For those who can't have a camera

For those who can't have a camera - Vibrant Accessories

I work at a place where camera phones are not allowed. Obviously this sucks as there are no decent non camera phones out there. Recently though they've allowed camera phones to be used as long as the camera is removed and the hole epoxied. So yeah, I've permanently altered my vibrant.
But the good news is that you can custom order a skin from phantomskins and ask them not to cut out the hole for the camera. Just thought this would be useful info for other people in my situation since you can at least remove the camera and make it look like it came that way from the factory.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

May I ask what your profession is?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

alot of companies in tech and auto industry do it to prevent leaks of new and coming things

I know RIM sells some Blackberry models without the camera (Sprint and Verizon carry them if you look through their sites).

I work at a government installation. Yeah, blackberry has some phones but for what I want my phone to do they pretty much suck. I've had a blackberry 8820 which was "okay" but I want more than that out of my phone. And the whole changing out my simcard into another phone when I'm off work just doesn't happen because I'm lazy I guess lol. The crappy part is that I'm one of the few people that couldn't care less about a camera on my phone. Of all the camera phones I've had over the years I've probably taken a grand total of about a dozen pictures collectively with them. I just want a fast phone that can access the internet in a similar experience that I'd have on a computer. It would be great if manufacturers sold both camera and non camera versions of all their phones. Blackberry is really the only one that does it and they only do it on their lower end phones anyway.

A funny thing is that you still can add an FFC mod and have a camera while nobody gonna know about it

glfpunk said:
I work at a government installation. Yeah, blackberry has some phones but for what I want my phone to do they pretty much suck. I've had a blackberry 8820 which was "okay" but I want more than that out of my phone. And the whole changing out my simcard into another phone when I'm off work just doesn't happen because I'm lazy I guess lol. The crappy part is that I'm one of the few people that couldn't care less about a camera on my phone. Of all the camera phones I've had over the years I've probably taken a grand total of about a dozen pictures collectively with them. I just want a fast phone that can access the internet in a similar experience that I'd have on a computer. It would be great if manufacturers sold both camera and non camera versions of all their phones. Blackberry is really the only one that does it and they only do it on their lower end phones anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To my knowledge, the Droid pro will have/has a variant that does not have a camera.

Related

Godbye Rhodium

Loved you very much. Moved onto a Backflip. Couldn't take the lack of support for the speaker on Android. For those of you looking for an Android phone I recommend the Backflip... It's slicker, and even better: it's free with a new plan on AT&T
Even still good luck with this Android port.
If anyone wants to buy a used T-Mobile Touch Pro 2 I'm selling it on eBay and it's only at 125$ bidding so far...

The backflip is literally the worst Android phone made. Just trying searching google or side loading apps on it. You will be unpleasantly surprised.

Yeah, I'm moving to a iPhone next week and will also be putting my TP2 on eBay. Good luck on ur eBay auction.
Sent from my MSM using XDA App

LOL
There is a reason that with a new contract the backflip is free and the TP2 is still $250....
Motorola makes crap.

wow
this thread is pointless

It's ok, I just got a TP2 so there will always be new users!

no one cares... what is this? craigslist? go advertise somewhere else.

wow just wow
andershizzle said:
Loved you very much. Moved onto a Backflip. Couldn't take the lack of support for the speaker on Android. For those of you looking for an Android phone I recommend the Backflip... It's slicker, and even better: it's free with a new plan on AT&T
Even still good luck with this Android port.
If anyone wants to buy a used T-Mobile Touch Pro 2 I'm selling it on eBay and it's only at 125$ bidding so far...
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Click to collapse
ok honestly you just made the WORST decision in history! why the heck would you drop the TP2 for the crappiest phone on the planet? slicker and better is more like uglier and horrible, worst perfomance, and of course Android Market is locked down, you cant load any third party apps! and why you didnt get the Aria? its 10000x more better but whatever and moving to a backflip just because you couldnt get speaker support on the Android port is a real unacceptable excuse, its a PORT! TouchPro2 was made for Windows Mobile, dont expect the devs to make everything to work in one shot, it seems like you insulted the port project by moving to an actual android because lack of sound, dont worry youll regret the whole decision!
ugh my venting session is done -.- total pointless thread, sorry but i just had to rant, because thats the worst decision ive seen from a consumer

xero_racer, roast much lol, I agree with you and all, cause Im like big time trying my best to get the sound working, and I am a noob when it comes to all of this, but im still tryin cause I speak tiny amounts of C++.and I can usually figure stuff out, and this kinda upset me cause that just makes me feel like i'm wasting my time towards something that people wont appreciate...

@reefer
Yeah. I haven't heard anything good about the Motorola Droid or the Droid X. /s
Just because one phone cost more than another doesn't mean squat.
Sent from my MSM using XDA App

1jaxstate1 said:
I haven't heard anything good about the Motorola Droid or the Droid X. /s
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Click to collapse
Odd. The droid is one of the best performing phones on the market, period. The build quality is unusually high for Motorola. I'm sure the Droid X follows suit, the specs are nothing to laugh at.
Motorola Android phones that have extremely LOW build quality and are also low spec'ed:
Cliq
Cliq XT
Backflip

always liked the nexus one for a native android phone, just not a phone i feel like buying though.

Nice. Motorola's cell phones almost shut their entire mobile division down. The droid was their saving grace, but the backflip and the cliq have been plagued with problems, including a possible lack of upgradability to eclair without rooting. Lack of sound is to be expected in a build that's still in development, I hope you didn't get this pone with the sole intent of installing android.
Sorry about your lack of taste, but you should expect to be flamed when opening a thread bashing an excellent piece of hardware.

ive been thinking about switching to an android phone. but not a backflip. its horrible. its slow, ugly, outdated, have you tried using that thing they call a keyboard? my brother has an aria and i love it, but id prefer something like a touch pro 2 with android. i might settle in the future for something like a nexus one with an htc sense rom. a sense rom is whats tempting.

