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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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
^
hey guys i know there are alot of posts like this but i just wanted to see what amaze owners and samsung GS2 owners thought about the phones...
im getting a new phone today and want to know what you hate and like about the HTC Amaze.
Thanks everyone,
Zach
a few posts below, there is already a vs thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1301088
Thanks yeah i read a bunch and watched youtube videos... i even went and played with each one i just cant decide which one i would like more lol
LogikWear said:
Thanks yeah i read a bunch and watched youtube videos... i even went and played with each one i just cant decide which one i would like more lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the samsung felt cheap... I like the weight of the amaze. Feels like a solid product
Based on build quality, amaze. Samsung makes plastic toys, HTC makes quality phones.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda premium
TheSneakerWhore said:
Based on build quality, amaze. Samsung makes plastic toys, HTC makes quality phones.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that HTC has very good design quality, but keep in mind that the premium build design comes with a cost. Heavy feeling device that not everybody finds comforting to hold and what feels like slight overheating because of the metals used in the design. Every device heats up with use, but because of HTC's choice of materials you feel it more than other devices such as Samsung etc.
With that being said, I do wish Samsung would step up a little bit more as far as design is concerned. Maybe using 95%
plastic with a few aluminum pieces to add a little more character. The Nexus S might be Samsung's worst looking device IMO but I loved it because of how light and easy it was to hold for long periods of time.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
I actually did all the research etc too like everyone else, I bought the Amaze on the first day, 2 days ago I returned it and got the SGS2 (blasphemy) and yesterday returned it to get an Amaze again... end of story
SGS was nice, some cool software features, but HTC sense just well makes sense (does everything and minimal need if any for 3rd party widgets or any real need for a 3rd party launcher). Camera compared to the Amaze's camera was sh!t. Kies Air was cool though wish HTC did something like that. battery life was fantastic on the SGS2 though. The Amaze feels just soo much better in hand...
edit: dialer/etc on SGS2 looks generic compared to the polish of all the HTC software.
Did you have to pay the 50$ restocking fee each of your returns?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
MRpeabodyia said:
Did you have to pay the 50$ restocking fee each of your returns?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope.. not a cent
OuncE718 said:
I agree that HTC has very good design quality, but keep in mind that the premium build design comes with a cost. Heavy feeling device that not everybody finds comforting to hold and what feels like slight overheating because of the metals used in the design. Every device heats up with use, but because of HTC's choice of materials you feel it more than other devices such as Samsung etc.
With that being said, I do wish Samsung would step up a little bit more as far as design is concerned. Maybe using 95%
plastic with a few aluminum pieces to add a little more character. The Nexus S might be Samsung's worst looking device IMO but I loved it because of how light and easy it was to hold for long periods of time.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your point, but I keep/collect phones as a hobby--nary once have I kept a cheap Sammy device. I'd take heavy and solid over plastic and cheap. I bet Sammy only spends $40/phone to manufacture (if even that).
*Keep in mind, that is US adjusted price, not eastern-labor prices.
OuncE718 said:
I agree that HTC has very good design quality, but keep in mind that the premium build design comes with a cost. Heavy feeling device that not everybody finds comforting to hold and what feels like slight overheating because of the metals used in the design. Every device heats up with use, but because of HTC's choice of materials you feel it more than other devices such as Samsung etc.
With that being said, I do wish Samsung would step up a little bit more as far as design is concerned. Maybe using 95%
plastic with a few aluminum pieces to add a little more character. The Nexus S might be Samsung's worst looking device IMO but I loved it because of how light and easy it was to hold for long periods of time.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need an oven glove to use my Samsung Epic Touch, the phone gets hot to the point that I can smell the heat. This happens sporadically but especially when viewing videos.
I got some hands on the with SGSII last night. My wife's friend bought one from Sprint yesterday. It was a quick phone. I am on my first Android device and since I have the Amaze all I really know is Sense. I found it easy to use and customize but it just felt cheap to me. She loved the fact it was light. For me though it felt like a good firm grip would crack something. I am sure it wouldn't but it just felt fragile. Performance wise it was about like the Amaze. I say total toss up / opinion between the two. I love the Amaze it gets my vote.
Oh and I have had no heat issues as all with my Amaze. My iPhone got warmer...
