Post what you think are some good, bad, or good/bad (depending on the person) features in Lg's UI/Phone and explain similar to how I have it on each point. Comparing competing Operating skins/Phones/Pure Stock Android as far as the latest and greatest goes. Keep in mind this is mainly for the versions without removable back. I am just copying and pasting so some are not mine. Tell me if you don't agree with any points you see
GOOD:
1) Separates Bluetooth volume from media volume
2) Nav bar hidden when locked, normally not used on lock screen so to me nice addition
3) Stock launcher installed gives option to change App Icons
4) Software buttons customization
5) 1080p Full HD display
6) 13mp OIS camera up to 1080p 60 fps video (4:3 max aspect ratio at 13mp)
7) 2.26 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 Quad-Core Processor
8) Double tap for screen lock or unlock "Option" (can disable if you do not like it)
9) Sapphire crystal Camera Lense, arguably the strongest glass put on smart phones to date
10) Can be configured to pull up a list of apps when the headphone jack is used or it's placed in a dock/charging
11) Seamless notification for muting Calls while playing a game or using a Application when wanting to ignore, but letting call ring out
12) IR blaster integration with "Quick Remote" App/Drawer Widget that can be accessed in the notification Drawer
13) Wireless charging (Verizon only)
14) Thin bezels (allows for larger screen in a 'smaller' package) 5.2in screen to be exact
15) Excellent battery life for size, even with the large screen and fast processor (this is mainly due to the G2's 3,000 mAh battery and GRam)
16) No physical buttons (I personally love having soft buttons that are on the main display itself)
17) Weather animations on lock screen (I like little visual enhancements like this - If it's raining you get water drops on your screen, if it is sunny out you get sun rays, etc.)
18) Device unlock animations (there a 5 different animations to choose from for when you swipe to unlock the device and each one of them shows a glimpse of what is running underneath which I thought was pretty slick)
19) Newest hardware ahead of all competitors will keep the phone current for a long time, even at the end of next year for the form factor packed inside
20) Bright RGB notification light (Nexus 4 is much weaker)
21) YouTube movies look great on the big screen which has the correct proportions for HD video, thus the videos occupy the whole screen unlike on other phones where you can see black bars on either the sides or the bottom
GOOD/BAD:
1) All hardware buttons on back of the device close to where fingers land/Non traditional placement of hardware buttons
Volume Down, Volume Up, Power button
2) Non removable back to keep form factor thinner and high build quality/no micro SD card port or removable battery and back panel
32gigs of storage only with 3000mAh/32 gigs up to 96 with 64gb micro sdcard with any size, type, and back battery replacement is non existant
3) Kernel makes certain colors pop to imitate AMOLED displays and creates a hybrid reproduction of it and LCD/Not naturally accurate
High quality IPS LCD that is bright and semi accurate/No AMOLED with really good contrast for blacks
4) 2 gigs of Ram/2 gigs compared to Note3 and it's 3 gigs of Ram
5) Knock-On - This is an excellent approach of how to go about waking up a phone (especially one that doesn't have any physical buttons on the front or sides). However, as others have reported there is a consistency issue around LG's implementation of this feature. In my experience I have found that it works properly about 4 out of every 5 times
6) FM Tuner - The G2 has a built in FM Tuner which is great, but it's not available on all variants... looking at you Verizon
7) QSlide - Feature that allows the ability to run certain apps on top of the currently running app (calculator, calendar, phone, messaging, videos, etc.). This has been done in the past on other Android devices and I think it is a nice feature, but for me the verdict is still out on it as I have not used it much yet
8) Slide Aside - This is another multitasking feature that allows you to save up to 3 apps at once and quickly jump between them with a 3 finger swipe. Again the verdict is still out on this one as I have not used it much and have had some issues with it being finicky
9) Quite Mode - This allows you to schedule time frames during each day of the week where the phone will automatically silence incoming calls, text and notification sounds (i.e. from 11PM to 7AM every night). I really like this feature however, I would like if there was an option to also disable the notification light on the front when Quite Mode is enabled (that way the random emails I get during the night won't light up my bedroom while I am trying to sleep)
BAD:
1) Old version of Corning Gorilla Glass (Gorilla Glass 2)
2) Not water proof
3) If screen cracks, touch screen will be unusable most likely
4) Tiny soft speaker (mono speaker compared to the HTC One Dual Stereo)
5) Speaker easily muted by hand when playing games
6) 4.2.2
7) Gloosy - Slippery back attracting fingerprints
6) Gets hot when pushed and Throttled when too hot
Can disable feature that throttles when too hot in secret menu
7) More hemes and other UI customizations for the stock launcher. A custom rom or different launcher would obviously address this and would allow tweaking things further (hooray Android!) but I enjoy and appreciate a rich stock experience that you get right out of the box
8) Built in ring tones and notification sounds (again this isn't a big deal and can be easily rectified)
9) Poor camera performance in low light (both stills and video)
10) A bit bland in appearance because of the average build quality, though not ugly
11) Cannot be used with one hand in some scenarios, like when walking depending on size of hand
12) You can't remove the quick access buttons and sliders from the notification drawer (but when rooted you can)
I'll leave the rest to you guys!
2 gigs (compared to 3 gigs that Note 3 has)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Standard RAM amount for current flagships constitutes it as "Bad" just because a Phablet has 3GB? wat?
WhiteZero said:
Standard RAM amount for current flagships constitutes it as "Bad" just because a Phablet has 3GB? wat?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Comparison..
Love the Ram that's given but just not the "best"
WhiteZero said:
Standard RAM amount for current flagships constitutes it as "Bad" just because a Phablet has 3GB? wat?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lmao agreed.
2 gigs is fine im just waiting for 4 plus before i change the thing that the only bad part is no removalble battery and no sd card it would put it head over heals better than everything if it had thoes 2 some people say they like no removable battery i think they are stupid why have less features its like buying a iphone for christ sakes lol
Good: can be configured to pull up a list of apps when the headphone jack is used or it's placed in a dock.
Bad: Issues with Microsoft Exchange
---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 AM ----------
TehJorge said:
Comparison..
Love the Ram that's given but just not the "best"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would it change your mind if you knew that the additional gig was there for the s-pen. Not sure if it is solely reserved for the s-pen as I've heard conflicting reports. But it would suck to buy a 3 gig device only to find out only 2 is actually usable.
crashN2u said:
Good: can be configured to pull up a list of apps when the headphone jack is used or it's placed in a dock.
Bad: Issues with Microsoft Exchange
---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 AM ----------
Would it change your mind if you knew that the additional gig was there for the s-pen. Not sure if it is solely reserved for the s-pen as I've heard conflicting reports. But it would suck to buy a 3 gig device only to find out only 2 is actually usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dreamlogix said:
lmao agreed.
2 gigs is fine im just waiting for 4 plus before i change the thing that the only bad part is no removalble battery and no sd card it would put it head over heals better than everything if it had thoes 2 some people say they like no removable battery i think they are stupid why have less features its like buying a iphone for christ sakes lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TehJorge said:
Comparison..
Love the Ram that's given but just not the "best"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WhiteZero said:
Standard RAM amount for current flagships constitutes it as "Bad" just because a Phablet has 3GB? wat?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, ok... I'll change to good/bad lol
crashN2u said:
Good: can be configured to pull up a list of apps when the headphone jack is used or it's placed in a dock.
Bad: Issues with Microsoft Exchange
---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 AM ----------
Would it change your mind if you knew that the additional gig was there for the s-pen. Not sure if it is solely reserved for the s-pen as I've heard conflicting reports. But it would suck to buy a 3 gig device only to find out only 2 is actually usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly are the issues with Microsoft Exchange?
