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So here's the thing.. I would like the Galaxy S III of course, but it has it's obvious faults, and without a scheduled upgrade from my provider I just don't think it's worth the 700+ dollars I would have to shell out.. So my thought was to buy a used Galaxy S II for around 200-300$ to tide me over until either HTC or Samsung release near perfect devices, or until the next Nexus whenever that is, do you think this would be worth it? Is development slowing down or staying the same and is 200-300$ worth it until and would it last until the next nexus or HTC/Samsung flagship?
Thanks in advanced for your opinions
Of course, S2 is still a great phone.
I will never switch for the S3, not that S3 is not better, just the S2 does everyting that S3 does..maybe S4 will give me a reason to switch.
im the kind of person that only switches cellphone or any other electronics when its really worth it, a big step ahead, or else I don´t think its worth it.
S4 will have 14 nm chipset
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/07/samsung-20nm-14nm-chip-production/
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syndragon said:
Of course, S2 is still a great phone.
I will never switch for the S3, not that S3 is not better, just the S2 does everyting that S3 does..maybe S4 will give me a reason to switch.
im the kind of person that only switches cellphone or any other electronics when its really worth it, a big step ahead, or else I don´t think its worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I've got the Desire Z right now so it would be a pretty big jump.. but yeah I'm thinking if I can get this phone for cheap at least it will be a good jump and a nice holder until my carrier gives me a free upgrade next year ?
hikarugo said:
S4 will have 14 nm chipset
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/07/samsung-20nm-14nm-chip-production/
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dam that's amazing.. The only thing is I need the rest of it to be worth it too :S The problem with the S3 are the pentile (not a BIG deal obviously, don't care that much) the pink problem, the blacks problem, the screen being easily cracked, etc :/ maybe the S4 will blow me away
I also want a lot of dev community since for some reason the Desire Z had a TON and it would be weird not having it and like stupid amounts of ROMs
S2 is still a strong phone. No other devices offer significant improvements over what it does.
I thinks that there's not so much difference between Galaxy SII and SIII. The big difference to me is the design of the phone. Hardware of SII is actually very strong.
I don't know if the S3 has better battery life... but in other subjects S2 is not that far from S3... And the price now is very accessible as well...
SII is still great! We have a official ics which sucks but cm9 is pretty sick and stable for daily use. Oh and there are some really great roms and kernels out there.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
syndragon said:
Of course, S2 is still a great phone.
I will never switch for the S3, not that S3 is not better, just the S2 does everyting that S3 does..maybe S4 will give me a reason to switch.
im the kind of person that only switches cellphone or any other electronics when its really worth it, a big step ahead, or else I don´t think its worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1.I upgraded from x10 as s2 was worth it.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
You're looking to do exactly what I'm in the middle of doing. About 3 or 4 months ago I bought a relatively new SGSII for $300 due to my Nokia N97 breaking down about half way through my contract. It is an amazing phone and my first which is running Android. I have done lots of mods and flashed lots of roms and have really enjoyed it. At the end of the year my contract expires so the SGSII is going to my fiancée and I am going to upgrade to an SGSIII or a Galaxy Note II or the next Nexus. The SGSII is definitely a great phone with lots of support by all the great themers, modders and rom builders on XDA. Definitely recommend it.
Well I guess it really depends on the use you make of your phone.
SGS II is an excellent device on many aspects, but if you plan on playing the most recent games, for instance, I'd say the SGS III's quad-core will be more... "comfortable"?
As far as I'm concerned, I'll stick with my SGS I as long as possible, the engagement with my carrier goes to Feb 2013... Maybe SGS IV will be announced by then. Argh!!
IF you are out budget the S II is still a strong phone. Another advantage if you choose S II over other phone is community. S II has the biggest market in all Android phones and of course S II / Samsung 3rd party developers are just awesome!
noneabove said:
Well I've got the Desire Z right now so it would be a pretty big jump.. but yeah I'm thinking if I can get this phone for cheap at least it will be a good jump and a nice holder until my carrier gives me a free upgrade next year ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, then its up to you, either S2 and S3 will be a big jump.
So only you know if the aspects that make S3 slightly better than S2 its worth the extra money.
IMO S2 is the best phone out there. Yes, S3 and One X are more powerful, but are the worth 600€? S2 can do exactly all the same things as those two, play HD games like Modern Combat 3 and NOVA 3 without any notable lag!
Currently, I believe S2 has the biggest community in XDA(well, it's separated to many "divisions" here, due to many different models[US Carrier specific and i9100G], but cause it's so popular, why wouldn't it be good?)
