Moving from VZ Rez to VZ S4: Bittersweet

Moving from VZ Rez to VZ S4: Bittersweet - HTC Rezound

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

Related

General thoughts on the note

Just wanted to give my general impressions on the Note. I'm a former iPhone user and jumped to the skyrocketing in January. I'm a total noob with rooting and flashing but I'm pretty competent with the help of xda. Ended up cracking the screen on the skyrocket and purchased the note last week. I was pretty impressed with it stock for about an hour and couldn't resist rooting.
The Team objection ics rom is out of this world, Unbelievable, 0 bugs, 0 lag, everything is flawless with good battery life to boot. I believe the developer is appdroid and I'd just like to extend my thank you for creating such a piece of artwork.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA

Glad you enjoy it, I find rooting is like a plastic surgery, it pleases you for some time but gotta adjust it often. I am all natural my friends, stock with go launcher running. I am more than pleased. Natural 5.3"
Send from the Noteorious BIG 5.3" Bell Canada

My girlfriend was digging the note when she saw it. It appealed to my inner nerd as well. So we went to AT&T and got a couple, she got the white, I got the blue. We are coming from sprint, and have yet to cancel our contract with them. We wanted to give the note and at&t a try before we fully jumped ship on sprint. I think I am ok with the service through at&t, so I am ok with trading sprint in for them.
The note is interesting. I don't like the default browser, it doesn't seem to zoom on web pages effectively, like it doesn't wrap text to make it readable. But I downloaded a new browser and thats fixed. The battery gets me through the work day, but with what I consider medium usage at best, it's only lasting 10 hours, which seems a little low, especially when I hear the ICS update is making the battery even worse.
I was hoping to be a little bit more wow'd by the note. But coming from an HTC evo, to the note isn't nearly the jump of going from my blackberry curve to the evo. I feel like with a phone this big I should be able to do some amazing things with it, but thus far I haven't figured out what it can really do.
It seems like a really great device, I just want to find ways to make it better or make it do more. Once I convince myself to keep the note, I know I will root it and start flashing, so I am sure that will help me scratch an itch. So I am glad to hear you are liking that rom. But I can't start scratching until I know I am keeping the phone. So I need to find ways/things to convince myself.

Mike208 - I am sure battery life will get better. My first android phone was a Samsung Captivate. In the beginning it was good for about 2.5 hours of screen time a day and made it through the day with push email. In the end I would regularly get about 3.5- 4 hours a day and come home with about 55% battery instead of 30%. In time i believe this phone will have a similar life.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA

mike208 said:
I was hoping to be a little bit more wow'd by the note. But coming from an HTC evo, to the note isn't nearly the jump of going from my blackberry curve to the evo. I feel like with a phone this big I should be able to do some amazing things with it, but thus far I haven't figured out what it can really do.
It seems like a really great device, I just want to find ways to make it better or make it do more. Once I convince myself to keep the note, I know I will root it and start flashing, so I am sure that will help me scratch an itch. So I am glad to hear you are liking that rom. But I can't start scratching until I know I am keeping the phone. So I need to find ways/things to convince myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, what more are you looking for when you got the Note? The GNex is pure Android ICS, the HTC one X selling point was the camera, The iPhone 4S was Siri, and the Note is S-Pen and Huge screen. I never owned the Evo so I dont know what its selling point was but I'd think the 4inch screen to 5.3inch with higher resolution, single core to dual core processor, S-pen, thinner, ICS leaks latest os firmware, and 4G LTE is a jump. I wish the Note could cook us breakfast too but Apple has a patent on it.
-Once you go NOTE, you'd say 4 inches a Joke

SKyRocKeting727 said:
Well, what more are you looking for when you got the Note? The GNex is pure Android ICS, the HTC one X selling point was the camera, The iPhone 4S was Siri, and the Note is S-Pen and Huge screen. I never owned the Evo so I dont know what its selling point was but I'd think the 4inch screen to 5.3inch with higher resolution, single core to dual core, S-pen, thinner, ICS leaks latest os firmware, and 4G LTE is a jump. I wish the Note could cook us breakfast too but Apple has a patent on it.
-Once you go NOTE, you'd say 4 inches a Joke
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said! I for one have discovered the joys of photography and drawing
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2

@Mike208
Just like you, I tested the Note and ATT's network before jumping from my beloved OG EVO and Sprint. Like stated in the above post, every device has a selling point. The Note's selling point is the 5.3" screen and SPen...which I absolutely love. I would suggest learning how to use the SPen and SMemo. I use these tools often and love what they provide. Also, with my short time with a custom ICS ROM, I was loving what is coming down the pipe with ICS. I only switched back to GB, because I want to wait for the source to be released. Otherwise, ICS will really give this device a boost to the top.
Last, a friend at work just got the LTEVO. I had a chance to play with it for awhile and while it is certainly a great device, I didn't feel any buyers remorse. Since I'm so used to my Note, the LTEVO actually felt a bit to small for my taste. I guess it's true about not going back to a smaller screen, lol.
At the end of the day, I love my Note and can't see me going to another device anytime soon. Oh ATT's network is as fast as they claim too. It was kind of painful to see such a great device on a subpar network...at least until Sprint gets their network running the way it should. I actually have faith in Sprint and I'm rooting for them too.

sag7392 said:
@Mike208
Just like you, I tested the Note and ATT's network before jumping from my beloved OG EVO and Sprint. Like stated in the above post, every device has a selling point. The Note's selling point is the 5.3" screen and SPen...which I absolutely love. I would suggest learning how to use the SPen and SMemo. I use these tools often and love what they provide. Also, with my short time with a custom ICS ROM, I was loving what is coming down the pipe with ICS. I only switched back to GB, because I want to wait for the source to be released. Otherwise, ICS will really give this device a boost to the top.
Last, a friend at work just got the LTEVO. I had a chance to play with it for awhile and while it is certainly a great device, I didn't feel any buyers remorse. Since I'm so used to my Note, the LTEVO actually felt a bit to small for my taste. I guess it's true about not going back to a smaller screen, lol.
At the end of the day, I love my Note and can't see me going to another device anytime soon. Oh ATT's network is as fast as they claim too. It was kind of painful to see such a great device on a subpar network...at least until Sprint gets their network running the way it should. I actually have faith in Sprint and I'm rooting for them too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I got the phone because of its size. I was originally annoyed at the way the default browser handled web pages, btu fixed that with a new browser. I shouldn't say I am not wow'd with it. Just sayign when I got my evo I played with it and played with it and played with it. I haven't really got the bug to play with the note like that. I am sure its because it's not a new OS, like the evo was for me.
Yes I do need to learn to use the S-pen and S-memo, I don't really use either. My hand writing is not so great, and even worse on this device lol. I am definitely anxious for ICS, or at least to be able to root and flash.
I think I was expecting to do more with all the screen real estate. But obviously the more widgets I add, the worse my battery is. Well I am off to play with it some and see what I can figure out.