TehJorge said:
What exactly are the issues with Microsoft Exchange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No issues here.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk 2
moonjak said:
No issues here.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same, I use this for my Job. Very convenient when I'm on the go or away from the office.
TehJorge said:
What exactly are the issues with Microsoft Exchange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, there may be an issue with how the G2 handles data with exchange. I set mine up last night and it worked fine until this morning. I started thinking it was my work's server, but other people are having similar issues using different server types (my work uses outlook, others use internal). Also, I wasn't having the issues on my other 2 phones. Regardless, it appears to be working fine now.
I think you hit most of the main ones so I'll just add a few more and/or expand on some of the ones that you already mentioned. I really don't have any major cons as the only things I can think of are pretty small and nit-picky.
Good:
1) Wireless charging (Verizon only)
2) Thin bezels (allows for larger screen in a 'smaller' package)
3) Excellent battery life, even with the large screen and fast processor (this is mainly due to the G2's 3,000 mAh battery and GRam)
4) No physical buttons (I personally love having soft buttons that are on the main display itself)
5) Weather animations on lock screen (I like little visual enhancements like this - If it's raining you get water drops on your screen, if it is sunny out you get sun rays, etc.)
6) Device unlock animations (there a 5 different animations to choose from for when you swipe to unlock the device and each one of them shows a glimpse of what is running underneath which I thought was pretty slick)
Good/Bad:
1) Knock-On - This is an excellent approach of how to go about waking up a phone (especially one that doesn't have any physical buttons on the front or sides). However, as others have reported there is a consistency issue around LG's implementation of this feature. In my experience I have found that it works properly about 4 out of every 5 times
2) FM Tuner - The G2 has a built in FM Tuner which is great, but it's not available on all variants... looking at you Verizon
3) QSlide - Feature that allows the ability to run certain apps on top of the currently running app (calculator, calendar, phone, messaging, videos, etc.). This has been done in the past on other Android devices and I think it is a nice feature, but for me the verdict is still out on it as I have not used it much yet
4) Slide Aside - This is another multitasking feature that allows you to save up to 3 apps at once and quickly jump between them with a 3 finger swipe. Again the verdict is still out on this one as I have not used it much and have had some issues with it being finicky
5) Quite Mode - This allows you to schedule time fames during each day of the week where the phone will automatically silence incoming calls, text and notification sounds (i.e. from 11PM to 7AM every night). I really like this feature however, I would like if there was an option to also disable the notification light on the front when Quite Mode is enabled (that way the random emails I get during the night won't light up my bedroom while I am trying to sleep)
Bad:
1) Would like to see more built in themes and other UI customizations for the stock launcher. A custom rom or different launcher would obviously address this and would allow me to tweak things further (hooray Android!) but I enjoy and appreciate a rich stock experience that you get right out of the box
2) I was not a fan of many of the built in ring tones and notification sounds (again this isn't a big deal and can be easily rectified)
crashN2u said:
Would it change your mind if you knew that the additional gig was there for the s-pen. Not sure if it is solely reserved for the s-pen as I've heard conflicting reports. But it would suck to buy a 3 gig device only to find out only 2 is actually usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even after the s-pen 1 gig resources, the note 3 has to allocate about 600mb of additional ram to the CPU and GPU as well. Just like our G2's which have the same chipsets btw. The 3 gigs on the Note 3 is not what it seems, after most of the ram is eaten up by these resources the phone will have about 1.4 gigs of free ram roughly. And users will have about 1 gig available for system and apps, and that's way more than plenty for any device running android. A phones superiority isn't made by its Ram, but it's easy for people to get sucked into believing that if they don't understand how ram is managed in android. People still believe more ram means faster phone and that's so far from the truth. No Ram is wasted Ram.
My "Good" list:
- Knock-On feature. I will not get a phone without this ever again. (not only hugely convenient, but my Nexus One button broke over time, and my Nexus 4 button is also giving me problems lately)
- Large capacity battery but also with additional hardware (GRAM) and software power optimizations
- Largest screen in its class (unlikely to be beaten from a same-size phone very soon)
- Newest hardware ahead of all competitors will keep the phone current for a long time, even at the end of next year.
- Bright RGB notification light (Nexus 4 is much weaker)
- FM Radio and IR feature.
- LG added software features (call window does not block the current app, separate volumes, easily accessible quick settings)
- YouTube movies look great on the big screen which has the correct proportions for HD video, thus the videos occupy the whole screen unlike on other phones where you can se black bands on either the sides or the bottom.
My "Bad" list:
- Poor camera performance in low light (both stills and video)
- A bit bland in appearance because of the average build quality, though not ugly
- Slippery (but there are some nice cases for it)
- Cannot be used with one hand in some scenarios, like when walking
- You can't remove the quick access buttons and sliders from the notification drawer
jordache16 said:
I think you hit most of the main ones so I'll just add a few more and/or expand on some of the ones that you already mentioned. I really don't have any major cons as the only things I can think of are pretty small and nit-picky.
Good:
1) Wireless charging (Verizon only)
2) Thin bezels (allows for larger screen in a 'smaller' package)
3) Excellent battery life, even with the large screen and fast processor (this is mainly due to the G2's 3,000 mAh battery and GRam)
4) No physical buttons (I personally love having soft buttons that are on the main display itself)
5) Weather animations on lock screen (I like little visual enhancements like this - If it's raining you get water drops on your screen, if it is sunny out you get sun rays, etc.)
6) Device unlock animations (there a 5 different animations to choose from for when you swipe to unlock the device and each one of them shows a glimpse of what is running underneath which I thought was pretty slick)
Good/Bad:
1) Knock-On - This is an excellent approach of how to go about waking up a phone (especially one that doesn't have any physical buttons on the front or sides). However, as others have reported there is a consistency issue around LG's implementation of this feature. In my experience I have found that it works properly about 4 out of every 5 times
2) FM Tuner - The G2 has a built in FM Tuner which is great, but it's not available on all variants... looking at you Verizon
3) QSlide - Feature that allows the ability to run certain apps on top of the currently running app (calculator, calendar, phone, messaging, videos, etc.). This has been done in the past on other Android devices and I think it is a nice feature, but for me the verdict is still out on it as I have not used it much yet
4) Slide Aside - This is another multitasking feature that allows you to save up to 3 apps at once and quickly jump between them with a 3 finger swipe. Again the verdict is still out on this one as I have not used it much and have had some issues with it being finicky
5) Quite Mode - This allows you to schedule time fames during each day of the week where the phone will automatically silence incoming calls, text and notification sounds (i.e. from 11PM to 7AM every night). I really like this feature however, I would like if there was an option to also disable the notification light on the front when Quite Mode is enabled (that way the random emails I get during the night won't light up my bedroom while I am trying to sleep)
Bad:
1) Would like to see more built in themes and other UI customizations for the stock launcher. A custom rom or different launcher would obviously address this and would allow me to tweak things further (hooray Android!) but I enjoy and appreciate a rich stock experience that you get right out of the box
2) I was not a fan of many of the built in ring tones and notification sounds (again this isn't a big deal and can be easily rectified)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done! and.... Done
New update to my Microsoft Exchange issue. My yahoo email is also giving me the errors so it has to be a problem with either the phone or the email app. Hope I didn't get a lemon....
I'm only on Day 3 of my LG G2 experience, but I'm a power user and so far the only (minor) negative comment is that the soft Nav/Home keys take up screen real estate.
Everything else about the G2 has been nothing but first class for me. As always, YMMV.
Autohide softkeys works great.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk 2
moonjak said:
Autohide softkeys works great.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is their a mod for this
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk 2
I have only on complain with that phone and its the camera software that need more work,when this is fixed then i got no other complains about it.
