Related
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!
So the S7 Edge just announced
5.5" - Restyled S6 Edge with 2.5D glass all sides.
Water resistant - 3600 Mah Battery - Kickass Exynos 8800 performance
MICROsd - Kickass new camera - and marshmallow of course.
I dont mind giving away those 0.2" inches although i just bought the phone a month ago.
I am going to keep using my S6 edge + because it's too early to upgrade to S7 although it had returned some great features for some people like Micro SD, Water Resistant, and bigger battery capacity (3600mAh). For those who eagerly wants those feature, then you can upgrade to S7. I better keep myself until they release the next flagship in August which surely be Samsung Galaxy Note 6 or maybe together with Samsung Galaxy S7 edge +. If Samsung give us a 4000 mAh battery, then I am going to be really happy..
The battery in S7 is 3600 mAh which is 20% larger than S6 edge + which had 3000 mAh. However, with Fast Charging technology, charging up to 20% is just take about 15 mins then I am able to live it.
Micro SD up to 200 GB. It is optional for some people.. I don't save a lot of media (music, video) in my phone and I still have 70% storage capacity left in my 64 GB so it doesn't bother me a lot. However, it is a huge improvement for some people because many users complaining about the lost of micro SD slot in 2015 flagship.. The rest is up to you..
Dust & Water Resistant is also optional. My previous device was Galaxy S5 which have same features. However, I was rarely got my device wet because most of time I was inside a clean room. For those who brings their smartphone to wet environment, the return of this feature is a giant leap.. Keep in mind that the water resistant is different than water proof and I have just saw that the charging port in S7 didn't have a protector like in S5. I wonder how Samsung deal with it if the port is damaged with water and got corrosive, will it still work perfectly?
It is my opinion about S6 edge + and S7 edge.. You guys are able to decide based on your needs..
Thats a very reasonable and logical comparison, well done sir.
Its still too early to judge I agree. Especially since we need further in depth review of the new Exynos and the new SD820. I hope its not another flop for Qualcomm.
And you are correct again, its much wiser to wait for August.
There are several reasons why i'm gonna skip the Galaxy S7 edge, because i do have the Galaxy S6 edge+ that is a very nice phone to begin with.
Now, there are some few reasons why i feel that the Galaxy S7 edge are a downgrade in from the Galaxy S6 edge+.
1. The screen is 5.5 inch on the Galaxy S7 edge over 5.7 inch on the Galaxy S6 edge+.
2. The new 12 MP camera takes pictures in the 4:3 ratio. You have to take the camera all the way down to 9.1 MP before you can take a picture in the 16:9 ratio. So i'll think i will keep my 16 MP 16:9 ratio camera on my Galaxy S6 edge+ over that
That's the only downsides i can find with the Galaxy S7 edge over the Galaxy S6 edge+ so far.
But yeah, i wont upgrade my phone before the Galaxy S8 edge+ comes out (if it comes out ofc). If not i will be going for the Galaxy Note 7 that will come out later in 2017.
Tom-Helge said:
There are several reasons why i'm gonna skip the Galaxy S7 edge, because i do have the Galaxy S6 edge+ that is a very nice phone to begin with.
Now, there are some few reasons why i feel that the Galaxy S7 edge are a downgrade in from the Galaxy S6 edge+.
1. The screen is 5.5 inch on the Galaxy S7 edge over 5.7 inch on the Galaxy S6 edge+.
2. The new 12 MP camera takes pictures in the 4:3 ratio. You have to take the camera all the way down to 9.1 MP before you can take a picture in the 16:9 ratio. So i'll think i will keep my 16 MP 16:9 ratio camera on my Galaxy S6 edge+ over that
That's the only downsides i can find with the Galaxy S7 edge over the Galaxy S6 edge+ so far.
But yeah, i wont upgrade my phone before the Galaxy S8 edge+ comes out (if it comes out ofc). If not i will be going for the Galaxy Note 7 that will come out later in 2017.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agree and will also keep my edge+
I'm gonna trade it in also. for me this phone is a little uncomfortable to hold cuz of the flat back. anytime a manufacturer can shave a few mm from the width, yet retain top performance that's a win in my book. in this case, they managed not only to do that but also make it more ergonomic and with a better battery. so yea, I'm trading mine in. that's the beauty of T-mobile jod plan anyways.
Not trading mine in and not just because my phone is only 2 months old.
I love my edge plus and the new features on the 7 are better they aren't a big enough deal for me to change my already great phone and lose lot of money in the process.
I also like 16x9 16mp photos and bigger screen.
I voted no because my upgrade mobile will be the note 6.
