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[Q] Need Buying Advice (Sprint) GNex or GS3?

I basically need to decide between these two phones, on Sprint. The pros and cons from my point of view are the following:
Pros
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GNex: better aesthetics (imo), no physical buttons, Nexus device thus great ROMs/Community, no annoying partition scheme for the 32GB
GS3: better specs, larger screen (possibly a con, lol), sdcard slot, potential for great community due to widespread distribution and popularity, better camera, more overall space
Cons
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GNex: no sdcard slot, slower specs
GS3: physical/capacitive buttons, and while it has excitement around it now, who knows if there will be a dev community 6-9 months from now or how long it will take to get ROM updates with new versions of Android (incl. jelly bean) with fully functioning parts, seems to split the 32GB up into 16/16 for apps/media, which I hate, I want it all for whatever I want (or say, 32GB all for apps, then put media on sdcard!)
Other thoughts
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-I do not live in an LTE launch area, and honestly, likely won't for at least 9-12 months if not longer. I have awesome wifi at home/work though so Sprint's crappy 3G is bearable, most of the time.
-I have an EVO 3D now, and finally, as of like a month ago, I have a working ICS rom with camera that is AOSP, but for most of the last 12 months I've had to decide between Sense (which I hate), ICS without features (such as camera/bt), or Gingerbread. I REALLY don't want to end up in that situation again
-I much much much much prefer AOSP roms and will be rooting/flashing the moment anything is available for the GS3 or the moment I get home for the GNex
-I've had various phones (see sig), but my N1 was hands down my favorite phone
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I appreciate any thoughts and commentary!
In short, I want the best specs I can get on Sprint, but desperately want an active dev community and plenty of ROMs, and though the GS3 has better specs, it's too early to know for sure about the community months from now, and plus, I like the software buttons and the look of the GNex. I am indecisive :-/
edit: the only real concern I have about the specs is gaming or media playback (via plex)

Played with it for 2 hours and I could not deal with the touch wiz crap. Felt like I was on the GS2 all over again. I like my GNexus that I picked up yesterday.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

If you want an aosp device the gnex is the obvious option. Especially with this jelly bean port we have for the sprint nexus its amazing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I'm not in the US but I have both the GN and SGS3 (i9300) version. Just to let you know the size of the SGS3 isn't that much bigger than the GN. It looks like you are looking for a AOSP experience so I would say you should go with the GN, I loaded JellyBean on it and it is super smooth, but don't get me wrong the SGS3 is a beautiful devices and I'm sure somebody will be porting AOKP or CM9 over to the Sprint version soon as it is already on the i9300.
I hate touchwiz as well so I loaded a custom ROM and used Nova Launcher. Good luck in deciding but you won't regret either device.

From the responses from you guys, I am definitely leaning towards the GNex. I have been browsing around the Sprint development section on here, and there's definitely a lot of activity (which doesn't surprise me). And AOSP is very much my cup of tea, I have no desire for TouchWiz. I know the GS3 will have ports and all, but the Sprint one doesn't seem to have anything in terms of JB yet, whereas the GNex JB porting seems all but completely done already.
My EVO 3D has the Qualcomm MSM8660, 2 cores at 1.2 GHz at stock speeds, and the GNex has the TI OMAP 4460, also 2 cores at 1.2 GHz at stock. I know when the GNex first came out, some people were disappointed in the processor. Have any of you found it to be insufficient? I know it can be overclocked, and I'm sure I will so long as it doesn't cause too much battery loss, but is it sufficient for higher-end games? I looked at the GPUs (Adreno 220 vs. PowerVR SGX540), too, but my knowledge of mobile GPUs is practically nonexistent...

I think the OMAP is plenty powerful, I haven't really found a want for more CPU power ESPECIALLY after Jelly Bean. Device just fly's now.
The main difference between the GS3 and the Gnex is going to be the GPU. Now I don't really game on mobile devices (hardcore gamer on PC and consoles all my life, so the "great" mobile games don't do anything for me only the crazy ones do like Edge or Osmos) but it has been brought to my attention multiple times of people having only just enough performance for high end games.
I've played a little shadowgun, mostly just to test USB OTG and a PS3 controller lol, and that game runs smooth enough. Could use a little more power here and there though.
I think the other benefits of Gnex far outweigh this though. Even more so if you buy retail since it's almost half the price for, what I think, is a much better phone and mobile experience.

I came from a gs2 and this phone is a breath of fresh air. No more waiting for OTAs either!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

And like the guy above me said, its about mobile experience not necessarily newest tech
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

It depends on your usage, if directed to games, go for GS3, in my view, any kind of use out of it, go with GN.