Related
I'd like to share my thoughts on moving to the Titan from my Focus over this past weekend.
My I was one (as most here probably) that added a 32GB microSD card to my Focus. It has performed flawlessly over the last year that I have owned it with very few exceptions.
The main reasons I switched:
(1) Size matters - The 4.7" screen
(2) The build quality (so far) - The unibody aluminum build feels great in the hand
(3) The upgraded spec's (less the reduction of memory)
I should say that I do have a peeve on why Windows Phones (or any phone) don't have a microSD slot in today's world. In a world where your phone is going to be your "one in all" device, a memory card slot should be a no brainer.
Display:I was a little weary about moving from the SAMOLED screen to the S-LCD screen. Let me give you peace of mind on this one. This screen is absolutely beautiful. It doesn't have the deep blacks like the Focus but the other colors pop and seem more realistic. Also, my impression is that the display is more crisp than the SAMOLED.
Memory:As noted above, the lack of a microSD slot is really a shame for this phone. I'm going to live with it until someone cracks this baby open to confirm that it doesn't have a slot under the cover somewhere. But, alas, I heard rumors of this being a SS memory chip instead. On the bright side, this does make it run faster if it is a memory chip.
Build
The body on this is made of solid aluminum. The feel when it is in your hand is one that makes you know it was built with care. I know they stated in press releases that they are going to minimize this type of build in the future, I just hope they just remember to have enough real substance there to "feel" like quality and not plastic.
One note on the body. When removing the back cover to access the battery and sim card slot the ENTIRE aluminum case around the screen and everything comes off, too. So, you end up with two pieces. One that includes the screen and components, the other the aluminum casing. It was odd to remove it the first time.
There are more reasons like...
- notification LED's (i missed this from my Tilt2)
- battery life (woohoo! almost all day on a charge now)
- noise cancelling mic's
- faux 4G (you can tell the speed difference) [waiting to see about this throttling bit]
Things I don't like...
- Lack of accessories (come on Otterbox)
- With the larger screen, I wish I could update the number of columns from 2 to either 3 or 4. This phone has the space to do it and it would be a great update to have. (I know, this is OS and not phone but the screen size makes it an option now)
- The headset plug doesn't fit as far into the phone jack and so it looks like it's not plugged all the way in when it actually is. (maybe this is a preference instead that it go in until the jacket hits the phone)
One last thing about the size of the phone. The phone, surprisingly, is not that much bigger that the Focus. I was thinking going from 4.0 to 4.7 that it would be huge to hold in the hand but it really is a non-issue in general.
Anyway, I'm still transfering my goodies and reinstalling apps. Will post if anyon has any questions...
Cyber
My progression:
Old Junk -> Tilt -> Tilt 2 -> Captivate -> Focus -> Titan
cyberstrategist said:
I'd like to share my thoughts on moving to the Titan from my Focus over this past weekend.
My I was one (as most here probably) that added a 32GB microSD card to my Focus. It has performed flawlessly over the last year that I have owned it with very few exceptions.
The main reasons I switch:
(1) Size matters - The 4.7" screen
(2) The build quality (so far) - The unibody aluminum build feels great in the hand
(3) The upgraded spec's (less the reduction of memory)
I should say that I do have a peeve on why Windows Phones (or any phone) don't have a microSD slot in today's world. In a world where your phone is going to be your "one in all" device, a memory card slot should be a no brainer.
Display:I was a little weary about moving from the SAMOLED screen to the S-LCD screen. Let me give you peace of mind on this one. This screen is absolutely beautiful. It doesn't have the deep blacks like the Focus but the other colors pop and seem more realistic. Also, my impression is that the display is more crisp than the SAMOLED.
Memory:As noted above, the lack of a microSD slot is really a shame for this phone. I'm going to live with it until someone cracks this baby open to confirm that it doesn't have a slot under the cover somewhere. But, alas, I heard rumors of this being a SS memory chip instead. On the bright side, this does make it run faster if it is a memory chip.
Build
The body on this is made of solid aluminum. The feel when it is in your hand is one that makes you know it was built with care. I know they stated in press releases that they are going to minimize this type of build in the future, I just hope they just remember to have enough real substance there to "feel" like quality and not plastic.
One note on the body. When removing the back cover to access the battery and sim card slot the ENTIRE aluminum case around the screen and everything comes off, too. So, you end up with two pieces. One that includes the screen and components, the other the aluminum casing. It was odd to remove it the first time.
There are more reasons like...
- notification LED's (i missed this from my Tilt2)
- battery life (woohoo! almost all day on a charge now)
- noice cancelling mic's
- faux 4G (you can tell the speed difference) [waiting to see about this throttling bit]
Things I don't like...
- Lack of accessories (come on Otterbox)
- With the larger screen, I wish I could update the number of columns from 2 to either 3 or 4. This phone has the space to do it and it would be a great update to have. (I know, this is OS and not phone but the screen size makes it an option now)
- The headset jack doesn't fit as far into the phone and so it looks like it's not plugged all the way in when it actually is. (maybe this is a preference instead that it go in until the jacket hits the phone)
One last thing about the size of the phone. The phone, surprisingly, is not that much bigger that the Focus. I was thinking going from 4.0 to 4.7 that it would be huge to hold in the hand but it really is a non-issue in general.
Anyway, I'm still transfering my goodies and reinstalling apps. Will post if anyon has any questions...
Cyber
My progression:
Old Junk -> Tilt -> Tilt 2 -> Captivate -> Focus -> Titan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats on your new phone
Have you noticed any ghosting on the screen or any lag in the OS/games ?
I have not noticed any ghosting or lag at this point. I've had it only a couple days now and will add some more apps tonight to test it some more. So far, though, I have been pleased with the phone.
Storage
You said you had a 32GB card in your Focus. What are you doing about your music/videos. I have a bunch of music that isn't in Zune Pass. Tried the Sky Drive option, but it isn't that great.
bennyj71 said:
You said you had a 32GB card in your Focus. What are you doing about your music/videos. I have a bunch of music that isn't in Zune Pass. Tried the Sky Drive option, but it isn't that great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't yet decided on this. I'm not one to put my personal items in the cloud knowing it's not all that secure just yet (if it ever will be). So I'm manually manipulating what's on the phone vs not. It's tedious at times but until I know my data is secured enough [military encryption maybe?] then I may start doing it...
I switched too. I am missing my dark blue I used on my Focus. Can't unlock yet since Chevron has no tokens right now. If I can get screen capture, my color blue and unlock the internet sharing without that annoying AT&T notice I will be a happy camper.
MaziarAmiri said:
Congrats on your new phone
Have you noticed any ghosting on the screen or any lag in the OS/games ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I notice ghosting.
OP: Sounds like we have similar experiences making the same switch from Focus > Titan!
drokkon said:
I notice ghosting.
OP: Sounds like we have similar experiences making the same switch from Focus > Titan!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a specific ghosting scenario that makes it stand out most? I can tet it on my Titan and see what I come up with...
cyberstrategist said:
Do you have a specific ghosting scenario that makes it stand out most? I can tet it on my Titan and see what I come up with...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's actually quite simple: the full program list on a black theme should do it. When you scroll, the words quite clearly "stretch" or blur slightly, and they blur in the opposite direction (eg - downward blur when the font is moving up), which leads me to agree with those who call it "ghosting." It's subtle enough that someone could easily convince me that this is an "effect" and intended by the UI.
That said, I don't notice it one bit. I also don't notice any pixellation on the large screen and prefer the natural (eg - less saturated) colors of the screen as compared to the Focus.
All in all, the screen is beautiful and I have zero complaints.
drokkon said:
It's actually quite simple: the full program list on a black theme should do it. When you scroll, the words quite clearly "stretch" or blur slightly, and they blur in the opposite direction (eg - downward blur when the font is moving up), which leads me to agree with those who call it "ghosting." It's subtle enough that someone could easily convince me that this is an "effect" and intended by the UI.
