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Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I've been lurking around for the past 2 months learning everything I can about android and the Atrix. Prior to this, I've never given much thought about smartphones.
I passed up the iphone 4 in janurary cause it was too late into it's life cycle so I've decided to go with Android. I want a phone that will last till the end of my contract (3 years). The Atrix caught my eye with its Tegra 2 duel core (Big Nvidia fan) which I naturally thought would be a perfect candidate.
I was really set on buying this phone up until today when My dad visited a Bell store. It turns out that particular store didn't even get one sale. It's in a decent location too (Missisauga, beside Toronto).
My guess is that if the phone is not selling then Motorola probably won't support it for long. And with the locked bootloader, I'd be safer getting an Iphone which will probably get more updates that this for sure. I don't know if I can last 3 years with the locked bootloader and Moto's lack of updates. Probly a big gamble to whether it'll get 2.4. It's a real shame considering this phone is a major leap over all the other ones out right now.
What do you think guys? Asking this in a Atrix forum probably isn't the best idea but I'm sure some of you went through this too before you shelled out all that cash.
Keep in mind I live in Canada and only have access to a limited amount of high end phones. If I decide not to get this, then it's the Iphone 5 or galaxy s2 for me.
It's a flagship phone, of course it'll get updated...
Tennis11 said:
It's a flagship phone, of course it'll get updated...
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Click to collapse
Exactly! Just like the sgs phones....oh..wait...nvm.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
Hardware wise its an amazing phone. Software wise it blows. Well, that is until you root it, and freeze the bloat and install a different launcher. After that then its super snappy and tears through tegra games and movies. However if you like to tinker with roms and such then I can't recommend it. It's the reason why mine is going back in exactly 8 days. No dev support for it due to it having a locked boot loader and its gonna be crickets in this forum soon. Locked boot loader means that if moto decides not to upgrade the Atrix soon or at all then you have no way of updating it yourself. So thats the reason mine is going back. Remember if you could care less about custom roms and could care less about being stuck on 2.2 for who knows how long then yes you will probably like the Atrix. I'm moving on to more "open" waters.
Tennis11 said:
It's a flagship phone, of course it'll get updated...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, we'll get 2.3 maybe even 2.4, but what about a third one...? I doubt it.
2.4 is coming out in a few month and that'll be barely into the 3 year's of death I have to sign.
Hows it selling in the U.S? Does anyone know?
smurfit said:
Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I've been lurking around for the past 2 months learning everything I can about android and the Atrix. Prior to this, I've never given much thought about smartphones.
I passed up the iphone 4 in janurary cause it was too late into it's life cycle so I've decided to go with Android. I want a phone that will last till the end of my contract (3 years). The Atrix caught my eye with its Tegra 2 duel core (Big Nvidia fan) which I naturally thought would be a perfect candidate.
I was really set on buying this phone up until today when My dad visited a Bell store. It turns out that particular store didn't even get one sale. It's in a decent location too (Missisauga, beside Toronto).
My guess is that if the phone is not selling then Motorola probably won't support it for long. And with the locked bootloader, I'd be safer getting an Iphone which will probably get more updates that this for sure. I don't know if I can last 3 years with the locked bootloader and Moto's lack of updates. Probly a big gamble to whether it'll get 2.4. It's a real shame considering this phone is a major leap over all the other ones out right now.
What do you think guys? Asking this in a Atrix forum probably isn't the best idea but I'm sure some of you went through this too before you shelled out all that cash.
Keep in mind I live in Canada and only have access to a limited amount of high end phones. If I decide not to get this, then it's the Iphone 5 or galaxy s2 for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Canadian Atrix.
Bought it, LOVED it. Had to unlock it, it worked and now I'm using it on FIDO.
All this stuff about the bloat, I will say I've had the phone since the 17th of march, and have played with it these last 4 days and I tried all launchers major launchers, all this talk of "bloat" rang very untrue to me, at least with the Bell version of the phone..
The smoothest one yet is the stock one. LauncherPro was great but the moment you turn on a Live Wallpaper that thing lags up like nothing else.
Buy it. You will not regret it. ESP the battery life. 4 days and counting, only have charged it 2 times with HEAVY heavy usage. Very good stuff.
The reason why it lagged so bad is because you're supposed to freeze blur from running in the background while you run another launcher at the same time. But Im sure you already knew that.. I agree with battery life though. Its great but thats still part of my hardware argument.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
Namuh said:
The reason why it lagged so bad is because you're supposed to freeze blur from running in the background while you run another launcher at the same time. But Im sure you already knew that.. I agree with battery life though. Its great but thats still part of my hardware argument.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, even after having frozen stuff.. Motoblur home is still the smoothest when using a live wallpaper.