The GN screen is even dimmer than the SGS3. That is a serious con. Battery is much much lower also. Plus no SD and only 5Mpx camera (which produces bad video).
Still, the GN is awesome in other things, like the on screen buttons and updates. It probably will also get Android 5.0. The back cover is better to hold.
I think the next Nexus will be a LOT better. Im sure it will have an IPS display, like the Nexus 7, plus quad core with JB will be awesome. It if were here today I would have bought it over the SGS3.

For development and if its your main purpose, Nexus hands down.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

i too am in the same situation i have always love the gs series however they never realease ota's chances of you getting jb on it a high however you won't get it until 5.0 is released while the nexus will have it months and months before it but the camera is kinda a deal breaker for me i don't use the camera so that isn't a issue for me..

Trust me when I tell you, since you do a lot of hacking, Nexus will be the best choice hands down. Yes, it has slower spec and no sd card... I was complaining too, but after few days, that doesn't seem to matter for me anymore.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Anyone had gs2 and gnex?

Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Both good phones
I had the gt-9100i and are currently using the Gnex.
And like the post above me i did like my SGS2, but not having the newest version of android really was a dealbreaker for me

Well that is a dealbreaker for me too.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

nyamoV2 said:
I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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I can confirm what has been written above. I sold my international S2 i9100, which I really loved!
Exynos with Mali 400 outperforms TI-OMAP 4460 with its PowerVR SGX540 I guess in every single test. (for example in case of Nenamark2 the difference is 48-52:28-32!) S2 has gorilla glass and better camera (8 mpix + 2 mpix), sd-slot, even hard home button can be considered as an advantage.
On the other hand. Nexus has much better screen, NFC, and great support! It depend what your priorities are but...If you're into aosp/cm world Nexus is far better solution.
Official updates. Even though I think samsung is the fastest update-provider among all manufacturers still S2 got recently...its second 4.0.4 update while GNex has 4.1.2! Samsung confirmed S2 to be scheduled to JB-update in november, but I highly doubt it'll be given more than this. In case of Nexus....I'm certain it'll be supported at least 12 more months.
Moreover...exynos is closed hardware, (while omap is dev's beloved device) which makes it extremely hard for devs to get fully functioning aosp rom. You can see the difference if you compare CM10 on both handsets.
- S2 - no jb-hwcomposer and thus no v-sync, no butter - jittery and yes laggy, problems with audio.
- GNex - almost perfectly smooth! I know that lot of people here complain over smoothness but seriously there's nothing to complain. IT's one of the smoothest android experience today even if you compare it to hardware monsters like international variant of S3.
Smoothness of stock roms cannot be even discussed here. Nexus wins fair and square. So...who cares what benchmarks say? The device is as good as the software running on it.

I wish this had gorilla glass while reinforced also its not as strong it scratches easily compared to my S1 it has small nicks on it and has been though worst then my nexus an nexus has a good 5 big scratches and also cracked display
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

I had both for a while, i really think the gnex outperforms the gs2 in every single way, sure gs2 have a better camera and it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
The gs2 has very low resolution and ppi screen so the gpu as an easy time. The iphonish home button really sucked balls. Basically gs2 is already outdated and doesnt deliver the same user experience as the gnex. IMHO.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I still have my i9100, purchased it before the nexus. there are things I prefer on it over the nexus, but not deal breakers.
The s2 has much better standard screen colors than the nexus, I had to tweak using a kernel that support color tweaking to get the same colors that pleased me on the s2.. However, after spending time on the higher resolution nexus screen, the s2 looks real bad.. But prior to purchasing the nexus I thought the s2 screen resolution was fine, but I did not have anything to compare it to.
Call quality I find to be much better on the nexus, much clearer voices.
Cameras.. I don't use them much so I don't have an opinion on it. as long as the phone takes pictures, I'm happy.
Wifi is much better on the s2.. I have fought with constant disconnects on the nexus hardware, while the s2 always had rock steady Wifi.
Speed... This depends on what you use the phone for. I do not play alot of games. I do not doubt the s2 has faster hardware to run games better, however I find the nexus offers a much more fluid experience when doing everything else. Simple things as such as dialing a phone number, typing, scrolling, and the nexus much more responsive and fluid. there are no annoying pauses or lags. the s2 no matter what rom I was using always had some sort of lag.
Ever thing just works on the nexus, while alot of things on the s2 were compromises. you get one feature but another was broken, especially when using custom roms.
I'm going to hang onto my s2 until the official jb release and see if jb can make it run as well as the nexus... If not, I'll be selling it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

dumbdroid said:
.... it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
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Click to collapse
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.