That said, I don't notice it one bit. I also don't notice any pixellation on the large screen and prefer the natural (eg - less saturated) colors of the screen as compared to the Focus.
All in all, the screen is beautiful and I have zero complaints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will +1 that!
I also upgraded from a Focus to a Titan.
I like everything about the phone (finally got LED notifications again, large screen, beautiful build, slim design, light weight, GREAT call quality, better reception so far, no more fingerprint smudges all over the back, love the sound-enhancer, and over-all faster).
The only thing that really gets me so far is the lack of an Super AMOLED screen. Putting it next to my Focus, the difference is so obvious. If this phone had a Super AMOLED it would be perfect...
hg23 said:
I also upgraded from a Focus to a Titan.
I like everything about the phone (finally got LED notifications again, large screen, beautiful build, slim design, light weight, GREAT call quality, better reception so far, no more fingerprint smudges all over the back, love the sound-enhancer, and over-all faster).
The only thing that really gets me so far is the lack of an Super AMOLED screen. Putting it next to my Focus, the difference is so obvious. If this phone had a Super AMOLED it would be perfect...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DO you get led notifcations for sms? Thats what im missing from my titan
meandu229 said:
DO you get led notifcations for sms? Thats what im missing from my titan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll post about it once I get a text, still haven't gotten one yet
meandu229 said:
DO you get led notifcations for sms? Thats what im missing from my titan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hg23 said:
I'll post about it once I get a text, still haven't gotten one yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LED notification for SMS and emails - isn't built in for WP7 yet. There are no apps either that can do it.
However, this is a requested and highly voted feature for next update. I think you guys should vote for it too!
Got my Titan yesterday. Wow. I haven't thought about touching my Focus since I powered up the Titan. I synced my apps and music and now I have 600megs free. :[ I'm really gonna have to trim some fat as that is just music and apps. Other than that the phone is awesome.
On a side note, there is a big difference in performance using older SIM cards. I have two Titans. I have a two month old SIM in mine. My nephew has a 1 year old SIM. His phone keep losing signal, and was unable to connect websites on multiple tries. I thought it was his phone, so I swap my SIM and everything was blazing. I'm getting another as the newest ones are slightly slimmer than mine.
Hope this helps you guys out.
Sent from my PI39100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I can confirm the LED appears to only indicate power charging. Interesting about the SIM card. I'll see if my old one makes a difference.
Sent from my TITAN
I also upgraded from a focus to a titan. But on my titan the camera button stopped working after <24 hours of use and I have to send it in to HTC for repairs. But even with the short amount of usage time (I used the phone almost exclusively as the power in my area had been out for four days) the build quality and speed were phenomenal. I was also surprised at how well the titan fit into various pockets and how the nice the screen was.
hg23 said:
I can confirm the LED appears to only indicate power charging. Interesting about the SIM card. I'll see if my old one makes a difference.
Sent from my TITAN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LED also blinks on missed calls.
Hello,
I recently picked up a LG G2 to replace my galaxy note 2, after having the phone for 4 days I thought I would deliver my review.
I always find it helpful to read reviews from actual owners of the phone rather than just the standard review sites. This review does not contain exact specifics but instead my view of the phone rather than an experts. I hope you find it useful if you are looking to purchase the handset or looking for some owner opinions.
Bit of background on previous phones:
HTC Hero
HTC Desire HD
iPhone 4
HTC Sensation
Nokia Lumia 800
LG Optimus 3D
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Look,feel and build quality:
After opening the box (very difficult as mine came with the free official LG case) I was pleasantly pleased with the overall look and feel of the phone. Coming from a galaxy note 2 I was used to the whole plastic feel of the phone, granted a nice metal or glass finish would have been good but overall it is a very appealing phone.
Switching on the handset for the first time illuminates the entire front of the phone, at this point you realize how attractive the phone looks with the cut back bezel allowing everyone's attention to be placed on the fantastic screen (more on that later).
Move to the sides there is a simple metal band which circumferences the entire phone, adding a little detail to the otherwise plane sides.
To the back; we have the standard environment stickers a nice metal engraved LG badge and of course the unusual buttons. The camera, buttons and LG badges are all in a direct line in the middle of the handset which I feel visually appealing rater than the current trend of placing the camera in the corner of the handset.
Onto the buttons, an usual twist on a otherwise standard placement I find that it is easy after a couple of days to become used to the unusual placement. As your finger will usually always land in this area it allows for easy change of volume, quick key (camera / note) and the unlock button. I also find that the unlock button lighting up when you unlock the phone (nice white lines around it) is a nice touch.
Other details on the front include a nice LG badge embedded in the screen, front camera, speaker (standard silver finish) and a LED notification on the right hand side corner.
Overall I find this a nice middle ground between something such as an iPhone or HTC one and a Samsung device, due to it being sealed it appears more sturdy and has a better construction than the galaxy line but due to the lackluster plastic cannot live up to the standard set by apple or HTC.
Hardware:
On paper this handset stands atop the very large android market, in real life it does not disappoint. Use of the phone is a joy due to the snapdragon 800, there is 0 lagg using launchers (tried apex/nova/stock), multitasking and using slide aside happens instantly and web pages load almost instantly.
The screen needs to be seen to be believed, watching videos (especially the stock HD videos by LG) really shows off the screen. With almost 0 bezel around it shows the true beauty of the screen. Giving a little more saturation than a standard IPS, not to the length of a SAMOLED but maintaining white whites and black blacks. Colors pop, look extraordinarily accurate and pictures and moves look stunning on the full HD 5.2" display.
Battery life is excellent thanks to the 3000amp battery, allowing for twitter facebook full google intergration as well as wifi/gps/data enabled will easily power through a day with 4 hours of on screen time with brightness set to 100%.
Camera quality, yet to be fully tested by myself but some of the shots taken have been excellent. Outdoor in well lit conditions produce excellent clear results with a brilliant amount of detail captured. Night time / low light photo seems on par with other high end smartphones, thus far I have had some mixed results as with my previous handsets. I find OIS seems to work very well, taking photos in a moving car led to no blurred photos.
Software:
LG's software I find "borrows" many features from Samsung, such a smart stay / pause many of the camera features and over-all camera UI. However this being said it does have less unnecessary bells and whistles s4/note2&3 come with. The LG does come with a large variety of features, TV remote, gestures, Qslide and knock off. Double tapping the screen to lock/unlock is easily LG's best feature implemented, this counters any downsides of the rear mounted button i.e when using in a car holder. Many comments have been made on the task bar I personally do not use the Qslide option lists however the volume control (again helpful due to button position) as well as quick toggles are many but not overwhelming. Within a few hours I was used to the over-all layout and could quickly toggles and utilize these features.
One issue I do find is that you are able to customize the on screen button layout, helpful if you are left handed or prefer you button in a different order. Despite this you are unable to set a multitask specific key e.g. nexus line. Instead long holding the home button to activate the recent app list.
Over-all:
My overall week impressions of this handset are excellent, ergonomically speaking the size of the phone is perfect. People do not complain about screen size but handset size. By removing the bezel and fitting a 5.2" screen in what is a 5" screen body is a fantastic move by LG. The button placement takes some getting used to but software implementations manage to cure any issues you can have with this (knock on/off when the phone is laid down and volume adjust in the task bar i.e in a car dock). The hardware of the phone comes to impress and does, camera processor screen and battery are all market leading. Software is busy, however brings some very useful additions to android, improved if not a little OTT task bar, gestures and qslide give some good flexibility.
