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hey everyone... this is the first of a few posts i'm gonna make today. I haven't been on here in a little while and i got a bunch on my mind
anyway i have the opportunity to upgrade early on t-mobile, and i'm very seriously considering the note 3... my question is, how do you all feel about the s3 vs the note 3. would it be a HUGE update for me? obviously you can find plenty of s3 vs s4 comparisons on the net... s3 vs note 2 comparisons... and note 2 verse note 3 comparisons... but s3 vs note 3 is a totally different animal.
i'm looking for non-rooted STOCK performance. that's my #1 concern. if i wiped my s3 right now, sure it will run great for the first month or so, but it will slow down again once things have settled in, and i'm kind of ready for a more powerful device... but i'm wondering if i should just suck it up and wait until the inevitable s5 or some other phone that comes in 2014 (maybe even, although i doubt it, late 2013)... or just go ahead and get my upgrade going? i really dont want to root, as i've always found it's the same issues of "oh yea this is so amazingly fast!" and then 2 months later i've got problems and slowdown... rooting and installing roms is great for some people that like tinkering but just not for me.
again i'm not really looking to be able to play newer fancier games... although i'm sure i'll install and play plenty of games too... but i want performance... i don't ever want to be stuck in a situation where i just tapped the camera icon and i'm waiting 10 seconds for the camera to open... or even worse, get the "could not start the camera" notification and i have to reboot my phone. or when i click spotify and it takes 15 seconds to open. or i tap chrome and everything just freezes while it apparently tries to remember what website it last had open. you get the idea. i want stuff to load quick and fast and smooth and seamless.
what are your thoughts?
thanks!
polarbearmc said:
hey everyone... this is the first of a few posts i'm gonna make today. I haven't been on here in a little while and i got a bunch on my mind
anyway i have the opportunity to upgrade early on t-mobile, and i'm very seriously considering the note 3... my question is, how do you all feel about the s3 vs the note 3. would it be a HUGE update for me? obviously you can find plenty of s3 vs s4 comparisons on the net... s3 vs note 2 comparisons... and note 2 verse note 3 comparisons... but s3 vs note 3 is a totally different animal.
i'm looking for non-rooted STOCK performance. that's my #1 concern. if i wiped my s3 right now, sure it will run great for the first month or so, but it will slow down again once things have settled in, and i'm kind of ready for a more powerful device... but i'm wondering if i should just suck it up and wait until the inevitable s5 or some other phone that comes in 2014 (maybe even, although i doubt it, late 2013)... or just go ahead and get my upgrade going? i really dont want to root, as i've always found it's the same issues of "oh yea this is so amazingly fast!" and then 2 months later i've got problems and slowdown... rooting and installing roms is great for some people that like tinkering but just not for me.
again i'm not really looking to be able to play newer fancier games... although i'm sure i'll install and play plenty of games too... but i want performance... i don't ever want to be stuck in a situation where i just tapped the camera icon and i'm waiting 10 seconds for the camera to open... or even worse, get the "could not start the camera" notification and i have to reboot my phone. or when i click spotify and it takes 15 seconds to open. or i tap chrome and everything just freezes while it apparently tries to remember what website it last had open. you get the idea. i want stuff to load quick and fast and smooth and seamless.
what are your thoughts?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When the time comes for me to get a new phone, I'm buying it from the play store. Tired of TouchWiz, tired of no carrier updates, tired of the phones being locked down, tired of everything except Android itself.
Aerowinder said:
When the time comes for me to get a new phone, I'm buying it from the play store. Tired of TouchWiz, tired of no carrier updates, tired of the phones being locked down, tired of everything except Android itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well to be honest the s3 has been updated way more than any other phone i've owned. and yea i'd love the next nexus, but what are the chances of a 32gb (or better yet 64gb) nexus? probably next to nothing. or one with sd support (also doubtful). so touchwiz it is cause 16gb is not gonna cut it this decade.
edit: oh and btw my mom has the nexus 4 with barely anything installed, the most recent update causes random reboots. awesome. yay for updates... haha. again i just want something that's gonna work really really good for a long time.
Please use the designated thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=39191132 to discuss other devices and upgrades.
Thank you thread is now closed
Have a great day!
Im eligible for an upgrade. After thinking about it, I think the camera is my most used function after the phone itself. That being said, I'm trying to get opinions of people who have switched from Samsungs to LG's.. I'm considering the LG G3 vs. Samsung Galaxy 5 vs. Note3. I've watched reviews and read articles. Looking to get the respected views of the XDA community before I pull the trigger.
jfg69 said:
Im eligible for an upgrade. After thinking about it, I think the camera is my most used function after the phone itself. That being said, I'm trying to get opinions of people who have switched from Samsungs to LG's.. I'm considering the LG G3 vs. Samsung Galaxy 5 vs. Note3. I've watched reviews and read articles. Looking to get the respected views of the XDA community before I pull the trigger.
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Click to collapse
yes I am very happy with the LG G3 phone find this to have much better connection performance than the Samsung Note 3 as well as the size is very decent and the actual screen size is not that different
the camera performance is also exceptional especially in low light conditions I find this to be much superior
---------- Post added at 01:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:19 PM ----------
However you may wanna see what else is coming up such as nexus 6, but realistically the G3 is a great device.
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk
jfg69 said:
Im eligible for an upgrade. After thinking about it, I think the camera is my most used function after the phone itself. That being said, I'm trying to get opinions of people who have switched from Samsungs to LG's.. I'm considering the LG G3 vs. Samsung Galaxy 5 vs. Note3. I've watched reviews and read articles. Looking to get the respected views of the XDA community before I pull the trigger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Came from S3 to G3. I played with my buddys S5 and was very disappointed in the size to screen ratio. On top of that, the whole knox thing, so i am happy that i dont have a samsung phone anymore.