Having said that, do you really want a live wallpaper? (maybe yes, maybe no..) either way. All this talk about bloat, makes a TINY impact on performance. This phone is a beast, and it handles like so.
The HDMI/Webtop features are ridiculous. Very nice.
Hey guys,
Hoping to get some feedback from former HTC Rezound owners who are now onto the S4 (seen a few in this forum).
I'm strongly considering turning to the S4 as my next phone after 3 straight HTC phones. I see that Verizon officially announced the One coming, but with HTC company in disarray, lack of updates on all my HTC phones, and only a 4mp camera (ultra pixel or not, it's not going to be enough for pix you need to crop), and no removable battery or sd card slot, I'm close to jumping over. I've rooted all my phones, but kinda sick of being a guinea pig with half working stuff on ROM's that wasn't supposed to be on my phone anyways, and constant issues, etc just to get close to the latest OS.
With the S4, wondering about comparison in signal strength (4G) that you've seen (just as strong, weaker, etc), GPS lock time, camera (speed and quality of pix), overall speed of the phone (opening apps, mail, etc), and comparative lag, etc.
I'm more interested in a 32gb model if it ever comes to Verizon, so I'm trying to hold out a little longer before making my move, but any input on comparing the 2 phones would be helpful in solidifying my decision! (wife has the S3 by the way, and it's pretty nice, although she has Sprint and never gets 4G)...
Yo, I'll fill you in and answer as much as I can. Just got my s4 last week, had the rezound for about 1.5 yrs. Awesome phone, like it, still like it, was kinda hard to switch. I even left the store without buying the S4, but went back the next day. Glad I did.
I ran the rez stock for a while, but for some time ran the roms by Neo. Mostly rage, but switched to Infection towards the end. This phone has been great for me so far.
-signal strength to me seems a little better for 4g, not major
- wifi is better for sure. Rez wasn't bad but you needed the back cover and maybe it degraded over time???
-GPS seems fine for me, but never had issues with Rez
-camera is fine for me, seems fast enough, good pics too
-I find phone super fast, faster than Rez was, I don't notice any lag. But I never had major issues with that on the Rez tho
For me, it was a slightly tough upgrade, but I'm happy. Biggest for me has been battery life. I had to charge my Rez every 24hrs, this things lasts me at least 2 days.
So far, all I have done is root with TWRP, and froze all the bloat. I haven't flashed any different roms (TW or other). Wanting to see what it is like close to stock for a bit first.
Been very happy with my decision. Would do again, would recommend.
Hope that helps.
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I went form Rezound to S3 and now S4. I do not think you will be disappointed if you get an s4. The phone is superior in every way. My biggest gripe is that touchwiz is extremely ugly!! I use custom roms and themes so that does not really bother me too much. You will also notice that development here will be better than the Rezound. I was going to wait for the HTC One but the state of the company really scares me. I also like having the ability to expand storage. Hope this helps.
hpower1 said:
Yo, I'll fill you in and answer as much as I can. Just got my s4 last week, had the rezound for about 1.5 yrs. Awesome phone, like it, still like it, was kinda hard to switch. I even left the store without buying the S4, but went back the next day. Glad I did.
I ran the rez stock for a while, but for some time ran the roms by Neo. Mostly rage, but switched to Infection towards the end. This phone has been great for me so far.
-signal strength to me seems a little better for 4g, not major
- wifi is better for sure. Rez wasn't bad but you needed the back cover and maybe it degraded over time???
-GPS seems fine for me, but never had issues with Rez
-camera is fine for me, seems fast enough, good pics too
-I find phone super fast, faster than Rez was, I don't notice any lag. But I never had major issues with that on the Rez tho
For me, it was a slightly tough upgrade, but I'm happy. Biggest for me has been battery life. I had to charge my Rez every 24hrs, this things lasts me at least 2 days.
So far, all I have done is root with TWRP, and froze all the bloat. I haven't flashed any different roms (TW or other). Wanting to see what it is like close to stock for a bit first.
Been very happy with my decision. Would do again, would recommend.
Hope that helps.
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Click to collapse
Very helpful - thanks! It's great to see good posts on the S4, but you don't know what kind of phone folks are coming from, so wanted to get a better perspective. Thanks.
jm700wx said:
I went form Rezound to S3 and now S4. I do not think you will be disappointed if you get an s4. The phone is superior in every way. My biggest gripe is that touchwiz is extremely ugly!! I use custom roms and themes so that does not really bother me too much. You will also notice that development here will be better than the Rezound. I was going to wait for the HTC One but the state of the company really scares me. I also like having the ability to expand storage. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with the look not being totally appealing too. I'd probably do the same thing with a theme or shell (just saw a good review of the Yandex shell 3d launcher) as long as it doesn't lag or mess up the phone. Thanks.
