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

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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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?

[Sprint] - Time for upgrade. GSIII a worthy upgrade? Or hold off...

I am due for an upgrade, now. I am coming from an OG EVO. I have not been keeping up with phones lately. Obviously this is a GSIII sub forum, so I am expecting biased answers. I asked a few other places as well.

Check out a couple of in depth reviews.
If your going Android. (which i presume is why you asked) you will not find a better device. The only one that comes close would be the HTC ONE X, But no expandable memory, removeable battery, etc.
http://reviews.cnet.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-review/

jhoffy22 said:
I am due for an upgrade, now. I am coming from an OG EVO. I have not been keeping up with phones lately. Obviously this is a GSIII sub forum, so I am expecting biased answers. I asked a few other places as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on your preferences... the two obvious choices would be the GSIII or Evo 4g Lte...
I used the Evo for a few days before getting the GSIII and the deciding factor was pretty much the poor multi tasking and the lack of a removable battery on the Evo. It does boast a superior display imo and a slightly better camera. I find I'm getting the same battery life on my GSIII probably a little more. I would suggest going to a store and use both for a few minutes, you should be somewhat familiar with HTC sense but Touchwiz isn't that horrible.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Iphony89 said:
Depends on your preferences... the two obvious choices would be the GSIII or Evo 4g Lte...
I used the Evo for a few days before getting the GSIII and the deciding factor was pretty much the poor multi tasking and the lack of a removable battery on the Evo. It does boast a superior display imo and a slightly better camera. I find I'm getting the same battery life on my GSIII probably a little more. I would suggest going to a store and use both for a few minutes, you should be somewhat familiar with HTC sense but Touchwiz isn't that horrible.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the Galaxy line was notorious for having AWESOME screens. You're telling me that the EVO LTE's LCD2 is actually slightly better?
How do these screens compare to the Iphone 4s?

I don't own a GSIII..I'm really just here to see how LTE is looking for GSIII users in Dallas. I own a EVO LTE and here's what I got for ya
iphony is right . Multitasking is a little off...meaning, you go from the browser to the music app and the music app reloads. Go back to the browser and the browser reloads. Kinda annoying. The update for the phone kinda fixed it but not really.
Dev scene isn't as great so you're really gonna have to be satisfied for how the phone is right off the ****. The devs have managed to fix the multitasking issue but I don't know to what extent. I'm still on stock and I'm happy with it.
The screen is pretty damn sweet. I came from an iPhone 4S and I haven't really noticed a difference. Still seems like a retina display to me, just a bigger screen.
The big plus for me is the beats audio EQ...because that EQ plus switching the beats audio mode to urBeats puts the audio quality on par with the iPhone. Audio sounds real good.
Other than those things...you'll probably get the same experience. It all comes down to the little things the phones do that you like- so you're really just gonna have to play with both them.
---------- Post added at 01:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 PM ----------
jhoffy22 said:
I thought the Galaxy line was notorious for having AWESOME screens. You're telling me that the EVO LTE's LCD2 is actually slightly better?
How do these screens compare to the Iphone 4s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw you posted this a minute or so before mine so I'll just repeat what I wrote..
going from the 4s to the EVO...it felt exactly the same. It seems just like the retina display..the only difference I can see with my eye is screen size. So it's pretty much a bigger iPhone 4s screen. It's gorgeous. Unfortunately I have my phone in an otterbox so the quality is degraded
And another thing about the screens...
The 4s, idk what it uses for its screen, but you don't need a screen protector. There is 0 smudging...it's like it cleans itself or something. The EVO 4G LTE is not like that. idk about the GSIII...I've yet to get my hands on one.

jhoffy22 said:
I thought the Galaxy line was notorious for having AWESOME screens. You're telling me that the EVO LTE's LCD2 is actually slightly better?
How do these screens compare to the Iphone 4s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screens are both great, the screen on the evo just stands out more to me, while the GSIII has a more natural looking colors. That being said I went with the GSIII because it's a better overall phone and I tend to prefer Samsung phones, but a few things on the Evo did make it a hard decision.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

jhoffy22 said:
I thought the Galaxy line was notorious for having AWESOME screens. You're telling me that the EVO LTE's LCD2 is actually slightly better?
How do these screens compare to the Iphone 4s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S III uses a pentile display, meaning images aren't as sharp as the Evo's and you'll see some pixelation or the "pentile effect" if you have good eyes. The E4GLE's display has warmer and more "realistic" colors than the S III's "saturated" and cooler colors. It's also a little sharper and you can't see the pixels, or at least I couldn't. I also found that the S III's screen was a lot dimmer in sunlight than the Evo's.
That said, I still stuck with my S III because of the massive development that will happen in the coming months.

As for the iPhone comparison you would have to get that from someone else, not my cup of tea.:beer:
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

The EVO LTE screen is sharper but the GS3 has all the benefits of amoled displays (darker blacks, beautiful colors). The EVO LTE is also going to be hard to put custom software (roms) on because it's bootloader is locked and any exploits are patched.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

jhoffy22 said:
I thought the Galaxy line was notorious for having AWESOME screens. You're telling me that the EVO LTE's LCD2 is actually slightly better?
How do these screens compare to the Iphone 4s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love my gs3...but screens...lmao...
LCD kicks any version of amoleds ass all day long.
You can make the "oooh but the blacks are so much better ...." well that's great but everything else is garbage.
Don't get me wrong performance wise the gs3 is full of win, and fanboys will start whining how they like the galaxy screens, but there's not even a fair comparison as the lcd2 is far superior to any Samsung screen.
The fact of the matter is the htc rezound STILL has the best screen of any of any phone on the market. Slcd2 screen of the 1x comes close.
Sammy is so far behind in screen technology its ... strange.
BUT I will say the gs3 is a different and refined version of the samoled screens and its tolerable.
People who say the gs3 screen is better don't have a clue, and obviously its merely a personal preference, and not based on facts.
S-amoled(yes even pluss) is VERY saturated, whites are just omg horrible.
Also this gives the false pretense of how your images are from the camera.( which btw is neck and neck with one x)
BUT the pros out weigh the cons and the gs3 IMO is the best phone on the market.
If htc ups the aentie , which it appears they might I will probably go back.
But .... its iffy.
No removable battery
No removable storage...
Deal breaker for me
I really like having tons of development, and everyone here is pretty cool. Although I'm sure ill be called a troll for my truth about the screen FACTS. RRAAWWWRRRR!!!!
:cyclops:
Get the gs3!
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