Galaxy S5 looks like a kiddies toy compared to the G3
The camera on the G3 is amazing. I love this phone so much better then my Note 2.
I came from the Samsung Galaxy s4. Couldn't be happier with my decision. Better signal, nicer screen to device size ratio, better software than TouchJizz, and I know lots of ppl are complaining about the lag and the 801 not being ready for 1440p screen but I haven't had any issues and it's been way nice. No more lag than the s4 I had to go to a gpe ROM to get rid of it on the s4. Overall I love it and an glad I made the switch.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
Came from a nexus 4 and a sgs2 before that. I'm probably not as picky about things as others. Being that I am on t-mobile and can flash roms that are out there I'm pretty happy with the phone. Any complaints I had about the phone before installed the zone rom are gone. I don't care about battery because I'm usually near power. So all in all happy.
Hello hazard99, any chances you've got access to an AT&T SIM, I'd like to know if it gets lte on AT&T. Thanks
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk
I believe the S5 is a great device after rooted and with a custom ROM (Snapdragon version, Exynos is a big load of crap). The pictures come out better on the S5 but don't trust in the waterproof feature (it's my honest opinion). The G3 is an excellent device and feels more solid and responsive, but the developer community is still a little slow (due to locked bootloader), but I think it'll get a lot better with time.
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app
I love my G3 but I miss my s5 at times, but mainly for my gear 2 watch. The G3 is IMO the perfect compromise between the nexus five and the s5. It's more or less what I expected from the s5 before I found out it was a incremental upgrade of the s4 which was an incremental upgrade of the s3. I too am looking forward to a bootloader solution. That being said I find that the G3 still needs a little fine tuning but I'm glad to be rid of Samsung. They ain't gettin no more of my money, for their phones that is.
Coming from a Galaxy S4 and still using the Note 3.
I didn't think the S5 had enough improvements to warrant an upgrade from a S4.
The only downside is that the International G3 D855 has a locked bootloader whereas my old S4 didn't. I had no fears of Flashing whatever to my S4 and if I ever messed up, it is only a few buttons of pressing from Recovery. I can't do that with my G3. I am very cautious on what I change/modify on my G3. Other than that, I love my G3
Had Samsung for a long time. Since G2, I never looked back. G3 is a huge improvement and I like how its closer to Google experience than Sammy or G2.
Plus when I heard LG was one of the companies signing up for the Google android initiative I have no doubts LG will have best phones and keep their updates coming.
Few things that are immediate .. Vibration. Strong and you'll have less missed calls. Touch .. Less touch delay means easier typing.
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
I switched from Galaxy S4. I like this LG G3 so much more. 1 is design. I just think the rounded square look of Samsung is boring. 2 is display. Don't like unnatural colors of AMOLED. 3 is rarity. Too many Samsungs
badrsj said:
Hello hazard99, any chances you've got access to an AT&T SIM, I'd like to know if it gets lte on AT&T. Thanks
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread might help you.
Well I came from a 4yr stint with my original Galaxy S (I9000) so it is a HUGE improvement lol I was going to upgrade to the S4 but when it came out I hated the design so thought the G2, but I couldn't do without an SD card and removable battery..then thought the S5/M8 but S5 design is **** & boring let's face it and the M8 is just a phone for sheep as everyone and their dog will get it because simply, it looks fantastic (like Beats headphones, but unlike Beats it actually IS real quality lol). Also, when I went into Carphone Warehouse, the advisor there told me the best phone they had was the M8 or alternatively the G3 second. The M8 is robust and solidly built and had never been brought back for repair in that particular shop. He said the G3 was just as good but that most people went on brand name so didn't trust or know what it had to offer; himself included until an LG rep came and showed them. He told me to stay away from all Samsung phones (S5/Note 3) as they are the top returns for repair with such things as the battery expanding so it doesn't fit anymore.
Yes I miss the opportunities for custom ROMs but I'm sure this will happen soon as it does with every phone - is there actually any phone that cannot absolutely be hacked in some way at some stage? The other thing is that Samsung officially stopped supporting the I9000 2yrs after they released it so I think ICS was the last official ROM and to get GB you had to install custom. Tbh I remember reading and hearing from people that LG pretty much do the same thing but thesedays that doesn't matter to me as I would never stay stuck on stock if there are custom ROMs available, and I'm positive that most phones will have active development communities for years past their sell by date.
I am extremely happy with my G3 and not sure if I would go back to Samsung again in the future when there are so many worthy and equal/superior contenders out now.
Thanks for all the replies! I'm going to wait a bit and see if any new phones are released, this IS that time of year, isn't it?.. I don't know how much longer I can put up with my Epic 4g Ive been using the last 2 weeks, since I *lost* my Note2.. :crying:
Come from note 3 and I want to say that lg g3 is a great phone however I'm on 10 H EUR version 32GB 3gb ram and when i try to make a video on high resolution the screen freezes and get An error, I'm not rooted or anything else now I'm looking to see what note 4 will look like if it get my expectations i will sale this becouse of lack of developing
Btw i tried make few photos and phone frezed and restarted and got a botloop had to reset to factory settings so I'm not so satisfied about the product yea the screen is great but when you come from a phone that can do anything with it I mean i like flash stuff custom roms and so on to pretty much standard is a down to me as for battery life if you read email and stay a bit on Facebook and so on you will get a full day but if you pay on it or your a hard user you will need battery replacement so my advice wait for the competitions to come out
I came from... Well loads of different devices like the note 2, mi3, nexus 4,5 and htc butterfly s. Half have locked bootloaders and the other don't. The ones that did the software wasn't lagging up the phone so not much issues. But on the note 2 nexus 4 and 5 being able to mod the system and flash stuff without worrying to much of bricking the phone is a plus. Where as you can't do the same on the G3 at the moment. My G3 is just lagging compared to my other two SD800 phones for some reason :S
I came from a Galaxy S3 and I doubt I will ever go back to Samsung. Too many hardware issues. Everyone I know with Samsung phones are always complaining about the usb ports (which I had issues with too) I have an old LG GT540 from 6 years ago and that thing still kicks around.
