Sprint G3 or naa? - G3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Sprint G3 or naa? - G3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Should I get it? Are there certain firmwares needed for an unlocked bootloader or is sprint keeping this thing open? I love everything about the phone, I just don't want to be limited as to what I can and can't tweak. Also, for those of you using the G3, are there any regrets? Other phones you wish you would have gotten? The nexus 6 is calling me but with the work I do, I'd have to leave it at home. The G3 seems just right. I did research but with random threads and post's these days, it makes it hard to track down reliable info. So I figured I would ask the users of the phone these questions. I'm going to be starting a new 2 year contract so I want to make the right choice.

If I am wrong someone please correct me, but actually the only g3 variant that is oficially unlocked is T-mobile one. However, the "bump" workaround works really good, so don't worry about it. When it comes to Sprint version You should take under consideration that it's a bit less popular than the international D855 edition, so it won't get the same attention that the former does. Tbh, I don't know how is it in other countries, but what really got me into buying G3 was the price/components ratio. It's a great phone worth its price, however like every other phone has its cons - what could be mentioned is heavy LG software + 4K resolution that make it a bit slowlier than the opposition, a bit less on-battery time (despite 3000 mha batter). On the other fronts, the LG G3 beats other companies - like camera, quality, ergonomy, price etc.

Related

Is this phone still worth it?

Hello all. I come over from the Nexus 5 forums, and as much as I love my N5, its definitely starting to show it's age with it's out-dated specs, terrible battery, and inadequate storage (I have the Sprint 16gb model). I was looking at different phones to move on to, and even though money is sorrrrrtttttt of a factor (not really), I've been bouncing around what's available and affordable, since I'm sitting on an upgrade right now. My choices are:
Samsung Galaxy S6 - Best camera, decent starting development scene, non-removeable battery and storage, lackluster battery.
LG G4 - Can get for $100 at Best Buy. Good camera, good screen, good battery, removable everything, no development scene.
Or...
LG G3 - Can get for $1 (Read, ONE DOLLAR) at Best Buy. Good camera, good screen, good battery, removable everything, established development scene.
My biggest concern when it comes to buying a phone is how good the development scene is, or how much potential it has. The LG G3 is already established as a fine phone, its just... The G4 has updated specs on an already high-end phone. Which begs the question, is it worth spending $100 for the top of the line, or better to spend $1 for an extremely capable veteran that can still hang with the best of them?
Halp plz.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

if i were you, i would get the gs6, if not, then g4 it is.
i am thinking about getting a g3, but after googling about the phone, i found the it has very bad battery life,
but i am still thinking

This a bit of a tough call... I was in the same situation a few months ago. I ended up going g3.
So far the phone has treated me well (Coming from an original HTC one BTW). I do wish the battery life was a bit better, it really is just average. Though I'm betting it would still last noticeably longer than your Nexus.
The dev community for the g3 is pretty solid, About as established as you could hope for...... on the GSM models.
Keep in mind that the Sprint model of the g3 does not and will not, have nearly as much dev support as the the other models. And this is gonna be the case with any phone you get on sprint unless you go nexus 6 maybe.
If your worried about development primarily then I would ditch sprint and revisit this. Haha
Not super constructive, I know.
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app

FanDroid09 said:
This a bit of a tough call... I was in the same situation a few months ago. I ended up going g3.
So far the phone has treated me well (Coming from an original HTC one BTW). I do wish the battery life was a bit better, it really is just average. Though I'm betting it would still last noticeably longer than your Nexus.
The dev community for the g3 is pretty solid, About as established as you could hope for...... on the GSM models.
Keep in mind that the Sprint model of the g3 does not and will not, have nearly as much dev support as the the other models. And this is gonna be the case with any phone you get on sprint unless you go nexus 6 maybe.
If your worried about development primarily then I would ditch sprint and revisit this. Haha
Not super constructive, I know.
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's kind of the one thing I never really understood about the dev scene with these phones; how come its almost always the case that the CDMA variants usually end up getting the shaft with development? Maybe it has something to do with the radios or something, but I never really quite understood it.
I'm also a very impatient person. I will try to hold out for something as long as I can, but then temptation just ends up driving me nuts. With that being said, I AM thinking about holding off for just a little while longer and maybe try going for the Moto X Pure (Is that the US edition?), because even with all these fancy spec upgrades on all these newer phones, I still don't think they can properly run in the grand scheme of things under their own weight, i.e. TouchWiz, LG UI, etc. Stock Android is still the best way to go with all these upgrades, I believe, and that's what I'm gonna try and hold out for. Still waiting on the fabled Nexus 5 2015 release, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