Mike208, my friend I think you have it correct. Switching OS's will give you that desire to play and play and play. Like you, I came from a Crackberry and I played with my EVO forever it seemed. So when you update to ICS, it will give you some new things to discover.
On the wow factor was the data speeds! Not to mention the Note is fast stock. I still like to turn on my Note and marvel at the screen, lol.
I say try to learn and use every aspect of this device...it will really surprise you. Good luck and have fun!
And I didn't think you were complaining, just asking questions.

mike208 said:
I think I was expecting to do more with all the screen real estate. But obviously the more widgets I add, the worse my battery is. Well I am off to play with it some and see what I can figure out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When your eyeballs get as old as mine, all that screen real estate is wonderful! I don't have to zoom in nearly as far to be able to read it.
I too came from the EVO 4G, and I got that because at the time it had the biggest screen available, now the Note has (well, if you discount the Dell Streak).
My note has replaced both my EVO and my 7" Galaxy Tab (original version), now I only need to carry one device. There are compromises on both ends, but nothing I can’t live with.

I can agree stock is OK but I really wasn't wowed because I came from the ics leak on the skyrocket so I was used to ics for a few months. But the rom with all the s3 features and customizations it owns everything out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA

Long time xda lurker and I think this is my first post. Replying here because I too came from sprint with my beloved original evo 4G running cm7. I keep getting offers from friends to buy my evo and I keep turning them down. I think I'm going to throw AOKP on it since it's supported.
Anyway, I live in Dallas/Fort Worth and my 4G speeds were always amazing. Having said that, the biggest wow factor for me with the move to att and the note has been the awesome data speeds. Little stuff, like d/ling a 3 meg app from the market is just ridiculously fast and comparable to my home uverse on the fastest plan.
My battery life is decent if I can keep it out of my fiance's hands and her constant playing of draw something and zombie lane.
I'm using SwiftKey Tablet Beta 3 because I love the word predictions. I was a long time swype user but it seems too inaccurate on the note. That's without the spen.
I'm using go launcher ex even though it is a laborious process finding good themes.
Haven't rooted yet because I've realized it's quite different going from an HTC phone to Samsung and wanted to get comfortable before switching.
Edit: guess this was my 2nd post
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

level0 said:
I'm using SwiftKey Tablet Beta 3 because I love the word predictions. I was a long time swype user but it seems too inaccurate on the note. That's without the spen.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For Swype to work accurate, you need to turn off languages other than English, ( or whatever you using) in swype settings.

tonybholla said:
I can agree stock is OK but I really wasn't wowed because I came from the ics leak on the skyrocket so I was used to ics for a few months. But the rom with all the s3 features and customizations it owns everything out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I was considering the S3 because it had some cool sounding features. So I am definitely interested in getting my root/flash on with this note. I may even take a crack at developing my own rom with this bad boy. I would love to see something like Diablos 4 Kornerz rom on the note
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1612933

gotshoaib said:
For Swype to work accurate, you need to turn off languages other than English, ( or whatever you using) in swype settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does seem to drastically help the accuracy when using Swype with my index finger. I'm going to give it a try again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

One more random thing. I thought I would try and run quadrant just for fun and after killing some background apps and ram using go taskmanager and go power master my stock unrooted note scored a 3100. Not sure if that is impressive or not but seems to be decent given other scores I've come across. Makes me look forward to ics roms even more.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

Just tried an interesting experiment. Was running more quadrant tests and my score never got higher than 2500. I realized the only thing different was having swype set as default keyboard. Switched back to SwiftKey and scored 3053 on first try. Food for thought.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

level0 said:
Just tried an interesting experiment. Was running more quadrant tests and my score never got higher than 2500. I realized the only thing different was having swype set as default keyboard. Switched back to SwiftKey and scored 3053 on first try. Food for thought.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quadrant means nothing. I used to get 3000+ on my HD2 (2009 technology) which isn't even an official android device.

I have the note, and I am still within my 30 days....I have been having lots of LAG....not sure but it doesn't seem to happen to everyone. I am thinking about contacting amazon wireless for a replacement. I too am dying to root this thing as I have been running ICS on my T-Mobile G2 for several months and absolutely loved it. My battery life increased by nearly 50% and performance overall increased as well. I did have it OC'd to about 1.5Ghz (from 800Mgz stock)
I am contemplating the SG3 but, yesterday I used a friends SG2 and the 4.5 screen seemed tiny, nearly "non-functional" LOL. The SG2 is much more fluid than my SGN.
Anyone who has had lag issues ...how have you dealt with it?

Crey23 said:
I have the note, and I am still within my 30 days....I have been having lots of LAG....not sure but it doesn't seem to happen to everyone. I am thinking about contacting amazon wireless for a replacement. I too am dying to root this thing as I have been running ICS on my T-Mobile G2 for several months and absolutely loved it. My battery life increased by nearly 50% and performance overall increased as well. I did have it OC'd to about 1.5Ghz (from 800Mgz stock)
I am contemplating the SG3 but, yesterday I used a friends SG2 and the 4.5 screen seemed tiny, nearly "non-functional" LOL. The SG2 is much more fluid than my SGN.
Anyone who has had lag issues ...how have you dealt with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude.. keep the Note and put Team perfection's Objection Rom on it... you will be blown away..