Not sure I can add anything to what's already been said but I just made the jump from Rezound to S4 and I'm very happy. I was concerned with the transition to TouchWiz as I've used previous iterations on family members' phones and didn't like it. Sense was superior in nearly every way but to be honest, it could be worse and I'm getting used to it. I considered another HTC phone (DNA or One) but hated the idea of no SD card option and a non-removable battery. Speaking of battery, I don't think HTC is capable of manufacturing a phone with decent battery life.
Speed on the S4 is excellent though I've noticed some odd lag in the Google Maps app. I enabled developer menu and disabled all of the animations so that's helped. The Rezound was fast enough for me and if I had to go back to it, I don't think it would be an issue. Signal strength and quality are as good for me as with the Rezound. I was running VipreRez and had odd issues with WIFI whereby I had to disable/enable it now and then to stay connected...not an issue with the S4. GPS lock is very quick but I had no problems with the Rez. I don't use the camera much so I can't comment on that except to say that some of the camera modes on the S4 are pretty neat (possibly gimmicky).
The single largest difference is battery life and it's a MASSIVE difference. I could not make it through a day with the Rez if I used navigation, wireless tether or spent too much time talking. I use my phone only for business (no games) so for me it's phone calls, text, e-mail and a minor amount of navigation. I was constantly powering the phone from the car and plugging it in immediately upon returning home. The S4 has amazing battery life. I've easily made it 17+ hours with nearly 3 hours of screen on time, navigation and WIFI tether and been at or just below 30% at the end of the day.
The only issues I've had with the S4 have been adjusting to the size of the phone and lack of a search button. I have a difficult time reaching across the screen with one hand but I think I'll live with it. I used to press search and immediately type a client's name and get to them quickly. Now it takes an extra step or two but not a huge issue. Also, I miss the Sense clock..heh. I realize there are apps that emulate that clock but it was amazing. I thought the screen on the Rez was fantastic but the 5" screen on the S4 is truly amazing.
One last thing to mention. I always felt like the Rezound was the red-headed step-child of HTC phones. Not much dev support and accessories were difficult to come by. The S4 is a complete 180 from that due to the pervasive nature of the distribution. I expect loads of development and accessories for this phone.
Former Rezound user here too. I totally agreed with everything everyone has said. I did notice GPS , Wifi and 4G were a little better. I wasn't really nervous about TW . I actually like TW. Battery life is great as previously mentioned . Love the phone so far.
I went from the Rez to the S3 tp the S4. I really liked the build quality of the Rez. When I sold mine, it was like selling a child.
Wifi is awesome in comparison. 4G averages 25% higher in my tests. I guess it's just more consistent. Battery life is WAY better. I always had to have an extended battery on it. My S4 lasts me a whole day off intense use. I work IT and I'm on my phone all day. Development will be much better. Let's not even mention the screen comparison.
All in all, the upgrade is amazing. Worth every penny.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Former Rezounder and I just got the S4 today. I'm so excited to have this phone and I'm very happy to hear all the good remarks from this thread. I expected to see that there is more development for this phone compared to the Rezound. I agree that it was the red headed step child too lol. Anyways I'm gonna get started on rooting
Get the s4. You will leave terrible battery life, heat, and poor development behind. You won't regret it. I don't miss my rez that much
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
I had the Rezound. After Google I/O and not hearing anything about the Moto X phone I decided to jump on the S4 bandwagon. I had my Rez for a little over a year. It was an okay phone, hated the battery life, even got the extended battery and always got weird looks for how big my phone was. But I've gotta commend developers like Neo or Chad for bringing us 4.2 to the Rez. For me the standout points with the S4 are battery life, the camera and very very smooth UI. I'm excited to see what the future brings, development is explosive with the bootloader being unlocked now. I really want to like the HTC One but I need HTC to show better support for their phones, there was no excuse for the Rezound to not have 4.1 by now, even the Droid Bionic has it!
Rezound to S4 and the very first thing I notice was how freaking light it was I even told the verizon rep if he put the battery in LOL but after the initial shock the phone is so good, the only thing I noticed was the lack of CDMA support unless I am missing something here but if you not in a 4g area you get a lot of dropped calls unless being on Global has something to do with it.
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
I too had a Rezound and it's been passed down to my mother.. The Rezound is choppy and slow these days.. Still has a great screen though in my opinion.. the S4 is a no brainer to switch to.