It has been agressivley priced at 400 GBP from three mobile sim free including free official LG case puts it in the same leagure as a preowned HTC one or s4.
From my perspective this is the perfect phone, smaller than the note 2 and bigger than a s4 without the foot print.
Good:
Screen, processor, and overall speed.
Battery.
UI implementations
Camera
Excellent ear phones included in the box
Price
Bad
16gb storage and no SD
Plastic Build
Worries
Android Updates (officially from LG)
Thanks for reading,
J
Hello,
I thought I'd post a quick review for anyone considering a Verizon G3. I'm sure others have reviews to give as well. My last 2 phones were the Verizon S3 and Verizon S4. I also had many HTC phones going back to WM.
Battery life - at first I'd say it was comparable to my S4 but then I went to all applications and disabled a bunch that were on after I activated my phone - now the battery life is great - I've had it on but unused and uncharged since last night (1 push email account - no texting, no imdb, no calls) and it only went down 5% in 12 hours (BT enabled, WIFI disabled). The screen activity does seem to use more battery life than my S4 and so does GPS. Otherwise phone talk time seems to have about the same battery drain. I only use BT for making calls so BT is on 24x7. FYI I just got the Plantronics EDGE and it is amazing (I also have the Sennheiser presence which has better battery life but overall I like the Edge much more.
Charging - the phone is picky about chargers. I've used the same chargers I've had for years for my Nexus, S3, S4, Plantronics and Sennheiser headsets but the G3 said it wasn't acceptable and wouldn't use it to charge. On the plus side the included charger does seem to charge it quickly. Biggest disappointment - that it didn't come with a wireless charging backplate.
Signal strength - I'd say it has only slightly better voice signal reception than the S4 but every bit helps (e.g. calls from the cement garage beneath my apartment complex). Data seems a teeny bit slower though when running speedtest. I haven't done enough testing for this to be an accurate or detailed analysis.
Overlay - I have to say it seems zippy enough to me and as user friendly as the Samsung although different so it takes a teeny bit of getting used to - except the back arrow - that took a lot since it is on the opposite side from where my thumb automatically tried to go when I wanted to go back.
Screen - great size. I don't think the contrast is as sharp as the S4 - you can say it is color saturation or whatever you want - in the end it still means some things are as well separated. There is a color adjustment some say impacts contrast but what it does is adjust colors - not contrast IMHO.
Buttons - I thought I'd really freak out about not having the hard buttons where I had in the past but that was easier to get used to than the back button - I'm finally used to both though.
Bloat ware - both Samsung and LG have some apps I'd love to just uninstall but until you root them, you are stuck with the crap although most of it you can disable. Health was the very first thing I would uninstall if I could.
Issues - no issues so far other than the charging one. No reboots or hangs. My guess is that people are installing an app that doesn't play well with the G3 or perhaps the current version of Android. I admit I don't have more than 15 apps I install myself. The only ones I really care about are truecaller(mediocre call blocker/id app), Tesla (flashlight), call history, cal widget (calendar for home screen) and the rest are items I only use occasionally - e.g. ip calcs, where's my car, speedtest etc. I tried some live wallpapers and went back to static ones - attempting to keep every bit of battery life. I had a hard time pairing my BT headset with my new phone - perhaps there is something different about the process on the G3 - I ended up using NFC and it worked instantly.
Conclusion - I like the phone a lot although I'm sure the S5 would have been an excellent choice as well. I like the screen size on this a bit more but I like the contrast on the Samsung screen. I notice the difference in large 4K TVs right away but for a screen of this size the S4 resolution was fine. You really have to look to notice the difference.
I changed the soft button placement on mine to make back on the right side.
squeeze said:
I changed the soft button placement on mine to make back on the right side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an excellent idea. It turns out - I use back more often so it is more comfortable to me in the LG position although I admit it took me many many many fumbled pressing of the wrong button before I'm used to the new layout.
Nice review. Think I will be picking up one this week.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thoughts on jumping from an S3 to the G3? Just picked up an S5 for the wife (currently has a Droid 4, yikes) due to slightly better battery life and camera from what I've read. Debating myself whether or not to run with the S3 or the G3. I typically play with my phones more than my wife so the S5 may be out due to it's lock down by VZ.
teamhurtado said:
Thoughts on jumping from an S3 to the G3? Just picked up an S5 for the wife (currently has a Droid 4, yikes) due to slightly better battery life and camera from what I've read. Debating myself whether or not to run with the S3 or the G3. I typically play with my phones more than my wife so the S5 may be out due to it's lock down by VZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S3 to the G3 would be a huge jump in battery life alone (but so would a jump to the S5). If you play games with your phone I'd go with the S5. If you just want to root them - I really couldn't say which would be better suited for that.
teamhurtado said:
Thoughts on jumping from an S3 to the G3? Just picked up an S5 for the wife (currently has a Droid 4, yikes) due to slightly better battery life and camera from what I've read. Debating myself whether or not to run with the S3 or the G3. I typically play with my phones more than my wife so the S5 may be out due to it's lock down by VZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know how the camera works out. I found from my experience that it was too slow especially at night shots.
---------- Post added at 02:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 AM ----------
boe said:
That's an excellent idea. It turns out - I use back more often so it is more comfortable to me in the LG position although I admit it took me many many many fumbled pressing of the wrong button before I'm used to the new layout.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. I am right handed so I need it close to the right thumb.
squeeze said:
[/COLOR]
Hi. I am right handed so I need it close to the right thumb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm right handed as well - but my thumb is more comfortable extended than bent so I prefer it on the left now that I'm used to it but if you prefer it close, I think you made an excellent suggestion about reassigning it.
boe said:
The S3 to the G3 would be a huge jump in battery life alone (but so would a jump to the S5). If you play games with your phone I'd go with the S5. If you just want to root them - I really couldn't say which would be better suited for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Catch is the S5 has less than half the storage and when L releases, ART sucks up 25% more storage and needs about 1GB more floor to operate stably. If a light to medium user, IMO the G3 is the best newer device overall. If a heavy user, I would not recommend the G3, but JMO. I would hold off for the 805 models that will release that are to battle the evil iPhone 6 army this fall.
Note 4 is looking sweet, but even bigger than the G3. Touch Wiz is an easy Nova fix. Do not be surprised if LG releases the G3 Plus as well this fall. Not seeing LG staying out when Samsung releases the "Prime" and Note 4. The industry is fully expecting new Android devices to combat iPhone 6.
I wonder if the reason the carriers priced the 3/32 as they did (about $100 less than normal for these specs) due to a looming new model?
rushless said:
Catch is the S5 has less than half the storage and when L releases, ART sucks up 25% more storage and needs about 1GB more floor to operate stably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me what are L and ART?
boe said:
Can you tell me what are L and ART?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android L is the newest Android release coming this fall, it's currently released as a beta but will most likely be android version 5.0 (currently 4.4.4). Art is a runtime for apps, it improves speed and such but also requires more storage per app. You can manually activate ART but it's not finished (phones currently use Dalvik). it'll be the the default runtime for Android L and will finally be stable as well. Battery life will also jump up around 36% because android L and ART manage apps / the phone far better.
The 36% was in a very controlled scenario of what apps and usage. For heavier use, there will be little improvement since the main drainers are the display and chipset, closely followed by the radios.
Overall the only thing everyone will notice is less storage space.
rushless said:
The 36% was in a very controlled scenario of what apps and usage. For heavier use, there will be little improvement since the main drainers are the display and chipset, closely followed by the radios.
Overall the only thing everyone will notice is less storage space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know - thanks.