From a Rezound to a Galaxy S III

Before I begin please let me say that his is not meant in an way to bash HTC, the Rezound, nor this community in any way. This is simply a review, if you will, comparing the two. I loved the Rezound so I wanted to give my $.02
Let's start with the physical appearance. (I'll including screen review with hardware) There are two things that are quite obvious: The GSIII is, of course, a larger screen at 4.8" with the Rez at a 4.3". The S3 seems to have a smaller bezel in comparison which is certainly made possible due to one thing I've always wanted to have: No Verizon branding on the front. The Galaxy S III simply has "SAMSUNG" resting below the main ear piece and between the LED and the sensors/camera. While the HTC Rezound has four red soft keys at the bottom, the GSIII as an oval home button and that is all you see. When the phone is on, you are greeted with a menu key on the left and back on the right, both giving a soft white glow. I've sat there for about twenty minutes trying to see any kind of outline for the keys and found none. I have to tip my hat to Samsung for making them "discrete."
The Rezound has the power button on the right corner of the top of the phone, making it very easily accessible with it's 4.3" display. The GSIII has the power button on the right side of the phone closer to the top, making it easy to hold your phone and keep your thumb either on or around the button. (The home key is a hard key, not soft, so it can be used to turn your screen on.) The volume rocker is a single piece that can be easily pushed in either direction. While the rocker on the Rezound seemed a bit low profile, the GSIII's sticks out nicely and doesn't give me an trouble.
The back of the GSIII is made of polycarbonate, giving it a nice "firm" feeling instead of the traditional cheap plastic feel. Since you hold the phone more towards the bottom, Samsung has put the speaker next to the camera, whereas the Rezound had it at the bottom. This was never a problem for me with the Rezound due to how I held it, but I no some people aren't a fan, saying it's placement was awkward. I will say that it provides a lot of noise that's clear and doesn't sound too distorted, as opposed to the Rezound where I felt like it was somewhat muted and crackly. The Rez sports a dual-LED flash while the GSIII has a single. Now, while it seems that the flash on the GSIII is brighter, I've noticed a big issue: It sits kind of "low." Because of that, when I have my flash turned on I have light spilling out at the top through the gap between the battery door and the phone. While this isn't bothersome since you can't see it from the front of the phone, it is annoying because it doesn't flow with the polished design that Samsung tried to give.
Now, hardware!
The Galaxy S III has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU that clocks in at 1.4GHz, while the Rezound uses a Snapdragon S3 clocked in at 1.5GHz. For those that aren't too familiar with CPUs: Even though the Rez is clocked in a .1 higher, the S4 is newer and has the upper hand. The GSIII has 2GB of RAM (while the international version just has 1GB but a quad-core over dual) and the Rezound has 1GB. I've come to quickly realize it's because of how much memory Touchwiz uses. At the moment of me typing this, I have every app closed on my GSIII (minus the launcher) and I have 803MB of my RAM used. That being said, I never run into an issue of almost running out of RAM (I'll get into management later when I review software.)
Both phones use 8MP camera on the rear capable of recording in HD. However, as known, a higher MP count does not automatically mean a better camera. No matter what ROM I use, I seem to have issues getting my GSIII to focus from time to time. Even when I can get it to focus, it just seems that the Rezound takes a slightly better picture. I would post comparison shots but I no longer have my Rezound.
Now, for the screens. The Rez uses a 720p SuperLCD IPS display and packs a whopping 342DPI, making it one of the best displays out. The GSIII uses an HD Super AMOLED with a 720p resolution. While it has a smaller DPI count (320) it provides very crisp (but not as sharp compared to the Rez) images with "true" colors. I did a side-by-side comparison of a few images at full brightness and the GSIII was superior. Now, as I said though, it isn't as "crisp" as the rezound. However, unless you have the phone an inch from your eyes, you can't really tell.
On a side note, I would like to point out that the radio isn't as bad as everyone was saying it is. I've honestly noticed no difference in signal strength from my Rezound to my GSIII.
EDIT: Forgot to talk about battery life. The Rezound has a 1,620mAh battery while the GSIII has a whopping 2,100mAh. The difference is understandable given the screen size. However, I've noticed that with LTE on, screen at max brightness, and all of the motion controls and "Smart" actions, I'll get around 12 hours with a screen on of about 3 1/2 hours and be at about 25-30%. And AOSP battery life just isn't fair lol.
Software! When it boils down to it, we mainly care about our user experience and how quickly we can get things done. Since the GSIII is using newer hardware, I'll just point out features (With Sense 4, to make it fair.)
Sense 4 out of the box is customizable compared to other OEM skins. Being able to swap skins on the fly is very handy. The only issue I ever had was not being able to swap individual components (Navbars, clocks, lock rings, etc.) but still loved the fact that I could. My biggest pet peeve with Sense 4 relates to animations and the fact that they only really happen when you're using Rosie. If you use Rosie and open Messages, you get something along the lines of a flying out animation. A simple animation that's nice, but I don't know why HTC restricted it to Rosie. Stock TouchWiz implements the AOSP ICS animations that are very fluid, giving the UI a nice snappy-feel while keeping it smooth. When it comes to sharing in Sense 4, you have a lot of standard options. An example being Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Email, Picasa...but I always hated that it missed a simple one system-wide: Texting. I wasn't a fan of how it was selective about what you could share via text (such as facebook photos and photos from different websites) so I have to give this one to TouchWiz seeing as it gives you every option you can think of at all times.
While Sense 4 does provide a nice user experience with the apps included and how you can stream (just as on previous iterations), Samsung upped the ante for all other OEMs with a flood of amazing user-friendly features (possibly in response to Apple saying "You don't innovate.") Your GSIII is sitting in another room and you get a text? As soon as you come back and pick up your phone, it will vibrate to let you know you have a notification then flash a blue LED to let you know it's a text. Get a text that says "Call me?" you just swing your phone up to your ear and the phone will automatically call that person (can also be done while just viewing the contact.) You have the ability to be playing a video on your phone and just have it "popped up" in the corner of your screen so you can watch it while, say, typing an e-mail. The limitation I've noticed is it has to be a video saved on your phone. Another interesting thing I've found is being able to set the vibration pattern for a single contact or groups. You have a few stock patterns but have the option to make your own very easily. The way the S3's task manager handles things seems to be a bit more solid than others. I never notice an choking of my system. Doesn't matter much, seeing as a fresh application still loads like it had been quietly running the entire time.
In short, Sense 4 is a great UI experience compared to earlier versions of Blur, Touchwiz, and Sense itself. But Samsung really went the extra step with "Nature UX" to blow the competition out of the water. While I do understand that many don't like the color scheme of Touchwiz/Nature UX (whatever you want to call it.) but it is by far the best UI I've ever dealt with. It's smooth, VERY smooth and provides features that simply make you and your phone feel more connected.
This all being said and done, I love this phone. How it feels in my hand, the styling of it, the hardware. I haven't had a Samsung since the first Omnia running WM 6.1 and I have to say I'm more than impressed and very happy.