Yes, S2 is worth it. Here, it costs two times less than an S3.
last week i played with the SGS3 and the SGS2 ( a updated one ( ICS ) of a friend )
i did not notice any BIG differents between the 2 phone's
so i got myself a SGS2 and saved me 300 euro's.
ArmorD said:
IMO S2 is the best phone out there. Yes, S3 and One X are more powerful, but are the worth 600€? S2 can do exactly all the same things as those two, play HD games like Modern Combat 3 and NOVA 3 without any notable lag!
Currently, I believe S2 has the biggest community in XDA(well, it's separated to many "divisions" here, due to many different models[US Carrier specific and i9100G], but cause it's so popular, why wouldn't it be good?)
Yes, S2 is worth it. Here, it costs two times less than an S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. The s2 has the best xda family in my opinion. Just look at rr or Rootbox thread. And it is probably going to not be outdated for another year or two
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium
Same here buddy...
I wont switch to galaxy s3 from galaxy s2...
But if anyone want to buy a new phone its obvious if u can spend money and get galaxy s3,then buy that otherwise S2 is still a good phone sold more than 28million..
I think the development wont stop just because of S3..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Thanks for the advice guys! I will definitely be monitoring kijiji closely looking for one that's at least less than 300$ and maybe even less than 250$! Hope I find one soon!
No. Its display has low life. When people asked Samsung why did they change display in SGS3, they said that its because the samoled+ has low life and faster degradation of image quality.
For instance, some phones already had yellow tint on 30% brightness. Some have started to develop it now.
its display is great. But battery life is poor. With one charge, you will hardly be able to use (total hours of usage) it more than 8 hours given battery is new.
samoled+ is marvelous display but you will find running your phone at low brightness due to battery concerns. Whats use of such a phone then?
No wonder SGS3 has a different display.
Stock rom gave me bs battery life with my usage about 5-6 hrs but go custom with UV and UC i get 8-10 hrs! Use a little less and i get 14 hrs and im using the 1650 mh batt
Hey guys I am up for a replacement on 8/20. I can't decide to get the s3 or the nexus
The s3 has so many features I love over the nexus.better battery life, bigger screen, more ram and a better processor.but the nexus has jellybean already.maybe some members who previously had a nexus can chime in and tell their personal opinion about the phones that would be awesome.thanks guys
Nexus or Sgs 3 and you thinkng??
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
If you are aware for all of these advanteages, than why are you even asking?
It seems like you already know the answer
bottom line WHY GET AN OLD PHONE???
S3 is newer.....cant wait for the Note 2. that will be my next new toy.
I have both the Nexus and S3.
I haven't got around to putting on Jellybean on the Nexus yet.
The S3 feels better in your hand and runs smoother, thanks to the better CPU. The bigger screen is certainly better and doesn't feel awkward either.
The notification light on the S3 is much brighter and more vivid than on the Nexus.
You will also notice how much lighter and thinner the S3 is to the Nexus.
The MicroSD port in the S3 is a nice addition too, something which the Nexus doesn't have.
TouchWiz isn't that bad either and it doesn't seem to slow down the S3.
The only bad thing about the S3 is that the back cover, once removed is actually a bit flimsy. But once its on the main unit, the S3 device as a whole seems to be good quality. Not metal, but not cheap plastic either.
All in all the S3 is a generation ahead of the Nexus, no question about it.
I'm not the biggest Samsung fan, however, if the S3 has all that over the Nexus, I'd certainly go for the Sammy. The Android OS will/can be changed/updated by rooting it. That would give you all the benefits of the better hardware combined w/better roms anyway. If HTC is out of the running, Moto has nothing to offer (american made) and Nexus is that dated then my vote is the S3.
That said, I can't wait to get rid of my kindle fire for the new nexus tablet, that thing is the ****
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using xda app-developers app
If your using an upgrade get the S3 and worst case trade for nexus + cash. If your buying outright consider value for price/performance ratio... ie: nexus ~$300 vs gs3 ~$600 is the gs3 worth almost double? Is it almost twice as good?
Don't get me wrong I love the gs3 lasts all day does it all, has a micro SD, no direct updates/vanilla experience yet AND its quite a bit more.. I could easily have a nexus + nexus 7 vs my 1 gs3....
