A few questions regarding the S4 - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4

I have a few questions regarding the S4. I think this might be my next phone, but some of the things I see about it are making me think twice. A little background. Right now, I have an iPhone 4. My upgrade has been up for a while, but I was happy enough with the iPhone for the time that nothing really caught my eye. However, I am travelling to a few places around the world soon, and would definitely like a phone with a better camera and global capabilities. I would love to get the developer edition, but I can't afford the phone off contract.
Questions:
1. How do you like TouchWiz? I haven't got to mess around with it, but it seems like I really wouldn't like it.
2. Screen cracking? I saw some reports of the screen cracking without the device even falling. Is this widespread or more isolated?
3. What is your favorite/least favorite thing about the phone?

1. How do you like TouchWiz? I haven't got to mess around with it, but it seems like I really wouldn't like it.
I find it to be alright and there are some nice features. I do find it a bit ugly though.
2. Screen cracking? I saw some reports of the screen cracking without the device even falling. Is this widespread or more isolated?
It only just came out on Verizon so it might be better asking in the international sub-forum for the phone.
3. What is your favorite/least favorite thing about the phone?
Favorite, there isn't on single thing that stands out but I am overall happy. Least favorite, I just wish Samsung would move away from plastic.

Related

Galaxy S2 A Victim Of Its Own Popularity?

Is it just me or is the Galaxy S2 a victim of its own popularity in the fact that it has so many moaners? I'm completely satisfied with my White GS2, autobrightness is a bit poor but that's not a big deal to me. I've owned a few Android phones,
HTC Tattoo.
HTC Desire.
ZTE Blade.
Motorola Defy.
HTC HD2 (with Android obviously)
Sony X10i.
This phone has been my best experience with an Android phone so far. I used to be a fan of Sense but i feel Touchwiz is BETTER! I think the main problem is the happy users (The majority!) don't feel the need to speak up about it whereas many unhappy users want to make their voice heard. There are people actually saying they HATE this phone on these forums...if that is the case why are they hanging around? Sell the phone and leave the forums
I guess when a device sells as well as the GS2 you do end up with a lot of users who bought the phone simply because it's the most popular currently and they haven't done their research prior to buying or upgrading.
That, and the age-old problem that people very very rarely make the effort just to say "My [insert item here] is awesome, that is all." They more often use the effort to moan.
I bloody love my SGS2, best phone I've ever had. Makes everything else look like a poor cousin, even to the point that I don't feel the need to root at the moment - I had to root my Desire not long after I had it to love it this much!
I had the (mis?)fortune to get a play around with an IPhone 4S the other day, and the SGS2 feels so far ahead it's not even funny anymore.
I had to root my Desire for one simple reason. More space for apps. A2SD!
Is it just me or is the Galaxy S2 a victim of its own popularity in the fact that it has so many moaners?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
totally.
And far too many inexperienced user who dont know how to utilise the phone properly, refuse to read and educate themselves or look for the slightest error and go nuts with it
I think its also wanting to feel part of something (ie this forum/community)....so by posting threads it validates their time on this forum...pretty sad really
I think phones like this should come with a rating of some kind like movies do....
agreed with all the above, the phone is by far and away the best I've owned, had a x10i before which was good, arc and arc s didn't inspire me, Galaxy s2 blown me away to the point I don't really want to root/flash unless there is any real advantage to do it.....as asked in another post, looks like it's worth a flash to the latest stock rom which is what I'll do, at least I know I'll get the updates from sammy direct when released without having to wait for 02
Darkside i love that rating comment but what i love even more is your signature. That comment is pure gold.
kp it is definitely worth flashing an up to date stock rom without a doubt. Carrier updates are a joke for all devices.
ephumuris said:
Darkside i love that rating comment but what i love even more is your signature. That comment is pure gold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe, its a good 'un aint it!!
as soon as i read it i had to have it in my sig...
Sorry for the OT....
The way I see it there are 3 groups of people
1 - Those who have a faulty handset myself being 1 of them with WiFi issues, poor battery, low volume to name but a few.
2 - Those who don't have a faulty handset
3 - The fanboys who even if it was faulty they would never admit it.
Well those in group 1 need to return and get a replacement or a different phone. Those in group 3 need to wake up.
And let me add,
4. Those who really aren't that bright or lead a very pessimistic life
Is this a "Brit" only forum?
Just kidding, You guys are on target. The phone stock is GREAT and if you have a bug or two, well rooting and a few choice apps can make your phone even more awsum. Just taking the time to say that my Epic touch is GREAT!!!!
---Live long and prosper---
The SGSII is my first smartphone and obviously my first android phone too. I'm loving it and I don't have any issue to moan about (so far).
Great sig Darkside
I love my SGSII, that is all.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
i remember reading threads 10 - 15 days after the sgs2 was released
these were the issues back then
1.battery life sucks HALP
2.yellow color on the left side omg
3.i see pink color when i take a picture
4.my phones is SOOOO HOT
now its
1.which rom is best
2.HALP i flashed this "i9000 darkyrom" now its not working
3.MY PHONE NO GO DEEP SLEEP :O
4.ETA ?
ephumuris said:
Well those in group 1 need to return and get a replacement or a different phone. Those in group 3 need to wake up.