Can anybody that upgraded from a Note 3 specifically comment on radio performance on the G3? Maybe a quick comparison of dBm if possible? I'm pretty satisfied with my Note 3 but the RF hasn't really been that great. From what I've read so far the G3 seems to have strong signal reception.
untouchablez said:
Can anybody that upgraded from a Note 3 specifically comment on radio performance on the G3? Maybe a quick comparison of dBm if possible? I'm pretty satisfied with my Note 3 but the RF hasn't really been that great. From what I've read so far the G3 seems to have strong signal reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G3 has SLIGHTLY better call reception - not huge but I can make calls a LITTLE more reliably in bad places e.g. partially underground parking garages. Not as much as I hoped but better than my S4. Data speed seems a teeny bit slower. Not the exact same as the Note3 but I've had reception problems with every Samsung phone I've ever had on Verizon - starting with the Galaxy Nexus, S3, S4...
Are there any swift key users out there. I have noticed some lag with the keyboard and lag overall....Now this leads me to my next question, a deadspot where the delete key is, but easily fixable by shutting off screen and back on...Would you determine thats software or hardware issue?
I guess you wanted us to chime in as well? Here's my review...
This is the second phone I’ve purchased without seeing it first. I have to say it’s a great phone, but if you’re looking to pay full price to keep your unlimited data, then I do not feel it’s worth the $600+ if you already have a premier device. I’d go so far as to say, if you have a G2, I wouldn’t upgrade to the G3. The differences between the two are not that big in my opinion. Since I was able get the phone for $99+ activation fee and tax, I do feel that it is well worth that price to upgrade from any device that you are unhappy with.
Screen – If you love AMOLED, you’ll hate this screen. It’ll seem washed out to you and not as crisp. If you hate AMOLED, you’ll love this screen. It’s that simple. AMOLED screen always seem to have that “In Your Face” feeling to me. They actually hurt my eyes and I’ve never been a fan of them. After spending years in the Motorola line, I never got used to a sharp display. The toned down QHD display of the G3 is perfect for my eyes even when it’s 100%.
Battery – A lot has been said about the battery life on this phone. The screen does pull down the battery more than other phones, but it still lasts all day. That’s all I care about. Can I get through an entire day with the phone? If so, then the battery is good. I typically watch a little NetFlix, read some emails, play a few games, maybe turn on the hotspot for a little browsing with my tablet, then go to bed with it around 20-30%. As far as I’m conserved, that’s good battery life.
Size – My opinion, this is one of the best features of this phone. The 5.5” display does not feel like it’s that big because the phone is not that much bigger than its predecessor the G2. The thin bezels are a thing of beauty and most of what you see is the screen, not blank real-estate. However, the bottom bezel is just big enough that it works great for holding the phone while playing games without touching the screen.
Software – While the Android software is pretty much the same 4.4.2 that LG put out for the G2, they have added a few features that work well with the bigger screen. QSlide is a nice feature and one, which if you remember it’s there, can be very useful. It allows you to open an app in front of the current app as a window. Of course there’s only certain apps this works with. I am mixed about the SmartTips. I haven’t seen anything that is useful to me, but maybe I don’t need anything “Smart” enabled? As for Smart Bulletin Screen, I turned it off. It would have been better if they had designed a “Blinkfeed” style window here instead of a combination screen for SmartTips and LG Health.
IR Blaster – This one is finicky. I found that the IR port had to be directly facing the equipment to work. I most cases, you have to point it right at the device and not in the general direction. For me, it’s not a big deal as I really never used it on the M8.
Camera – I love the camera. It’s basically the same one from the G2 and I loved the G2’s camera. I haven’t really noticed any difference in the focus speed of the camera, so I am not sure if the laser focus is a gimmick or not, but the camera itself works just as you’d expect and it is right up there with the premier phones of today.
Signal – I do wish LG had improved the radios. I went around with the G2 and G3 reading decibels in different areas. I saw no difference between the two phones leading me to wonder if they even did anything to the G3’s radios. SpeedTest were also identical and I live in an xLTE environment. I have even had the G3 slip into 3G mode where the G2 always stayed in 4G. I’d have to say this is the biggest disappointment for me. (If it continues to slip into 3G mode in certain areas, then I will consider switching back to the G2.)
Conclusion: If you’re looking to move from the latest and greatest phone (IE: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, or even the LG G2), I would advise against it. There’s just no noticeable upgrade from today’s premier devices. However, if you’re unhappy with your current phone, then the G3 is one to consider. I do believe that this phone will be my main carry device for the next year or so. Well, maybe until the iPhone 6 is released…
We should also see two Samsung phones to counter the iPhone 6 launch and maybe a 805 version of the G3.... Maybe.
Not a full review yet, that's to come soon. But here's my unboxing and first impressions/first look at the device!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40hMAEae1NA
boe said:
Hello,
I thought I'd post a quick review for anyone considering a Verizon G3. I'm sure others have reviews to give as well. My last 2 phones were the Verizon S3 and Verizon S4. I also had many HTC phones going back to WM.
Battery life - at first I'd say it was comparable to my S4 but then I went to all applications and disabled a bunch that were on after I activated my phone - now the battery life is great - I've had it on but unused and uncharged since last night (1 push email account - no texting, no imdb, no calls) and it only went down 5% in 12 hours (BT enabled, WIFI disabled). The screen activity does seem to use more battery life than my S4 and so does GPS. Otherwise phone talk time seems to have about the same battery drain. I only use BT for making calls so BT is on 24x7. FYI I just got the Plantronics EDGE and it is amazing (I also have the Sennheiser presence which has better battery life but overall I like the Edge much more.
Charging - the phone is picky about chargers. I've used the same chargers I've had for years for my Nexus, S3, S4, Plantronics and Sennheiser headsets but the G3 said it wasn't acceptable and wouldn't use it to charge. On the plus side the included charger does seem to charge it quickly. Biggest disappointment - that it didn't come with a wireless charging backplate.
Signal strength - I'd say it has only slightly better voice signal reception than the S4 but every bit helps (e.g. calls from the cement garage beneath my apartment complex). Data seems a teeny bit slower though when running speedtest. I haven't done enough testing for this to be an accurate or detailed analysis.
Overlay - I have to say it seems zippy enough to me and as user friendly as the Samsung although different so it takes a teeny bit of getting used to - except the back arrow - that took a lot since it is on the opposite side from where my thumb automatically tried to go when I wanted to go back.
Screen - great size. I don't think the contrast is as sharp as the S4 - you can say it is color saturation or whatever you want - in the end it still means some things are as well separated. There is a color adjustment some say impacts contrast but what it does is adjust colors - not contrast IMHO.
Buttons - I thought I'd really freak out about not having the hard buttons where I had in the past but that was easier to get used to than the back button - I'm finally used to both though.
Bloat ware - both Samsung and LG have some apps I'd love to just uninstall but until you root them, you are stuck with the crap although most of it you can disable. Health was the very first thing I would uninstall if I could.
Issues - no issues so far other than the charging one. No reboots or hangs. My guess is that people are installing an app that doesn't play well with the G3 or perhaps the current version of Android. I admit I don't have more than 15 apps I install myself. The only ones I really care about are truecaller(mediocre call blocker/id app), Tesla (flashlight), call history, cal widget (calendar for home screen) and the rest are items I only use occasionally - e.g. ip calcs, where's my car, speedtest etc. I tried some live wallpapers and went back to static ones - attempting to keep every bit of battery life. I had a hard time pairing my BT headset with my new phone - perhaps there is something different about the process on the G3 - I ended up using NFC and it worked instantly.
Conclusion - I like the phone a lot although I'm sure the S5 would have been an excellent choice as well. I like the screen size on this a bit more but I like the contrast on the Samsung screen. I notice the difference in large 4K TVs right away but for a screen of this size the S4 resolution was fine. You really have to look to notice the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I may ask, which apps did you disable/turn off after you set up your G3? I am curious what you found to be the battery hogs that you don't or won't need. Everyone has different needs, but knowing what others did will help others as well.
