Develop Bugs

HTC Arrive vs. Samsung Focus - Final Update April 6th

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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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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Click to collapse
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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

Galaxy Nexus FTW

Dear Samsung, thank you for letting Google teach you how to make a phone. I love you Galaxy Nexus. You're fast, really fast. You boot as fast as my laptop with a Samsung 470 Series SSD. You don't lag. I tippity tap something on the screen, and something immediately happens. Your MTP is awesome. Lots of people don't like you for it, but they don't get it. That's fine, it's our secret love affair, and it's fast. ICS took me a little time to get used to, mainly because of the button layout. But after a little patience, I understand the intuitiveness and am growing fond of it.
Your battery life is awesome. I have 3 batteries and now I feel ripped off because I never get to use the other two. I try to kill you, and you last me 12+ hours every day even after streaming Tune In Radio and playing with your cool features like Stop Motion video recording in 1080p.
Your GPS is great. I remember the last time Samsung built a phone I bought. I had to take it apart, bend antenna connectors and hold my mouth just right in order to get a lock; but my Galaxy Nexus locks in mere seconds, doesn't wander, and tracks me perfectly.
People say you're light and feel cheap. Hogwash. They say, "pick up the iPhone, now that's a heavy piece". That's true, the iPhone 4S weighs 4.9 ounces, and according to my food scale, you weigh 5.0 ounces. By the time I add your extended battery and a gel skin, you weigh 6.0 ounces. If you were made out of cheap metal that cracks, sharpens and splinters with impact instead of robust, flexible and shock absorbing plastic, you'd drag my pants down lower than the average gang banger.
People say you have poor reception, but the reality is that you tell them the truth by exposing Verizon's coverage. The truth sometimes hurts.
I was unsure about your size. After all, so many people say that size doesn't count...those people own Xperia Mini's. Your screen is awesome. I can't tell that you're pentile, other than the fact that at your dimmest setting, you don't blind my eyes like the SAMOLED on my Galaxy S. While weird tint and strange banding issues due to jpeg resizing can be annoying, I know that it's not due to poor quality control or oversight but rather to limitation of the technology used.
Most of all, other than delicious ICS, what I think I love the most was how easily your bootloader was unlocked and root was obtained. I do not expect you to make me a sandwich, fix my car or give me professional swedish massages. All I ask is that you deliver ICS, Google Updates, and stellar 3rd party support immediately, and you do that. You're not what I expected...you're so much more.

Well said, well said young padawon.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

I like this.. -pushes facebook "Like" button.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

It doesn't give massages? WTF

I'm a little disappointed this phone can't make me a sandwich... but well said.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Everything except the camera is just pure awesome.

Just waiting on the 4.03 update. Other than that, the phone has been stellar. I feel there is no need to root it.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Sandwiches and swedish massages are extremely important to me and I can't believe this phone doesn't have those features as the iphone does. I will be returning it shortly and would never have bought it if I knew it had no car washing application preloaded. I will be getting the iphone as I have heard from some people that it also makes erections last longer and makes smoking healthy. Samsung why can't you implement such features into your phones?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

This phone needs more good PR. I'm tired of seeing threads from people who don't understand their device, don't take time to troubleshoot or can't accept that their device may be defective so they try to make it an issue for everyone's device ("Galaxy Nexus screen sucks! I have a big X in the center!")
Good job. I'm gonna do an FAQ thread later.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

