Develop Bugs

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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Click to collapse
^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
Click to expand...
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.

[Discussion] Looking for a device upgrade

I've had my trusty Verizon Galaxy Nexus for 2 years and my contract is up. I'm been looking at phones and eyeballing the LG G2. I'd love a Nexus 5 but it isn't coming out for Verizon. Plus the G2 seems to have all the features I want in a phone like Wireless Charging, Good specs, etc.
BUT I'm iffy going away from the Nexus line cause last time I did that with the LG G2x, it was a complete disaster and I see the G2 basically starting off the exact same way. The G2x was released with an older Android rom with the promise of a timely update, which never happened and fixed a few problems and introduced several more. The plagued device still has issues and doesn't work right.
The G2 is doing the same thing with 4.2.2. It doesn't even have 4.3 yet and we're about to roll into 4.4. I have a feeling that by the time it gets 4.3, 4.4 will old and 5.0 will be out... if the G2 even gets any additional love. I'm hoping the N5 will help pull some of the weight with the G2 and some stuff gets moved back and forth. But this isn't really a given. I don't want to be in the same boat as the Galaxy Nexus where Verizon or LG doesn't provide updates for stuff like new radios and kernels.
It is a work phone so I have to go with Verizon. The Note 3 sounds great but too big and I have a N7... The G2 just seems like the perfect phone hardware wise and the software has some neat features... but I'll probably jump on AOKP if it ever gets supported. I was actually calling a few Verizon stores in my area and I can pick one up for less than $100 to renew my contract.
What is everyone's thoughts on LG? Have they gotten better at updating their phones? Hopefully with a huge rollout of the G2 they would try to support it a little better. Anyone know when the Samsung S5 is due out?

I'm actually having the same thought about upgrading from my Galaxy Nexus, and the LG G2 is one of my top choices, along with the Note 3. What is keeping me from making the jump is the horrible UI on the G2, at least that's my though being used to clean stock Android. Apart from that, the G2 is definitely an amazing device, a great option for an upgrade.

From what I hear s5 drops mid 2014
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I am holding off until the announcement of n5 just to be sure its not coming to verizon. I am weary to upgrade to another device though as support for them seems to die in about a year unless its a nexus.

Yea I have next week before I leave for Detroit for work. G2 dev looks good now but in 6 months it might be dead. I almost bought a G2 yesterday but I'm going to wait for the N5 and 4.4, then see how fast they port it to the G2. Hopefully its fully compatible with AOSP.
[Update]
I went to the Verizon store today and looked at the G2 and the Note 3. Some concerns. The G2 has a curved edge similar to the G2x, which makes putting a screen protector on it painful. Basically you'd have to use a wet apply Screen protector so it sticks to the curves. I run a SP on ALL my devices and really hate wet applies. You probably could use a smaller SP to not reach edge to edge and be ok, but then it looks like crap.
The G2 is very close in size to the Galaxy Nexus which is cool.
The G2 has some pretty good development going on, but I also started looking at the Note 3. It is a little more pricey but basically the same phone in a larger shell with an S-Pen. My phone is a business/pleasure device where I work with customers face to face. I've always thought it would be handy to be able to take written notes on the fly. The size is concerning though. It didn't feel too bad in hand, I could probably manage. The "leather" backing really helped with grip.
I also learned that the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 Developer Edition is coming out "rumored" November 1st (same as Nexus 5). So perhaps we'll get a new launch of "Developer Editions". If the Galaxy Note 3 (Verizon Edition) can use the roms and mods from the Developer Edition, that would be awesome. Although I don't know how the S-Pen would function on AOSP (like a standard stylus?).
So basically, like I said before, I'm really anxious to pick up a new phone. I actually had the guy grab a G2 from the back, along with a blue feather case, waiting to check out. Being a corporate line, I require permission from an authorized person before they can process it.
At this point I really am excited to wait for the Google Announcement to see what comes out. I'd have to do my homework to see how development moves from a "Developer Edition" to a standard carrier edition.
Any thoughts?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I want to upgrade as well. G2 prices is great. Note 3 is way too expensive.
But I'll wait for Nexus 5.
I'm really crazy about getting updates.
At some points, I really want to use other OEM's ROM, as they looks way more stable than custom ROMs like PA or CM.
But... I don't like waiting for updates. and their updates doesn't feel like an update because the UI almost not changed...
---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:36 PM ----------
I want to upgrade as well. G2 prices is great. Note 3 is way too expensive.
But I'll wait for Nexus 5.
I'm really crazy about getting updates.
At some points, I really want to use other OEM's ROM, as they looks way more stable than custom ROMs like PA or CM.
But... I don't like waiting for updates. and their updates doesn't feel like an update because the UI almost not changed...

