Hey guys, is there anyone among you, who owns both phones? What I expect is simply a fluid experiance (mostly browsing, xda, music, fb, whatsapp,...) and most important: being able to go a full day, with a lot of screen on time, because i really text a lot so which of those 2 phones would you all go for? Oh i gotta add, I can get a L9 for free with my contract and the SII would cost around 100€ (around 130 $).
Thanks in advance
Sent from my LG-P970 using xda app-developers app
N00BY0815 said:
Hey guys, is there anyone among you, who owns both phones? What I expect is simply a fluid experiance (mostly browsing, xda, music, fb, whatsapp,...) and most important: being able to go a full day, with a lot of screen on time, because i really text a lot so which of those 2 phones would you all go for? Oh i gotta add, I can get a L9 for free with my contract and the SII would cost around 100€ (around 130 $).
Thanks in advance
Sent from my LG-P970 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
none of them would go through a full day unless u add an extended battery and do some modding and custom kernels Roms etc.... for saving battery
N00BY0815 said:
Hey guys, is there anyone among you, who owns both phones? What I expect is simply a fluid experiance (mostly browsing, xda, music, fb, whatsapp,...) and most important: being able to go a full day, with a lot of screen on time, because i really text a lot
Sent from my LG-P970 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can say one thing amoled is good for texting (my experiance) i had a old zte blade amoled version with cm7 and with a black sms app (only 2g and data on) 5% hole from 8h till 12h in class texting at end of day at home whe i go to bed hole evening texting girl friend 70% noting else then sms
so i thing galaxy s2 with amoled and a good black back ground in texting app should last a day.
the lg l9 i text thehole day with some girls. humm on 2g wifi i could hold it till evening. hole day. but yeah i also go on the web. fb. so if i'm awake a 10 am go to bed 12pm it may have 10% left.
but on 2d without wifi it's shorter and 3g veven less.i found out texting eats more battery then internet browsing.i still think amoled is best for texting, but i dont have the sgs2 or any samsung anymore. but a friend had sgs1 i had a custom rom gb with black sms app 5h screen on with some fb. i was shocked. later i installed JB Gamer edition. screen on tim 2-3h mainly because sms app would go in black so was white... and white killes battery on amoled faster then black^^
i wanted the sgs2 but was out of stock... so i toke the l9 wanted to have dual core noting less.
still l9 is a mid end phone, the sgs2 was once a high end phone. so is still better. auto brigness, gorila glass, mhl out, otg, 8mpx. things the L9 hasn't
ps:
if you get a galaxy s2 get the real one not the sgs2 plus. the real 1.2ghz x2 cpu, mali400 gpu, 16BG
u have the other one with same cpu 1ghz x2 and gpu(powervr540) same as the LG L9 (no the best one). or the sgs2 plus has a 1ghz x2 but with a broadcome IV gpu, 8gb. also not the best one. dont know why the [email protected] they made 3 versions guess cheaper. the old one is still better.
Blackwolf10 said:
none of them would go through a full day unless u add an extended battery and do some modding and custom kernels Roms etc.... for saving battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the first I d do would of course be, installing a custom ROM I d never live with the stock ROM, or only with a heavily tweaked one, but I could also make one on my own
Sent from my LG-P970 using xda app-developers app
Stock ROM on an l9 should last you a full day. Even with the new jelly bean ROM and with GPS on my phone last all day with moderate use. If you like trying out new Roms with lots of features then go for the s2 it has worse battery life but better development support. The l9 might be dead with support but having jelly bean is nice
Sent from my LG-P769 using xda premium
N00BY0815 said:
Well the first I d do would of course be, installing a custom ROM I d never live with the stock ROM, or only with a heavily tweaked one, but I could also make one on my own
Sent from my LG-P970 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well so far custom ROMs have serious problems which make them quite unusable. It's echo during calls or mute calls. Noone knows why this happens. mikegapinski made MIUI and AOSP on stock kernel with all stock audio files but it still happens. PACMAN by adamz667 and official CM have the same problem (bug reported in jira a month ago but still nothing changed). Some people have kernel panic without a reason too with modded kernels.
I''ve got both (but mine is sgs2 t989) and I think sgs2 is more stable and smooth. I also like l9, but if you have to choose go for sgs2.
Sent from my LG-P768 using xda app-developers app
I've had the S2 and moved on to L9. The problem with S2 is its display, which consumes a lot of battery, and even more under direct sunlight (100% brightness). Also, because it is SAMOLED PLUS, the display will most probably get burnt really fast - I've had 2 GS2s, once had like half a year and the display was already slighly burnt, the other one was used for almost 2 years and the display was burnt really, really badly.
On the other side, the battery can last very long, if you don't use your phone at all - just for calls and texting. But who buys GS2 just for calling?
So I got myself an L9 and I am very, very satisfied. The stock firmware is really fast and LG also added some very good features. I've had custom roms on every phone I had to the day, but I really see no reason to flash the L9. It is smooth and has everything that I need. Battery life is also great. I've been abroad the past week and you can imagine, how often did I use my smartphone - GPS, Wifi, browsing the internet, listening to music, playing games, taking pictures, everything with maximum brightness - outdoors. I've had absolutely no problem, or no need to worry about my battery. When I came home after 13-14 hours each day, there was still 30ish percent of battery remaining.
However, there are two cons of the L9: It doesn't have brightness sensor, so you need to tinker with it. It's not a big deal, since LG includes a brightness slider in the notifications. Another one is the GPS. It takes very long to get a fix, and it usually doesn't hold the signal for very long. I think this is repairable, I just need to finally get myself root privileges. Oh yeah, here comes the third one, L9 doesn't root as easily as S2 does.