I had a Samsung Vibrant and hated the GPS on that phone. The SGS2 felt like a Vibrant on steroids. Touchwiz is also kinda boring. The HTC Amaze is awesome! Great build quality and Sense UI is beautiful. Amaze also has higher resolution. Go with the Amaze.
hiazn said:
I actually did all the research etc too like everyone else, I bought the Amaze on the first day, 2 days ago I returned it and got the SGS2 (blasphemy) and yesterday returned it to get an Amaze again... end of story
SGS was nice, some cool software features, but HTC sense just well makes sense (does everything and minimal need if any for 3rd party widgets or any real need for a 3rd party launcher). Camera compared to the Amaze's camera was sh!t. Kies Air was cool though wish HTC did something like that. battery life was fantastic on the SGS2 though. The Amaze feels just soo much better in hand...
edit: dialer/etc on SGS2 looks generic compared to the polish of all the HTC software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me battery is important..can you tell me the difference you felt? I don't believe I will be able to go for the SGS2...it is just too wide for me and very difficult to fit it in the pocket..but the battery on the Amaze needs 3rd party softwares to arrive at the end of the day.
I always have Bluetooth on, WiFi or 4g, and sync 2 emails every 15min, Twitter update every 30min.
With normal use for me- txt, phone calls, email, checking twitter, random use of netflix, and checking xda.. I usually jump on a charger in about
6-7hrs at 40-50% maybe. Sgs2 will just about almost double that length of time... Right now I'm at 45% after 6hrs.....
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA Premium App
The higher screen resolution is what sold me on the Amaze. The Galaxy S2 has a larger screen but a lower resolution. To me, it looked crappie next to the Amaze.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk
Get HTC amaze.its much prettier better build quality better camera and HTC sense!higher resolution and what else!!Its smooth as butter too and 1.5ghz dual core not 1.2 so its nearly better in every way!apart from battery life though..
MBT93 said:
Get HTC amaze.its much prettier better build quality better camera and HTC sense!higher resolution and what else!!Its smooth as butter too and 1.5ghz dual core not 1.2 so its nearly better in every way!apart from battery life though..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?? - The Galaxy SII for T-Mobile is a dual core clocked at 1.5 gHz.
You know what is really lame? I went to the T-mobile store and since they redesigned the place with laminate flooring and lots of space so it looks more chic they also removed every single working phone available. There was nothing but cases and accessories hanging on the walls and the only two "dummy" phones for the SGS2 and Amaze were hanging out near the entrance. There was literally no other phones, and definitely no real ones besides shells of phones. The T-mobile version of the SGS2 is much better than the ATT SGS2 and Infuse because the black is completely different with a much nicer material and is actually ergonmic since it isn't flat with a sudden hump, but instead tapers with the hump and has some thickness/ergonomics. I could not really tell if the Amaze was a premium handset or not because I could barely hold it with the giant black chastity belt. The black plastic felt nice, but I could barely tell if was metal. Since it was a dummy phone the weight was also all wrong. Well I'll be playing crapsunless I can find a way to get to the Best Buy out of town.
I went with the Amaze simply because I got burnt so bad with the vibrant. Samsung never addressed the faulty GPS and the the all plastic frame just feels cheap. I also used both at the T-mobile store and they are both very nice but the amaze is just elegant. Go with the amaze you won't be disappointed!
Sent from my Amazing Amaze
Hey guys.
Some of you may know me from the Evo 3D section. Recently, my 3D's touchscreen started to fail on me (a known quality-control issue) and I evaluated my options on repairing it and came to the conclusion a new phone is a better investment.
I've been researching the living crap out of the Galaxy Nexus and the 4G LTE (The GS3 is waaaay outside my price point). It seems more and more likely that the 4G LTE is simply a better phone.
So now, this thread. Before I pull the trigger, I want the scoop on this phone from the only users I trust; XDA users. Tell me what you love about this phone, what you hate, what to watch out for, whether or not you regret it, anything. As much detail as possible, please
This phone will genuinely have to last me two years (buying it off contract). I need to know that I can count on this in the same way I was able to count on my HTC Hero (which I feel was more dependable than the Evo 3D).
Thanks guys. I look forward to possibly joining you in this forum in the future.