KWKSLVR said:
Dear Samsung, thank you for letting Google teach you how to make a phone. I love you Galaxy Nexus. You're fast, really fast. You boot as fast as my laptop with a Samsung 470 Series SSD. You don't lag. I tippity tap something on the screen, and something immediately happens. Your MTP is awesome. Lots of people don't like you for it, but they don't get it. That's fine, it's our secret love affair, and it's fast. ICS took me a little time to get used to, mainly because of the button layout. But after a little patience, I understand the intuitiveness and am growing fond of it.
Your battery life is awesome. I have 3 batteries and now I feel ripped off because I never get to use the other two. I try to kill you, and you last me 12+ hours every day even after streaming Tune In Radio and playing with your cool features like Stop Motion video recording in 1080p.
Your GPS is great. I remember the last time Samsung built a phone I bought. I had to take it apart, bend antenna connectors and hold my mouth just right in order to get a lock; but my Galaxy Nexus locks in mere seconds, doesn't wander, and tracks me perfectly.
People say you're light and feel cheap. Hogwash. They say, "pick up the iPhone, now that's a heavy piece". That's true, the iPhone 4S weighs 4.9 ounces, and according to my food scale, you weigh 5.0 ounces. By the time I add your extended battery and a gel skin, you weigh 6.0 ounces. If you were made out of cheap metal that cracks, sharpens and splinters with impact instead of robust, flexible and shock absorbing plastic, you'd drag my pants down lower than the average gang banger.
People say you have poor reception, but the reality is that you tell them the truth by exposing Verizon's coverage. The truth sometimes hurts.
I was unsure about your size. After all, so many people say that size doesn't count...those people own Xperia Mini's. Your screen is awesome. I can't tell that you're pentile, other than the fact that at your dimmest setting, you don't blind my eyes like the SAMOLED on my Galaxy S. While weird tint and strange banding issues due to jpeg resizing can be annoying, I know that it's not due to poor quality control or oversight but rather to limitation of the technology used.
I do not expect you to make me a sandwich, fix my car or give me professional swedish massages. All I ask is that you deliver ICS, Google Updates, and stellar 3rd party support immediately, and you do that. You're not what I expected...you're so much more.
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Click to collapse
Well said. A perfect love affair! I love mine as well.
---------- Post added at 08:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 AM ----------
jtambis6 said:
Just waiting on the 4.03 update. Other than that, the phone has been stellar. I feel there is no need to root it.
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Click to collapse
Anyone have an idea of what that update might address?
Thanks!

They can put a man on the moon and a dual-core beast of a computer in your hand, but they can't make a decent toaster
Has anyone seen John Connor?

Is this guys take on the Nexus correct?

http://www.thetechblock.com/articles/2012/an-androids-users-take-on-the-galaxy-nexus/
Today I jumped ship from Sprint and purchased 3 Nexus and 2 Thunderbolts from Verizon. I've been checking out reviews and I was just wondering how you guys feel about this phone. From what I've seen it looks amazing and most likely, I'll be extremely happy with the device (coming from an HTC Evo 3D). But wanted to see if he is correct on any of the negative points he made.
Appreciate any feedback in general about what you do, don't like about the device.
I got the Thunderbolts because those two are for older employees and they could barely get used to Honeycomb they use now. Also, They wouldn't allow me to get more than 3 Nexus' and the Thunderbolts were free.

My only question is why did you buy 2 Thunderbolts? Lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

I was thinking the exact same thing lol, the thunderblunder whhyyyyy? Hope he can still return them.
---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------
Are you happy with your phones? I think that's all that matters. I could find a bunch of reviews praising the heck out of the nexus but would it change if you like it, idk. I'd say give it a week and see if you like it. Don't base it on some tech writer from a site that quite frankly I've never heard of and I frequent quite a few. The nice thing about the Gnex which I have and love is you can customize the heck out of it, if there's something you don't like there's probably a way to change it and you won't find better community support for any other phone period.
If you don't mind my saying, if your still within the return period I would be a lot more concerned about those thunderbolts.

Read the review and didn't really agree with a lot of the points.
First off the volume is fine, the problem is is that if your hand is covering the speaker it can dim very quickly so make sure to keep your hand away from the bottom while watching videos.
The phone to me feels solid. I owned a Thunderbolt before this and a Droid 2 before that so I have been with 3 of the 4 major manufacturers (LG being the last, if you can take them seriously) and to me this phone feels the best. It just works in my hand and feels good.
The screen size is a "tiny" issue to me, the only problem is trying to reach the notification bar which can be done moderately easy with one hand but most of the time I realize that I have two.
The camera on this phone is what you should expect from a camera on a phone. The fact that this guy is saying he is a photographer but uses phone camera's makes his take on the Nexus's camera seem unreliable. A phones camera is for quick shots when something comes up unexpected, if you are a photographer go buy a dedicated camera.
I am not saying that this phone is perfect but this guys review is a lot of garbage and sounds like he is just trying to find reasons to stick with his Incredible.