---------- Post added at 09:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 AM ----------
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the big gripe and deal with needing 32gb internal storage? I'm sure pretty soon we're going to have working apps2sd and it's not an issue anymore. . It's also one of the reasons Vzw was able to sell it 199 on contract still.
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same boat as hpower1. I must have made 3 trips to the store to look at the S4. I went to a Corp store so I could buy it outright and put it on a 12 month payment plan. Didn't want to lose my unlimited plan. My wife and I only use about 1GB +/- per month but the "what if" factor kicked in. It helped sell me when I was on the phone with 611 and they told me that it wouldn't affect my upgrade. So if something else comes out in a year or so and we are not using over 2 or 4 GB per month that I could still my upgrade. They offered to buy back the Rezound but I declined. I moved it to another line to replace a D1. This thing (S4) is awesome. Light, fast, big screen. I put it in an OtterBox Defender case to help protect it. Makes it so much easier to hold. This is simply a GREAT phone. I got it last Friday night and couldn't take it any longer so Monday morning I rooted it just so I could disable some of the bloat and flash a mod that I wanted. Get it, you won't regret it. Also like others have said, the battery life is great but I have to admit that the Rezound got much better after flashing XenonHD and is still a great phone.
Oh, and I also installed a 64Gb card in it that I got off of Amazon.
Had my rezound for 1.5 years and it was definitely an above average phone with limited support from verizon and developers.
Although the developers that were there (Cleanrom) were terrific.
I had the incredible before the rezound so, like you, was contemplating waiting for the One.
I need to use spare batteries so I didn't bother waiting
For me, personally, everything is better with the s4 EXCEPT 4g signal strength.
Just to clarify, when I have proper strength, which is most of the time, the speed is superior.
What I'm talking about came to light last night.
I went to my first yankee game since getting s4 (I go to 30 games a year) last night and I had sporadic service, at best.
Maybe there was something in the air but my rezound got much better signal and data was good.
Since everyone else is saying theres is better with the s4, I'm beginning to lean towards it being a bad night at the stadium.
Anyway, I just wanted you to know my experience.
The phone is awesome, support on the forums is great (I'm running cleanrom now, but have tried hyperdrive too and it was equally good), and you will be very happy.
On a side note, Yankees won and I got to see Mo close which is a treat that is quickly coming to an end
jmk32 said:
Great feedback guys! exactly what I was hoping to hear.Think I'm sold on getting the S4.
Already talked to a Verizon store rep about options to upgrade early without paying full retail and losing unlimited (Verizon really stinks about these new policies), but may wait a few more weeks to see if a 32gb version of the S4 will actually come to vzw or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might regret it loosing ur unlimited plan , I did a payment plan.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I rocked the rezound for awhile back when it came out and loved it! Probably one of my favorite android phones to use! The s4 is pretty nice I just say coming from a note 2 too but if Verizon does in fact release a HTC one with more 16 gb of storage I will get one and switch between it and s4 depending on how nice it is and stacks up against s4!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
nes4r2 said:
You might regret it loosing ur unlimited plan , I did a payment plan.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
I won't give up my unlimited. It's sick how Verizon is gouging us lately and even pushing back upgrade dates - seriously Verizon?
I went to a Verizon store and the rep gave me some options how to keep unlimited whole still being able to upgrade a little early - something about adding a line and paying a little more per month. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess...
nes4r2 said:
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What's the big gripe and deal with needing 32gb internal storage? I'm sure pretty soon we're going to have working apps2sd and it's not an issue anymore. . It's also one of the reasons Vzw was able to sell it 199 on contract still.
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Click to collapse
But if we don't get apps2sd it could be a problem in the future with 1/2 the 16gb internal clogged with OS, etc. Who knows how big some apps will be in the future, so don't want to get stuck with potential limited space. I'm sure its fine for now. It's also one of the main gripes I've read from professional reviews. Plus I'm just sick of having all my iPads, kindles, etc always running out of room and just don't want to deal with that potential issue at some point.
If I don't hear more about a 32gb soon, I'm sure I'll cave in before too long...
To the users and devs of GSII; do you find this phone still worth buying in 2014?
I'm considering it based on the activity I see here on XDA; lots of kernels and different ROMs to play with. Dual core and 1GB RAM should be enough for me I think.
Few questions comes to mind;
- How much screen on time can you pull off in one cycle charge with stock battery? 4 hours, or more?
- What are the chances of bricking this phone during rooting and flashing?
Hope to see some replies and perhaps getting to know the users of this community too
If you can find a good deal - take it.It's fast,has a good screen,camera, dev support etc.I also bought it about 6 months ago and never regreted.
With stock battery and 50%brightness,CPU&GPU OC I get a decent 4h30min screen on time.