Much to the dismay of the salesperson I spent literally two hours playing with the Evo 4G and the SGS3 side-by-side at the local Sprint store a week or so ago, and this after reading every review and comparison I could find. Choosing between the two was VERY tough IMO. I ultimately went with the SGS3 and couldn't be happier.
Re; the screen being better on one versus the other... I think it largely comes down to your eyes. I've personally always loved the AMOLED screens, exaggerated colors and all, but my eyes aren't what they used to be so for me that brightness and saturation is actually a big plus. When I compared the two phones side-by-side I frankly couldn't tell the difference for the most part. It seemed like in some apps one would be a little better, and in some it was the other way around. Also, the whole pentile thing with the SGS3- again, my eyes being what they are, I can't resolve the pixels at all anymore no matter how much I squint, so for me that's a complete non-factor.
In terms of performance, all I know for sure is that the SGS3 is without question the smoothest experience I've ever had on any Android phone. The HTC seemed perfectly comparable though. I've seen various benchmarks that put one on top of the other (and then other benchmarks that reverse things) so, to me, you're probably talking about a relative wash here.
Build quality and feel.. .this one is weird because I've seen a few people saying the SGS3 feels cheap and not made well and that doesn't match my opinion at all. Yes, the chassis is plastic, but it feels like quality to me. There's definitely no bowing or creaking or any of that stuff. It feels solid and well-made to me for sure. Oh, and FYI, mine has been dropped from roughly 4 feet on a kitchen floor already with no ill effect, and no case or anything, so at least to a fist approximation it's sturdy (hopefully I don't test it any more than that! LOL) The HTC also feels like a quality device. Again, to my sense I'd call it a wash. The SGS3 I believe is a little thinner and lighter, which I sometimes find myself wishing it weren't, but most of the time not. The HTC does have that little kickstand, which is a nice plus, but come on, I don't know too many people that would consider that a deciding factor either way.
I like having the replaceable batter for sure, that's always a nice thing. Historically I've used extended batteries in my phone so a replaceable battery is required, but I'll tell you, my SGS3 has so far given me stellar battery life and it doesn't seem necessary. Still, nice to have the option. Similarly, being able to swap in a bigger SD card is nice too (although I have everything I can imagine ever wanting on my phone and it's only half-filling my 32Gb card so I'm probably done there... if the 32Gb model had been available at the time I would have gotten that and just not used a card frankly).
Samsung has also, in my opinion, done a good job augmenting Android without wrecking it. TouchWiz isn't terrible, but I don't run it myself... but aside from the launcher, some of the added features they've given us are nice. Sure, some are a bit gimmicky, and some aren't winners, but there's more good than bad, and they've done it without diverging immensely from stock Android. I say kudos for Samsung this time around, I think they nailed it and haven't gone too far either way. Some will still prefer a stock ICS experience of course, and I hear ya on that, I was running Cyanogen on my Epic before I got my SGS3, but in this case I don't at all mind and in fact LIKE the changes.
One other consideration is that historically Samsung has been pretty slow getting Android updates out to us (partly them, partly carriers fault). We don't know if that will be the case this time around, although I think it's worth noting that we've had already two OTA updates on Sprint so far I believe. Yes, minor updates, but still, that's in only a few weeks' time. I think this bodes well that Samsung may be set to do a much better job getting us our updates faster than in the past. Remember, they managed a nearly simultaneous multi-carrier release for the first time and have a top seller on their hands, I suspect they may not want to ruin that momentum getting us Jelly Bean at a minimum sooner than later. HTC, on the other hand, has historically been good with updates, better than Samsung certainly, so that's something to consider.
I think the bottom line, what I concluded in the store that day anyway, was that I was probably going to be very happy no matter which I chose. They're both great devices. Is the SGS3 worthy? Abso-fraggin'-lutely! Is there a better choice? Possibly, but it's a tough, tough call IMO.