And let me add,
4. Those who really aren't that bright or lead a very pessimistic life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pessimism is AWESOME!!! A pessimist is never disappointed!
The only reason I was starting to hate this phone was because I had to turn it in two times before I got one without a faulty display. It took almost a month.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Agree - I love this phone and the android community, but there are quite a few whining idiots around.
That said, we're still wayyyyyyyyyy better off than the iPhone 4S crowd. Lots of morons complaining there, and worse, they can't even do anything about it. iOS doesn't allow half the tweaks and hacks Android lets us do, especially if not jailbroken

Cnet Street view review

This is a video of the note reviewed by regular people on the street. Can't say I agree with them but here it is.
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57...-note-the-wrong-type-of-bulge-in-your-pocket/
Sent from the SuperStreak! ;-)
The people they interviewed actually seemed pretty open to it - more so than I would have expected. I was expecting more wide-eyed BGR-type reactions, but at least the woman in the middle of the video seemed like she wanted to keep it.
I was slightly surprised to see that both of the guys thought it was too big for a phone, when both of the girls seemed all for it. I still don't get the first guy's opinion that carrying two devices is more practical than one that can fit both bills quite well. Also, the second guy doesn't realize the hypocrisy in his opinion. He says the stylus is just one more thing to carry, one more thing to use, and doesn't like the idea of it; even though it is stored inside the device and you don't need to use it....hmmm? Then he goes to say that he likes carrying two devices around more so than the possibility of having both in one pocket-able design. Doesn't add up in my mind. I don't think I will ever understand the full power of the iSheep.
I think the girls are smart and realize the true potential of this device. They realize that they shouldn't care if somebody thinks their phone is huge, that it is still pocket-able, and it can be a very useful all-in-one device.

Anyone else feel as though they "jumped the gun" a little early?

Been using this phone for nearly 2 weeks now, and for the most part, I've been happy. However, with the Galaxy S III coming in a few weeks, I feel as though I should have at least waited before figuring out which phone I was going to use for the next 2 years. Because of that I decided to return the phone back to Wirefly and go back to using an old Blackberry until I decide to go back to the LTEVO or the GS III. I sold my E4GT so I can't go back to that.
LTEVO Pros
-Beautiful screen
-Excellent build quality and in-hand feel
-Very good (relatively) 3g performance in my area
LTEVO Cons
-Phone performance not that great, especially after opening and switching between a few apps
-Camera is good, but not nearly as good as I had hoped it would be
The two cons are biggies for me. I know for a fact that the sluggishness is related to software, but if you've ever used a Galaxy S II device, you'll realize how spoiled you were by how fast and responsive that phone was. It's an HTC thing; their software sucks compared to Samsung. Even using the T-Mo GSII based on the Qualcomm SoC felt a lot faster than any HTC phone based on the same SoC. I'm not saying TouchWiz is more functional than Sense, I'm just saying it's FASTER, which is 100% true.
The camera is good but the low light performance isn't as great as I had hoped it would be. Comparing to shots from my GSII, LTEVO shots were much more grainy. I also don't like the HTC camera software, and it might even be Sense related. I feel the software isn't fast nor intuitive. I hate the focusing mechanisms. Call me crazy, but I like crosshairs and boxes that help you determine what exactly is being focused. Also, the software isn't responsive. Taking out my phone and snapping a picture isn't very fast. It's acceptable, but like I said, with another great phone around the corner, there's really no reason why I shouldn't test them both and then decide which of the two I'd rather keep.
I'm not trying to bash the LTEVO. I'm sure we'll all agree, the device is far from perfect (all the devices are, in fact). However, I think most of us have the opportunity of trying BOTH phones before finally deciding which to go with. In a sense (no pun intended), the LTEVO delay was a blessing in disguise. Had it been launched on time, we'd be stuck with it. Now we have the chance of putting it up against a very formidable opponent and choosing which phone fits our style better. The GSIII could very well suck, but thankfully we have the luxury of being able to choose the phone we want because of how close together their launches were. I could be returning my phone, just to re-purchase it in a month, but I feel I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If the GSIII is a rockstar then I'm going to be kicking myself for not getting it instead.
Anyway, does anyone else feel as though they jumped the gun, and will be trying out the GSIII?
I feel this way only a little bit.. luckily best buy has a 30 day exchange. I am going to try both of them. This is a pretty solid phone, but I can not stand the browser always flashing white while scrolling, and the reception issues. I know both probably can get updated to work fine, but it is bothering me. I am going to test out the GSIII and see how the radios perform. If they are not up to speed I will probably stick with this phone and hope the updates come soon enough.
Sent from El Tevo Pokemon style!!!!
We are still on a stock ROM since it was released a couple weeks ago. I would imagine some of the issues you describe will be ironed out in upcoming ROM updates from Sprint and HTC. You also forgot other pros about this device like very good battery life, Beats by Dr. Dre, outstanding camera. No I didn't jump the gun. The GS3 will not be perfect at release also. Every device has bugs that need fixing.