So overall, I was satisfied with both, but will keep the L9, if I manage to fix the GPS. Otherwise, it seems like maybe S4 Mini for me.
m4te said:
I've had the S2 and moved on to L9. The problem with S2 is its display, which consumes a lot of battery, and even more under direct sunlight (100% brightness). Also, because it is SAMOLED PLUS, the display will most probably get burnt really fast - I've had 2 GS2s, once had like half a year and the display was already slighly burnt, the other one was used for almost 2 years and the display was burnt really, really badly.
On the other side, the battery can last very long, if you don't use your phone at all - just for calls and texting. But who buys GS2 just for calling?
So I got myself an L9 and I am very, very satisfied. The stock firmware is really fast and LG also added some very good features. I've had custom roms on every phone I had to the day, but I really see no reason to flash the L9. It is smooth and has everything that I need. Battery life is also great. I've been abroad the past week and you can imagine, how often did I use my smartphone - GPS, Wifi, browsing the internet, listening to music, playing games, taking pictures, everything with maximum brightness - outdoors. I've had absolutely no problem, or no need to worry about my battery. When I came home after 13-14 hours each day, there was still 30ish percent of battery remaining.
However, there are two cons of the L9: It doesn't have brightness sensor, so you need to tinker with it. It's not a big deal, since LG includes a brightness slider in the notifications. Another one is the GPS. It takes very long to get a fix, and it usually doesn't hold the signal for very long. I think this is repairable, I just need to finally get myself root privileges. Oh yeah, here comes the third one, L9 doesn't root as easily as S2 does.
So overall, I was satisfied with both, but will keep the L9, if I manage to fix the GPS. Otherwise, it seems like maybe S4 Mini for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres what you need. xD I was about to post the screen thing... Thats what i hate about samsung using amoled.
The L9 will get you through a full day no problem, you don't need to tinker with anything.
Sent from my LG-P768 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
My L9 can get a sat fix within a minute in my home with only north windows.
My Huawei tablet won't. My pna surely has the best gps receiver, but without a-gps capability it also fails.
My L9 can get a sat fix within a minute in my home with only north windows.
My Huawei tablet won't. My pna surely has the best gps receiver, but without a-gps capability it also fails.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About the gps, there are always tweaks for it and i also hardly ever use it... but did you guys already play with the settings in hidden menu? I guess you could see quite an improvement, if you add other gps servers and use lto or whatever it was called but thats too far off for now... well i really start to think, that your community will soon be able to count on me it's simply supercheap, looks good and got a grear battery backup, as far, as I can tell till now and maybe me and some of my friends will even be able to fix some bugs on your custom builds thanks a ton already guys and if there is any more criteria, that comes to your mind, just keep me posted!
Sent from my LG-P970 using xda app-developers app
Related
So, a little background.
Currently I have a Galaxy S. But for my own reasons I'm sick of it. I have been looking at midrange android phones that I can afford to buy so I don't have to sign a contract and the Ace stuck out to me.
Now, I understand that it will not be as fast or big as my S, but how is it for the money?
The things I'm looking for are like
GPS
Stability
Speed (though I know it won't be top of the line)
Everyone's favorite question: battery life
and if there are any specific limitations to the device.
Basically, is it a good all around phone that I can email, text, tweet, Google+, and listen to music during the day and not have to worry about it dieing during my lunch break?
Thanks.
I don't understand you but that's ok for me ;-)
The Ace when delivered has good hardware and with the help of this Forum I got a nice phone running!
Everything in Stock Roms is working already but after some fixes here and there it's, for the price, a very good phone.
The Batterylife isn't to amazing but a day from 7 to 7 with normal use as you suggested is well possible.
I'm using the Ace about 3 months now and still happy with it. My Son's Defy has obviously better Hardware but caused many Problems already so he stopped laughing at my "can't find HD games " Phone
Sent from my GT-S5830 using XDA App
uhhh i wouldnt ever recommend u ace if u come from sgs, u'll be highly disappoint. stay away. the battery is horrible. u can literally see the battery drops when it just sit there idling doing nothing.
btw how about galaxy w?
comparing it to ace, it had better resolution, slightly bigger screen, more internal memory, more ram, better cpu, better gpu, better battery and the list go on. best part is its priced at the same price as i buy my ace 5 months ago. lol
and my personal opinion is that for current android lineup, its the best value for each buck u spent on it.
Well, naturally I will wait and allow more response, but from what you two are saying I am a more hesitant as battery is one of my main concerns. I will need it to last a majority of the day at least as currently I only make it from 9a to about 5:30p before I'm forced to juice up. That is with gmail, a few texts, a call or two, Web, and about 30 min of music. And I will need it to perform well passed 5.a
Thanks for the quick responses and honest opinions.
it'll definitely stay alive at the end of the day if u dont use wifi and 3g data connection. but without both two, it wouldnt be a smartphone isnt it?
seriously when u start enabling wifi or data connection, u can see battery drops in minutes.
the longest my ace had ever survived without recharge is just 1.5 day. that when i dont receive or make calls, just couple of sms and maybe half an hour on market using wifi. just siting there idling doing nothing and it can just survive 1.5 day max.
the truth does hurt, but i need to admit that ace's batterylife is horrible.
A lot of people out there say that battery life is good, that they get more than 24 hours one charge. Well, it isn't good. With normal use for me (facebook, twitter, whatsapp and email; wifi or 3g always on) I get 10 hours max. And I need to be careful, I don't use it as much as I'd like it to.
If you are looking for a phone with good battery life, the ace isn't your phone. If I had known this, I wouldn't have bought it, that's for sure.
BUT: If we forget about battery life, it isn't a bad phone at all.