fzammetti said:
Much to the dismay of the salesperson I spent literally two hours playing with the Evo 4G and the SGS3 side-by-side at the local Sprint store a week or so ago, and this after reading every review and comparison I could find. Choosing between the two was VERY tough IMO. I ultimately went with the SGS3 and couldn't be happier.
Re; the screen being better on one versus the other... I think it largely comes down to your eyes. I've personally always loved the AMOLED screens, exaggerated colors and all, but my eyes aren't what they used to be so for me that brightness and saturation is actually a big plus. When I compared the two phones side-by-side I frankly couldn't tell the difference for the most part. It seemed like in some apps one would be a little better, and in some it was the other way around. Also, the whole pentile thing with the SGS3- again, my eyes being what they are, I can't resolve the pixels at all anymore no matter how much I squint, so for me that's a complete non-factor.
In terms of performance, all I know for sure is that the SGS3 is without question the smoothest experience I've ever had on any Android phone. The HTC seemed perfectly comparable though. I've seen various benchmarks that put one on top of the other (and then other benchmarks that reverse things) so, to me, you're probably talking about a relative wash here.
Build quality and feel.. .this one is weird because I've seen a few people saying the SGS3 feels cheap and not made well and that doesn't match my opinion at all. Yes, the chassis is plastic, but it feels like quality to me. There's definitely no bowing or creaking or any of that stuff. It feels solid and well-made to me for sure. Oh, and FYI, mine has been dropped from roughly 4 feet on a kitchen floor already with no ill effect, and no case or anything, so at least to a fist approximation it's sturdy (hopefully I don't test it any more than that! LOL) The HTC also feels like a quality device. Again, to my sense I'd call it a wash. The SGS3 I believe is a little thinner and lighter, which I sometimes find myself wishing it weren't, but most of the time not. The HTC does have that little kickstand, which is a nice plus, but come on, I don't know too many people that would consider that a deciding factor either way.
I like having the replaceable batter for sure, that's always a nice thing. Historically I've used extended batteries in my phone so a replaceable battery is required, but I'll tell you, my SGS3 has so far given me stellar battery life and it doesn't seem necessary. Still, nice to have the option. Similarly, being able to swap in a bigger SD card is nice too (although I have everything I can imagine ever wanting on my phone and it's only half-filling my 32Gb card so I'm probably done there... if the 32Gb model had been available at the time I would have gotten that and just not used a card frankly).
Samsung has also, in my opinion, done a good job augmenting Android without wrecking it. TouchWiz isn't terrible, but I don't run it myself... but aside from the launcher, some of the added features they've given us are nice. Sure, some are a bit gimmicky, and some aren't winners, but there's more good than bad, and they've done it without diverging immensely from stock Android. I say kudos for Samsung this time around, I think they nailed it and haven't gone too far either way. Some will still prefer a stock ICS experience of course, and I hear ya on that, I was running Cyanogen on my Epic before I got my SGS3, but in this case I don't at all mind and in fact LIKE the changes.
One other consideration is that historically Samsung has been pretty slow getting Android updates out to us (partly them, partly carriers fault). We don't know if that will be the case this time around, although I think it's worth noting that we've had already two OTA updates on Sprint so far I believe. Yes, minor updates, but still, that's in only a few weeks' time. I think this bodes well that Samsung may be set to do a much better job getting us our updates faster than in the past. Remember, they managed a nearly simultaneous multi-carrier release for the first time and have a top seller on their hands, I suspect they may not want to ruin that momentum getting us Jelly Bean at a minimum sooner than later. HTC, on the other hand, has historically been good with updates, better than Samsung certainly, so that's something to consider.
I think the bottom line, what I concluded in the store that day anyway, was that I was probably going to be very happy no matter which I chose. They're both great devices. Is the SGS3 worthy? Abso-fraggin'-lutely! Is there a better choice? Possibly, but it's a tough, tough call IMO.
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Samsung will still be slow with updates. They always be. This isn't their first flagship. There is a pattern. Their is history.
Sent from my SGS3!

I've had this phone for about a week now and I absolutely LOVE it. It's been an awesome device so far.

ubigred said:
Samsung will still be slow with updates. They always be. This isn't their first flagship. There is a pattern. Their is history.
Sent from my SGS3!
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But this is their first flagship that has the same hardware and build across all US carriers. And they also threw in 2GB to "future proof" it for Jelly Bean, so Samsung is definitely getting serious.

El Nivek said:
But this is their first flagship that has the same hardware and build across all US carriers. And they also threw in 2GB to "future proof" it for Jelly Bean, so Samsung is definitely getting serious.
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Well said.
This is the best android device available currently. No question.

jhoffy22 said:
I thought the Galaxy line was notorious for having AWESOME screens. You're telling me that the EVO LTE's LCD2 is actually slightly better?
How do these screens compare to the Iphone 4s?
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The Amoled of this phone is a step back from the Super Amoled Plus which I believe was a choice by Samsung made for ease of manufacture. I read something along those lines. Plus, on the home screen espescially, the screen if dimmer than what Galaxy line users are used to. The European version already got an update to address this issue, who knows when it will arrive over here. The dimness issue is fine for browsers and other applications that you are able to set individually. Of course I can't find it now, but there is a tips and tricks thread that lists it. I love this phone but I won't lie, it is fragile. Already dropped mine just 2 1/2 feet and the screen shattered to hell. I was on my way to buy a cover when it happened. Plastic bezel recessed below screen level offering no protection at all unlike my old Vibrant. That phone could take a tumble. Definitely worth to buy, but select you cover in advance!!!

I like my GS3 so far its a smooth phone! But My reception just flat out sux and I live right in the middle of dallas! There is a few bugs like the brightness sliding thing with the pull down and worst of all when im on google and I go to type in a search and the predictive searches show up below, it will let me touch it but it wont load! I HATE THAT!!! It was either this phone now or wait another 6 months! Soooo...
I just wanna know when we step into the present and recieve LTE like we are paying for!

freakboy13 said:
LCD kicks any version of amoleds ass all day long.
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You know what they say about opinions....

ydoucare said:
You know what they say about opinions....
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I shall attempt to be polite.. but it's not an opinion, regarding brightness. It is objective. Yes you may prefer an AMOLED Screen. But the fact is, it's much, much dimmer. Compare EVO or HOX by S III Screen. S III is half as bright. Then of course PenTile on S III is blurry. And Black crush was visible to me in 5 seconds...all details of gray are lost. THen there are the tints, ink marks, etc. But again the worst thing is how DIM it is. S III is half as bright as a droid. Pathetic!
I am going to use my S III for 14 days. I don't think I will be keeping it though. For me anyway, AMOLED is just crap. And the bright colors? I'm sure they could do that with a filter on LCD too. It's a gimmick. Oh gee, Sammy cranked saturation. They mucked with the color table. Gee how clever Samsung. Anyone could do that. It causes Black Crush and colors are simply not accurate.
Not impressed. At all. S III Screen:: SUCKS.