Thank you for this, make me more jelly lmao
Sent from my aokp_tenderloin using Tapatalk 2

Funny thing is i went to nexus after having the rezound. Nexus was great but random service drops got me sooo annoyed. So i bought a gs3 yesterday. Little do you know a jb leak with radios comes out and i havent dropped service yet. Now my nexus is a great phone. But i might return my gs3 maybe not i like newer toys. But great review. The rez screen beats both imo tho
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Thadrow said:
Funny thing is i went to nexus after having the rezound. Nexus was great but random service drops got me sooo annoyed. So i bought a gs3 yesterday. Little do you know a jb leak with radios comes out and i havent dropped service yet. Now my nexus is a great phone. But i might return my gs3 maybe not i like newer toys. But great review. The rez screen beats both imo tho
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I turned down the Nexus and went for a GSIII. That and I heard the III had better battery life so I figured "why not?" I don't think a leak has come out for the GS3 for Jellybean. Well, one has for the T-Mobile version but not Verizon's. Glad to hear it helped you out, though. And thanks! Yeah. The viewing angle and sharpness are better, but I love color depth, so I'm sold. First time I pulled up Power Amp on my GSIII my eyes were in love haha. The main theme is black with blue trim so it looks stunning.

I think this would be more appropriate in the SIII forum possibly, if people wanted to find out more about the SIII i don't think they would go here.
edit: well at least now i know what to tell people when they ask me what's a new good phone.

RoryHe said:
I think this would be more appropriate in the SIII forum possibly, if people wanted to find out more about the SIII i don't think they would go here.
edit: well at least know i know what to tell people when asking me for what new phone's are good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe, but I think it goes here too. Many people are talking about the GS3, so it is good to hear what a Rezound owner thinks.

RoryHe said:
I think this would be more appropriate in the SIII forum possibly, if people wanted to find out more about the SIII i don't think they would go here.
edit: well at least know i know what to tell people when asking me for what new phone's are good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you see the are you switching to the gs3 thread? This could of went there but pointing out that it's relevant.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

blestsol said:
Did you see the are you switching to the gs3 thread? This could of went there but pointing out that it's relevant.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might be me but I don't understand what you just said.

When I get mine ill post a review in here.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app

RoryHe said:
It might be me but I don't understand what you just said.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a popular thread talking about moving to the gs3. This thread could of just been added in that thread. I'm pointing this out to show you that the thread is relevant and people do care, even though it's the rezound forum.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

blestsol said:
There's a popular thread talking about moving to the gs3. This thread could of just been added in that thread. I'm pointing this out to show you that the thread is relevant and people do care, even though it's the rezound forum.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people just automatically think that because a thread is about a different phone that it's the worst thing in the world, even if it is to inform people. You're probably right, though. Can a mod just move the OP into that thread or should I just flag this one to be deleted and post the review in that thread?

Love the hardware... hate the software... miss my sense 4 roms.... but one glaring issue that has me contemplating selling and going bk to using my rezound as my dd is the radios are horrid.... constant data drops and slow speeds are killer on this phone... and yespecially I've tested in about 4 huge markets across t he us.... so def miss my rezound in certain aspects
Sent from my unlocked VZW Galaxy SIII

vdChild said:
Love the hardware... hate the software... miss my sense 4 roms.... but one glaring issue that has me contemplating selling and going bk to using my rezound as my dd is the radios are horrid.... constant data drops and slow speeds are killer on this phone... and yespecially I've tested in about 4 huge markets across t he us.... so def miss my rezound in certain aspects
Sent from my unlocked VZW Galaxy SIII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just love the simplicity of TouchWiz, really lol. I can understand different tastes. Just send your S3 in to Samsung (if you have warranty.) I have great service with mine. I found out I'm pulling faster speeds, actually. I managed to hit 39.6/14.1

Glad the OP likes his new phone but I always get the feeling when I read things like this whether the person is trying to convince him or herself rather than us that they made a good purchase. Don't get me wrong, I think we all have that need especially when it comes to electronics. It's funny to see how the GNote2 blows the GS3 out of the water already so shortly after the latter's release and if the rumors are true about LG's next superphone it seems like we will only have to wait a short while before the latest Galaxies are a distant memory again. If only I was a celebrity..I'd show my face on each and every one of these new device announcements just to get the freebies.

@ all: I would just remind you a couple of things:
1st Do not try to make Mod job, if you don't like a thread just refrain yourself to post no sense words.
2nd Moderate your language, words like dbag or fag are not tollerated against another user.
Thank you.

I see ive been moderated.......oops!
Anyway, thanks for posting the review. Ive been looking at the gs3 too.

I think we all knew how this story, ahem review was going to turn out. I doubt a flagship device such as the SG3 was going to lose out in this comparison. Just the fact that its a shiny new toy wins it a few brownie points. That being said I think the rezound still holds up well after almost a year since release, and now that we have kernel source and fully functional AOSP on the near horizon our little device has never looked better

You're in denial. Switched myself and 100x faster, cool as all get out and oh the screen.: ) and stable cm 10. The rezzy was great but I must say you can't say the s3 isn't baller
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

The galaxy nexus is also a good option to switch to. The new jellybean radios are nothing short of a miracle. No data drops, crazy speeds, and great reception now. Its smoother than touchwiz especially on jellybean. New radios also improved battery a ton. They are also much more likely to exchange a defective rezound for the nexus as well.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

blackhand1001 said:
The galaxy nexus is also a good option to switch to. The new jellybean radios are nothing short of a miracle. No data drops, crazy speeds, and great reception now. Its smoother than touchwiz especially on jellybean. New radios also improved battery a ton.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gotta agree here. With the radio kinks worked out, I'm tempted to find the nearest nexus on craigslist. No way am I paying retail price.