miketoasty said:
First off the volume is fine, the problem is is that if your hand is covering the speaker it can dim very quickly so make sure to keep your hand away from the bottom while watching videos.
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Click to collapse
If you're coming from other Samsung devices, the Nexus One or Nexus S then the Volume is on par with those devices. If you are coming from one of Motorola's beastly loudspeaker devices (Droid 2 for example) then it's a significant difference.

martonikaj said:
My only question is why did you buy 2 Thunderbolts? Lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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Ha! Those two are for older employees and they could barely get used to Honeycomb, so getting two more Nexus' would be a waste, not to mention, they wouldn't allow me to get more than 3 Nexus' haha.

Left Sprint 2 days ago and came to Verizon and picked up the GN. Was using an E4GT and before that an EVO 3D. The E4GT blew the EVO out of the water in my opinion so that phone is pretty irrelevant. The GN is most definitly better then the washed out screen, bad build, light leakage that the EVO 3D brings.
Now comparing it to the E4GT it is a closer battle but the GN has some cool things going for it that are not making me miss my E4GT to much.
Although battery life is looking pretty bad on this thing but I only have 1 day to judge that and will need some more time...
As others have said, return that thunderbolt ASAP!!! That is just a way failed version of the EVO 4G. You need to stay away from that device...

"most of the time I realize that I have two"
made me chuckle lol

InfiniD said:
"most of the time I realize that I have two"
made me chuckle lol
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Just makes me laugh at all these reviews saying you have to use two hands like it's some new concept. I know it isn't always the most convenient thing, but then again why would you buy a phone this big if you were worried about it in the first place? I personally first looked at this phone for it's large screen (ICS was a close second) and I knew that for the most part it was going to be a 2 hander.

InfiniD said:
I was thinking the exact same thing lol, the thunderblunder whhyyyyy? Hope he can still return them.
---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------
Are you happy with your phones? I think that's all that matters. I could find a bunch of reviews praising the heck out of the nexus but would it change if you like it, idk. I'd say give it a week and see if you like it. Don't base it on some tech writer from a site that quite frankly I've never heard of and I frequent quite a few. The nice thing about the Gnex which I have and love is you can customize the heck out of it, if there's something you don't like there's probably a way to change it and you won't find better community support for any other phone period.
If you don't mind my saying, if your still within the return period I would be a lot more concerned about those thunderbolts.
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Click to collapse
I haven't gotten the phones yet so haven't taken it for a spin. The sound part he mentioned bothered me. The Thunderbolts are for non power users, the Nexus' are for power users, they could care less what they have. They really want flip phones and I told them it's out of the question! haha

InfiniD said:
"most of the time I realize that I have two"
made me chuckle lol
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Click to collapse
Haha, I don't think I'll have an issue with the size. I've got pretty big hands.

infinitemethod said:
I haven't gotten the phones yet so haven't taken it for a spin. The sound part he mentioned bothered me. The Thunderbolts are for non power users, the Nexus' are for power users, they could care less what they have. They really want flip phones and I told them it's out of the question! haha
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Sound is fine. You can install an eq app and it sounds great. Also, the earpiece for phone calls are crystal clear...

miketoasty said:
Just makes me laugh at all these reviews saying you have to use two hands like it's some new concept. I know it isn't always the most convenient thing, but then again why would you buy a phone this big if you were worried about it in the first place? I personally first looked at this phone for it's large screen (ICS was a close second) and I knew that for the most part it was going to be a 2 hander.
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Click to collapse
Half of my friends have iphones and guess what...........they hold it in portrait mode with 2 hands and type with their thumbs lol. Not to mention they are probably complaining about the nexus screen size being too big as they are trying to mash their thumbs into the little keyboard........they crack me up, think ill take video next time i see them
on another note im actually surprised how much i use my Gnex in portrait with one hand, thought it would be a two hander for sure but it's big enough that portait is actually usable for me and i guess my hand is the perfect size for it