iamterence said:
That's kind of the one thing I never really understood about the dev scene with these phones; how come its almost always the case that the CDMA variants usually end up getting the shaft with development? Maybe it has something to do with the radios or something, but I never really quite understood it.
I'm also a very impatient person. I will try to hold out for something as long as I can, but then temptation just ends up driving me nuts. With that being said, I AM thinking about holding off for just a little while longer and maybe try going for the Moto X Pure (Is that the US edition?), because even with all these fancy spec upgrades on all these newer phones, I still don't think they can properly run in the grand scheme of things under their own weight, i.e. TouchWiz, LG UI, etc. Stock Android is still the best way to go with all these upgrades, I believe, and that's what I'm gonna try and hold out for. Still waiting on the fabled Nexus 5 2015 release, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would stick with the nexus line, its a disgrace that an 2 years old flagship has to wait almost a year for a crucial (from security reasons) update. I came from nexus 4 and i regret i left nexus for it.
I had a lot of problems with apps also, for ex. deezer or napster. U just need to be aware that all devs are writing their apps for the nexus in the first place.
Wysłane z mojego LG-D855 przy użyciu Tapatalka

LG G4 is the best choice, except for CPU performance which is objectively excellent, but poor relatively to other devices like the cited SGS6.
I think you're not an "AnTuTu maniac", so buy it without any remorse, you'll have a 64-bit terminal with both removable battery and expandable storage [emoji106]
If you want a recent and expensive terminal, be aware of G3, as it's no longer a top of the range and it's based on the 32-bit CPU architecture.

iamterence said:
That's kind of the one thing I never really understood about the dev scene with these phones; how come its almost always the case that the CDMA variants usually end up getting the shaft with development? Maybe it has something to do with the radios or something, but I never really quite understood it.
I'm also a very impatient person. I will try to hold out for something as long as I can, but then temptation just ends up driving me nuts. With that being said, I AM thinking about holding off for just a little while longer and maybe try going for the Moto X Pure (Is that the US edition?), because even with all these fancy spec upgrades on all these newer phones, I still don't think they can properly run in the grand scheme of things under their own weight, i.e. TouchWiz, LG UI, etc. Stock Android is still the best way to go with all these upgrades, I believe, and that's what I'm gonna try and hold out for. Still waiting on the fabled Nexus 5 2015 release, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I've been around xda for quite a while and I've noticed the same thing with CDMA phones... The best answer I have is that generally they are harder to dev for because of their firmware, they tend to be more locked down, and not as many devs purchase those devices.
That's a smart move in my opinion... The new moto x, Sony z5, and nexus are all gonna be out in the next couple of months. You might really be kicking yourself in the a** if you don't wait and see haha.
I personally think Sony phones are very underrated I'd have a z3 right now if Sony would stop screwing around and get their devices back on more US carriers. I think the z5 is gonna be nice.
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app

It's still the best phone I've ever owned so far.

If you are going for 2 years contract, definitely get something else like gs6 or g4. If you are thinking about a cheap prepaid plan, buy g3, s5, or m8 - phone only.

That's right. Don't get a G3 on a contract. In fact don't buy any phone on a contract. It most certainly does not cost $1. You will pay many many hundreds of dollars over 2 years. My advice is to buy the Moto x pure for $399.

Leaving my Verizon G4

I decided to sell my Verizon G4 and Iam kinda bummed in doing so. I've had a string of phones leading up to the G4 in which a locked bootloader was not an issue. I first started flahing with my Verizon Fascinate, then I had the Samsung Galaxy 3....then came the LG G3 which impressed me enough to upgrade early and snag the G4. I love the phone but HATE the lack of flashable flavors. So, I purchased the Motorola X Pure and I am looking forward to having more flashing possiblities. It has basically the same specs as the G4. This was a great phone but lesson learned. I will check back here frequently to see if any progress has been made and I wish all you other G4 good luck! Hopefully some exploits will be found to allow more freedom on this great phone but my patience has waned.