Just switched from an i777 to the gal nex and I would never go back...the screen alone is enough...not to mention instant shutter speed on the camera, first to update, I've had much better battery life...plus when you go to a custom ROM, compared to the s2, everything just WORKS...and for $350 you won't regret it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

s2 was my first android, gave it to my dad and now using gnex.
fundamentally the gnex has a higher screen resolution, but no hardware keys on the front so nav buttons are a must on it.. s2 has buttons, and side by side, the displays are actually a bit identical. the gnex looks somewhat better because of the higher ppi, but pentile is visible on text when you see it very closely..
performance wise, both have almost the same cpu specs, but gnex is slightly slower. its because of the higher resolution. and i can tell you this without any benchmark numbers. i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
jellybean on gnex is stable (of course) and awesome. on the s2, not so much...
all games/apps work on both, with slight differences in things like emulation as i said above..
battery life on both is more or less the same, both are battery hogs. but after using them both for well over two months each, i can say that gnex sucks from 100 to 0 slightly faster.. an extended battery wouldn't be such a bad idea, i personally bought myself an anker 5600mah portable charger, and it does the job for me battery life wise. easily get through the day with super heavy use (navigation,browsing hsdpa, etc)
if you're gonna buy one of these TODAY, it makes no sense to get a s2. nexus is cheaper, and you are guaranteed Key lime pie immediately, and even possible L-- version.. yes the camera is a bit bad compared to the s2, but it's a small trade off for the price difference and software update frequency.

m.kochan10 said:
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.
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Click to collapse
I've heard about it but never experienced it myself because I've rooted and installed a custom rom+kernel in the second day i had it. I think that was with android 4.0.2 witch i never run on my phone. The only "stock" firmware i had was the jelly bean leak and it was great.
---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
crazyguns said:
i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
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yeah but my xperia play beats both and have crappy hardware...why?
Same goes for some gameloft games like gangster in Rio or something like that runs beautifully on my xperia play and it is unplayable on the gnex.

D3HuM4NiZ3D said:
Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.

qbanlinxx said:
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.
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Click to collapse
That's exactly what I think I sold my S2, bought nexus....and today I bought my father a brand new S2 as a birthday gift. While i was configuring everything....I was like "Oh my how sluggish it is compared to Nexus". No more non-nexus androids!

can't ever go back to touchwiz... I used sgs2 i9100...love nexus software
Sent from Nexus Prime

Can't beat the nexus experience. I still have my i777, rooted weeks after I got it, and have loved tinkering, and tweaking the hell out of it ever since. Both phones are more than capable of remaining relevant for some time, but as I said, it's the Google flagship experience that really seals it. I love my s2, aokp with siyah is amazing, but I've had my nexus for just shy of 2 months now, and I honestly haven't found a reason to root it, official jb is just that good for me. Google wallet is about the only thing I've found that one phone has over the other, though Nfc is fully functional on the s2, aside from the secure hardware element needed for wallet. Not sure what the going rate is on the s2 anymore, but at best its just as good a deal as the gsm nexus right now. Long story short(kind of rambling, I apologize) love both phones, wouldn't ever discourage anyone from the s2, but of this comparison, I'd advise the gnex to anyone.
Pink pony Gs2 i777
Pure Google Gnex i9250
Pink stallion Gs3 i747
Stock tweaked Asus tf201

S2 is fast, like other people said, it out performs Gnexus a lot imo. Even on TW GB/ICS or AOSP, its still faster. Exynos are really good. But then, you wont get a proper OTA if you want JB or latest update in the future. I love the brick look of SGS2 though. when the screen is off, it looks so sexy. but gnex are sexy in both screen on and off.
For me, having the latest software in any hardware are important for me.So I am sticking with Gnex. I gave my S2 to my mum, and bought myself a One X. But then I still use Gnexus most of the time for pretty much everything. Cuz it has official Jellybean and all custom roms are stable enough since it is already an AOSP to begin with. One X still have some trouble with ICS/JB AOSP, so only choice to stick with Sense ICS for stability.
my friend always ask me if its worth to get a Gnex since it is 1 year old already. My answer for them are simple, if you care about updates every time they are announced, Gnex is the answer. and also, if you intent to use it to the fullest(3/4 years duration), its Gnex. Otherwise, buy anything you like. I always change phones, but Nexus is the one i wont replace until a next nexus(if they tempt me enough).

I got 2 phone. but i prefer GNX than GS2. GS2 outperform GNX but overall GNX better than GS2

Depends which s2 as well. I had the s2 skyrocket with the s3 processor and its a laggy pos next to the nexus. Lte was awesome and the camera pwns the gnex but that's it. I've had every nexus and every time I've strayed to get another phone I end up having nexus envy.

So the nexus is really that much better than the s2 skyrocket
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

This phone or the Galaxy S3?