You will never brick your phone by doing all properly IMHO.And there's always a disclaimer for those who will.
Imo, get s3 instead.. It's pretty cheap now with wifi on all the time with proximity on for gravity screen off can last six hours. I came from s2 very lag only get 600 of mb of ram to use..
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
TheImpossibleEnemy said:
You will never brick your phone by doing all properly IMHO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*coughBull****cough*
Ahem
OP, if you want to completely get rid of the risk of bricking your phone, never flash anything to it. That's the only way you're doing it. Every single flash involves a (normally) very small risk, regardless of whether it's Odin or CWM.
Appreciate all the responds!
S3 has too big screen for me, my brother has one and damn its large.
I would love a S4 Mini but the price difference between S2 and S4 Mini makes me want an S2
4h30min screen on time should be good enough for me. I hope listening to music in standby doesn't drain too much battery on S2, though.
Biggest con of this is that I know I want to flash custom ROMs on S2, but I never had a Samsung phone before. So I know nothing about Odin and rooting Samsung phones etc.
I would just like to know... If you end up bricking it (as in bootloop or just stuck) are there easy tools for S2 that can unbrick it or easily restore to original firmware to unbrick? Also, those who have been here a long time, have you seen a lot of people with bricked S2 phones?
Once again, thanks! Great with all this help!
MistahBungle said:
*coughBull****cough*
Ahem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?
Thou I agree with you - take the risk or leave it as it is and live in peace.
Phonne is really good..
Battery on 3G takes a big hit (SOT~3 hrs)..
So battery usage really depends on what networks u use..
Standby efficiency improves a lot for me with custom roms..
Music does not drain the battery so much, so no issues there..
Development levels are great, i love it for that.. I came from xperia U a year back which had abysmal development level due to closed sources of novathor processor..
My thoughts about the phone:
1. Screen is not very sharp but i love super amoled
2. Sound quality is fairly good
3. Battery is just about average
4. Phone with 4.1.2 is very smooth (i don't use cm, aosp roms that much)
5. Large dev community (especially considering it's based on exynos)
6. And yeah camera is superb
Now coming to s4 mini.. It is definitely a better and maybe worth the extra cost due to bigger battery and sharper screen.. It has snapdragon processor so development will improve with time..
Buy wisely my friend!
torstenconrad said:
I would just like to know... If you end up bricking it (as in bootloop or just stuck) are there easy tools for S2 that can unbrick it or easily restore to original firmware to unbrick? Also, those who have been here a long time, have you seen a lot of people with bricked S2 phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloops (which are not bricks; bricks are phones that aren't recoverable via 'normal means') are normally easy enough to recover by flashing stock with Odin (How ? Search. This stuff has been covered thousands of times here over the past 3 yrs), likewise to return to 'original firmware', get it from Samfirmware, flash it with Odin.
Bricked phones can sometimes be revived by a JTAG, but many require a motherboard replacement to fix, and you have to ask yourself if you end up in this situation 'Do I want to spend as much as the phone is worth on a new board, when I can easily by a new phone for the same money ?'.
I have seen so many bricked phones on here over the past 2 & a bit yrs I lost count a long time ago. Literally thousands.
However, apart from that very small risk with each flash which you can never get rid of, there's a much larger risk of you borking your phone through not knowing what you're doing. The way you mitigate that risk is you search/read/learn off your own back. You don't rush into things, you take as long as you need to in order to learn, before you 'do'.
All the info you could ever need to ensure you don't end up breaking your phone through user error is here, but you have to seek it out & learn it yourself. Asking people to regurgitate 10 steps to do something (which many people here do) will teach you nothing/will not make you understand what you're doing, and that's where you end up with greatest risk of a borked phone in my experience. Most people I've seen on here who've borked their phones (apart from the maybe 10 who were 'unlucky') failed to learn/understand in their own way/on their own terms.
Totally agree with @MistahBungle......
Search/Read/Learn/Do.......in that order....and don't "do" until you're totally confident that you're going to get it right......and/or know what to do if you get it wrong (all the info you need can be found in the sticky threads at the start of these forums).....
Btw.....don't let the mention of 'thousands' of phones bricking worry you, when you consider that Samsung has sold over 30 million S2s, you can get the picture that those thousands are a vanishingly tiny percentage of the total units sold......
My advice.....if it's cheap enough, get it....and modify the hell out of it (lol)
You won't regret it......
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
keithross39 said:
Totally agree with @MistahBungle......
Search/Read/Learn/Do.......in that order....and don't "do" until you're totally confident that you're going to get it right......and/or know what to do if you get it wrong (all the info you need can be found in the sticky threads at the start of these forums).....