I decided to get an Alpha as the prices in Switzerland, where I live, are fairly low for unlocked, brand-new devices, and my ageing Nexus 4 was in a dire need of replacement. Today I received my brand new, unlocked "dazzling white" Alpha!
This is my first non-Nexus android. I decided not to install the Google Now launcher on it immediately and give TouchWiz a try, just to see what it's like.
I've been playing with it for a couple of hours, and setting everything up, so here are my first impressions and troubles.
1. It looks lovely, it's so thin, metallic frame, beautiful soft back plastic. Great stuff.
2. The phone is obviously much more capable speed-wise than my Nexus 4, but it's not as fluid as the Nexus 4 (which had Lollipop 5.0.2). Some apps are really choppy, such as Hangouts. It's a strange overall experience: some things load very quickly, but it's not polished and the choppy-ness can be fairly annoying, especially when it causes it to miss touch inputs.
3. Certain apps cannot be uninstalled (e.g. Dropbox, which I don't use). They can only be disabled. On a bright note, Facebook is not installed and while the phone has some bloatware, it's not excessive. So far I ignored all the pre-installed apps (none seem useful at a glance), but I'll look at them more in detail when I get a chance.
4. The fingerprint scanner is not anywhere as bad as I believed it would be. Ok swiping is not as convenient as simply pushing the button, but otherwise it recognises my finger in one or two attempts. So far never worse than that.
5. The battery is obviously very small and I think this phone will last through a full day only with light use. I'll report back after a few days, but so far it went from 56% to 12% alarmingly fast - also, of course, I was installing and setting up stuff on it.
6. The camera seems ok. Indoor shots are so-so. The live-view in HDR more is nice, the focus indicator is nice, the interface is simple and clear. Overall colour balance is good. While I personally use a DSLR for anything more serious, the phone's camera is good to have for impromptu situations. For that, I think it would be adequate. It's certainly better than the Nexus 4 camera.
7. I'm not mad about the colours used by TouchWiz, especially that dirty green, and the drop-down settings are a bit too busy for my liking. This is fairly minor stuff. Otherwise everything seems to work by and large similarly to a Nexus phone.
8. I cannot find a method to swipe away all the notifications. Which is strange, especially since TouchWiz does have a way to close all the recent apps, which is very useful (and not even Lollipop has this feature).
9. I quite like the Samsung keyboard. It's got a little row of numbers on top, which I find very useful. The word suggestions are good. The best feature - I configured two languages on it, and if you "code-switch" (i.e. mix languages when typing) it will display suggestions and corrections appropriately. Without manually changing the language. Great stuff, very Blackberry-ish.
10. It doesn't work with the "Android file transfer" OSX application. At all. It's as if the phone is not connected, and there's no "enable USB file transfer" option on the phone, as on a Nexus device. I'll try later on Windows.
11. Bluetooth is off by default when booting the phone, and it doesn't remember the last enabled state. I don't understand why.
12. It has a lot of horrible "music" ringtones and just one that sounds remotely like a phone.
13. It was a pain to connect it to my LG watch. It just didn't work - reboots, reinstalls, re-pairs etc did nothing. That is, until I factory-reset the watch, then it worked.
14. I thought I wouldn't like the hardware Back and Recents buttons, and I thought I'd like the Home button. It's the other way around - got used pretty quickly to Back/Recents, but I'm not impressed with the Home button. It's a bit fiddly, it moves around a little and doesn't feel as precise and satisfying to press. The side buttons (power/volume) are great though.
15. The call quality is very good, better than the Nexus 4.
16. The screen is great, with good colours, great blacks and contrast level. It's punchy without being in-your-face. My previous OLED screen experience was with the Nexus Galaxy (also made by Samsung), and the Alpha definitely has a better screen, mostly because of the better white (still just a bit blue-ish) and no obvious residual pattern on a uniform background. The resolution is good. I can see the fine-graining on the display if I focus on it (pentile? or diamond?), but it doesn't bother me. Outdoor visibility in bright light is ok but not great, as in, adequate to make a phone call but not ideal for browsing the web for extended periods of time.
I'll post an update in a few days, once certain things such as the battery life are clearer. So far, the phone is above expectations.
It a great phone, you gonna love it.
For clearing all notifications there is a button named clear all that appears on the bar above them.
Sent from my SM-G850F
tileeq said:
For clearing all notifications there is a button named clear all that appears on the bar above them.
Sent from my SM-G850F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah thank you so much, now I see it
Completely unrelated to the notifications - I got to play today with the new S6 and S6 Edge. They are very nice but I don't regret buying the Alpha (for half the price of the 32Gb S6). The one thing I like more about the Alpha is, weirdly, the back panel. I just love the soft plastic on the Alpha. The glass on the S6 seemed quite slippery and I wasn't so sure about its aesthetics. From the front and side though, they look fantastic - in my humble opinion, better than the iPhones. Well done Samsung!
To add to my initial impressions: the fingerprint reader on the Alpha is actually quite excellent, at least with my fingers. The huge majority of time it will unlock from the first attempt. I'm quite impressed, considering that, given all the comments and the reviews, I never expected to use the feature.
I played some more with the camera and it's actually quite decent. Up to dark-ish scenes, where the noise just takes over.
One small gripe with the "blocking mode", which is very useful to me (I used to install Bedside Buddy when I had KitKat on the Nexus, and then Lollipop introduced a similar feature): the LED notification is still shown even when otherwise the phone doesn't (correctly) make a notification sound. Yes, easily fixable by leaving it face-down on the night stand, but it seems like an oversight. Or perhaps I didn't configure something correctly?
symphara, Ive been there, My nexus(4)? was fading fast so i went for the Galaxy Alpha in December. i know I have not rgretted it
at all. For the battery thats in there it will give me 2 days on one charge. but, yah..I agree with all the points you've given
Galaxy Alpha 850W gets two thumbs up. im still gonna look into the 2500 mAh battery though
As promised, here's an update to my original post, having used the phone for a couple of weeks now.
1. Battery life is better than expected and actually good, at least for my use. So far it hasn't died on me, not even after fairly extensive daily use (navigation/web). The power saving mode noticeably reduces the power drain without worsening performance too much. To date I was never in a situation where I had to use the "ultra" power saving mode. A quick example: in 24 hours, out of which 11 were in flight mode, it went from 100% to 63%, with moderate-light use. It charges very quickly. Mine doesn't heat up, no matter what I do.
2. The fingerprint scanner works reliably only when swiping vertically. It's very unreliable if I try to register oblique swipes. This makes it impractical to use with only one hand, and unlock with my thumb. I need to hold the phone with one hand and unlock with the other. Clearly TouchID (which I tried) and perhaps the new S6 sensor (which I haven't tried) are better. TouchID for sure works in varying directions and is suitable for one-handed unlock.
3. GPS location tracking is not as good as expected. It has significant problems in cities. On the train it can get location lock only close to the window. Location updating is not smooth when moving at speed. Compared to my iPad, when used side-by-side, the difference in the quality of implementation (speed of lock, smoothness of update, precision) is very large.
4. The camera is only good in good light. The performance degrades steadily with the amount of available light, to the point where it is terrible in low light (e.g. city night shots, intimate restaurant). The camera app is very good in my opinion. I am particularly impressed with the panorama shots: easy to take, very fast processing, good stitching.
5. Performance is a mixed bag, and for me, not quite satisfactory. For some things it's clearly fast - it records 60fps full HD beautifully, it plays Hearthstone very well (smoother than the 2014 Nexus 7 with Lollipop!), it downloads and installs things very fast, etc. Other applications and use-cases are not so lucky.