Sent from my LG-D852 using XDA Premium HD app
---------- Post added at 03:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 AM ----------
Hexxor you need to go on the development portion if the forum and you will find on how to speed up the phone. Mine is silky smooth
Sent from my LG-D852 using XDA Premium HD app
stas333 said:
Came from S3 to G3. I played with my buddys S5 and was very disappointed in the size to screen ratio. On top of that, the whole knox thing, so i am happy that i dont have a samsung phone anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that "knox thing" will be part of next android by google (check IO 2014)
Got this phone almost 2 years back and waiting ever since for a proper root. I can't believe this phone didn't get an unlocked bootloader inspite of all the efforts and bounties. At&t is really stubborn it seems. Never going to buy an at&t device. New things now. Sold the Note 4 for around 220$ here in India ( 15,000 INR )
And got the oneplus 3. Never thought I'd move from Samsung to oneplus but I've gotta admit it's a splendid phone. Amazingly fast. Got a display brighter than note 4 ( surprisingly ) Even the fingerprint scanner is so much faster than the Note 4. And best part I just had to put 120$ more for it. You know the best part? The oneplus 3 bootloader is unlockable and can be rooted on DAY 1 itself.
So adios to the Note 4 community. Until next time.
You gave up because of root? Why do you need it so much? Marshmallow isnt even a big update on any phone. Also one plus 3 has no sd card slot,lower screen res, crappy camera...you gave that up just because there is no root?
jerses said:
You gave up because of root? Why do you need it so much? Marshmallow isnt even a big update on any phone. Also one plus 3 has no sd card slot,lower screen res, crappy camera...you gave that up just because there is no root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean to be honest here the oneplus 3 has 16mp camera and as a Note 4 owner the Note 4 definitely sufferers camera quality in low lighting.
As for the 1080p screen a lot people give oneplus a hard time. Honestly it was a great decision for them because is uses less graphic performance which means it can load a game faster than it would on a 2k screen and it's not much of a difference. They still both look beautiful!
Oneplus comes with 64gb of memory and come factory unlocked and the bootloader is unlocked and Oxygen OS is better than Stock Android. People will make custom roms and it will see an AOSP rom of Android N and root way before its even thought of coming to the Note 4.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
I still don't understand how people use Android without root! Why do they use Android without root! I mean there are plenty things you are missing, but first thing, how you are going to install AdAway without root? Do you like a phone with lots of ads? That's like cancer for a phone!
I completely understand OP's frustration, though I don't understand why he couldn't root, he seems India, and G version could be rooted, but whatever. I sold my i9500 just because there was no custom kernel for it, sorry no offence, but Android is meaningless without XDA support, I mean at least to me. But there will always be people who just install different apps and be happy with it and think that's great and achieving something
In any case its great to know that he is liking the OP3. You won't believe it I myself have read full reviews of GSMA and PA, and watched at least five or six Youtube review videos, just because I liked the phone. But the display of the phone seems pure garbage, seriously no sRGB, over 8000K temp? Hmm! Probably could be fixed over OTA, but still! The camera is bound to be better than Note 4, cause its a flagship phone from OnePlus which is released in 2016 in comparisons with a flagship phone which was released two years ago! And basically any OS close to stock Android bound to be better than TouchWiz I think, I am just so tired of it. However, after looking at the whole package, it feels like a different phone from a different league. My main sadness is even after looking at every possible company I could, I couldn't find a phone which suits my needs, darn!
Sold my wife's AT&T note 4 variant yesterday and we couldn't be happier with our new Tmo variant.. Screw you AT&T, never again! We can actually say we own this phone; in it's entirety. Should be illegal to sell locked down phones. You have stolen precious usage time from us and we will wait no more.. Bite me AT&T.. Root.. blah.. blah.. Viper4Android.. blah.. blah.. Ha! Ha! Ha! ( maniacal laugh).. Screw you!!!! (Mic drop)
In my opinion rooting a phone is a huge security risk. If someone gets a hold of your phone with an unlocked boatloader, they can get anything off the phone.
People write news stories and ads pay for those news stories. People write apps and ads pay for their time writing the app. If you block all ads, you are saying, you want everything for free, which is a little selfish, in my opinion. I don't think it is ethical to block all ads.
That said, some apps and sites' ads have gotten out of control, I uninstall nagging apps. I use samsung browser with the plugin to block some ads, but not all.
No root required.
My only need for root is to block some apps from getting excessive personal information which they have no right to anyway. But that is coming in marshmallow...
So... No need for root.
I lost my Att Note4 last Sunday and bought the N910T (Tmobile Variant) this week. I over payed for it ($200) the spen was missing but I knew it was genuine so I figured I'd pay to replace that and after getting home in the dark setting it up I noticed very very light screen burn in which is killing me now that I know that it's there. But I now have root. Running Dr. Ketan S7E/Note5 rom 6.0.1. Waiting on my Spen to get here next week.