The "build quality" thing is so old and stupid to me at this point. There are dozens of drop tests that show plastic Samsung phones taking a beating like a champ while "metal" phones end up shattering, getting sharp edges, etc upon impact. Yet "metal" is "better" and plastic is "cheap". It makes no sense.
"Oh, the phone feels more solid with metal so it must be"
"Have you seen what happens when you drop a metal phone and what happens when you drop a plastic one? The plastic holds up better."
"Yeah, but metal feels more solid."
I've run out of hands to facepalm with.
Also, if I remember correctly, my GNex weighs over 6oz's with the extended battery. That's HEAVY. It's "solid" so again I don't get it. I also see people complain about "feel" and how their metal phone is clearly more solid just on "feel" alone and it's wrapped in a gel skin. Super Fail
That said, that "review" is merely his opinions, and he's entitled to them. I think the device is perfect for me, and if it's perfect for you then that's all that matters.

[email protected] said:
Sound is fine. You can install an eq app and it sounds great. Also, the earpiece for phone calls are crystal clear...
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I figured that guy's opinion piece was full of ****. I appreciate the feedback and am pumped to try this phone out!

How dare he talk down on the best Android phone ever!

When I first got my Gnex the sound wasn't very loud. That was when it was stock, which lasted about 15 min. Now I'm unlocked, rooted, rommed, themed, the works, I think the volume issue went away with a custom rom, I'm using gummy which you can get here in the development threads. If you like to customize your phones it shouldn't be an issue at all, I use speakerphone daily. If you like stock just get volume+ from the market which works really well. The thing about the nexus is if theres a problem xda will solve it, check out the hook while the dj revolves it. (cheesy i know, couldn't help myself lol)

Eh. Build quality wasn't magically mind blowing but he said felt good in the hand.
He comments on sound being low (?) but then says he tested in a quiet room and couldn't comment on it. To me the GNex is loud. It's not Galaxy Tab loud, but pretty loud. I keep volume about 50% and it's too loud in some cases. I'm sure you won't hear it if your at a rock concert but thats any phone.
He *****es about the Zero Shutter lag and says he'd rather have [email protected] Having a child, the Zero Shutter lag is awesome. Picture taking is awesome. The only downfall is that I pound the button and take a ton of pics, then pick the best one... BUT if I get lazy I'll find a ton of duplicates saved.
I guess when you have Zero shutter lag it's about just getting the picture fast, where when you have shutter lag, you actually take time to make sure its a good shot the first time... since you don't want to sit there and wait 5 minutes.
Other then that he seems to be having a fun time... except he concludes with underwhelming and unimpressive?! Just kinda jumps to it and doesn't explain why. Out of all the Android Phones out there... I can't see how he came to this conclusion. He obviously loves ICS and "can't wait to get it on a future device" and the screen "which delivers incredibly sharp images and text"....
Obviously he's never owned a Nexus (he compares to a Nexus S but doesn't say he owned one). G1>Incredible>Xoom>Galaxy Nexus
I'm not saying the Gnex is super amazing and blows your mind, but it is a top performing device that works wonderfully and literally has no hardware flaws outside of opinions.
The only thing that I think could make the Galaxy Nexus better would be a Quad-Core and a super beefy GPU just for bragging rights, but the Nexus doesn't need all that to still work flawlessly through anything you throw at it. I do hope that one day we can return to the "Nexus One" days where the Nexus introduced the next wave of smartphones. The Nexus S should have been Dual-Core and the Galaxy Nexus should have been quad. Google needs to sync up with their manufactures and try to align their dates to get back in the groove with the latest tech trend.
Since Samsung took over, it feels like the Nexus is being released on hardware that is at the end of its life and outdated within months. This shouldn't be. The Nexus should be the benchmark that all other phones have to rise against.