Just something to consider
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
kidhudi said:
Hey guys I am up for a replacement on 8/20. I can't decide to get the s3 or the nexus
The s3 has so many features I love over the nexus.better battery life, bigger screen, more ram and a better processor.but the nexus has jellybean already.maybe some members who previously had a nexus can chime in and tell their personal opinion about the phones that would be awesome.thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat, dude.
No microSD card on the Nexus is actually a deal breaker for me. Gorilla glass is a necessity - i hate scratch phones. Sound quality for me is a priority and SIII wins hands down.
Thoughts for SIII:
- SD card
- Wolfson DAC
- BT apt-x
- gorilla glass
- better camera
- quad core
Well, the advantages of Nexus:
- price (around £120 less in this country)
- it is google = no bloat, good support, speedy updates
I think the wise decision would be go for SIII when the price drops a little (after iPhoney 5 is introduced)
Thanks guys I am 99 percent going with the s3. I just didn't want to be in same boat so am in right now with this thunderbolt.because of ril issues the t-bolt is still stuck in gingerbread.don't get me wrong the t-bolt has amazing devs.but htc sucks with updating.the phone. I see there is a port for JB already for the s3 but I fear it will be a dead project like all the t-bolt ICS
Roms. This is definitely my last HTC product.
kidhudi said:
I see there is a port for JB already for the s3 but I fear it will be a dead project like all the t-bolt ICS
Roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope I'm not misunderstanding you but you have NO reason to fear Jellybean becoming a dead project on the S3. Maybe that specific thread will die, but there absolutely will be Jellybean roms for the S3. Many I'm guessing. Just give it a month or two.
ficklecycler said:
I hope I'm not misunderstanding you but you have NO reason to fear Jellybean becoming a dead project on the S3. Maybe that specific thread will die, but there absolutely will be Jellybean roms for the S3. Many I'm guessing. Just give it a month or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that was my fear. the ICS roms on the t-bolt have been in limbo for months now. I am a flash-a-holic and i wanted to make sure this device would be cool. I would love to see a 100% working port of the release for the nexus on this phone. I am dying to check out the new google search feature. blow my i-freak freinds out of the water . they think siri is good wait till they see this.:laugh:
I'm due for an upgrade on the 2nd next month and was thinking of the S4. How's the battery life, way better than my GNex or about the same? And I'm kinda stuck with having to use Verizon as they're the only carrier that has decent signal where I live and all.
Or are there any other phones coming out in the next month and I should get one of them?
Get the s4. I get all day battery with moderate usage. Also the rom development is amazing!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
Cop the s4.... I came from a GNEX as well and im loving it
Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk
Former Gnex user as well....you should upgrade. I use to wake up at 7, take my Gnex off the charger and use it quite a bit at work and by 12 or 1 I would need to charge it. With the S4 i don't need to charge it until I go to bed sometimes not even. Battery is excellent and signal with it is so much better.
The only downsides, so to speak, are the relative lack of roms and kernels as compared to a Nexus device and that we'll have to wait longer for the next iteration of Android.
That being said, the S4 has provided a superior experience, as far as I'm concerned. Even with the extended battery, I had to have a spare charger prepositioned at work because the Nexus couldn't last until lunch. Conversely, the S4 is seldom below 40% by the time I plug it in at night.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Agreed, I left the GNex and haven't missed it at all. Development is much farther than it was on a few of my previous phones at just over a month into it.
I'm acutally between the S4 and the Nexus 4 on T-Mobile's $30 plan since I honestly don't use more than 5gb/mo anyways.
Like the bigger screen on the S4 and colors look a bit nicer, but I love the open nature of Nexus devices. And the Nexus 4 is $299 off contract so yea.
najaboy said:
The only downsides, so to speak, are the relative lack of roms and kernels as compared to a Nexus device and that we'll have to wait longer for the next iteration of Android.
That being said, the S4 has provided a superior experience, as far as I'm concerned. Even with the extended battery, I had to have a spare charger prepositioned at work because the Nexus couldn't last until lunch. Conversely, the S4 is seldom below 40% by the time I plug it in at night.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
s4 already has aokp cm PAC and a bunch of others. But seeing how the S4 will be a nexus device that will all change soon as it's released
i came from a gnex as well... its night and day difference. normally my phone would get pulled off the charger at 8 and be dead by 1 or 2. my S4 went 9hours yesterday and was still at 84%...
I made the jump and I love it.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium
Just jumped of my GNEX as well to this S4 and could not be happier. I never think about the battery anymore. its like a weight has been lifted off of me.