Have u ever used a backflip or cliq?
Sent from my MSM using XDA App

cashless said:
The backflip is literally the worst Android phone made. Just trying searching google or side loading apps on it. You will be unpleasantly surprised.
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Click to collapse
Totally second that lol

what about the Samsung Epic 4G. It has almost the same form factor as the tp2 but a larger screen.
I cant wait to get that in gsm.

The Backflip is not that bad depending on what type of user you are. If you active in this forum then most likely it is not the phone for you. My wife got one and she loves it. She is not a power user though. She likes to make phone calls, text messaging, the occasional photo upload, very light web surfing and facebook. She has no interest in side loading apps or any of that other stuff. For her the backflip suites all of her need.
For anyone else here that would like to switch over to a native Android phone I suggest you take a look at the Samsung Captivate. It is a highly anticipated phone and is supposed to be just as powerful as the Droid X. It releases this coming sunday the 18th of July. For those of you who can't live without a keyboard then you maybe out of luck cause the Backflip is the only Android phone on AT&T witih a keyboard.
I myself am a power user who needs the latest and greatest in both hardware and software. I though have grown very tired of Windows Mobile and the daily reboots just to keep it running well enough to use. I am also out of patients waiting for a full working port of Android. The developers here do an awsome job and I am not puttingi them down. I just want to switch to Android and I want to do it yesterday. I to have put my Tilt 2 up on Ebay and will be purchasing the Captivate this coming Sunday.

Samsung Epic 4G/Captivate/Vibrant/Fascinate (all versions of the Samsung Galaxy S) looks like the go-to phone if you're leaving XDAndroid. I'll probably be getting the Vibrant once it's released on T-mo.
Nothing against the Rhodium, but mine's beat up (probably only good for parts) and I don't normally keep a phone as long as I've kept this one. If anyone needs a t-mobile Touch Pro 2 for parts or whatever, PM me after the 15th.

Woah
Am i missing something or did any one realize he spelled goodbye wrong?

Dinc2 vs iPhone 4

Okay guys I know many xda'ers don't hold apple in high regard but my girlfriend is looking to upgrade her blackberry soon. I would just like some opinions of the dinc2 and if anyone has used an ip4 as well and how do they compare? Hows the camera and video capture on dinc2? Also most likely I will be rooting her phone if she gets the dinc2 because she loves miui and wondering how easy it is to root it, Ive read the alpharev thread and I think I have the gist of it. Thanks any thoughts and opinions would be awesome.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

chewbz said:
Okay guys I know many xda'ers don't hold apple in high regard but my girlfriend is looking to upgrade her blackberry soon. I would just like some opinions of the dinc2 and if anyone has used an ip4 as well and how do they compare? Hows the camera and video capture on dinc2? Also most likely I will be rooting her phone if she gets the dinc2 because she loves miui and wondering how easy it is to root it, Ive read the alpharev thread and I think I have the gist of it. Thanks any thoughts and opinions would be awesome.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have chick friends that love the inc2, and I have chick friends that love the iphone4, depends on what she or U lol plan to do to it, root, jailbreak, ect..or nothing. if she wants basic go apple. if you want great community support go android.

Its not like android would be particularly difficult to get the hang of, hell my grandpa uses a Droid X. The iPhone isn't going to do anything the inc 2 can't, at this point I think people buy apple due to the perceived status.
And rooting is very simple, its not "one-click" easy, but if you're computer literate its easy. Literally takes a couple minutes once you're ready to go.

I do like the design of apple products but the company and its beloved followers I can't stand. In the end it is up to her but she weighs a lot on my opinion and told her I would ask the fine people at xda as well lol! Also I am cashing out 100 dollars to help pay for it too, and since I got a nexus, I'm hoping she pics the dinc2 .
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

chewbz said:
I do like the design of apple products but the company and its beloved followers I can't stand. In the end it is up to her but she weighs a lot on my opinion and told her I would ask the fine people at xda as well lol! Also I am cashing out 100 dollars to help pay for it too, and since I got a nexus, I'm hoping she pics the dinc2 .
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put it this way. you can get an iPhone and be stuck with iOS and whatever memory size you happen to choose forever (not to mention feel bitter once the next iPhone comes out).
Or you can get the more recent, more technically advanced DInc2, and be able interchange SD cards and Batteries, and switch HTC Sense, AOSP, or MIUI (which is basically iOS, except better because you can use widgets and everything else that makes Android awesome). In my opinion, if you fall prey to the flashy logos, sleek design and massive marketing and ignore the obvious advantages of the HTC android phones, then you deserve to be pigeon-holed in with the mouth-breathers that stand outside the Apple Store all night waiting for the iPad 3 to come out so it can (not) run flash up to 3X faster!

The only problem is I wouldn't get too excited about rooting the Inc2 off the jump because if you get one now it's likely to come with Gingerbread (unless one has been sitting on a shelf for a bit). If you get one, you better get it quick. Froyo had the only known root method and no telling how long it'll take to crack Gingerbread
That said, even in the situation that I didn't root, I have the Incredible 2 and I'd take it over the iPhone easily. HTC sense is really not a bad UI at all, slower than AOSP of course but of all the manufacturer skins on top of Android, Sense UI is by far the most useful.
The biggest problem with the iPhone 4 (to me) is that it doesn't really multitask and the hardware is starting to get a bit dated. The iPhone 4 isn't "slow" by any means, but most modern Android phones will run circles around it. The Dinc2 has good battery life too, I have to absolutely abuse mine for it not to last a whole day easily
If you do happen to get one with Froyo, AlpharevX is as painless as it gets. S-off and it installs clockworkmod recovery for you if you elect to.