I came from note 4 and I am used to the spen. I love my s6 edge+, but If I change this incredible mobile, it would be a Note 6
i love to upgrade to galaxy S7 edge+ Plus becuase of water proof and bigger battery and SD slot. plus you get a free Gear VR if you pre-order. and you get 3 days early then everyone else.
but i have a 2 years contract and i have to wait after 2 years when my contract is finished. by then Note 7 will be out.
I would consider trading my s6 edge plus even though its minor upgrade.
Hoping that a Note 6 will appear this year in Europe! Would trade one for that one. Would love to have a Note 5 but since it's not available in Europe i got the Edge+
16/9, 16mp photos! That's all I shoot in, I can't stand 4/3
So. I'll keep my 6 edge+ until the Note 6 later this year (I do miss the stylus!) Or the S8 next year.
And I'm getting the G5 whatever the case - it intrigues me! I want the robot, and I want to fly a drone....
And that VR headset.
Sent from my LG-H818 using XDA Premium HD app
Very very minor things done on this device. Absolutely nothing worth upgrading for as there is nothing new - Same can be said for the last 3 generations of mobiles from every manufacturer.
They could put 3 8 core chips in the S7 and you wouldn't notice the difference over the S6 edge +. Hell, my standard 3 year old note 3 is almost on par with my S6 edge +, how much better can it honestly get? It's just a phone and the technology inside has peaked for now. Nothing grounding breaking being done, just minor resolution bump which is pointless given your eye can't physically see a difference and a minor camera bump which again is pointless, they're never going to replace DSLR's or mirrorless systems, they've just nice 'point and shoot' sensors.
Phones have peaked people - save your money and stick with what you've got till something 'new' comes out. Too many people on here upgrading just to say they have the latest. More money than sense!
If we are keep chasing the update, it will end up in regret for every 6 months.. Same ecosystem between Samsung, Apple, LG, etc.. They are going to keep inovate somehing new.. The best moment to upgrade the high end smartphone is 2 years IMO.. Talk about S6 edge+, if we place it with S7 edge side by side, there is a very minor difference in terms of performance.. Everything have their pros and cons, as long as it is worth to keep, then use it.. Personally, I am really satisfied with my S6 edge+ performance..
I will be selling and moving to the LG G5
Alex---1 said:
Very very minor things done on this device. Absolutely nothing worth upgrading for as there is nothing new - Same can be said for the last 3 generations of mobiles from every manufacturer.
They could put 3 8 core chips in the S7 and you wouldn't notice the difference over the S6 edge +. Hell, my standard 3 year old note 3 is almost on par with my S6 edge +, how much better can it honestly get? It's just a phone and the technology inside has peaked for now. Nothing grounding breaking being done, just minor resolution bump which is pointless given your eye can't physically see a difference and a minor camera bump which again is pointless, they're never going to replace DSLR's or mirrorless systems, they've just nice 'point and shoot' sensors.
Phones have peaked people - save your money and stick with what you've got till something 'new' comes out. Too many people on here upgrading just to say they have the latest. More money than sense!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your right there. can save the money and help the poor people in poor country.
andywright1982 said:
I will be selling and moving to the LG G5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahahaha...I'm thinking of that move also
I was very tempted to upgrade! The biggest reason is the battery capacity and overall efficiency of processor whilst being put off because of the -0.2 inches. In addition to this I thought the screen quality would be a big improvement as was the case with the Note 5 and GS6 EDGE+ over the standard GS6/GS6 EDGE.
Upon my visit the Carphone Warehouse in the UK yesterday I saw the GS7 EDGE in person and can confirm that the screen is very marginally brighter and has marginally better contrast however we are talking about something extremely difficult to perceive (maybe 10% or less difference). Other than that I can confirm that personally I like the design and more importantly size of the S6 EDGE+ over that of the GS7 EDGE (don't get me wrong the GS7 EDGE is a beautiful phone still).
I may very well upgrade however it won't be until Samsung has confirmed that there is no successor to the S6 EDGE+ in August. I am pleased I got to see the device in person otherwise I would have been dreading not having waited for the GS7 EDGE which I no longer do.
Hope this helps others.
Alex---1 said:
Very very minor things done on this device. Absolutely nothing worth upgrading for as there is nothing new - Same can be said for the last 3 generations of mobiles from every manufacturer.
They could put 3 8 core chips in the S7 and you wouldn't notice the difference over the S6 edge +. Hell, my standard 3 year old note 3 is almost on par with my S6 edge +, how much better can it honestly get? It's just a phone and the technology inside has peaked for now. Nothing grounding breaking being done, just minor resolution bump which is pointless given your eye can't physically see a difference and a minor camera bump which again is pointless, they're never going to replace DSLR's or mirrorless systems, they've just nice 'point and shoot' sensors.