Ge note 3 would be awesome. But IMHO snote is what makes the spen bad ass. Been hoping For Google keep to support wacam spen. Don't see why it would hurt seeing that those who don't have spen won't notice the difference. Or since my understanding is Google edition is basically an OEM ROM with OEM framework maybe snote could be downloaded in the play store...
I am partial to the note is say get the note. Chances are their will be ROMs for the latest and greatest. TW has some neat features you may end up liking them. Or you can hate them. For me the G2 seems too awkward with the volume And power button on the back. Made the phone feel bigger than it actually is. Maybe you could adjust to it.
I am running kit kat 4.4. on my note 2000

I'm not 100% sure. After doing some research, I think I misspoke here and there is supposed to be a "Developer edition" which is basically stock TouchWiz but comes pre-unlocked.
Although if they were going to announce it at the Nexus keynote, why wouldn't it have stock Android?
Anyway, the Verizon Note 3 is locked down tight right now. No Root. No bootloader. No custom recovery. No roms. The other carriers are having fun though. We'll see. I played with the G2 and the Note3 in depth at the store and while I was leaning on the Note3, I'll probably get the G2. It all really depends. My company typically buys them, so if he says "Hook him up", then I'll take the Note 3 for a trial run to see how I like it.
The G2 on Verizon is getting blown up with mods and roms but don't expect LG to come through with updates after a year. For me, it is a really tough call. Going AOSP on these phones pretty much ruins the experience with all the extras that make them unique. I do plan on using the stock roms for a while. I just hate how LG released on 4.2.2. In 9 months they'll update to 4.3 and call it a day. Note 3 is already 4.3, and probably see 4.4 here soon. And you know you'll get 5.0 (or whatever the next update is).
The Note 3 also felt better in hand.

player911 said:
I've had my trusty Verizon Galaxy Nexus for 2 years and my contract is up. I'm been looking at phones and eyeballing the LG G2. I'd love a Nexus 5 but it isn't coming out for Verizon. Plus the G2 seems to have all the features I want in a phone like Wireless Charging, Good specs, etc.
BUT I'm iffy going away from the Nexus line cause last time I did that with the LG G2x, it was a complete disaster and I see the G2 basically starting off the exact same way. The G2x was released with an older Android rom with the promise of a timely update, which never happened and fixed a few problems and introduced several more. The plagued device still has issues and doesn't work right.
The G2 is doing the same thing with 4.2.2. It doesn't even have 4.3 yet and we're about to roll into 4.4. I have a feeling that by the time it gets 4.3, 4.4 will old and 5.0 will be out... if the G2 even gets any additional love. I'm hoping the N5 will help pull some of the weight with the G2 and some stuff gets moved back and forth. But this isn't really a given. I don't want to be in the same boat as the Galaxy Nexus where Verizon or LG doesn't provide updates for stuff like new radios and kernels.
It is a work phone so I have to go with Verizon. The Note 3 sounds great but too big and I have a N7... The G2 just seems like the perfect phone hardware wise and the software has some neat features... but I'll probably jump on AOKP if it ever gets supported. I was actually calling a few Verizon stores in my area and I can pick one up for less than $100 to renew my contract.
What is everyone's thoughts on LG? Have they gotten better at updating their phones? Hopefully with a huge rollout of the G2 they would try to support it a little better. Anyone know when the Samsung S5 is due out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am hearing great reports on the LG phone, especially that it might be the only ofew getting the Kit Kat update on verizon. these are from some dev's and long time Samsung owners. i think a LG thread was created and development started in XDA. i havent used it yet, i have a few months left on my contract. here is the xda link http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g2
maybe i will upgrade my wifes phone to LG and secretly swap phones:laugh:

Things that bother me on the G2 is:
Curved sides of the screen = problems with screen protectors
LG's horrible history supporting phones for very long.
4.4 is just a stepping stone so upgrading to 4.4 shouldn't be much of a hassle for any 4.x+ phone. However Android 5.0 will probably require a kernel update which must be supplied from LG.
This is exactly the same problem the Galaxy Nexus is having. Verizon isn't updating the kernel for 4.3+ builds and thus are having radio issues. It works but if you travel, you'll notice your data will never come back once it disappears... until you do a hard reset of course.
So who knows. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about the LG too and they've included lots of functionality into customizing the phone. Pretty much everything can be disabled and changed. It even has built in system-wide theme support.

player911 said:
Things that bother me on the G2 is:
Curved sides of the screen = problems with screen protectors
LG's horrible history supporting phones for very long.
4.4 is just a stepping stone so upgrading to 4.4 shouldn't be much of a hassle for any 4.x+ phone. However Android 5.0 will probably require a kernel update which must be supplied from LG.
This is exactly the same problem the Galaxy Nexus is having. Verizon isn't updating the kernel for 4.3+ builds and thus are having radio issues. It works but if you travel, you'll notice your data will never come back once it disappears... until you do a hard reset of course.
So who knows. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about the LG too and they've included lots of functionality into customizing the phone. Pretty much everything can be disabled and changed. It even has built in system-wide theme support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea you are rite, LG does have a history of not supporting their phones in the long run..maybe you can get a good 2 years out of the LG, just in time for the next release.

player911 said:
Things that bother me on the G2 is:
Curved sides of the screen = problems with screen protectors
LG's horrible history supporting phones for very long.
4.4 is just a stepping stone so upgrading to 4.4 shouldn't be much of a hassle for any 4.x+ phone. However Android 5.0 will probably require a kernel update which must be supplied from LG.
This is exactly the same problem the Galaxy Nexus is having. Verizon isn't updating the kernel for 4.3+ builds and thus are having radio issues. It works but if you travel, you'll notice your data will never come back once it disappears... until you do a hard reset of course.
So who knows. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about the LG too and they've included lots of functionality into customizing the phone. Pretty much everything can be disabled and changed. It even has built in system-wide theme support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What bothers me about the G2 is the software. Being used to stock Android, and after reading a bunch of reviews from trusted sources about how the UI that LG put into this new device is quite bloated and ugly. My idea is to buy one of these devices now, and sell it once the Nexus 5 is out and in stock in Europe.
I've been looking up comparisons between the G2, the Galaxy S4, and the HTC One. The latter two are older devices, and if I want to be able to sell it in less than a year, I think the smartest choice would be to get the newer one.
The Note 3 looks incredible, but I'm already having trouble fitting the Galaxy Nexus into my pockets sometimes, and I'm not the kind of person who is constantly carrying a backpack. Maybe I could change that, I've always liked the idea of the S-pen.
In conclusion, I'm undecided between the HTC One and the LG G2.
The HTC One is amazingly built, with it's irresistible alluminum unibody and the speaker/audio quality, and has a plethora of ROMs and customizations to it, but it's already been out for a while, which makes it less profitable if I want to resell it in 6 months.
The LG G2 is brand new, has a better screen, more powerful in terms of processor, but at the same time I'm hearing about lots of issues with the camera, sound and lag. I hope the ROMs and mods from the Verizon G2 will be ported to the international variant, as there are many more available.
Today I'll go look at them in person, and hopefully make my decision aswell.

I hate those decisions, all are good phones, but just have to pick which one feels better. I think to resell down the line, the Samsung phones may hold better value, maybe due to the watch launch.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I went to the store to buy the Note 3, but I just couldn't use it at all one handed. Because of the huge size, I couldn't even barely get it stable enough in my grip to even remotely reach half of the screen. Plus the lack of Wireless Charging is a pity. I like feather cases and the additional thickness of the Qi backplate would make it not sit well. Plus I have a make-shift Qi Note2 charger pad in my Galaxy Nexus that is crafty. I don't want to have to worry about if the contacts are clean, connecting, working. I just want it to work.
I took home a G2. They had the Blue Incipio Feather case I wanted. Being used to Nexus and AOSP for so long, some of the apps do feel bloated. Email Exchange has a new SMS Sync that was syncing all of my drunk texts to my corporate exchange! I had to quickly disable that feature and delete all my sexy text messages off the email server. I've disabled like 20 different apps. There are TONS of bloat on there. Default ringtone (Boy Choir?) was god awful. You can have up to 7 apps in the Launcher Tray. Making the Font size to smallest gives you that roomy feeling. I don't understand why you would get a big screen when everything is just bigger. I buy a bigger screen to give me more room to move around.
BUT once you sit down with it, adjust the Notification toggles, lockscreen, homescreen, freeze unwanted apps, find a good theme combo (keyboard, SMS, homescreen, lockscreen), some new wallpapers, etc... it really starts to feel like a decent phone.
I DO really like the Memo app, where you can make notes over top any app. At the bar last night we were taking pictures of friends in my group and drawing stupid stuff on them. I can see how it would really be handy.
I also don't know why there are a bizillion icons in the status bar. There is a Signal bar... then a separate 3G/4G icon... then what appears to be some sort of GPS icon that I can't get rid of, AM/PM Clock, battery, alarm, etc. It takes up like half my status bar. I just need 3; Signal, Battery, Clock. Boom.
Most of the floating apps I can't really see myself ever using. I couldn't get the IR Blaster to turn off the Bar TV last night.
Most of the G2 is fluff. Fluffy fluff. Outside from that overlay note app, I'm already thinking about going to a custom rom. The IR Blaster doesn't work on AOSP though which is something I do want to utilize.
It has a pretty bad out of box experience but it is a super nice phone. Once you get rid of all the junk, it starts to come together nicely.
Not giving the G2 a bad review, I'm just used to Nexus Devices and stock Android... I'm used to that and I like that. The Stock UI has a nice feel to it. Very quick and snappy. I'm impressed with the level of customization you have with the device. I would like to see a single general theme app with all of the options. Right now, the theme settings are in there respective places so finding them is a little intense, especially for someone who isn't strong on Android skills. I know my gf probably wouldn't have found the SMS or Keyboard theme settings.
I was a little skeptical last night but it is growing on me now its setup and I'm getting familiar to the different app layouts. I just pray LG doesn't screw me again with Software updates. At least Qualcomm is better at opensourcing their stuff. I know the G2x had lots of problems because of NVidia Tegra 2.

I'm in the same boat. Running my nexus for about 1.5 yrs and looking to upgrade. I have unl. Data w Verizon but as all know vzw sucks w how they bloat and lock their phones. So gar I'm looking/ interested in the note 3, g2 or maybe the HTC one or moto x. Some of the things I want are a bigger chassis...not huge but bigger than the gnex, customizable w ROMs and kernels, timely updates, ect. My cousin has the one but it didn't wow me, but it was a stock unit no customization. The g2 looks great...good size, batt, ect but afraid like others slow w updates. As far as I read on the note 3 it is looked tight. Not a lot of ROM for customization due to Knox I guess..
I think I would love the note 3, bigger, big batt, fast but the lack of development saddens me haha. I was so waiting for the nexus 5 but that small batt honestly is making me sway away from it and the styling isn't to different from the rest of the nex. If new reviews come out saying batt life is much improved I may sway back but for now ...egh. Carrier wise I want a cheaper plan, good coverage ect and really only do maybe on a heavy month 3 gig as I use mostly wifi so I was looking at art. Gonna take a ride today and check them out and see which phone excites me. Any batt life better than my next is an improvement .
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Coming from an HTC VIVID

I am way overdue for an upgrade (AT&T family plan).
I didn't do it when the Nexus 5 came out thought I would wait for the S5 which then coincided with the M8 and did neither of those either thinking the G3 would be the best bet.
Yes I have the disease badly!
Little things bugged me eg. the battery flap on the S5 and the reduced screen size/strange shape of the M8 along with poor fit and finish of the store models I handled.
Reading here the most talked about issue of the G3 appears to be some lag reported by some folks specially when compared to the other competitors. Other than not being able to load custom Roms, everything else seems just about perfect.
Coming from the Vivid (which still performs very well) I am sure that from every perspective the G3 will totally overshadow my Vivid with respect to performance, camera, screen resolution/brightness, battery life, memory etc. etc.
I was struggling to decide if I could live with one of these new devices for the next 2 years.
I think the G3 could be the one. Go on, give me the push I need.
I would like to hear from current G3 owners.
Thanks

samsat said:
I am way overdue for an upgrade (AT&T family plan).
I didn't do it when the Nexus 5 came out thought I would wait for the S5 which then coincided with the M8 and did neither of those either thinking the G3 would be the best bet.
Yes I have the disease badly!
Little things bugged me eg. the battery flap on the S5 and the reduced screen size/strange shape of the M8 along with poor fit and finish of the store models I handled.
Reading here the most talked about issue of the G3 appears to be some lag reported by some folks specially when compared to the other competitors. Other than not being able to load custom Roms, everything else seems just about perfect.
Coming from the Vivid (which still performs very well) I am sure that from every perspective the G3 will totally overshadow my Vivid with respect to performance, camera, screen resolution/brightness, battery life, memory etc. etc.
I was struggling to decide if I could live with one of these new devices for the next 2 years.
I think the G3 could be the one. Go on, give me the push I need.
I would like to hear from current G3 owners.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I test drove the S5 for a couple of days, but I decided return it and go with the G3, Very Glad I did.

Wow youre still rocking the vivid. That phone was awesome. Both s5 and g3 have their shortcomings, i would suggest to wait till september and see what the note 4 is gonna be like or
The new iphone. You have waited this long might as well wait another month or so.

nohcho said:
Wow youre still rocking the vivid. That phone was awesome. Both s5 and g3 have their shortcomings, i would suggest to wait till september and see what the note 4 is gonna be like or
The new iphone. You have waited this long might as well wait another month or so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, that's what I thought after not going for the N5, it's now a lot longer than a few months later!
I don't like the IOS ecosystem so the Iphone is not an option. The G3 is already quite big the Note 4 will be much too big.
I could have had 2 upgrades in the length of time it's taken me not to commit!

You are not the only one with the deseas lol. I waited 5 years. Came fresh from a samsung galaxy s. The first generation OG galaxy s lol
Sent from LG Gangster 3

Wow... The vivid. That actually was the phone that took me away from ios. Crazy you held on to it this long. But, anyways, I left the vivid for the N4, then the N5 and now the G3. This thing is great! Root the sucker (i believe towel root works on the att variant and thats as easy as rooting gets) and freeze/get rid of bloat and the phone flies. I've also got xposed, G3 tweaksbox and greenify too.

Thanks guys, looks like the G3 will more than do the job for me.
My Vivid is now SIM unlocked so a great travel phone, just returned from 3 countries and the Vivid worked great with the respective sims.
The battery has suddenly got a bit tired. I need to buy another battery and keep this phone for when I travel.

Nexus 6 and Android 5.0 Lollipop finally revealed. Will be available on Sprint.

Google Nexus 6 Reveal Page
Android 5.0 Lollipop
According to the nexus 6 page on the very bottom it seems that it will be available on all 4 big carriers, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-mobile. Ofc; you can still get it from the Play store. The release date given by google is late october; no specification as to if it applies to just the play store or the carriers as well. I'm hoping it releases late this October because I get my upgrade late November. If I have to I will probably wait, I'm sure many of our dev's here will successfully port Android 5.0 to our devices. I'm more interested in the full release of the OS; the multitasking features and the uniform material design looks so nice.
So, thoughts? Is android 5.0 everything you have hoped for? Will you be upgrading to a Nexus 6 soon?
I somehow managed to delete my opinion on the the device, I'm loving the specs; the 6" screen is pushing me away though.
When I say I plan on upgrading to the Nexus 6 I'm not 100% set on it yet. I was planning on going with the HTC One M8 simply because of the screen size, but I have used a LG G3 in stores before and I love how amazing the screen is so I'm very torn. The LG OG was such a great device for it's time, shame it never got an official update past 4.1 but it's hard to complain with all the dev support we get with it.

I might go for it but I'm still hating Google's propensity to think that cloud storage can replace the function of a microsd slot. Also a 6-inch screen, why? The phone still has to fit in my pocket. At this rate the number of people on these forums with manbags is going to blow up. Also $649 unlocked... ouch. I honestly don't know what Google was thinking here. They might be pushing their luck a little too hard here but I won't really know until I can hold it in my hand. On paper the size of the LG G3 used to sound like an atrocity so we'll see. Regardless the price isn't much of an issue if you pay it out over the length of a contract anyways but honestly, I'm disappointed.

gentlemenace said:
I might go for it but I'm still hating Google's propensity to think that cloud storage can replace the function of a microsd slot. Also a 6-inch screen, why? The phone still has to fit in my pocket. At this rate the number of people on these forums with manbags is going to blow up. Also $649 unlocked... ouch. I honestly don't know what Google was thinking here. They might be pushing their luck a little too hard here but I won't really know until I can hold it in my hand. On paper the size of the LG G3 used to sound like an atrocity so we'll see. Regardless the price isn't much of an issue if you pay it out over the length of a contract anyways but honestly, I'm disappointed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, when you look at the specs, that's when you realize what all that money is really going to.

I just want the finished Android L roms to get ported to the LGOG. As long as i'm up to date and the roms arent too buggy, I can stick with my LGOG for another year if I have to.

We'll definitely get some L ROMs sooner or later. We have some amazing developers here for our phone, so be sure that once the major ROM devs update their sources, we'll get updated as well.

I think since the 6 is WAY too big for my personal use, I'm gonna jump to the Nexus 5 next.
Sent from my LG-LS970 using XDA Free mobile app

zomgalama said:
When I say I plan on upgrading to the Nexus 6 I'm not 100% set on it yet. I was planning on going with the HTC One M8 simply because of the screen size, but I have used a LG G3 in stores before and I love how amazing the screen is so I'm very torn. The LG OG was such a great device for it's time, shame it never got an official update past 4.1 but it's hard to complain with all the dev support we get with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the G3 now and I love it. Battery life has been better for me than on the lgog, even with that amazing screen. The major downside to the G3 is development but we finally received twrp so the roms will be coming. But having root, freezing/deleting bloat(and there is a lot of it) and making mods have helped my g3 be lag free, last over 40 hours on a full charge and just be generally awesome. If you want something that is also awesome but has a ton of development - go with the m8. A lot of devs and themers who had lgogs grabbed the m8 so you will be in good company. Only a few of us from here have the G3 but Im happy with my choice. It's big but not unruly, the new nexus looks good but too big and still no sd card. And if 3000mah battery isnt big enough for you, zerolemon is selling a 9000mah battery you can swap right in. Just my two cents.
---------- Post added at 12:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 AM ----------
iamterence said:
I mean, when you look at the specs, that's when you realize what all that money is really going to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, how ya been buddy? Secondly - the nexus 6 looks great but I'm a little disappointed in a few things, size being one of em, still no sdcard and still not 64bit. The rumors made me have higher hopes - its still gonna be a great phone with an insane amount of support. I have no use for it but I am really impressed by the nexus 9(my nexus 7 is collecting dust). That processor, even being a dual core and only having 2 gb of ram is crazy fast, and it's 64bit!

HPTesla said:
I have the G3 now and I love it. Battery life has been better for me than on the lgog, even with that amazing screen. The major downside to the G3 is development but we finally received twrp so the roms will be coming. But having root, freezing/deleting bloat(and there is a lot of it) and making mods have helped my g3 be lag free, last over 40 hours on a full charge and just be generally awesome. If you want something that is also awesome but has a ton of development - go with the m8. A lot of devs and themers who had lgogs grabbed the m8 so you will be in good company. Only a few of us from here have the G3 but Im happy with my choice. It's big but not unruly, the new nexus looks good but too big and still no sd card. And if 3000mah battery isnt big enough for you, zerolemon is selling a 9000mah battery you can swap right in. Just my two cents.
---------- Post added at 12:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 AM ----------
First off, how ya been buddy? Secondly - the nexus 6 looks great but I'm a little disappointed in a few things, size being one of em, still no sdcard and still not 64bit. The rumors made me have higher hopes - its still gonna be a great phone with an insane amount of support. I have no use for it but I am really impressed by the nexus 9(my nexus 7 is collecting dust). That processor, even being a dual core and only having 2 gb of ram is crazy fast, and it's 64bit!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been good man, how have you been? Glad to see you around these parts one more time
For me, I'm drawn to the N6 because I know it'll drop down to a decent price by time my upgrade is due (which would be summer of 2015), and, assuming I even get it, it'd be the most high-end phone I've ever owned, plus it's a Nexus, so development is guaranteed. I'm just modest If I were to get a G2, I'd be pretty happy with that.

iamterence said:
I've been good man, how have you been? Glad to see you around these parts one more time
For me, I'm drawn to the N6 because I know it'll drop down to a decent price by time my upgrade is due (which would be summer of 2015), and, assuming I even get it, it'd be the most high-end phone I've ever owned, plus it's a Nexus, so development is guaranteed. I'm just modest If I were to get a G2, I'd be pretty happy with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha ha yeah I was checking on one of my bootanimations and saw this thread. Im good, biked more than I ever have so Im really sore but other than that Im good.
Nexus devices definitely have the best support but HTC is pretty solid(as is Sony, sadly we can't get xperia on sprint) and they come with other perks(removable storage, etc). I know HTC will be releasing another flagship(from some rumors, 2) before you're due for your upgrade and I have a feeling it will be better(and smaller) than the nexus 6. Biggest drawback to the HTC flagships seems to be the camera but that's also been an issue on Nexus devices. Nexus devices are still a great way to go. Their biggest selling point is having official updates before anyone else. My nexus 7 is solid, but between my phone and laptop I just dont have a need for a tablet. I wanted to hold out for the nexus 6 myself but now Im glad I didn't. Just too big for me and LG fixed my biggest issue with the lgog - sdcard support.
They're all great phones with pros and cons tho - really does depend on the user.

Are you going to keep your G4?