Other than that I have to say im not a fan of the "button" the S4 has. I really liked the 5 soft keys configured on my GNEX,
IMO the button is clunky.
Other than that the S4 is a nice piece of equipment.
Go for it//
S4 is amazing and I couldn't be happier with it but if you want options you can look into the HTC One. I hear plenty of great things about it and it will hopefully be on Verizon by the end of summer. Good luck!
kdogg78 said:
Just jumped of my GNEX as well to this S4 and could not be happier. I never think about the battery anymore. its like a weight has been lifted off of me.
Other than that I have to say im not a fan of the "button" the S4 has. I really liked the 5 soft keys configured on my GNEX,
IMO the button is clunky.
Other than that the S4 is a nice piece of equipment.
Go for it//
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree... I also got used to the 32gig on board, instead of having to go back n forth between external and internal
Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk
The battery life of almost any phone nowadays will be better than the Galaxy Nexus.
My $.02... I still have the gn. I will never part with it. Even started a new line to keep it as a real phone
I've had a droid1, dinc, stratosphere, note2, rezound, nexus 7.
This is the only upgrade that ever felt like a real upgrade. The rezound was close with a beautiful screen and great sound but coming from the incredible at the time it just wasn't the leap I was looking for.
The speed, screen, camera and even the feel are huge improvements for me. I still like holding the gn, feels sturdy in comparison, but the overall difference between the two is barely worth comparing.
If you upgrade and are disappointed after I'd be shocked and suggest you wait another year cause I think it'll take that long to catch up to the features of the s4.
Thanks op I feel better than ever about owning this beast!
Oh and battery life seems infinite at times but I only need to charge once a day and use it throughout.
Sent from my SCH-I545 with xenonHD
I also agree with a lot of the users here, I love the S4. The development is amazing and can only get better because it is a new phone. Battery life is pretty good, I charge mine over night and it easily lasts all day. Overall a really great phone and work every penny imo.
even when talking on the phone for very long periods at a time the battery on mine still lasts long enough to get me though the day.
I came from a GN also. It is worth the upgrade. Best phone on stupid Verizon!! I was waiting for another Nexus phone, but it will not happen with freaking verizon!!
Great battery life!! Phone has been off the charger since 6am and its at 92%, with moderate use.
Just got my S4. Already have it rooted, thank god I checked before doing the OTA. Got TWRP installed now to just find a nice ROM to get this thing started with.
Go for it!
As I'm sure has been stated a million times, the ROM development is outstanding thus far, as the phone has been widely adopted.
I, personally, didn't come from a GNex, but one of my closest friends has one, and I play with it all the time. He is always complaining about battery life while walking on eggshells and only running what he needs to, while I'm still sitting at 60% at the end of my day with TW features, WiFi, GPS, Mobile data, etc. all running for the whole day.
If you can get past TouchWiz (Either by flashing a ROM or by just getting used to it and enjoying its features), then it's most definitely worth it. Good luck!
EDIT: Just saw that you got your device already. If you're looking for a good ROM, try HyperDrive. I've been running it EXTREMELY reliably as my daily driver for a few days now. It flies, and it even introduces new TW features and tweaks for you to play with.
I would like to hear what you guys would do so read on. Here is a little background story.
So I have hadddd the galaxy nexus since it came out on verizon and love the stock feel and look. Six months ago I had a problem with my nexus and verizon sent me a GS3 which was an amazing phone compared to the nexus hardware wise. The battery was way better, the screen seem so much brighter, speaker much louder and did I say the batter was way better yet? So I kept the GS3 for about a month and a half and eneded up buying another galaxy nexus off craigs list Why you ask? Because I missed the stock experience even thou the GS3 was better in hardware I still loved the stock experience. I did flash aosp on the GS3 but there was always something that wasn't working properly and I'm sure you all know the feeling. Then about a month ago I sold the GS3, kept the Gnex and had an opportunity of buying a Note 2. Same thing here, huge batter life (lasted me about a day and a half), huge screen and loud speakers, pretty much a GS3 on steroids, and lastly it's very big so I would like something a little smaller. Here I am again finding my self using my Gnex all the time and the note 2 sitting. Why you ask? Stock experience is what I like best (my opinion). So here is what I have learned. I love stock android and I have realized that I have been flashing CM sine the HTC EVO, battery life is very important specially after owning a note 2 you get spoiled not having to look at battery percentage all day no matter how hard you use the phone, and a good camera.