If you think the camera isn't that great, take a look at one of the pictures I posted a while back here in the General forum.
Sent from an EVO 4G LTE using Tapatalk 2.
Not at all. I don't use Samsung on principle, they are in bed ith Apple and playing both sides of the market. I have used the SGS phones and they're not better or worse, just different - depending on what you value in a phone. I also don't experience any of the cons you are complaining about, but everybody has different expectations and experiences.
Why do so many people start threads asking for others to take their side in decisions like this? If you don't like the phone, just return it and keep looking until you find something you do like. You don't need 1000 signatures on your petition to return the phone. It's your preference, do what works for you.
Just know that you'll be able to find something wrong with the SGS3 as well if you're honest with yourself.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
No, I dont feel like I jumped the gun. Im happy with my decision, the aesthetics alone was enough of an edge for me personally.
My gf sold her gs2 and bought this phone. Had it for 3 hours then made me.give her my gs2 and take this evo. Its not bad i have a defender case on and do like the feel but i preordered a gs3 and cannot.wait lol. Ill.keep this phone while i try the gs3 but this evo dose get very "laggy" when multi tasking. My gs2 didnt
Sent from my EVO using XDA
The grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side.
That being said, I purchased the EVO LTE the day it came out and I have absolutely zero complaints about it. This phone will easily last me 2 years.
stop the madness. go preach your "i hate this phone" some where else.
why are there so many biotchez in these forums
SilverZero said:
Not at all. I don't use Samsung on principle, they are in bed ith Apple and playing both sides of the market. I have used the SGS phones and they're not better or worse, just different - depending on what you value in a phone. I also don't experience any of the cons you are complaining about, but everybody has different expectations and experiences.
Why do so many people start threads asking for others to take their side in decisions like this? If you don't like the phone, just return it and keep looking until you find something you do like. You don't need 1000 signatures on your petition to return the phone. It's your preference, do what works for you.
Just know that you'll be able to find something wrong with the SGS3 as well if you're honest with yourself.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is only here to get other people's opinions. I know not every phone is perfect but you are on a forum that deals with alot of phones. People would like to have other peoples opinions of their choice of electronics, kind of like looking at all the reviews of a product.
Sent from El Tevo Pokemon style!!!!
To OP: No.
And no.
popper668 said:
stop the madness. go preach your "i hate this phone" some where else.
why are there so many biotchez in these forums
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro, settle down. It has been said before, our phone is only 12 days old. There will be people overanalyzing minor discrepancies and having that "buyer's remorse". Give it another couple weeks and the "WHY DID I BUY THIS?!" posts will go away.
vulcZ said:
Been using this phone for nearly 2 weeks now, and for the most part, I've been happy. However, with the Galaxy S III coming in a few weeks, I feel as though I should have at least waited before figuring out which phone I was going to use for the next 2 years. Because of that I decided to return the phone back to Wirefly and go back to using an old Blackberry until I decide to go back to the LTEVO or the GS III. I sold my E4GT so I can't go back to that.
LTEVO Pros
-Beautiful screen
-Excellent build quality and in-hand feel
-Very good (relatively) 3g performance in my area
LTEVO Cons
-Phone performance not that great, especially after opening and switching between a few apps
-Camera is good, but not nearly as good as I had hoped it would be
The two cons are biggies for me. I know for a fact that the sluggishness is related to software, but if you've ever used a Galaxy S II device, you'll realize how spoiled you were by how fast and responsive that phone was. It's an HTC thing; their software sucks compared to Samsung. Even using the T-Mo GSII based on the Qualcomm SoC felt a lot faster than any HTC phone based on the same SoC. I'm not saying TouchWiz is more functional than Sense, I'm just saying it's FASTER, which is 100% true.
The camera is good but the low light performance isn't as great as I had hoped it would be. Comparing to shots from my GSII, LTEVO shots were much more grainy. I also don't like the HTC camera software, and it might even be Sense related. I feel the software isn't fast nor intuitive. I hate the focusing mechanisms. Call me crazy, but I like crosshairs and boxes that help you determine what exactly is being focused. Also, the software isn't responsive. Taking out my phone and snapping a picture isn't very fast. It's acceptable, but like I said, with another great phone around the corner, there's really no reason why I shouldn't test them both and then decide which of the two I'd rather keep.
I'm not trying to bash the LTEVO. I'm sure we'll all agree, the device is far from perfect (all the devices are, in fact). However, I think most of us have the opportunity of trying BOTH phones before finally deciding which to go with. In a sense (no pun intended), the LTEVO delay was a blessing in disguise. Had it been launched on time, we'd be stuck with it. Now we have the chance of putting it up against a very formidable opponent and choosing which phone fits our style better. The GSIII could very well suck, but thankfully we have the luxury of being able to choose the phone we want because of how close together their launches were. I could be returning my phone, just to re-purchase it in a month, but I feel I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If the GSIII is a rockstar then I'm going to be kicking myself for not getting it instead.
Anyway, does anyone else feel as though they jumped the gun, and will be trying out the GSIII?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope cause my performance and camera is great.