AT&T Galaxy S4 vs HTC one

I know there are probably a lot of these threads all ready l, but this is this is a tough decision for me. I've had a hard time finding a comparison of the two devices that goes beyond the gimmicky Samsung features and the screen. My decision really has come down to a few things.
1) Development. Reading around here it seems cyanogen himself has bought this phone and will be working on it. I have a history of Samsung phones and development has always been very active on them. It's too early for me to guess which will have more ROM availability and system stability . which brings me to the next point.
2) The battery. I always am running some flavor of AOSP and love AOKP, but in all my phones I have had system freezes that require me to pull the battery to get out of it. Not to mention misclicks into download mode which required a battery pull to get out of it. Does the One have a way to force the phone to shut off in the event of a total freeze?
3) The screen. Everyone seems to be raving over the super amoled vs superlcd. The annoying terms don't tell me anything and never have I complained about the color detail of the screen. What I care about is if the screen can get dark enough so I can use it in a dark room without blinding myself and in sunlight and see the screen.
4) the SD card I will adjust to. Its 32 GB and I've never needed more than that anyway. I'd complain about this if it were only 16GB.
Besides that I've read enough to know both are awesome phones but its a tough decision.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

I faced this decision today at Costco. Wait for the 4 or get the one. Low and behold I walked out of Costco with the one in hand for 185 on a upgrade. I've had every Samsung s1 s2 skyro s3 even had the infuse. Time for a change I think. So far so good
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

hampsterblade said:
I know there are probably a lot of these threads all ready l, but this is this is a tough decision for me. I've had a hard time finding a comparison of the two devices that goes beyond the gimmicky Samsung features and the screen. My decision really has come down to a few things.
1) Development. Reading around here it seems cyanogen himself has bought this phone and will be working on it. I have a history of Samsung phones and development has always been very active on them. It's too early for me to guess which will have more ROM availability and system stability . which brings me to the next point.
2) The battery. I always am running some flavor of AOSP and love AOKP, but in all my phones I have had system freezes that require me to pull the battery to get out of it. Not to mention misclicks into download mode which required a battery pull to get out of it. Does the One have a way to force the phone to shut off in the event of a total freeze?
3) The screen. Everyone seems to be raving over the super amoled vs superlcd. The annoying terms don't tell me anything and never have I complained about the color detail of the screen. What I care about is if the screen can get dark enough so I can use it in a dark room without blinding myself and in sunlight and see the screen.
4) the SD card I will adjust to. Its 32 GB and I've never needed more than that anyway. I'd complain about this if it were only 16GB.
Besides that I've read enough to know both are awesome phones but its a tough decision.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I'd say development is fair game for both phones. The One looks like it's going to receive quite a bit of support, while the S4 looks like it's going to sell well no matter what due to Samsung's marketing. I'd say that both phones are going to receive quite a bit of development. I'd say it's only a matter of whether you prefer Sense or TouchWiz, in case you need the option of using a stock-based rom every now and then.
2. The battery in the S4 is supposedly just slightly better, according to some reviews I've read. The One battery is not removable, but you can force a "battery pull"-like action with the phone by holding down volume up, volume down, and power at the same time for several seconds. It worked for me when I tried to use Aroma installer and it froze.
3. I'm not really sure what to tell you on this. I'd say it's a matter of preference. On one hand, the One's screen does look better, but on the other hand, it's definitely a bright screen. Not to mention if you wanted to use a smart cover-like accessory, only the S4 would work with that given the super amoled technology.
4. If you're a real junkie, the S4 probably has you covered with expandable storage. But if 32 is really enough, you can go for either phone, really. AT&T also offers the 64GB flavor in case you want to never worry about your storage.
Hope this helped.

I would take the HTC One over the S4 just cuz the premium design seems more durable and nicer looking. Plus most of the S4 apps seem a bit gimmicky to me while the HTC One seems to have less of that, though the new Sense system is still bloatware.I would root the device and go AOSP anyways.

What did it for me was the screen. The HTC One's screen out shines the S4 all the way. But every user is different you might prefer a removable battery. The simple fact that the HTC One from AT&T is the same as the international opens a wide source of ROMs and will attract more developers. Also the fact that it would appear they are not locking the bootloader. As of now they just confirmed that the S4 is locked and it took them over a month to unlock the bootloader on the S3.
I think from a development stand point the HTC One is a great addition. Something to keep in mind, you said you like the pure android feel (AOKP, AOSP, CM10.1). In the past those roms could not use the image chip in the HTC One X, there may be a chance if you get this phone and run it on AOKP you will only have a 4 MP shooter, which may be a deal breaker for you. Or they may unlock the full power of that camera and it be even better.
Both are great phones and will make you happy

htc One is Great SuperPhone
htc One is My Next Phone 100%

Thank you for all your answers. Definitely reinforces that both phones are great. I think I'll give it a few weeks so I can see how far development has come along then.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

hampsterblade said:
Thank you for all your answers. Definitely reinforces that both phones are great. I think I'll give it a few weeks so I can see how far development has come along then.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind, not only does Cyanogen himself have an HTC One, but so do a couple of other major CM devs from other phones - h8rift from the One XL (who did amazing things), and sk8erwitskil from the LG Optimus G.
Hell, there's already an early alpha for CM10.1:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2248116
Development is going to be awesome for the One. I'm sure it'll be great for the S4 too, of course, but I wouldn't worry about the One.