Having previously owned the G2 and G3, I was looking forward to the G4, however personally the camera is the only reason why I stick with it. Everything else seems like a downgrade from the G3, especially in the looks and feel. I'm glad we have root and Xposed which helps greatly, but going from the G2 to the G3 showed a large decline in dev support, and seeing as how it's been several months since release and we still have no custom ROMs makes it seem like there is going to be very little dev support going forward, even if we eventually get custom ROMs.
I don't remember wanting a new phone so quickly the last 2 years, but I've been anxiously awaiting the new phones this fall to see if there is something else that I'd like more. I'm leaning towards either the Moto X Pure or new Nexus.
Is anyone else disappointed enough in either the phone or dev support that they are looking to replace their G4 earlier than usual?

For most people the G4 is one heck of a phone, but for those of us who hang out here, no development = no fun.

I do like the G4 for the most part. It has it's issues though. Particularly the Verizon one more so from all I've read.
I mainly am bothered by the touchscreen issues. So many missed taps or swipes registering as taps instead and opening things I meant to just swipe across or whatever. Little bit of lag but it's workable.
Coming to it from the Galaxy S4 it was definitely an upgrade regardless. The only thing that really stopped me from buying the S6 edge was the piddly battery and it not being changeable. Now that the S6 edge + is out and they've beefed up the battery, in hindsight if it was released at the same time I would have bought that instead because I did like the S4 for it's time.
That's the tech world for you though, you buy something new that's the best that day and something (arguably) better comes out right around the corner.

Every point I was going to make has been covered.
The Samsung development overshadows LG development, 2 to 1.
Definitely will be a consideration on the next purchase.
Take note LG, we wont be fooled again.

I was going to sell my G4 now, but not really excited about anything out there. Probably waiting for the new Motorola X Pure. Checked selling prices on swappa and I will already lose $100 or more if I sell now. Maybe I shouldn't wait..

I already got the galaxy s6 edge+ and have the moto x pure arriving soon. The development in this and the main G4 section bores me, so i recently listed my G4 on Swappa. Time will tell if i list my Samsung, but I should at least be good with the moto for a while!

If I wasn't trying to save money, I would consider the MXP. That said, even though there isn't a thriving development community for it, the G4 works pretty well for my needs since root and Xposed are available for it and haven't been giving me any issues.

mtva24 said:
I already got the galaxy s6 edge+ and have the moto x pure arriving soon. The development in this and the main G4 section bores me, so i recently listed my G4 on Swappa. Time will tell if i list my Samsung, but I should at least be good with the moto for a while!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember reading that the Note 5 and I assume S6 Edge + are not able to be unlocked/rooted on Verizon and AT&T, as Samsung has incorporated that into Knox that the phones will no longer work if modified (or something along those lines).
I miss the days when pretty much all phones, especially flagships, had tons of dev support and were rooted quickly. Seems like as time goes on pretty much only Nexus and unlocked global phones get any support.

Bailed for Nexus 6...couldn't take not having roms....... my wife is happy with it.

Made the exact same decision. I don't miss that phone at all. Nexus 6 may be older but it still is a kick a** phone
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

I may regret this decision, but I decided to preorder the iPhone 6s lol
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

So far love the G4, but it's only been a week, not noticing any issues thus far. Coming from a bad experience with a Sony Z3V and Verizon, who finally agreed to give me a new phone and I picked the G4. My biggest concern was the battery but I'm getting 2 days with moderate use.

Yes, for now.
In general the phone is pretty good I'm just disappointed that there is no unlocked boot-loader and custom recovery as yet for the VS986. I hope it becomes available in the near future.

Cwey55 said:
Coming to it from the Galaxy S4 it was definitely an upgrade regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Galaxy S4 and trying to decide between the S6 and G4. What has me most considering the G4 over the S6 is the lack of removable battery and expandable memory on the S6. Reviews I have seen mostly rate the S6 higher as far as specs. But I can live with a slightly slower performing phone if it has other features more important to me. I don't care what material the phone is made of because I always put them in cases to protect them. You say the G4 is definitely an upgrade. What about the G4 in your opinion make it better then the S4? Also that screen issue you were referring to, is that typical of the G4 or an issue with some owners? I would appreciate feedback from any other former S4 owners. Thanks.

Pretty unhappy with my G4, even after rooting and trying several fixes for existing issues. The battery life is poor at best, the touch screen misses and issues are awful and on top of that, general lag persists throughout the day. Overall, I WANT to like the phone. I like the camera, the shape, etc. I really think we need the bootloader unlocked to have users fix these issues that LG and VZW cannot. I'm stuck on the edge plan, so I guess I'm waiting.

Eddie Hicks said:
I have a Galaxy S4 and trying to decide between the S6 and G4. What has me most considering the G4 over the S6 is the lack of removable battery and expandable memory on the S6. Reviews I have seen mostly rate the S6 higher as far as specs. But I can live with a slightly slower performing phone if it has other features more important to me. I don't care what material the phone is made of because I always put them in cases to protect them. You say the G4 is definitely an upgrade. What about the G4 in your opinion make it better then the S4? Also that screen issue you were referring to, is that typical of the G4 or an issue with some owners? I would appreciate feedback from any other former S4 owners. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well to be honest as I write this I'm working on getting myself into the S6 edge + or Note 5 now that they've come out. More on that later.
But, coming from the S4 back in June my contract happened to be up for upgrade on the exact release date of the G4, I would have been totally content to stick with the Galaxy line had they not gotten away from the removable battery and SD card support in the S6, and the battery that is in the S6 really is pretty tiny. That was the deciding factor for me buying the G4 much like you're concerned with. Other than those things the S6/S6 edge would have been perfect to me. I decided to try something new and went with the G4 on the basis they had the removable battery and SD card slot (and the changeable backs as a bonus).
Naturally with there being two years between my S4 and the G4, the G4 is faster and smoother, has a better display, better camera. That's just advancements in technology at work. Down the line we'll look at the same specs as today's flagship phones as minor leagues.
Read around here and just about any phone forums, you'll see the same things echoed to varying degrees:
S6: Piddly battery life, no SD card, no removable battery, great looking screen, fast, arguably best camera, great build with the glass/metal, quick charge/wireless charge built in
G4: Bigger swappable battery, great (larger) screen, fast but some models lag depending on carrier, arguably best camera, nice changeable backs, wireless charge not built in, some models with touch screen response issues
Like I said you'll read the same things everywhere and just have to decide what works best for you. If you're the type that prefers to swap the battery for a quick boost to 100%, don't buy the S6 obviously. If you like the idea of using wireless charging, don't buy the G4 obviously. If you prefer a smaller screen go with the S6, if you want big go G4 (Or the newer Note 5 or S6 edge + of course), if you want to try a new button scheme go G4 (I do like the rear buttons) or if you like traditional side buttons go Samsung. It's a tough call really, you get what I mean, either way it's been years since the S4 so no matter what you're going to get a better phone due to the advancements both companies have made. Compared to the S4 both the S6 and G4 will fly through processing, have better displays, have better cameras, and be more efficient. You just have to decide which features are more important to you.
Now, I know you didn't mention the newer S6 edge + or Note 5 but they've been released since the G4 was released and in hindsight if they'd been released all at the same time I'd have chosen one of them over the G4 and am probably switching over to one of them soon as I can. As I said earlier the only reason I went with the G4 over the original S6 was the tiny battery in the S6, and in the newer two phones Samsung has beefed up that department to match the G4 at 3000mah. So that said, I'm probably looking to get back into a Samsung, because when it was in it's prime, I really did love my S4.
My main gripe with the G4 is the touch screen response, which like I said if you read around you will see it is pretty common and no known fix has been brought to light. It seems pretty hit or miss but it is really frustrating.
Hopefully I helped and answered some of your questions. If not feel free to let me know.

Cwey55 said:
Well to be honest as I write this I'm working on getting myself into the S6 edge + or Note 5 now that they've come out. More on that later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cwey I very much appreciate your detailed and very helpful reply. After reading it this morning I decided to get the S6. I picked one up a 64gb version a couple of hours ago and my wife got a iPhone 6S (she loves apples ). I figure with 64gb's SD card memory expansion is no big deal. I had to give up my unlimited data because I'm doing the 24 month no-contract phone payment service. I really don't use a lot of data anyway. I was on the old service plan paying for minutes and text. I'm actually paying about $10 a month less with unlimited calls and text. I looked into other phones also like the soon to be relesed Nexus 5X but the specs don't seem to be that great. The S6 Edge+ and Note 5 are too big for my taste. The larger size of the G4 is also a negative for me. Also I have the S6 with the OE2 firmware which can be rooted. The updated OF1 cannot be rooted at this time. I just have to be careful not to allow the firmware update to go through. Thanks again.

I got a Nexus 6 as well. Great phone even though it is old now. Also got a One M9 and sent it off to Java Card S-Off'ed. Also a good phone with custom roms. I miss the G4 camera a bit but nothing else.

I'll be looking at the Nexus 5X or the Moto X Pure as a replacement for the G4

I'm not sure how long i will keep it, because the digital products update so fast!