(Ah, wifi sucks big time)
The battery life problem is on all android phones buy on ebay battery with 1600 or better mAh and live without problems
I bought sga, not sgs because its android, iphone size, it have led, the photo quality is 3x better than sgs but sgs is little bit faster in android games(on all another apps they are identical) and it can record videos on 1080p and play movie files without lags but it dont have led and its big and it takes really bad photos
The gps and all other stuff are identical on speed etc
evilxdeadly said:
The battery life problem is on all android phones buy on ebay battery with 1600 or better mAh and live without problems
I bought sga, not sgs because its android, iphone size, it have led, the photo quality is 3x better than sgs but sgs is little bit faster in android games(on all another apps they are identical) and it can record videos on 1080p and play movie files without lags but it dont have led and its big and it takes really bad photos
The gps and all other stuff are identical on speed etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By led you mean camera flash?
The Ace is almost on every count, inferior to Galaxy S Captivate. OP you are a funny guy.
Having owned this phone for roughly two months I don't think I can recommend you switching from your SGS.
As a phone i.e call quality and general connectivity it is fine. GPS seems reasonably quick.
This isn't your first Android phone so you know the battery tricks - you will need them.
However, I reall advise against getting this. The two main readons are the MDPI screen and the woeful amount of RAM. The processor is somewhat lacking by todays standards too.
The Ace is, to all intents and purposes, now a low end phone. When it was released it was a reasonable mid-range device. Not so much anymore.
There are better optiond. I have a Huawei u8800 and a ZTE Blade as well as the Ace and would recommend both of those above an Ace. The ZTE Blade is superiour to the Ace in every respect apart from the processor but if that matters o/c. The u8800 is comparable to the Desire HD.
The Ace is functional, but obsolete. We will struggle to keep up to date software wise. CM aren't supporting the N1 so our chances are small and we would struggle because of hatdware limitations anyway. So basically I'm recommending you look elsewhere.
Yes camera flash, only for photo reason,size and led i bought sga not sgs..for author i can now recommend htc desire because its now cheaper than sgs and more expensive than sga
When i bought sga, then desire was more expensive than sgs, 90$
I dont have the Battery Problems, using my Ace at Home most time with Wlan, using Facebook Client Socialjogger and Friendcaster, little Call -activities much Xda app, Worldwar and sometimes FarmFrenzy, using Miren Browser for Inet researches sometimes and I always get my Ace over the day.
But I don't overclock and use Kernel from Ketut, Battery Saver and Governor "ondemand "
I am on KS9 Firmware.
Sent from my GT-S5830 using XDA App
Really appreciate all the comments. I knew I should stop by here before taking the plunge.
Thanks again.
Get Xperia Ray - the best midrange phone I've ever held.
Thanks for all the info & posts.
What is it that you love about your new s3?
Im big fan of led Im excited about
s-voice.
Whats yours?
Send from my white SGH-I747
I like the color, never had a white phone. I also love the screen. Oh , and I like the 3 in GS3, because 3 is better than 2
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
My iphone 3GS was on its last legs and I was basically bored with iphones in general. The S3 happened to come out at the perfect time and I got hooked by all of the hype. Other than a few minor annoyances like battery life and wifi connectivity, and of course migrating all my stuff over from the iphone which was somewhat of a pain, I'm glad I switched.
was time for me to upgrade, i was bored with iOS, and have always been very pleased with google. this looked like it was going to be a great phone and i was excited to start using android so i preordered it--so far so good :good:
Well, there are a few things I love that are unique to the gs3 & a lots of things you can find on other phones also..
Unique to gs3
-2gb ram
-First US carrier device that is buttery smooth, so I didn't have to spring premium price for an international variant and suffer slower data speeds
-for my T mobile account, this is the first 720p device that is Tmo branded, so I can take advantage of the 42mbs hspa+, while enjoying tru HD
-The first Android device that is identical across US carriers (this is the greatest advantage in my opinion), so that development may be more unified
This phone is the complete package in my opinion, the only way Samsung could've satisfied me any more, would've been a vanilla OS, but hey, I knew that wasn't going to happen!
My HTC Sensation broke...
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium HD app
love s3
2gb ram
zero lag for camera
4g-lte on At&t
hd display
2GB RAM, Power Saving mode (only ~5% per hour while idle, could only even get near that on the Epic while running cm7 with some tweaking and the extended 1800mah battery), NFC/Google Wallet - just last night bought a Slurpee on Google's dime, thanks Google! (plus NFC stuff is really fun, I can put the phone in my car and it'll automatically turn off wifi, enable 3g, enable GPS, turn volume up and launch navigation - how fun is that?).
Not super impressed with the GPU and wished it could handle higher bitrate 1080p (esp when output to another device) but that's really just a minor gripe of mine. Battery could of course always be better (when in my lifetime we can have similar performance with 24 hours screen-on time I'll finally shut up about battery life). S Voice doesn't really do it for me, but voice controls for while in the car in general is a good thing. Also not super impressed with the screen protection quality, my girlfriend made one call and her not-even-diamond earrings caused a little pattern of scratches into it - so much for scratch resistant. Hardly the end of the world though.
Mostly? After coming from the Epic and having to jump to custom ROMs almost immediately I'm impressed with Samsung actually putting out a device that seems to be mostly flawless. I almost didn't go with them this time around after the Epic going through GPS issues of varying sorts and requiring custom ROMs to do what should of been stock (the whole team behind cm7/9 development on the epic is fantastic). Everything works well, touchwiz is not all that intrusive or annoying in ICS once customized to my liking.
punzada said:
2GB RAM, Power Saving mode (only ~5% per hour while idle, could only even get near that on the Epic while running cm7 with some tweaking and the extended 1800mah battery), NFC/Google Wallet - just last night bought a Slurpee on Google's dime, thanks Google! (plus NFC stuff is really fun, I can put the phone in my car and it'll automatically turn off wifi, enable 3g, enable GPS, turn volume up and launch navigation - how fun is that?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you've misspoken, will it turn on the 3G once you enable navigation? I'm just about to set up that tectile for my car as well, and I know there isn't an option to toggle 3g like wifi.