My view of the phones is basiclly the phone is just a shell, we decide what roms to put on it. 2gb of rams on both same with a quad core processor. Those where the driving forces behind me choosing, I wanted a solid build quality that wasn't plastic. CM10.1 is coming to both

Silellak said:
Keep in mind, not only does Cyanogen himself have an HTC One, but so do a couple of other major CM devs from other phones - h8rift from the One XL (who did amazing things), and sk8erwitskil from the LG Optimus G.
Hell, there's already an early alpha for CM10.1:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2248116
Development is going to be awesome for the One. I'm sure it'll be great for the S4 too, of course, but I wouldn't worry about the One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also designgears and graffixnyc have the One. Maybe not CM devs, but great devs. Sk8erwitskil did great things with the recovery for the sgs2 skyrocket.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

I'm so torn. The screen for the S4 looks so much bigger and nicer but the locked bootloader and bloat on it sucks.

I currently have the One but it will be going back on Saturday to be exchanged for the S4. Although I like the aluminum feel and overall design of the phone some minor issues are making me jump ship... The phone gets somewhat hot after playing games like Nova 3 and modern combat 4 for a few minutes, battery life is just so so, and my phone has a small gap on the top between corner and power button (nothing huge but enough to bother me).
I like the microSD card slot (I have a new SD card it will be a waste not to use it) and on the s4 and although it's make of plastic and not aluminum like the One once they both are in a case I will forget about that issue.
It's definitely a tough decision and I hope I don't regret it later, but I also know that if I don't trade this phone in within the first 14 days I will always wondered if i missed out by not going for the s4. Anyways my thoughts
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

soritong said:
I'm so torn. The screen for the S4 looks so much bigger and nicer but the locked bootloader and bloat on it sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, the screen is only a part of the equation, the one is a much better looking device with superior build quality. My wife has a g3, and honestly the build quality isn't comparable.Both will be in the same ballpark performance wise, and the s4 has removable battery and as card support,I have the 64gb version, I'm not worried about storage, I do have doubts about plastic phones, and the appearance of the galaxy series of phones don't appeal to me

I love htc's build and its speakers, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. i am returning my htc one for s4, because my phone heats up a lot and my it doesn't connect to my car via usb or the aux cable(nexus 4, iphone and xperia z work fine with it).

The three dot menu is driving me madddddddddd

eav1026 said:
I currently have the One but it will be going back on Saturday to be exchanged for the S4. Although I like the aluminum feel and overall design of the phone some minor issues are making me jump ship... The phone gets somewhat hot after playing games like Nova 3 and modern combat 4 for a few minutes, battery life is just so so, and my phone has a small gap on the top between corner and power button (nothing huge but enough to bother me).
I like the microSD card slot (I have a new SD card it will be a waste not to use it) and on the s4 and although it's make of plastic and not aluminum like the One once they both are in a case I will forget about that issue.
It's definitely a tough decision and I hope I don't regret it later, but I also know that if I don't trade this phone in within the first 14 days I will always wondered if i missed out by not going for the s4. Anyways my thoughts
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you're going to regret it and will most likely be back before you know it.

Bigjim1488 said:
The three dot menu is driving me madddddddddd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Horrible solution to w problem of htcs creation.
No one mentions the vibration on phones. Htc uses a pretty nasty vibrator motor
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

To all who are complaining about heat..
You do realize the heat is generated mainly from the processor and that the S4 has the exact same one right?
The S4 will have the same amount of heat..
soritong said:
I'm so torn. The screen for the S4 looks so much bigger and nicer but the locked bootloader and bloat on it sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen does not look bigger to me and in reality it's only .3" bigger.. It don't think the S4 screen looks nicer. It's cartoon'ish and standard Samsung over saturation..

For those of you who are thinking about going S4... check out this thread and remember, locked bootloader!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2249581

He need help deciding.

Hey everyone. I know this has been beaten to death but I'm having hard time making a decision.
I have had an AT&T HTC One for the past week or so. I'm very happy with the phone and have had really no issues. I'm running 4.2.2 in it and am happy. Problem is I am seriously considering switching to the s4.
There are some features the s4 offers that I really like. (multi-view, flip to ignore, etc.)
I had One X switched to the s3 then to an iphone 5 but missed android so came back and got the HTC One. Like I said I like the one. The button layout doesn't bother me although I do like the physical home button on the S. The speakers are awesome and the screen is very nice.
I just don't know what to do. I still have time to swap it for an S before my 14 days expire but don't want to regret switching.
Opinions???
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

my opinion is you posted in htc one's turf so ull be getting a lot of don't bother swiching

In the same boat...I've actually got an S4 and a One right now, (the S4 goes to the wife at the end of the week) and I just can't decide if I like the S4 over the One. Both phones are fantastic, but the S4 has a few significant advantages to me that make me want to switch, but the One has other items that make me want to stay. I've got until Friday and it is just driving me nuts.
Here are my deciding factors, just in case they might help you out.
S4 Positives: a real customizable notification light, bigger screen (i also prefer OLED for the deeper blacks), side power button, camera outdoor performance, battery life is greater
One Positives: speakers (tho can be bad because even on the lowest level they are LOUD), camera speed and low light performance, build quality
So yeah...a few for each and I just have to decide which ones are most important to me.

I swapped out my One for an s4 today.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

Gromet said:
I swapped out my One for an s4 today.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any regrets? I did the same and ended up buying another htc one.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

No regrets so far. Actually really liking the S4 so far. The stock keyboard seems much easier to type one compared to the one for me. Liking some of the features a lot, especially multi-view. Screen is nice. I got the 32 gig version and have a 64 gig SD card in as well so plenty of storage.