Sent from my Touchpad using xda premium
This is nothing compared to the EVO3D forums and all the Samsung SGS2 trolls that used to post how much better the SGS2 was.
Sent from an EVO 4G LTE using Tapatalk 2.
Yea these people are getting ridiculous.. You don't like the camera app? What's not to like? I your reaching for that.. Go into the gs3 forums and you will quickly find out that people are having problems with them as well.. Not a phone problem as much as being an early adopter problem.. Can't believe u don't like the camera.. Some people will never be happy.. I'll end with this.. A software update will fix all these issues ppl have..multi tasking being my main one.. But a software update won't give uba metal unibody, kickstand and just an overall better built phone.. Same s4 chip in ppl.. I swear ppl are adhd nowadays
Nah. I don't have any performance issues and the only camera issue I have is that the hardware shutter button is half useless (only holds the focus, does not refocus when half pressed)
Also Deck is working on CM9 for the evo lte so that is a huge pro right there.
The battery life is amazing.
mike.r.olson said:
Bro, settle down. It has been said before, our phone is only 12 days old. There will be people overanalyzing minor discrepancies and having that "buyer's remorse". Give it another couple weeks and the "WHY DID I BUY THIS?!" posts will go away.
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Click to collapse
your right. i have taken my meds and have calmed down.
i just dont see the problems these people are pulling out of there a$$es.
I love this phone and the development has barely started, who knows what magic will be dreamed up?? but it will be awesome, I will bet on it.
popper668 said:
your right. i have taken my meds and have calmed down.
i just dont see the problems these people are pulling out of there a$$es.
I love this phone and the development has barely started, who knows what magic will be dreamed up?? but it will be awesome, I will bet on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those people r called attention whores. They start a stupid post and get their kicks off when someone actually responds.
Sent from my Touchpad using xda premium
I didn't feel like this until i found out about the 2gb ram in the gs3. I like everything about the phone though, just wish it had 2gb. I wanted the best phone spec wise fir longer than a couple weeks.
I understand the agitation since every time I refresh xda I see another one of these posts.. I guess it's just hard for me to imagine wanting a Samsung.. I'm hard core HTC.. And with or previous devices I was willing to concede that maybe Samsung were better in some areas.. IE the gs2 vs my evo 3d.. The gs2 may have been better I guess to some or most of but I wouldn't have it.. I loved my 3d despite all the naysayers.. Anywho I really believe that with the evo LTE that HTC is back on top.. Esp hardware wise.. I dunno how someone could even argue that the gs3 is better in that regard.. Esp. With the same soc...so the software bugs will get worked out.. Just hold out... It's ok to enjoy your phone and focus on what it does well instead
I don't think I jumped the gun, just wish I had a magical gun to make all the Samsung trolls disappear
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium

The One

I got mine as promised from T-Mobile this morning. I have been with Verizon since before they were Verizon (pre-Cingular days even) but lately the reception on my phone has been getting worse and worse at my house in Mar Vista, and in other places around Los Angeles, although the *LTE*has always been very good at my workplaces in Culver City and El Segundo...but not so much at home.
I've had a succession of HTC Rezounds for several years, and while it was a great phone, it was definitely showing it's age.
I've always liked Sense and HTC in general so when I started reading reviews on the One, it sounded like the phone I'd been thinking about.
Thing is, I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan with VZW, so I was waiting for *any* sign they were going to bring the One on before the end of the summer, but so far it doesn't look good ( and even if they DO announce it at the end of May, they are notoriously slow with this stuff).
I was hoping perhaps a newer phone would help my reception issues at home as well.
Last weekend though, I had the unfortunate experience of having a very important call get dropped, and I decided that was it. I would try another carrier (but keep the VZW account until I was sure of things)
Unfortunately, One's are scarcer than hen's teeth here in L.A stores, so I was forced for the first time to order a phone, sight unseen, just videos, pics and the like, a bit of a leap of faith.
T-Mobile had better, less restrictive deals than AT+T and I wanted to buy the phone outright in case things didn't work out I could sell it later on.
T-Mobile also had them in stock for new signers so that was also a factor. I was a bit concerned because AT+T had already started their LTE rollout, while T-Mobiles is behind and won't hit L.A. till early summer supposedly, but many forum posters were getting extremely good HSPA+ speeds in L.A., certainly better than I was getting at my house on VZW's true LTE anyway, so I went with them. Plus they could get to me by Tuesday.
So, today being Tuesday, it arrived as expected. Didn't get the car dock but oh well.
At first I was a little underwhelmed, the inevitable anticlimax when you realize it's not going to be shining like wet platinum as angels sing while you lift it out of the box, but merely another typical mobile device unboxing, cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.
I must say though that the packaging seems very minimal and eco-friendly, so kudos to HTC on that one.
So on to the phone. It is, in a word, serious.
When you pick it up there is not doubt that some very talented people spent a long time figuring out how to make this the most serious, thin, dense, slick piece of hardware you ever laid eyes and hands and ears on.
At first I was a little peeved because T-Mobile didnt have the black variant like AT+T, but now that I've got the silver/white one, I am glad I didn't get the black. It's elegant without being flashy, designed without being ostentatious.
Maybe not as much as the iPhone5, but pretty damn close in terms of minimalist aesthetic. And if you like metal baby, well this is the phone for you.
So, you take it out, no battery or sd card to put in like on every other HTC phone I've ever had. Kind of nice, I've never gotten anywhere near 32gigs anyway so who needs another slot.
The battery of course, is always a different story. But the 2300mh battery in the One puts on a good show, for most of the day at least. Certainly blows doors on the Rezound, who's battery
was never one of it's strong points anyway.
So, turn it on, set it up, same usual HTC setup stuff, nothing remarkable.
Sense 5. Generally, I like it. At first I was a bit pissed because things are very different in many areas, especially new menu UI's that are a little hidden if you don't know the drag-down-there-it-is trick.
But it only took an hour or two to figure it all out and most of it makes sense (ahh) in an evolutionary way. I'm still getting into the corners but mostly it's quite do-able.
Speed.
Many have used the word "butter". Many have also used the word "iPhone5". Probably because it's the closest any Android phone has ever gotten to the whisper-smooth, completely fine-tuned, hardware-accellerated no-lag wonder that is IOS on a iPhone5.
(before you light the torches, I have never owned an iphone or macbook and am not an apple person at all.) But any one can see that IOS has some serious advantages over the competition in that arena.
Until now.
So, yeah, it's smooth like butter, clean slick UI, and almost entirely lag-free; the only thing that made it stutter was a new tower defense game with heavy graphics and hundreds of on-screen enemies, but I think it would have made an iPhone5 stutter too.
Apparently HTC made a deal last year with Apple for something or the other, and now its looking like maybe it was for some butter. I do wish they had swapped the home and back buttons so my right thumb didnt have to reach all the way across the phone, but that's a relatively minor (right handed) complaint.
But hey, you say, what about the reception? At your house, remember the whole reason you went down this road? And what about at work?
Well, here's where it gets interesting.
When I got it this morning at work, I immediately ran a speed test and was disappointed to see it was around 1.1D .9U on HSPA+. My office in Culver City is a big multistory affair of the modern style, and the VZW Rezound gets good LTE data there, usually around 9-10D 2U. The One, not so much.
But when I got home, well, then the whole love affair really got going. Incredible reception, and data in the 15-20D 5U range! Now, this of course has something to do with the cell tower two blocks from my house that went up a couple of years ago, and which until today did me exactly zero amount of good apparently. Now I know who owns that tower, and it's not Verizon. So, the tradeoff for now is home vs. work, but its not contest because I need to actually HEAR and TALK to people first and foremost, and now I can.
I just want to emphasize that one of the things that makes this phone interesting is that IMHO it's different that most anything else Android coming out these days. The construction is, like I said, a serious affair. The tolerances are reasonably high. The metal has this curious sense of being tough and refined at the same time. The weight and size are, for my hands, just right.
It's heavy, but not too heavy. Wide, but not too wide.
It is, in the words of Goldilocks, just right.
Yeah, it's a Goldilocks phone alright.
I think I'll keep it.
I actually read the whole thing. Good job.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
thanks! The more I use it, the more I like it.
It is truly an amazing piece of kit, probably the best Android phone ever.
Nice thanks for the write up! I nice to hear honest opinions from someone who came from another network!
hm amazing review, JB gives it a thumbs up!
Great review - now I hope it comes to Verizon next week! I don't have the option of switching carriers and my Galaxy Nexus is showing its age.
RyanTX said:
Great review - now I hope it comes to Verizon next week! I don't have the option of switching carriers and my Galaxy Nexus is showing its age.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen no reviews on a Verizon version. It would go to the review sites before launch.
LTE just got turned on in Los Angeles, much sooner than I expected!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
kiint said:
I got mine as promised from T-Mobile this morning. I have been with Verizon since before they were Verizon (pre-Cingular days even) but lately the reception on my phone has been getting worse and worse at my house in Mar Vista, and in other places around Los Angeles, although the *LTE*has always been very good at my workplaces in Culver City and El Segundo...but not so much at home.
I've had a succession of HTC Rezounds for several years, and while it was a great phone, it was definitely showing it's age.
I've always liked Sense and HTC in general so when I started reading reviews on the One, it sounded like the phone I'd been thinking about.
Thing is, I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan with VZW, so I was waiting for *any* sign they were going to bring the One on before the end of the summer, but so far it doesn't look good ( and even if they DO announce it at the end of May, they are notoriously slow with this stuff).
I was hoping perhaps a newer phone would help my reception issues at home as well.
Last weekend though, I had the unfortunate experience of having a very important call get dropped, and I decided that was it. I would try another carrier (but keep the VZW account until I was sure of things)
Unfortunately, One's are scarcer than hen's teeth here in L.A stores, so I was forced for the first time to order a phone, sight unseen, just videos, pics and the like, a bit of a leap of faith.
T-Mobile had better, less restrictive deals than AT+T and I wanted to buy the phone outright in case things didn't work out I could sell it later on.
T-Mobile also had them in stock for new signers so that was also a factor. I was a bit concerned because AT+T had already started their LTE rollout, while T-Mobiles is behind and won't hit L.A. till early summer supposedly, but many forum posters were getting extremely good HSPA+ speeds in L.A., certainly better than I was getting at my house on VZW's true LTE anyway, so I went with them. Plus they could get to me by Tuesday.
So, today being Tuesday, it arrived as expected. Didn't get the car dock but oh well.
At first I was a little underwhelmed, the inevitable anticlimax when you realize it's not going to be shining like wet platinum as angels sing while you lift it out of the box, but merely another typical mobile device unboxing, cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.
I must say though that the packaging seems very minimal and eco-friendly, so kudos to HTC on that one.
So on to the phone. It is, in a word, serious.
When you pick it up there is not doubt that some very talented people spent a long time figuring out how to make this the most serious, thin, dense, slick piece of hardware you ever laid eyes and hands and ears on.
At first I was a little peeved because T-Mobile didnt have the black variant like AT+T, but now that I've got the silver/white one, I am glad I didn't get the black. It's elegant without being flashy, designed without being ostentatious.
Maybe not as much as the iPhone5, but pretty damn close in terms of minimalist aesthetic. And if you like metal baby, well this is the phone for you.
So, you take it out, no battery or sd card to put in like on every other HTC phone I've ever had. Kind of nice, I've never gotten anywhere near 32gigs anyway so who needs another slot.
The battery of course, is always a different story. But the 2300mh battery in the One puts on a good show, for most of the day at least. Certainly blows doors on the Rezound, who's battery
was never one of it's strong points anyway.
So, turn it on, set it up, same usual HTC setup stuff, nothing remarkable.
Sense 5. Generally, I like it. At first I was a bit pissed because things are very different in many areas, especially new menu UI's that are a little hidden if you don't know the drag-down-there-it-is trick.
But it only took an hour or two to figure it all out and most of it makes sense (ahh) in an evolutionary way. I'm still getting into the corners but mostly it's quite do-able.
Speed.
Many have used the word "butter". Many have also used the word "iPhone5". Probably because it's the closest any Android phone has ever gotten to the whisper-smooth, completely fine-tuned, hardware-accellerated no-lag wonder that is IOS on a iPhone5.
(before you light the torches, I have never owned an iphone or macbook and am not an apple person at all.) But any one can see that IOS has some serious advantages over the competition in that arena.
Until now.
So, yeah, it's smooth like butter, clean slick UI, and almost entirely lag-free; the only thing that made it stutter was a new tower defense game with heavy graphics and hundreds of on-screen enemies, but I think it would have made an iPhone5 stutter too.
Apparently HTC made a deal last year with Apple for something or the other, and now its looking like maybe it was for some butter. I do wish they had swapped the home and back buttons so my right thumb didnt have to reach all the way across the phone, but that's a relatively minor (right handed) complaint.
But hey, you say, what about the reception? At your house, remember the whole reason you went down this road? And what about at work?
Well, here's where it gets interesting.
When I got it this morning at work, I immediately ran a speed test and was disappointed to see it was around 1.1D .9U on HSPA+. My office in Culver City is a big multistory affair of the modern style, and the VZW Rezound gets good LTE data there, usually around 9-10D 2U. The One, not so much.
But when I got home, well, then the whole love affair really got going. Incredible reception, and data in the 15-20D 5U range! Now, this of course has something to do with the cell tower two blocks from my house that went up a couple of years ago, and which until today did me exactly zero amount of good apparently. Now I know who owns that tower, and it's not Verizon. So, the tradeoff for now is home vs. work, but its not contest because I need to actually HEAR and TALK to people first and foremost, and now I can.
I just want to emphasize that one of the things that makes this phone interesting is that IMHO it's different that most anything else Android coming out these days. The construction is, like I said, a serious affair. The tolerances are reasonably high. The metal has this curious sense of being tough and refined at the same time. The weight and size are, for my hands, just right.
It's heavy, but not too heavy. Wide, but not too wide.
It is, in the words of Goldilocks, just right.
Yeah, it's a Goldilocks phone alright.
I think I'll keep it.
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Click to collapse
I laughed. I cried. I bought a One.
Great review.
Happened yesterday in fact. My eyes popped while I was driving.

This phone stinks

I'm lucky enough to be able to test multiple new phones and I have to say I'm extremely disappointed with this phone. The cameras are worse than my LG v40 (with gcam mod of course), it's impossible to type with one hand because you're always touching the curved screen with the side of your hand so nothing actually comes out correctly without having to fix it 10X and Samsung has removed the ability to change basic settings like removing icon borders or change their size. Nothing about this phone is appealing and I LOVE Samsung phones. I've had a Note since the Note 2 (I'm typing this on a note 9) but this phone is just crap. The fingerprint reader is barely passable and bixby (although able to be turned off) is at best an annoyance. Please don't waste your time with this
overpriced paperweight, it's just junk.