Nice profile picture. Zivio general.
Ps I like the screen size
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
teh roxxorz said:
Unless you've misspoken, will it turn on the 3G once you enable navigation? I'm just about to set up that tectile for my car as well, and I know there isn't an option to toggle 3g like wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is as an option in the NFC Task Launcher but it may just be disabling Wifi and automatically attaching to 3G in that case, I set it up as an action regardless.
I had a GNex on Verizon. I had a few bad experiences with VZW, they put me on a promotion that I was told I could keep if I added another line,....they dropped me from it. They have had lots of data problems with their network this year. The Nexus even with the extended battery would, at the most, with AOKP on it and Franco kernal, gave me 2.5 hours of screen time. A few other times they lied about things.
Got tired of Big Red. So I decided it was worth it to pay the ETF and jump to T-Mo. Now I am saving money on an unlimited plan for me and my wife. No more dealing with LTE radios EATING battery life alive. Im getting 20+mb down on HSPA+ and the GS3 is getting 4-5hours of screen on time over 15+ hours.
Not looking back.
Samungs inovation and continuing improvement in technology. And the fact that its the best Android phone todate.
It does anything other phones can while it does everything other phones cant. I hope that makes sense. In other words, its the best phone on the market.
Sent from my SGSIII with the XDA Premium App
Because it's the next big thing.
punzada said:
There is as an option in the NFC Task Launcher but it may just be disabling Wifi and automatically attaching to 3G in that case, I set it up as an action regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I don't see it; I must be clearly over looking it.
Snook321 said:
My HTC Sensation broke...
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh... I've still got my Sensation, and I was actually using it primarily while I waited on the GS3! The sensation was one of the most exciting phones to get, it was such a jump up from everything else at that time! I had gotten kinda bored with the GS2, so I was using it for like two months solid. Sadly, I'm thinking I'm finally gonna sell it. I've squeezed every drop of Rom Flashing Goodness from it, and I've got a buddy who just recently asked me if I would sell it. :-(
I bought mine to make all my friends with iPhones jealous and it works
I'd been out of contract and still rocking the S1 for the last year waiting for a phone i really wanted. I went to uni in Seoul (고려대학교) and so i am partial to all things Korean, which leaves Samsung, LG or Pantech... err well... pretty much only Samsung.
I almost got the Galaxy Note but it was just a little too big. So glad i waited for the S3. I cant imagine this phone being obsolete, even by enthusiast standards, anytime too soon.
the gps on this device is nuts. its so fast.
hy all,
now i have a lww and iwant to get moved to go, but i wanna know, how its pefformance??(for daily use, im not a gamer) and battery life?? how its support?? (unofficial way definitly, i know official way it isn't good) and is i can swim with it?? cause that was what i wanted to do.
so, should i buy xgo???
If you are going to use it only for basic uses like calling, messaging and installing casual apps then u should go for it. Provided u don't mind the lower Res screen. Biggest plus point would be that it is water and dust resistant. Battery life totally depends upon usage. If u are a casual user then you should get past 8 hrs. But I am skeptical about software support especially since I feel 4.1 would be the last official update from Sony. And unofficially I don't know what is possible because the soc maker that is St Ericsson hasn't released sources pertaining to novathor chip set and I wonder if they will ever release it coz St Ericsson is no more. This is an issue plaguing all devices having novathor chipset. If someone can port os beyond 4.1 then it will be pure magic.
Sent from my Xperia Sola using xda app-developers app
wow, its make me think twice even three times, to get xgo, so unofficial way it isn't good too? man, my lww get cm 10.1 that its android 4.2.2 and xgo just stuck in 4.1. even nAa make 3.x kernel for 2011mdpi device.
anyway, thanks for your repply, thanks pressed
Hi there! I have an X go. For basics stuff is ok. Gingerbread runs fast (but is GB...) ICS is nicer but soooo sloooowwww, and JB seems never will be ready. The GPS sucks, sometimes takes 30 minutes to find the fuc****g signal and sometimes will be better to wait on a chair for the gps signal (never). I won’t recommend it, but depends on how much money you have. Is the one I have so, I love it and I hate it, especially for the gps because, I bought it for running and track my runs but... sometimes you just want to $/$/(7)&%/#@
You should better go for a Qualcomm powered device dude, stay away from others chips
Sent from my LT22i using xda premium
ICS is slow as hell before rooting and removing junk and editing build.prop.
You can swim with it. Not too deep and not for too long. Screen won't respond underwater so you'll need to start filming above water and you'll need a different camera app to take pics underwater with the vol key. Also when it's too wet, finger tracking doesn't work as much as the Active.
I bought mine because my hands sweat a lot and I'm reckless with gadgets. Also, it's fun to watch the reactions of other smartphone users (read: iFans) by saying "Can your (brand here) phone do this without protection?" I'll then throw my uncased phone behind me or drop it in a glass of liquid.
Sent from my not-so-stock, BL=Locked, ST27i.B.1.10
So, otherwise Active is better rights??? Even with single core.
But i hate design of Active, its so odd for me.
And for xgo user, how many hours your battery from 100% to 0%
Sent from my WT19i using xda app-developers app
Active is a really tough phone but it lacks power.
Battery life depends on how it's used. I'm not really a stickler for battery life when in use. It's the standby time I look for. With tweaks, I probably lose about 2% overnight while sleeping (wifi on). This can probably go a week if I don't touch it. IF.