djcrystals said:
I decided to sell my Verizon G4 and Iam kinda bummed in doing so. I've had a string of phones leading up to the G4 in which a locked bootloader was not an issue. I first started flahing with my Verizon Fascinate, then I had the Samsung Galaxy 3....then came the LG G3 which impressed me enough to upgrade early and snag the G4. I love the phone but HATE the lack of flashable flavors. So, I purchased the Motorola X Pure and I am looking forward to having more flashing possiblities. It has basically the same specs as the G4. This was a great phone but lesson learned. I will check back here frequently to see if any progress has been made and I wish all you other G4 good luck! Hopefully some exploits will be found to allow more freedom on this great phone but my patience has waned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like your only options with Verizon will be to get an unlocked Nexus going forward. All Samsungs since S5 are locked, they blocked HTC M9 from HTCDev to unlock, and all the LG since this phone are locked. Verizon knows to get the big contracts they must have the most secure phone. This is not an attack on this community...it is just collateral damage. You can thank malicious hackers and identity thieves for this.

KennyG123 said:
Looks like your only options with Verizon will be to get an unlocked Nexus going forward. All Samsungs since S5 are locked, they blocked HTC M9 from HTCDev to unlock, and all the LG since this phone are locked. Verizon knows to get the big contracts they must have the most secure phone. This is not an attack on this community...it is just collateral damage. You can thank malicious hackers and identity thieves for this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always had some interest in Nexus devices but I never pursued purchasing one due to the lack of MicroSD support. I am sure I could manage without it but if I am spending a chunk of money on something I'd prefer that one luxury. The next best thing I could find was the Moto X Pure. All the freedom of a Nexus device plus a MicroSD slot. Oddly enough, I was also tempted to purchase the Nextbit Robin but I prefer a larger screen size. I played with a Galaxy 6 Edge+ phone as well. I think it's a beautiful phone but again, no MicroSD card slot and lacking the flashing freedom of unlocked devices. I am hoping I enjoy the Moto X Pure as much as I think I will. It arrives Monday and I've been reading up on how to unlock and root it. This will be my first Motorola phone since the Flip Razor.....lol.

You know the Samsung 7 has dual SD cards...at least that's what I read

Walt750 said:
You know the Samsung 7 has dual SD cards...at least that's what I read
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But on Verizon it will still be bootloader locked and no root.

Don't blame ya. Guess I'm limited to paying full price for Nexus phones.

Samsung is only building one version of the S7. It has all the radios. Seems like you could buy an unlocked one and use it on verizon. There was a EU G4 that worked on VZW. Although I can't imagine advanced calling and Video chat working. The Nexus 6 (Moto) was universal too.

Yea looking at the Verizon S6 forums, they are in the same boat. No roms or anything.
The days of custom roms and root are close to being over unless they can find some miracle break through.
Yea so unless you pay full price for international S7 that is unlockable bootloader (still no word if thats the case).
Sucks.

I think people are nuts for buying a $500-800 computing device and having all sorts of bloat, advertising and tracking software installed and forced upon us.

I have an early Samsung Galaxy Nexus (not currently activated) and the LG Vista VS-880 (that replaced it),
which I plan to sell to finance a newer model.
I'd like a Google-free phone & it looks like CM & other custom roms have passed the VS-880 by.
The LG G4 & Moto X Pure Edition appear to be affordable ($240.) used.
May both be loaded with CM (or other Google-free custom rom) in
USA/Verizon models?
I have read some posts that suggest maybe only non-USA models.
Thanks!
[Soapbox: Do phone companies so control the USA administration
that the monopolistic blocking of rooting & custom roms cannot
be defeated?]

In short, the Verizon model cannot be rom'ed. EU and tmobile ones can.

Are there any phones in the same class, and available used around the same $240. price,
that may be rom'd in the USA on Verizon?
OR, maybe just run-out the current data contract then roll-back to a minimalist phone
& carry a small wifi-or-wait Linux or Tizen tablet?

Moto developer edition phone or nexus. Otherwise you have to port a non Verizon phone in. There won't be advanced calling features in these cases.

Thanks for the tips!
Moto Developer Edition (older tech, slower, smaller display compared to LG G4 or Moto Pure)
Moto Nexus 6 (older tech, slower, lower res display compared to LG G4 or Moto Pure)
But, both appear to be 100% root & rom-able & play nicely with Verizon. Yes?
My eyes would benefit from the better display on the LG G4 or the Moto Pure Edition.
Sure would like to have a micro-SD slot (why none on the Moto's?).
Other compromises ...
Hmmm ... change or run-out contract & downgrade ... hmmm.