What's up man?! Go ahead and pull the trigger is what I say. I didn't consider it that huge of an upgrade personally but I figured id try it out for 14 days and return then try the GS3 then make my decision. I ended up keeping it and deciding to do so very quickly.Lol. Very 1st thing that got me was the thinness and how great it felt holding.....it felt really nice....and the screen is ike candy for your eyes. My experience with sense 4 and the speed made me question the need to root (blasphemy I know) but I did anyway. I love the camera software and the phone charges fast and really last....the sleeping is incredible. I live everything about it except the shiney black top....other than that in my opion its the best Evo ever and top phone now.
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk 2
After my first experience with the EVO 3D (3 lemons in under a month), I thought I'd never own an HTC phone again. I went as far as saying I'd never piss on an HTC phone if it was on fire. This phone is making me eat those words. I don't even know why I gave them another chance but I'm glad I did. I wanted a great screen, fast processor, and a relatively "future proofed" phone and this totally fit the bill. It was between this and the Gnex but with the connectivity problems, notoriously weak antennae and glacial charging I rolled the dice on the EVO.
I'm really digging the snappiness overall, running Nova launcher and MeanICS 0.5 ROM. The screen is gorgeous, especially coming from a Photon, and the camera is just about neck and neck with my 4S (work phone). I've been shooting with it for about a week and love love love the pictures it takes.
The only thing I don't like is the car dock has a really finicky usb connector and no sound comes through said connector making it a real bummer when I want to use the phone as an aux music source.
With ROM floodgates starting to open, I heartily endorse this phone to anyone who is in the market. Even stock with Nova launcher works really well, I'm not a fan of Sense but I will admit it was way better than what came stock in the Evo 3D.
Omg we need a Liquid Rom in here! I haven't ran something from you since the HREO CDMA days! Your Sense Rom was the best!
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
I sold my preordered Evo for a pretty penny and bought a Galaxy Nexus for dirt cheap. While the Nexus was good, the battery made it just OK. It just wouldn't last. The screen was nice but put it next to the Evo and nice becomes wtf. The Evo comes with a microSD slot for my 64GB card (huge plus). The battery in the Evo lasts a whole day a whole night and in to the next afternoon. With heavy use, I mean playing with it constantly from games to web to calls it easily can last 12-15 hours. That right there sold me. I had the option for the GS3 as well. I was really thinking I would switch, considering I had the Epic and the Epic Touch. I.couldn't bring.myself.to return it. Too GREAT of a phone. Plus the kickstand is great. I watch a lot of Netflix while waiting for freight. There isn't a single con and a long list of pros. BUY IT!
Sent from my htc_jewel using xda premium
neopolotin75 said:
What's up man?! Go ahead and pull the trigger is what I say. I didn't consider it that huge of an upgrade personally but I figured id try it out for 14 days and return then try the GS3 then make my decision. I ended up keeping it and deciding to do so very quickly.Lol. Very 1st thing that got me was the thinness and how great it felt holding.....it felt really nice....and the screen is ike candy for your eyes. My experience with sense 4 and the speed made me question the need to root (blasphemy I know) but I did anyway. I love the camera software and the phone charges fast and really last....the sleeping is incredible. I live everything about it except the shiney black top....other than that in my opion its the best Evo ever and top phone now.
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it feels solid in your eyes? If I grip my Evo 3D even slightly firmly, I can feel the plastic creak. How are you doing on battery life? I'm an extremely minimal user of my phone.
DB13 said:
Omg we need a Liquid Rom in here! I haven't ran something from you since the HREO CDMA days! Your Sense Rom was the best!
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh, I've been considering starting up a project like that again.
cunnyrydah said:
I sold my preordered Evo for a pretty penny and bought a Galaxy Nexus for dirt cheap. While the Nexus was good, the battery made it just OK. It just wouldn't last. The screen was nice but put it next to the Evo and nice becomes wtf. The Evo comes with a microSD slot for my 64GB card (huge plus). The battery in the Evo lasts a whole day a whole night and in to the next afternoon. With heavy use, I mean playing with it constantly from games to web to calls it easily can last 12-15 hours. That right there sold me. I had the option for the GS3 as well. I was really thinking I would switch, considering I had the Epic and the Epic Touch. I.couldn't bring.myself.to return it. Too GREAT of a phone. Plus the kickstand is great. I watch a lot of Netflix while waiting for freight. There isn't a single con and a long list of pros. BUY IT!