Btw.....don't let the mention of 'thousands' of phones bricking worry you, when you consider that Samsung has sold over 30 million S2s, you can get the picture that those thousands are a vanishingly tiny percentage of the total units sold......
My advice.....if it's cheap enough, get it....and modify the hell out of it (lol)
You won't regret it......
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ever since JB update, the no. of bricked devices have reduced considerably.. ics was the real issue!
If you can find one of the snapgragon gs3's I highly recommend that over any exynos phone.
peRFect! said:
Ever since JB update, the no. of bricked devices have reduced considerably.. ics was the real issue!
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Click to collapse
Rubbish. Pure nonsense. We don't see as many bricks on here (as in sheer numbers) as we used to because compared to 18 mths ago, we get maybe 50% of the volume of posts. People still brick their phones here roughly in proportion to the number of posts we get here. Carelessness still means you end up with a busted phone, this is what I'm trying to impress on the OP.
MistahBungle said:
Rubbish. Pure nonsense. We don't see as many bricks on here (as in sheer numbers) as we used to because compared to 18 mths ago, we get maybe 50% of the volume of posts. People still brick their phones here roughly in proportion to the number of posts we get here. Carelessness still means you end up with a busted phone, this is what I'm trying to impress on the OP.
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Click to collapse
Yes ure right.. carelessness leads to trouble!
But the exynos brick bug caused a lot of issues on ics.. that seems to be gone.. that is what im trying to say!
Though I agree nothing is 100% safe..
My company gave me an iPhone 5s to use as a work phone. I still prefer my 3 year old S2. Weighs about the same as the iPhone and is just as thin. Imperceptibly slower but way, WAY more practical. And if you like designing and customizing you'll LOVE this phone. If you get bored with it you can just flash a new ROM. But, be careful, follow instructions EXACTLY. If you're not sure about something, ask. I foolishly thought I could install CWM via CWM and lost EVERYTHING including all my backups! ALWAYS backup to the cloud because you can never be too safe. Of course, if you have the money you can get a newer android phone that's insignificantly faster but has a significantly better resolution. But if you want a good old phone I would say this is the best 3 year old phone you can get, and the dev community here will make sure you always get the latest software tech. Keep in mind also that this still is one of the lightest and thinnest android phones ever made. It's perfect imo and I have no reason to switch to something different.
Something you might want to watch out for is the usb jack sometimes that gets messed up sometimes when you hang the phone upside down while charging. Iv'e had to replace mine 3 times, almost once every year. No biggie though, you can just get the $10 part from miniinthebox and replace with little effort (8 screws).
Oh and I bought an extra battery from china from ebay that cost me like $20 so I don't really worry about battery life. But normally I can't go 2 full days without charging, which is pretty normal for most smartphones on the market right now.
I think that its totally worth it! If you root it and get cm11, it runs extremly well for being 2 years old!
The screen has very good saturation, and overall the phone is really fast!
I dont know if the s4 mini is worth it, since it may not have as much roms as the galaxy s2, but its totally your choice!
Also everything is amazing about it, the roms, specs and other things! And if you get it for a good price, it is totally worth it!
Try 3 yrs. It's old hardware. If you want a 3 yrs ago experience, get an S2, if you want an up to date experience, don't.
I am not recommending you the S2.
Here is why:
1. Screen resolution and size. I love the 4.3" size, but the 480x800 resolution (~217 ppi pixel density) makes it not hd and the screen doesn't make the phone feel premium or high class.
2. Many people have the mic bug (including me, mic doesn't always work like it should work)
3. Instability, even on stock roms the phone can freeze or soft reboot.
4. Battery life. It is amazing how good it can do deep sleep, but once turned screen on (low brightness) and browsing or watching some vids, the battery drops faster than you want.
5. (personal prefrence) no led light on the phone like the s3 and s4.
6. The amoled screen of the S2 doesn't have nice coloring like the amoled from the samsung wave. (I own the wave and S2)
If you want to have it, it should have a good pricing, if it is =<100 euro it is a good deal.
I recommend the S3 more because:
1. 4.8" screen with a 1280x720 resolution (~306 ppi pixel density), feels more HD and feel premium or high class, it also feels less pixelated in games and videos/.
2. 2100mAh battery (much more capacity than s2's 1650mAh battery)
I got mine 3 weeks ago , had it traded for my old Huawei Y300 and Galaxy Mini 2. It's great , definetly worth getting. Had to buy a new battery tho.
I just think that the Galaxy S2 is the best smartphone ever
i had my mates s2 off him, i was using a quad core with 1gb ram, theres no real difference speed wise, and for me this is a good upgrade for the camera, so im more than happy with this phone
OK so I'm due for my an upgrade on my second line (which is my wife's), and was just wondering what's a good phone to upgrade to?