Even on stock Roms you may only get HD voice but not video chat with moto or a nexus on vzw. Check on that. Having had tons of moto phones I can tell you that the camera will be the biggest downgrade.

I just left the Verizon G4 because of its many issues. Most won't have problems unless you wireless charge. It burns out after a while. I went though 6 replacements and all burned out after a while. My last G4 also had wireless connection issues where it would connect, disconnect, connect, disconnect in rapid increments until a reboot was performed.
Verizon said it was a known issue, credited my $199 that I spent back in June and I applied it toward a Galaxy S 7 Edge, that also sucks. The beveled screen allows touches from your palm when holding it to type; hitting things like Send and shift at random times. Over the course of the weekend, I sent tons of half completed emails and messages. Also when holding it and enough skin is touching the screen, it stops receiving inputs when typing until you reposition. And if you are normally using it, the edges are less sensitive to prevent "palming". It mostly works but freaks out occasionally and gets more input than it can handle. Also the curve of the screen and usable space (technically the whole screen is usable) makes the screen feel narrow and confined, like a smaller screen.... hard to explain. It just felt smaller compared to the same sized G4. I didn't buy a case yet but a case should help. Screen protectors are going to be a pain too.
I called Verizon and they swapped it out for a 64gb Note 5. It's the physical same size as the G4 with hard buttons to increase screen size to 5.7" but the same physical body. So far it feels like a solid device. The SPen will probably come in handy for my work. The Note 5 feels like the G4, which is what I like.
Since Root and Unlocking is basically dead... it doesn't really matter what device you pick now. I miss the buttons on the back. Physical home button makes up for lack of Double tap to wake. I still use Action Launcher with Double tap to sleep. Wireless Charging on both the S7E and Note 5 are built in.

This thread pretty much confirms what I've been feeling for some time now -- If I want a fully unlocked, rootable, bloat-free phone I have to go with a Nexus.
My Galaxy Nexus was a pretty great little guy back in the day, the only real problems I had with it were battery life. Hopefully newer Nexus phones are a little better there.
Maybe it's also a good idea to start looking into Google Fi.

I have a Google Fi invite that I am pretty sure I can give away if anyone wants it.
As far as the International s7, they are about the same problems as we do, with Qualcomm's secure chain-of-trust and whatnot... They aren't in a better boat, not by much at any rate.
If you want the Moto Nexus 6, Costco has it for a penny on a two year contract.

I used to love modding my phone. I have t had to with my g4. It has M. It has the latest features I want. It has great performance I don't need to push a ROM to optimize anything. Root was nice but I find I haven't really needed that either as cracked apks are available.

Good point.
In my case I'd prefer to have Borg/SkyNet/google completely out of my phone - so a generic load won't do & Apple isn't an option either.
It's pretty pitiful that no one will make an affordable privacy-respecting phone for use in the USA.

What Should I Do ??

Hey Guys Long Story Short I bought a G4 awesome phone In love with it but i think i want to replace it with a G3 nothing wrong with the G4 just that i am more of ROM flash-aholic and the G4 Still doesn't have that much roms ..
So Should i ?? Can you guys who actually used the phone and know its pros and cons firsthand tell me about them !
( I know i should seek therapy for my addiction ,but just help me out here ) :silly: :silly: :silly: :cyclops:
Also im gonna ask the g3 forums the same question :laugh:

3abdo3asal said:
Hey Guys Long Story Short I bought a G4 awesome phone In love with it but i think i want to replace it with a G3 nothing wrong with the G4 just that i am more of ROM flash-aholic and the G4 Still doesn't have that much roms ..
So Should i ?? Can you guys who actually used the phone and know its pros and cons firsthand tell me about them !
( I know i should seek therapy for my addiction ,but just help me out here ) :silly: :silly: :silly: :cyclops:
Also im gonna ask the g3 forums the same question :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This probably belongs in Q & A or another sub forum entirely but I've owed both so I'll share..
As far as performance the g4 beats the pants off the g3 so unless you're trying to save money there's no reason to get one.
There's a good amount of ROMs for the g4, more than enough. At least 6-8 near perfect aosp options and a handful of stock ROMs.
That being said, if your looking for a cheap phone with development support, get a nexus 5, n6, n5x, HTC m8 or m9. Yes the g3 has a lot of ROMs but the aosp will lack camera driver sources and has no laser auto focus. Doesn't really make sense to get one solely for dev support when there is a whole nexus line.

Only reason id take g3 over g4 is the fact that the bootloaders are locked tight no twrp except for a couple models. There is root and a few good mods for g4 On lolipop only.
Ive only had mine a few weeks. Im starting to home up to it. Imo root it. Debloat it. And. Expose it. The camera is perfect g4. Batery is ok i thing g3 beat it a little. And price wise wait til the g5 comes out and the g4s should take a dive too. The g4 is smoother than g3 dosnt get nowhere near as hot. Some of the g3s overheat bad. Ive done the hardware thermal paste mods on both of mine. Id keep the g4. It wont disapoint.

I really regret upgrading from the G3 to the G4. It wasn't worth the upgrade/money/headache. It's not that noticeable of an upgrade to begin with, not to mention the G3 is far easier to root/mod and you don't have to deal with the bootloop issue.

Subscribed to this thread too. I'm looking to upgrade from a Samsung Galaxy S2 and have pretty much narrowed it down to an LG G4 as it ticks all my boxes.
I don't like bloatware though and I run a Dirty Unicorns Lollipop ROM on my SGS2, so I am looking for something that will have development/updates for probably the next 2-3 years at least.
The Nexus line sound good, but the 6P is too big and too pricey, the 5X feels really nice in the hand, but the non-removable battery, no micro SD support and maximum 32gb model are deal breakers for me unfortunately. I would fill that storage up with music alone on day one, which doesn't bode well for future proofing.
Moto G 3rd gen looked to tick all my boxes also, but it has no gyro sensor and I just bought a Google Cardboard, so again, that is a deal breaker for me.
Sorry for hijacking, but yeah, I'm currently swinging back and forth between G3 or G4.

This phone still worth buying in 2017?

Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?

Depends what you're looking for I guess. If you're looking for a decent phone for around $200, it's decent. Beware the emmc failure error though, these things seem to choke themselves out at either exactly one year or exactly two years after purchase. Not all of them but a large enough percentage that its worth mentioning.
Edit:Also this is anecdotal but I suspect that refurbished note 4s don't have real gorilla glass. I dropped my note 4 easily hundreds of times from around 3 feet, sometimes with some force, with only the s view cover fit a case. The screen never had problems until insurance replaced mine due to failing emmc, then it cracked on the first drop after that.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 07:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:19 PM ----------
Also, if you get it I would use one of the newer note rom TouchWiz ports
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

Modtronix said:
Note 4 is very rootable including the V variant many active devs for it. Sprint model here and was an amazon purchase. Been rock solid. Many of the others you mentioned are nice as well. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is as well . great device lotta development and now I saw they go for $149 new . Will it hang with the Note 8.....no of course it won't it is almost 5 yrs old now but it at 149 unlocked its less than 1/8 th the projected price of the note 8 .

There are lots of reasons to love the Note 4. Replaceable battery, holds up to 256GB micro SD, IR support, big bright screen, rootable with Magisk support, great ROMs from anything from nearly stock to basic 7.11 versions. If you like to use your spen, get a Touchwiz ROM.
I bought my first one on the day of release. Since then, I've bought nine more over the years for friends and family. All (except one) has been rooted and are running newer ROMs. The holdout is my daughter who thinks rooting is bad. Kids, you can't teach them anything ... ugh! However, they are difficult (shall I say tricky) to root, it's well worth it. I bought the N7 when it was released. Had it two weeks. Hated the 'edge' because I would pull that out accidentally, or couldn't close with the X because my finger was right on the edge. I was sorta glad to return it. Needless to say, I bought a refurbished N4 on Amazon and several more since then. My neighbors wanted new phones, but didn't want to pay $600+ for them. I talked them into the N4 and set them up. They love them, but don't use half of the features. Newer phones are slimmer, not as wide, but that never bothered me. The only reason I would want a newer model would be for more RAM, however I like having the extra cash in my pocket, so I'm perfectly happy and will continue with the N4 series as long as I can.