To all those above
1) The camera quality is good. Not as good as Samsung's flagship s7 but it's pretty decent
2) You might be surprised after reading this just like I was but the op3's 1080p display beats the Note 4's 2k display. Its brighter, has vibrant colours. Just that 2k is a bit sharper. Nothing that u can notice. But overall the op3 display beat the Note 4. Compared with 3 note 4s. Also compared with s7 edge but yeah here the op3 display wasn't as good. But hey that's manageable for half the price.
3) I didn't give away the Note 4 only due to no root availability, but also coz SD 805 was getting old, and slow. You can't imagine how amazingly quick the op3 is. Especially the fingerprint hahaha seems like I've come from the 1990s in the Note 4 to this wonderful fast finger scanner on the op3. Everything. I repeat , everything is better on the op3 than the note 4
The processor
The smooth OS
The root availability ofcourse
The display ( surprisingly )
The design
The fingerprint scanner
The camera
And all this is after personal usage and comparisons
But yeah I miss expandable storage but 64gb is enough for me.
Hence. Its a win win situation for me
Plus you guys really don't know how important root is for an Android phone.
Shanghai.Knight said:
In my opinion rooting a phone is a huge security risk. If someone gets a hold of your phone with an unlocked boatloader, they can get anything off the phone.
People write news stories and ads pay for those news stories. People write apps and ads pay for their time writing the app. If you block all ads, you are saying, you want everything for free, which is a little selfish, in my opinion. I don't think it is ethical to block all ads.
That said, some apps and sites' ads have gotten out of control, I uninstall nagging apps. I use samsung browser with the plugin to block some ads, but not all.
No root required.
My only need for root is to block some apps from getting excessive personal information which they have no right to anyway. But that is coming in marshmallow...
So... No need for root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anyone tries to misuse your phone u can root before hand and set up android lost as a system app.
The battery life too on the op3 is brilliant due to the light OS
I get 5.5 - 6 hours of SOT everyday.
jerses said:
You gave up because of root? Why do you need it so much? Marshmallow isnt even a big update on any phone. Also one plus 3 has no sd card slot,lower screen res, crappy camera...you gave that up just because there is no root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did after the first week of owning it when it came out. It's been sitting in its box unused ever since I couldn't remove the bloatware and prevent apps I want to use from accessing permissions they don't need (read: can't install Xprivacy)
EkriirkE said:
I did after the first week of owning it when it came out. It's been sitting in its box unused ever since I couldn't remove the bloatware and prevent apps I want to use from accessing permissions they don't need (read: can't install Xprivacy)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to tell you how to waste your money....
But you purchased a high end phone when it first came out (~$800) and have let it depreciate (worth about ~$200 now) without any use since because of root?
sodomanaz said:
Not to tell you how to waste your money....
But you purchased a high end phone when it first came out (~$800) and have let it depreciate (worth about ~$200 now) without any use since because of root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was a gift. and yes. I should have sold it, absolutely, but I was hopeful.
Making the switch myself now. Was going to go note 7 but after hearing airlines are/will be banning its use and continued problems I decided to get an inbetweener in the oneplus 3.
The random restarts were just too much. I tried trouble shooting if it was an app and came up empty. The annoyance of having to use a password to simply see the time and current activities (calls,messages, etc ) when I wake was just too much. I would have given this phone a few more months but marshmallow update has made this useless for my work.
I could live without root but this last month has been far too annoying to deal with especially since I need constant contact with business, sleep or not.
I'm a T-Mobile user & have been holding out on an upgrade for the S9, but am seeing some really concerning chatter about its performance, battery life, & T-Mobile signal quality, and am now wondering if I should just go with an S8. Snapdragon is a non-option for me (having *proper* backup - aka Titanium - is IMO a bare essential). Thus I'm only comparing Exynos S8 to Exynos S9.
1) The Anandtech review everyone's been talking about shows the Exynos S9's battery life / performance as even worse than last year's Exynos S8. I realize these are synthetic tests, but so far they're the best direct comparison I've got, & I would assume they'd be at least somewhat representative of real-world behavior (though they may i.e. inflate the difference). And *if* these results are indeed representative of what to expect, it feels a bit silly to pay more for a newer phone that's a downgrade in battery life. I've read through a number of threads & seen a pile of individual numbers, but if anyone has some specific experience with a 1:1 Exynos S8 to Exynos S9 comparison, it could be very enlightening. Most of the comparisons I've found on here seem to be Snapdragon vs Exynos.
2) I've also seen some threads that say Exynos S9 is getting really bad speed on T-Mobile (i.e. here). The same user later said in another thread (here) that they were somehow able to get it working better, but that it still has noticeably worse signal than Snapdragon S9. Again, I'd be interested to know if Exynos S8 vs Exynos S9 show similar behavior.
3) Finally, as I live in a weak signal area, T-Mobile WiFi calling is essential. From what I understand it isn't yet possible on Exynos S9, but based on past trends it's pretty safe to assume that at some point someone will figure out how to enable it. It looks like it's currently working on Exynos S8 (reference). Is this accurate?
For the sake of longevity & the centered fingerprint reader I'd obviously prefer the S9...but not *if* it comes at the cost of worse battery, worse T-Mobile signal, & no T-Mobile WiFi calling. The *IF* is what I'd really like to try & determine before pulling the trigger on one or the other
metal450 said:
I'm a T-Mobile user & have been holding out on an upgrade for the S9, but am seeing some really concerning chatter about its performance, battery life, & T-Mobile signal quality, and am now wondering if I should just go with an S8. Snapdragon is a non-option for me (having *proper* backup - aka Titanium - is IMO a bare essential). Thus I'm only comparing Exynos S8 to Exynos S9.
1) The Anandtech review everyone's been talking about shows the Exynos S9's battery life / performance as even worse than last year's Exynos S8. I realize these are synthetic tests, but so far they're the best direct comparison I've got, & I would assume they'd be at least somewhat representative of real-world behavior (though they may i.e. inflate the difference). And *if* these results are indeed representative of what to expect, it feels a bit silly to pay more for a newer phone that's a downgrade in battery life. I've read through a number of threads & seen a pile of individual numbers, but if anyone has some specific experience with a 1:1 Exynos S8 to Exynos S9 comparison, it could be very enlightening. Most of the comparisons I've found on here seem to be Snapdragon vs Exynos.
2) I've also seen some threads that say Exynos S9 is getting really bad speed on T-Mobile (i.e. here). The same user later said in another thread (here) that they were somehow able to get it working better, but that it still has noticeably worse signal than Snapdragon S9. Again, I'd be interested to know if Exynos S8 vs Exynos S9 show similar behavior.
3) Finally, as I live in a weak signal area, T-Mobile WiFi calling is essential. From what I understand it isn't yet possible on Exynos S9, but based on past trends it's pretty safe to assume that at some point someone will figure out how to enable it. It looks like it's currently working on Exynos S8 (reference). Is this accurate?
For the sake of longevity & the centered fingerprint reader I'd obviously prefer the S9...but not *if* it comes at the cost of worse battery, worse T-Mobile signal, & no T-Mobile WiFi calling. The *IF* is what I'd really like to try & determine before pulling the trigger on one or the other
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Off topic- since 2007 I have been flashing and modding my phone's, as they were not even near performance I could get out of. I had the S7 Exynos , than went with S8 and now S9 Snapdeagon. As much as I miss the flashing , the over all performance, the fact it works great out of box, no crap installed by TMO, and Sammi actually doing a decent job, MAYBE it is not a big thing getting the TMO phone.. I'm not sorry I did, and I am a flashoholic..
BigE said:
As much as I miss the flashing, the over all performance, the fact it works great out of box, no crap installed by TMO, and Sammi actually doing a decent job, MAYBE it is not a big thing getting the TMO phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd actually really love to go that route too - but until Android offers a proper "complete" backup, I just don't see how a non-rootable phone is an option. I switched from iPhone not too long ago, bought my first Android phone which had a locked bootloader, & was absolutely baffled by the inability to do a complete device backup. "Complete" as in including all the data of every app, full OS customization, etc - to the point where you can just restore to a new phone & have it completely 100% setup where you left off. I'm not at all a fan of iPhone, but full device backup is something it's offered since...forever...and apparently on Android, the only way to get this is through Titanium. So after spending a few days trying every non-root backup solution I could find, I eventually gave in & returned the phone to be replaced with one that could be rooted.
Beyond full backup, I really don't have interest in flashing/customizing/etc. But until that's resolved natively, it's unfortuately rootable-only for me.
metal450 said:
I'd actually really love to go that route too - but until Android offers a proper "complete" backup, I just don't see how a non-rootable phone is an option. I switched from iPhone not too long ago, bought my first Android phone which had a locked bootloader, & was absolutely baffled by the inability to do a complete device backup. "Complete" as in including all the data of every app, full OS customization, etc - to the point where you can just restore to a new phone & have it completely 100% setup where you left off. I'm not at all a fan of iPhone, but full device backup is something it's offered since...forever...and apparently on Android, the only way to get this is through Titanium. So after spending a few days trying every non-root backup solution I could find, I eventually gave in & returned the phone to be replaced with one that could be rooted.
Beyond full backup, I really don't have interest in flashing/customizing/etc. But until that's resolved natively, it's unfortuately rootable-only for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, while a valid point, I have restored only once in 3 years.. and it was not perfect , yet was not a complete disaster. It took less than 40 minutes . I didn't need to restore once on the TMO phones, simply because I did not flash and made my phone unstable. Yes, I know what you mean regarding iPhones. I have 2 more lines and they are used by apple fans in the house. Yet again- iPhone 8 is a bit different than the 6 or 7 were .. things change , and actually improve. If in 2007 I had to actually wtite code (use kitchen) , mod and flash, now days I don't see a need. Did I get old? Maybe, and again, I don't answer your fundamental question , but you may get an unlocked S9 (Snapdragon), root it in few months when available, and enjoy root and TMO CSC.. I can tell you , if I have to choose between battery life and backup, then battery life it is.. I can live with partial backup, I can't with lousy battery life. But- this is me and it may not be good enough for you. Just a different point of view of an old guy..
BigE said:
I have restored only once in 3 years.. and it was not perfect , yet was not a complete disaster. It took less than 40 minutes . I didn't need to restore once on the TMO phones, simply because I did not flash and made my phone unstable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue isn't about needing to restore because it's unstable - it's about having a backup of your personal data. Stable or not, phones can get lost/stolen, and will eventually be replaced regardless. Samsung's SmartSync "solution" backs up no app data whatsoever, and other 3rd party non-root backup apps like Helium are spotty at best (for instance, they don't backup any chat history from WhatsApp, Viber, or Line). Currently, my message history in every app I use goes back to the start of when I got my first ever iPhone, many many years ago. Switching to non-root Android would mean nuking it every time I get a new phone. While it truly baffles me that there's no proper/official Android solution & that so many people seem fine with this, in my case, I feel like Titanium is the one & only option (for being able to use Android without risking large chunks of my personal data).