Sent from my htc_jewel using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's some very promising battery life, especially for my minimal use
soopermarkus said:
After my first experience with the EVO 3D (3 lemons in under a month), I thought I'd never own an HTC phone again. I went as far as saying I'd never piss on an HTC phone if it was on fire. This phone is making me eat those words. I don't even know why I gave them another chance but I'm glad I did. I wanted a great screen, fast processor, and a relatively "future proofed" phone and this totally fit the bill. It was between this and the Gnex but with the connectivity problems, notoriously weak antennae and glacial charging I rolled the dice on the EVO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, someone who understands the build quality woes of the Evo 3D. In the short year I've owned it, the screen plate near the cap buttons has "sunk" down into the shell, the battery cover has become lose, the outer 'lining' is coming off, and the power button and volume buttons are almost hilariously mushy (never know if they're working).
I'm sorely searching for the build quality of HTC that I used to know, from the days of the Hero all the way back to the original Titan and Apache (those things were amazing). It seems you feel that they've recaptured this "Evo" namesake.
I'm really digging the snappiness overall, running Nova launcher and MeanICS 0.5 ROM. The screen is gorgeous, especially coming from a Photon, and the camera is just about neck and neck with my 4S (work phone). I've been shooting with it for about a week and love love love the pictures it takes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's the screen at repelling fingerprints? I know that it's supposed to come with an oleo-phobic coating, but do you think it would be worth getting a screen protector?
Great phone; buy it! :good:
What's up liquid I think you should go ahead and get it there's nothing better at this point and to build quality is nothing like the evo 3d. My only issue is the lack of multitasking it reloads tabs almost..but I've heard that has been fixed on the hox...great device..makes the 3d look like a fat pig
LiquidSolstice said:
So it feels solid in your eyes? If I grip my Evo 3D even slightly firmly, I can feel the plastic creak. How are you doing on battery life? I'm an extremely minimal user of my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The quality is the best I ever felt......no plastic feel or creak like the 3d......When I first held it I was like WOW. I'm a heavy user when on station and I don't feel tethered to a plug.....it does very well but the way it sleeps is the best.....I can have 80 percent and go do 3 runs and several hrs later it still sits at 80......my 3D would have dropped by 20 lol
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
I've been a happy owner of the 3D for the past year, but after flashing the Virgin Mobile FW and finding out from Sprint that I have a free upgrade, I'm picking up the 4G LTE on Monday. I just figure the time is right to make the jump since as of now there's no downgrade for the FW, no official ICS release, and WiMax is dead. Base on this thread, I'm in!
The phone is awesome even stock I have no complaints could maybe use a radio update but that's it seeing how these dye radios are new I find signal to be acceptable for myself. Love the camera and I have no problems removed some screens tho since 7 is over kill lol
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Just don't put it in your skinny jeans pocket and you'll be fine. Would love to see your work on my LTE.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Also coming from the 3D, I decided to pull the trigger on this phone earlier this month.
Personal pros: Size, feel, battery life
Cons: Wifi/3G dropout, multitasking (primarily Sense reload)
I rooted immediately, switched to Apex Launcher, and tested a few custom ROMS.
Temp bricked it yesterday w/ the S-OFF method, and returned it to BB to swap out in hopes that it would fix the Wifi/3G dropouts. Wifi seems to be better, 3G dropouts still exist, so I'd imagine it'll be a radio/firmware fix in the future. I'd also imagine the aggressive and clumsy multitasking will also be resolved when source is released from HTC and we can get some custom kernels.
SG3 is released for the public on 7/1 @ BB, so I'll go back to play around w/ it a little bit before my 30 day window of opp. is closed. All in all, I'm leaning towards keeping the LTEvo due to the development community and overall feel of the phone.
Lastly, I was going to go right back and root after getting phone #2, but simply installing Apex over stock everything hasn't been bad. I think until source is released, I can deal with holding off on root. The apps I rely on work w/o root, FoxFi works w/o root (even though pointless w/ slow 3G data, but hey..), and honestly, until we can start overclocking, undervolting, etc., the only true benefit w/ root access is being able to F w/ the build.prop for GW purposes, density, and whatever. Not enough of a factor IMO to root just yet, though the ROMS available right now are promising!