Sent from my not-so-stock, BL=Locked, ST27i.B.1.10
If you are a casual user not a heavy gamer and if I are happy with its 512 MB RAM AND ITS CAMERA then you should buy it.And btw I'm also in ics,I don't face touch lags as I have root access and using setcpu to 1000 Mhz.I usually play games half an hour or less ,use internet almost 3 hrs(data traffic on only when I use it),I don't use WiFi and I get almost 20 hrs of battery.
And yes our Xperia go is very very close to get the jb update 4.1.2 within a week.So IYS your choice whether to buy it or not.
Its major disadvantage that I feel is its low resolution and small size screen,also less ram(512).
Thanks guys, i decided to buy xgo next week. Just one last question. Its the yellow one is always the sport edition??
Sent from my WT19i using xda app-developers app
If I understand your question, I think both the yellow one and the black one are the same. It is just a matter of tastes. With JB, I don't hate anymore this phone. With some xda help finally, the gps is working properly. Good luck with your purchase!
eswawan said:
Thanks guys, i decided to buy xgo next week. Just one last question. Its the yellow one is always the sport edition??
Sent from my WT19i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yellow comes basic or as sports edition (with Live View).
Stock and locked JB ST27i
(Until someone can figure out an easy root with cwm solution for locked bl.)
i get my xGo yesterday, and its great, also got pretty good battery life in ICS, Overall its awesome:good::good::good::victory:
Shoutouts:
First off, i'd like to thank Neo, Snuzzo, brenuga, Br0ken, Fly, iHWO, Grey, Chad and all the others that have made my time with the HTC Rezound just a complete pleasure.
Special thanks to @brenuga and @Neo for pretty much teaching me everything I know about root, ROMs, flashing etc.
Even if I sold my Rez (which i'm currently not) i'd still follow all these awesome devs
Disclaimer: As of right now I am rooted, Stock VRUAMDK Verizon build. Tons of software tweaks and custom ROMs could surely solve even the most minor Touchwiz annoyances.
Ok, so this isn't an Rez vs. S4 review b/c that would just be unfair. I'd just like to offer my 2¢ on my transition from the Rez to the S4.
I'll be updating this thread periodically with my progress, as of right now, i've had the S4 for about a week.
As for S4 vs. One, I can only offer a few reasons why I didn't buy the One. I really wanted to buy the One, just because the most of the Rez Devs are moving to the One.
I never owned the One, but I tried it in the store a couple times and could not get used to the button layout.
1) Button Layout doesn't have a dedicated menu button-- I need this, since the Rez had one, sorry HTC
2) S4 has Removable Battery and SD Card (this pretty much did it for me)
3) Metal Build: Awesome feel, but can chip and conducts heat very easily
The only other phone i was strongly considering was the rumored Nexus 5, but that is unlocked so anyone can get of off of contract (if needed).
Now to the Actual Review:
I know its a bit long, but i have TL;DR at the end of most sections
Build Quality:
The S4 has gorilla glass 3 on it, so its pretty dam strong. I still put a screen protector on it immediately b/c i'm paranoid. The all plastic is actually a plus for me because I don't like metal phones that conduct heat easily. Some people say the plastic is easy to knick around the edges but i've been very pleased with the build quality so far. The awesome thing about the S4 is that it has a removable battery and SD card, which is great for battery life and storing pictures, respectively.
I'm also a pretty heavy user when it comes to camera, so I'm ordering a 32 GB class 10 micro SD card
TL;DR I'm very satisfied with the S4's build quality, I still use cases and screen protectors out of habit though
Battery Life:
Today I had 15 hours on battery, Screen on for 1 hour, 41 minutes, it's currently 11:27 PM Eastern time and I still have 25% left. Not the heaviest usage but I'm on like day 4 (rooted, stock) and i've had some days with 3 hours screen on time and still 10-15% left at the end of the day. Mostly on Wi-Fi, but 4G in the 2 hours in the car ride to and from work. I'm not the heaviest user, and I only game for maybe 10 mins a day if anything, but i mostly am on Wi-Fi (at school or work) and am checking emails and texts about 2-3 times per hour. So far I haven't needed to play with refresh settings, or disable location services, or flash awesome ROMs because I havent needed to.
TL;DR Battery life is great (in my opinion)
Camera:
I've had nothing but great experiences with the camera. Shutter speed is very fast, and Samsung decided to add a lot of software into Touchwiz. The 13 MP camera is the real deal, although if you're going to take tons of pics in lowlight, the One destroys the S4 in that department. I had family over for the weekend and I took tons of photos, all great quality. They also have some cool features like Action Shot, Best shot (rapid fire 8 photos, you choose the best one), etc... google or youtube for demos.
From what i've heard, both the One and the S4 have awesome cameras, its just a matter of preference.
TL;DR Camera is fantastic
Software:
Surprisingly, I actually don't mind Touchwiz. I ran completely stock touchwiz for like 2 days before feeling the urge to install Nova. Currently Running Nova because its the best launcher out there, but Touchwiz isn't as terrible as I thought it would be. Most, if not all TW annyoances can be solved by rooting and installing custom ROMs.
So far only two annoyances come to mind:
-Tabbed settings (just takes getting used to, some people might like it)
-Pull down notification doesn't provide a preview of a text message, it just say's "New message" Clicking it will obviously open the message, there just isn't that instant preview.
TL;DR Software is great. This is coming from a guy that loves Stock Android.
Rooting:
Rooting is very simple and straightforward for the S4, even for Verizon. When I got mine it came with the VRUAMDK build, which can be easily rooted. After activation, it asked to install a system update to the VRUAME7 build. Cancel this Immediately and stay on the VRUAMDK Build The VRUAME7 build can be rooted, but its bootlocker currently has a $4,000 bounty on whoever can unlock it. I'm sure VRUAME7 will be rootable and bootloader unlockable in the coming weeks though.