It wont be long and my upgrade be here. So I was wondering if I should get this or the s3. I like this one and the fact that is a quad-core and samsung have the same build hardware on all of the note 2. But I also like all the gestures features from the s3

The note 2 has all the features of the s3 plus more. You cant go wrong with it
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

You will need a bigger pocket though....
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

I know I went to see the phone at the store it huge! I didnt know it have all the gestures features like the s3 because they were never announced. Like automatic calling somebody from text by just put your phone in the ear, Smartview. Screenshot by swiping your hand on the screen, etc etc. Those features really caught my eye. but wasnt sure if the note 2 have them. I guess I'll go with the note 2. Thanks guys

gypsy214 said:
I know I went to see the phone at the store it huge! I didnt know it have all the gestures features like the s3 because they were never announced. Like automatic calling somebody from text by just put your phone in the ear, Smartview. Screenshot by swiping your hand on the screen, etc etc. Those features really caught my eye. but wasnt sure if the note 2 have them. I guess I'll go with the note 2. Thanks guys
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Click to collapse
Ill tell you what. after using it my s3 feels tiny . almost iphone 4 tiny ........ Btw get the note Trust me i have both

I hate to stir the pot, and I know that it hasnt been talked about yet, but if your upgrade is not here yet and u have some time to wait I would wait for the Galaxy S 4. Now wait! Let me explain! I am currently the very proud owner of the Note 2 with T mobile. This is the best phone on the market, with all of the great Hardware with excellent software to match. I mean the innovation and true attention to detail is unmatched. But I have read some rumors, yeah rumors, that the S4 will be a beast also in a smaller form. I love the huge screen of the Note 2, but you are trying to choose between the Note 2 and S3 so I take that to mean that you are on the fence and the extra screen size really isn't that important. Maybe the power is what u are seeking. Word on the street is that the S4 will bring in new tech, edge to edge screen, quad core, 1080p screen, 2gb ram, new software features, and new design. These things are not outside of the realm of reality and as we can all see Samsung is on a roll. I think this year they found their groove, and they can only get better from here. They are suppossed to announce this sometime end of January and into February. I say all this to say, if u are thinking Note 2 vs. S3. Don't do it as the S3 is so last year. The note 2 is basically the precursor to what we can expect for 2013. Think more like Note 2 vs. S4
Written from my Beast T Mobile Note 2

Also not that its much different but the S3 will NOT be getting LTE on tmobile from what I've heard and the Note will get LTE. Now as far as the Nexus 4, the biggest issue is that it's made by LG Booooo!

Sold my s3 for this phone. No regrets.
From the Best: Note 2

Yeah that is a dissapointed for me too Nexus 4 from LG gosh. I had the G2X and LG support sucks. Really guys I am a little nervous I have the S2 but it have a lot of problems with the noise reduction where other people hears an echo. And if you flash aosp rom or miui they say you sound like underwater and there is not a fix really. I really like how samsung did with their TW but I dont want another samsung and is going to have the same problem as my s2 with call quality. But The s3 and the note2 are really good phones!! The S4 announced in Jan or Feb? The s2 and s3 were announced late of year. I think its too soon for them to release the S4 and by the time i think it will I will have another upgrade lol. The big screen doesnt bother me. When I got my S2 it was big and at first it was wow. But then if I play with another phone like the Amaze It feels weird because of all the small icons. lol

gypsy214 said:
It wont be long and my upgrade be here. So I was wondering if I should get this or the s3. I like this one and the fact that is a quad-core and samsung have the same build hardware on all of the note 2. But I also like all the gestures features from the s3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 2 is a different level then the S3, has all the same features and more, and has a much better processor then the S3. It's just about whether the screen size is too big for you.
And I wouldn't worry about waiting for the S4 or Note 3. The S4 might be announced at MWC but I don't think that will happen so soon and the Note won't have a sequel till at least Oct-Nov of next year. Then it'll take at least 2-4 months before the first US carriers get them. So the Note 2 will be king of the hill for quite some time, barring HTC's Dlx when it comes out.
noted for future reference on my Note 2

Either you have been living under a rock, or... who knows. This video will answer your questions, and pretty much make up your mind for you. It's long, but thorough.
Colfustion's Review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2
And to the bloke who recommended waiting for the S 4... just stop. Recommending non existent hardware just makes you sound silly. It will have a processor similar to the Note 2, a smaller screen, no S-Pen... etc. Not a very good comparison.