I love my g3 but my lady wants one as well so I was just thinking of giving her mines. Anything better than the lg g3, it has to be at least 5.5in or lower (its the perfect size IMO). And please don't say nexus 6 because that's too big besides I have an N5. Look forward to you guys input.
Droid turbo
Im leaning towards the G3 as well, and mainly because I want a usable camera. I have a RazrHD and it has left alot to be desired in that department. Love that I was able to unlock the bootloader when I had the chance and the Rom I have is fast, stable and smoother than any other I have tried even on my Nexus 7.
Believe it or not the G3 is the top Android in most of these camera tests besting even the Samsung Galaxy 5 http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-iPhone-6-and-iPhone-6-Plus-vs-iPhone-5s-Galaxy-S5-LG-G3-Lumia-1520-Xperia-Z2-HTC-One-M8_id3805/page/6
I'm pretty much between this phone and the Nexus 6 because nothing beats a custom Rom, and if it's locked it takes away my ability to maximize the performance of an already amazing device.
If anyone can comment on the battery life this would help as well.
legend221 said:
Im leaning towards the G3 as well, and mainly because I want a usable camera. I have a RazrHD and it has left alot to be desired in that department. Love that I was able to unlock the bootloader when I had the chance and the Rom I have is fast, stable and smoother than any other I have tried even on my Nexus 7.
Believe it or not the G3 is the top Android in most of these camera tests besting even the Samsung Galaxy 5 http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-iPhone-6-and-iPhone-6-Plus-vs-iPhone-5s-Galaxy-S5-LG-G3-Lumia-1520-Xperia-Z2-HTC-One-M8_id3805/page/6
I'm pretty much between this phone and the Nexus 6 because nothing beats a custom Rom, and if it's locked it takes away my ability to maximize the performance of an already amazing device.
If anyone can comment on the battery life this would help as well.
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IMHO, battery life meets and exceeds all I need. However, I should follow that up by saying I came from a GS3 with absolutely horrendous battery life due to it being old and me upgrading soon and so just living with it lol I would say that I've read a lot of people who've said there are some better phones for battery out there (GS5, even the G2 from what I've heard - keep in mind I have no personal experience here though). Either way, a day of "normal use" - checking it occasionally during work, some texting, and a reasonable amount of Web browsing - I'm usually ballpark of 50-60% by 5 to 6 pm. A day of exceptionally heavy use I may be as low as 30% at that same time, but at that point it's all irrelevant because I can simply plug it in for 20-30 minutes to easily get me though till 10 or so. Just my 2c. I wouldn't classify it as "marathon" status, but definitely sufficient for me. Hope this helps!
Edit: However, if you're thinking of getting on, I'd do it quick lol! Hopefully you can find one with the 10b firmware (exploitable for root, bootloader unlock, etc.). However, some people are now reporting success with downgrading from the recent 11c update back to 10b using the .kdz file posted in the "system update incoming" thread. Just in case you haven't been reading over there
ohlin5 said:
IMHO, battery life meets and exceeds all I need. However, I should follow that up by saying I came from a GS3 with absolutely horrendous battery life due to it being old and me upgrading soon and so just living with it lol I would say that I've read a lot of people who've said there are some better phones for battery out there (GS5, even the G2 from what I've heard - keep in mind I have no personal experience here though). Either way, a day of "normal use" - checking it occasionally during work, some texting, and a reasonable amount of Web browsing - I'm usually ballpark of 50-60% by 5 to 6 pm. A day of exceptionally heavy use I may be as low as 30% at that same time, but at that point it's all irrelevant because I can simply plug it in for 20-30 minutes to easily get me though till 10 or so. Just my 2c. I wouldn't classify it as "marathon" status, but definitely sufficient for me. Hope this helps!
Edit: However, if you're thinking of getting on, I'd do it quick lol! Hopefully you can find one with the 10b firmware (exploitable for root, bootloader unlock, etc.). However, some people are now reporting success with downgrading from the recent 11c update back to 10b using the .kdz file posted in the "system update incoming" thread. Just in case you haven't been reading over there
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Thanks a lot for this information. Unfortunately I have to wait until June of next year to use my upgrade and I really want to root / boot loader unlock the G3 if I decide on it.