Thanks guys, told her what you guys said and she is like 100 % sure she wants the dinc2 Now I'm excited, I get to play with 2 phones, hopefully she'll get one with froyo. If not I can always install adw or go luancher if she doesn't like sense.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

If she's coming from Blackberry and uses a ton of photo/video out of the phone the iphone may be better for you.
I switched my wife over from an Inc 1 to the iPhone and she's in love with it. The camera is unrivaled to be brutally honest, it smokes any android phones camera and i'd love for my inc2 to have the same quality.
Basically she's not a tech person, she needed easy, something that took good pictures, and battery. The inc2 has great battery but still nowhere near the IP4.
I've owned both, and I would never personally go back to an iPhone, but for my wife it was perfect for her, and she would never give hers up.

chewbz said:
Thanks guys, told her what you guys said and she is like 100 % sure she wants the dinc2 Now I'm excited, I get to play with 2 phones, hopefully she'll get one with froyo. If not I can always install adw or go luancher if she doesn't like sense.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get one with Gingerbread on it, you can still S-OFF using the clip method.

If you're getting it new from Verizon I can't think of why it wouldn't be on froyo, unless HTC is already shipping out new units with gingerbread. Just don't take the OTA if you want root.

yeah she told me that she "didn't want to fall to the hype of iphone" lol. She just wants a bigger screen, and she always carries around a point and shoot where ever she goes so camera i'snt really that big of a deal. Also the Dinc2 is 50 dollars less than the iphone at bestbuy. All in all she goes one week to make up her mind lol!

well, the way I see it is that an iphone 4 is pretty much an ipod touch that you can make calls with. the other advantage, which is the main one i'd say, is that if you have a nice sound system in your car and the deck has an AUX in then absolutely nothing can compare with the output quality of an ipod touch/iphone.
ive tried mp3 players from creative, sansa(even with rockbox), sony, etc... even tried different phones(mytouch 3g, htc hd2, samsung galaxy s, and my current incredible 2). no matter how you adjust the eq's or what apps you use(even poweramp), they still do not compare to apple.
but, if you arent planning on doing that in your car then theres no point in getting an iphone4(especially now that android has Plants vs Zombies).

Best advice when choosing a device:
Go to a store with active devices and play with them. Spend some time with them. If you know people with the devices in mind, ask them if you can play with them and get to know them. Make the choice based on your experience, not the advice of others, because it all comes down to personal preference.
As much as I am a big fan of Android and Android devices, and despite the fact that I will never choose an iOS device, I would recommend a person try it before rejecting it.
My sister tried going from a blackberry to an Android device and found one very big legitimate problem with it. She's on Sprint and doesn't have the iPhone as a choice so she went back to blackberry. She liked Android, but that one glaring flaw was enough to push her away from it (at least for now). Of course, the same flaw exists on the iPhone so she's doomed to be stuck on blackberry (yeah, I hate blackberry).
If you want to know the flaw: She can make calls and do certain tasks without looking at her device. With Android, she was unable to do this. I'm betting with something like a Droid Pro this wouldn't be an issue, and the voice command features Android has acquired more recently would help a little, but it's not where she could get as proficient at it as she is with her blackberry.

nimdae said:
If you want to know the flaw: She can make calls and do certain tasks without looking at her device. With Android, she was unable to do this. I'm betting with something like a Droid Pro this wouldn't be an issue, and the voice command features Android has acquired more recently would help a little, but it's not where she could get as proficient at it as she is with her blackberry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just out of curiosity, what kind of certain tasks? Is it a difference between having physical buttons versus softkeys?
EDIT: NVM.. I think I figured out what you might be referring to. That's an issue I have as well, but voice is a big help in it (even if not 100%).

sk0t said:
Just out of curiosity, what kind of certain tasks? Is it a difference between having physical buttons versus softkeys?
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Click to collapse
Something like that. It's mostly a problem with her particular usage. She gets tactile feedback for what she is trying to do and can generally get things done without looking at her device. She's a pretty big multitasker so this is important to her. Unfortunately, this also helps her use her device in the car (I wish she wouldn't TBH).

nimdae said:
Something like that. It's mostly a problem with her particular usage. She gets tactile feedback for what she is trying to do and can generally get things done without looking at her device. She's a pretty big multitasker so this is important to her. Unfortunately, this also helps her use her device in the car (I wish she wouldn't TBH).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tactile feel = knowing keyboard layout. I was real good at punching out emails on my 9700 without looking at it for most of the email. Same with the car use, which I definitely no longer do (despite the fact that it is now also illegal here).
Curiosity answered.. Thanks.

Why is Front Facing Camera a huge deal?

To some people on the internet, Nokia's lack of a front-facing camera is a deal breaker. But tell me why? It has yet become common-use and people, for the most part only use it a few times for novelty purposes. I would understand not getting the lumia 800 because the screen is too small, but stop talking about FFC unless you can see a practical and consistent use for it.
Besides, Nokia compensates in other ways. It has Nokia Maps and its suppose to be the best built-in maps. No competition. Now that has a practical use. It's has a top-notch camera as well. Dual-LED with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. However, I heard it's not on par with the Titan though.

It's a nice feature to have (e.g. seeing gf/wife/kids while on the road, etc) but yeah many people don't need it.
However, it's a check-the-box kind of feature. When your main competitors in the iPhone and the Android superphones have it, you better damn well make sure your flagship Windows Phone has it

Aerik said:
To some people on the internet, Nokia's lack of a front-facing camera is a deal breaker. But tell me why? It has yet become common-use and people, for the most part only use it a few times for novelty purposes. I would understand not getting the lumia 800 because the screen is too small, but stop talking about FFC unless you can see a practical and consistent use for it.
Besides, Nokia compensates in other ways. It has Nokia Maps and its suppose to be the best built-in maps. No competition. Now that has a practical use. It's has a top-notch camera as well. Dual-LED with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. However, I heard it's not on par with the Titan though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that it's a nice feature to have. It's a must for video calling, though.

it all comes down to features that are important to the end user, while i'm in the FFC is not all that important camp, there are others who might use it a lot on their current phone, or have a need and use for it, and to them, the loss of the FFC is a deal breaker.
the part that perplexes me is that the N9 has one, which makes the virtually identical 800 not having one irritating.
personally, i'm pretty let down by the 800, aside from the great industrial design, the rest of the phone seems pretty mediocre to me, but again, it's the stuff that the focus s and titan have that more fall into line with what i care about in my next phone which makes them better.
as far as why FFC could be a big deal, common reasons are long distance relationships (apple exploits the armed forces in their iphone4 ads, but it could also be people who travel a lot for business, in which a phone might be a more convenient way to see your loved ones when a laptop can be unweildly) the here and there instances when you need to show someone something, and a call or text won't do, etc.

