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Hi. I am sorry if somebody already asked this, but I couldn't find it.
Which one is the best AT&T WP7: Surround, Focus, Quantum?
I am almost sure Focus is the best option. Please shed some light here! Thanks!
It all depends on what you want from a phone. The LG has a full keyboard, The Surround has a sliding speaker system and the Focus would be your average modern smart phone. Personally I chose the Focus because of the 4" amoled display and expandable storage.
Ren13B said:
Personally I chose the Focus because of the 4" amoled display and expandable storage.
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The same for me and its size.
If it's WP7, then none, at least right now.
harolds said:
If it's WP7, then none, at least right now.
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if you're going to post something... at least answer his question. in your opinion it might not be worth buying, but for the many that have, the large majority are happy with it.
harolds said:
If it's WP7, then none, at least right now.
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I love my focus its OS makes the rest look old and dated.
falconeight said:
I love my focus its OS makes the rest look old and dated.
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I totaly agree the focus is the way to go i have 40 gb storage and the os is so much smoother than the rest and the interface makes ios and android look very old. I compaired my focus to my sons iphione4 last night and the iphone 4 side by side was no comparrison from the apps, to the lock screen, intergration, to the homescreen. or even something as simple as answering or rejecting a call from the lockscreen... since people are always complaing about what should be in a os in these days being able to reject a call from lockscreen is one of the most basic and til this day ios still cannot do it... I never heard anyone complaining about this??
I bought the Surround. It was more of personal preference about the look and feel of the device. To me, the Surround looked and felt better.. i liked the soft touch back and the solid heavy feel, and really consider the speaker as just a bonus feature as it only adds 1mm of thickness compared to the identical HTC Trophy. The Focus' Super AMOLED screen was amazing, but I didnt like the glossy plastic look. Its all personal preference and what you are looking for in a phone.
I'd agree with Ren13B. If you need a work phone and plan to write 50+ emails (or you are a teenager and need to send 100+ texts) a day, LG would be a better buy for the keyboard.
If you need a better speakerphone or speakers and don't mind a little bulk, Surround is the one. Also, I have seen Surround going for less at Amazon and Newegg so that's another reason.
For everything else, Focus seems to be the best fit.
rexian said:
I'd agree with Ren13B. If you need a work phone and plan to write 50+ emails (or you are a teenager and need to send 100+ texts) a day, LG would be a better buy for the keyboard.
If you need a better speakerphone or speakers and don't mind a little bulk, Surround is the one. Also, I have seen Surround going for less at Amazon and Newegg so that's another reason.
For everything else, Focus seems to be the best fit.
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that would be a true statement if this was the keyboard of wimdows 6.5 or anything less than wp7 the on screen keyboard is simply unbleavable with its auto correct feature and a 4inch screen you can type as fast if not faster that any hw keyboard... it works that well...
Chose Focus due to memory expansion, screen, and size/quality.
It is interesting to note that, unlike iMapple, the WP7 seems to all have great reception. Have noticed the Samsung Focus has better cell reception than the HTC Fuze and various other HTC/Motorola phones from the past.
I went with the surround. NOTE: I did come from a Samsung Captivate
I went with the surround because:
-better build quality
-nice speaker
-kickstand is nice to have when watching netflix (lol)
-I like HTC over samsung
-Samsung focus felt too flimsy and cheap for me
-Samsung scared me after some of the issues of the captivate (im sure samsung and windows did a better job on the focus, this is just how i feel)
on the other hand though,
SAMOLED is nice, and I do miss, but at the same time the LCD of the Surround is good, but the main thing you are missing is not screen quality, but battery life. I havent had a chance to put my battery to the test, but im sure SAMOLED will trump the HTCs LCD.
The "best" on, of course, depends on what you want from your phone. Personally, I've been burned by lousy hardware from HTC and LG before (several times) and I'm a big Slingplayer user so the large screen, light weight and slim design of the Samsung Focus appealed to me. The other two have are stronger in other areas. Check the specs of each and/or go play with them at an AT&T and decide for yourself.
MarcMaiden said:
I went with the surround. NOTE: I did come from a Samsung Captivate
I went with the surround because:
-better build quality
-nice speaker
-kickstand is nice to have when watching netflix (lol)
-I like HTC over samsung
-Samsung focus felt too flimsy and cheap for me
-Samsung scared me after some of the issues of the captivate (im sure samsung and windows did a better job on the focus, this is just how i feel)
on the other hand though,
SAMOLED is nice, and I do miss, but at the same time the LCD of the Surround is good, but the main thing you are missing is not screen quality, but battery life. I havent had a chance to put my battery to the test, but im sure SAMOLED will trump the HTCs LCD.
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Buyer's remorse no more, check out this page from anandtech:
anandtech.com/show/3982/windows-phone-7-review/28
rruffman said:
that would be a true statement if this was the keyboard of wimdows 6.5 or anything less than wp7 the on screen keyboard is simply unbleavable with its auto correct feature and a 4inch screen you can type as fast if not faster that any hw keyboard... it works that well...
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I don't know if the kb on the 4" Focus screen will make a significant difference or not, I can say I type faster hands down on my Fuze than my iPhone, which according to some have the best on-screen kb.
I have seen videos of people typing insanely fast on iPhone but I think they'd be even faster on a good h/w keyboard like Fuze.
Oranjoose said:
Buyer's remorse no more, check out this page from anandtech:
anandtech.com/show/3982/windows-phone-7-review/28
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Click to collapse
For long sessions of browsing webpages with white background or emails, there is no doubt AMOLED screen of Focus will drain the battery faster. I wonder if there will be a way in future to change the background/foreground of the browser / email client inWP7.
What do you guys think?
if you have the patience, wait and see. there might be more phones and ones which you like.
But what if nothing does? i cant wait ANOTHER WEEK. besides, if it gets announced next week, it wontbe out for a while.
CES is a few days away, you might as well wait at this point. What's the rush!
It's get updated to the newest version of WP7? I don't really expect any mind blowing devices from Microsoft at CES, otherwise there would be a leak or something by now.
rockstarar said:
But what if nothing does? i cant wait ANOTHER WEEK. besides, if it gets announced next week, it wontbe out for a while.
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Then why the hell are you asking us?
The DVP is cheaper than an HD2, and is a better phone in almost any way.
The only time I'd recommend getting an HD7 is if the person is on a budget (since it's in T-Mo stores you can do an installment on it) or they're ignorant and keep saying "but it's 4.3" dude!!!"
At that poing I figure the battle is lost and they should just do what they want to do.
I say get the DVP if you can, or wait for what's coming out at CES. I don't recommend the HD7. It's quality does not compared with most other WP7 devices...