So return it then, nobody is gonna line up behind you and do the same.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

If you are not a developer, this phone is quite bad

I know I'm not the only one thinking this, but looks like I'm the only one who has the courage to admit this:
I thought that people who were calling this device a developer phone were exagerating.... Before buying it I was thinking: "Come on, those adds google put on youtube about the gnex are definitely not targeted towards developers"
I thought: "Wow a phone with stock android, future updates ensured, and those high end specs!..... Bought"
The thing is that hardware wise this device sucks.
And I'm not talking about the CPU and the ram (that's the hardware that matters for the developers, and the nexus is fast, we know it).
But i'm talking about the important hardware! The one that matters on a smartphone for normal people like me.
..as I said: I'm not trying to troll. I just want to talk with people who have my same thoughts
BUILD QUALITY: feels too cheap and it definitely doesn't give you that "built to last" feeling in your hand that Nokia or Motorola phones give you. But hey: you get a curved glass and super thin body...
ANTENNAS (GPS, WIFI, CELLULAR): while on my gsm galaxy nexus the 2g and 3g antennas are quite decent ( still not comparable to Motorolas or Nokia though) The Wi-Fi and the GPS are super weak in comparison to even low end smartphones made by Nokia Moto or Htc.
DISPLAY: worst 720p screen on a smartphone ever. First being a pentile display, ON YOUR EYES it's not a true 720p. Take a look to an IPS 720p display, THAT is sharpness. Though on paper it is 720p, so its perfect for developers who need to test apps on 720p screen. White color tone usually looks perfectly white on every phone, until you compare it to another phone side by side that has better whites. On the galaxy nexus you find yourself constantly thinking that what you are looking at, is not pure while.
SPEAKER: probably a very cheap speaker, just like all the "hidden parts" on this phone and all the hidden parts on Samsung phones in general. Don't ever compare it to a Nokia side by side or you'll cry.
(Why is the volume so lower on notifications and on YouTube? LOL Google)
VIBRATION: if you are used to the amazing vibration feedback that Nokia and HTC devices give you, hearing and feeling the galaxy nexus vibrate will be a pain. It just looks like Samsung didn't spend a penny on the vibration system on this device.
[Small story: I had a GS2 some months ago, one day I came back home and threw it on the bed, it did even had a case on... From that day the vibration became much weaker, almost nonexisting]... just for the lols
That said let's come to the part where we all agree:
Stock android is awesome and developers are probably having a much easier time working with this device
Its also really cheap now. Let's not forget that.

my quick thoughts:
BUILD QUALITY: this category will always be subject to personal preference
ANTENNAS (GPS, WIFI, CELLULAR): I don't get the same strength as with the Razr HD on Verizon, but no drops and data is still more than plentiful in speed
DISPLAY: I find it pretty sharp vs the S3 and some others, the whites are a little yellowy vs others but the blacks are way darker. So you have to pick do you want whites or blacks
SPEAKER: who uses the external speaker with all the bluetooth speakers/docks out there now?
VIBRATION: I like the vibration cuz this way when ur in class/work you feel it but can't hear it, hearing a phone vibrate defeats the purpose of having it on vibrate

I strongly disagree that HTC outperforms Samsung in terms of connectivity / signal strength. According to my (and many other users' ) experiences HTC devices used to have constant issues with WiFi, data signal drops etc something I've never experienced on my samsung devices. I find WiFi signal slightly weaker on Gnex than on my previous S2 or my brother's Droid RAZR but it's not a big deal since I've never experienced random connectivity drops. I do find lack of gorilla glass more irritating.
Comparing "new" IPS displays to our "old" SAMOLED it's little like comparing exynos 5 to our tiomap in terms of speed. (Anyway white will always look better on LCD screens while black on AMOLEDs.)
Before I bought Gnex I read a lot about very low max volume level, but to be honest I've never found it so low that I couldn't hear incoming notification or a phone cal.

this screen is awesome if you tweak it a little.... Reviews still praise the display to this day.
I personally love this phone, Go watch drop tests of the nexus vs. other phones and then come back and talk about build quality.
This is easily the best phone Ive ever owned, bar none. (and I am in no way a dev)

Phone is over a year old. What did you expect compared to newer models? It still holds fine. The build quality is a Sammy trademark.
Sent from my A100 using xda app-developers app

OP, though I see where you're coming from. I personally wanted a Nexus solely for the massive dev community (and just to clarify, I'm not a dev, just a ROM flashing addict). Personally, I feel that getting a Nexus for other reasons (like hardware) is kind of missing the point...

Let's not forget the Gnex cost $350, and it's over a year old, and it's now out of production. Is a Porsche 911 comparable too and in the same class as a VW GTI? The Gnex at that price point was absolutely the best bang for your buck...shortcomings and all. What more could you ask for in a $350 phone? Well, time passes and the Nexus 4 arrived at the same price, so now we can come to expect more features and better hardware for the same price :victory:

Funny though your comparing to a company who are now struggling to be afloat , even going so much so as sleeping with there's once enemy Nokia's!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

wannagofast said:
Let's not forget the Gnex cost $350, and it's over a year old, and it's now out of production. Is a Porsche 911 comparable too and in the same class as a VW GTI? The Gnex at that price point was absolutely the best bang for your buck...shortcomings and all. What more could you ask for in a $350 phone? Well, time passes and the Nexus 4 arrived at the same price, so now we can come to expect more features and better hardware for the same price :victory:
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It cost $350 for the late adopters. I paid $560 and others paid even more.

I wouldn't recommend nexus for an average smartphone user. OEM flagships are imo definitely more suitable here, they offer more eye candy ui, and usually more customization and user friendly options (t9 dialer, regular toggles, more camera options etc). Nexus line with the most lightweight firmware is for those who know why they want it.