Verdict: Go for the LTEvo. Enjoyed your work during the Hero days as well!
For the screen, the fingerprints have been less of an issue than my tbolt, but they are still there. I thought the screen really was "scratch proof" until I had it in a bag with my keys and I saw a little scratch right in the effing MIDDLE of the screen! Needless to say, I ordered a matte screen protector and will see if it kills the awesome-ness of how the screen looks and displays.
I honestly cannot agree more with what has already been said about this awesome phone. After coming from my tbolt with a rezound battery (i still use it to this day) and it's crappy battery life to this phone has totally restored my confidence in using smartphones. Instead of thinking "if i play this emulator or watch this video, I'll have to charge it again", I say "I will play this emulator or watch this video and not care because the battery WILL last". I know I sound crazy here, but the battery really is that good. In fact, it's that reason that I haven't rooted and put on a custom ROM because I'm afraid something will happen.
Performance wise, it is just plain sick. It runs the PSXEmulator tons smoother than my TBolt and sense is just awesome. I would consider rooting just for the dual-core mod where the second cpu is always running except for when the screen is off, but again, bye-bye insane battery life (please correct me if I'm wrong).
Physical feel of phone is sweet; the thinness is good and the material is nice; except for that bloody top back shiny cover that drives us OCD guys nuts with fingerprints :O But I did order a case because I'm afraid if I drop it, it will go bye-bye.
I researched heavily this phone and the galaxy nexus and from what I could tell, the nexus didn't have the same power as this phone and because of that, people complained that it ran slower than it should. Also the battery was only so-so.
I have yet to look back and do not regret the money I spent
firmbiz94 said:
What's up liquid I think you should go ahead and get it there's nothing better at this point and to build quality is nothing like the evo 3d. My only issue is the lack of multitasking it reloads tabs almost..but I've heard that has been fixed on the hox...great device..makes the 3d look like a fat pig
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read that this was due to aggressive minfree values to keep Sense running smooth. Custom ROMs have already tweaked it, but I actually see this as a plus. I've always used extremely (read: ludicrous) aggressive minfree and OOM values, because I damn near never multitask, I only ever do one thing at a time.
neopolotin75 said:
The quality is the best I ever felt......no plastic feel or creak like the 3d......When I first held it I was like WOW. I'm a heavy user when on station and I don't feel tethered to a plug.....it does very well but the way it sleeps is the best.....I can have 80 percent and go do 3 runs and several hrs later it still sits at 80......my 3D would have dropped by 20 lol
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is very, VERY nice to hear. I look forward to that
NYG140 said:
I've been a happy owner of the 3D for the past year, but after flashing the Virgin Mobile FW and finding out from Sprint that I have a free upgrade, I'm picking up the 4G LTE on Monday. I just figure the time is right to make the jump since as of now there's no downgrade for the FW, no official ICS release, and WiMax is dead. Base on this thread, I'm in!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yuck, I'm sorry you had to go through the Virgin FW mess. I thankfully was late in finding out about it and hence managed to see all the problems that came with it before I flashed, so I skipped it. Glad to hear you're getting an upgrade!
ckoadiyn said:
The phone is awesome even stock I have no complaints could maybe use a radio update but that's it seeing how these dye radios are new I find signal to be acceptable for myself. Love the camera and I have no problems removed some screens tho since 7 is over kill lol
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Radio update? Are signal woes really a concern?
BrianBaker said:
Just don't put it in your skinny jeans pocket and you'll be fine. Would love to see your work on my LTE.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh, no skinny jeans on this boy, don't worry. I might delve back into it again, we'll see.
pwrmedia said:
Also coming from the 3D, I decided to pull the trigger on this phone earlier this month.
Personal pros: Size, feel, battery life
Cons: Wifi/3G dropout, multitasking (primarily Sense reload)
I rooted immediately, switched to Apex Launcher, and tested a few custom ROMS.
Temp bricked it yesterday w/ the S-OFF method, and returned it to BB to swap out in hopes that it would fix the Wifi/3G dropouts. Wifi seems to be better, 3G dropouts still exist, so I'd imagine it'll be a radio/firmware fix in the future. I'd also imagine the aggressive and clumsy multitasking will also be resolved when source is released from HTC and we can get some custom kernels.