Another negative I just discovered, the vibrate on the phone is extremely weak. You can barely feel it if you have it on your belt...
Anyone know if this can be fixed with software?

I think the guy's complaints boil down to 3 points.
1. The speaker sound is too low.
2. The camera is sub-par.
3. The build quality is cheap.
I think the first 2 points are fair enough. The speaker sound is a bit low but the problem is easily remedied by installing Volume +. The camera is not great compared to other current gen phones but it is still pretty decent, and like others have said a photographer worth his salt wouldn't be using a phone to take picture seriously anyway.
The last point is completely ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with plastic body phones if they are built properly, which the Nexus definitely is. I guess some people just like carrying around dead weight...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Lumia 900 Review and Discussion

Got the phone two days ago, have been using it a bit since then, here are some general pros/cons, with a more detailed write up following some more use. Hopefully this can help some people make a decision on whether to purchase or keep the phone themselves. I will not comment on the software (most newer WP7 phones work just about the same here), aside from the Nokia specific apps/stuff.
Anyway, I have read probably two dozen Lumia 900 reviews, and everyone seems to have their own opinion (with some general themes shared amongst them), so here is mine:
Pros
Build quality is fantastic, best phone I have ever held. Feels amazing and snug in your hand. I am a fan of the square look, as opposed to the rounded edges of most devices. I actually prefer the Flash to the Focus S in that respect.
Built in speaker is loud, much louder than my Focus S, which is nice, but maybe a little "tin-ey"
Call quality is amazing, and signal strength is better than my Focus S (plus the 4G in MD really flys)
Screen looks fantastic (indoors). Blacks are inky black, colors pop, whites are less blue than the Focus S, and it seems to be brighter too. I don't understand how someone could choose an SLCD over this display. Sit them side by side (the Titan II in my case), and the colors just look pathetic.
With that said, looking at text is fine. Don't let PPI pundits fool you, you cannot tell a difference between say the Nexus and the 900 (partially because the Nexus uses the dreadful pentile). You really do not need HD resolutions on a 4" display, unless you plan on holding it inches from your face, which is just silly (@ a distance of ~10in, your eye can no longer tell the difference between HD and non-HD on a 4.3in screen, and its only about 7in on an iPhone sized screen). And don't even mention the iPhone, comparatively its like looking at a postage stamp, no thanks!
Auto adjust screen intensity actually works well
Nokia apps are great, especially Drive and ESPN
Color is sexy. An identical theme choice would have been sweet.
Chrome finish on the surrounding lens area is nice
Battery life, holy cow, is great. I am on day two of mild use and am still at 50% battery.
Capacitive buttons have a slightly different feedback to them than I am used to, I like it. They are also slightly more difficult to trigger, which is actually a good thing.
Slightly newer OS version
Nokia specific theme is much better than the default blue
Some Nokia specific sounds, which are generally improvements to the default ones
VVM! The phone has you set it up on first boot, so I assume(hope) it works!
Price, hell yea, I made $80 on this phone!!!
Cons
Bevel around the screen (I hate it, hurts my ear, my biggest gripe)
Speaker can be too loud at low volume settings
Can't seem to get my gmail to sync (very weird, I will need to get this fixed ASAP). All other syncing has worked just fine.
Location and size of lens and chrome is odd, your fingers are always on them when holding the device. Could gunk up that area quickly.
Weird sim card slot (its not terrible, its just strange, not in a good way). Silly Sim card remover (basically a souped up paper clip)
Non-removable battery, though I would gladly give this up for the build quality and design
Its a bit heavy and large. Not extremely so, just more so than expected. I think the device footprint could have been smaller, and I am not sure why it weighs what it does to be honest.
Screen scrolling does not feel quite as responsive as some other models. What I mean by this is scrolling seems to be slower, and you can't really throw it in one direction and have it scroll rapidly through a list quite as fast as I was used to.
Off white capacitive buttons, that do not brighten up like some other models
Pre-installed Tango needs to be replaced do allow for non-WiFi calling
Outdoor screen performance not as awesome as I expected. Don't get me wrong, its better than the Focus S, its just not all I thought it would be. I expected near indifferent performance indoors vs. out, with the hype the display received, but that is not the case.
I am not a fan of the button placement. It will take some getting used to. I have large hands, so the power button where it is is really a strain on my thumb to reach.
I can't really comment on the camera, because I have not used it much. Though what I have heard is the screen itself does not do the images justice. So do not judge their quality until you get them off the device, onto a computer or printed out. Hopefully a software update can address any deficiencies here.
Even though the specs are similar, I consider this a significant upgrade from my Focus S, both in quality, design, and features.
Hopefully this is useful information. And hopefully some more details should be incoming. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Good post emjlr3.
Since we're being honest here, I'll add a couple of gripes to the thread.
Apparant lack of Visual Voicemail. (since found out it is wrongly provisioned account and a call to the ATT rep or online chat will resolve it)
Sim card slot does not sit perfectly frush after inserting sim.
Was surprised at the lack of things in the box. (earphones, instruction manual)
The placement of the mini usb. (I prefer bottom mounted. I suppose we'll never be able to use any music dock easily, etc?)
This is also just my personal opinion. I think it's a great phone. Beautiful and slick. Hope it holds up as well as my HD7 did.