Gromet said:
No regrets so far. Actually really liking the S4 so far. The stock keyboard seems much easier to type one compared to the one for me. Liking some of the features a lot, especially multi-view. Screen is nice. I got the 32 gig version and have a 64 gig SD card in as well so plenty of storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please read through the s4 vs Htc one threads in both forums.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

I spent 2 weeks going back and forth between the 2 phones and I'm a rep for AT&T, so I got to play with them both all day. I even had the One as my work phone for a week (not allowed to root work phone). I finally made my choice to make the HTC one my personal phone based on these reasons:
1) This is the main reason, I want my top of the line phone to be snappy and as fast as the specs say it should be. The S4 has horrible lag. Now when i say this, I'm the type of person that notices the small things. But I actually felt at times that the S4 got "stuck" on things (like switching from portrait to landscape) more so than my S3.
2) Media: Can't beat the speakers. And as for the camera, sure zooming in isnt as good as the S4 BUT the pictures are a lot less blurry on moving targets. I have kids and they move. What's the point in 13 MP if I can't see their faces? I hear the S4 is better to watch videos on screen wise. I didn't notice much difference. But having the speakers face me on the One was a plus.
3) The novelty on the S4 features, like eye scroll, wore off fast. Not only that, I had to turn then off to help the phone stop lagging. After a while, I honestly felt that all I was holding was an S3 with a better screen.
3.5) Sense 5 has a different keyboard and browser from the previous versions. Not only did it feel much different from my older HTCs, but for the first time I found myself using the STOCK keyboard and browser.
4) Screen Burn in. Just Google screen burn in on S4. And seeing all the super AMOLED screens have words burn in them from being on the AT&T display wall turned me off.
5) Development community: this sealed it for me. The hardware on the One is the same in the US as it is internationally. That means more development options. Also, there were a few trolls who owned S4s (especially on the AT&T side) who were really annoying and immature. The HTC One community, both US and International are awesome. Great people here.
Now I'm not bashing the S4, and if it seems like I'm nitpicking, that's because I am. Like I said, it took me 2 weeks of constant comparing to come to these conclusions. And at the end of it all, I felt like it was the HTC One, not the S4, that I couldn't bare the thought of not having.
Hope this helps buddy!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

I have to completely agree with our ATT friend who is covered exactly the reasons why I switched to the One. Let me also add this to it.
I was an iPhone user since the iPhone 3G. I finally switched to Android with the One. Used it for about a week and loved it but saw all those S4 features and thought that's the phone. I jumped and switched and thought it is going to be great. After using the S4 for about two days I knew exactly why I didn't like Androids. It lags, the features are gimmicky and drain the battery. They don't work with all applications either.
Long story long, I switched back to HTC One and haven't had to modify or root this one because this phone is fast and responsive as it is. (I did root and install and subsequently uninstall bunch of mods)
Almost all benchmarks will tell you that S4 is faster, but unfortunstely the real world usage will reveal otherwise. I did feel that's the S4 was easier and lighter to hold.
I personally think that HTC One beats iPhone 5 (using mine as iPod now) but S4 doesn't hold a candle to either.
Sent from my HTC One

Daneshmand said:
I have to completely agree with our ATT friend who is covered exactly the reasons why I switched to the One. Let me also add this to it.
I was an iPhone user since the iPhone 3G. I finally switched to Android with the One. Used it for about a week and loved it but saw all those S4 features and thought that's the phone. I jumped and switched and thought it is going to be great. After using the S4 for about two days I knew exactly why I didn't like Androids. It lags, the features are gimmicky and drain the battery. They don't work with all applications either.
Long story long, I switched back to HTC One and haven't had to modify or root this one because this phone is fast and responsive as it is. (I did root and install and subsequently uninstall bunch of mods)
Almost all benchmarks will tell you that S4 is faster, but unfortunstely the real world usage will reveal otherwise. I did feel that's the S4 was easier and lighter to hold.
I personally think that HTC One beats iPhone 5 (using mine as iPod now) but S4 doesn't hold a candle to either.
Sent from my HTC One
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You nailed it my friend. I almost succumbed to the gimmicks as well, only to find that they were the very things causing me to lean towards the One.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

One or S4 are two excellent mobilephone, i aslo want to own .but my salary could afford , so i just choose One. if you really like S4, you could buy it.

Gromet said:
I swapped out my One for an s4 today.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same thing and never looked back since then !
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

dbdynsty25 said:
In the same boat...I've actually got an S4 and a One right now, (the S4 goes to the wife at the end of the week) and I just can't decide if I like the S4 over the One. Both phones are fantastic, but the S4 has a few significant advantages to me that make me want to switch, but the One has other items that make me want to stay. I've got until Friday and it is just driving me nuts.
Here are my deciding factors, just in case they might help you out.
S4 Positives: a real customizable notification light, bigger screen (i also prefer OLED for the deeper blacks), side power button, camera outdoor performance, battery life is greater
One Positives: speakers (tho can be bad because even on the lowest level they are LOUD), camera speed and low light performance, build quality
So yeah...a few for each and I just have to decide which ones are most important to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll quote myself to say that after the 14 days, I still really don't have a good answer to this dilema but the HTC One and Beats pill speaker for $99 sealed it for me. I like both phones A LOT, but the slight sluggishness on the S4 is what ultimately swayed me towards the one, even before I saw the link for the deal.

LG G2 scene compared to Samsung

Hey there!
So I recently lost my Galaxy S4 (no questions asked, please) which I was very happy with. I played a lot around with different roms, kernels and stuff.
Now I'm thinking about getting the LG G2 because it seems like the cool new thing on the market. I notice, though, that there aren't really that big scene around for it - I really base that in the forum activity here on XDA. So I would like to know what people's experience is with this thing, especially if you've played around with the SGS4 as well.
A bit off topic in here - I would like to know how it is to root and mod, is it easily bricked? That's one thing I really liked on the Samsung phones in general.
Do you think there will be a bigger scene once it gets out to more people? And roms as well? I know it's hard to live up to the Samsung hype but still...
L8r!

Don't know what to tell you. This phone rocks. The battery the screen the form factor. Couple it with the latest cpu and Graphic ram (what ever that is). This phone packs the best spec right now. The camera is no slouch either with OIS it is up there with the best.
As for developments, this device is so ready. Right now there is root and twrp and CWM. Read it somewhere about kernel source is released (need to fact check on that). This device is more than ready for development.
But still people are waiting one the fence until the released of nexus 5 to make their choices.
But for me I have already made my mine with 3000mah vs 2300mah battery there is nothing nexus 5 can do to beat this.
-LG G2

kcharng said:
Don't know what to tell you. This phone rocks. The battery the screen the form factor. Couple it with the latest cpu and Graphic ram (what ever that is). This phone packs the best spec right now. The camera is no slouch either with OIS it is up there with the best.
As for developments, this device is so ready. Right now there is root and twrp and CWM. Read it somewhere about kernel source is released (need to fact check on that). This device is more than ready for development.
But still people are waiting one the fence until the released of nexus 5 to make their choices.
But for me I have already made my mine with 3000mah vs 2300mah battery there is nothing nexus 5 can do to beat this.
-LG G2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. Plus devs have already made announcements this past week that they're working on this phone. You'll be fine