I agree with N8ter, the HD7 isn't doing WP7 any favors. That said, I wouldn't choose the Dell either but rather go for either of the Samsungs or LG devices (model depends on where you live).
As for waiting until CES - sure you can wait, but like you said yourself, even if there is something amazing announced that's all it is - an announcement. Actual release would be a lot later in the year. Personally though, I don't think we'll see much improvement in terms of hardware for another 8-10 months. Microsoft (and OEMs) put too much time and effort into the 8x50 series to throw it all away so soon after release and start releasing the mythical dual-core handsets.
Realistically, I'm hoping for devices running the same SoC but with improved cameras and 32+ GB storage before the next real wave of devices, but I'm not really holding my breath for that either. The sad thing is that there are phones coming out now doing 1080p video whereas all the WP7 devices struggle (more or less) to encode (not to talk about decoding) even 720p with good framerates.
canadariot2312 said:
It's get updated to the newest version of WP7? I don't really expect any mind blowing devices from Microsoft at CES, otherwise there would be a leak or something by now.
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I agree, I don't think we are going to see anything mind blowing until the fall at the soonest.
N8ter said:
Then why the hell are you asking us?
The DVP is cheaper than an HD2, and is a better phone in almost any way.
The only time I'd recommend getting an HD7 is if the person is on a budget (since it's in T-Mo stores you can do an installment on it) or they're ignorant and keep saying "but it's 4.3" dude!!!"
At that poing I figure the battle is lost and they should just do what they want to do.
I say get the DVP if you can, or wait for what's coming out at CES. I don't recommend the HD7. It's quality does not compared with most other WP7 devices...
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dvp is not cheaper than the hd7, you can get it for 70bucks at walmart right now.
I know you hate the screen, but what are you basing this whole "dvp is better than the hd7" rant on?
Same OS running on less memory. Dell doesn't have the greatest track record on phones, and the dvp has been plagued by issues causing 2 delays.
emigrating said:
I agree with N8ter, the HD7 isn't doing WP7 any favors. That said, I wouldn't choose the Dell either but rather go for either of the Samsungs or LG devices (model depends on where you live).
As for waiting until CES - sure you can wait, but like you said yourself, even if there is something amazing announced that's all it is - an announcement. Actual release would be a lot later in the year. Personally though, I don't think we'll see much improvement in terms of hardware for another 8-10 months. Microsoft (and OEMs) put too much time and effort into the 8x50 series to throw it all away so soon after release and start releasing the mythical dual-core handsets.
Realistically, I'm hoping for devices running the same SoC but with improved cameras and 32+ GB storage before the next real wave of devices, but I'm not really holding my breath for that either. The sad thing is that there are phones coming out now doing 1080p video whereas all the WP7 devices struggle (more or less) to encode (not to talk about decoding) even 720p with good framerates.
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I say that if you are gonna get a new phone every year (most of us do), then on t-mobile you have 2 choices (for tmous anyways).
HD7: hd2 with wp7 on it instead of winmo, 16gb internal storage (via microsd).
DVP: physical keyboard, less RAM then the hd7, but I think the internal storage is nand so that is a positive.
I was ready to jump on the dell bandwagon, but the device has had so many problems just getting released, that I decided to go with what I knew (hd7).
Everyone bashes the screen, but when I show the phone off, I don't get any comments on the screen being washed out. I get, "wow, that's a big screen, no wonder you can watch tv and movies on it."
If you can get your hands on a dvp, then play with it and go with what you like. But Tmobile stores do not have them to try out and only the 2 MS stores in the USA have them to play with, otherwise you have to order online.
everybody says that, but the hd2 doesnt have 720p recording and it has a 65k color screen vs 16m on thehd7.
rockstarar said:
everybody says that, but the hd2 doesnt have 720p recording and it has a 65k color screen vs 16m on thehd7.
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Don't feel like going over the anatomy of touchscreens.
To the person talking about Walmart prices, don't be ignorant. Walmart prices are double subsidized and if u cancel the line you pay two etf fees (450 total).
You have to be dumb to think those prices are comparable.
Hd2 is 199 from T-Mobile. Dvp is $149 with contract from dell (16gb model).
Why I think its universally better is pretty obvious if you have read my other post. Don't feign ignorance in this thread. I'd hate to assault this one with mega-quotes...
EDIT: Also, the HD2 hardware supports 720p video recording, but Windows Mobile 6.5 does not. 720p recording was disabled in the hardware. So much for that... They use the same cameras. They even have the same pink tint bug that the HD2 exibited.
I don't think Windows Mobile 6.5 supported more than 65k colors. All three phones (HD2, Evo, HD7 use the same TFT LCD panel).
Good job thinking the differences were hardware differences instead of OS/System limitations, though!
EXAMPLE: The Omnia II was released with an AMOLED display that supported 16M colors, but since it ran Windows Mobile 6.5, it was limited to displaying 65k colors. Sound familiar?
Windows Moile 6.5.x on an HD2 = 65k colors
Android on an HD2 = 16M colors
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
The HD7 is $100 from Best Buy. My girlfriend got one from there and loves it. It's a little lighter than the Venue Pro, a little thinner, has twice as much RAM, the same CPU, the same 16GB microSD storage, a better camera even with the red push, better flash, and feels much more solid in my hand than my Focus. The rubbery back is actually really nice on it. What are your specific complaints about the build quality?
What's the Dell's screen like outdoors? I know it's regular AMOLED rather than SAMOLED and those generally don't perform well in the sun.
Read the other thread where I made fairly extensive posts about it.
And the LCD panel on the HD2/Evo/HD7 has worse Viewing Angles than an AMOLED or SAMOLED screen, worse color saturation, and bad contrast as well.
It's not like I didn't carry around both my HD2 (as a media device, it can sync Zune Pass Subscription content) and Vibrant for months after I upgraded my phone.
There are comparisons on YouTube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTrmfc1It4E
Sorry, but there's no comparisons between those two display panels. You only need to watch the first 5 seconds of the video to see.
The Venue Pro is bound to weigh more because it has a slide-out keyboard, BTW, but it's easily one of the best constructed phones of 2010. The HD7, not so much (build quality is not on the level of the HD2, even).
The HD7 certainly doesn't have a better camera than the DVP, and the speakers on the HD7 is pretty bad.
N8ter said:
Read the other thread where I made fairly extensive posts about it.
And the LCD panel on the HD2/Evo/HD7 has worse Viewing Angles than an AMOLED or SAMOLED screen, worse color saturation, and bad contrast as well.
It's not like I didn't carry around both my HD2 (as a media device, it can sync Zune Pass Subscription content) and Vibrant for months after I upgraded my phone.
There are comparisons on YouTube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTrmfc1It4E
Sorry, but there's no comparisons between those two display panels. You only need to watch the first 5 seconds of the video to see.