has anyone noticed the purplish reflectance when in direct sunlight?
seems to only happen when I can actually see the suns reflection on the phone screen, and I see what look to be purple sun rays off a few random directions - I guess it must have something to do with the special coating.

HTC 10 Build quality. First Impressions. Over all love!!

HTC 10 owners speak up! How great is your 10 let everyone know how well yours is built and holding up. Also your first impressions, the knock your socks off experience unfortunately mine shipped while I was on vacation and is sitting at home waiting on me. Will report on Monday when I get home! Can't wait!

From the 7-ish hours I've had mine, it has 100% completely lived up to the hype and has been an enormous upgrade from my One m9. I have absolutely zero build quality, screen, or performance issues. The camera is miles ahead of the m9's and I can't wait for the 1.30 software update to hit my phone which will make it even better. Also, one thing that really stood out is just how fast and accurate the fingerprint scanner is. The capacitive button idea is simply perfect for a fingerprint scanner. There's no way I can go back to a phone without a fingerprint scanner now.
My absolute biggest complaint (if you can call it that) is the position of the headphone jack. I've gotten used to having it on the bottom of the phone which fits best with my personal usage since I place a phone top-down in my pocket. I'm not sure this even qualifies as a problem and I know I'll get used to it quickly.

jaredkzr said:
From the 7-ish hours I've had mine, it has 100% completely lived up to the hype and has been an enormous upgrade from my One m9. I have absolutely zero build quality, screen, or performance issues. The camera is miles ahead of the m9's and I can't wait for the 1.30 software update to hit my phone which will make it even better. Also, one thing that really stood out is just how fast and accurate the fingerprint scanner is. The capacitive button idea is simply perfect for a fingerprint scanner. There's no way I can go back to a phone without a fingerprint scanner now.
My absolute biggest complaint (if you can call it that) is the position of the headphone jack. I've gotten used to having it on the bottom of the phone which fits best with my personal usage since I place a phone top-down in my pocket. I'm not sure this even qualifies as a problem and I know I'll get used to it quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are really making me anxious to get my hands on mine!!!

crowsnestitsupport said:
You are really making me anxious to get my hands on mine!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me tell you, you will not be disappointed! The 10 is, without a doubt, the best android experience currently available.

Stephen said:
Moderator Information,
Thread has been closed. Please use existing threads before creating new ones. EG: [Discussion] HTC 10 User Opinions and Reviews
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guessing this one's still open then? Lol
Did u get any delivery news mate?
U guys won't be disappointed. Mines coming next week and I'm convinced still despite the launch BS That it's gonna be a cracker.
Carbon grey ten for me, looking forward to that sexy 2.5d glass on a black front and grey device.
Drooling over next week!