polonordo said:
I know I'm not the only one thinking this, but looks like I'm the only one who has the courage to admit this:
I thought that people who were calling this device a developer phone were exagerating.... Before buying it I was thinking: "Come on, those adds google put on youtube about the gnex are definitely not targeted towards developers"
I thought: "Wow a phone with stock android, future updates ensured, and those high end specs!..... Bought"
The thing is that hardware wise this device sucks.
And I'm not talking about the CPU and the ram (that's the hardware that matters for the developers, and the nexus is fast, we know it).
But i'm talking about the important hardware! The one that matters on a smartphone for normal people like me.
..as I said: I'm not trying to troll. I just want to talk with people who have my same thoughts
BUILD QUALITY: feels too cheap and it definitely doesn't give you that "built to last" feeling in your hand that Nokia or Motorola phones give you. But hey: you get a curved glass and super thin body...
ANTENNAS (GPS, WIFI, CELLULAR): while on my gsm galaxy nexus the 2g and 3g antennas are quite decent ( still not comparable to Motorolas or Nokia though) The Wi-Fi and the GPS are super weak in comparison to even low end smartphones made by Nokia Moto or Htc.
DISPLAY: worst 720p screen on a smartphone ever. First being a pentile display, ON YOUR EYES it's not a true 720p. Take a look to an IPS 720p display, THAT is sharpness. Though on paper it is 720p, so its perfect for developers who need to test apps on 720p screen. White color tone usually looks perfectly white on every phone, until you compare it to another phone side by side that has better whites. On the galaxy nexus you find yourself constantly thinking that what you are looking at, is not pure while.
SPEAKER: probably a very cheap speaker, just like all the "hidden parts" on this phone and all the hidden parts on Samsung phones in general. Don't ever compare it to a Nokia side by side or you'll cry.
(Why is the volume so lower on notifications and on YouTube? LOL Google)
VIBRATION: if you are used to the amazing vibration feedback that Nokia and HTC devices give you, hearing and feeling the galaxy nexus vibrate will be a pain. It just looks like Samsung didn't spend a penny on the vibration system on this device.
[Small story: I had a GS2 some months ago, one day I came back home and threw it on the bed, it did even had a case on... From that day the vibration became much weaker, almost nonexisting]... just for the lols
That said let's come to the part where we all agree:
Stock android is awesome and developers are probably having a much easier time working with this device
Its also really cheap now. Let's not forget that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you do not like the Gnex then go buy what is evident you really want, a Nokia or a Motorola. Everything you have just pointed out is opinion and nothing more. My mother doesn't know the first thing about anything tech, I build her computers for her and she loves her galaxy nexus, she has not a single complaint. I have many female friends that had iPhones that love how easy and smooth my phone runs as well. To say it's only for developers is ridiculous. What you should have done is called this thread "My rant about how Nokia, Motorola and HTC are better than Galaxy Nexus".
No offense but not one thing you have to say is based on fact. My phone has no issues with connectivity, whether it be data or wifi. My gps locks on instantly as long as I'm outside and within 10 seconds indoors. My screen is amazing, if you don't think this is 720p then you are blind (that's my opinion, not fact.). Vibration is no different than the last two HTC phones I owned, I have no problems with volume either. As someone already said, there is no reason to be using your device speakers for anything besides your ringtones and notifications in the age of Bluetooth.
Now onto build quality, you may personally want a oversized heavy lug of a phone but I love how lightweight and thin my Gnex is, I have not a single scratch on it nor a ding or dent and I do not use a screen protector or a case, this is coming from someone that keeps it in the same pocket as his car keys a lot of the time as well.
Now a lot of what I said is opinion as was what you said but out of the two of us, I at least point that out. You posted an entire comment speaking as though all these issues are fact and that this phone is only meant for developers, sorry man, I'm gonna have to go with "no" on both of those.

i dunno where to start man, are you trying to throw this thing against a brick wall? if they made it "tougher" people would complain that its too heavy. people (me included) like the thinness, it can go in my pocket without looking like a bannana or am i happy to see you joke. the build quality is fine, it feel like quality electronics but not tough enough to get run over by a bus. the speaker is fine, every music app has an eq, play musics eq works on the internal speaker and boosting the lower end clears up the tinny crappy tiny speaker sound pretty good. boohoo, pentile. the pentile argument is so overblown, my fascinate had a pentile screen and it looked amazing. i cant see any jagedness or pixels on my nexus, its plenty resolution. the radios are fine unless you live in the middle of nowhere (not bashing people who do) and if you do live in the sticks then why did you buy a phone knowing that it has a weak radio? you want a phone with loud vibration? get a rezound, jesus that things louder than the actual speaker in it. the point of vibrate is so you can feel it but dont hear it.
not trying to fight but man, it seems like you are posting to complain for the sake of complaining.

username8611 said:
i dunno where to start man, are you trying to throw this thing against a brick wall? if they made it "tougher" people would complain that its too heavy. people (me included) like the thinness, it can go in my pocket without looking like a bannana or am i happy to see you joke. the build quality is fine, it feel like quality electronics but not tough enough to get run over by a bus. the speaker is fine, every music app has an eq, play musics eq works on the internal speaker and boosting the lower end clears up the tinny crappy tiny speaker sound pretty good. boohoo, pentile. the pentile argument is so overblown, my fascinate had a pentile screen and it looked amazing. i cant see any jagedness or pixels on my nexus, its plenty resolution. the radios are fine unless you live in the middle of nowhere (not bashing people who do) and if you do live in the sticks then why did you buy a phone knowing that it has a weak radio? you want a phone with loud vibration? get a rezound, jesus that things louder than the actual speaker in it. the point of vibrate is so you can feel it but dont hear it.
not trying to fight but man, it seems like you are posting to complain for the sake of complaining.
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I agree with all of the above, I even stated most of the same things above you lol.
A lot of people forget that they can actually get apps that will increase vibration levels without even having to be rooted.

dankblaze said:
If you do not like the Gnex then go buy what is evident you really want, a Nokia or a Motorola. Everything you have just pointed out is opinion and nothing more. My mother doesn't know the first thing about anything tech, I build her computers for her and she loves her galaxy nexus, she has not a single complaint. I have many female friends that had iPhones that love how easy and smooth my phone runs as well. To say it's only for developers is ridiculous. What you should have done is called this thread "My rant about how Nokia, Motorola and HTC are better than Galaxy Nexus".
No offense but not one thing you have to say is based on fact. My phone has no issues with connectivity, whether it be data or wifi. My gps locks on instantly as long as I'm outside and within 10 seconds indoors. My screen is amazing, if you don't think this is 720p then you are blind (that's my opinion, not fact.). Vibration is no different than the last two HTC phones I owned, I have no problems with volume either. As someone already said, there is no reason to be using your device speakers for anything besides your ringtones and notifications in the age of Bluetooth.
Now onto build quality, you may personally want a oversized heavy lug of a phone but I love how lightweight and thin my Gnex is, I have not a single scratch on it nor a ding or dent and I do not use a screen protector or a case, this is coming from someone that keeps it in the same pocket as his car keys a lot of the time as well.
Now a lot of what I said is opinion as was what you said but out of the two of us, I at least point that out. You posted an entire comment speaking as though all these issues are fact and that this phone is only meant for developers, sorry man, I'm gonna have to go with "no" on both of those.
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We may have argued in the past but this is a quality post and I fully agree

Since this phone receives a lot of support from devs, you'll have plenty of custom roms and mods to toy with. Everyone can flash a custom rom or mod if they read the instructions carefully, you don't need to be a dev to do that.