The Venue Pro is bound to weigh more because it has a slide-out keyboard, BTW, but it's easily one of the best constructed phones of 2010. The HD7, not so much (build quality is not on the level of the HD2, even).
The HD7 certainly doesn't have a better camera than the DVP, and the speakers on the HD7 is pretty bad.
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First of all, the speakers aren't too bad. Coming from a Blackberry myself though, I see a huge difference. But compared to any other smartphone in the market at the moment they're average. I've yet to see a smartphone whose speakers make me say "wow!" Second, it never surprises me how much people suck on the teet of the "almighty" SAmoled screen. I have an Omnia II, I use Vibrants all the time and ya know what...SAmoled is not all that. You kiddies like to portray it as the end all be all of the mobile phone screen world but its not. In fact, I hate the damn screen on my Omnia II. It looks distorted and ****ty. If that's what you consider "better" than that's your ****. Not everyone wants cartoon colors for everything they see though. As far as viewing angles, you must be one of those people that watch a movie at 90* angle huh? Cuz that's probably the only way you could consider the SAmoled screens better. Better color saturation? Really? Refer to my cartoon colors comment. My Omnia II works fine but I just keep the damn thing because it runs important .cabs I need for work, other than that the "selling points" of SAmoled Samsung phones is wasted on me. The screen looks dim and colorful 90% of the time. Mind you, its not a horrible screen, but people overhyping it so much really makes me laugh. As far as cameras, I haven't seen DVP pics or video so I don't know how good it is, but it'd better be damn good because I've taken some damn nice pics with my HD7. Took a lot of messing with the settings and scenarios but it looks damn good. And I'd love to see what you mean by the HD7 having inferior build quality though. I guess not all phones can have the cheap plastic surrounding that the Vibrant has huh? Or the wiggly cheap feeling slide out keyboard on the DVP? Best constructed phones of 2010 LOL that's why it kept getting delayed eh? So what specific build quality issues are you referring to with the HD7 though? My HD7 hasn't given me one problem since I got it on launch day. Perfect buttons, perfect screen, the metal trim and kickstand have held up extremely well and the phone feels solid. So do tell what these issues are so I can run and trade in my HD7 for a plastic phone sir
eternalemb said:
First of all, the speakers aren't too bad. Coming from a Blackberry myself though, I see a huge difference. But compared to any other smartphone in the market at the moment they're average. I've yet to see a smartphone whose speakers make me say "wow!" Second, it never surprises me how much people suck on the teet of the "almighty" SAmoled screen. I have an Omnia II, I use Vibrants all the time and ya know what...SAmoled is not all that. You kiddies like to portray it as the end all be all of the mobile phone screen world but its not. In fact, I hate the damn screen on my Omnia II. It looks distorted and ****ty. If that's what you consider "better" than that's your ****. Not everyone wants cartoon colors for everything they see though. As far as viewing angles, you must be one of those people that watch a movie at 90* angle huh? Cuz that's probably the only way you could consider the SAmoled screens better. Better color saturation? Really? Refer to my cartoon colors comment. My Omnia II works fine but I just keep the damn thing because it runs important .cabs I need for work, other than that the "selling points" of SAmoled Samsung phones is wasted on me. The screen looks dim and colorful 90% of the time. Mind you, its not a horrible screen, but people overhyping it so much really makes me laugh. As far as cameras, I haven't seen DVP pics or video so I don't know how good it is, but it'd better be damn good because I've taken some damn nice pics with my HD7. Took a lot of messing with the settings and scenarios but it looks damn good. And I'd love to see what you mean by the HD7 having inferior build quality though. I guess not all phones can have the cheap plastic surrounding that the Vibrant has huh? Or the wiggly cheap feeling slide out keyboard on the DVP? Best constructed phones of 2010 LOL that's why it kept getting delayed eh? So what specific build quality issues are you referring to with the HD7 though? My HD7 hasn't given me one problem since I got it on launch day. Perfect buttons, perfect screen, the metal trim and kickstand have held up extremely well and the phone feels solid. So do tell what these issues are so I can run and trade in my HD7 for a plastic phone sir
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I'm not often a kissass but I'd like to give you a standing ovation.
z33dev33l said:
I'm not often a kissass but I'd like to give you a standing ovation.
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Thank you thank you. Far too kind. But somebody had to say it...
When u learn to use paragraphs I will read ur post. But I'm not sifting through that.
Also, do a post search and I'll see I'm no sampled fanboy. The hd7 screen is terrible. Dvp only has an amplest screen. L2read...
Also, Don't call me kiddie. I can get snippy, too.
Its no secret that the hd7 is the worst wp7 device, and no one cares about curve speakers. A bb bold 9780 has way louder and better speakers than an hd7.
As for the screen, the comparison I linked speaks for itself. Its a damn terrible screen...
The dvp's keyboard is not wiggly. You're grasping at straws. Don't confuse it with a g2...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
eternalemb said:
First of all, the speakers aren't too bad. Coming from a Blackberry myself though, I see a huge difference. But compared to any other smartphone in the market at the moment they're average. I've yet to see a smartphone whose speakers make me say "wow!" Second, it never surprises me how much people suck on the teet of the "almighty" SAmoled screen. I have an Omnia II, I use Vibrants all the time and ya know what...SAmoled is not all that. You kiddies like to portray it as the end all be all of the mobile phone screen world but its not. In fact, I hate the damn screen on my Omnia II. It looks distorted and ****ty. If that's what you consider "better" than that's your ****. Not everyone wants cartoon colors for everything they see though. As far as viewing angles, you must be one of those people that watch a movie at 90* angle huh? Cuz that's probably the only way you could consider the SAmoled screens better. Better color saturation? Really? Refer to my cartoon colors comment. My Omnia II works fine but I just keep the damn thing because it runs important .cabs I need for work, other than that the "selling points" of SAmoled Samsung phones is wasted on me. The screen looks dim and colorful 90% of the time. Mind you, its not a horrible screen, but people overhyping it so much really makes me laugh. As far as cameras, I haven't seen DVP pics or video so I don't know how good it is, but it'd better be damn good because I've taken some damn nice pics with my HD7. Took a lot of messing with the settings and scenarios but it looks damn good. And I'd love to see what you mean by the HD7 having inferior build quality though. I guess not all phones can have the cheap plastic surrounding that the Vibrant has huh? Or the wiggly cheap feeling slide out keyboard on the DVP? Best constructed phones of 2010 LOL that's why it kept getting delayed eh? So what specific build quality issues are you referring to with the HD7 though? My HD7 hasn't given me one problem since I got it on launch day. Perfect buttons, perfect screen, the metal trim and kickstand have held up extremely well and the phone feels solid. So do tell what these issues are so I can run and trade in my HD7 for a plastic phone sir
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I don't think you fully understand. Its more than just colors with amoled and Samoled screens. Every OEM is on the waiting list. HTC, Motorola, LG etc are all wanting these screens.