It's not a big deal. I'm sure most people have complained about the screen size and storage, not the FFC. It's a case of ok if it's there, doesn't really matter if it's not.

Because some people what to video chat with loved ones, or it could be anybody really.
My last phone had one but I never used it. my new phone doesn't have one and I want one now and im not buying another phone without one now that most of my family has them
Just because its not important to you doesnt mean it isnt to other people and really I dont see why they took the ffc out to begin with, even HTC is adding them to their phones.

I think it's because people like to hold Microsoft to a higher standard. Apple and Google can mess up all they want but as soon as Microsoft does all the haters jump at it. The lack of FFC and dual core situation is no different.
Sent from my T7575 using Board Express

JustinTV773 said:
I think it's because people like to hold Microsoft to a higher standard. Apple and Google can mess up all they want but as soon as Microsoft does all the haters jump at it. The lack of FFC and dual core situation is no different.
Sent from my T7575 using Board Express
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Click to collapse
The attitude like this sparks the flame wars.
As for the OP: I am using ffc occasionally to gtalk with people when I am not near my laptop.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

lqaddict said:
The attitude like this sparks the flame wars.
As for the OP: I am using ffc occasionally to gtalk with people when I am not near my laptop.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
who said I was getting an attitude?
Sent from my T7575 using Board Express

Features, quite simply. While you, and admittedly I, do not use it (I don't, at all) we just acknowledge that many see this as a necessary - and at this point standard feature - that from here on out it should be present on any legitimately "high-end" phone. No questions, it should just be there. When Android phones started using it (and I'm aware they were around long before) people questioned it and their overall usefulness. It's obviously a well requested feature and should be as standard as an opposite facing camera, given the greater leaps made in video conferencing / chatting as of recent time.
Its not so much that it's a huge deal, but something that should just be standard.
Sent from m-IUI

Aerik said:
To some people on the internet, Nokia's lack of a front-facing camera is a deal breaker. But tell me why? It has yet become common-use and people, for the most part only use it a few times for novelty purposes. I would understand not getting the lumia 800 because the screen is too small, but stop talking about FFC unless you can see a practical and consistent use for it.
Besides, Nokia compensates in other ways. It has Nokia Maps and its suppose to be the best built-in maps. No competition. Now that has a practical use. It's has a top-notch camera as well. Dual-LED with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. However, I heard it's not on par with the Titan though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's mostly a gimmick IMO. People want it because it exists in other high end devices, so it makes their devices look worse without it.
I had 2 cell phones with front cameras and I only used that feature one time to test it for fun. I believe that not many people would want to hold their phone like a mirror and talk to their contacts with everyone around looking at their personal video calling.
It reminds me of personal assistants like Siri on the iPhone. Everybody likes them, but in the end they get used only inside the house for fun and sometimes away from other family members.
Front Cameras also raise the cost of a device without offering a great functionality.

Never-Ever used front Cam on mobiles i had..
Sent from my Cm7-I9000 using Tapatalk

3-d and thinness are seen in standard high-end Tvs but that doesnt mean it's a deal breaker. Sure, it's a great to have, but some things can easily compensate. I'd say, in the way I use my phones, that Nokia maps easily well and over compensates for the lack of FFC. However, I do wish the screen was 4inches ...

also a nice feature for checking your hair
those of you saying it's no big deal.. you are quite ignorant. again, i'm one who would not use it (currently). but i know many who video chat all the time on their phone. if they currently are used to always video chatting, why would they get a phone without one. its very simple to see why many wouldn't even consider a phone without a FFC. it's all opinion guys.. just because you don't see the point in something doesn't mean it's pointless.

Red Grenadine said:
It's a nice feature to have (e.g. seeing gf/wife/kids while on the road, etc) but yeah many people don't need it.
However, it's a check-the-box kind of feature. When your main competitors in the iPhone and the Android superphones have it, you better damn well make sure your flagship Windows Phone has it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best answer in the thread.

cgibsong002 said:
also a nice feature for checking your hair
those of you saying it's no big deal.. you are quite ignorant. again, i'm one who would not use it (currently). but i know many who video chat all the time on their phone. if they currently are used to always video chatting, why would they get a phone without one. its very simple to see why many wouldn't even consider a phone without a FFC. it's all opinion guys.. just because you don't see the point in something doesn't mean it's pointless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not only that but MS just bought Skype video chat will be integrated at an OS level we want phones that will be ready for the inevitable.
I honestly only used the FFC for checking for boogers

Aerik said:
3-d and thinness are seen in standard high-end Tvs but that doesnt mean it's a deal breaker. Sure, it's a great to have, but some things can easily compensate. I'd say, in the way I use my phones, that Nokia maps easily well and over compensates for the lack of FFC. However, I do wish the screen was 4inches ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think comparing a camera to a display type is fair. I'm sure one could make the argument for both, why one is would seem of more use, but one is obviously a stronger mobile standard than the other and offers more legitimate use. One being directed more toward media intake, albeit in a smaller demographic, while the other appeals and offers to a larger demographic. I have rarely used mine, but it is entrely more productive than some display tech. Especially considering when you consider a form that doesn't fill a scale such as HD output does. That's exactly why 3D TVs haven't made that jump yet.
Sent from m-IUI

Aerik said:
3-d and thinness are seen in standard high-end Tvs but that doesnt mean it's a deal breaker. Sure, it's a great to have, but some things can easily compensate. I'd say, in the way I use my phones, that Nokia maps easily well and over compensates for the lack of FFC. However, I do wish the screen was 4inches ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't compensate that. Its a missing hardware component. Its not like using opera mobile because a stock browser is missing hardware acceleration. If its not there its not there.
All Tablets, higher iOS/WP/Android devices, high end Pmps (galaxy player/ITouch) have it. Most mid range phones are now shipping with vga front cams. Not putting it there is denying your users a whole means of communicating and making your phones less useful to business users who need stuff like WebEx.
However go ahead and downplay it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

Beside video calling it is also great if you want to take pictures with yourself in the picture because you can actually see on the screen what you are shooting.
Anyway, right now I think it is not so important because there is no skype app available, but if Skype gets integrated like Facebook the FFC could really become a deal breaker on the Nokia 800.