Note 4 well worth the money!
I definitely recommend the note 4 it is an amazing phone best phone i have ever had! You will be very happy if you do decide to purchase im rooted and using twrp and custom rom! I also read a article talking about how people have decided to stick with the note 4 instead of upgrading to note 5 or 7 this is because the note 4 was way ahead of its time because of the harware that is used in it. The phone has a very good processor i highly recommend this phone!

i bought an LGV20 this week, thats going to be sold, and the note 4 will continue to be my daily driver...at least until the note 8 comes out

This phone is spectacular. I have 2. Never any problems at all outside of my own rooting quandaries. Only complaint is front facing cam. I'm not into selfies but if I get decent haircut and I want to remember it or just notate something stupid like my teeth for my own personal use, the front facing cam sucks.

prw94 said:
Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my Verizon Note 4 about 2.5 years ago and I still like it a lot. I did have the failing motherboard problem, but Samsung fixed it completely for only $70. It's working great now and I'm hoping to keep using the phone for at least another two years.
So, yes, I would certainly consider buying another Note 4 today. The only caution I would take is to make sure I bought a brand new one. Otherwise you are likely going to be buying someone else's phone with a failing, or soon to be failing, motherboard. Perhaps a phone that has been refurbished by a very reputable company could be acceptable (e.g., from Samsung, or Verizon), but I would want to make sure it has a very good warranty (preferably much longer than 90 days). I definitely would not buy a used phone that is being sold as-is (even if the buyer claims it works fine).
I have seen new Note 4 phones advertised on Amazon for about $300. Refurbished phones seem to be going for about $200 (but I think the extra $100 is well worth the cost for a new phone).
I've never rooted my Note 4. It sounds like versions from some carriers are easier to root than others. If you are on Verizon it sounds like it may be rootable, but it is more difficult. I would read the Verizon specific threads on rooting the Note 4 if you intend to buy a phone specifically for rooting. Personally I really don't feel the need to root the phone. For me it works fine (although I do use a custom launcher so I can customize the look and feel). I also disable any bloatware that I never use. Unfortunately you can't completely remove the bloatware without root.

The Note 4 is still an amazing phone whether you want to use it stock and unrooted or whether you want to root and flash roms. Be advised tho this particular model is a pain in the rea to roo but keep at it and you'll get it done no problem.

Personally? I can't find a phone to replace it. For me, I'm network flexible, and I've considered a V20 on TMO, but honestly I can't find a reason to switch. Rarely if ever do I feel like I need more ram, and that's basically the only significant feature that the v20 would pose for an upgrade. And I'd miss EVERYTHING ELSE about the samsung. Reasons to buy it? Cheap, plenty of power left in the processor/ram category IMO, REMOVEABLE BATTERY (this is something I can't stress enough for me personally. And I can not stand that newer models don't have it.) IR support (why would they get rid of this, why?! why?!?!) and its TWRP/root capable. Again, something I can hardly stand to live without. My phone is ad blocked, xposed, etc... I'll be eating out and I'll start changing TV volumes and my friends just get this WTF look on their face... And I can't find a newer phone to beat it, that has all the same features, and can still be TWRP. My opinion? Yeah, it IS the best phone, and maybe the last GOOD phone samsung ever made. I know there's tradeoff arguments to be made. But they'll drag me to the grave with my note 4. No way I'll be switching until the last boat leaves the dock, and the phone simply can't function in society any more. Hopefully by then, there will once again be another option with removeable battery, IR, TWRP.... but we can only hope.

For what its worth, I switched from a note 4 to the v20. I miss the stylus occasionally but there's a solution for screen writing included with the phone. I like the v20 more
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

I've had mine since about 6 months after release. It was a decent phone when it was still locked, but once we got root, it became a phenomenal device. I've been eligible for upgrade for over a year, but I haven't seen a new phone I'm willing to replace it with. Getting hard to find removable batteries and SD cards. I'm curious about the upcoming Pixel 2, but mostly I'm just hoping my phone will last forever.
At this point, if it dies, I'll probably hunt down another Note 4.

I think the note 4 has been a decent phone. I purchased mine new in 2015. It's always had a really poor camera that dosent auto focus without shaking it repeatedly (common issue). It's also had a round of boot looping, which could only be corrected with a factory reset. After boot looping and other random crashing issues where it suddenly powers off. I've decided to move to an LG v20. P. S. You can buy a brand new note 5 for 259.