I've got both.. and honestly can't make a decision - have to sell one - need the cash.
GOing back to the S3 from the Note, it feels positively TINY...
but, the Note really does feel big; and I've got pretty big hands... whether its too big or not, I guess its partly personal choice and partly ease of use - I don't think I can honestly say that the Note 2 is always easy to operate with a single hand -
Also, to be honest, the alternate rom scene, at least for the T-Mobile Note 2, is pretty limited - I'm not sure if there'll be any "original" android development for it as I guess to make use of the S-pen etc, a vanilla android rom just wouldn't have the features (I'm only guessing here). Most of the rom development would be those "de-bloated/de-odexed/zip aligned" versions of stock TouchWiz rom which claim to mysteriously give longer battery life. I'm currently on the Jedi Rom on my Note 2 and not really sure how different it is to the stock rom.
On my S3, I've got Task's Rom, and it truly made a huge difference to the battery life - to the point I'm comfortable returning to the standard Samsung battery form the extended Hyperion 4200 mAH one I had bough due to the horrible battery life the S3 has (on cellular internet) when on the stock rom - with Task's rom, there is a marked, appreciable improvement in battery life.
Right, coming back, I still can't figure out which one to keep and which one to sell - I'm pretty sure, whichever decision I take, I'll regret it cos both the S3 and Note 2 are really and truly excellent products!!!.

RizSher said:
I've got both.. and honestly can't make a decision - have to sell one - need the cash.
GOing back to the S3 from the Note, it feels positively TINY...
but, the Note really does feel too big. and I've got pretty big hands.
Also, to be honest, the alternate rom scene, at least for the T-Mobile Note 2, is pretty limited - I'm not sure if there'll be any "original" android development for it as I guess to make use of the S-pen etc, a vanilla android rom just wouldn't have the features (I'm only guessing here). Most of the rom development would be those "de-bloated/de-odexed/zip aligned" versions of stock TouchWiz rom which claim to mysteriously give longer battery life. I'm currently on the Jedi Rom on my Note 2 and not really sure how different it is to the stock rom.
On my S3, I've got Task's Rom, and it truly made a huge difference to the battery life - to the point I'm comfortable returning to the standard Samsung battery form the extended Hyperion 4200 mAH battery I had bough due to the horrible battery life the S3 has (on cellular internet) - with Task's rom, there is a marked, appreciable improvement in battery life.
Right, coming back, I still can't figure out which one to keep and which one to sell - I'm pretty sure, whichever decision I take, I'll regret it cos both the S3 and Note 2 are really and truly excellent products!!!.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone has been out for less than a month in the US. I think the ROMs will come, in time. Plus, the battery in the Note 2 is amazing... ever try running the battery down to 5% on purpose? It's actually harder than I thought it would be! That's the beauty of the Note 2; the battery is big enough, by itself, that minimal changes are needed to constantly see 24+ hours on one charge. I have had both the S3 and now the Note 2, and I would never recommend an S3 over the Note. The S-Pen alone is > any wizbang S3 thing out there!

mdt73 said:
The phone has been out for less than a month in the US. I think the ROMs will come, in time. Plus, the battery in the Note 2 is amazing... ever try running the battery down to 5% on purpose? It's actually harder than I thought it would be! That's the beauty of the Note 2; the battery is big enough, by itself, that minimal changes are needed to constantly see 24+ hours on one charge. I have had both the S3 and now the Note 2, and I would never recommend an S3 over the Note. The S-Pen alone is > any wizbang S3 thing out there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't making a point about the Note's battery life - it really is pretty good - what I waas trying to say was, the S3 alternate ROM scene is very vibrant; the particular ROM I've got currently make a noticeable diff. in battery life; based on my guess work I'm not very sure if the same would happen for the Note.

Seems like all of the Note 2 series including the international one are the same hardware. Why not make it a worldwide phone with a universal radio. or Like on my Sensation? I may be wrong but in any case do like the tmobile version of the s2 and the skyrocket which are very similar phones

gypsy214 said:
It wont be long and my upgrade be here. So I was wondering if I should get this or the s3. I like this one and the fact that is a quad-core and samsung have the same build hardware on all of the note 2. But I also like all the gestures features from the s3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The note 2 can do anything the S3 can but better.. and bigger.. and with a stylus

Your experiences with SGS III

Hello All,
I've mostly lurked on the forums and found a lot of information related to Android as well as various phones. I'm not a noob and have flashed ROMs, radios etc. and know a bit about Android and Android devices in general.
Now to the reason for the thread. My wife is eligible for an upgrade and wants to get rid of her Inspire 4G due to various issues. She would like to get an SGS III but I want to ensure that is the correct choice before proceeding. I had previously looked at the Motorola Atrix HD (discarded due to only 8 GB of storage and no ability to save apps to SD in ICS and beyond) and the LG Optimus G (still thinking of this). I would like the opinion of the helpful people on XDA regarding the following points pertaining to the SGS III since it's been out for a while now. Any opinions you can provide would be very much appreciated.
1. Signal (not had a good experience with signal on the Inspire 4G - lots of dropped calls. We live in an area that doesn't have the best signal but it has been ok on other phones that we own)
2. Battery life (again not a good experience on Inspire 4G). I'm aware of the extended battery available but would like an idea of the stock battery life that can be expected
3. Screen readability, especially in sunlight (this was not one of the cons on the Inspire 4G but is based on reviews indicating that the SGS III doesn't go as high in brightness as other phones)
4. Touchwiz (She prefers the stock AOSP interface - Cfx ROM - running on her phone currently over Sense and I haven't played with Touchwiz yet to figure out pros/cons)
Any personal feedback that you can provide on the SGS III based on your time using it would be much appreciated. Please note that I do not intend to flash ROMs on the phone since this is going to be her daily driver and I would rather keep it stock (at least in the beginning ).
Thanks in advance.