Here's the S4 rooting steps http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2381382
TL;DR Rooting is simple, and can be done immediately. Flashing ROMs is awesome, and will likely improve everything, but I haven't felt the urge to (yet) becasue of the Specs. I'll flash later down the line. With Custom ROMs, you can easily get insane battery stats like 24 hours and 4 hours screen on (i just don't need to...yet..)
Longevity:
So i've only had the phone for about a week now, and everything has been stellar. Battery life, build quality, performance has been quite consistant. The only thing that might be iffy is you might get some very slight lag on Stock. This of course can be solved by rooting, removing system apps, removing bloatware, flashing custom ROMs, etc... but they aren't necessary until your phone gets filled up.
Build Quality
(Kinda goes with longevity) I got mine on contract, so i naturally treat it like a baby out of the box, but the plastic build is actually a plus. I haven't dropped it yet, but i've had some small bumps into a laptop, desktop,etc. I've heard that the plastic can scratch easily, but that would be like if you're being reckless with your phone. This phone was not meant to be "rugged" but the plastic absorbes impact very well to keep the internals cusioned (at least thats how I see it).
Extras, Gimmicks, Software Value:
I knew going in that most of Samsung's features were gimmicks and that i was gonna turn them off or completely remove them. However, they're still great to demo in front of the family and to just mess around with for a couple days. Here are the few features I actually found useful:
-IR Blaster: setting it up as a remote control is actually very helpful if you ever lose that remote control
-Added camera features: Action shot is cool, and all the other features in the camera are nice additions. I plan on sideloading both the Touchwiz and the Stock JB Camera so i have the best of both worlds.
-Smart hover: Only when the S4 is on your desk, flat you can hover your hand over the top sensor to preview battery life, notifications, missed calls, etc. This is great if you have dirty hands or if the S4 is on your desk and you need to quickly check
Devs:
So far, everyone in the VZ S4 dev community has been very helpful and there is a plethora of information out there as long as can dedicate some time and effort to reading
The S4 Community is much larger and expansive from the Rez community, which is good in some situations, but not as personal as the HTC Rez community, just by the nature. Don't get me wrong, everyone is super friendly and willing to help, its just naturally a much larger community than the Rez. HTC Rez community was a little more close-knit, personal, and friendly. I'm glad I started out with the HTC Rez community, as it was an awesome introdution to the world of rooting and flashing
TL;DR Both Dev communities are awesome as expected, they're just different.
Conclusion:
In the end I was so close to getting the One just because of the HTC Rez Devs, but I needed that SD card capablity, removable battery/SD card, and dedicated capacitive menu button. I know for sure i'll be following the HTC Rez Devs for quite some time, even though I have the S4. Verizon's lack of support for HTC Devices like the One is dissapointing, but they will release it sooner or later (Mat kearney anyone?)
Thanks for sharing! I appreciate the view... S4 will probably be my landing spot as well as long as the camera is even close to as good as the iPhone 5S will be...
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Sheldor1967 said:
Thanks for sharing! I appreciate the view... S4 will probably be my landing spot as well as long as the camera is even close to as good as the iPhone 5S will be...
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reading!I highly doubt the 5S will match the S4 in the camera department, but yeah patience is always a good thing
Glad to see u got yourself w nice phone and are enjoying it. Thanks for sharing your experience on it for us that don't have the phone ( yet )
Sent From My..........REZOUND!!!!!
evilstewie23 said:
Glad to see u got yourself w nice phone and are enjoying it. Thanks for sharing your experience on it for us that don't have the phone ( yet )
Sent From My..........REZOUND!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reading! Gonna upload some battery stats
Here are some battery stats from today.. still going strong (don't ask me why i was up at 4am because i don't even know)
Widget is battery widget reborn btw
How much screen time is that?
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
jagrave said:
How much screen time is that?
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 hours screen on (so far), 38 percent still left. As of 7 pm, im at 15h total usage time.
This is at home, mostly on Wi-Fi, with only Rooted Stock.
The only root things i did are:
-Remove a couple system apps,bloat,etc.
-Installed and set up Greenify
-Installed and Ran Clean Master
-Fixed Permissions in TWRP
-Wiped Cache and Dalvik Cache
I didn't mess with the Kernel at all, just left everything Stock (for now..)
With a custom ROM, i've seen people get crazy like 5 hours screen on and 1 day total usage
I'm sure things are just as great with the One (maybe better? idk), just reporting what I got with my S4.
Btw, just posted Some tips and tricks I found useful during my time with the Rezound in Rezound General, check it out if you want
gleggie said:
As of 7 pm, im at 15h 3 min total time. With 2 hours screen on so far, 38 percent still left.
This is at home, on Wi-Fi, with only Rooted Stock.
The only root things i did are:
-remove a couple system apps
-Installed and set up Greenify
-Installed Clean Master
I didn't mess with the Kernel at all, just left everything Stock (for now..)
With a custum ROM, i've seen people get crazy like 5 hours screen on and 1 day total usage
I'm sure things are just as great with the One (maybe better? idk), just reporting what I got with my S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. with the same usage, but 4G instead of WiFi, how much do you think it would be? And 5 hours is crazy. Lol
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
jagrave said:
Nice. with the same usage, but 4G instead of WiFi, how much do you think it would be? And 5 hours is crazy. Lol
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't gotten a chance to test 4G yet, but i'm guestimating maybe 15 hours total usage, 2 hours screen on with only like 15% remaining at the end of the day.
I'll post more stats as I test 4G.