Dell camera samples, at the very least no pink tint:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10225139&postcount=13
In all actuality the AMOLED SAMOLED means nothing to me, I prefer the larger screen because I have massive gamer thumbs and therefor I go with the HD7. I'm not saying the focus isnt a better device in a lot of ways but for some of us it's just not right though it is awesome. I dont much like the lack of heft and the plasticky feel but meh. I wil also never trust samsung when it comes to updates again even though the manufacturer handles them now its still... shaky. The point is they have a windows phone 7 for every kind of user even with how few are released.
jeffgeno said:
The HD7 is $100 from Best Buy. My girlfriend got one from there and loves it. It's a little lighter than the Venue Pro, a little thinner, has twice as much RAM, the same CPU, the same 16GB microSD storage, a better camera even with the red push, better flash, and feels much more solid in my hand than my Focus. The rubbery back is actually really nice on it. What are your specific complaints about the build quality?
What's the Dell's screen like outdoors? I know it's regular AMOLED rather than SAMOLED and those generally don't perform well in the sun.
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There's no point in debating with him. Every "point" he makes regarding the HD7 seems to be based solely on something he's read or a video that he's seen online...not on first hand experience.
Final Update April 6th:
I am wrapping up my ongoing comparison of the two devices, and to ebay goes my Samsung Focus.
Here is the final posting:
HTC Arrive vs. Samsung Focus - WP7 Not Yet Ready For Landscape Keyboarding
My conclusion is that both devices are great. My biggest disappointment with the HTC Arrive is not hardware related, but just the pains associated with an early mobile OS. I hope Mango will add more landscape functionality, and that Facebook will update their app to support the form factor.
_______________________________________________________________
Update March 28th:
I compare gaming on the two devices. This is the second to last update in this installment. There is a video this time to boot!
http://www.m-arcade.com/1/post/2011/03/hardware-htc-arrive-vs-samsung-focus-gaming.html
_____________________________
Update March 26th:
I compare the cameras.
http://www.m-arcade.com/1/post/2011/03/hardware-htc-arrive-vs-samsung-focus-camera.html
I ultimately concluded that I prefer the Focus camera thus far, but the Arrive is a pretty close second. Everyone has different taste, so I have plenty of side by side shots for you to judge for yourself.
___________
Initial impression: Impressed. This is an extremely nice slider phone, and while it has a little more heft and bulk than I prefer in a phone, the keyboard is a pleasure to use, and the device screams quality.
Click to expand...
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Pictures and my complete thoughts at the link:
http://www.m-arcade.com/1/post/2011/03/hardware-htc-arrive-vs-samsung-focus-initial-impressions.html
I will be updating my blog with more comparisons throughout the weekend.
Focus screen looks wayyyy better imo.
I had the opportunity to play with an Arrive yesterday at a local Sprint store. I was unimpressed. Though it did seem to be of sufficient quality, the display is as small as the iPhone and the common LCD. If I were to accept a display that small it would need to be at least an IPS type or AMOLED. I would definitely go with the Focus. To me, there's no question or choice. The Focus is the better of the two.
MartyLK said:
I had the opportunity to play with an Arrive yesterday at a local Sprint store. I was unimpressed. Though it did seem to be of sufficient quality, the display is as small as the iPhone and the common LCD. If I were to accept a display that small it would need to be at least an IPS type or AMOLED. I would definitely go with the Focus. To me, there's no question or choice. The Focus is the better of the two.
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Rumor is that the Arrive has a SLCD screen, but the Focus is better nonetheless. Plus thickness and weight are other advantages of the Focus. The hardware keyboard on the Arrive is really nice, but landscape support is hit-or-miss. Oh, and one final consideration: the Arrive has NoDo today, whereas the Focus may not receive it (officially) for months.
-R
sketchy9 said:
Rumor is that the Arrive has a SLCD screen, but the Focus is better nonetheless. Plus thickness and weight are other advantages of the Focus. The hardware keyboard on the Arrive is really nice, but landscape support is hit-or-miss. Oh, and one final consideration: the Arrive has NoDo today, whereas the Focus may not receive it (officially) for months.
-R
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does have an SLCD, and it looks great. The blacks are actually very good head on - not ever going to be on par with the Focus, but they are darn good. But I have noticed the screen does feel a little more cramped when playing games. I really feel 4" is a pretty ideal size, and believe it would have been nice to had that on the Arrive, but I don't think that is a deal breaker. The screen is nice, it just isn't a 4".
I would like to see more done with the keyboard. Like it would be nice if games allowed you to map buttons, that would be way slick.
sketchy9 said:
Rumor is that the Arrive has a SLCD screen, but the Focus is better nonetheless. Plus thickness and weight are other advantages of the Focus. The hardware keyboard on the Arrive is really nice, but landscape support is hit-or-miss. Oh, and one final consideration: the Arrive has NoDo today, whereas the Focus may not receive it (officially) for months.
-R
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aside from geeks, who the hell cares about the NoDo update? I can't think of a single thing that NoDo changes that makes it a must-have update. Sure, it's all welcomed updates to be sure but definitely WP7 is already a great OS.
I think geeks are always looking for the "new drug" known as (higher) version numbers. It's the same in the Linux world, everyone wants the new 2.6.38 kernel but 2.6.35 runs much faster and stable.
Edit: This wasn't intended as an attack on you personally, but from everything I read on here it seems people are way too obsessed over the NoDo update.
tiny17 said:
It does have an SLCD, and it looks great. The blacks are actually very good head on - not ever going to be on par with the Focus, but they are darn good. But I have noticed the screen does feel a little more cramped when playing games. I really feel 4" is a pretty ideal size, and believe it would have been nice to had that on the Arrive, but I don't think that is a deal breaker. The screen is nice, it just isn't a 4".
I would like to see more done with the keyboard. Like it would be nice if games allowed you to map buttons, that would be way slick.
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you'll never win this argument. Apparently, if you don't want your text fuzzy and your colors to look cartoonish, then you don't know what you are talking about.
On a side note, I'm glad that at&t is getting the hd7s. If nothing else interests me after the merger with t-mobile, at least I'll have that to fall back on.
nrfitchett4 said:
you'll never win this argument. Apparently, if you don't want your text fuzzy and your colors to look cartoonish, then you don't know what you are talking about.
On a side note, I'm glad that at&t is getting the hd7s. If nothing else interests me after the merger with t-mobile, at least I'll have that to fall back on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the super amoled display is the best on the market. I just hope a wp7 device gets the updated super amoled plus display this year.
ryude said:
Yea, the super amoled display is the best on the market. I just hope a wp7 device gets the updated super amoled plus display this year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
like I said, its the best if you don't mind fuzzy text and over saturated colors...