Here is what I'm thinking since I'm on verizon with unlimited data:
Sell the Note 2 to get (and please tell me about your experience with the GS4)
1-Galaxy s4 (developer edition or the normal verzion phone?) - great hardware, camera, battery life? you tell me since you guys own it. And lastly how are the 4.2.2 and 4.3 rom ports to this phone since there is a GPE with same hardware, what are the problems with it if any or is it a perfect port?
2-Droid Maxx - close to stock android and great batter life, the bad side you have locked down bootloader and capacitive buttons
3-Moto X- love the form factor, close to stock android,same as droid maxx, on screen keys which I love but still dont know about batter life
In the end I am thinking about getting the GS4 due to its large batter, awsome screen and speaker and I would like to run aosp only on this phone if you guys who are running it could give me feedback on the roms out there I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
Let me add a number
4- LG G2- beautiful screen, what looks to be a great battery life and good camera, great speaker and edge to edge screen but will there be developers working on it to get CM or other aosp roms , and the UI looks worse than tw. Just unknown right now
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
luvtorev said:
I would like to hear what you guys would do so read on. Here is a little background story.
So I have hadddd the galaxy nexus since it came out on verizon and love the stock feel and look. Six months ago I had a problem with my nexus and verizon sent me a GS3 which was an amazing phone compared to the nexus hardware wise. The battery was way better, the screen seem so much brighter, speaker much louder and did I say the batter was way better yet? So I kept the GS3 for about a month and a half and eneded up buying another galaxy nexus off craigs list Why you ask? Because I missed the stock experience even thou the GS3 was better in hardware I still loved the stock experience. I did flash aosp on the GS3 but there was always something that wasn't working properly and I'm sure you all know the feeling. Then about a month ago I sold the GS3, kept the Gnex and had an opportunity of buying a Note 2. Same thing here, huge batter life (lasted me about a day and a half), huge screen and loud speakers, pretty much a GS3 on steroids, and lastly it's very big so I would like something a little smaller. Here I am again finding my self using my Gnex all the time and the note 2 sitting. Why you ask? Stock experience is what I like best (my opinion). So here is what I have learned. I love stock android and I have realized that I have been flashing CM sine the HTC EVO, battery life is very important specially after owning a note 2 you get spoiled not having to look at battery percentage all day no matter how hard you use the phone, and a good camera.
Here is what I'm thinking since I'm on verizon with unlimited data:
Sell the Note 2 to get (and please tell me about your experience with the GS4)
1-Galaxy s4 (developer edition or the normal verzion phone?) - great hardware, camera, battery life? you tell me since you guys own it. And lastly how are the 4.2.2 and 4.3 rom ports to this phone since there is a GPE with same hardware, what are the problems with it if any or is it a perfect port?
2-Droid Maxx - close to stock android and great batter life, the bad side you have locked down bootloader and capacitive buttons
3-Moto X- love the form factor, close to stock android,same as droid maxx, on screen keys which I love but still dont know about batter life
In the end I am thinking about getting the GS4 due to its large batter, awsome screen and speaker and I would like to run aosp only on this phone if you guys who are running it could give me feedback on the roms out there I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GS4 has been nothing but great for me.. I wouldn't trade it for ANY of the other phones I've had in the past. The experience thus far has been second to none. One man's opinion. Battery life alone is a deal maker. On the other hand the camera is pretty darn good and the physical size and feel to me is perfection. Super thin and light. Even with a case it's noticeably lighter than my Rezound was stock. To me it's a no brainer.
I have a GS4 on stock unrooted firmware. It is easily the best experience I've had with Android. The 1080 screen is nothing short of phenomenal. I wasn't sure if I would notice anything over 720 (my GS3, N2, GNex) but there's definitely something to be appreciated.
As far as battery life, I get anywhere from 4-6 hours of screen on time. About 20-23 hours of total battery life, hitting the red at about 20 - that's without the power saving mode (lower brightness, adjust screen time, under clock from 1.9GHz to 1.3GHz). Coming from a GNex I'm sure you can appreciate the nightmare that is battery life on it.
Performance wise, even with TouchWiz this phone flies. Enable Force GPU Rendering and it's about as fluid as it gets.
Long story short, you may come to miss AOSP, but with minor customization you can at least simulate the experience. I say go for it.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I love my GS4 but make sure if you want to put any Roms on it to make sure its on the mdk build and don't accept the update. Get home and root right away. Also I originally got the 16 and ended up returning for the 32 gig. I had problems with SD card unmounting so I just rather not mess with it. Both my phones shipped from there warehouse with mdk builds.