I know you said the camera is really good, but in low light is nowhere near the HTC one. How does it compare to the rezound in lowlight? And I look forward to all your updates.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
jagrave said:
I know you said the camera is really good, but in low light is nowhere near the HTC one. How does it compare to the rezound in lowlight? And I look forward to all your updates.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try to take comparison pictures this weekend
Also, a quick update, i've been using this device for about a week with only a screen protector. My case has yet to arrive, and its actually been pretty durable so far. I'm not saying i've dropped it because i'm too scared to do that, but its taken a couple little hits from bumping into my desk or laptop and so far it has held up nicely. Still probably not as strong as the all-aluminum One, but its by no means a "cheap" phone as some people make it out to be.
I'll probably do the same thing I did with the Rez. First year with case, second year without. The Rez went through some pretty bad abuse second year lol I've dropped it from waist level with no major damage to the phone (could be just lucky), that's one of the reasons why I like a plastic build--it absorbs the impact a bit. Metal will probably do the job too, but it will knick and dent more easily
gleggie said:
Thanks for reading!I highly doubt the 5S will match the S4 in the camera department, but yeah patience is always a good thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look forward to the comparison shots. I've read that the S4 has an excellent low setting.
The comparison shots I saw of the iPhone 5 and S3 weren't even close,but the S4 camera was much better especially in getting color right . . .
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
That's good to know. also, how is the screen in sunlight? I've read that's a bad weak spot compared to the one, and just curious if true. And how does it compare to rez since that's what I have to go by? Thanks again.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
jagrave said:
That's good to know. also, how is the screen in sunlight? I've read that's a bad weak spot compared to the one, and just curious if true. And how does it compare to rez since that's what I have to go by? Thanks again.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Idk how to say this but the Rez kinda has a bold, sharp, aggressive LCD screen feel to it, while my S4 feels just softer on the eyes thanks to the AMOLED display. Black pixels are completely turned off with AMOLED, and with a Matte screen protector, Stark Icon Pack on top of Nova, I love my S4 setup. (i like minimalistic stuff)
S4's display is basically all about color saturation, contrast, and wow is it comfortable on the eyes. Indoors, it actually feels natural to leave the display at about 25% brightness. Outdoors, cloudy day, even 40-50% feels fine. Outdoors, direct sunlight i usually leave it about 75% brighness, so yeah the S4 is very bright.
TL;DR
S4 AMOLED = color saturation,soft,bright
Rez LCD = bold, sharp, aggressive
I personally like the S4 because i love minimalistic displays.
I'll probably keep my rezound till there is absolutely no life left in the motherboard. I've bought an extended battery and made my own extended battery door (which gets great signal out here in the east coast woods lol) as well as replaced the screen myself after it was cracked while working and lifting some heavy steel....this device has been so rock solid for me ever since it ran GB custom firmware. Sadly I can't say the same for the first android I had which was a Kyocera Zio for cricket. My next device was the well famed Droid X. Don't get me wrong it was a great phone but just had so many hardware issues after hardware issues. I baby my phones and have had my Rez since January of 2012 isn't bad at all for life. I know I'll be sticking around and doing stuff to further help develop this great device. From working on themes to working on a few other secret projects that will see the light of day in upcoming times. I respect the decision you made @gleggie as it is a great phone and well laid out review to people who may want to upgrade. As for now...'night my fellow XDA family lol
Sent from my L1QU1D R3D D347H using xda app-developers app
REV3NT3CH said:
I'll probably keep my rezound till there is absolutely no life left in the motherboard. I've bought an extended battery and made my own extended battery door (which gets great signal out here in the east coast woods lol) as well as replaced the screen myself after it was cracked while working and lifting some heavy steel....this device has been so rock solid for me ever since it ran GB custom firmware. Sadly I can't say the same for the first android I had which was a Kyocera Zio for cricket. My next device was the well famed Droid X. Don't get me wrong it was a great phone but just had so many hardware issues after hardware issues. I baby my phones and have had my Rez since January of 2012 isn't bad at all for life. I know I'll be sticking around and doing stuff to further help develop this great device. From working on themes to working on a few other secret projects that will see the light of day in upcoming times. I respect the decision you made @gleggie as it is a great phone and well laid out review to people who may want to upgrade. As for now...'night my fellow XDA family lol
Sent from my L1QU1D R3D D347H using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks bro! I wish I was as handy as you, the Rezound is an absolute beast!
Thanks to the awesome developers, they have taken mediocre (by 2013 standards) software and turned it into an absolute tank. Even holding my S4 next to the Rez, the Pixels fluidity of AOSP on the Rez just amaze me, considering the difference between the two phones spec-wise.
You hit it right on with the Family part. Everyone in the Rezound commuity is one big, close knit family. I'll definitely be keeping tabs on the Rez
UPDATE
Cleaned up OP, added dedicated Build Quality section, added:
Minor Touchwiz annoyances that could be solved by flashing custom ROMs:
-Tabbed settings menu (just takes getting used to, some people may actually like it)
-Pull down notification of text messages doesnt have the actual text in it, just a notification saying you have a new text message.
These are on STOCK, VRUAMDK Touchwiz, i'm sure Custom ROMs could easily solve this.
What about the size difference? Do you prefer the larger size? I'm impressed with the stats and reviews of the S4 but I really don't want a mini tablet. I've been thinking about the iPhone 5 or the next iPhone version mainly because I prefer the smaller size. It seems like all of the new and decent android phones are big. I guess that's a positive for most. Sometimes I wish I kept my Incredible because I liked it better than my Rezound.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda premium
Well it has been out a while now and there's been a lot of dev on it. It's still at the head of the pack and I just bought it having switched from Samsung (gs2, gs3, gs4,) and LOVE IT? BEST phone I've ever owned.