Wife has a vibrant, and she would rather have the hd7 display.
nrfitchett4 said:
you'll never win this argument. Apparently, if you don't want your text fuzzy and your colors to look cartoonish, then you don't know what you are talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well to their defense, the general consumer doesn't mind/notice the fuzzy text, and love seeing the saturated colors. Everyone who has seen my Focus think its the best screen they've seen.
I personally think both have their advantages. But do keep in mind that soon AMOLED screens will no longer have the fuzzy text issue due to them moving away from the PenTile tech.
From my limited use thus far - Head on, I prefer the SLCD, but enjoy the broader sweet spot offered by the SAMOLED.
I think most phones with keyboard won't get 4inch screen. That makes the phone like a brick. Epic 4G is such a device...
amtrakcn said:
I think most phones with keyboard won't get 4inch screen. That makes the phone like a brick. Epic 4G is such a device...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do want said brick =)
but a vertical slide up keyboard k thanks
amtrakcn said:
I think most phones with keyboard won't get 4inch screen. That makes the phone like a brick. Epic 4G is such a device...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Epic isnt even close to a brick. That thing is like toilet paper. Its keyboard is ass though >.<
Edit: Oh, by brick you meant the 4.0in screen! I thought you meant like the weight...I had to read the post below mine to figure that out haha
for the record and with using devices like the Pre Plus, EVO, EVO shift and iphone the Arrive is the best phone Ive used in a minute. The screen issue is a very small one, and most people dont care about that as much as everyone seems to keep complaining about. Samsung phones to me are cheap looking, and yes the screens are nice thats about it to me. Its about quality and the Arrive screams it. The screen size at 3.6 (ala iphone) is the biggest a mobile device is supposed to be. Get it mobile, I dont know where all this needing a brick in your pocket as being the thing to get nowadays, but if I need more realestate then what I have on my MOBILE! phone then ill get on a laptop, desktop, or tablet. My thoughts on the device is its the best WP7 on the market, perfect size, quality, the option of a full hard keyboard, and very fast.
I completely disagree in terms of the 'quality' you spoke of. Don't get me wrong the phones not god awful but the quality really is subpar. When you hold it you feel like you're holding a last-gen device because of the bulk and thickness and the spring mechanism in the phone always feels ready to snap. HTC doesn't have any high quality WP7 devices just yet. I hope the HD7s fixes that.
emaculant29 said:
Its about quality and the Arrive screams it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those were my words!
z33dev33l said:
I completely disagree in terms of the 'quality' you spoke of. Don't get me wrong the phones not god awful but the quality really is subpar. When you hold it you feel like you're holding a last-gen device because of the bulk and thickness and the spring mechanism in the phone always feels ready to snap. HTC doesn't have any high quality WP7 devices just yet. I hope the HD7s fixes that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you held an Arrive? I swear you must be handling a different phone. Because, when I saw pictures, I questioned it, but upon feeling and using it, I can only say it is top notch.
Yeah, I would have preferred a 4" screen. But as for keyboard phones go, it is the same thickness as every other one on market. It is pretty heavy though, which I can only attribute to the use of quality materials over the super light plasticy materials of my focus.
I admit that a keyboard phone is not my first choice of form factor, and if I could get a Focus with the case materials of my Arrive, I would - but that is not happening. As far as screen type (size aside) this is one of the best LCD screens on the market. So you can't fault it for that. You can prefer AMOLED tech, I understand that, but for LCD, the Arrive has a very nice display.
to each its own you know, but I will say this I test phones through my employment and in terms on the measure of quality this is by far the best landscape slider in the buisness currently. The bulk and weight is obvious, but compared to a phone quality it matches like the Iphone 4 it is only 4.2mm thicker then it. They also use the same metal componets from Foxconn, and the glass screen is as well identical. The spring mechinism has been tested by us as well to withstand a substantial amount of pressure without breaking, so no it hardly feels like it will break. Again understand all are personal opinions, but facts are facts.
tiny17 said:
Those were my words!
Have you held an Arrive? I swear you must be handling a different phone. Because, when I saw pictures, I questioned it, but upon feeling and using it, I can only say it is top notch.
Yeah, I would have preferred a 4" screen. But as for keyboard phones go, it is the same thickness as every other one on market. It is pretty heavy though, which I can only attribute to the use of quality materials over the super light plasticy materials of my focus.
I admit that a keyboard phone is not my first choice of form factor, and if I could get a Focus with the case materials of my Arrive, I would - but that is not happening. As far as screen type (size aside) this is one of the best LCD screens on the market. So you can't fault it for that. You can prefer AMOLED tech, I understand that, but for LCD, the Arrive has a very nice display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own every U.S. released WP7 devices. The heft can't always be attributed to quality. I assure you the Focus' cheap plastic comes with a purpose, go drop both of them from about a 5 foot height (where most people hold their phones) and see which one comes out in better condition. The hardware for the Arrive truly is last gen even compared to all of the other WP7 devices on the market (surround aside), the keyboard was about the only redeeming feature on the device but the response from the keys felt cheap and when typing really fast it tended to randomly skip 3 or 4 letters in a row. They've come out with keyboard devices with form factor like the G2, why work backwards and re-release a device that was already outdated upon it's initial release? (TP2)
yeah ive come to the conclusion you just dont like the Arrive which is fine, but your statemnts are very biased, and not factual at all. So there really isnt much else to discuss with you in paticular. For everyone else I highly recommend this device if your on sprint, over all of these android devices out now, and coming like the Nexus S, and EVO 3d thanks.
thank god
i did not wait until arrive.
Hello XDA.
The gnex is my 1st android phone and I'm pretty excited to start tweaking it out.
I am coming from a previous generation ip4.
I am mainly switching because I am grandfathered in to Tmo Tzones and iphones don't support Tmo 3g bands, only edge.
My micro-sim adapter will arrive later today so I haven't put my sim in yet, but I've been just playing w/ ICS and inspecting the the unit itself.
Just some thoughts below.
The overall weight is pretty light, but not so light that it feels too cheap. Its ok. Materials are whatever, I guess I've been spoiled with the ip4 metal and glass.
The battery door feels cheap, but when its on you can't really tell so its not a big deal, and also I rather have a removable battery than not.
In terms of size I really like it, ip4 was just too small to browse or watch videos on. Gnex is a bit bigger but I am still able to easily handle it and use with only one hand. Still fits in the front pocket of fitted pants easily as well since its slim.
The slight curve is pretty nice, but I don't like how the whole phone is not symmetrical in thickness.