Maybe I'll just pull the trigger and see if hopefully I get one from the box with 10b firmware from the get go.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
In case we buy the G3 and there is no way to downgrade at that time is the phone still recommended if on stock?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
legend221 said:
In case we buy the G3 and there is no way to downgrade at that time is the phone still recommended if on stock?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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I would say that depends on if you can live with the "stock" feel of a device, then yes. I'll be honest that personally though, root and unlock to me personally is a near make or break deal lol I get bored of things too quick to not be able to "mess" with stuff haha but that's just me
ohlin5 said:
I would say that depends on if you can live with the "stock" feel of a device, then yes. I'll be honest that personally though, root and unlock to me personally is a near make or break deal lol I get bored of things too quick to not be able to "mess" with stuff haha but that's just me
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I'm the same way, just hoping that by the time I get me G3 they don't bork it up and have the latest update on it. June can't come soon enough.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Coming from an S3 S4 S5 and ready for a new flavor. Been reading here all day after seeing the Z3 last night.
Anything else I need to know coming from Sami.
App to SD does not work but is implemented in lollipop. I wasn't initially aware of that when I first got mine. I love mine ditched the Note4 for it.
Thanks for responding, Gonna see what VZW store around here has them tomorrow
Bobby Buggs said:
Thanks for responding, Gonna see what VZW store around here has them tomorrow
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You're going to love the battery life. Also, you might like the minimalistic touch of Sony for Android UI, depending on your tastes.
Last thing is, simultaneous voice and data won't come until lollipop, which is still pretty soon I'm feeling. Not a big hassle if you're connected to Wi-Fi most of the time.
Bobby Buggs said:
Coming from an S3 S4 S5 and ready for a new flavor. Been reading here all day after seeing the Z3 last night.
Anything else I need to know coming from Sami.
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don't buy the verizon version if you are about customizing it
you see there is no development for it at all so far,
z3 standart versions have a little development already
My devel days are behind me, I dont have the time to keep up with the changes any more so the VZ version will do
The best time is to get it now since Verizon is selling it awfully low for. 99 cents on a new contract. Ever since moving onto this phone, I have no big desire as before to Dev this since everything is near perfect.
And for some reason, T-Mobile discontinued selling the Z3 today...
Wonder why Tmo dropped it, is it cause the z4 is coming out?
Oh no.... next version regret syndrome before I even buy
Bobby Buggs said:
Wonder why Tmo dropped it, is it cause the z4 is coming out?
Oh no.... next version regret syndrome before I even buy
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it's funny how people think about z4, that's in my opinion (even if i had the money) a bit weird, since the z3 isn't that old... no offence
Cant call Vzw till 10 est to see if the store has any:fingers-crossed:
Having the Z3v,I wouldn't trade it up for any other phone unless it would be a newer Xperia. My other choice would have been a Note 4, but having the freedom to not worry about water damage and incredible battery life is what I've been long awaited for this when the Z2 was introduced.
Ok, I got mine. So whats the best/fastest way to charge this phone?
So Im just rebuilding my apps and all I can say is Wow I really like the way this thing runs. Lollipop really Fugged up my S5, how has it been for you guys
Bobby Buggs said:
Ok, I got mine. So whats the best/fastest way to charge this phone?
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There's only two ways to charge: Regular and wireless charging. Wireless charging isn't as fast as regular charging, but it saves the hassle from taking the port out and inserting the charger correctly. I recommend either the Choe Stadium wireless charger from Amazon or the Tylt Wireless Charger if you want to spend the extra cash.
And I very much agree. I'm glad I held off on getting the S5/M8. My experience with this phone is simply the best, and I just shake my head out how people overlook this regardless of development.
makes me want one.. i have been sitting happy on my S4 running google edition.. scared to upgrade because seems like everything is root locked these days but it sounds like there is no need to root this phone..
one question, does this phone have expandable storage??
qs504792 said:
makes me want one.. i have been sitting happy on my S4 running google edition.. scared to upgrade because seems like everything is root locked these days but it sounds like there is no need to root this phone..
one question, does this phone have expandable storage??
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Yes, this phone has expandable storage up to 128 GB. It comes with a standard 32gb internal memory on board so it's still plentiful.
Good phone, but bad support... as in poor marketing, limited accessories and delayed Lollipop update.
mine comes in mail tomorrow! im moving from a jailbroken iphone 4 that has been terrible , although i still use my htc sensation running unofficial cm11 because its faster . im a lil worried about the transition from rooted devices to a non rooted one.
shakan09 said:
mine comes in mail tomorrow! im moving from a jailbroken iphone 4 that has been terrible , although i still use my htc sensation running unofficial cm11 because its faster . im a lil worried about the transition from rooted devices to a non rooted one.
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Trust me, this is fast and you won't have a problem with it. You'll enjoy it
GigaSPX said:
Trust me, this is fast and you won't have a problem with it. You'll enjoy it
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thanks! i hope so :good: that seems to be what everyone is saying about it