I would say you are correct about deciding against the Motorola. I looked at the LG but have read some really bad things about the phone. When I was in the store the ATT employees confirmed that its not that good of a device.
I can say that the GS3 is IMO the best phone you can buy for ATT. The battery life for me is good, the screen is nice and you can make it bright if you are in direct sun. If you search a little you can see a lot of bad comments about the LG screen. The GS3 out of the box is fast and is a very capable phone even without a custom ROM. I disabled a lot of the bloat and stuff I would never use and I am impressed with the phone.
If she can wait, I would say hold off for about 3 months. We should start seeing the new 2013 LG, Sony and Galaxy S4 here very soon. Most, if not all will have a 1080p screen, better battery life, lower power consuming 8 core or quad core processor, etc.
A lot of people speculate these to arrive this summer May-June months specifically. Would be a shame to burn up her 2 year agreement now when a lot of new toys are right around the corner.

Thanks
iceman4357 said:
I would say you are correct about deciding against the Motorola. I looked at the LG but have read some really bad things about the phone. When I was in the store the ATT employees confirmed that its not that good of a device.
I can say that the GS3 is IMO the best phone you can buy for ATT. The battery life for me is good, the screen is nice and you can make it bright if you are in direct sun. If you search a little you can see a lot of bad comments about the LG screen. The GS3 out of the box is fast and is a very capable phone even without a custom ROM. I disabled a lot of the bloat and stuff I would never use and I am impressed with the phone.
If she can wait, I would say hold off for about 3 months. We should start seeing the new 2013 LG, Sony and Galaxy S4 here very soon. Most, if not all will have a 1080p screen, better battery life, lower power consuming 8 core or quad core processor, etc.
A lot of people speculate these to arrive this summer May-June months specifically. Would be a shame to burn up her 2 year agreement now when a lot of new toys are right around the corner.
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Click to collapse
iceman - I appreciate your feedback. I was thinking the same thing considering all the recent processor announcements (Tegra 4, Exynos 5, Qualcomm 800 series etc.) and the rumors about the GS IV, LG's next big thing, 1080p screens etc. I'm just not sure she would like the 5"+ screens those are expected to have. I'll ask her to hold out for a few more months. Even if she doesn't like those, they should make the GS III fall in price, at the least.
Thanks again.

best phone spec wise is probably the galaxy note 2 followed by the galaxy s3 . the blackberry is worth a look to i find it feels cheap and has small screen. Id wait for march-april thats when most of the tech seems to come out. theres tons of new ones coming out soon id wait for the galaxy s4(Exynos 5 Octa is a chipset manufactured on ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture, packing four Cortex A15 cores at 1.8 GHz for the tasks requiring a lot of processing power and four 1.2 GHz ARM A7 cores for the basic tasks, which are supposed to improve the battery life. )

My personal feelings towards the Galaxy S3 are overwhelmingly positive but mostly after rooting and playing with various ROMs and kernels and finding the right balance of things. I do favor the TouchWiz interface over Sense and even over stock AOSP but not necessarily the stock TouchWiz. I don't know whether or not you'll be rooting the device and customizing things but if I had to deal with the phone stock I'd probably have been happier with my previous 4S.
Battery life is very solid now that I've changed kernels and ROMs and found the right mix of settings. The stock battery life didn't impress me greatly but it wasn't the worst I'd seen by far and given it's capabilities was probably right in line with what I should expect. I'm actually very surprised by how great my battery life is now that I'm running DeviantKernel on Wicked ROM with the settings I've chosen.
Hopefully that helps some.
curry67 said:
best phone spec wise is probably the galaxy note 2 followed by the galaxy s3.
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Click to collapse
I think that's only accurate with the international version. I don't know where the OP is located but in the US, and possibly elsewhere, the S3 has the Qualcomm cpu instead of the Exynos if I'm not mistaken which would put the One X ahead of it technically. Then again I may have misinterpreted and you're talking about other things.

Best phone I've ever used.