That awkward moment when you realize this device is a year old.
It was great for its time.
People still use the Nexus One.
I completely disagree with this thread because I had a One S before and I know that this phone is better.
You know, specs aren't everything.
It's your personal preference.
Their could be a device with amazing specs, but looks like a pile of ****.
Or vice versa.
In my opinion, this device wins in both.
You still get decent specs, a nice screen, and a beautiful slim phone.

If you don't like it buy a new one, simple.
I'm happy with it, and I'm not a developer. I must be a frickin vampire or something.

Had my GNex for a year, switched to the Galaxy S3 for a month and came back to the GNex. Can't beat stock AOSP.

What version do you own?
I came from a CDMA Day 1 Toro. After a few months, I hated the phone with very much the same regard and issues you had. Then I got a GSM when I switched to T-Mobile.
I learned I had a dud in the Verizon version. The new GSM one is amazing, the screen is spectacular, the signal is strong and I cannot complain much about it. I prefer low vibration, I have my phone on silent or sound only.
Honestly the GSM Nexus is still one of the top performers of all time, it sits next to the iPhone 4 and Motorola Droid as the best/game changing smartphones of all time as well. The Galaxy Nexus became both a benchmark and a leaping off point for so many people, projects and development. True it has its issues, but when my Galaxy Nexus will out perform my Nexus 7 and a Galaxy S3 in normal day to day operation, it is a testimony to greatness.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

polonordo said:
If you are not an enthusiast, this phone is quite bad.
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FTFY
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

GS4 First impressions (unbiased, I hope)

I would like to preface this with a couple of items:
1. I have owned these Samsung mobiledevices:
Vibrant
GS 2
GS 3
GN 2
N 10
So it IS fair to say that I have a preference for Samsung devices
2. My unit, mfg date 5/11 ...does not seem to suffer from some of the screen issues that others are having. As for overheating... my GS 3 and GN 2 get blisteringly hot when running 3D intensive games. That, is a reality of mobile gaming... that much computing power in such a small, passively cooled form factor is a recipe for poor heat dissipation. Thus, I do not find the GS 4 to be any different (neither a step back nor an improvement in heat dissipation.)
Those caveats aside, here are my initial impressions:
1. Aesthetically speaking, this is the closest in form to an iPhone that I have perceived a galaxy device to be. Does it bother me...not particularly, but it does give credence to those who bemoan "copy cat" and others who say that the galaxy design ethos is a bit... "tired".
2. Remaining on aesthetics for a moment, which is a very subjective matter....mind you, the GS 4 does not hold a candle to the HTC one. In my opinion, one is a ground-up rethink of mobile design with "form" being a primary emphasis... the other a simple continuation of a design that has met with success in the market. While the GS 4 is not ugly... the HTC One IS stunning. I tip my cap to HTC... (and to some extent sony), and hope that it will push Mobile Divisions to approach future design, with part ruler and part brush.
3. Durability: Now I don't have the stones to just drop my phone; nor has my ownership period been long enough to rebuke anyone else...but the device feels surprisingly sturdy in my hands. Reading some of the comments on the board... and coming from the Brick that is the GN 2 (which survived several falls unscathed), I expected the GS 4 to be a porcelain doll. Frail and fragile to the touch. Not the case. It is clearly lighter than the GS 3 and slimmer as well, but it does not feel like it was done to so at the expense of durability. Now I know that there are plenty of comments and reviews that dispute this... but, in MY hands, some of the initial concern that was raised by all reports has been dispelled. I hope (keyword) that the hairline fractures some have experienced are a mfg anomaly and not a design flaw.
4. Smart gestures: I am one, who truly thinks that this could be a revolution in mobile technology...and I admire what Sammy is trying to accomplish here. But (you knew one was coming), the current implementation just feels not-ready-for-primetime. The gestures do not respond as intended all the time... and sometimes they just flat out don't work. When they do... it is impressive, and is a window in the future of interaction with technology. Given time, I think samsung will iron the kinks out.... I just don't think we will see that on the GS 4.
5. UI: Touchwiz is a love or hate proposition for many... personally, I tend to use some functions and replace others. That being said, whether its smart gesture integration, poor coding or loads of bloatware...sammy dropped the ball here. The UI feels clunky and gimmiky... and lags on hardware that should easily breeze through transitions, screen renders and app launches. You can literally feel the Snapdragon chomping on the bit... being restrained by a poorly designed UI. This to me, was the largest disappointment. Not because I don't think I can fix with kernel and Rom installations... but rather because I was so impressed with how far touchwiz had come on my GN2. This feels like a huge step back... with stutters and judder reminiscent of my Vibrant. For me aesthetics are a luxury... but function is a necessity. Multi-window does feel much smoother in this implementation...so there is that, but still, for shame sammy (don't take 1 step back for every 2 forward). Again, our community will most certainly solve these issues... but it should not exist out of the box for premium hardware.
6. Camera: Very simply, impressive. Will it replace your D9...or any nice DSLR? No. Does it take sharp photos, with a bevy of adjustments, filters and post processing perks? Yes. Can it serve as an everyday shooter? Absolutely. Crisp photos, quick autofocus and no shutter lag make it a joy to snap shots with. Low light performance does lag behind some other phones (notably Nokia and HTC)... but I find this to be the only shortcoming.
7. GPS: It works. Well. I will never....ever.... ever...forget the vibrant debacle. It is the first thing I check on all my TMO samsung devices
8. Display: I left this for last... because, really if you didn't read anything else (TL;DR) then know this: the display ALONE is worth the price of admission. Maybe I have been conditioned as such... but when it comes to mobile devices give me the deep blacks of AMOLED over LCD. Furthermore, sammy had learned a bit from the community, and toned down some of the intrinsic oversaturation. The clarity, rendering and overall visual candy of the 1080x1920 Super AMOLDED is OUTSTANDING. Apple, HTC, LG all make excellent flagship phones... this is reality. No one touches the display technology of Samsung, yet... this is fact. The pixel density allows for the obliteration of any aliasing due to the pentile arrangement. It is jaw-dropping. For those who have gotten a device with screen issues... I wouldn't wait, return it and return it and return it until you get one that is perfect, because it is well worth the hassle.
Conclusion:
Is the Galaxy design, tired and in need of a refresh...probably. Is the HTC One the "prettiest" device on the market... certainly. Did touchwiz initially sour my excitement...definitely. However, those who compare the GS3 to GS4 evolution to the iPhone X to iPhone Xs tract... neither know android nor samsung hardware. Though the design is not a complete or even partial refresh (though I love the way the GS4 feels in my hand as compared to the GS3 and even my GN2) this phone is clearly the next step forward in Samsungs continued mobile presence. The hardware is top notch and only slightly fettered by TW. The display is stunning and the camera and accompanying software a leap forward from both the GN2 and GS3. The continued dedication to sd card expansion and removable batteries should not be underscored.
Perhaps the GN3 or the next GS will feature an aesthetic redesign befitting the hardware inside... and if that is of the utmost importance, than by all means you can wait. Or buy the One, (which in my time with, I did truly enjoy...). But...
If you are eligible for the upgrade... or have some coin kicking around, I can say with all confidence that Galaxy S4 is a top flight device... and quite possibly the best available on the market today.