I was working on the wrong thread! LOL

Coming from a Nexus 6p, the phone is just nicer in every way.

@Stephen hahaha
I'm coming from the m9 so the ten will be like well u all Know of course

eneka said:
Coming from a Nexus 6p, the phone is just nicer in every way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How you finding size difference, I'm in a 6P and bothered about smaller screen
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app

eneka said:
Coming from a Nexus 6p, the phone is just nicer in every way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. I also using the 6p. Please explain how and why

eneka said:
Coming from a Nexus 6p, the phone is just nicer in every way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes also I had the 6p, I found it too big and clunky. I currently have the Lumia 950xl. While it is also a 5.7" screen, it is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the 6p. I also really did not like the camera strip at the back. Just could not get used to that at all.

I came from the shamu to the 6p so the screen size didn't bother me, and the phenomenal camera on the 6p made up for the ugly glass strip. Overall I'm extremely happy with the 6p but I have always been an HTC fan,(I of course had the M9 and A9 both in between, but both had their limitations) so I'm really really anxious to try a more pure stock sense experience coupled with very promising hardware!!

How is the notification sound for you guys? Idk if it is my unit, or its me, or they are all in general like that but the notification sound is kinda muffled
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers mobile app

combat goofwing said:
How you finding size difference, I'm in a 6P and bothered about smaller screen
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one of the main reasons I switched, the 6p was just was just to big for me. Loving the smaller screen size.
crowsnestitsupport said:
Hmm. I also using the 6p. Please explain how and why
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HTC 10 feel a whole lot more solid and heftier. The fit and finish just feels nicer, no mismatching plastics or pieces that aren't flush, there is no black plastic "ring" around the screen that dents and comes off easily, button feel more solid
I used to be diehard pure Android only and have tried different skins over the years, even stuff like PA or some other custom wrong. But I'm finding myself liking sense a lot. Hated the previous version on my One S. I am itching to root just so I can block ads...

the way i would describe it is real metal especially compared to the A9 and X9 (which has thin metal like the iPhone)
the 10 is simply steel and glass, with no plastics in your sight (except the hidden strips)
overall a screaming premium feel, my TPU case is killing the whole aura so i am really anxious for my Spigen ExactFit to arrive, also the Fitbag black rave pouch looks amazingly classy with it

My eyesight isn't what it used to be so I've been using phablets - Note 2, Note 4, Moto X Pure Edition - and I was a little worried about the smaller screen size on the HTC 10. I've discovered, however, that it's very easy for me to read the HTC 10 screen. I prefer Sense over TouchWiz, but I've been spoiled by the flexibility of Nova Prime and I installed it on my HTC 10 after about an hour. So far, I'm very pleased with the HTC 10. I'll know more after I've used it for a week or two.
---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------
Perry977 said:
How is the notification sound for you guys? Idk if it is my unit, or its me, or they are all in general like that but the notification sound is kinda muffled
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm hard of hearing but I can easily hear the notification sound on my HTC 10, even without my hearing aids.

I got mine yesterday (so far I love it) and I just now noticed there is a slight gap between the top of the screen and the frame. Has anyone else noticed this?

OK after having phone a solid 8 hours with 80% of my apps installed compared to Samsung S7 Edge is a mini review:
Nice build quality, slightly smaller screen, cleaner UI but with some idiosyncrasies, very good sound, type-C connector.
I am finding the more apps I install the slower the phone is becoming with some lag and stutter, the camera is quite good but Edge is better overall especially in low light, Edge is blazing fast despite touch wiz, Edge screen is gorgeous and battery life is probably better but will withhold judgement on HTC 10 for a day or two.
Overall a very good phone but not enough to best the Edge. Marketing will be an issue for this phone and may be difficult for buyers to justify at same price point if the preorder $100 discount is not available.
The wow factor is almost there IMHO.
Will keep testing with an open mind.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

take a look at this durability video
pretty solid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ62ixgzhrI

I'm digging' the heck out of it! What a fantastic device!
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk