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Ok so I have owned the S4 for about a week, the HTC One for about 3 weeks and the G pro for 2 days lol. I get myself familiarized real quick with phones so 2 days is already enough for me to give a good opinion. Before I give you guys my opinion let me just say that I am very unbiased, I could care less who makes these phones as long as the product is good but I have used Samsung phones more than any other phones and I do like them a lot. Anyways, here's my take ( my opinion) on these 3 phones:
Build/design/choice of material:
I will say that the HTC One takes this category. I have never really cared on how good a phone looks, I always pay more attention to functionality but the HTC One really deserves a lot of praises. Not necessarily because it uses metal but because of the design. It really does looks stunning with its curved back and the 2 front facing speakers. Talking about the material now, it looks and feels great especially when you pick it up in the morning and get that cold feel, really nice. Overall amazing looking device.
The galaxy S4 also has a very nice design. Yes it looks pretty much just like the S3 but its thinner, a little lighter despite having a bigger screen. The polycarbonate is just fine as it serves its purpose to provide a removable battery. The galaxy s 4 is the phone that feels the best in the hand, sooooo comfortable.
The G pro also has a very nice design, its thin, light for its size ( although I wish that it was just a little lighter but no big deal at all) and overall looks really nice. Much more comfortable in the hand than its competitor, the Note 2.
Button placement:
The HTC One is horrible in this category. I hate the power button at the top left with a passion. I despise it so much, it is so uncomfortable to reach. The volume rocker on the right hand side is just fine. Also don't like that there's no menu button.
The S4 is almost perfect, love the power button on the side as always, I also like the volume rocker on the left but I wish that it was just a little bit lower. Love that there's a menu button.
The G pro is the winner here, power button is perfect, volume is perfect on the middle left plus we get an extra button to access any app we want. Simply perfect. Menu button is great although i'm used to the back and menu the Samsung way ( the other way around) but no big deal, ill get used to it. Love the LED home button!
Display/screen size:
The HTC One display is OUTSTANDING. It is such an amazing display, I cannot emphasize it enough. It is absolutely jaw dropping. Sharp, nice colors ( maybe just a tad bit saturated but I love it). Overall its just an amazing display. You do need however to have the display at least at 50% if you want to see anything in direct sunlight. I like the 4.7 inch size but always prefer bigger displays.
The S4 display is the best Super Amoled display ever. If you're a fan of over saturated colors and deep blacks, this one is unbeatable. It is sharp, blacks are great, whites have a little blueish tint on them but not that big of a deal. Personally I think this display is easier to read in direct sunlight even at 0 brightness because the colors pop regardless. This size display is the best for an average smartphone in my opinion. Samsung did an amazing job at fitting a 5 inch screen on pretty much the same body size as the S3 and it doesn't feel big at all.
The G pro display is also INSANE! Despite having a lesser ppi than the 2 other phones, it is insanely sharp, text is crystal clear, colors are super accurate, viewing angles are excellent ( all 3 displays as a matter of fact). As far as screen size, this is my personal favorite ( im a sucker for big screens). It has the same 5.5 inch screen as the note 2 but doesn't feel too big, its just perfect!.
Overall all 3 displays are great, its just a matter of preference. If you take the display alone then I would give the ever so slight edge ( and I mean so slight that you cant measure it) to the HTC One, followed by the G pro and 3rd the S4 but again all are absolutely amazing. I f you consider display plus screen size, G pro takes it.
Performance:
The HTC One performs so well. It is super quick. Opening apps, exiting apps, swiping through the home screens, browsing the web, performance is nearly flawless ( literally). Once in a blue moon there can be a very slight hiccup but the average person wont notice it. ( Im pretty good at noticing these things).
The S4 performance is good but it does stutter...quite a bit. ( not lag where it completely stops but the animations can stutter a lot). My guess is that android 4.2 and the gazillion sensors are responsible. 4.2 is known to have quite a few bugs, as far as the sensors go they are always activated waiting for the user's gestures/movements so I think it might contribute to the stuttering. There has been a software update the past few days and I think it solved many issues. Don't get me wrong the S4 performs well but stutters a lot ( its hard to explain really).
The Optimus G pro performance is AMAZING. It is so fluid, I never had a device as fluid as this. Just an hour ago I was at work and I showed the phone to one of my co-worker who owns a nexus 4 and talks about how smooth and fast his phone is, I asked him to play with my G pro, you should have seen his face. First thing he said was " Holy sh*t this is so cool" referring to the lock screen animation and then " OMG this is so smooth and fast" as his fingers were gliding through the home screens. Seriously the G pro is INSANELY smooth, by far the smoothest device I have owned yet and I mean it.
If I had to pick a winner it would be G pro followed by the One and S4. The One might be a little quicker than the G pro but the G pro is so smooth and is also quick.
Sense 5/ Touchwiz/ LG's UI:
I like sense 5. Its very nice. Its very simple, in fact sometimes its too simple but it performs well. I thought that I would hate blinkfeed but I fell in love at first sight thanks to the impressive display. What I don't like is that people cant completely remove it if they don't want to use it, I don't like the fact that you have to double tap the home button to access the multitasking and have to close each apps individually. That is just stupid HTC, dumb. Love the music player, don't like that to add an app to the home screen you have to go in the app drawer, hold the app, drag it all the way to the top and then it lets you put it on the home screen, another dumb move. But still sense 5 is very nice nonetheless.
I always liked touchwiz. I thought that it brought many features to the table, I still think it does. But touchwiz is getting old, really old and needs a UI revamp ASAP!!!! Its pretty much the exact same as it is on the S3 and not too different from the S2 except the features. Speaking of features, the S4 has anything possibly imaginable. The bad is that many of them are really gimmicky but the good is that you can turn off whatever you want and I respect that, thank you Samsung for at least giving us the option to remove things unlike HTC lol. My favorite features on the S4 are Airview and multiwindow. Both extremely useful. Airview to access sub menus, preview emails ( don't have to open every email), works as a magnifier glass, works really well. Multi window takes multitasking a step further. Yes it is available on other Samsung devices but it is something that the S4 has over the G pro and HTC One. Air gestures, smart pause are fun for 15 min but then you wont find any use to it ( except for moving apps from one home screen to another with air gesture, pretty useful).
Lg's UI is awesome in my opinion. Starting with the lockscreen, love the animations, in fact I love all the animations of the UI. That's what I love about this device, you can pretty much customize ANYTHING YOU WANT. Colors of folders, lockscreen animations, settings in tabs or list, icons... you name it. Q slide is very nice but doesn't even come close to multi window. LG's UI is very close to touchwiz but they kinda created their own lane and they're doing a very nice job. Once again everything is so smooth, love the quick access button to access any apps on the phone. This UI is like a touchwiz refresh and feels very familiar but different and I love it.
The Gpro UI is my favorite because of the animations, the smoothness and the features. Touchwiz would have tied it if it wasn't for the stutter. Love sense 5 as well.
Camera:
S4 WINS HANDS DOWN, NO DEBATE EVER!!! Such a fantastic camera. The G pro camera is second and the One 3rd although the One is very impressive in low light.
Storage:
Definitely the G pro. Let me explain. Every android phone since ICS can only install apps on the internal storage except the S4 which just had an update to be able to install apps to the sd card. The problem with the S4 move to sd card is that the maximum size app is 40 mb. ( that's what I read) So considering all 3 phones entry models at 199$, the HTC One gives you 32 gig of storage but no possible way of sd cards, the S4 comes in 16 gig with half of it taken by the system and move to sd card only support apps that are 40 mb and under. The G pro comes with 32 gig AND has expandable memory.
Battery life:
Definitely the G pro but everybody knows that, no surprises here with its 3140 mah battery. Not too far behind is the S4 ( GT-I9500 exynos 5 octa version). Plenty of screen time as well and 3rd is HTC One with also great battery life but not better than the other 2. All of them get you through a day with normal use no problem but the G pro is the star of the show.
Music/sound/Speakers:
You already know, the HTC One is UNBEATABLE right now. I don't know if any of you had the privilege to hear the sound that comes out of the One speakers. The sound is so good and loud and clear that it literally puts a smile on my face, literally. It is so crisp, really HTC has Set the bar when it comes to sound quality on a smartphone meaning every new phones that come out will have to beat it to be impressive. Music through the headphones is also great, Beats audio is supported and HTC provides a nice pair of ear buds. Second place goes to the S4. The speakers are plenty loud, just not as clear as the One plus the placement is in the back so it can easily be muffled. Sound through earbuds is nice and loud but again doesn't match the One. Last but not least is the optimus G pro. The sound through the speakers is good ,not great but the volume isn't very high with the headphones. Plus the G pro doesn't come with any earbuds.
Development:
HTC One without a doubt. Not only that HTC provides a method to unlock the bootloader, but the One has S-off now. As you may know, S-off gives you pretty much complete control of your phone and lets you write things on the "write system partition". You can change boot animation, flash radios ect... plus it has super CID which lets you change the ID of your phone from for example an AT&T to the international version so when HTC pushes an update you'll get it on your AT&T phone despite it not being the international version. And the cherry on top of the cake is that any roms on the international HTC One can be flashed to the T-Mobile, AT&T and sprint versions ( some for the sprint versions). That is so amazing. The S4 (Gt I9500 octa core) has an unlocked bootloader, I love Samsung for that. Super easy to root and tools like Odin and CF root by chainfire are awesome. Development is good and will get better. G pro has an easy root method but as you all know the bootloader is locked ( damn you AT&T !). Thanks to thecubed, the bootloader unlock is just a matter of time and once that's done, everybody needs to step back cause the beast will be unleashed!
Call quality
No complains really, all 3 perform pretty well although the advantage goes to the One cause of the speakers for speakerphone calls.
Overall, all 3 phones are amazing. The One offers a quality device, amazing sound, nearly flawless performance and a fantastic display. The S4 is a worthy upgrade to the popular S3, pretty much same body frame but with a bigger screen, lighter, thinner and a bigger battery. Also the best Amoled display and the best camera on a phone yet.
And now the G pro, an optimus G on steroids just like the Note 2 is to the S3. Smoothest experience on a phone, so fast, incredible 5.5 inch 1080p display, fantastic battery life, customizable to the core, nice LED home button, very nice performing camera. My new favorite phone. Cheers!
That was one heck of a comparison... Great job!
Sent from my Xolo_X500 using Tapatalk 2
Nice review...
Thanks for the review! Just wish we had the community the note ii has
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
vivebatu said:
That was one heck of a comparison... Great job!
Sent from my Xolo_X500 using Tapatalk 2
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Teardrop45 said:
Nice review...
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ethanemc505 said:
Thanks for the review! Just wish we had the community the note ii has
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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Thank you very much fellas, really appreciate it!
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barondebxl said:
Thank you very much fellas, really appreciate it!
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
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Just a query... Can you also post the average (I mean ball park without any usage qualifications) SCREEN ON times you for with the 3 phones before the battery ran out?
Tks again
Sent from my Xolo_X500 using Tapatalk 2
vivebatu said:
Just a query... Can you also post the average (I mean ball park without any usage qualifications) SCREEN ON times you for with the 3 phones before the battery ran out?
Tks again
Sent from my Xolo_X500 using Tapatalk 2
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Sure thing. Don't have an S4 screen shot though.
HTC one:
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G pro:
It's pretty good although I was on WiFi all the time. It takes time to charge though.
For the S4, getting 5hours of screen time with constant use is so easy and I wasn't on WiFi all the time so it's definitely better than the HTC one. Also battery charges pretty fast.
The G pro is amazing, it's better than the S4 (exynos version) but not by much, I would say maybe 30 to 45 min more of on screen time. (Note that I had a custom kernel on the S4). The G pro has excellent stand by time plus the battery charges SO FAST!
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
Do you think that the G Pro has the most reflective screen out of the bunch? It would make the screen hard to see outdoors and even under strong artificial light.
Sharpshooterrr said:
Do you think that the G Pro has the most reflective screen out of the bunch? It would make the screen hard to see outdoors and even under strong artificial light.
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Maybe yes but again I think everything is Crystal clear from 50% brightness and above in outdoors conditions. All 3 displays are phenomenal.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
GPro's got a nice big battery, but honestly, it's got NOTHING on the Note II. I've easily done 48+ hours with 5 hours of screen-on time on my Note II.
If the OGPro were out same time as the Note II, it would've been a tough choice between the two phones. I bought the Note II because I wanted the biggest, highest-powered phone you could buy in December.
raduque said:
GPro's got a nice big battery, but honestly, it's got NOTHING on the Note II. I've easily done 48+ hours with 5 hours of screen-on time on my Note II.
If the OGPro were out same time as the Note II, it would've been a tough choice between the two phones. I bought the Note II because I wanted the biggest, highest-powered phone you could buy in December.
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The note 2 does have a better battery life yes but the G pro isn't too far behind. Right now I'm at 16 hours off charge with a little over 4 hours of screen time with extremely heavy use, only 1 hour of WiFi use, lots of iron man 3 and granny Smith gaming, lots of web browsing and tapatalk and 30% left so battery life is definitely not an issue on this phone but yes the note 2 is a bit better. What I like about these phablets is that they charge so freaking fast ( yesterday my phone charged in 1h20 min from 9% to full charge) and the phone never gets hot/warm. The G pro is the best phablet until the note 3 comes out.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
Fast Charging is definitely my favorite feature of the NII and OGPro.
As for that battery info from my Note II, that day I played CSR Racing for about 2 hours, listened to music for 6 hours (about an hour with the screen on) and was on wifi for 90% of the time. Of course I had a smattering of text, maybe 20 minutes of calls and 5 or 10 minutes of browsing. I wasn't using any of the phone's radios heavily that day. The absolute best I pulled out of it was 35 hours off-charge, with 8 hours of screen time, and 12% left.
You're right when you say battery life is not an issue. I have no problems leaving it off the charger for a long time. My S2, I didn't like being more than 20 feet from a charger, and used to have it plugged in, in my truck for the drive to work (30 minutes each way, screen on with music playing).
raduque said:
GPro's got a nice big battery, but honestly, it's got NOTHING on the Note II. I've easily done 48+ hours with 5 hours of screen-on time on my Note II.
If the OGPro were out same time as the Note II, it would've been a tough choice between the two phones. I bought the Note II because I wanted the biggest, highest-powered phone you could buy in December.
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Honestly, my easily lasts 3 days with 6hrs of screen time, for example now I have 50hrs spent with 57% left and 3hrs of screen time. My advice: don't push brightness over 40% and turn off everything you don't need as explained here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292012
Billy Madison said:
Honestly, my easily lasts 3 days with 6hrs of screen time, for example now I have 50hrs spent with 57% left and 3hrs of screen time. My advice: don't push brightness over 40% and turn off everything you don't need as explained here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292012
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It's definitely possible. I use my g pro heavily because I know the battery can handle it. 7 hours on screen time is more than doable.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
G Pro Wins!!
I work with 5 guys that have the S 4. My friend and all his employees att the Att store where he is a manager all have the G pro. Without a doubt I think the G Pro is the better phone. It seems way faster. I was concerned about not being to connect my G Pro to the Tv but I just found a slim port adapter that is supposed to work.
BUT!!!!! Be careful the G Pro glass is weak. I shattered it in the first week with a 2 foot drop waiting for my case from South Korea. Ballastic or Otterbox please get a case out asap!!!
drrandall1 said:
BUT!!!!! Be careful the G Pro glass is weak. I shattered it in the first week with a 2 foot drop waiting for my case from South Korea. Ballastic or Otterbox please get a case out asap!!!
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Broke my Note II's screen from about a foot-ish drop to concrete. That's how I got a OGPro. No phone is immune.
barondebxl said:
Ok so I have owned the S4 for about a week, the HTC One for about 3 weeks and the G pro for 2 days lol. I get myself familiarized real quick with phones so 2 days is already enough for me to give a good opinion. Before I give you guys my opinion let me just say that I am very unbiased, I could care less who makes these phones as long as the product is good but I have used Samsung phones more than any other phones and I do like them a lot. Anyways, here's my take ( my opinion) on these 3 phones:
Build/design/choice of material:
I will say that the HTC One takes this category. I have never really cared on how good a phone looks, I always pay more attention to functionality but the HTC One really deserves a lot of praises. Not necessarily because it uses metal but because of the design. It really does looks stunning with its curved back and the 2 front facing speakers. Talking about the material now, it looks and feels great especially when you pick it up in the morning and get that cold feel, really nice. Overall amazing looking device.
The galaxy S4 also has a very nice design. Yes it looks pretty much just like the S3 but its thinner, a little lighter despite having a bigger screen. The polycarbonate is just fine as it serves its purpose to provide a removable battery. The galaxy s 4 is the phone that feels the best in the hand, sooooo comfortable.
The G pro also has a very nice design, its thin, light for its size ( although I wish that it was just a little lighter but no big deal at all) and overall looks really nice. Much more comfortable in the hand than its competitor, the Note 2.
Button placement:
The HTC One is horrible in this category. I hate the power button at the top left with a passion. I despise it so much, it is so uncomfortable to reach. The volume rocker on the right hand side is just fine. Also don't like that there's no menu button.
The S4 is almost perfect, love the power button on the side as always, I also like the volume rocker on the left but I wish that it was just a little bit lower. Love that there's a menu button.
The G pro is the winner here, power button is perfect, volume is perfect on the middle left plus we get an extra button to access any app we want. Simply perfect. Menu button is great although i'm used to the back and menu the Samsung way ( the other way around) but no big deal, ill get used to it. Love the LED home button!
Display/screen size:
The HTC One display is OUTSTANDING. It is such an amazing display, I cannot emphasize it enough. It is absolutely jaw dropping. Sharp, nice colors ( maybe just a tad bit saturated but I love it). Overall its just an amazing display. You do need however to have the display at least at 50% if you want to see anything in direct sunlight. I like the 4.7 inch size but always prefer bigger displays.
The S4 display is the best Super Amoled display ever. If you're a fan of over saturated colors and deep blacks, this one is unbeatable. It is sharp, blacks are great, whites have a little blueish tint on them but not that big of a deal. Personally I think this display is easier to read in direct sunlight even at 0 brightness because the colors pop regardless. This size display is the best for an average smartphone in my opinion. Samsung did an amazing job at fitting a 5 inch screen on pretty much the same body size as the S3 and it doesn't feel big at all.
The G pro display is also INSANE! Despite having a lesser ppi than the 2 other phones, it is insanely sharp, text is crystal clear, colors are super accurate, viewing angles are excellent ( all 3 displays as a matter of fact). As far as screen size, this is my personal favorite ( im a sucker for big screens). It has the same 5.5 inch screen as the note 2 but doesn't feel too big, its just perfect!.
Overall all 3 displays are great, its just a matter of preference. If you take the display alone then I would give the ever so slight edge ( and I mean so slight that you cant measure it) to the HTC One, followed by the G pro and 3rd the S4 but again all are absolutely amazing. I f you consider display plus screen size, G pro takes it.
Performance:
The HTC One performs so well. It is super quick. Opening apps, exiting apps, swiping through the home screens, browsing the web, performance is nearly flawless ( literally). Once in a blue moon there can be a very slight hiccup but the average person wont notice it. ( Im pretty good at noticing these things).
The S4 performance is good but it does stutter...quite a bit. ( not lag where it completely stops but the animations can stutter a lot). My guess is that android 4.2 and the gazillion sensors are responsible. 4.2 is known to have quite a few bugs, as far as the sensors go they are always activated waiting for the user's gestures/movements so I think it might contribute to the stuttering. There has been a software update the past few days and I think it solved many issues. Don't get me wrong the S4 performs well but stutters a lot ( its hard to explain really).
The Optimus G pro performance is AMAZING. It is so fluid, I never had a device as fluid as this. Just an hour ago I was at work and I showed the phone to one of my co-worker who owns a nexus 4 and talks about how smooth and fast his phone is, I asked him to play with my G pro, you should have seen his face. First thing he said was " Holy sh*t this is so cool" referring to the lock screen animation and then " OMG this is so smooth and fast" as his fingers were gliding through the home screens. Seriously the G pro is INSANELY smooth, by far the smoothest device I have owned yet and I mean it.
If I had to pick a winner it would be G pro followed by the One and S4. The One might be a little quicker than the G pro but the G pro is so smooth and is also quick.
Sense 5/ Touchwiz/ LG's UI:
I like sense 5. Its very nice. Its very simple, in fact sometimes its too simple but it performs well. I thought that I would hate blinkfeed but I fell in love at first sight thanks to the impressive display. What I don't like is that people cant completely remove blinkfeed if they don't want to use it, I don't like the fact that you have to double tap the home button to access the multitasking and have to close each apps individually. That is just stupid HTC, dumb. Love the music player, don't like that to add an app to the home screen you have to go in the app drawer, hold the app, drag it all the way to the top and then it lets you put it on the home screen, another dumb move. But still sense 5 is very nice nonetheless.
I always liked touchwiz. I thought that it brought many features to the table, I still think it does. But touchwiz is getting old, really old and needs a UI revamp ASAP!!!! Its pretty much the exact same as it is on the S3 and not too different from the S2 except the features. Speaking of features, the S4 has anything possibly imaginable. The bad is that many of them are really gimmicky but the good is that you can turn off whatever you want and I respect that, thank you Samsung for at least giving us the option to remove things unlike HTC lol. My favorite features on the S4 are Airview and multiwindow. Both extremely useful. Airview to access sub menus, preview emails ( don't have to open every email), works as a magnifier glass, works really well. Multi window takes multitasking a step further. Yes it is available on other Samsung devices but it is something that the S4 has over the G pro and HTC One. Air gestures, smart pause are fun for 15 min but then you wont find any use to it ( except for moving apps from one home screen to another with air gesture, pretty useful).
Lg's UI is awesome in my opinion. Starting with the lockscreen, love the animations, in fact I love all the animations of the UI. That's what I love about this device, you can pretty much customize ANYTHING YOU WANT. Colors of folders, lockscreen animations, settings in tabs or list, icons... you name it. Q slide is very nice but doesn't even come close to multi window. LG's UI is very close to touchwiz but they kinda created their own lane and they're doing a very nice job. Once again everything is so smooth, love the quick access button to access any apps on the phone. This UI is like a touchwiz refresh and feels very familiar but different and I love it.
The Gpro UI is my favorite because of the animation, the smoothness and the features. Touchwiz would have tied it if it wasn't for the stutter. Love sense 5 as well.
Camera:
S4 WINS HANDS DOWN, NO DEBATE EVER!!! Such a fantastic camera. The G pro camera is second and the One 3rd although the One is very impressive in low light.
Storage:
Definitely the G pro. Let me explain. Every android phone since ICS can only install apps on the internal storage except the S4 which just had an update to be able to install apps to the sd card. The problem with the S4 move to sd card is that the maximum size app is 40 mb. ( that's what I read) So considering all 3 phones entry model at 199$, the HTC One gives you 32 gig of storage but no possible way of sd cards, the S4 comes in 16 gig with half of it taken by the system and move to sd card only support apps that are 40 mb and under. The G pro comes with 32 gig AND has expandable memory.
Battery life:
Definitely the G pro but everybody knows that, no surprises here with its 3140 mah battery. Not too far behind is the S4 ( GT-I9500 exynos 5 octa version). Plenty of screen time as well and 3rd is HTC One with also great battery life but not better than the other 2. All of them get you through a day with normal use no problem but the G pro is the star of the show.
Music/sound/Speakers:
You already know, the HTC One is UNBEATABLE right now. I don't know if any of you had the privilege to hear the sound that comes out of the One speakers. The sound is so good and loud and clear that it literally puts a smile on my face, literally. It is so crisp, really HTC has Set the bar when it comes to sound quality on a smartphone meaning every new phones that come out will have to beat it to be impressive. Music through the headphones is also great, Beats audio is supported and HTC provides a nice pair of ear buds. Second place goes to the S4. The speakers are plenty loud, just not as clear as the One plus the placement is in the back so it can easily be muffled. Sound through earbuds is nice and loud but again doesn't match the One. Last but not least is the optimus G pro. The sound through the speakers is as loud as the S4 but the volume isn't as high with the headphones. Plus the G pro doesn't come with any earbuds.
Development:
HTC One without a doubt. Not only that HTC provides a method to unlock the bootloader, but the One has S-off now. As you may know, S-off gives you pretty much complete control of your phone and lets you write things on the "write system partition". You can change boot animation, flash radios ect... plus it has super CID which lets you change the ID of your phone from for example an AT&T to the international version so when HTC pushes an update you'll get it on your AT&T phone despite it not being the international version. And the cherry on top of the cake is that any roms on the international HTC One can be flashed to the T-Mobile, AT&T and sprint versions ( some for the sprint versions). That is so amazing. The S4 (Gt I9500 octa core) has an unlocked botloader, I love Samsung for that. Super easy to root and tools like Odin are great plus there is CF root by chainfire. Development is good and will get better. G pro has an easy root method but as you all now the bootloader is locked ( damn you AT&T !). Thanks to thecubed, the bootloader unlock is just a matter of time and once that's done, everybody needs to step back cause the beast will be unleashed!
Overall, all 3 phones are amazing. The One offers a quality device, amazing sound, nearly flawless performance and a fantastic display. The S4 is a worthy upgrade to the popular S3, pretty much same body frame but with a bigger screen, lighter, thinner and a bigger battery. Also the best Amoled display and the best camera on a phone yet.
And now the G pro, an optimus G on steroids just like the Note 2 is to the S3. Smoothest experience on a phone, so fast, incredible 5.5 inch 1080p display, fantastic battery life, customizable to the core, nice LED home button, very nice performing camera. My new favorite phone. Cheers!
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I disagree on camera quality. HTC One pictures look better overall, even if they are lacking a little detail. The G Pro tends to blur the photos a bit much and you lose a lot of detail that you should have on a 13mp camera.
The GS4 definitely wins on quality, however the camera is slow. Like the rest of the UI, it lags and takes significantly longer to launch and take a picture. This translates to missed opportunities and blurry action shots. I don't have this issue with either the One or the G Pro, although the One is the champ in the fast camera department. Honestly, if Samsung could optimize Touchwize and speed up the GS4's fluidity, it would be boss.
greyhulk said:
I disagree on camera quality. HTC One pictures look better overall, even if they are lacking a little detail. The G Pro tends to blur the photos a bit much and you lose a lot of detail that you should have on a 13mp camera.
The GS4 definitely wins on quality, however the camera is slow. Like the rest of the UI, it lags and takes significantly longer to launch and take a picture. This translates to missed opportunities and blurry action shots. I don't have this issue with either the One or the G Pro, although the One is the champ in the fast camera department. Honestly, if Samsung could optimize Touchwize and speed up the GS4's fluidity, it would be boss.
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Click to collapse
It is your opinion but I definitely disagree with you, the S4 is the best camera on a phone at the moment. The one does not even come close and really lacks detail. If you talk about shutter speed then yes the One is quicker but the S4 excels in detail and the pics looks absolutely stunning.
I don't think it's fair to call the One camera better because it has a faster shutter speed. What about the picture quality (the thing that really matters after all)?
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
barondebxl said:
It is your opinion but I definitely disagree with you, the S4 is the best camera on a phone at the moment. The one does not even come close and really lacks detail. If you talk about shutter speed then yes the One is quicker but the S4 excels in detail and the pics looks absolutely stunning.
I don't think it's fair to call the One camera better because it has a faster shutter speed. What about the picture quality (the thing that really matters after all)?
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You basically reiterated what I said, but camera launch and shutter speed are important because it doesn't matter how good the picture quality is if you miss the moment completely or get a blurry shot due to movement. The whole point of a smartphone camera is speed and convenience, otherwise, you might as well use a DSLR for the best quality.
I regularly miss photos with my GS4 because by the time the screen unlocks and the camera loads, the moment has passed. This is never an issue on the One and rarely on the G Pro.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
greyhulk said:
You basically reiterated what I said, but camera launch and shutter speed are important because it doesn't matter how good the picture quality is if you miss the moment completely or get a blurry shot due to movement. The whole point of a smartphone camera is speed and convenience, otherwise, you might as well use a DSLR for the best quality.
I regularly miss photos with my GS4 because by the time the screen unlocks and the camera loads, the moment has passed. This is never an issue on the One and rarely on the G Pro.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well once again I have to disagree with you. " the whole point of a smartphone camera is its speed and convenience". What if the pic quality isn't that great?
I don't know about you but most pictures I take are still pics, people posing stuff like that. Yes shutter speeds are great, but ill take the image quality of the S4 with its slower shutter speed over the fast shutter speed of the One but with far less picture quality anyday. I don't understand your point about carrying DSLRs since we are comparing smartphones here. So if I understand correctly, you think the HTC One's camera is better because of faster shutter speed to capture that "moment" while I prefer the S4's camera because its picture quality is absolutely superior. And its not like it takes 10 seconds for the S4 to launch the camera plus capture a pic.
Your quote to my huge post was " I disagree with camera quality", well this isn't even a point to be argued since everybody knows the S4 captures more details with its camera.
So after using the G3 for about a week, I picked up an S5 also to compare it to. My G3 will be replacing my HTC One M8.
Performance initially was disappointing, seemed to microstutter everywhere which gives a perception of a laggy device. At first I was very upset but after putting all 3 devices side by side and running and opening apps ect., the G3 is just as quick, if not quicker then the S5 and M8 when opening and switching apps, the key difference here are in the animations.
The S5 and M8 are very consistent with smooth app opening, closing and switching animations. Always seems to run fluid 90-100 percent of the time, the G3 struggles to render them smoothly consistently. The animation stutters, stutters, then closes and vise versa when it opens on many occasions. Drove me insane! In-app performance are pretty much identical between the 3 with scrolling a tiny bit smoother on the S5 and M8.
Screen quality, I would have to give the win to the HTC M8 out of the box, because of the weird over sharpening high contrast setting LG decided to use, text on the G3 looks lower resolution than the HTC as a direct result. Colors on the G3 also looks a little washed out compared to the M8 and S5 out of the box, BUT...you can change the contrast ratio on the G3 in the accessibility menu and make the colors pop to your hearts desire. Very nice.. M8 also has better black levels than G3.
Don't get me started with the S5's screen, I can't believe one report actually gave it the "best display ever tested" title. Looks like garbage compared to the G3 and M8. No matter what setting I chose, adapt display, professional, cinema ect, it was way over saturated to the point where the colors look almost neon like. Everything looks lower resolution also, I blame TouchJizz mostly because once you switch to a different launcher like Nova, the icons look sharper but still not on par with the M8 or G3. The S5's display looks "Okay" once you crank the brightness past 75 percent, anything under that and the screen just looks terrible. Maybe my eyes have gotten accustomed to IPS LCD, I can't see myself going back to AMOLED. If this is the best that AMOLED can offer at the moment.. NO THANKS!
Camera, lets make this simple. The S5 takes the best pictures overall. It also records the best video with options for full 60fps in 1080p. G3 is a close second but the colors just doesn't seem to look as nice as the S5's, clarity and details are similar but the S5 exposes the picture better. HDR is also better on the S5. M8 takes very nice close up and macro shots but sucks big time when you try and take a scenery shot I really haven't tried much night time photography so I can't comment on that.
Battery life, S5 and G3 seems to be neck and neck lasting my entire work day with heavy use, the M8 trails behind and needs to be plugged in for my drive home.
Design and in hand usage. This is very subjective, I find the S5 the most comfortable to hold but it's also the most godawful looking. There's no denying it, the S5 is one ugly phone compared to the other two. Looks and feels terribly cheap, huge bezels giving the phone a very dated look. M8 looks great, build quality is nice but it's also very uncomfortable to use. It's slippery, the edges are sharp and it's just a pain (literally) to hold on to. It just doesn't give you a reassuring feel when using it especially over any hard surface. It also feels a lot heavier. The G3 is the perfect blend between the two, it looks beautiful, perfectly weighted, comfortable to hold, feels solid in the hand and has just enough "grip". Hands down I think it looks the best, just gorgeous.
Audio, as you guessed it the HTC One M8 tops it here, it sounds great with the Boom sound external speakers and with headphones plugged in. Bluetooth audio streaming also sounds very clean with the M8, the G3 matches the M8 in headphone audio output and bluetooth streaming quality but obviously gets smoked when it comes to external speaker quality. G3 still sounds very loud and pretty full for having only one rear firing mono speaker. The S5 is the worst performer here, headphone audio performance is just dismal compared to the other two even after playing with the built-in EQ. Bluetooth audio streaming on the S5 is also weak, audio tracks sound very degraded over bluetooth. Another weird issue I had with the S5 was it didn't play nicely with my Lexus Mark Levinson system, I had to crank the volume to twice the level to get the same output as the M8 and G3. (Yes, the bluetooth output volume was set to max on the S5) The S5's external speaker is also the tinniest, almost painful to listen to at higher volumes. It has piercing highs with no mids or lows. I guess when you make the phone IP67, sacrifices must be made.
Conclusion, as you can see all the phones have their pros and cons but overall I think we all made the right decision with the G3. I've been on a search for the "perfect" phone since I can remember, for me at the moment, the G3 is the closest one yet. I'm sure performance will improve with updates so I am excited for the G3's future. I'm also glad I gave it a second chance, I literally had it all boxed up with the return label slapped on it back to T-Mobile. Looks like it will be sticking with me for a little bit longer.
Woot
Here's my copy and paste from another site reviewing the same three phones. This may be a good thread for people to detail their experience with the three big players.
"Alright so I've had it a few days now and here's what I think of it. Out****ingstanding.
Hardware - The metal looking plastic back is actually pretty nice. I think it actually has some metal in it, it doesn't feel plastic and cheap in the hand like the GS5 does. It doesn't have the heft of the M8 but it's also not as slippery as the M8 either. It's just about right. It's removable so it's easy to throw a spare battery in your car or camera bag or pocket or whatever if you're going to be out all day. That being said, the battery life is surprisingly good given the resolution/size of the display. Which brings me to the display. It's also outstanding. The first G3 I got had a weird yellowish tint to the display, did a little research and it seems there's some inconsistency among the displays from manufacture, I took it back to T-Mobile and they swapped it out without any hassle. It's huge, it's bright, it's incredibly sharp. There really isn't much bad I can say about the display. The buttons on the back took a little getting used to, but after a day you're used to them and it's actually quite natural to use them. The camera is awesome, I think it's bright light capabilities are on par or better than the M8 and definitely better than the S5. Under lower light it's at least on par or slightly better than the S5 and ****s on the M8. The OIS and "frikkin laser" focus is awesome, makes it really easy to pull it out and snap a pic really quick without the fuss the other two give. Wireless charging is available with an appropriate back cover, but more on that later. The single rear speaker is similarly placed to the S5 but it's much louder and your hand doesn't muffle it in regular use. Clarity is much better than the S5 as well. The M8 destroys all comers in this area with it's front facing speakers.
Software - The LG overlay is actually quite nice. I think it's just as good as HTC's Sense and kicks Touchwhiz in the grundel. It's easy enough to disable most stock LG apps if you want to. There's a faint touch of lag to the OS, not as bad as Touchwhiz but just a hair worse than Sense. If you kick the animations down to 0.5x from 1x in developer options it goes away. There's a health app, the people on xda seem to like it a lot but I don't use it.
Daily use - This thing really shines. The size is marginally bigger than the others in one dimension or another, but the shape of the back cover makes it perfectly comfortable to use and it doesn't feel at all as big as it actually is. The M8 feels really skinny next to it and the S5 feels like a giant, rectangular brick. Easy to use one handed, especially with the rear buttons. The OIS of the camera is really quite good and it's probably the first Android phone I've used that I think has a camera comparable to the quality output from the iPhones under all scenarios. Battery life has been great, I can easily get through a whole 12 hour shift at work and have plenty of battery to spare and I use the phone quite heavily and have music playing probably 10 of those 12 hours.
Signal strength - So I originally got the AT&T version before realizing those ****s disabled Qi charging in favor of PMA so I actually have some experience with the d850 (ATT) and d851 (TMo). The modems are the same between the two, the only hardware difference between the two devices I believe is AT&T's hardware removal of Qi. Both phones were on the same rev and they picked up signal the same as the S5 and a little worse than the M8 on AT&T. I have all Qi stuff so I said **** it and switched to TMo and have been quite pleasantly surprised. Their service in my area is great (better than AT&T coverage was) and the calls/sms/mms over WiFi is actually awesome, especially at work as most of the hospital is well insulated from outside communication. I also have unlimited everything for about $40/mo less than I was paying for 4gb at AT&T.
Advanced nerdy stuff (root) - If you root the phone, which is available for all variants and most with a one click utility, then the thing outshines the other 2 on all fronts. There's a mod for camera quality that kicks the image quality above the other 2 under all lighting conditions and increases the video recording quality to 1080p/60 and increases the bitrate of the 4k recording. There's a tweakbox that lets you customize the LG overlay to your personal taste and with a couple minor tweaks it is fastest experience of the 3. You can tinker with the volume of the speaker and the volume increments which is needed (30 vs stock 15 options). Then of course you can use Titanium Backup to freeze/uninstall all the carrier bloat. Xposed Framework of course brings hundreds of mods for just about anything you'd want to do.
Overall - Out of the box within confinements of not being rooted 9/10
----------- After root 10/10"
I agree with most of what you said, except I think the S5 has a better screen overall. I came from a Note 2, so I am used to the saturated colors. But regardless of your preference of saturated vs natural colors, I think most people would agree that the S5 has better brightness and viewing angles. I also think text on the G3 is oversharpened/overprocessed.
I think LG got the "feel" of the G3 just right. The S5 is a freaking brick and looks like it was beaten with an ugly stick. The M8 is disproportionately tall, and also heavy & slippery.
As far as sound, the G3 falls in between. The S5 speaker is anemic. The M8 blows everything else out of the water. I always listen to music via headphones or my car system. But if you absolutely *must* listen to audio via speakerphone, then the M8 has no equal. I must admit, sharing videos with friends is a much more pleasant experience on the M8. The G3 speaker does a respectable job, but you still have to cup your hand around the back to hear anything (at least at my age).
Despite its flaws (which are very minor), I think the G3 is the phone to beat this year. The Note 4 will no doubt offer some serious competition, but I think the Note line targets a different demographic. People that don't want or need the Note's special features will probably find the G3 to be an almost perfect compromise of size, features and performance.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
Dan37tz said:
Camera, lets make this simple. The S5 takes the best pictures overall.
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Click to collapse
I don't have my G3 yet, but based on images I've seen online, I, ever so slightly, prefer the G3's photos as it seems to get slightly better detail. What I mean is that, at least from what I'm seeing, it looks like the S5 is trying to over-sharpen details in software instead of just using what is available through the sensor. For instance, outlines of leaves in front of the bright sky shows a tiny bit extra outlining to me.
Oddly enough, this shouldn't be the case since the S5 has a slightly larger sensor, more megapixels and a slightly wider aperture @ f/2.2. Perhaps that new isocell sensor isn't all it's cracked up to be or maybe they just haven't fine tuned the software for it. However, with the G3 you also get dual flash, which is a feature that might come in handy for macro shots, and there is that laser focus thingy the G3 has. So, I dunno, I was leaning towards the S5 myself, but after seeing test photos and reading reviews about all the other aspects of the phone itself I went with the G3.
Perhaps completely manual shooting with the S5 would render better results than the G3.
In the end though, I just wanted something that could compete with my old T-mobile 4G Slide. My Google Nexus 4 certainly didn't and I'm glad it's paid off and done with.
Dan37tz said:
Camera, lets make this simple. The S5 takes the best pictures overall.
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Click to collapse
Have to disagree there, I think the G3 pictures are better. I took some pics of my car today and was actually quite impressed with how they came out compared to similar shots at the same place and same time of day and same subject matter. I do agree the HDR shots from the S5 are better, but who uses that anyway
boosting1bar said:
Have to disagree there, I think the G3 pictures are better. I took some pics of my car today and was actually quite impressed with how they came out compared to similar shots at the same place and same time of day and same subject matter. I do agree the HDR shots from the S5 are better, but who uses that anyway
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Click to collapse
I wonder if it is due to the lens itself?
Perhaps the G3 is using a better lens (Sony?) and it is of better quality than what Samsung is using on the S5. There is actually a list of people with cracked and broken S5 lenses, so I'm guessing the glass they are using isn't very good.
From what I've seen, the M8 appears to take cleaner night shots, at least with macro and no flash, However; I do not know how low the ISO settings will go with it. I think the G3 can do ISO 50, so if the image stabilization is as good as LG claims and the focus laser is really fast it should end up taking pretty good night shots in manual mode.
In the end I think all three are good cameras for a cell phone, I just feel like the G3 has more options for covering different kinds of shooting. Then again, I haven't used any of these phones personally yet.:silly:
I suspect with the XPOSED module Viper4Android, you can tweak the sound on the G3 to be on par with boomsound or even better.
Also, have you taken many pictures in low light? It's my understanding that the g3 has a much better camera for low light than the s5. It's not as good in direct sunlight, but better everywhere else making it a better "overall" camera. I don't have an s5 to compare the G3 to, so I'm just going off what I've read. It would be nice to hear from someone that has both.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
I must not be getting the same bluetooth results as you...
This is the worst I've heard in the past few years, as far as bluetooth media pairing goes..
it sounds like the bit rate of a 320 mp3 goes down to 96 or 128.
I'm quite concerned about this...
I'm pairing up to a VW/Dynaudio setup.
Iphone, GS4, lumia 925...all sound 10x better.
did you do any bluetooth tweaks?
sic0048 said:
I suspect with the XPOSED module Viper4Android, you can tweak the sound on the G3 to be on par with boomsound or even better.
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Click to collapse
The M7/M8 have front facing stereo speakers. The G3 has one small speaker on the back, facing away from the user. Sorry, but no amount of mods will make the G3 external speaker sound like the M7/M8.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
Which is preferable? Screen and etc? Anyone's opion is awesome!
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
LG shaped better and easier to hold. Battery life seems slightly better on the S3. S5 bloatware seems to negatively affect operation more than on G3 - G3 also has 3gb of ram (S5 has 2gb). G3 keyboard more accurate and convenient. G3 resolution specs look really high on paper, but fonts often seem a bit washed out/blurry...overall I'd say the S5 has a slightly better screen. G3 screen noticeably larger. G3 camera better and more responsive. I'll let others add to this and share their thoughts, but I feel like the S3 is definitely a better overall value.
Sent from my Verizon LG G3 using XDA Premium HD app
Brava27 said:
Which is preferable? Screen and etc? Anyone's opion is awesome!
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
S5 has an E-fuse that blows when you root the phone, permanently voiding your warranty. LG G3 can be reflashed to stock rom/unrooted and returned.
I have to say that I love my S5 but finally got to get my hands on a G3 about a half hour ago and it is a beautiful phone. Did not see any of the lag issues or sharpening issues that are being reported but I only got to play with it in store for a little bit. I would be lying if I didn't say that I am having a little envy towards the G3 right now. Developer support would be one worry I would have with the G3 since I do like to flash custom ROMs after having my phone for a while.
Tapped It!
Just came from an S5. The camera and battery are the only benefit, and one of those (battery) can be made much better on the G3. I do have to say I'm largely unimpressed by the ability to take good pictures with the G3. Its not the worst, but the S5 has an amazing camera.
S5 seems a little faster through the launcher, but loading apps and swapping back and fourth between them isn't much difference.
Had battery issues with my G3 until removing carrier IQ, freezing apps, and installing greenify. Now its every bit as good as my S5 on batter (running G3 at 50% auto brightness).
Double-tap screen on/off is a nice feature that I found myself doing after turning on the S5 last night and messing with it again.
Screen goes, hands-down, to the G3. I don't have(or don't see) the sharpening effect that everyone complains about. I also don't see the digitizer like some people say they can.
I think ROM support will come eventually, but its fine just rooted and cleaned up. Great phone and I'm liking it more and more each day.
Be ready for funny reactions/faces when people ask about why you switched from the S5 to some "LG thing".
Had it for a day, traded for the g3, never looked back, this screen, the snappiness, the camera, and the lack of bloat to me just combines together to make the best phone right now
I got the G3 a couple of days ago, my wife has had the GS5 for a couple of months both on Sprint. One of my concerns about the G3 was battery life, but I found them to be about the same. I removed a lot of bloat from the G3, but found it impossible to do the same with the GS5 without root. In use both are snappy, but the SG5 interface feels more cluttered and clunky. Side by side both running Nova, they are equivalent. The same goes for the camera, the G3 feels cleaner and snappier but side by side? They are equally fast, maybe the G3 focuses a teeny bit faster but not of any consequence in my use. Both have outstanding camera output and I couldn't say one better than the other. Both are good overall choices, but the G3 feels cleaner, snappier and more modern although this is more perception than reality. Certainly the GS5 has more gimmick features that we don't use (HR monitor, fingerprint reader, crap load of "S" apps) while the G3 has a few that I find compelling (knock codes, clip tray, ear to answer). I came from a Note 2 which I liked just fine. I thought about upgrading to the GS5 when my wife got hers, but it didn't feel that much different than my N2, just a bit faster. When I bought the G3 I was 50-50 that I was going to return it based on published screen and battery issues. After 2 days of use, I'm for sure keeping it. It made my N2 feel clunky and old.
I'm concerned with no root thus far. But what about performance and everything else in comparison?
SysAdmNj said:
I'm concerned with no root thus far. But what about performance and everything else in comparison?
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Click to collapse
I have both and I'm enjoying the Note far more this time around. Mind you I hopped off the Samsung wagon back with the Note 2, so this is my first Sammy device in a while.
It is a bit larger than the G3, that's for certain. But the build quality, despite the plastic back is quite nice. The camera eclipses it in every single way. Samsung's photo post processing definitely beats out the G3 by far. Even with TouchWiz the phone is still snappy with the only lag I've noticed being the transition to the recent app menu. Don't let the negative comments sway you, this thing flies.
I haven't used the heart rate sensor yet, but I'll give it a run soon. I have used the fingerprint sensor and it is pretty nifty even if it is a novelty. Gimmicks abound with Touchwiz, but they've really cleaned things up. It's actually bearable for a change. I haven't even been tempted to go back to GEL which is loaded on my G3 by the way.
Battery life is fairly decent. I haven't given a formal review side by side, but from initial findings, my Note 4 lasts a bit longer than the G3. The screen is infinitely more vibrant with colors just popping out at you. There's not much 1440 content and even if there were, not like we would be able to really tell on this screen, but it is definitely crisp and enjoyable to view things on.
Hope I've helped out some.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth. I love the build and quality of the LG G Flex and G3. I think the gui on LG phones is more user friendly with a lot more feature,but the cameras on the LG phones are a bit behind in terms of quality. Samsung by far has always had better cameras and that's why I switched from an LG back to Samsung. If LG had as good of camera as the Samsung does I would have never switched,but then again this is just my opinion. At the end of the day it's up to you to decide.
SysAdmNj said:
I'm concerned with no root thus far. But what about performance and everything else in comparison?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. It's definitely worth it. The screen is fantastic. Blacks are fantastic and colors pop, but remain accurate.
Battery is substantially better in my case.
As far as performance, night and day for me. I had extreme signal issues with my LG G3 compared to the Note 4. I went from barely getting data signal (in and out) at work to full LTE. The Note 4 is also faster than the G3 especially in the area of multitasking. SwiftKey would lag so bad on my G3 that I'd want to smash the phone sometimes. Perfectly smooth on the Note 4.
The S Pen is great and I find myself using it a lot more than I ever did on any of my previous Notes.
Did I mention the battery? It's ridiculous!
After having my Note 4 for a week, I just posted my LG G3 for sale. I would have done it the next day, but I was waiting for the LG promotional free battery/cradle to show up so I could package it with the phone for a better sale.
I would say switch. Don't get me wrong, G3 is a good phone but I switched to the g3 from a note 3 and I missed my note 3. If you plan to use the s pen, then it's well worth it.
Sent from my Note3 Rocking DynamicKat or my G3
RiNo808 said:
I would say switch. Don't get me wrong, G3 is a good phone but I switched to the g3 from a note 3 and I missed my note 3. If you plan to use the s pen, then it's well worth it.
Sent from my Note3 Rocking DynamicKat or my G3
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Click to collapse
I switched to the G3 from my Note 3 (and gave it to my son) and regretted it afterwards. The G3 is a great phone but there are some things that only the Note can deliver.
I am absolutely loving the Note 4 and will definitely stick with it. The camera is the best I have used so far cause the pictures seem to jump out at you. I also love the little features in video like the slo-mo and fast speed.
I honestly don't care if we get root. I have disabled enough bloat that I can easily get through a day on a charge and that's what's most important to me from a root perspective. No need for a modified kernel because this thing deep sleeps as is.
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Rado_vr6 said:
I have both and I'm enjoying the Note far more this time around. Mind you I hopped off the Samsung wagon back with the Note 2, so this is my first Sammy device in a while.
It is a bit larger than the G3, that's for certain. But the build quality, despite the plastic back is quite nice. The camera eclipses it in every single way. Samsung's photo post processing definitely beats out the G3 by far. Even with TouchWiz the phone is still snappy with the only lag I've noticed being the transition to the recent app menu. Don't let the negative comments sway you, this thing flies.
I haven't used the heart rate sensor yet, but I'll give it a run soon. I have used the fingerprint sensor and it is pretty nifty even if it is a novelty. Gimmicks abound with Touchwiz, but they've really cleaned things up. It's actually bearable for a change. I haven't even been tempted to go back to GEL which is loaded on my G3 by the way.
Battery life is fairly decent. I haven't given a formal review side by side, but from initial findings, my Note 4 lasts a bit longer than the G3. The screen is infinitely more vibrant with colors just popping out at you. There's not much 1440 content and even if there were, not like we would be able to really tell on this screen, but it is definitely crisp and enjoyable to view things on.
Hope I've helped out some.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
hanfordrob said:
Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth. I love the build and quality of the LG G Flex and G3. I think the gui on LG phones is more user friendly with a lot more feature,but the cameras on the LG phones are a bit behind in terms of quality. Samsung by far has always had better cameras and that's why I switched from an LG back to Samsung. If LG had as good of camera as the Samsung does I would have never switched,but then again this is just my opinion. At the end of the day it's up to you to decide.
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done12many2 said:
Yes. It's definitely worth it. The screen is fantastic. Blacks are fantastic and colors pop, but remain accurate.
Battery is substantially better in my case.
As far as performance, night and day for me. I had extreme signal issues with my LG G3 compared to the Note 4. I went from barely getting data signal (in and out) at work to full LTE. The Note 4 is also faster than the G3 especially in the area of multitasking. SwiftKey would lag so bad on my G3 that I'd want to smash the phone sometimes. Perfectly smooth on the Note 4.
The S Pen is great and I find myself using it a lot more than I ever did on any of my previous Notes.
Did I mention the battery? It's ridiculous!
After having my Note 4 for a week, I just posted my LG G3 for sale. I would have done it the next day, but I was waiting for the LG promotional free battery/cradle to show up so I could package it with the phone for a better sale.
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Click to collapse
RiNo808 said:
I would say switch. Don't get me wrong, G3 is a good phone but I switched to the g3 from a note 3 and I missed my note 3. If you plan to use the s pen, then it's well worth it.
Sent from my Note3 Rocking DynamicKat or my G3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ReggieSmith said:
I switched to the G3 from my Note 3 (and gave it to my son) and regretted it afterwards. The G3 is a great phone but there are some things that only the Note can deliver.
I am absolutely loving the Note 4 and will definitely stick with it. The camera is the best I have used so far cause the pictures seem to jump out at you. I also love the little features in video like the slo-mo and fast speed.
I honestly don't care if we get root. I have disabled enough bloat that I can easily get through a day on a charge and that's what's most important to me from a root perspective. No need for a modified kernel because this thing deep sleeps as is.
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Glad to hear about the camera. How would you say the fingerprint scanner works for unlocking the phone all the time? I mean I have a samsung galaxy tab S and it works pretty good there. Want to make sure its pretty accurate on the note 4 to use as a security lock.
Oh I forgot to ask, me personally on the G3 i noticed from the beginning the led notifications were dimmer than the G2 for example. I know some of you guys that used the G3 may have noticed the dimmer led notifications? How does the Note 4 led notifications compare? I've seen the Note 4 has some weird lines on the navigation buttons and near the led light as part of the glass?
SysAdmNj said:
Glad to hear about the camera. How would you say the fingerprint scanner works for unlocking the phone all the time? I mean I have a samsung galaxy tab S and it works pretty good there. Want to make sure its pretty accurate on the note 4 to use as a security lock.
Oh I forgot to ask, me personally on the G3 i noticed from the beginning the led notifications were dimmer than the G2 for example. I know some of you guys that used the G3 may have noticed the dimmer led notifications? How does the Note 4 led notifications compare? I've seen the Note 4 has some weird lines on the navigation buttons and near the led light as part of the glass?
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The fingerprint reader works great for unlocking the phone. I use it full time.
I must say, however, that using the SP02 & heart-rate sensors with a case on is glitchy. And I don't think the heart-rate sensor is accurate. For me, IF it takes a reading, it seems to be about 10 beats higher than my average. Not that I'd really use it all that much but it would be nice to know it was accurate.
ReggieSmith said:
The fingerprint reader works great for unlocking the phone. I use it full time.
I must say, however, that using the SP02 & heart-rate sensors with a case on is glitchy. And I don't think the heart-rate sensor is accurate. For me, IF it takes a reading, it seems to be about 10 beats higher than my average. Not that I'd really use it all that much but it would be nice to know it was accurate.
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I wouldnt depend on that heart-rate sensor at all. Youre better off using the ANT+ capability and get a heart rate monitor strap if youre that serious about fitness. I'm assuming this device works with hrm straps with ANT+ support.
I had the g3 (bought it full price) and now I'm using the note 4. As I say here I never had the major issues with my g3(as others on here were having) and I'm glad the guys over there finally got the unlock bootloader. But after everything I'm liking the note 4 more than the g3.
It boils down to g3 and upcoming custom roms, or note 4 and updated processor gpu spen and build quality (which I still find crazy saying for a samsung)
The note 4 to me fits better in the hand than the g3 because of the metal sides. The camera slightly better on the note 4, the g3 isn't no slouch and takes wonderful pictures as well. I do feel like the g3 should have gotten the 805 instead of the 801. But I don't think you can go wrong with the note 4 if you don't mind not having roms and root. Not saying root won't happen but except it not to.
I am on the fence to get the G4. I love LG because I owned the G2 for the longest time and loved it. I dont like the G4 size (even compared to the s6 or g2).
I love the specs of the s6, but feel as if the G4 doesnt stack up.
I do love the fact I'd be able to root and flash roms without worry of samsung knox.
What are your guy's take?
Stick with the S6.
I have a S6 and my G4 comes today so I will let you know. I've had the G2 and G3 and the only reason I moved on was because the screen broke on the G2 and my headphone jack broke on the G3. Both of those happened from me being clumsy so it's not the phone's fault. I had a note 4 and hated the lag when opening recents menu or opening dialer/answering calls. Got a S6 and I keep experiencing lag with it as well. I'm very excited about going back to LG.
I had a few G3s (16GB models) and they all lagged like hell. I'm finding the S6 pretty smooth, aside from the occasional stutter in Chrome.
Took ownership of a brown leather G4 today and I'm not that smitten with it so far. Camera doesn't seem much better than the S6 at all - in fact it seems worse in many instances, and my camera sometimes shows a pink tint in the middle which the S6 doesn't (under the same scenes).
Overall I don't think it feels anywhere near as premium as the S6, nor as nice in the hand. The glossy plastic around the edges is disappointing as it will pick up scratches and scuffs easily and overall I just don't feel like I enjoy the size and shape of it like I do the S6. The screen also seems to have a wildly inaccurate white balance.
I like that I can stick an SD card in and that it has a replaceable battery but other than that I'm going to struggle to justify NOT taking this back to the store. I'm a bit disappointed to be honest as I've read really good reviews from some critics whose opinions I trust.
Will see what tomorrow brings but personally I'd say hold off for now, especially if you already have an S6.
If you guys already have an S6 and you still want to buy a G4 as well you have too much money.
djsubterrain said:
If you guys already have an S6 and you still want to buy a G4 as well you have too much money.
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No, I've had issues with all my s6 warranty replacements. So T-Mobile is letting me jump again. So im deciding if i should or hold out.
I used jump to go from the s6edge to the g4 mainly due to the battery life on the s6. Its God awful. Plus, i nuts some of the lg features. The g2 was the best phone I've ever had.
Sent from my SM-G925T using XDA Free mobile app
blackangst said:
I used jump to go from the s6edge to the g4 mainly due to the battery life on the s6. Its God awful. Plus, i nuts some of the lg features. The g2 was the best phone I've ever had.
Sent from my SM-G925T using XDA Free mobile app
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I agree. The g2 was amazing! Great form factor, perfect screen size. Large battery
At the same time I do want a nicer premium device.
I just wished the g4 had the 810.. 808 doesn't seem impressive. If the G flex 2 had the 810 then why couldnt they tweak an 810 to perform better like they did 808?
tlxxxsracer said:
I agree. The g2 was amazing! Great form factor, perfect screen size. Large battery
At the same time I do want a nicer premium device.
I just wished the g4 had the 810.. 808 doesn't seem impressive. If the G flex 2 had the 810 then why couldnt they tweak an 810 to perform better like they did 808?
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Hardware limitations > software tweaking.
I'm on the same boat, have the S6 but considering the G4.
I know without question the S6 is the better phone. My only gripe with it is battery life. Battery life is abysmal, and if the G4 is a significant improvement then I'm all for swapping out to the G4.
I'm just holding off and waiting for what the feedback is on the T Mobile branded G4... But I have a feeling the abysmal battery life on all current flagship is Android 5.0.2. Which even the Nexus 6 suffered from bad battery life before it was updated to 5.1
Should I eat cupcakes or donuts?
If S6 a better phone ....stick it and stop trolling here. S6 like a tiny iphone 6 xD Life's Good.
Sent from my LG G4 H815 LG G4 TRIAL
I have an S6 (4 days old) and now I have the G4 (leather). I would stick with the S6 at least that is my opinion after half a day with the G4. The G4 may grow on me, but most likely not enough to keep it over the S6. Biggest factor for my preference of the S6 is build and looks. I will probably end up keeping both though, not sure yet.
Price isnt a factor. Almost the same price.
64GB S6 memorial day sale plus 50$ mail in rebate = 629.99
Leather G4 = 599.00
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Both cameras are good. I prefer that when I quick open the camera on the S6, it doesn't auto snap a photo. That drives me nuts on the G4 and I can't find a way to turn it off.
I prefer the fingerprint reader wake over knock code or knock on wake. It's just better.
Screens are both good, but brightness and sharpness are better on the S6. I like Amoled vibrance. Screen size is nice on the G4 and I'm sure many people out there will prefer it.
I have 64 gb of storage on the S6 and I prefer internal storage over removable storage. Internal is faster. All my media and files are in the cloud so I don't need over 64GB. I still think SD is a nice bonus, but I would prefer a higher internal storage amount on the G4 over SD. I can see why sappable storage may attract others though. I just don't need it.