In my own case, I would find FFC to be really useful. I may be in the minority, but I was using video-calling over 3g with my old Touch Diamond2. In addition to using it with a mobile, I quite often use Skype to stay in touch with family, both extended family and my own family when I'm working away.
I recently had to travel for work, and due to corporate software policy, was unable to have Skype on my work laptop. This mean I carried an additional (old and bulky) laptop with me on my travels. I personally would have found it so much more convenient to simply be able to make the call on my mobile.
I simply assumed that with MS purchasing Skype, and Nokia buying into WP7, there'd be no question of FFC missing from the latest batch of phones. I was about to go with Nokia for past history of good quality hardware, good cameras etc. And then I found out that the memory would still be limited (I didn't realise how much of the 8Gb on my current Omnia 7 is reserved for the OS/apps, etc) *and* FFC was missing.
Now, in the grand scheme of things, these might not matter to the majority of users. But I miss having my favourite albums on tap, and the ability to video call on those occasions I wish to do so. And sadly, I've not ordered the new Nokia phones and have decided to hang on to the Omnia 7 until next year, when Nokia are due to release more handsets.
Slightly off topic - but regarding the memory, I used to have a 2Gb SD card in my TD2. This was more than enough for me to carry around my albums, but now I have less albums on an 8Gb Omnia 7! (Mind you, I have far more photos due to the ease of use of taking pictures ) I don't fully understand why MS decided to control the use of expandable memory in such a way. I can see why, but in my mind, I keep asking why people aren't allowed to add memory to suit their own needs.
Nonetheless, apart from the two issues mentioned above, I'm really happy with my phone, quite often demonstrating it to my iPhone/Android-toting work buddies. I'd just really like to be able to tell them one day that it also has Flash player support, expandable memory and video calling built in

[Q] will there be active development for the S3 for 2 more years?

Here is my issue. When it comes to smartphones, I am a IOS guy from the start. I upgrade every 2 years, selling the old on craigslist which pays for the latest iPhone upgrade.
What I like is that there is active (i won't call it development but rather tweaking) in the jailbreak community for that 2 year period mainly due to the fact that all the apple devices run the same code. We all know that...
Well... frankly the iPhone5 bores me, and I think I may go android. However, some things bother me.
One is the plastic/cheap feel of the S3. Apple seems to have build quality way above and beyond the S3 here. No worries, an aluminum bumper and battery cover solves that issue for me.
More concerning is the development path for any particular android device. It seems like manufacturers stop development and release of new OS's in about a year of release which means 3rd party devs need to take the slack. I have a Asus Transformer tablet and this is exactly what happened... however I have found that dev roms are usually not full featured and buggy, especially when you want a new android build. (like going from ICS to JB for instance)
I do however tend to tweak my phones for about the first 6 months and leave them... my iPhone is still on IOS 5.0.
I'm just concerned about getting the latest code on the android since some newer apps don't work on old android. Just dont know what to do.
Any thoughts?
-J

The S3 is the best selling device Android has ever had. You have nothing to worry about. Since you've come to xda you don't have to be concerned about official updates to the firmware. The development community will be putting stuff out for this device for years to come.
The only device on Android with Apple style update support is a Nexus device. If official firmware updates are your main concern get one of those. But the current nexus is getting old. New one is expected by the end of this year.

An attempt at a fully honest reply to your concerns...
Compared to Apply devices, the S3 _is_ made with a cheaper shell and does "feel" cheaper. Not only is the shell and battery cover made of plastic, its made of super thin and flimsy plastic. If that bothers you now, the concern will only fester over time and you might be better off looking for another phone. HTC phones have a higher shell build quality. While I personally don't like the device overall (and wouldn't seriously suggest it), the take a look at the overall "outside quality" of the HTC OneX.. it just feels like it's built better (but at the expense of other things.)
What's INSIDE the phone is usually of a better quality. Having the removable battery and microSD can be a really big deal. The only two current concerns I have with the North American version of the SGS3 is that Samsung seems to be providing the wrong driver for the LED and the battery life isn't as good as the international version (when comparing the two phones on non-LTE networks.) The former should be correctable with a proper LED lib (or perhaps re-worked kernel functionality) and the latter with more tweaking.
As for updates, the North American phone is likely to be a mixed bag. Samsung usually will support their "flagship" phones (such as the original SGS3) for 2 years. However, it appears they drop support for the variants of those phones earlier. For example, the international SGS2 is better supported than the US t-mobile variant of the same. (The AT&T SGS2 is an oddity as it shares the same processor as the international version, so people port the international firmwares to the AT&T one with ease.) The North American version of the SGS3 (qualcomm S4) is a variant of the actual flagship S3 device. Will they continue to support it? It's hard to say - and adding in the fact that carriers (AT&T, etc) seem to control updates, it's possible that a carrier branded SGS3 will lose support before 2 years elapses.
All that being said, Samsung seems to be better (at least lately) with updating their devices than HTC. Motorola is an unknown right now as they used to really suck, but might get much better with Google now owning them. (It didn't help moto's rep that nearly all their phones in the US were Verizon phones and Verizon is infamous for blocking updates.)
On other point on the updates is that ALL the US variants of the SGS3 are pretty much the same, making any effort to update them more worthwhile.
Finally, you have a final concern about apps not working on older phones. I actually disagree with that statement. Every single app on my current phones will work fine under Gingerbread which is a few years old already. I'd be confident saying that if you buy a phone today that's sure to get jelly bean, you'll be good for apps for at least 3 years.
Take care and good luck
Gary

I don't think you have to worry about apps being incompatible in the next 2 years for the s3. Majority of apps are compatible all the way back to donut. My s2 on gingerbread hasn't ran into this issue either.
I think you will be fine for the next 2 years because of the development with the first galaxy s series alone. But if you want the latest and greatest you might be tempted to get something else next year.