Are the aosp builds stable for the gs4? What's broken?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I'm on a very recent cm 10.1 nightly (8/07 I think). There is a call audio hanging thing, but that seems to be fixed by a phone apk that is around page 123ish of the official nightly thread. Other than that and the horrendous bluetooth stack in aosp 4.2.2, it is very stable and everything seems to work.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
luvtorev said:
Are the aosp builds stable for the gs4? What's broken?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been running liquidsmooth for a few weeks now and everything works perfectly...very fast and responsive, GPS works, great battery life, awesome customization, the whole nine.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
perceptualdoor said:
I've been running liquidsmooth for a few weeks now and everything works perfectly...very fast and responsive, GPS works, great battery life, awesome customization, the whole nine.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what I wanted to know. So there are no problems with GPS, camera, any FC's, battery life, data issues and or any screen flickering, right?
Thanks again for all the input. Keep chiming in
If you are not a big flasher, I say wait for the Moto X. The S4 has the developer software but is it really worth paying more for software.
CM, aokp, and other ROMs have milestones that are stable. You can also go that route.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
luvtorev said:
That is what I wanted to know. So there are no problems with GPS, camera, any FC's, battery life, data issues and or any screen flickering, right?
Thanks again for all the input. Keep chiming in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, no problems...running liquidsmooth 2.9 and it's phenomenal.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I went from the gnex to the s4 this week and a after just a few days I am in the same place as you were with your s3. The hardware improvement is fantastic and the battery life issue being gone from my life is almost worth it by itself. But I really miss the stock experience and especially the experience I had in the two weeks with 4.3, which made the gnex like a new phone again. Not being able to flash a stock rom is driving me crazy (the phone was being updated to me7 before I even left the store). I'd wait to see how the Moto X looks to you before you jump in on this one
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4
ntb81 said:
I went from the gnex to the s4 this week and a after just a few days I am in the same place as you were with your s3. The hardware improvement is fantastic and the battery life issue being gone from my life is almost worth it by itself. But I really miss the stock experience and especially the experience I had in the two weeks with 4.3, which made the gnex like a new phone again. Not being able to flash a stock rom is driving me crazy (the phone was being updated to me7 before I even left the store). I'd wait to see how the Moto X looks to you before you jump in on this one
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you understand going from stock android to TW is a tough move for some. So far I am really liking the moto X from all the reviews but Im still having a hard time to pay full asking for its hardware when compared to the other high end phone, because remember I will have to buy my next phone out right or used depending on what I decide to go with. I decided and have put my note 2 on craigslist for sale. I love the note but the phone is a bit too big at times.
I'm really liking all the hardware on the LG G2 but like I said earlier I'll have to wait and see if there is going to be devs working on it. Droid Maxx may also be a good pick due to its software and huge battery. After owning a Gnex you understand how battery life on your next phone needs to be like. The GS4 sounds looks really good too, maybe I'll just do a straight up trade with the note 2 for a GS4.
leyvatron said:
If you are not a big flasher, I say wait for the Moto X. The S4 has the developer software but is it really worth paying more for software.
CM, aokp, and other ROMs have milestones that are stable. You can also go that route.
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This is part of my problem, I love to flash different roms and try them out. So the newer update on the GS4 breaks rooting, correct? If I'm going to go with anything else other the GS4 I'll have to wait and see what the devs will be able to root, that is also an important note to take, at least for me.
Get the Developer Edition
luvtorev said:
I would like to hear what you guys would do so read on. Here is a little background story.
So I have hadddd the galaxy nexus since it came out on verizon and love the stock feel and look. Six months ago I had a problem with my nexus and verizon sent me a GS3 which was an amazing phone compared to the nexus hardware wise. The battery was way better, the screen seem so much brighter, speaker much louder and did I say the batter was way better yet? So I kept the GS3 for about a month and a half and eneded up buying another galaxy nexus off craigs list Why you ask? Because I missed the stock experience even thou the GS3 was better in hardware I still loved the stock experience. I did flash aosp on the GS3 but there was always something that wasn't working properly and I'm sure you all know the feeling. Then about a month ago I sold the GS3, kept the Gnex and had an opportunity of buying a Note 2. Same thing here, huge batter life (lasted me about a day and a half), huge screen and loud speakers, pretty much a GS3 on steroids, and lastly it's very big so I would like something a little smaller. Here I am again finding my self using my Gnex all the time and the note 2 sitting. Why you ask? Stock experience is what I like best (my opinion). So here is what I have learned. I love stock android and I have realized that I have been flashing CM sine the HTC EVO, battery life is very important specially after owning a note 2 you get spoiled not having to look at battery percentage all day no matter how hard you use the phone, and a good camera.