I've had the S4 (twice), and it doesn't even compare to this phone. The S4 was an un-optimized piece of trash imo. This phone is the opposite where everything is quick and the features actually make sense.
The screen is better, performance is better and battery life is much better. Just grab this phone, you won't be disappointed.
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda premium

Awesome phone, just got it, camera and vid are awesome, cam software could be improved a bit but really it's the best phone I've used, def like it better than s4.. and the nex5 battery is a deal breaker, coupled with an 8mp camera I read it's supposed to have... definitely G2.
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda app-developers app

I've had the s4 , I own the g2 and just recently picked up the note 3 ,Def can't go wrong with the g2 it's the best battery life hands down even compared with the N3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4

I have gs4 and htc one both good phone's till the g2 came in to my life. I thanks my wife every day for the gift. Best phone I have ever try. Battery is just amazing. Speed ufff. Looooks sick, the screen is beautiful, camera amazing. You ask me and it's a 10 stars phone.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app

Well, just hit it and bought it on the web. Coming one of the first days next week, really looking forward to it
But keep coming with input, pros and cons...

KEriksen said:
Well, just hit it and bought it on the web. Coming one of the first days next week, really looking forward to it
But keep coming with input, pros and cons...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're going to love it! Now that I think about it, I haven't had a phone where just about everyone who I've asked is in love with it and raves about it this much (check the other forums S4, HTC One, Note 3, 5s etc)
The G2 is that good. I had the HTC One for a week & took it back to get the G2 once I saw it at the store & don't miss the One @ all. I even waited 2 extra weeks to get the white version.
I'm very particular about the phones I get & how I use them. Trust me, this one will also get put through its paces. In the short time I've had it, I can tell you, its no slouch, the battery is insane, it just won't die no matter what I try to do & this is on the stock ROM!!!!
All I've done it turn off Carrier IQ which you can do without Root! Whoa. You'll see in a few days when you get it.
P.S
There's a Dev on the forums who mentioned they're making ROMs for our phone. In a few weeks this place is going to be buzzing & you'll be amazed @ what your new phone can do

Deleted

LG g2 has been confirmed cheating on benchmarks as well.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7384/state-of-cheating-in-android-benchmarks
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

ha good one... the screen CAN'T compare! I have had the HTC One, S4 and S4 active and this screen is SO much better. Plus everything else it better too. So go play with one and you will see what we mean

I don't normally jump into these types of threads but I have to voice my opinion. I've always been a Samsung fan and love their phones. I'm coming from a Galaxy Nexus and have had plenty of hands on experience with the S3. This phone easily trumps both, hands down. The speed of this phone is amazing, the screen is beautiful and not over saturated like the AMOLED displays, the features are endless (I've had the phone since Thursday and I'm still finding little things out) and development is sure to pick up soon. The rear button placement does take a day or so to get used to but with the Knock On feature I hardly ever press the power button. Go through the 30 Day Challenge videos on PhoneDog about the phone. Their biggest gripe is they claim the phone is TOO FAST!
Sent from my VS980 4G using xda app-developers app

MohJee said:
LG g2 has been confirmed cheating on benchmarks as well.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7384/state-of-cheating-in-android-benchmarks
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
niceto see the note cheats on all but one, LG only on 2.
Anyway whos to say these are cheats, if you run your mobile optimally by changing characteristics, it can hardly be called a cheat, its more optimalization.
also as its been debunked a thousand times over, benchmarks say nothing, its all about your percieved performance.

What is wrong with maxing out to phone setting before benchmark? It is not like they faked the score or anything. I remember my PC days when we used to freeze the cpu and overclock the **** out of it. That may be the extreme example but it is what your hardware is capable off.
-LG G2

Lets just say I'm surprised how good this phone is. The best smart phone I've every owned. My last phone was a GNex with stock 4.3.

Coming from the s4, the screen ALONE makes the G2 a winner to me. The outdoor performance of the g2 KILLS amoled.
Battery life is amazing. I average about 15 hours a charge. Heck, today I'm going on 13 hours since I unplugged it and got 47% battery left. (Location service turned off. I use an app called "smart shortcuts to give me a shortcut to location services for when I need Maps)
Performance wise, this is as smooth as 4.3 gpe ROM I was running on my s4. And that's STOCK.
those factors alone actually made rethink about rooting. But I needed to root to hide those dang on soft keys
Sent from my LG-D801 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

While looking at cases I'm wondering what the difference is between the international version and the carrier versions like Sprint/T-Mobile...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cruzerlite-...F8&qid=1381163951&sr=8-93&keywords=lg+g2+case
It says Sprint only but I can't really see how it should be that different?

KEriksen said:
While looking at cases I'm wondering what the difference is between the international version and the carrier versions like Sprint/T-Mobile...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cruzerlite-...F8&qid=1381163951&sr=8-93&keywords=lg+g2+case
It says Sprint only but I can't really see how it should be that different?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't have the cutout for the mic above the flash like on the AT&T version. Other than that, I don't see a difference.
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda premium

LG G2
I too must confess, (like anyone really cares), I have been a fan of the Galaxy line since they started making them, and I was impressed with both the S4 and N3; was even contemplating picking that up, since my wife and I were due for an upgrade in a few days, she is bent on going for the N3 so that was out of the question, (can't have us both walking around with the same phone), but then I came across the LG G2 on one of those comparison videos and immediately fell in love. After that I went searching for information all over, which brought me back here, because I knew that if this phone was really as hot as I thought it was then it was sure to be buzzing on this forum. And I'm glad to see you guys don't disappoint. You've helped me make my choice that much easier. And can't wait to get my hands on this phone in a few days.
I do have a few questions though:
Is the LG OS on top of the Android OS easy to deal with or is it cumbersome and superfluous?
Would I truly miss not having an micro SD card slot, or is the phone so much ****s and giggles that I won't even notice?
What was the longest time someone has gone without charging their battery, with a full assortment of apps running?

Better Mobile App

welcome