My wife and I both got sg3's together. Mine is now running Task's ROM and my wife's is still stock. She loves it just the way it is, and i am fine with that, now i won't have to be constantly flashing hers or hear her complain about glitches, she uses it for news, Facebook and gossip mags and texting. Stock Is fine for all that. I honestly don't know many people who actually talk much on their phones anymore, and if that is the case, then screen size is important. I don't know how all these girls stare at their tiny iphone screens.
My 2 cents
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

gpo1956 said:
Best phone I've ever used.
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^This

I have very few bad things to say about the s3, but because of the phones coming out in the next 3-6 months, I really think your wife should wait it out.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Looks like I'll wait
gtrslngrchris said:
My personal feelings towards the Galaxy S3 are overwhelmingly positive but mostly after rooting and playing with various ROMs and kernels and finding the right balance of things. I do favor the TouchWiz interface over Sense and even over stock AOSP but not necessarily the stock TouchWiz. I don't know whether or not you'll be rooting the device and customizing things but if I had to deal with the phone stock I'd probably have been happier with my previous 4S.
Battery life is very solid now that I've changed kernels and ROMs and found the right mix of settings. The stock battery life didn't impress me greatly but it wasn't the worst I'd seen by far and given it's capabilities was probably right in line with what I should expect. I'm actually very surprised by how great my battery life is now that I'm running DeviantKernel on Wicked ROM with the settings I've chosen.
Hopefully that helps some.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for providing your feedback. All of the responses suggest that I can't go wrong with the GS III. Glad to know that Touchwiz is better than Sense. I didn't even consider the One X due to the improper priority setting for the Sense UI over all the other running apps. But as some others have suggested in this thread, since new phones are coming out I'll wait a couple of months before making the decision. Her phone is now running stable with the AOSP Jelly Bean ROM provided by the CodefireX team so I think I can afford to wait.

I think that's only accurate with the international version. I don't know where the OP is located but in the US, and possibly elsewhere, the S3 has the Qualcomm cpu instead of the Exynos if I'm not mistaken which would put the One X ahead of it technically. Then again I may have misinterpreted and you're talking about other things.[/QUOTE]
You may be right for the processor speed but the no SD card no removable cover (iphone model) and I just feel Samsung makes a better product IMO.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

I seriously love this phone...
fast, smooth and great battery life.
I have been very happy

sound quality
very less weight, bright screen, fast processor and a great rom with features no other vendor yet provided.
I heard great reviews about the audio quality of international S3. Does the ATT model and international have different audio chip's?
---------- Post added at 03:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------
I loved the ext SD card and also with 64 GB support, that was a buying point for me. Removable battery, hardware home button.

I love mine and got one for my wife this past Christmas. She had the atrix and didn't like the size of the s3. Now she can't put it down.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

Great phone! Just make sure that you put it in a good solid case cause the glass is easily broken.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Look honestly plain and simple
The GS3 is enjoyable even with TW.. 2Gs of ram makes this butter smooth with TW. And that says alot
(And for those who come and whine and say 'boo it doesn't AOSP rocks' this is just an opinion with MY personal experience)
I have a hard time deciding which ROM to use.. I have a nandroid of TW and AOSP just to switch back and forth...
No dropped calls, excellent signal and good reception.
Battery is amazing even with stock TW
Screen is amazing and I have no trouble seeing it even with brightness turned all the way down.
TW has its benefits over AOSP as does AOSP does over TW.
In over all its a HUGE step up from a Desire and blows the Optimus out the water in my opinion.
Easy to root easy to fix if you're soft bricked and good ROM choices.
I came from a Galaxy Note and this puts it in the DUST... I wouldn't have any other phone
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

jayRokk said:
Look honestly plain and simple
The GS3 is enjoyable even with TW.. 2Gs of ram makes this butter smooth with TW. And that says alot
(And for those who come and whine and say 'boo it doesn't AOSP rocks' this is just an opinion with MY personal experience)
I have a hard time deciding which ROM to use.. I have a nandroid of TW and AOSP just to switch back and forth...
No dropped calls, excellent signal and good reception.
Battery is amazing even with stock TW
Screen is amazing and I have no trouble seeing it even with brightness turned all the way down.
TW has its benefits over AOSP as does AOSP does over TW.
In over all its a HUGE step up from a Desire and blows the Optimus out the water in my opinion.
Easy to root easy to fix if you're soft bricked and good ROM choices.
I came from a Galaxy Note and this puts it in the DUST... I wouldn't have any other phone
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I own a note and an s3 and I agree that the s3 is way better.
so much smoother and faster