So yea, fit and finish is mediocre. Ip4 is a cut above the rest in terms of design and materials, but the gnex is a good size and still feels of decent quality in the hand overall so I'm ok with it.
ICS is nice. Pretty intuitive and easy to pick up.
No previous android experience to compare, and I'm still on the dated ios4, but it takes a few apps from cydia for the ip4 to be about where ICS is in terms of options and control out of the box. I can only imagine my options after rooting.
The os feels pretty quick and snappy, but its not as smooth as ios. Ios feels very liquid, while android feels choppy.
Things load quick, but the overall system just doesn't feel as polished.
I didn't fiddle with much, skimmed the apps and browsed settings. I did play with the camera a little. Quality is good enough for a phone camera and I really like how it snaps shots very quickly.
Overall stock system is ok, but I like android. I'm glad for the potential to tweak the phone more and can't wait to mess with it. I hope custom roms run smoother than the stock ics.
Now for my main gripe with this phone.
The screen. I am very underwhelmed.
Right when I opened the phone settings I could see a lot of funky banding on the grey background on all brightness settings.
Viewing angles are also pretty bad. Bluish green tint shows only after a bit less than 30 degrees off center from any angle.
Then I opened up the browser. The whites have issues. Brightness on max is acceptable, but anything else and it gets grainy and ugly. No uniformity.
I don't notice obvious pixelation, but browsing text and everything just looks softer and not as crisp. I felt like I was reading a newspaper haha.
Looked at some photos I snapped. Color representation is very off with this screen. Pics do pop more from the contrast when the brightness is up high though. Luckily the screen falls on the warmer side of things so its easy on my eyes.
What I do like a lot is the blacks are black even on max brightness, compared to the ip4 which has washed out blacks on high brightness.
I also like the slightly higher resolution and bigger screen size of course.
I'm a bit dated on my display tech so I did not know what to expect with the pentile amoled.
It definitely can not live up to apple's "retina" standard. Apples screen looks crystal even if you put your nose up to it.
The 1/3 less sub pixels using pentile really ruins things. Ppi really is probably effectively 200ish and not 300+ as the gnex claims on paper.
Pentile amoled seems very low quality to me. Maybe amoled in general. It has all the issues of a cheap TN lcd panel. Inaccurate colors, bad viewing angle, no screen uniformity. The pluses being extremely deep blacks and good contrast.
If you run your monitors on high brightness the screen might be acceptable, but if not its pretty bad. Unfortunately I run all my screens on very low brightness.
Mind you my monitors and tvs are calibrated and color accuracy matters to me. The ip4s ips screen does very well in this regard. Colors are very natural and also viewing angles are great, typical of ips screens. Its also brighter at max than the gnex and dimmer at min. I have to say the ip4s display is leaps above the gnex in terms of quality. Only down fall is the washed out blacks.
If you are coming from ip4 or spend most of your time on ips/pva displays etc the gnex screen will most likely be a let down.
If you haven't owned an ip4 and don't know what tech your monitor is or dont care then you will most likely be very happy with the gnex screen, just don't put it side by side an iphone 4 or you will notice issues you won't be able to remove from your brain.
For $400 + tax I can't really complain. I'm getting a lot from the phone, but its definitely not a steal of a deal. Samsung cut quite a few corners, the pentile amoled display being the most regrettable for me.
I currently have a docomo version from amazon, but will return it soon after my warrantied google one arrives. I will compare the two. I hope the next one's screen is better.
I'll stick with the gnex despite my gripes since I want to play with android, its got great dev support and its one of the best tzones compatible phone currently, but I am not as thrilled since receiving the phone.
Probably will move on to the sg3 asap if it works on my plan. They better get it right on that phone.
See this is what I have been wondering... have you had any issues so far? I am an iPhone convert as well but I went for the DROID RAZR on verizon and I love it... I was considering trying to get a GN but Im hesitant
There are a lot of threads and posts on defective units with screen issues to what you describe. There is a very likely chance you simply had a defective unit.
When you get the new one and compare, post again. I'm curious. Mine should be in today and I'm worried I'd get one with the screen issues as well.
Sent from my Nexus One using xda premium
vv13 said:
If you are coming from ip4 or spend most of your time on ips/pva displays etc the gnex screen will most likely be a let down.
If you haven't owned an ip4 and don't know what tech your monitor is or dont care then you will most likely be very happy with the gnex screen, just don't put it side by side an iphone 4 or you will notice issues you won't be able to remove from your brain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
I'd really like to try one out but this RAZR is good too...
Sent from my DROID RAZR
I have had 3 Galaxy nexus units and two of them had horrible screens with banding and other scratchy textures on the screen (almost like a creased newspaper at low brightness). Luckily, the one I kept has a perfect screen. It has zero banding and perfect uniformity even at 0% brightness. It also doesn't have any tint/hue issues. The other two units had bluish/purpleish whites as the brightness decreased, this one stays pure white.
Basically, they are not all as bad as you describe. But in my personal experience (2 out of 3), most units have pretty crappy screens. This can be attributed to Samsung's quality control, or lack thereof. I don't think the flagship Google phone should go out with any of display the issues you describe, but apparently they do. Personally, I wouldn't settle for it (and didn't). Exchange your phone if you can because there are units out there with perfect screens.
matesims23 said:
See this is what I have been wondering... have you had any issues so far? I am an iPhone convert as well but I went for the DROID RAZR on verizon and I love it... I was considering trying to get a GN but Im hesitant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only had the phone very briefly, but so far no other issues other than what was stated about the screen.
No major os lag, random shut offs, screen retention, pop noises or anything like that.
The phone does heat up though a bit more than the ip4, and it can be easily felt through the cheap cover. Nothing else really.
Overall the gnex is fine, just my expectations of the screen were set pretty high considering so many touted the display of the phone as one of its strongpoints.
It does not help that i came from the ip4.
Still a fully loaded phone with all specs premium. Just not bleeding edge tech or fancy materials. All for $400 no contract is fair.
Unless you're the cultish type that wants a pure android experience need ics or a google phone whatever, there really is no reason I see to leave the razr.
uoY_redruM said:
There are a lot of threads and posts on defective units with screen issues to what you describe. There is a very likely chance you simply had a defective unit.
When you get the new one and compare, post again. I'm curious. Mine should be in today and I'm worried I'd get one with the screen issues as well.
Sent from my Nexus One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I definitely will, but after reading up on pentile amoled tech, a lot of these issues mentioned are traits of the technology. I hope on the next phone they are not as severe though.
akira02rex said:
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you have misinterpreted my let down comment as its only in reference to the screens and not the gnex vs ip4 as a whole.
And have become a bit overly defensive for reasons I'm not sure why.
Regardless, you are right about everything only being a person's opinion.
Other than that we are on the same plane.