BigE said:
you may get an unlocked S9 (Snapdragon), root it in few months when available, and enjoy root and TMO CSC.. I can tell you , if I have to choose between battery life and backup, then battery life it is..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the previous/first non-rootable Android I mentioned getting was a Snapdragon S7. It technically *was* rootable, but its method of rooting broke the ability to use Secure Startup, in addition to introducing noticeable issues with lag & battery drain. That's why I returned it. It seems like you're suggesting I wait until S9 Snapdragon is rootable as a solution for having root w/ stability+battery life...but my very reason for looking at Exynos in the first place is because the last time I tried rooting a Snapdragon it had pretty bad stability/battery life, & I was pointed in the direction of Exynos.
I was under the impression that an Exynos, due to being unlocked, should be *the* solution for rootable without negatively affecting its battery life...not the other way around.
I have an S8 exynos, I do not have wifi calling. the S8 is a great phone and I do not feel like I'm missing out by going to S9, however if there is a really good deal I would jump ship. The only thing I dont have on my S8 right now is the 960fps camera, otherwise dual stereo speaker and everything else is the same, speed is getting irrelevant up here, I felt the S7 edge was pretty damn fast too, but I gave my family both of those and bought an S8.
I have both Snapdragon and Exynos S9(plus versions). Exynos does not bottom out on T-mobile LTE like S8 Exynos did. I am not a dev but extracted WiFi calling related files from Snapdragon and tried changing the CSC to TMB and got VoLTE to work on Tmobile but I keep getting "com.android.phone has stopped working". I am either missing a setting or it is due to the new /omc partition Samsung introduced for CSCs.
Hopefully Tkkg1994 or someone takes interest into this to get this working. Another huge issue with Exynos is you cannot record any calls with call recording apps due to Samsung removing that feature. I haven't seen any rooted apps that enable call recording on Exynos yet.
KeepItzRoot said:
I have an S8 exynos, I do not have wifi calling.
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Click to collapse
You mean you tried but were unable to get it working? Or you just didn't feel like you needed it, so couldn't offer input one way or the other (about its availability on S8)?
KeepItzRoot said:
the S8 is a great phone and I do not feel like I'm missing out by going to S9
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Click to collapse
Right, but in my case I have neither, & am just trying to determine which would be best to go with. If there's no deterioration in performance/battery as the Anandtech article would indicate, I'd obviously prefer the S9 for longer longevity & the other improvements. But if it's actually worse...then...well, that's what I'm trying to figure out.
VICosPhi said:
I have both Snapdragon and Exynos S9(plus versions). Exynos does not bottom out on T-mobile LTE like S8 Exynos did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by 'bottom out'?
VICosPhi said:
Another huge issue with Exynos is you cannot record any calls with call recording apps due to Samsung removing that feature. I haven't seen any rooted apps that enable call recording on Exynos yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh crap, that is a serious issue. Ugh, wtf. So you mean it's there in the Snapdragon but for some reason they killed it in the Exynos? Is this true of the S8 too, or just the S9?
metal450 said:
What do you mean by 'bottom out'?
Oh crap, that is a serious issue. Ugh, wtf. So you mean it's there in the Snapdragon but for some reason they killed it in the Exynos? Is this true of the S8 too, or just the S9?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to say the Exynos S8 has carrier aggregation issues with t-mobile and you'd get less LTE speed than snapdragon. My S9 Exynos runs a lot better on t-mobile LTE.
Yeah Samsung want to be the policing nanny that dictates how one should use their phone. They're going to push the new update to all of their phones including S8 to disable the use of recording apps. I can't believe they want to impose this on everyone despite call recording being legal in many places. For now it works with snapdragon but that may not be the case soon.
Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
VICosPhi said:
My S9 Exynos runs a lot better on t-mobile LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh - so just to be clear, you're saying that your S9 Exynos runs a lot better on T-Mobile than your S8 Exynos, right? If so, that definitely sounds like a +1 vote for S9 over the S8.
VICosPhi said:
Yeah Samsung want to be the policing nanny that dictates how one should use their phone. They're going to push the new update to all of their phones including S8 to disable the use of recording apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ughh...so now even Samsung is turning into Apple? :silly:
Still, if this is being done entirely via software update, it stands to reason that custom roms would not be affected, right? Which seems to just make the case for Exynos even stronger. Because *if* they do indeed disable this on all their phones, but only Exynos can support custom roms...that would mean that ultimately *only* Exynos would retain call-recording. No?
metal450 said:
Ahh - so just to be clear, you're saying that your S9 Exynos runs a lot better on T-Mobile than your S8 Exynos, right? If so, that definitely sounds like a +1 vote for S9 over the S8.
Ughh...so now even Samsung is turning into Apple? :silly:
Still, if this is being done entirely via software update, it stands to reason that custom roms would not be affected, right? Which seems to just make the case for Exynos even stronger. Because *if* they do indeed disable this on all their phones, but only Exynos can support custom roms...that would mean that ultimately *only* Exynos would retain call-recording. No?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes S9 runs much better on T-mobile's LTE network.
Yep, they're surely turning into Apple of Android... I've bought every galaxy phone since the first but looks like it is time to look elsewhere soon if Samsung starts restricting user choices. Huawei P20 and One plus 6 may give 90% of what Samsung offers.
Actually the call recording apps do not yet work on custom ROMs either. I agree Exynos is safer bet as there's still some chance someone will get call recording working with root and possibly T-mobile wifi calling too...
Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
VICosPhi said:
Actually the call recording apps do not yet work on custom ROMs either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does that mean on custom roms for the S9 only, or does it apply to the S8 as well?
metal450 said:
Does that mean on custom roms for the S9 only, or does it apply to the S8 as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Call recording apps work on S8 but if you're on Oreo then it will have intermittent issues due to Samsung limiting it in new updates.
Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
VICosPhi said:
Call recording apps work on S8 but if you're on Oreo then it will have intermittent issues due to Samsung limiting it in new updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the confirm. I guess I should probably just disregard this as an S8 vs S9 criteria for now then, because if Samsung is breaking it in software they're likely to do so on both phones eventually - and if it's fixable in software it's likely the xda community will overcome it for both phones eventually too.
Still, the battery life thing is very disconcerting. People in this thread are continuing to post numbers like:
S9: Usage ~14 hours and 5 hours sot
S8: Usage ~20+ hours and 7+ hours sot
If true, that's a *very* big regression...
Personally, the battery life has been more or less the same for me if that helps.
Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
VICosPhi said:
Personally, the battery life has been more or less the same for me if that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, that's good to know, thanks. I guess I'll hold off for at least a few more days & see if there's more of a consensus, as this Anandtech review that started the whole thing is still pretty recent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkNXCK2iVO8
Maybe have to go with snapdragon after all....
Nurmi_CEO said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkNXCK2iVO8
Maybe have to go with snapdragon after all....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE works fine now after software update he says in his update
Nurmi_CEO said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkNXCK2iVO8
Maybe have to go with snapdragon after all....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get that video. He got the same crappy speeds with snapdragon Note 8. The only difference was the LTE vs HSPA indicator which is likely due to band 71 lacking on exynos. I have both Exynos and snapdragon S9+ phones and haven't noticed any issues. Snapdragon is probably 10-20% faster on LTE and coverage is identical. It is true that exynos lacks band 71 but that's about it.
Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
VICosPhi said:
I don't get that video. He got the same crappy speeds with snapdragon Note 8. The only difference was the LTE vs HSPA indicator which is likely due to band 71 lacking on exynos. I have both Exynos and snapdragon S9+ phones and haven't noticed any issues. Snapdragon is probably 10-20% faster on LTE and coverage is identical. It is true that exynos lacks band 71 but that's about it.
Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So for sure the Exynos is missing Band 71? I was trying to find it but I swear someone posted saying he received his S9 Exynos and confirmed it had b71.
EDIT: Found the thread. I was confusing the Exynos for the US Unlocked version (SD845) https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s9-plus/help/s9-9-unlocked-band-71-t-mobile-t3758387/page3
From what I know of Samsung phones(I have never owned a Samsung), the moment you root Knox kicks in or something. I am on the iPhone X now. Wanted to moved to the Pixel 2 XL but many Pixel owners have told me to wait for the Pixel 3 since the 2 is plagued with issues apparently. Thanks for your input!
sacredsoul said:
From what I know of Samsung phones(I have never owned a Samsung), the moment you root Knox kicks in or something. I am on the iPhone X now. Wanted to moved to the Pixel 2 XL but many Pixel owners have told me to wait for the Pixel 3 since the 2 is plagued with issues apparently. Thanks for your input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My pixel 2 xl has no issues.
And yes exynos sammy devices have root, twrp etc etc. Stay away from NA snapdragons they are locked and will not get unlocked. They might see root but it wont be great and there will be issues with it like on the S7 and S8.
The chinese and latin America snaps are unlockable but hardly see and form if development so kinda of useless anyway
Knox is useless anyway but yes it gets tripped and that breaks a few things such as samsung pay and secure folder.
sent from my Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
If you like to use custom ROMs and mods on your device stay away from Sammy devices with Knox.
force70 said:
My pixel 2 xl has no issues.
And yes exynos sammy devices have root, twrp etc etc. Stay away from NA snapdragons they are locked and will not get unlocked. They might see root but it wont be great and there will be issues with it like on the S7 and S8.
The chinese and latin America snaps are unlockable but hardly see and form if development so kinda of useless anyway
Knox is useless anyway but yes it gets tripped and that breaks a few things such as samsung pay and secure folder.
sent from my Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really disappointing to me. I'm in NA and was planning on taking advantage of my carrier's buy one get one free deal on the S9 but to the best of my knowledge (immodes)tmous only has the snapdragon version available.
Is the no unlock and root thing also true of the snapdragon s8? Because honestly the bogo was really the only thing that was making me opt for paying an extra $120 for what is functionally the same phone. Aside from FM radio, a tiny soc upgrade, and adding dual aperture to the rear camera, the S9 is just the S8 with a repositioned fingerprint scanner moved just enough so as to need whole new cases lol
Sent from my XT1686 using XDA Labs
force70 said:
My pixel 2 xl has no issues.
And yes exynos sammy devices have root, twrp etc etc. Stay away from NA snapdragons they are locked and will not get unlocked. They might see root but it wont be great and there will be issues with it like on the S7 and S8.
The chinese and latin America snaps are unlockable but hardly see and form if development so kinda of useless anyway
Knox is useless anyway but yes it gets tripped and that breaks a few things such as samsung pay and secure folder.
sent from my Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really disappointing to me. I'm in NA and was planning on taking advantage of my carrier's buy one get one free deal on the S9 but to the best of my knowledge (immodes)tmous only has the snapdragon version available.
Is the no unlock and root thing also true of the snapdragon s8? Because honestly the bogo was really the only thing that was making me opt for paying an extra $120 for what is functionally the same phone. Aside from FM radio, a tiny soc upgrade, and adding dual aperture to the rear camera, the S9 is just the S8 with a repositioned fingerprint scanner moved just enough so as to need whole new cases lol
Sent from my XT1686 using XDA Labs
agentfusion said:
This is really disappointing to me. I'm in NA and was planning on taking advantage of my carrier's buy one get one free deal on the S9 but to the best of my knowledge (immodes)tmous only has the snapdragon version available.