S2 was my first smart phone before that I had flip phones no text no nothing. For a skyrocket it's only ok. S2 was amazing and best of what was out but with hardware I'd issues bad drivers and just Samsung sucking I think s3 could been the best again and wasn't. I'm disappointed in how much better it could be. It's great phone I love it. I don't protect it just good warranty no issues. But Samsung sucks. They got billions and can't release a driver to work with Windows.that just upsets me a lot. It's pathetic. Because of Samsung the s3 is only even player of the game not the leader as it should be and could be. Laziness isn't excitable for a billion dollar company or being cheap. Christ I wish could beat up the guy who released last drivers.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

I just came over from t-mobile and had an HTC Amaze lovely phone but sense was terrible and it killed the battery almost instantly. I had to purchase additional batteries to pop in whenever I went anywhere.
I have had the SGIII from AT&T for about a month now, and it is still stock, I haven't even rooted it... I probably will one day when I'm bored but for now I'm happy. The battery life is like 100x better than my amaze was stock and the screen is bigger as well. I also get a lot better signal with AT&T than I did with T-Mobile. I can actually use my phone at work now! As for the touchwiz, I already own Apex Pro and SSLauncher so I didn't keep touchwiz as the default for long. I am too "nerdy" when it comes to customizing. The bluetooth works flawlessly in my car for making phone calls and listening to podcasts and music. The camera works great, and I like how it flashes first then flashes again to try to prevent people from blinking. Also the SGIII is one of the few phones that still comes with a wired headset.. it's the small things that count
I recommend you do NOT get the LG. I have the LG Optimus from t-mobile at home and it can't even do app2sd nor can I root it to add apps2sd. I was going to install a bunch of games on it for my 6-year-old to play on, but 3 games in I got the "storage full" message. It's going to ebay and I'm gonna get her a tablet or chromebook instead.

The S3 was/is my first android device and I love it. Coming from an iPhone, expandable storage and a removable battery are very welcome. The screen size feels great and looks great as well. I kept touchwiz on it for about a month before I rooted it and flashed a new rom. For the most part TW was ugly as sin and frustrating.

[Q] s4 or note II?

what's your opinion?

No one can answer that for you. They serve different purposes. It's not about which one had the larger battery or which one has faster processor. If you talk on your phone a lot I suggest getting the s4. If you really like using a tablet like device but also use the phone occasionally, get the note. I'm not gonna do a specs by specs or features by features comparison. It's simple. The note series is the most advanced phones out there. It has everything the Galaxy S phones will have and does everything bigger and better. Is that what you want?

thx, i guess i got the point now

I must say, ive loved the Galaxy note series and the note 2 was the best phone I've had. However, as much as I've loved the spen, the size really did become bothersome to carry around everywhere. That's why I'm moving to the smaller s4. If you are a professional then the note 2 is still probably a good option for you with its true multitasking capabilities.

Personally I liked the Note 2 and would've gotten one over the S4 if they kept teasing it. I kinda want a note 2, but I like my S4 (with the exception of no console controllers over bluetooth of course, for now).

I went from a Note 2 to the S4 and I must say for me it was worth it (S4) unless you really utilize the s pen, which I didn't. The N2 was getting a little big I must admit and I was missing the phone size phone if you know what I mean.
There are many things I like about the S4 over the N2. Screen touch response for sure has improved to a whole another level. The screen, although there is nothing to complain about the N2, is noticeably a huge bump. The cpu seems a bit snappier; I prefer the exynos anyday... Camera and features on the S4 rule. Best of all, better reception! I have 2 more bars than before at my office. Over all build quality is to my taste too.
If can... Go S4
Sent from my S4

I have both and use Google voice so I can use both as needed. I too was getting a little tired of the big phone all the time. I loved it for business trips because of battery life and the tablet like features to browse the web with a large screen.
The fist thing about the S4 that is significantly better is the screen quality. I also like the feel of the S4 in my hand. What I don't like is some of the software differences. I liked the buddy screen on then Note 2 so I can select certain apps to use with head phones or to launch when I put the phone in the cradles The s4 has a better email client but doesn't have text flow in the browser which really stinks.
Again there is no perfect phone. I would like the best software features of the Note 2 and the new features of the S4 in one phone.

I will be completely honest I always get the latest and best phone thats out and I kept looking at youtube videos trying to decide should I get either of these phones. Being the htc one or s4. I wasnt blown away by either phone and I was really suprise and I can honestly say that the note 2 is still the best out and im not saying that just to say it. The one r s4 isnt worth a 2year commitment. The one is better built the s4 feels very cheap the note 2 feels better constructed.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium

For me GS4 doesn't feel cheaper than Note2, it feels lighter that is a huuge plus. Lighter not means cheaper, for me.
Also came to GS4 after Note2. GS4 I can say for me the same Note2 but in comfortable size. Feels awesome in hand. Pefrect display size, small margins.
Never used S Pen of Note2.