Here is what I'm thinking since I'm on verizon with unlimited data:
Sell the Note 2 to get (and please tell me about your experience with the GS4)
1-Galaxy s4 (developer edition or the normal verzion phone?) - great hardware, camera, battery life? you tell me since you guys own it. And lastly how are the 4.2.2 and 4.3 rom ports to this phone since there is a GPE with same hardware, what are the problems with it if any or is it a perfect port?
2-Droid Maxx - close to stock android and great batter life, the bad side you have locked down bootloader and capacitive buttons
3-Moto X- love the form factor, close to stock android,same as droid maxx, on screen keys which I love but still dont know about batter life
In the end I am thinking about getting the GS4 due to its large batter, awsome screen and speaker and I would like to run aosp only on this phone if you guys who are running it could give me feedback on the roms out there I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
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Get the galaxy s4 dev edition straight from samsung. I have the normal verizon version and had to return it after a hard brick and they sent me the me7 updated version With the dev version you wont ever have to worry about a locked bootloader and have free reign to flash as you desire. There are sooooo many awesome roms for the device already and they just keep getting better. The sheer power of the s4 makes its possibilities pretty endless. So yeah. I suggest the dev edition s4. Hope this helps you in your quest for pure awesomeness!
Edit: if you werent aware the vruame7 update to the verizon s4 completely blocks custom recovery and an unsecure bootloader. There is no fix or workaround at this time. Root has been achieved but if you like custom roms the update is a huge downer.
luvtorev said:
This is part of my problem, I love to flash different roms and try them out. So the newer update on the GS4 breaks rooting, correct? If I'm going to go with anything else other the GS4 I'll have to wait and see what the devs will be able to root, that is also an important note to take, at least for me.
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Unfortunately for me, the way I feel about it is this.
If the boot loader isn't unlocked before 6 months of the phone release, then I am NO way selling it for a DEV Edition phone.
I would be selling the SG4, and getting the HTC One (granted it comes to VZW)
as I know that S-OFF will most likley come (basically boot loader unlock)
and if not, HTC and Verizon have a set up called HTC-Dev.
Once you purchase your phone you can go to the HTC-Dev website and unlock your phone, (voiding warranty of coarse, but I've sent them back with this plenty times)
I would rather buy a phone I can get on contract price and unlock it like with HTC, than buy the Dev Edition off contract.
The bounty is a getting higher and higher, hopefully someone will claim their well deserved pot O' gold.
Take the Galaxy S4 Google (Developer) Edition, beacuse the updates are managed by Google and not from Samsung.
So, you have always the latest update
davidebeatrici said:
Take the Galaxy S4 Google (Developer) Edition, beacuse the updates are managed by Google and not from Samsung.
So, you have always the latest update
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Google edition is not the same thing as the developer edition. The google edition is only available for AT&T and t-mobile. It's sold by Google, while the developer edition has Verizon bands available sold by samsung
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JaeKay said:
Google edition is not the same thing as the developer edition. The google edition is only available for AT&T and t-mobile. It's sold by Google, while the developer edition has Verizon bands available sold by samsung
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Thanks for the explanation
I have had my Gs4 for a mouth and a half and love it. The biggest difference would be its not stock android. But if your willing to root then you could flash the Google edition that Dubbsy has ported over to Verizon. Also if you don't want to worry about battery life you could buy a extended battery or an extra stock battery with a wall charger and carry that battery around. I currently run a ZeroLemon 7500 mAh extended battery and get 2 to 2 1/2 days of battery.
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Is the sprint version 32gb also did LG fix the lag and over heating issue it had when it was released? How is the reception strength, is it great like Motorola phones are... Had The LG Volt and it was horrible... I live in East Windsor,NJ if that helps...
miguel11691 said:
Is the sprint version 32gb also did LG fix the lag and over heating issue it had when it was released? How is the reception strength, is it great like Motorola phones are... Had The LG Volt and it was horrible... I live in East Windsor,NJ if that helps...
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Sprint version is 32 GB. I've had no over heating problems, and that doesn't seem to be a common complaint any more. Reception seems fine to me. It may show slightly lower bars than my Samsung did, but I have no issues with voice or data connections even at work, where we get a really weak signal on all carriers..