Phones have peaked people - save your money and stick with what you've got till something 'new' comes out. Too many people on here upgrading just to say they have the latest. More money than sense!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with you 100% I do... but upgrading to the latest phone no matter how small the change, is a total addiction for me and it's so got a hold of me! I never buy anything second hand or a last gen model. I even hate that here in the UK the licence plate on cars shows the age of the car. My car now tells people it's 2yrs old and even though it looks pristine and only 10000 miles on the clock, it really irks me that it is no longer the latest and greatest.
I love my S6 edge+ but as soon as the S7 was announced I realised I was no longer owning the latest Samsung phone. It saddened me and I know that's pathetic!
.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ using Tapatalk
apprentice said:
I totally agree with you 100% I do... but upgrading to the latest phone no matter how small the change, is a total addiction for me and it's so got a hold of me! I never buy anything second hand or a last gen model. I even hate that here in the UK the licence plate on cars shows the age of the car. My car now tells people it's 2yrs old and even though it looks pristine and only 10000 miles on the clock, it really irks me that it is no longer the latest and greatest.
I love my S6 edge+ but as soon as the S7 was announced I realised I was no longer owning the latest Samsung phone. It saddened me and I know that's pathetic!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, but you're anti Apple? Yet your last sentence is what keeps Apple in business, no change at all, but HAVE to have it, regardless.
Based on my experience with cars, older ones are much better than newer, too much pointless tech built into newer cars that goes wrong (and it DOES go wrong) I have a heavily modified 2002 Volvo S40 T4 with around 370bhp that's now on 186,000 miles and runs like new - I'd like to see any of Volvos newer cars do that!
Newer isn't always better and most of the time, isn't worth it.
But each to their own
If you already ordered and/or received your Pixel XL, and had to option to replace it, would you stick with your current one or replace it with another version? Which version did you get, which would you get instead?
Thanks, checking on what's the consensus to make a decision on my purchase.
I want one of those phones that explodes. Need a little excitement in my life.
But in seriousness, no. I'm coming from from the s7 edge and I like the pixel better. The s7 does do better on benchmarks, but in everything I run games included, the pixel seems to be faster and smoother.
4 reason why I'm hesistating getting this phone
1. It's made by HTC, obviously a cost saving move by Google.
2. No IP68 rating.
3. Dual speaker not available ? What a step back from the 6p.
4. The design is like Apple had sex with a samsung s4. Wassup with that half ass back? It's metal then turn into gorilla?
That said I current using s7 edge exynos version. Exynos version can be flashed to have dual audio, it's ip68 rating, big battery and pretty much a well rounder.
I used a lot of phone this year and in the past, to include the iPhone 7. I felt like the note 7 could have beat the s7 edge but **** happens.
Chord_Hugo87 said:
4 reason why I'm hesistating getting this phone
1. It's made by HTC, obviously a cost saving move by Google.
2. No IP68 rating.
3. Dual speaker not available ? What a step back from the 6p.
4. The design is like Apple had sex with a samsung s4. Wassup with that half ass back? It's metal then turn into gorilla?
That said I current using s7 edge exynos version. Exynos version can be flashed to have dual audio, it's ip68 rating, big battery and pretty much a well rounder.
I used a lot of phone this year and in the past, to include the iPhone 7. I felt like the note 7 could have beat the s7 edge but **** happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it's touch whiz :cyclops:
evocalante said:
But it's touch whiz :cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its tone down a lot, most of the useless features are gone, the good one they kept, like dual screen and Always on display. I missed AOD a lot when I switch to HTC 10, use that for a couple month, then go to Iphone 7 and now back to S7 edge again.
Hi guys, I have now S7 Edge, I have from the date when phone got in sale last year.
What you can recommend me or give me some reason to maybe sell this phone, and buy a O3T
?
Someone make same decision?
Poslano sa mog SM-G935F koristeći Tapatalk
S7e is a good phone with great hardware, but personally i just hate the software Samsung puts on it. it's one of the reasons the OP3T is actually a bit better in terms of performance.
that being said, at this point you might as well just wait for the next oneplus phone to be released since that will likely be a more noticeable gain.
I also want to switch from the s7 edge to the op3 or op3t. After 2 years with an oneplus one, I really can't get used to the touchwiz. I know there are custom roms, but the camera isn't that great with them. One thing that I like on the s7 edge it's the screen and how it feels when you touch it. So, did anyone compared the screen of this two devices and noticed big changes?
Waste of money in my eyes. S7 is still a very good phone. You can upgrade when there is something way better.