I am not for apple's dumbed down os. I am also against them making everything proprietary and putting things on lockdown.
The ip4 is actually my only apple owned product since I just loved the design too much.
As you can see, my initial post says I am thrilled to root and and can't wait to play with what android has to offer.
akira02rex said:
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This person said it correct. If your comming from ios, you should get another phone thats aimed at every day consumers, this phone was made for ppl who want to take control and like he said the sky is the limit with android.
ra990 said:
I have had 3 Galaxy nexus units and two of them had horrible screens with banding and other scratchy textures on the screen (almost like a creased newspaper at low brightness). Luckily, the one I kept has a perfect screen. It has zero banding and perfect uniformity even at 0% brightness. It also doesn't have any tint/hue issues. The other two units had bluish/purpleish whites as the brightness decreased, this one stays pure white.
Basically, they are not all as bad as you describe. But in my personal experience (2 out of 3), most units have pretty crappy screens. This can be attributed to Samsung's quality control, or lack thereof. I don't think the flagship Google phone should go out with any of display the issues you describe, but apparently they do. Personally, I wouldn't settle for it (and didn't). Exchange your phone if you can because there are units out there with perfect screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good news.
Would you mind sharing the specifics of your phones build and origin etc..
cheddaface said:
This person said it correct. If your comming from ios, you should get another phone thats aimed at every day consumers, this phone was made for ppl who want to take control and like he said the sky is the limit with android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right if the person was content with ios as a whole.
vv13 said:
No previous android experience to compare, and I'm still on the dated ios4, but it takes a few apps from cydia for the ip4 to be about where ICS is in terms of options and control out of the box. I can only imagine my options after rooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vv13 said:
Overall stock system is ok, but I like android. I'm glad for the potential to tweak the phone more and can't wait to mess with it. I hope custom roms run smoother than the stock ics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vv13 said:
I'll stick with the gnex despite my gripes since I want to play with android, its got great dev support and its one of the best tzones compatible phone currently, but I am not as thrilled since receiving the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That from my first post should hint to you what I am aiming for.
Remember I've only had this phone a few days and have not yet had the chance to break the surface, hence this thread being only a 1st impression, Not a full fledged review
Return your unit. I already played with 4 GNexus including mine and none have this issues, and the viewing angles are great. The screen is awesome. My friend changed the iPhone 4 for a GNexus and love the screen.
vv13 said:
Thats good news.
Would you mind sharing the specifics of your phones build and origin etc..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, it is a Jan 2012 build, does not say Made in xxx anywhere on it, just says made by Samsung (someone said that means Korea, but I'm not sure). The other ones I had both said Made in China. I got mine new from Amazon.com (came from a seller named abe-123, order fulfilled by Amazon). It had 4.0.2 build on it (not sure if YAKJU or not, I flashed latest image as soon as I got it). Let me know if you want to know anything else.
I applaud the OP for his opinion from a neutral standpoint. Welcome to the family. I've had my Nexus since late December and was one of the 'lucky' ones that got a near perfect screen on the first go. Like others have said, there is a very broad spectrum ranging from near perfect to absolutely terrible.
I recommend going over this thread if you haven't already when your new unit arrives:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1394358
akira02rex said:
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jesus. No need to be so defensive. Android is not your girlfriend. Everything he said is true and they are issues Google needs to work out if they want Android to grow as a platform. While smoothness has increased since gingerbread, the fact of the matter is it is still a step behind when it comes to smoothness.
And lets get dispelled that notion that gnex flaws can be disregarded because it is a development phone. Yes, the gnex is intended to be the test bed for Android software. But that doesn't mean that Google doesn't intend to sell every last phone they have to the end user or that they didn't design it with the intent for the majority of users to use the phone like the average consumer.
Sent via Galaxy Nexus
Lmao you guys get so fighting about it. I have an iphone 4s and a Gnex so far rocking the galaxy one because I like the OS but is hard to let go the iphone 4S I could probably get 450$ easy for my iphone but I'm no gonna sell it till I'm 100% sure at this moment is a 50% 50% . Specially when it comes to music. I go to the gym 3-5 times at week and the galaxy nexus with beats audio don't sound right . Any recommendations ? And maybe an app that can make the controller on the beats audiowork
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I think I might try it out
Sent from my DROID RAZR
jgalan14 said:
Lmao you guys get so fighting about it. I have an iphone 4s and a Gnex so far rocking the galaxy one because I like the OS but is hard to let go the iphone 4S I could probably get 450$ easy for my iphone but I'm no gonna sell it till I'm 100% sure at this moment is a 50% 50% . Specially when it comes to music. I go to the gym 3-5 times at week and the galaxy nexus with beats audio don't sound right . Any recommendations ? And maybe an app that can make the controller on the beats audiowork
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just came from evo3d with beats audio and i also hit the gym about 4-5 days a week and it worked great on my 3d but i would love it on my nexus but it dosent work??
Well, I hope the one I ordered today doesn't have any issues with the screen!
I'm gonna talk about my one week+ old HOX, and like always, I have a lot to say.
To start with, my last phone was the Omnia II, and it was a piece of ****. I had no idea someone was capable of producing something so stupid I'm just totally shocked I mostly used it as a regular phone+music player. It sucked mainly because of the WM6.5 OS, its just funny how someone could even sell such a thing and call it a smartphone. Firstly the performance sucks and it's obvious, nothing goes beyond 10fps in WM6.5, you'd be lucky to get over 5. The music player playlist scrolls at about 3fps, the keyboard has a half second to one second lag, the browser runs at about 0.8fps, it is a full featured browser but you can barely browse the most plain mobile sites. With performance like this, multitasking can kiss my ass, how about get any single task done right before you can multitask? That resistive touchscreen also sucked, I was stupid I didn't do enough research to know the difference. Why would you have a phone screen that is NOT covered with glass? Why? Ignoring the obvious hardness differences, it sucks when those reflections on my screen are distorted, I wanna see a perfect mirror reflection, I'm a perfectionist ok? And of course there are about three apps for WM. I know there are more but they look like windows 95 and has tiny ui elements designed for styluses so they don't count. And those ones that look like windows XP or with lame 3d themes, SPB shell or some ****, those don't count as well.
Look at iPhone! That's how it should be done, everything must be perfectly smooth period. If its not smooth it's not even worth mentioning I don't care how many features you have. iPhone 4 really kicked android in the ass with that retina display. I still don't get it, even today people are releasing phones with this "qHD" resolution, wtf? That's just laughable it's lower than a phone released two years ago! With a much smaller screen! Really? Who's gonna accept that? Sometimes they even call it their "flagship" product, gimme a break. 720p is the minimum period.