I love my SGS3 but I agreed with the plastic cover being thin and feeling cheap. Samsung just announced that a S4 will be released early next year so I guess a lot of development will go for the newer phone. The micro SD and 4.8" screen did it for me.

build quality
garyd9 said:
An attempt at a fully honest reply to your concerns...
Compared to Apply devices, the S3 _is_ made with a cheaper shell and does "feel" cheaper. Not only is the shell and battery cover made of plastic, its made of super thin and flimsy plastic. If that bothers you now, the concern will only fester over time and you might be better off looking for another phone. HTC phones have a higher shell build quality. While I personally don't like the device overall (and wouldn't seriously suggest it), the take a look at the overall "outside quality" of the HTC OneX.. it just feels like it's built better (but at the expense of other things.)
I think the whole build quality flimsy plastic thing is way over blown. The same discussion takes place in camera forums regarding magnesium bodies vs composite bodies.
for phones the truth is (at least as I see it) that build quality for higher end phones is all smoke and mirrors everyone puts a case on it anyway and they all have the potential to break if you drop them so plastic or aluminum doesnt matter.
If your worried about durability you put a otterbox on and you cant tell what its make of anyway if you are worried about fasion you put some fancy case on and it still breaks if you drop it.
The S3 plastic back is less likely to scratch than the iphone one and if it does it is replaceable the iphone isnt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

optimus43 said:
everyone puts a case on it anyway and they all have the potential to break if you drop them so plastic or aluminum doesnt matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, everyone doesn't. I haven't used any type of case on a phone since I was using an ipaq. Some people prefer using them "naked" and might carry them in some kind of belt clip holster. (I used a thin strip of rubber tape to deal with the iphone4 antenna issue.) Some use a case - some don't.
optimus43 said:
The S3 plastic back is less likely to scratch than the iphone one and if it does it is replaceable the iphone isnt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak for the iphone 5 or "3s", but in regards to the original iphone, the 4 and 4S, this statement isn't true. The coating on the back of the S3 is so sensitive that if you sneeze near it you'll have a new scratch.
This is actual experience with the international SGS3 (blue), AT&T SGS3 (blue) and AT&T SGS3 (red) as well as the above mentioned iphone's. (I can also compare to a range of nexus devices, a couple of HTC devices and at least 2 moto android-based devices.)
On the other hand, it IS easy to replace the back cover (assuming you can get a replacement - AT&T doesn't sell them and the various ebay sellers don't seem to have OEM red ones yet. OEM blue ones ship from China the last I checked. I don't have a white phone so can't comment on that.)
I don't want to get into a pissing contest between this phone and that phone. The OP asked I gave a frank and honest response. My own (personal) device that I use most commonly is the international SGS3, but I do own all the mentioned devices (and more.) Is the sgs3 the best device currently? Well, I think it is today (but I don't mind a few scuffs on the back plate of my phone, insist on a replacable battery, don't like being locked into apple, etc.)

I was with the iphone for a long time But then finally jumped over a while ago. Even after looking at the new iphone..there is nothing..nothing at all Apple has done or offered to make me even think about going back.

Perhaps 'everyone' uses a cover is an overstatement but I would say that nearly everyone uses a case is not to far off base.
so far I have had no scratches on my sg3 (although I do have a case on it) I would also suspect that the aluminum will be less scratch resistant than the iphone glass was. Of course we dont know yet but... drag your keys acros the top of a mac book it will definitly scratch.

The Captivate (AT&T Galaxy S1 variant) still has active cyanogenmod development. I think that it's very likely that this will too.

What amazes me is that people actually put the s3 into their pockets without a case... One drop and the screen is toast. Please buy an Otterbox commuter case.... My 18 month old chucks it and not one issue so far. S3 will have a ton of development. Let's hope the S4 does not use a larger screen, except if they get rid of all the buttons and go full screen without any bezel gaps. Going to sell this puppy on amazon and get the S4 when the time arrives.

Sorry please delete me
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium

cheetablaze said:
What amazes me is that people actually put the s3 into their pockets without a case... One drop and the screen is toast. Please buy an Otterbox commuter case.... My 18 month old chucks it and not one issue so far. S3 will have a ton of development. Let's hope the S4 does not use a larger screen, except if they get rid of all the buttons and go full screen without any bezel gaps. Going to sell this puppy on amazon and get the S4 when the time arrives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's mostly teenagers who think they don't need a case, since at that arrogant age they tend to think that both they and their tech are invincible.
And On-Topic: The S3 is on track to sell 30 million devices, so it'll be seeing support for at least 2 years. My less popular 2.25 year-old Captivate got CM7, CM9, and CM10 updates afterall.

zmore said:
It's mostly teenagers who think they don't need a case, since at that arrogant age they tend to think that both they and their tech are invincible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
30, no case. Haven't had one for any phone and haven't needed one. Have dropped a gs2 from 5 feet onto asphalt without a scratch. Cases are for people who are not careful with their devices, or have a mission critical need for their phone. Although really, cases are for people that get suckered in by the salesman who has to meet his accessory quota. Or any other ridiculous generalization you want to make.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

zmore said:
It's mostly teenagers who think they don't need a case, since at that arrogant age they tend to think that both they and their tech are invincible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I was a teenager again. At 41, and prefer not to take a thin phone and make it thick with a case. I do use a belt holster, however, to carry it around. (I have too much other stuff in my pockets to put my phone in there.)
Oh, and I'm still arrogant... that has nothing to do with age.

garyd9 said:
I wish I was a teenager again. At 41, and prefer not to take a thin phone and make it thick with a case. I do use a belt holster, however, to carry it around. (I have too much other stuff in my pockets to put my phone in there.)
Oh, and I'm still arrogant... that has nothing to do with age.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah. You guys are outliers! And the kids are still in school right now.