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
Hi yeah I'm interested in this also just ordered mine coming tomorrow lots of reading to do
Sent from my GT-I9100P using xda app-developers app
I got a G2 recently and am 93% happy with it.
I was coming form a Nexus 4 and was certain I would get a Nexus 5. At the last minute while looking at the displays in the store and testing how they felt in my hand, I decided to go for the G2.
The missing 7% is the plastic back and the lack of wireless charging. These are both things that are superior on the Nexus 5 that I wish I could have on the G2. Especially wireless charging, the Nexus 4 spoiled me in that regard. It's just so much better for wear and tear on the phone's USB port which had been a problem area for me on my Galaxy S2, plus the tilted charging orb of the Nexus made a handy pseudo-dock. I am still glad I went with the G2 because the screen, battery life, and camera are all better but I do miss the wireless charging and rubberized back of the Nexus 5.
Have you seen this thread?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2454340
Or this one?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2472319
Or this one?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2439918
Thanks Devs. From my VZW G2.
Torethyr said:
I got a G2 recently and am 93% happy with it.
I was coming form a Nexus 4 and was certain I would get a Nexus 5. At the last minute while looking at the displays in the store and testing how they felt in my hand, I decided to go for the G2.
The missing 7% is the plastic back and the lack of wireless charging. These are both things that are superior on the Nexus 5 that I wish I could have on the G2. Especially wireless charging, the Nexus 4 spoiled me in that regard. It's just so much better for wear and tear on the phone's USB port which had been a problem area for me on my Galaxy S2, plus the tilted charging orb of the Nexus made a handy pseudo-dock. I am still glad I went with the G2 because the screen, battery life, and camera are all better but I do miss the wireless charging and rubberized back of the Nexus 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sayyy whaaaaaat?
I have wireless charging.....
chaki- said:
Sayyy whaaaaaat?
I have wireless charging.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must have the Verizon model then!
Sent from my GT-I9100P using xda app-developers app
My pet peeve is the sprint variant is lacking a lot of ROM options. And no MIUI . And i cant talk and surf on lte. BUT this phone rocks.
Sent from my LG-LS980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Coming from the Atrix HD I like my G2: big screen, no lag, nice interface. I miss the ability of the Atrix HD file manager to access my PC as remote storage. I know I can do the opposite with wireless storage but when working on the phone it means having to go back and forth to the PC.
to me:
battery - very good
speed - can lag through menus, but ok
camera - i'd say between ok and poor compared with a Note 2 that I owned. photos seems to be fuzzier. + as usual LG photos take too much space (for less better). OIS... this shouldnt be a strength. macro shots are good
memory - if you take many long videos and photos, stock many music and movies in it, this phones not for you. an additional usb storage to move or stock data is required
LG UI... - good, I don't find it too much like some tests say. too bad settings background is white, i would have preferred black. I don't use Slide Aside but it's interesting, sometimes Q-slide and QuickMemo.
Image edition = very poor
Video Editor is really good, too bad you can't use imported photos and videos (some videos may work).
weather app - not really accurate
voice mate - don't use it. just did a few times just for fun
keyboard - don't like. can't have suggestion when clicking on a word that was mispelled (like Samsung keyboard). the second line of letters doesnt fill the entire space. several keyboard themes is interesting though
microphone - good quality
KnockOn is a ++. I find myself dumb when double tapping on other phones to unlock the screen
all of this coming from stock rom with no "make the phone better" apps.
chrisnkazz said:
You must have the Verizon model then!
Sent from my GT-I9100P using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, i have D802 int. I can't get it, every phone has different things activated. WTF?
Already pulled the trigger on G2. Will have the device with me in 5 days.
Upgrading from One X so huge jump in processing power and battery life for me.
Moto Defy to G2
gull_s_777 said:
Already pulled the trigger on G2. Will have the device with me in 5 days.
Upgrading from One X so huge jump in processing power and battery life for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
after 3 and half years, I am going to LG G2 from my Motorola Defy Red lens. its even huge leap... this sunday I am getting it.
srk_srinivas said:
after 3 and half years, I am going to LG G2 from my Motorola Defy Red lens. its even huge leap... this sunday I am getting it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enjoy it.
I used to have a Defy too, loved that phone.
LG G2 is really something else though.
chaki- said:
Sayyy whaaaaaat?
I have wireless charging.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have wireless charging on my D802...
I just bought a QI tag that fits between the phone and the cover (invisibly) and plugs in to the mini USB. Works like a charm for about £10 :good:
Great phone. For the 3+ months I have had it I haven't had an issue.
-Beautiful screen with minimal bezel
-Great battery 24+hours/5+ hours screen time
-Plenty of dev support
-Big fan of the rear keys + knock on/off
-Fast. Haven't experienced any lag (using Nova Launcher)
Only negative is the slow updates from LG. With a custom skin I don't think updating is as crucial but I want 4.4 so I can use google wallet again
browser stock
chaki- said:
No, i have D802 int. I can't get it, every phone has different things activated. WTF?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe there iisn't solution but i want ask You some help to fix this terrible issue on default browser:every hour some pages ask me about close. .if not. ...crash
I'm looking for a fix everywhere but just receive reply like..change your browser
Have another chance without molding mine device,please?
Some help?
Many thanks guys
D802 eur sws 10e,all stock
By guys,
There is some chance to fix issue about freeze default browser?
Many thanks all
D802 without mod all stock
Switched from an iPhone... I must say that I am very impressed with the LG G2 (and Android). The amount of customization I can do is staggering. I'm glad my decision to switch was not disappointing.
Please please how to fix this issue on default browser freeze every time?
No mod here,please
diegocapassi said:
Please please how to fix this issue on default browser freeze every time?
No mod here,please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're in the wrong thread. Post that question in the troubleshooting thread and give all details. Good luck!