Well, Personally I would instantly switch, I hate anything other than stock android because it limits personalization and usefulness. Now the S7 edge is a perfectly capable phone for most- its fast, good battery and features, but the moment Samsung stops supporting it, the phone is as good as dead(well maybe 6 months after they stop supporting it). But point being, samsung is a pain in the *** to mod, and since you are on xda, you know what I mean. Odins n stuff... meh. Getting a oneplus 3T will almost certainly guarantee a safe passage into the constantly evolving technology life. You can use it at its full capacity for at least 3 years(thats the official support) but after that OP releases everything and the drivers are close to what Google requires so support from xda developers will continue long after the official one. Now say you dont care about that cause you switch phones every 2 years. Well then, the OnePlus 3T has to offer faster charging, and a better camera, and the oxygen OS is truly the best android OS out there, it gets things done as easy and as quickly as possible. So it still is a big improvement over what the s7 offers. I would suggest selling the S7 edge and getting 3T, or waiting for OP4. But first try to root the s7 and put something CM based on it, to see if its stable and it has good camera drivers. The choice is yours. The two devices worth switching over are OnePlus 3T and pixel. Samsung, sony, xiaomi, etc all heavily modified phones with limitations and clustered UI that will last you 2 years tops
Robi959 said:
Hi guys, I have now S7 Edge, I have from the date when phone got in sale last year.
What you can recommend me or give me some reason to maybe sell this phone, and buy a O3T
?
Someone make same decision?
Poslano sa mog SM-G935F koristeći Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just stick to your S7 Edge, the only reason I can see in favor of the OP3T is software, which is closer to stock and performs more fluidly compared to Samsung's TouchWiz. Otherwise hardware on the S7 is generally superior to the OP3T and you're better off waiting for OP4
Looking to get back into the Android modding world.
These things are important to me:
Custom Roms / rooting / unlocked bootloader
Fast
Large screen
(Stylus)
Expandable storage
Wireless charging
Don't care about headphone jack
The Note 9 (certain versions, either Exynos chipset or the n9600?) seems to meet all of these criteria, but... the a50 is *so* much cheaper.
Other than the stylus obviously, is the a50 comparable to the Note 9?
I mean, yeah, it is slightly behind in resolution, the scratch-resistance of the glass, the CPU / SOC, RAM (6 GB vs 4 GB), but it has a much better camera (which is kind of important to me, but not a game breaker).
I don't care that the Note 9 is water/dust resistant.
I would be using the phone on Ting here in the U.S.
Edit: I am also considering the Google Pixel (3, 3a xl, 4 XL) and the OnePlus 6T or Pro 7
I say don't get A50 if you want to play around with it. Yes, it's a great value phone, but only for average users. So far there's only few GSI ROMs and it's still somewhat buggy for most people.
Consider a OnePlus phone instead. It has great support for custom ROMs and tweaks.
I've got a Note 9 and the wife has an A50 (which I update etc as she's rather technophobic ... )
They are actually very similar in size, just that the N9 is noticeably heavier - though I personally don't have any issues with that. I use the stylus quite a bit so that's another point in its favour, as is the ability to use custom ROMs/root it/etc. Oh, I'm in the UK so have the Exynos version.
Not sure about the A50 being 'buggy' as the one we have works fine in day to day use on a completely stock ROM. Android 10 should be out for it anytime soon as well.
Oh, and the N9 is also noticeably faster, just installing apps, for example.
That's my experience anyway.
Dude, I don't know where in the US do you live (regarding to phones prices), and I don't mean to be rude, but this question makes no sense at all. You're comparing a flagship phone to a mid-range budget phone from nearly the same time.
It's fairly obvious that a higher-end, more expensive phone will be better in almost every aspect. No need to compare at all: SO MUCH better hardware, absolutely better camera (more quality and functions such as a better pro mode), additional functionality (DeX, MHL), etc. It's only fair... since one retailed for something like 800 dollars (N9) and the other one for around 280 USD...
By the way, I would certainly not recommend Samsung if you're into modding. Samsung phones are OK but they lack a lot of community development and customization mainly because of Exynos chipsets and locked bootloaders. There are obviously a few exceptions such as some international models that use Qualcomm processors, but that's it.
EDIT: what I meant is that the price difference between both phones, translates into A50 being a less capable product in every aspect. It's not bad at all for it's price, but keep in mind it's a 250 dollar phone. If you can afford N9, it's a flagship, and certainly not too old to be relevant in 2020.
If you can't go for it, maybe set for something in the middle like an A70? That one comes with a Snapdragon SoC, which brings support to GCam and stuff.