abhaxus said:
30, no case. Haven't had one for any phone and haven't needed one. Have dropped a gs2 from 5 feet onto asphalt without a scratch. Cases are for people who are not careful with their devices, or have a mission critical need for their phone. Although really, cases are for people that get suckered in by the salesman who has to meet his accessory quota. Or any other ridiculous generalization you want to make.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree with you more. Although every phone I have owned I've spent the money and had a Zaag screen protector. No matter how careful you are with the phone, one small item in your pocket and the glass is scratched.
I have 3 cases for my S3, all of which I used for up to an hour and took it off. Especially the OtterBox. I couldn't stand it.
And to the father's who hand their phones out to their young children. Your nuts. I have enough old phones they can play with but there not touching my S3 haha
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

miatawnt2b said:
More concerning is the development path for any particular android device. It seems like manufacturers stop development and release of new OS's in about a year of release which means 3rd party devs need to take the slack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A further reply on this comment - and concerning the references to apple/iOS. As you said, Apple tends to keep OS updates going for at least a couple years.
However, you didn't mention what level of updates they actually get. A year after I got an iphone4, iOS 5 had a new feature called "siri." For some reason, apple didn't give that to the iphone 4 users. (The jailbreaking community proved that the older phone could easily handle running it.) This year, iOS6 is being pushed to my iphone4. There are SEVERAL "new" features of the OS that aren't appearing on my iphone4 including several related to the maps, navigation, siri, etc, etc.
Essentially, while apple does send out OS updates to a phone for two (or even more) years, they aren't complete updates and really are no better (and in many cases quite a bit worse) than the updates you'll see with an android device. At least Samsung doesn't send out an update called "jellybean" that has jellybean features stripped out of it.
Example? The SGS2 (over a year old now) is getting google's voice search(similar to siri) with the JB update (even if Samsung doesn't push it, there are already CM10 ports available for it), already has the map features that the iphone4 will never get, etc.

g2tegg said:
I couldn't agree with you more. Although every phone I have owned I've spent the money and had a Zaag screen protector. No matter how careful you are with the phone, one small item in your pocket and the glass is scratched.
I have 3 cases for my S3, all of which I used for up to an hour and took it off. Especially the OtterBox. I couldn't stand it.
And to the father's who hand their phones out to their young children. Your nuts. I have enough old phones they can play with but there not touching my S3 haha
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Rock 'quicksand' cases are the only ones I can tolerate. Add a good screen protector and you have a slim but protected s3.

miatawnt2b said:
Here is my issue. When it comes to smartphones, I am a IOS guy from the start. I upgrade every 2 years, selling the old on craigslist which pays for the latest iPhone upgrade.
What I like is that there is active (i won't call it development but rather tweaking) in the jailbreak community for that 2 year period mainly due to the fact that all the apple devices run the same code. We all know that...
Well... frankly the iPhone5 bores me, and I think I may go android. However, some things bother me.
One is the plastic/cheap feel of the S3. Apple seems to have build quality way above and beyond the S3 here. No worries, an aluminum bumper and battery cover solves that issue for me.
More concerning is the development path for any particular android device. It seems like manufacturers stop development and release of new OS's in about a year of release which means 3rd party devs need to take the slack. I have a Asus Transformer tablet and this is exactly what happened... however I have found that dev roms are usually not full featured and buggy, especially when you want a new android build. (like going from ICS to JB for instance)
I do however tend to tweak my phones for about the first 6 months and leave them... my iPhone is still on IOS 5.0.
I'm just concerned about getting the latest code on the android since some newer apps don't work on old android. Just dont know what to do.
Any thoughts?
-J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For a quick answer to your question go check out the threads for the sgs1 (I9000). Pawitp is an awesome dev and that device has a great cm10 ROM.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

This phone still worth buying in 2017?

Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?

Depends what you're looking for I guess. If you're looking for a decent phone for around $200, it's decent. Beware the emmc failure error though, these things seem to choke themselves out at either exactly one year or exactly two years after purchase. Not all of them but a large enough percentage that its worth mentioning.
Edit:Also this is anecdotal but I suspect that refurbished note 4s don't have real gorilla glass. I dropped my note 4 easily hundreds of times from around 3 feet, sometimes with some force, with only the s view cover fit a case. The screen never had problems until insurance replaced mine due to failing emmc, then it cracked on the first drop after that.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 07:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:19 PM ----------
Also, if you get it I would use one of the newer note rom TouchWiz ports
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

Modtronix said:
Note 4 is very rootable including the V variant many active devs for it. Sprint model here and was an amazon purchase. Been rock solid. Many of the others you mentioned are nice as well. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is as well . great device lotta development and now I saw they go for $149 new . Will it hang with the Note 8.....no of course it won't it is almost 5 yrs old now but it at 149 unlocked its less than 1/8 th the projected price of the note 8 .

There are lots of reasons to love the Note 4. Replaceable battery, holds up to 256GB micro SD, IR support, big bright screen, rootable with Magisk support, great ROMs from anything from nearly stock to basic 7.11 versions. If you like to use your spen, get a Touchwiz ROM.
I bought my first one on the day of release. Since then, I've bought nine more over the years for friends and family. All (except one) has been rooted and are running newer ROMs. The holdout is my daughter who thinks rooting is bad. Kids, you can't teach them anything ... ugh! However, they are difficult (shall I say tricky) to root, it's well worth it. I bought the N7 when it was released. Had it two weeks. Hated the 'edge' because I would pull that out accidentally, or couldn't close with the X because my finger was right on the edge. I was sorta glad to return it. Needless to say, I bought a refurbished N4 on Amazon and several more since then. My neighbors wanted new phones, but didn't want to pay $600+ for them. I talked them into the N4 and set them up. They love them, but don't use half of the features. Newer phones are slimmer, not as wide, but that never bothered me. The only reason I would want a newer model would be for more RAM, however I like having the extra cash in my pocket, so I'm perfectly happy and will continue with the N4 series as long as I can.

