted, but does the future look bright in that department?
3. I think I know the answer, but I will throw it in there. For normal, moderate usage, is the battery life acceptable? On par with the GS3?
Thanks guys!
hey man. so yeah launcher lag was bad on rezound. however, in sense 4+, they tightened it up and it's very rigid and never lags.. ever. all 7 of my screens are full of widgets and icons and it's smooth.
battery I tend to get 12 hours with 3 hours screen on time. pretty much the same as my s3.
not sure about rooting yet since I'm still chillin on stock haha
Sent from my HTC Droid DNA using Tapatalk 2
I'll answer #2 the phone seems to have a very talented dev team. Already there are a few Roms and kernels. the future looks bright. As of now I know people are working on Asop and even viper rom.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
No lag
Bright future, there are some great devs for this phone already
On par or slightly better.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
No lag whatsoever....period. I came from a thunderbolt and that too would drive me crazy, even with a polished rom and without widgets. I'm not sure if it's Project Butter, Jelly Bean, Sense 4+, 2g of RAM or the insane processor in this thing that makes it run smoothly. Probably a little bit of all of that.
Battery life is good enough for me. I work in and out of 4G area at work but I am on wifi pretty much the rest of the time and it has been awesome. Never charge mid day anymore. Always with 20 to 30 % by the time I go to bed. And the wireless charger is awesome. Highly recommend it. I find myself using youtube more often than I should because of the awesome screen too. I would say I am an average user.
Have not found a reason yet to root. I will wait until it becomes more stable, easier before I go that route. But I'm sure there will be good ROM in the future....at least I hope so.
Ok guys, I'm pretty convinced that I'm gonna give the DNA a shot. One thing I noticed about this HTC 8X Windows Phone is that it locked on satellites really fast. Much, much, much faster than my GS3. It also had better reception than my GS3. Can I expect the same things on the DNA or might that have been a Windows thing?
WizeGuyDezignz said:
Ok guys, I'm pretty convinced that I'm gonna give the DNA a shot. One thing I noticed about this HTC 8X Windows Phone is that it locked on satellites really fast. Much, much, much faster than my GS3. It also had better reception than my GS3. Can I expect the same things on the DNA or might that have been a Windows thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC thing!
my S3 would NEVER lock on to GPS..like even outside trying to do navigation. it SUCKED.
my DNA locks on in like, 2 seconds. just like my Nexus 7. love it!
WizeGuyDezignz said:
Ok guys, I'm pretty convinced that I'm gonna give the DNA a shot. One thing I noticed about this HTC 8X Windows Phone is that it locked on satellites really fast. Much, much, much faster than my GS3. It also had better reception than my GS3. Can I expect the same things on the DNA or might that have been a Windows thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s3 just has horrible radios.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
I doubt the development will be here that long. Look at the Thunderbolt. They had to wait for ports.
I've owed many smartphones and used/supported countless others. (including the gs3) The DNA is the first phone that has ever even come close to keeping up with me and the speed at which my brain operates. Zero lag period, regardless of how many apps you have running. I haven't even considered OC'ing and that's usually the first thing I do. The battery is decent and better then most. I typically charge over night and once mid-day. Most other phones I've had to charge 2 - 3 times a day. The dev scene is about average for a phone this new and s-on. Once s-off is achieved I expect it to blow up.
The DNA is the first phone that I've had that wouldn't bother me if there wasn't a big development team behind it. Like you I was/am a flashaholic, but honestly with a couple of Mods I've been golden on this phone. It's snappy, the radios are great (looking at you Samsung) GPS is phenomenal, and battery is pretty much the same as the GS3. Wireless charging is a plus, awesome to just sit it down and let it charge overnight, or on my desk at work.
The phone works great out of the box, only a couple of annoyances for me was the bloat, Wi-Fi reminder, and battery icon, I love everything else. Sense has come a long way since the thunderbolt (last HTC phone I owned). If you had to be stuck with a manufacturer's skin, Sense would be my pick.
.........DNA.........
bluesamg said:
I doubt the development will be here that long. Look at the Thunderbolt. They had to wait for ports.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by that? I got the TB about a week after releases adn there were A LOT of roms being made. What you are talking about is a little bit after the major devs started jumping ship. I think the Thunderbolt had it's fair share of roms
I hope the DNA gets a fully working MIUI; I really like the themes you can get on MIUI
My thunderbolt kept giving me a roaming flashing triangle whenever I ran an MIUI rom which started driving me crazy.
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.