There's a new update (ZV6) for Sprint that's supposed to be rolling out beginning on Monday that claims to address much of the lag. But even with the current ROM version, you can pretty much eliminate the lag by using an alternate launcher (like Nova) and an alternate keyboard.
meyerweb said:
Sprint version is 32 GB. I've had no over heating problems, and that doesn't seem to be a common complaint any more. Reception seems fine to me. It may show slightly lower bars than my Samsung did, but I have no issues with voice or data connections even at work, where we get a really weak signal on all carriers..
There's a new update (ZV6) for Sprint that's supposed to be rolling out beginning on Monday that claims to address much of the lag. But even with the current ROM version, you can pretty much eliminate the lag by using an alternate launcher (like Nova) and an alternate keyboard.
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thanks... i got it today for free with contract and i love it so far....
Hijacking thread with a more specific question
Hello I had a Sprint Galaxy S2 and it was amazing, but Sprint sucked here. I sold it and bought the Nexus 4 on ATT Go, and that was fine. Then I got the Nexus 5 and I lost it! ( for shame), but now my wife wants me back on the family plan and a Nexus 6 isn't really in the budget, and I don't think I want to burn an upgrade on a Nexus 5. So I'm looking at either the Galaxy S4, S5, or LG G3. Back to my Epic Touch, ZOMG it was freaking nerdgasm amazing, I had Gingerbread early, I had ICS early, I got the Galaxy note features, before the Galaxy S3 tools did, most fun I ever had. So how is the G3 here, anyone jumping ship to the Nex 6? Galaxy s5? Anyone come from a Galaxy S4 and disappointed. Is Lollipop ever gonna happen? I guess what I'm saying is I am eying the G3 cause of the high res screen, but I got Lollipop on my Nexus 5 and I really like it. Nexus 6 is not in the budget cause its time to put the Nexus 7 out to pasture, and I will get a 9, you hear me woman!?! :silly: (that was directed at the mrs.) So if you were upgrading for free today G3? S5? S4? which one would be the most fun you think?
sgs2.e4gt said:
Hello I had a Sprint Galaxy S2 and it was amazing, but Sprint sucked here. I sold it and bought the Nexus 4 on ATT Go, and that was fine. Then I got the Nexus 5 and I lost it! ( for shame), but now my wife wants me back on the family plan and a Nexus 6 isn't really in the budget, and I don't think I want to burn an upgrade on a Nexus 5. So I'm looking at either the Galaxy S4, S5, or LG G3. Back to my Epic Touch, ZOMG it was freaking nerdgasm amazing, I had Gingerbread early, I had ICS early, I got the Galaxy note features, before the Galaxy S3 tools did, most fun I ever had. So how is the G3 here, anyone jumping ship to the Nex 6? Galaxy s5? Anyone come from a Galaxy S4 and disappointed. Is Lollipop ever gonna happen? I guess what I'm saying is I am eying the G3 cause of the high res screen, but I got Lollipop on my Nexus 5 and I really like it. Nexus 6 is not in the budget cause its time to put the Nexus 7 out to pasture, and I will get a 9, you hear me woman!?! :silly: (that was directed at the mrs.) So if you were upgrading for free today G3? S5? S4? which one would be the most fun you think?
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What i would do in your situation is take a look at the forums and see what they have to offer in the way of roms, themes, ect.. Those phones are all great so you cant go wrong. If it were me i would not get the s4 just because its older and lower resale value, with that said i had an s4 and loved it.
I bought my G3 on Amazon for a penny. So far no issues that I haven't brought onto myself by testing the ROMs that are currently available. The phone is awesome!
MasterScat said:
I bought my G3 on Amazon for a penny. So far no issues that I haven't brought onto myself by testing the ROMs that are currently available. The phone is awesome!
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Couldn't agree more. I went ahead and bought the steel blue at Best Buy and am quite pleased with my purchase. Best $1 I've ever spent on a phone. I have been using just stock rooted ZV4 and am pretty pleased with it. Can't wait for a flashable stock lollipop rom, hopefully that leaked doc floating around is legit...:fingers-crossed:
sgs2.e4gt said:
Couldn't agree more. I went ahead and bought the steel blue at Best Buy and am quite pleased with my purchase. Best $1 I've ever spent on a phone. I have been using just stock rooted ZV4 and am pretty pleased with it. Can't wait for a flashable stock lollipop rom, hopefully that leaked doc floating around is legit...:fingers-crossed:
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Check out BarePop V1. That is stock zv8 (lollipop) with some of the junk removed. I've tested it, and it's pretty sweet!