Nice review Poser. I too have had an GS2, GS3, GN2 and now GS4. I feel you have hit it right on the head. TW is disappointing and the hardware isn't very exciting (except cam). But the device is top notch and Sammy did a good job overall. I came from VZW to Tmobs because of Wifi call/text. Such a great feature!!!

I just got a s4. My old phone was the s3. The phone is great but heres my view on it. It is no different than the s3 except it is faster cpu wise and has a higher res screen. If u had an s3 next to an s4 (like i do) and played around with both of them you would think its the same phone. Some of the features are pointless on the s4. Like air guestures (in my opinion). They are novelties. Why wave my hand 3 inches above the screen to scroll through pictures when i could simply just lower my finger 3 inches and swipe through my pics? All and all it is the fastest phone out and im happy i got it. But if i was goin to keep my s3 though, there wouldnt be much differance.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

As much as some people despise TouchWiz and the Samsung Apps that are preloaded, I actually like using some of the features.
I think, so far, my favorite is the Air Hover where I can preview emails.

Nice op. I had the S3 on Sprint, which was a great device as long as I was on Wifi. So far I have been very happy with the S4 on T Mobile. All the pros as noted above, plus an affordable data plan with excellent coverage for my areas. The wifi calling feature is simply awesome and all carriers should have this technology built in. As far as touchwiz goes, I find it to be functionally quite similar to vanilla android, meaning the basic functions work the same way. For example, adding widgets or adding a shortcut to the dock is done easily (as opposed to how the latest Sense does it). The esthetics are a different matter but are easily altered. Lag is zero with some basic tweaks.

Very well worded essay, Poser. My thanks for addressing aspects of the phone that are important to me (how well the GPS works in particular, which few people seem to comment on). I too hope (and expect) that the reports of screen cracks are an indication of defective samples and not a design flaw. I find it hard to believe that the design would not have been subject to a battery of stress tests.
I spent some time looking at and handling the phone at Best Buy, and I liked how it felt in my hand. That experience makes me dismiss comments about the plastic construction. Seeing the phone up close and personal also showed me just how gorgeous the display is (it truly is eye candy), and thanks for emphasizing this point.

Some additional thoughts:
1. Wifi calling is exceptional when it works flawlessly... I have noticed that it does experience voice dropouts, call answering issues and connecting issues. This was a problem that was present in my S3 GN2 and S4, and does seem to be software propigated (independent of access point).
2. Disabling smart gestures and home key activation of S Voice... SIGNIFICANTLY reduces lag
3. The screen is Amazing. I cant say this enough,

Coming form sgsii
While rebooting, flashing roms, running ANY benchmark, taking video, or browsing the web the phone compared to my SGSII gets way hotter than i would have ever imagined. maybe it is just my phone, however i cant get a stable overclock at all. my MAX stable OC is 1999mhz..... really? that's just a 100mhz overhead from stock........ a 5.2% increase in speed is all i can get.......... in contrast my SGSII i was able to get 300mhz out of it (25% increase in speed) and it would run cooler than this phone on stock.....
however at stock speeds the SGS4 is snappy, lag free, FAST, comfortable to hold, poor battery life, bright screen, alright overall
7 out of 10 is what i give MY phone. as it did meet my personal expectations. I was hoping for 2.2ghz cpu stable 550mhz gpu and then i could see it getting as hot as it is now. i guess i just got a poor OC phone
I'm thinking about shorting the circuit board while it is on, and if that doesn't work, i will hook up usb cable to straight 120VAC wall current and see if it explodes. at least i would get a different phone....
overall disappointed in the phone i got, however the phone itself, like most Samsung products is GREAT!

jimmboonline said:
While rebooting, flashing roms, running ANY benchmark, taking video, or browsing the web the phone compared to my SGSII gets way hotter than i would have ever imagined. maybe it is just my phone, however i cant get a stable overclock at all. my MAX stable OC is 1999mhz..... really? that's just a 100mhz overhead from stock........ a 5.2% increase in speed is all i can get.......... in contrast my SGSII i was able to get 300mhz out of it (25% increase in speed) and it would run cooler than this phone on stock.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, IIRC the GS2 only had a dual core CPU clocked around 1.2-1.5GHz, so to be fair you can expect the GS2 to be cooler and more stable since the stock speed is lower and less cores.
jimmboonline said:
I'm thinking about shorting the circuit board while it is on, and if that doesn't work, i will hook up usb cable to straight 120VAC wall current and see if it explodes. at least i would get a different phone....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to see a video of that...