JarkMackson said:
I'm lucky enough to be able to test multiple new phones and I have to say I'm extremely disappointed with this phone. The cameras are worse than my LG v40 (with gcam mod of course), it's impossible to type with one hand because you're always touching the curved screen with the side of your hand so nothing actually comes out correctly without having to fix it 10X and Samsung has removed the ability to change basic settings like removing icon borders or change their size. Nothing about this phone is appealing and I LOVE Samsung phones. I've had a Note since the Note 2 (I'm typing this on a note 9) but this phone is just crap. The fingerprint reader is barely passable and bixby (although able to be turned off) is at best an annoyance. Please don't waste your time with this
overpriced paperweight, it's just junk.
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Click to collapse
Don´t buy it if you don´t like it, but I wouldn´t go as far as to call a Samsung Galaxy stinks, maybe an iPhone yeah but never a Samsung. :angel:
the smell is pretty good if u ask me, duno why ur stinks
definitely overpriced overhyped overrated. i read about annoyances, problems, design flaws. too many for such an expensive device. i wanted s9 for size. when i saw 10e even smaller with same screen size i bought it. expected more. no curved edges, can type, no problems. i didn't pay full retail price so it's barely acceptable for me. my next phone will be sd6xx-7xx mid range. no need to waste money on so much useless bs and samsung name.
Aluyi said:
Don´t buy it if you don´t like it, but I wouldn´t go as far as to call a Samsung Galaxy stinks, maybe an iPhone yeah but never a Samsung. :angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone reminds me of the s5. Another Samsung miss.
destz0r said:
the smell is pretty good if u ask me, duno why ur stinks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eventually we get used to a certain smell...
JarkMackson said:
This phone reminds me of the s5. Another Samsung miss.
Eventually we get used to a certain smell...
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Click to collapse
I'm sure everyone has an opinion, but I'll bet yours isn't a majority opinion of the phone. So, it's not up to your high standards, I'm sure we'll live and somehow make do with it until something comes along that you'll approve for us. Yours is an opinion and nothing more, to be taken with a grain of salt.
Tel864 said:
I'm sure everyone has an opinion, but I'll bet yours isn't a majority opinion of the phone. So, it's not up to your high standards, I'm sure we'll live and somehow make do with it until something comes along that you'll approve for us. Yours is an opinion and nothing more, to be taken with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As is yours.
JarkMackson said:
I'm lucky enough to be able to test multiple new phones and I have to say I'm extremely disappointed with this phone. The cameras are worse than my LG v40 (with gcam mod of course), it's impossible to type with one hand because you're always touching the curved screen with the side of your hand so nothing actually comes out correctly without having to fix it 10X and Samsung has removed the ability to change basic settings like removing icon borders or change their size. Nothing about this phone is appealing and I LOVE Samsung phones. I've had a Note since the Note 2 (I'm typing this on a note 9) but this phone is just crap. The fingerprint reader is barely passable and bixby (although able to be turned off) is at best an annoyance. Please don't waste your time with this
overpriced paperweight, it's just junk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing about this statement or whatever this actually is, wouldn't even call it an opinion.
Your just stating user specific issues, and ok your entitled to express, but in doing so be more elaborate.
The S10+ has
Snapdragon 855/Exynos 9820
8/128gb Ram or 8/512 or 12/1tb
IP 68
Expandable memory
Great camera's
Headphone jack
Best display in class
To call this Junk is well bold but rather foolish, but I guess your just fishing for responses.
Now comparisons yes this costs say to a OnePlus 6T but this device has everything that that doesn't also.
Your saying the Ultrasonic fingerprint is barely usable, well many said that about the optical and well they were full of it as I never had an issue, as for the Ultrasonic i haven't received mine yet so I'll reserve judgement.
Anyway this is just fishing.
Return your junk and get something else to your liking.....it's that simple
JarkMackson said:
As is yours.
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Click to collapse
I withdraw my remark, yours isn't an opinion, it's a rant, reminiscent of a 10 year old. I'm through here.
Tel864 said:
I withdraw my remark, yours isn't an opinion, it's a rant, reminiscent of a 10 year old. I'm through here.
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Click to collapse
Sweetheart don't get bent because I felt like expressing my opinion, the same way you just expressed yours in response.
Here we are again with a long thread of "mine is bigger than yours" but "mine works better than yours" even if "mine and yours give us pleasure in our respective personal lives" ...
googy_anas said:
Here we are again with a long thread of "mine is bigger than yours" but "mine works better than yours" even if "mine and yours give us pleasure in our respective personal lives" ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair point.
I have my S10 since Friday, and for me it is a good phone. Okay, at first time I have also sometimes problems with the touch screen, but I think it's only a thing of time. The finger reader also, I loved the finger scanner on the s7, when I buy the s8 I had at first time the New position of the scanner, but now the handling after two years are great for me. I think the same is on the s10, give it some time and then the handling would easyer.
But I missing also some features from my other Samsung phones, like the led notification or the automatic unvisebelle navigation buttons, I hope Samsung bring some updates.
The best is when I can install root, then it is really my phone and the Good time is beginning. and when it's not your phone, then it is also okay.