Chrome frequently staggers, to the point of not accepting scroll input for periods of nearly 1 second now and again. App switching is always slow. Google Maps is fairly slow and often jerky. Performance does seem to degrade over time, so periodic closures of apps are needed. It's good that it provides a "close all" option.
The worst thing is that overall the phone does not give an even, smooth performance. In my opinion, Nexus 4 with Lollipop gives a better overall software experience even if it cannot satisfy performance-hungry applications (which the Galaxy Alpha can), but it's much more fluid overall. My wife's Nexus 5, which I think is inferior to the Alpha in terms of CPU, gives a significantly better overall software experience - it's faster to do pretty much anything, and very fluid.
I am waiting with considerable interest the Lollipop update on this phone. If it elevates the software experience closer to the level of the Nexus, it would make the phone very enjoyable to use. As it stands, the hardware feels premium but the software experience definitely gives a feel of a low-mid range device to me. Considering what I paid for it, it's still not a bad deal, but it falls well short of the intended Samsung near-flagship positioning. Interestingly, mutatis mutandis, the old Nexus 5 does almost everything better than the Alpha, including better low-light camera performance.
I forgot to mention something else. Bluetooth is terrible. I'm not sure if it's my phone, or all share this problem. Range is less than 2 (two) meters of line-of-sight. It does not work "through" me - e.g. if I put the phone in my back pocket, it will not maintain connection to my LG Android Wear wrist watch, when on my wrist. It I have the phone in my one of my trousers' side pocket, as I walk, it will interrupt headphone audio with each step. It's pretty terrible.
The Made by Google Twitter account confirmed the P3 does not come with a notification light! That's insane and takes away one of the great advantages that Android has over iOS. I can't tell you how many times I was unaware of messages and voice mail on my work iPhone because it doesn't give any indication of a missed notification.... For hours and even days!
This is unacceptable!
This really sucks. I have it configured to give me so much information with just a glance. They probably saved $0.01 per phone leaving it off.
They probably think we all want to use AOD to see our notifications! I've never used it myself, why, BECAUSE THE LED LIGHT WORKS GREAT! Good grief!!
Hopefully they moved the "blink" functionality to the AMOLED screen. There is really no need for a separate LED if they move that functionality into the screen. And preferably add the options that lifghtflow offers.
But knowing Google they probably just removed the feature altogether. It's sad that they can't add all of the options that the Nexus 5 had 6 years ago, which launched for half the price. And then they have the nerve to call it a premium device.
arby80 said:
Hopefully they moved the "blink" functionality to the AMOLED screen. There is really no need for a separate LED if they move that functionality into the screen. And preferably add the options that lifghtflow offers.
But knowing Google they probably just removed the feature altogether. It's sad that they can't add all of the options that the Nexus 5 had 6 years ago, which launched for half the price. And then they have the nerve to call it a premium device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you remember, the Nexus 6 had one but it wasn't implemented by the factory. It took a tear down before it was found and a clever programmer figured out how to make it work!
It doesn't need one with an OLED display. You can display notification indicators on the display like you could with an led.
I am standing in front of the pixel 3 display and can confirm there is no notification led! Not even in the settings!
what happens with a missed call? does a flashing dot appear on a black screen?
djy said:
what happens with a missed call? does a flashing dot appear on a black screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know, but it's a terrible idea to remove the only way to see missed notifications without turning on the screen.
It doesn't need one with an OLED display. You can display notification indicators on the display like you could with an led
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you see the OLED display from a distance, and its colour to tell what type of notification it is? That's the advantage of an LED
scoobiesnacks said:
Can you see the OLED display from a distance, and its colour to tell what type of notification it is? That's the advantage of an LED
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally will not use the always on feature, so walking the screen will be my only way of seeing missed notifications. Just like the iPhone, Google is forcing you to interact with your phone the way they want, and leaving us without choice.
Passive notifications are no more. ?
This sucks. Its not a game changer but I do use led to see what I got, very useful
The usual reviewers aren't helping. Focusing on how pretty the phone is instead of functionality. I'm coming from an S5 which has a multi-color notification LED, SDcard slot, removable battery with durable lightweight removable plastic back, wireless charging, IR transmitter, headphone jack, unlocked bootloader with official lineage support, water resistance, and flat display with no rounded corners. For $1000+ the reviewers and consumers should expect and demand these features plus new stuff. Unfortunately most people don't know or care enough about the hardware or software. Never felt this bitter/unexcited about a $1000 luxury purchase before.
4 GB of ram and 128 GB of storage is not on par with the competition. Not sure why consumers are making excuses for all the shortcomings? I'm buying for stock android, camera, stereo front facing speakers, IP68, wireless charging, and a much faster chip than my current phone. They could easily make it 50% fatter and stuff a massive battery in it with a removable plastic cover with an elastomeric seal but they want us to buy a new one every year or two.
I'm nervously waiting to see if it can be rooted and flashed. If not, there's much better options for the same cost.
djy said:
The usual reviewers aren't helping. Focusing on how pretty the phone is instead of functionality. I'm coming from an S5 which has a multi-color notification LED, SDcard slot, removable battery with durable lightweight removable plastic back, wireless charging, IR transmitter, headphone jack, unlocked bootloader with official lineage support, water resistance, and flat display with no rounded corners. For $1000+ the reviewers and consumers should expect and demand these features plus new stuff. Unfortunately most people don't know or care enough about the hardware or software. Never felt this bitter/unexcited about a $1000 luxury purchase before.
4 GB of ram and 128 GB of storage is not on par with the competition. Not sure why consumers are making excuses for all the shortcomings? I'm buying for stock android, camera, stereo front facing speakers, IP68, wireless charging, and a much faster chip than my current phone. They could easily make it 50% fatter and stuff a massive battery in it with a removable plastic cover with an elastomeric seal but they want us to buy a new one every year or two.
I'm nervously waiting to see if it can be rooted and flashed. If not, there's much better options for the same cost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel phones purchased direct from Google can all be bootloader unlocked in developer settings. It's easier than just about any other device. Root access will be gained shortly after the phone is released into the wild, and hopefully, Magisk can be used to pass safety net for Google pay. I totally understand your other concerns, but rooting shouldn't be one of them.
No LED totally sucks. I don't use AOD because of increased battery drain and increased burn in. So no way to see if there are notifications without picking up the phone. Weak battery was already bad enough.
I understand it's probably not the biggest deal in the world or anything but for me personally if the notification led is gone, I'm probably going back to Apple.
And this isn't the be-all-end-all reason, Google just seems less and less interested in truly making their devices/software unique and if it's going to essentially be the same thing as an iPhone, then I may as well just have an iPhone.
Kinda OT, but I have to say it's weird that the only other phone i've had that did AOD really good was the OG Moto X. I'll get used it on the P3. I really don't depend on it that much on my P2.... if a notification goes off, I usually hear it or feel the vibration first anyway. Rare are the times I'm spotting a led color "from across the room" lol..
I never have my sound on, drive a truck and use the notification light exclusively for notifications. Forcing me to pick up the phone (as with any professional driver) is ridiculous. Changing colors of the light allowed you to see exactly what or who the notification was from and very private. AOD is distracting and less informative. Makes 0 sense.
I've always used the notification led with my OG Pixel, so now I'm getting used to the aod.
My question for you guys is do you have aod turned on and is there noticeable battery drain from it or any other potential downside? Or do you have it where the aod only turns on from lifting the phone or double tapping?
I'm trying to pick what's the ideal way to go with this. I realize it'll probably be a personal preference deal, I've just never had an aod phone before. Thanks!
I thought that if notification comes in, screen flashes once in a while, but it doesn't seem to do that.