Poser said:
I would like to preface this with a couple of items:
1. I have owned these Samsung mobiledevices:
Vibrant
GS 2
GS 3
GN 2
N 10
So it IS fair to say that I have a preference for Samsung devices
2. My unit, mfg date 5/11 ...does not seem to suffer from some of the screen issues that others are having. As for overheating... my GS 3 and GN 2 get blisteringly hot when running 3D intensive games. That, is a reality of mobile gaming... that much computing power in such a small, passively cooled form factor is a recipe for poor heat dissipation. Thus, I do not find the GS 4 to be any different (neither a step back nor an improvement in heat dissipation.)
Those caveats aside, here are my initial impressions:
1. Aesthetically speaking, this is the closest in form to an iPhone that I have perceived a galaxy device to be. Does it bother me...not particularly, but it does give credence to those who bemoan "copy cat" and others who say that the galaxy design ethos is a bit... "tired".
2. Remaining on aesthetics for a moment, which is a very subjective matter....mind you, the GS 4 does not hold a candle to the HTC one. In my opinion, one is a ground-up rethink of mobile design with "form" being a primary emphasis... the other a simple continuation of a design that has met with success in the market. While the GS 4 is not ugly... the HTC One IS stunning. I tip my cap to HTC... (and to some extent sony), and hope that it will push Mobile Divisions to approach future design, with part ruler and part brush.
3. Durability: Now I don't have the stones to just drop my phone; nor has my ownership period been long enough to rebuke anyone else...but the device feels surprisingly sturdy in my hands. Reading some of the comments on the board... and coming from the Brick that is the GN 2 (which survived several falls unscathed), I expected the GS 4 to be a porcelain doll. Frail and fragile to the touch. Not the case. It is clearly lighter than the GS 3 and slimmer as well, but it does not feel like it was done to so at the expense of durability. Now I know that there are plenty of comments and reviews that dispute this... but, in MY hands, some of the initial concern that was raised by all reports has been dispelled. I hope (keyword) that the hairline fractures some have experienced are a mfg anomaly and not a design flaw.
4. Smart gestures: I am one, who truly thinks that this could be a revolution in mobile technology...and I admire what Sammy is trying to accomplish here. But (you knew one was coming), the current implementation just feels not-ready-for-primetime. The gestures do not respond as intended all the time... and sometimes they just flat out don't work. When they do... it is impressive, and is a window in the future of interaction with technology. Given time, I think samsung will iron the kinks out.... I just don't think we will see that on the GS 4.
5. UI: Touchwiz is a love or hate proposition for many... personally, I tend to use some functions and replace others. That being said, whether its smart gesture integration, poor coding or loads of bloatware...sammy dropped the ball here. The UI feels clunky and gimmiky... and lags on hardware that should easily breeze through transitions, screen renders and app launches. You can literally feel the Snapdragon chomping on the bit... being restrained by a poorly designed UI. This to me, was the largest disappointment. Not because I don't think I can fix with kernel and Rom installations... but rather because I was so impressed with how far touchwiz had come on my GN2. This feels like a huge step back... with stutters and judder reminiscent of my Vibrant. For me aesthetics are a luxury... but function is a necessity. Multi-window does feel much smoother in this implementation...so there is that, but still, for shame sammy (don't take 1 step back for every 2 forward). Again, our community will most certainly solve these issues... but it should not exist out of the box for premium hardware.
6. Camera: Very simply, impressive. Will it replace your D9...or any nice DSLR? No. Does it take sharp photos, with a bevy of adjustments, filters and post processing perks? Yes. Can it serve as an everyday shooter? Absolutely. Crisp photos, quick autofocus and no shutter lag make it a joy to snap shots with. Low light performance does lag behind some other phones (notably Nokia and HTC)... but I find this to be the only shortcoming.
7. GPS: It works. Well. I will never....ever.... ever...forget the vibrant debacle. It is the first thing I check on all my TMO samsung devices
8. Display: I left this for last... because, really if you didn't read anything else (TL;DR) then know this: the display ALONE is worth the price of admission. Maybe I have been conditioned as such... but when it comes to mobile devices give me the deep blacks of AMOLED over LCD. Furthermore, sammy had learned a bit from the community, and toned down some of the intrinsic oversaturation. The clarity, rendering and overall visual candy of the 1080x1920 Super AMOLDED is OUTSTANDING. Apple, HTC, LG all make excellent flagship phones... this is reality. No one touches the display technology of Samsung, yet... this is fact. The pixel density allows for the obliteration of any aliasing due to the pentile arrangement. It is jaw-dropping. For those who have gotten a device with screen issues... I wouldn't wait, return it and return it and return it until you get one that is perfect, because it is well worth the hassle.
Conclusion:
Is the Galaxy design, tired and in need of a refresh...probably. Is the HTC One the "prettiest" device on the market... certainly. Did touchwiz initially sour my excitement...definitely. However, those who compare the GS3 to GS4 evolution to the iPhone X to iPhone Xs tract... neither know android nor samsung hardware. Though the design is not a complete or even partial refresh (though I love the way the GS4 feels in my hand as compared to the GS3 and even my GN2) this phone is clearly the next step forward in Samsungs continued mobile presence. The hardware is top notch and only slightly fettered by TW. The display is stunning and the camera and accompanying software a leap forward from both the GN2 and GS3. The continued dedication to sd card expansion and removable batteries should not be underscored.
Perhaps the GN3 or the next GS will feature an aesthetic redesign befitting the hardware inside... and if that is of the utmost importance, than by all means you can wait. Or buy the One, (which in my time with, I did truly enjoy...). But...
If you are eligible for the upgrade... or have some coin kicking around, I can say with all confidence that Galaxy S4 is a top flight device... and quite possibly the best available on the market today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great review OP, thanks!