*sorry for my english*
Each to their own
Mevlike many think it's the best phone on the market
Overrated and overpriced junk is what iPhones are
i just got my S10+ after an iphone X ,
first of all it is the best samsung i ever used till now coming from
S1 - S2 - S3 - Note 3 - iphone 6 plus - Note 5 - S7Edge - Mate 9 - Mate 10Pro - Iphone X
and the S10+ frankly is miles ahead of the Iphone X and i was not expecting that to be honest
the only point i can agree with the OP is that the screen edges make it hard to use it in one hand , but no problem for me as the screen is fantastic
Yeah, I'll admit the fingerprint sensor isn't as accurate as the capacitive sensors from before, but we've already seen an improvement with the latest firmware and I have confidence that it'll get even better. I think the biggest thing though is that it's ¥different "and it'll take a bit of getting used to how it works.
As for the cameras, it's not really a fair comparison to use the GCam camera app to compare. Yes, it uses Google's image processing, it doesn't take advantage of Samsung's specific features (variable aperture, for example). I'm also not sure if it supports all three cameras on the S10 - it's a mod after all, and may need to be updated.
That said, the beauty of Android is choice. What works for one person may not work for another. I absolutely despise LG's skin, and they're even worse than Samsung when it comes to updates.
Is there a such thing as a bad phone, any more? I don't think so... The new iPhones are great phones, even if they lack the bells and whistles of Android... As far as hardware goes, top notch. And so long as you are cool working within the box that Apple built, they are solid. It's only when you want to tinker and fiddle with them and do fun, but for the most part unnecessary things with them, that they fall short...
The S10+ seems solid so far. Yeah, there is some bloat... big deal... Disable it or uninstall it and call it a day... if you don't like Bixby, turn it off and remap the button. If you don't like the layout of OneUI, install a launcher. You can still do pretty much all the things you need or want, without root these days. Unless you are completely anal retentive and just have to change some inane thing to feel extra geeky and brag to your geeky friends how you have the coolest battery icon or DPI setting, it just doesn't matter. It's a PHONE. You make calls on it, check your email, catch a Netflix show and maybe play a game. It's not a way of life, it's an appliance, that you will likely get bored of and replace in the next 6-12 months anyway... Do you obsess the same way about your electric toothbrush or your microwave or other appliances? Probably not...
If you keep this all in perspective, pretty much any phone will do. I have used Samsung, HTC, OnePlus, Apple, Moto, LG, etc... In years past, there were some lemons... but today it is hard to find a BAD phone, at least in the flagship section... None of them are perfect, but they are all quite good.
I just laugh when I see people trying so hard to nit-pick some obscure inane thing, trying to pretend that it matters or that the average person gives a crap...
"You can't uninstall the GoT bloatware game, I need those 30mb of storage back!"...
No you don't. It's like 0.1% of your storage space, disable it and shut up. It's not hurting you. LOL
SquireSCA said:
Is there a such thing as a bad phone, any more? I don't think so... The new iPhones are great phones, even if they lack the bells and whistles of Android... As far as hardware goes, top notch. And so long as you are cool working within the box that Apple built, they are solid. It's only when you want to tinker and fiddle with them and do fun, but for the most part unnecessary things with them, that they fall short...
The S10+ seems solid so far. Yeah, there is some bloat... big deal... Disable it or uninstall it and call it a day... if you don't like Bixby, turn it off and remap the button. If you don't like the layout of OneUI, install a launcher. You can still do pretty much all the things you need or want, without root these days. Unless you are completely anal retentive and just have to change some inane thing to feel extra geeky and brag to your geeky friends how you have the coolest battery icon or DPI setting, it just doesn't matter. It's a PHONE. You make calls on it, check your email, catch a Netflix show and maybe play a game. It's not a way of life, it's an appliance, that you will likely get bored of and replace in the next 6-12 months anyway... Do you obsess the same way about your electric toothbrush or your microwave or other appliances? Probably not...
If you keep this all in perspective, pretty much any phone will do. I have used Samsung, HTC, OnePlus, Apple, Moto, LG, etc... In years past, there were some lemons... but today it is hard to find a BAD phone, at least in the flagship section... None of them are perfect, but they are all quite good.
I just laugh when I see people trying so hard to nit-pick some obscure inane thing, trying to pretend that it matters or that the average person gives a crap...
"You can't uninstall the GoT bloatware game, I need those 30mb of storage back!"...
No you don't. It's like 0.1% of your storage space, disable it and shut up. It's not hurting you. LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that was a thought out reply......
But agreed most phones (flagships) offer up more that we shall ever need....
Yeah, I mean these are temporary appliances, nothing more.
I guess just blanketing the phone as not being good is a bit harsh, I was excited for this phone only to be so disappointed within the first 10 minutes. I feel like Samsung really messed this one up and I've seriously loved their phones for almost a decade. Just the inability to type in Gboard without the edges messing everything up (not sure why it's so bad with this phone, it was never an issue for me before) makes this one a lemon in my eyes. I'm not going to pull the "I'm never buying Samsung again" but they just can't ever seem to take a step forward without taking one back. I feel like this isn't the phone that's worth the sticker price.

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