SG3 is released for the public on 7/1 @ BB, so I'll go back to play around w/ it a little bit before my 30 day window of opp. is closed. All in all, I'm leaning towards keeping the LTEvo due to the development community and overall feel of the phone.
Lastly, I was going to go right back and root after getting phone #2, but simply installing Apex over stock everything hasn't been bad. I think until source is released, I can deal with holding off on root. The apps I rely on work w/o root, FoxFi works w/o root (even though pointless w/ slow 3G data, but hey..), and honestly, until we can start overclocking, undervolting, etc., the only true benefit w/ root access is being able to F w/ the build.prop for GW purposes, density, and whatever. Not enough of a factor IMO to root just yet, though the ROMS available right now are promising!
Verdict: Go for the LTEvo. Enjoyed your work during the Hero days as well!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems as though I might not need to root for a while either. I've actually not needed to tether in a long, long time with my 3D. Root was soley for performance desires. These connectivity issues are getting a it worrying though...
And thanks! I didn't realize my Hero ROM had such a reputation haha.
pogibry said:
For the screen, the fingerprints have been less of an issue than my tbolt, but they are still there. I thought the screen really was "scratch proof" until I had it in a bag with my keys and I saw a little scratch right in the effing MIDDLE of the screen! Needless to say, I ordered a matte screen protector and will see if it kills the awesome-ness of how the screen looks and displays.
I honestly cannot agree more with what has already been said about this awesome phone. After coming from my tbolt with a rezound battery (i still use it to this day) and it's crappy battery life to this phone has totally restored my confidence in using smartphones. Instead of thinking "if i play this emulator or watch this video, I'll have to charge it again", I say "I will play this emulator or watch this video and not care because the battery WILL last". I know I sound crazy here, but the battery really is that good. In fact, it's that reason that I haven't rooted and put on a custom ROM because I'm afraid something will happen.
Performance wise, it is just plain sick. It runs the PSXEmulator tons smoother than my TBolt and sense is just awesome. I would consider rooting just for the dual-core mod where the second cpu is always running except for when the screen is off, but again, bye-bye insane battery life (please correct me if I'm wrong).
Physical feel of phone is sweet; the thinness is good and the material is nice; except for that bloody top back shiny cover that drives us OCD guys nuts with fingerprints :O But I did order a case because I'm afraid if I drop it, it will go bye-bye.
I researched heavily this phone and the galaxy nexus and from what I could tell, the nexus didn't have the same power as this phone and because of that, people complained that it ran slower than it should. Also the battery was only so-so.
I have yet to look back and do not regret the money I spent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like the battery usage will be insane for me. All these use-cases appear to be with heavy usage and good battery life, so I can't wait to see what my mild usage will result in.
Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm loving reading all these experiences!
No signal is fine for me as I'm in a well covered area. I could be a tad stronger but that's about it.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
ckoadiyn said:
No signal is fine for me as I'm in a well covered area. I could be a tad stronger but that's about it.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 3D would always kill itself trying to find signal where I live. I'm hoping that won't be an issue with the LTE.
Amazon has some great prices on this phone in and out of contract.
pogibry said:
For the screen, the fingerprints have been less of an issue than my tbolt, but they are still there. I thought the screen really was "scratch proof" until I had it in a bag with my keys and I saw a little scratch right in the effing MIDDLE of the screen! Needless to say, I ordered a matte screen protector and will see if it kills the awesome-ness of how the screen looks and displays.
I honestly cannot agree more with what has already been said about this awesome phone. After coming from my tbolt with a rezound battery (i still use it to this day) and it's crappy battery life to this phone has totally restored my confidence in using smartphones. Instead of thinking "if i play this emulator or watch this video, I'll have to charge it again", I say "I will play this emulator or watch this video and not care because the battery WILL last". I know I sound crazy here, but the battery really is that good. In fact, it's that reason that I haven't rooted and put on a custom ROM because I'm afraid something will happen.
Performance wise, it is just plain sick. It runs the PSXEmulator tons smoother than my TBolt and sense is just awesome. I would consider rooting just for the dual-core mod where the second cpu is always running except for when the screen is off, but again, bye-bye insane battery life (please correct me if I'm wrong).