Battery life has been good for me on the S6. I average 4-5hrs SOT. Regardless of the S6's performance, the G4 comes with 2 swappable batteries and has a huge edge on the S6 in the battery department. This is the biggest positive for me regarding the G4.
Touchwiz beats LG's software in this instance. It's just smoother and better looking with more funtional features. Both phones software have occasional stutters, but LG has far more. It could be the 808 and the Exynos at play here, but I doubt it. That's not to say that some things arent better on the G4 (camera app), they are. Just not enough to sway my opinion.
No quick charger in the box for the G4 is silly. I don't understand that decision.
rogconnect said:
If S6 a better phone ....stick it and stop trolling here. S6 like a tiny iphone 6 xD Life's Good.
Sent from my LG G4 H815 LG G4 TRIAL
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I enjoy flashing roms, double tap to wake and rear buttons. And with expandable storage would be lovely! Just wonder if some things are worth the trade offs.
Will wait for more reviews and feedback.
It's all relative and a matter of personal preferences. Just choose what you think you want.
depends on why you want to switch
randpost said:
I have an S6 (4 days old) and now I have the G4 (leather). I would stick with the S6 at least that is my opinion after half a day with the G4. The G4 may grow on me, but most likely not enough to keep it over the S6. Biggest factor for my preference of the S6 is build and looks. I will probably end up keeping both though, not sure yet.
Price isnt a factor. Almost the same price.
64GB S6 memorial day sale plus 50$ mail in rebate = 629.99
Leather G4 = 599.00
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Both cameras are good. I prefer that when I quick open the camera on the S6, it doesn't auto snap a photo. That drives me nuts on the G4 and I can't find a way to turn it off.
I prefer the fingerprint reader wake over knock code or knock on wake. It's just better.
Screens are both good, but brightness and sharpness are better on the S6. I like Amoled vibrance. Screen size is nice on the G4 and I'm sure many people out there will prefer it.
I have 64 gb of storage on the S6 and I prefer internal storage over removable storage. Internal is faster. All my media and files are in the cloud so I don't need over 64GB. I still think SD is a nice bonus, but I would prefer a higher internal storage amount on the G4 over SD. I can see why sappable storage may attract others though. I just don't need it.
Battery life has been good for me on the S6. I average 4-5hrs SOT. Regardless of the S6's performance, the G4 comes with 2 swappable batteries and has a huge edge on the S6 in the battery department. This is the biggest positive for me regarding the G4.
Touchwiz beats LG's software in this instance. It's just smoother and better looking with more funtional features. Both phones software have occasional stutters, but LG has far more. It could be the 808 and the Exynos at play here, but I doubt it. That's not to say that some things arent better on the G4 (camera app), they are. Just not enough to sway my opinion.
No quick charger in the box for the G4 is silly. I don't understand that decision.
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You can turn the picture feature off and just double tap to bring up camera.
Fingerprint readers (from S5 at least) are horrible as you have to do it just right and it takes a little while
Weird, I've noticed the bright/sharpness is better on the G4. Just a matter of personal experience and opinion I guess.
Should never rely on cloud storage. Look how well that has worked out for Apple. The G4 can support up to 2TB of storage (even though the largest SD card is only 1/2 a TB). I would never trust non-removable storage, personal reasons.
Nothing to counterpart here (batteries)
I've heard the new Touchwiz has been better than the previous ones. I will find that out tomorrow when my wife gets her S6 setup. I personally am tired of it coming from several Sammy's. I believe the biggest issues is Lollipop issues messing with the phones rather than each UI. Nothing an update can't fix
Meh, that's nothing major.
Dennisg34 said:
You can turn the picture feature off and just double tap to bring up camera.
Fingerprint readers (from S5 at least) are horrible as you have to do it just right and it takes a little while
Weird, I've noticed the bright/sharpness is better on the G4. Just a matter of personal experience and opinion I guess.
Should never rely on cloud storage. Look how well that has worked out for Apple. The G4 can support up to 2TB of storage (even though the largest SD card is only 1/2 a TB). I would never trust non-removable storage, personal reasons.
Nothing to counterpart here (batteries)
I've heard the new Touchwiz has been better than the previous ones. I will find that out tomorrow when my wife gets her S6 setup. I personally am tired of it coming from several Sammy's. I believe the biggest issues is Lollipop issues messing with the phones rather than each UI. Nothing an update can't fix
Meh, that's nothing major.
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Changing that camera setting made the double tap camera feature much better. Is there any way I can activate with double tap camera from the homescreen? I've een playing with the camera in low light for a few hours now, and the G4 has proven to be much better in auto mode than the S6. I'm impressed.
The S5's finger print reader was terrible, as is the reader on my Note 4. The S6's reader is flawless for me.
You can't really compare brightness/sharpness if you don't currently have an S6 or had an S6 as you mentioned. (See bold) The S6 has a considerably higher brightness. That isn't opnion, it's fact and I believe that almost every flagship is brighter than the G4. Sharpeness is negligible though. Both screens are sharp.
When I was referring to the cloud = Cloud would be Play movies, Netflix, Google Play streaming, Hulu etc. Relying on those for media consumption doesn't seem risky to me. I save pictures with Google Photo's and One drive. Seems redundant enough to keep my pictures safe.
Everything is dependant on the user's needs and perception like other users have stated. I can see why someone would choose either phone depending on needs. The S6 just fits my wants/needs better. My oldest kid likes the G4 though, so It won't be going back to TMO now. We can retire his G3 instead.
I don't know if updates will fix everything with the G4. Updates never fixed the G3's stuttering (forour unit at least).
True, not having the Quick charger isn't a big deal especially if you already have a few laying around. I believe we have 4 or 5 of them in our house. Plus the spare battery really makes it useless. Still, I would have liked to have another anyway
Can you tell me if your G4 has a pinkish hue in the middle when you use the camera in low light with certain backgrounds? Seems more noticeable on grey or white backgrounds, and is not noticeable at all in normal light.
randpost said:
Changing that camera setting made the double tap camera feature much better. Is there any way I can activate with double tap camera from the homescreen? I've een playing with the camera in low light for a few hours now, and the G4 has proven to be much better in auto mode than the S6. I'm impressed.
The S5's finger print reader was terrible, as is the reader on my Note 4. The S6's reader is flawless for me.
You can't really compare brightness/sharpness if you don't currently have an S6 or had an S6 as you mentioned. (See bold) The S6 has a considerably higher brightness. That isn't opnion, it's fact and I believe that almost every flagship is brighter than the G4. Sharpeness is negligible though. Both screens are sharp.
When I was referring to the cloud = Cloud would be Play movies, Netflix, Google Play streaming, Hulu etc. Relying on those for media consumption doesn't seem risky to me. I save pictures with Google Photo's and One drive. Seems redundant enough to keep my pictures safe.
Everything is dependant on the user's needs and perception like other users have stated. I can see why someone would choose either phone depending on needs. The S6 just fits my wants/needs better. My oldest kid likes the G4 though, so It won't be going back to TMO now. We can retire his G3 instead.
I don't know if updates will fix everything with the G4. Updates never fixed the G3's stuttering (forour unit at least).
True, not having the Quick charger isn't a big deal especially if you already have a few laying around. I believe we have 4 or 5 of them in our house. Plus the spare battery really makes it useless. Still, I would have liked to have another anyway
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So you found the change setting? I'm not sure about the home setting. I currently don't have the phone until Monday (I've researched/read reviews about the phone and played with it in the store)
If they finally fixed the fingerprint issue, that's great! Just from watching the videos online I see you had to sorta long press the finger, rather than a few knocks on the scree. All a matter of personal preference which you like for this
I can compare this by Monday. Wife will activate her S6 later today and I'll be able to come back with this then! Do you have it auto-brightness or all the way up for both when you compared? In the store, the G4's seemed a tad better. I've seen the outside test (from numerous videos) when it's bright outside, the G4's was more superior being able to see better.
Ahh OK, miscommunication there! I still just prefer external SD. Can take out phone, swap between phones, tablets, computer etc rather than physically having to hook up and transfer/view.
I agree, everything is a matter of personal preference on these. I meant no harm or foul with you was just throwing my two cents back to your points! I will be able to properly tell by Monday the pros/cons of daily usage and everything between the two. I've always been a Sammy guy, this will be my first phone in years that's not them. I like to have BL's unlocked and being on Verizon, I have a 99.99% change this will happen on the G4 (as G3 was within a couple months) than I EVER will on the S6. One thing I might take some time getting used to is no physical "home" button as well as the other symbols for recents/back.