Note 4 well worth the money!
I definitely recommend the note 4 it is an amazing phone best phone i have ever had! You will be very happy if you do decide to purchase im rooted and using twrp and custom rom! I also read a article talking about how people have decided to stick with the note 4 instead of upgrading to note 5 or 7 this is because the note 4 was way ahead of its time because of the harware that is used in it. The phone has a very good processor i highly recommend this phone!

i bought an LGV20 this week, thats going to be sold, and the note 4 will continue to be my daily driver...at least until the note 8 comes out

This phone is spectacular. I have 2. Never any problems at all outside of my own rooting quandaries. Only complaint is front facing cam. I'm not into selfies but if I get decent haircut and I want to remember it or just notate something stupid like my teeth for my own personal use, the front facing cam sucks.

prw94 said:
Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my Verizon Note 4 about 2.5 years ago and I still like it a lot. I did have the failing motherboard problem, but Samsung fixed it completely for only $70. It's working great now and I'm hoping to keep using the phone for at least another two years.
So, yes, I would certainly consider buying another Note 4 today. The only caution I would take is to make sure I bought a brand new one. Otherwise you are likely going to be buying someone else's phone with a failing, or soon to be failing, motherboard. Perhaps a phone that has been refurbished by a very reputable company could be acceptable (e.g., from Samsung, or Verizon), but I would want to make sure it has a very good warranty (preferably much longer than 90 days). I definitely would not buy a used phone that is being sold as-is (even if the buyer claims it works fine).
I have seen new Note 4 phones advertised on Amazon for about $300. Refurbished phones seem to be going for about $200 (but I think the extra $100 is well worth the cost for a new phone).
I've never rooted my Note 4. It sounds like versions from some carriers are easier to root than others. If you are on Verizon it sounds like it may be rootable, but it is more difficult. I would read the Verizon specific threads on rooting the Note 4 if you intend to buy a phone specifically for rooting. Personally I really don't feel the need to root the phone. For me it works fine (although I do use a custom launcher so I can customize the look and feel). I also disable any bloatware that I never use. Unfortunately you can't completely remove the bloatware without root.

The Note 4 is still an amazing phone whether you want to use it stock and unrooted or whether you want to root and flash roms. Be advised tho this particular model is a pain in the rea to roo but keep at it and you'll get it done no problem.

Personally? I can't find a phone to replace it. For me, I'm network flexible, and I've considered a V20 on TMO, but honestly I can't find a reason to switch. Rarely if ever do I feel like I need more ram, and that's basically the only significant feature that the v20 would pose for an upgrade. And I'd miss EVERYTHING ELSE about the samsung. Reasons to buy it? Cheap, plenty of power left in the processor/ram category IMO, REMOVEABLE BATTERY (this is something I can't stress enough for me personally. And I can not stand that newer models don't have it.) IR support (why would they get rid of this, why?! why?!?!) and its TWRP/root capable. Again, something I can hardly stand to live without. My phone is ad blocked, xposed, etc... I'll be eating out and I'll start changing TV volumes and my friends just get this WTF look on their face... And I can't find a newer phone to beat it, that has all the same features, and can still be TWRP. My opinion? Yeah, it IS the best phone, and maybe the last GOOD phone samsung ever made. I know there's tradeoff arguments to be made. But they'll drag me to the grave with my note 4. No way I'll be switching until the last boat leaves the dock, and the phone simply can't function in society any more. Hopefully by then, there will once again be another option with removeable battery, IR, TWRP.... but we can only hope.

For what its worth, I switched from a note 4 to the v20. I miss the stylus occasionally but there's a solution for screen writing included with the phone. I like the v20 more
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

I've had mine since about 6 months after release. It was a decent phone when it was still locked, but once we got root, it became a phenomenal device. I've been eligible for upgrade for over a year, but I haven't seen a new phone I'm willing to replace it with. Getting hard to find removable batteries and SD cards. I'm curious about the upcoming Pixel 2, but mostly I'm just hoping my phone will last forever.
At this point, if it dies, I'll probably hunt down another Note 4.

I think the note 4 has been a decent phone. I purchased mine new in 2015. It's always had a really poor camera that dosent auto focus without shaking it repeatedly (common issue). It's also had a round of boot looping, which could only be corrected with a factory reset. After boot looping and other random crashing issues where it suddenly powers off. I've decided to move to an LG v20. P. S. You can buy a brand new note 5 for 259.

For fun, thought I'd drop in now that 2018 is looming.
I love my Note 4 (T-Mobile). I'm a flashaholic, and there's plenty out there (though my ext sd card makes Marshmallow roms my preference, since Nougat keeps wanting to reformat the 128g sd I have in this thing!).
I've flashed a few dozen different roms on this thing and it doesn't mind at all. Bought it used off ebay (I didn't know about the emm memory mess back then, which would have given me some pause even if ebay does favor the buyer). But it runs perfectly for me. I use a rubber case because I'm paranoid.
Reasons I really like this phone?
1. big screen.
2. durable.
3. REMOVABLE battery.
4. External SD card slot (at least 128g works just fine, maybe even more?)
Reasons to not go with it?
1. Ya gotta have the newest and shiniest.
2. Small but real possibility you'll run into the emmc memory issue (if you do, get your money back from whoever sold the phone to you and/or chuck it in the trash - game over).

I love the Note 4 and was thinking about rooting it. It's the longest I've ever had a phone. Been about 3 years now and it still runs strong for daily use. Most people don't even use a phone for its full potential. It's a tool for their social media, snapping a few pics, browsing the web, paying some bills (which we all hate), getting directions, etc. As a daily driver, it's been great and I can't find a reason to upgrade to a flashier new phone for $800 plus. I'm the type that if it still works well, then there's no point in replacing it. It still performs as well as middle of the pack models even 4 years after it's release. And the 515ppi 5.7" screen with 2k quality doesn't make the phone feel dated at all. Only the style of the phone feels dated but most of us have a case on it anyway. So hopefully with a new 3220mah battery and a root, this phone will last me a little longer since it still does what I tell it to and with T-Mobile LTE, which is nearly 2 times faster than Sprint, and WiFi through Verizon Fios keeps it snappy and feeling smooth.

Develop Bugs

welcome