For fun, thought I'd drop in now that 2018 is looming.
I love my Note 4 (T-Mobile). I'm a flashaholic, and there's plenty out there (though my ext sd card makes Marshmallow roms my preference, since Nougat keeps wanting to reformat the 128g sd I have in this thing!).
I've flashed a few dozen different roms on this thing and it doesn't mind at all. Bought it used off ebay (I didn't know about the emm memory mess back then, which would have given me some pause even if ebay does favor the buyer). But it runs perfectly for me. I use a rubber case because I'm paranoid.
Reasons I really like this phone?
1. big screen.
2. durable.
3. REMOVABLE battery.
4. External SD card slot (at least 128g works just fine, maybe even more?)
Reasons to not go with it?
1. Ya gotta have the newest and shiniest.
2. Small but real possibility you'll run into the emmc memory issue (if you do, get your money back from whoever sold the phone to you and/or chuck it in the trash - game over).

I love the Note 4 and was thinking about rooting it. It's the longest I've ever had a phone. Been about 3 years now and it still runs strong for daily use. Most people don't even use a phone for its full potential. It's a tool for their social media, snapping a few pics, browsing the web, paying some bills (which we all hate), getting directions, etc. As a daily driver, it's been great and I can't find a reason to upgrade to a flashier new phone for $800 plus. I'm the type that if it still works well, then there's no point in replacing it. It still performs as well as middle of the pack models even 4 years after it's release. And the 515ppi 5.7" screen with 2k quality doesn't make the phone feel dated at all. Only the style of the phone feels dated but most of us have a case on it anyway. So hopefully with a new 3220mah battery and a root, this phone will last me a little longer since it still does what I tell it to and with T-Mobile LTE, which is nearly 2 times faster than Sprint, and WiFi through Verizon Fios keeps it snappy and feeling smooth.

Barely any G7 activity

For a new, high end phone covering all carriers (in the US at least) and service in Europe and Korea, I am surprised how little activity there is here. I expected discussions in accessories and Q&A at least.
To me this does not bode well for the phone and/or XDA.

OnceAMatrixMan said:
For a new, high end phone covering all carriers (in the US at least) and service in Europe and Korea, I am surprised how little activity there is here. I expected discussions in accessories and Q&A at least.
To me this does not bode well for the phone and/or XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
things have changed in the last year or two. flagships get less attention nowadays. companies have started locking down bootloaders and raising prices. it takes longer for new flagships to get into the hands of consumers. the g7 will get the attention it deserves in time, but rooting and ROM discussion is probably going to be mostly for the mid-range and low-end devices from now on. there just isn't much need to root and mod a device like the g7. it's already really fast, feature-packed and bug free (at least since my update to 10g)

Honestly I'd get the OP6 over the G7 it's cheaper and has root nuff said.

My phone died so I had to get something quick and G7 was on sale - kinda. No complaints so far, but I hear ya - if the Pixel3 was out...

I understand in that situation and would probably do the same. Although at this point I'm waiting to see what the V40 is going to be like. I really liked my v20 but got the Note 8 because of it having root.

It was the V10 that died on me. Best phone IMO, and thought I'd run it for another 5 years.
Still surprised not more discussion on cases and screen protectors. Reminds me of the early days of the V10 when you could hear crickets, and it never really picked up from there.

Well we don't need anything due to phone being great
but I got it for 420 eur, and Op6 is 550 eur. So I get 130 eur plus wireless charging, sound, .....

OnceAMatrixMan said:
For a new, high end phone covering all carriers (in the US at least) and service in Europe and Korea, I am surprised how little activity there is here. I expected discussions in accessories and Q&A at least.
To me this does not bode well for the phone and/or XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well considering its a month old phone with US unlocked models just shipping 2 days ago, its a bit early to assume or jump to conclusions.
Also this is an english speaking forum and the bulk of LG sales will not be in English speaking countries.
For other comments from users about root, looks like we have a base magisk and weve got unlocked bootloaders on at least the OEM version. Honestly though, i really dont see a massive need to root compared to other devices.
Give it time. Enthusiasm will pick up.
Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

datafoo said:
Well considering its a month old phone with US unlocked models just shipping 2 days ago, its a bit early to assume or jump to conclusions.
Also this is an english speaking forum and the bulk of LG sales will not be in English speaking countries.
For other comments from users about root, looks like we have a base magisk and weve got unlocked bootloaders on at least the OEM version. Honestly though, i really dont see a massive need to root compared to other devices.
Give it time. Enthusiasm will pick up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't feel the need to root the phone either and I'm coming from the OPO so the modding game is strong in me. ?
For being the first releases of the rom I have to say that I'm pretty pleased on how the phone is behaving.
The only thing that I'm waiting is recording 4k videos at 60 fps and Android 8.1.

Develop Bugs

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