Physical feel of phone is sweet; the thinness is good and the material is nice; except for that bloody top back shiny cover that drives us OCD guys nuts with fingerprints :O But I did order a case because I'm afraid if I drop it, it will go bye-bye.
I researched heavily this phone and the galaxy nexus and from what I could tell, the nexus didn't have the same power as this phone and because of that, people complained that it ran slower than it should. Also the battery was only so-so.
I have yet to look back and do not regret the money I spent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running the nocturnal Rom and it has the dual core going but honestly I haven't noticed a difference. ....you should check it out.....it's been the smoothest for me so far
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
I dont mind the killing of apps as much as I do the tabs in the web browser..sometimes esp. With online banking I run into issues..it happens pretty much instantly..I've adjusted my min free settings as well as flashed about every rom besides aosp and my phone still kills apps like that's its job..I would just like the option to adjust it or have it ignore my web browser as I'm pretty good about closing things out..buts that's my only issue and it will be fixed..the build is bar none and battery is sick..camera is on par with top cell phone cameras and the UI in the camera app is best in class..i never miss a shot ..it will be good to see u in here liquid..to defend against the trolls and fanboys LOL
My wife wants the Sony Xperia S. Prob because it looks nice (thats women for you lol). Im interested to hear what exhisting owners think about the device. Both Pluses and minus of owning this device please. I own a HTC senstaion and so right away, I would be looking to compare the 2 phones but thats just me, Im like that. 2 yrs is a long time to be stuck on a contract so I want her to be sure and who better people to ask than the users of xda forums. I always value your thoughs, ideas and advice. Thanks in advance guys
I wrote a review here: http://teendroid.com/index.php/item/14-xperia-s-review
Felimenta97 said:
I wrote a review here: http://teendroid.com/index.php/item/14-xperia-s-review
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice little read and very well written. Have you had any issues with it dying on you? What about multitasking? Fiddly?
TudorBlue said:
Nice little read and very well written. Have you had any issues with it dying on you? What about multitasking? Fiddly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks. Well, multitasking its really good, but some apps really use lot of RAM, so you may see some stuttering once a while. If I understood, the phone will be for your wife. Try asking her permission to root and remove some bloatware she may not use. About dying, I was kinda surprised, sometimes it stopped working and I had to reset it. I'm not sure if it was my fault of heavy usage or its some problem with it. But, if she is like most users, she will use it for some browsing, calls messages and Facebook, the phone is great. Loud and clear calls. I heavily recommend it
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
Sweet! thanks Felimenta97
funny my wife has a sensation and thinks my xs is ugly, typical woman lol!
to compare the 2 (both rooted on ics) i find the xs much quicker and smoother, the screen is amazing. camera not many features but picture quality is brilliant.
the only negatives, for me, about the xs are the non physical buttons take a bit of getting used to (no problem now), the power / screen lock button is in a ridiculous position (screen off & lock app solves half the problem) and because of the size of the screen not always easy to reach far corners one handed.
also battery life is slightly worse than sensation, not a huge difference, but noticeable.
so maybe take her to a store see if she likes the feel of it, because performance wise it is an amazing phone.
jojo1980 said:
funny my wife has a sensation and thinks my xs is ugly, typical woman lol!
to compare the 2 (both rooted on ics) i find the xs much quicker and smoother, the screen is amazing. camera not many features but picture quality is brilliant.
the only negatives, for me, about the xs are the non physical buttons take a bit of getting used to (no problem now), the power / screen lock button is in a ridiculous position (screen off & lock app solves half the problem) and because of the size of the screen not always easy to reach far corners one handed.
also battery life is slightly worse than sensation, not a huge difference, but noticeable.
so maybe take her to a store see if she likes the feel of it, because performance wise it is an amazing phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She picked it up this morning. not had a chance to have a play with it yet. Wil have to make sure my hands are clean, she picked the white one.
TudorBlue said:
She picked it up this morning. not had a chance to have a play with it yet. Wil have to make sure my hands are clean, she picked the white one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need. Of course they need to be clean, but that doesn't mean you have to wash your hands everytime you will pick up the phone. If you (or she) want to do a quick clean, make your shirt a little "humid" and clean the back of the phone. Once a while, use a soft cloth.
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
Sigh,
I was all set to buy the iPhone 5s (I know, how lame right?) due to it's integration with iCloud and my Macbook Air.
I had defeated various attempts to turn me from the dark side towards the light (SGS4, HTC One, Nexus 4 price drop, etc), yet now the G2 really has me in it's grasp
I mean, it's not even making things fair either:
- 1080p IPS with great outdoor visibility
- Amazing all day battery life
- Super speedy snapdragon 800 processor
- Great camera with OIS
- 32GB of storage standard
- And I love KnockOn!
Gah! I put a lot of work into my upgrade plans, now the G2 has totally thrown them off (#firstworldproblems)
Why does this phone have to be so perfect? :crying:
i won't lie, that screen is pretty damn visible outside! i did set it to 100% brightness when i was out earlier taking pics, and the mid morning sun was right above me, and it's super sunny today..and i could still easily see the screen. that display rocks, hands down!
camera is great, too. it rocks in lowlight shots, and it kills the iphone 5's lowlight abilities! keep that in mind if you take a lot of indoors shots.
the battery is awesome. the other day i had 5 hours screen on time, and 17.5 hours off the charger..for me, that's AMAZING. i've never hit 5 hours screen on time with a phone before. my gs4 had great battery life too, but i would get 17 hours with only like 3 hours screen on time maybe. this thing rocks it.
and yeah, it's incredibly fast. this phone flies through menus, apps, etc..and when you set the animation speed to 0.5x instead of 1, it's even snappier.
i think you'd like it! should get it.
ap3604 said:
Sigh,
I was all set to buy the iPhone 5s (I know, how lame right?) due to it's integration with iCloud and my Macbook Air.
I had defeated various attempts to turn me from the dark side towards the light (SGS4, HTC One, Nexus 4 price drop, etc), yet now the G2 really has me in it's grasp
I mean, it's not even making things fair either:
- 1080p IPS with great outdoor visibility
- Amazing all day battery life
- Super speedy snapdragon 800 processor
- Great camera with OIS
Gah! I put a lot of work into my upgrade plans, now the G2 has totally thrown them off (#firstworldproblems)
Why does this phone have to be so perfect? :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing is perfect, but yeah the G2 is pretty amazing. My first 24 hours with mine have pretty much blown me away. Oddly, I'm finding that it may have reached threshold of "too thin". I know that's subjective, but it almost feels like a big wafer to me. I'll need to get a case on it that as a little bit of bulk to feel more comfortable holding it. This is just me talking though. Others may and probably will disagree.
Otherwise, yeah, I'd say the G2 is definitely a contender for the best device of the year on any platform.
you're finding it too thin? hmm. it's a bit thicker than my S4 but i enjoy the bigger battery in it. i think it feels pretty good. it is a bit thicker with just the simple verizon TPU case, though..so maybe you won't need something too bulky to help add some thickness to it?
I think it feels bigger than my s3 (even though it is) but at the same time smaller. Perhaps from the tapered edges. This phone is very near perfect. Any perfectionist can nitpick anything and create a laundry list of negatives but in all honesty and reality? It's pretty perfect, imo. It's silly that a fan gives me joy just to pick it up and turn it on, but it does. No phone has done that to date.
I set my nexus 4 to the side and went back to BlackBerry for the q10. I was like "there's no phone that can top the keyboard". Well, here I am waiting for my g2 to be delivered Tuesday.
I'm really excited for the g2.
Side note: BlackBerry lacks apps badly.
I agree it's kinda thin for me, I'll get a slim case for it. This is from someone that's coming from a gnex. Here's a screen shot of my battery life.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
I like my Z10, but as you said no apps. It has one of the best keyboards and I like the screen.
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda app-developers app
Love my G2 but, I don't like the qslide apps. I think the Samsung does a way better job with it. It's probably the only thing I don't like on the phone. But it is huge to me. I used to watch YouTube videos text or surf the Web at the same time. Now I cannot.
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk 4
Hardcore73 said:
Love my G2 but, I don't like the qslide apps. I think the Samsung does a way better job with it. It's probably the only thing I don't like on the phone. But it is huge to me. I used to watch YouTube videos text or surf the Web at the same time. Now I cannot.
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look into Showtime YouTube app (xda had am article on it) which allows floating windows.
Ok cool thanks.
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk 4