So just a few weeks ago I was struggling to decide between the iPhone 4s, HOX the S3, and Sony's yet to be released waterproof 1.5ghz dual core phone. I can't wait for the Sony because iPhone 5 is coming out by the time they release it so that's out of the question. I already have the iPad so I decided to try out an android phone, already got a taste of iOS. I picked the HOX and here is why.
The Galaxy S III isn't as good looking as the HOX to begein with. Maybe Samsung has been having too many problems with patents their design is severely compromised it looks like a really cheap phone but obviously with latest technologies like that screen and its thickness. That bottom part looks really bad it reminds me of a really ugly version of the Omnia II, it looks so 2006 if you unrest and what I mean. That top part also look really bad with those obvious holes for sensors and cameras, they should be hidden like on the HOX. The back side and the rim also look like a very cheep phone but thinner and bigger.
The galaxy s3 screen is also bigger I think, but with the same resolution which makes its bigger size a negative fetus because it's harder to use. Oh wait, in fact it's of a lower resolution because of that pentile ****, it only has 2/3 the number of sub pixels as the HOX. The amoled display is vibrant but that's not equivalent to good because it's too vibrant and the colors are inaccurate. Take a look at a professional display review of the s3 all three primaries are way off they are over saturated. White balance is non existent it's too blue and sometimes green it hurts my eyes. The amoled display is also far dimmer than the HOX, doesn't bother me much but it's also a down point.
The S3 is slightly faster and has a bigger battery. But the Sense UI also look better and no I'm not a fan of flashing ROMs anymore. Honestly I don't give a **** about performance as long as it's smooth I'm happy, and I don't play 3d games at all. I saw this review concluding the s3 has a mich much battery life, I don't know what to say about their stupidity, it must have been tough finding someone to do that video review with a straight face. They test battery life by playing a video that's basically a static image, on max screen brightness. Ok to start with, the HOX has a much brighter screen, in fact, 60% brighter if I remember correctly. So the HOX shouldn't be competing on max brightness. It should be on 60%. Secondly that S3 has a freakin amoled display how can you compare that with an LCD? That stupid video they use is mostly dark blue with a small rainbow so the total display output of an oled display displaying that image is probably less than 33%. So, we should have the HOX's screen brightness decreased by another 66% down to 20% max brightness to be fair. Or, we should have a video with realistic scenarios like full white google home pages. But of course, the s3 with a bigger battery and it's more advanced processor is probably better on battery life in any case, just not by THAT much.
But that battery life advantage doesn't nearly compare with the HOX's much better looking unibody and its solid feel. HOX's better camera quality and speed. HOX's studio quality display, I just wish that display is 10-bit, cuz sometimes you see banding. Beats Audio is mostly advertising but it's not a bad addition.
However, using the HOX for a week, I found a couple of problems with android phones. For example, they're never ashamed of releasing unfinished products are they? How come LWP pauses when I swipe between home screens? Wtf is that all about? Releasing a feature that's partly or completely useless? It's not too bothering on non-parallax and slow LWPs, but that's not the best part of having a LWP is it? That's a big one but there are also some small ones like the photo stack widget, it resets to the first picture all the time. I can't uninstall useless ****s like google+, showme, latitude, local, locations, navigation, car.... I mean do we not have enough navigation apps already? I don't even think you can uninstall the setup wizard. In iOS you can't uninstall newsstand or reminder but at least you can hide them in a folder and their icons look really good, much better than "show me" at least. The system also doesn't come with a file manager, I wonder how youre supposed to empty your download folder, do you just let it eat up all your storage? And oh, the three dots of death, not too bothering, but it just leaves you thinking if HTC even test their phone, might as well just not have any of the touch buttons so I can feel lest wasteful?
and honestly, I don't like android's multitask system, because you don't know what's running and what's not running. In iOS you always know nothing is running, you don't worry about battery life. But in android they could all be running for all I know, but sometimes I also want an app to run in the background. There should be a better way to manage that. Like having a multitask bar like iOS, have most apps go on save state, but you can allow certain apps to run a background process which could be independently managed from save state. So I don't have to either kill an app or let it eat my battery.
Overall, I'm still really satisfied with the device. It's generally as smooth as the iPhone, browser performance is on par with the iPad2 which is good enough. Audio performance is also good with my Etymotic Research MC-5. And the screen is just a treat sometimes I press the power button just to see the beautiful screen showing my wallpaper. And the unibody, it feels much better than the S3 glossy plastic.
thx for this objective review
all ur info r 100% spot on
enjoy the hox, upcoming update that we have it leaked will solve the 3dot menu and 90% if the bugs also boost performance by a good margin (real performance not benchs)
yea too bad HTC made a very big mistake
they worked so hard for such a great device and total reboot for them but then shot themselves in the foot by rushing it out as they were worried about the s3 but it really had the opposite effect many of the early new comer adopters jumped ship (1.26 was a disaster)
speaking of the s3 my employer shares all ur points and he is dying to switch it with the hox
starting from ICS you can disable system apps (not all but most of them, maps and google+ for sure for example, and they bother you... like they bother me, lol)
just dont update them and from application's settings tap "disable" and they'll disappear from launcher (i guess it just "chmod -r" the apk), you dont have to be rooted for that
i've picked mine yesterday, used and bought 06-29 but the owner wanted to try the S3 and payed it a good price... it's awesome, no wifi issues of yellowish screen.
so far i'm really entusiastic...
jacobgong said:
But of course, the s3 with a bigger battery and it's more advanced processor is probably better on battery life in any case, just not by THAT much.
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Great write up. And your bottom line conclusion's spot on. No phone is perfect. You compare the good against the bad against what's important to you and decide from there. No one's "wrong" in picking any of the phones you mentioned if it's "right" for them. After using the phone for a couple of months now there are some things that I'd like to see done differently and make me wonder what HTC was thinking. Then there's things that are so well done and seem so intuitive that they just make me smile. I just played a two hour and forty minute movie using HTC Watch via Media Link and not only did it work flawlessly in 720p, it only consumed 20% of my battery. The fact that a phone, any phone, can now do that is pretty amazing.
As for battery life. Exynos Quad is highly overrated; that or Teg3 is underrated. Comparing the One X to the SGS3 and adjusting for the differences in battery size, the One X actually performs better than the SGS3 in all but video playback where the darks of the content favor AMOLED. It's meaningless in real life because of the smaller fixed battery in the One X, but HTC, Nvidia, or both deserve a lot of credit for extracting that type of efficiency from a chip that's not exactly modern.
Enjoy your new phone...
But for some reason HTC decided you shouldn't be able to disable Google+ or show me, or setup wizard. While you can disable Facebook and YouTube.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
jacobgong said:
But for some reason HTC decided you shouldn't be able to disable Google+ or show me, or setup wizard. While you can disable Facebook and YouTube.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
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Uninstall updates then you can disable.