Is the no unlock and root thing also true of the snapdragon s8? Because honestly the bogo was really the only thing that was making me opt for paying an extra $120 for what is functionally the same phone. Aside from FM radio, a tiny soc upgrade, and adding dual aperture to the rear camera, the S9 is just the S8 with a repositioned fingerprint scanner moved just enough so as to need whole new cases lol
Sent from my XT1686 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes NA snap S8 also locked down, this has been the case since the S7 so nothing new the last few years.
In this case gotta pay to play bro, literally. I just got my exynos S9 plus though and couldn't be happier despite my wallet being a bit lighter lol.
sent from my Exynos S9 plus, Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
force70 said:
Yes NA snap S8 also locked down, this has been the case since the S7 so nothing new the last few years.
In this case gotta pay to play bro, literally. I just got my exynos S9 plus though and couldn't be happier despite my wallet being a bit lighter lol.
sent from my Exynos S9 plus, Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, well then, screw it. I'm getting the S9 buy one get one free then. If I'm stuck with stock I might as well get something good out of it, like a free phone lol
Sent from my XT1686 using XDA Labs
force70 said:
Yes NA snap S8 also locked down, this has been the case since the S7 so nothing new the last few years.
In this case gotta pay to play bro, literally. I just got my exynos S9 plus though and couldn't be happier despite my wallet being a bit lighter lol.
sent from my Exynos S9 plus, Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So between the S9 and Pix2, which would you recommend?
DenisEhm said:
So between the S9 and Pix2, which would you recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hard to say i havent had the s9 plus very long.
So far Id say camera are close and so is battery life which is a shocker.
S9 plus more comfortable to hold and it certainly visually more appealing.
Speakers are louder and sound better on the S9 plus and the screen just kills the pixel.
And the main reason i got it, good ole sd card slot, i was running out of space on my pixel.
I really love the pixel but now after using the s9 plus i wont miss ut as much as i thought. Also for a google device being out as long as the pixel has been the development scene for it sucks as compared to all the nexus devices ive had. Thats big deal breaker for me
Most definitely s9 over pixel, pixel 2 XL IS OVERATED. ITS JUST THE CAMERA THATS GOOD. Even though s9 is also extremely good, better in low light. Touchwiz is way better than stock. You dont even need to root phones nowadays and honestly wouldn't recommend it.
stevenl23 said:
Most definitely s9 over pixel, pixel 2 XL IS OVERATED. ITS JUST THE CAMERA THATS GOOD. Even though s9 is also extremely good, better in low light. Touchwiz is way better than stock. You dont even need to root phones nowadays and honestly wouldn't recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adaway, SD Maid, Titanium backup. Pretty decent reasons to root I think.
True, but doesn't that trip knox? Will I still be able to samsung pay, pass etc? Basically is there a lost of function?
I won't settle on a phone I cannot root. Recommending not rooting is one thing, but to state that it is not needed, I disagree with. Perhaps the majority of people don't use it, but for me its a critical option to have. Data recovery, data filtering of web traffic, removal of limitations set by carrier. Lets not forget the volume loudness notification that is still present on the s9, my biggest personal pet peeve from Samsung. I could go on and on.
stevenl23 said:
Touchwiz is way better than stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only if you like your phone laggy and bloated - I don't know anyone who does.
You dont even need to root phones nowadays and honestly wouldn't recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ummm, put the crack pipe down, how are you planning to block annoying ads in apps and remove manufacturer and carrier bloatware without root? - seriously, don't drink & post, these are the type of moron statements that show up when you do
WTF? said:
Only if you like your phone laggy and bloated - I don't know anyone who does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No lag in TouchWiz these days
WTF? said:
ummm, put the crack pipe down, how are you planning to block annoying ads in apps and remove manufacturer and carrier bloatware without root? - seriously, don't drink & post, these are the type of moron statements that show up when you do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plenty of non root adblockers available, and package disablers that are also non root
Time you educated yourself instead of insulting people
stevenl23 said:
Most definitely s9 over pixel, pixel 2 XL IS OVERATED. ITS JUST THE CAMERA THATS GOOD. Even though s9 is also extremely good, better in low light. Touchwiz is way better than stock. You dont even need to root phones nowadays and honestly wouldn't recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*Detection* said:
No lag in TouchWiz these days
Plenty of non root adblockers available, and package disablers that are also non root
Time you educated yourself instead of insulting people
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm ... no
there are no effective adblockers on the level of AdAway that can block ads in all of your apps, as well as in youtube videos etc. - you need to "educate yourself" - the sheer design of the Android OS limits what an ad blocking app can do without root privileges, same goes for removing bloatware. You must be thinking of browser based ad blocking such as u-block, etc., which is the least of my worries. If root wasn't a critical thing, XDA wouldn't even be a thing. And TouchWiz is just less laggy than it used to be, but still nothing like the same phone with stock Android, not to mention high memory usage and additional processing adds heat and sucks down battery life. - Man, that crack pipe is really getting a workout today!
WTF? said:
Ummm ... no
there are no effective adblockers on the level of AdAway that can block ads in all of your apps, as well as in youtube videos etc. - you need to "educate yourself" - the sheer design of the Android OS limits what an ad blocking app can do without root privileges, same goes for removing bloatware. You must be thinking of browser based ad blocking such as u-block, etc., which is the least of my worries. If root wasn't a critical thing, XDA wouldn't even be a thing. And TouchWiz is just less laggy than it used to be, but still nothing like the same phone with stock Android, not to mention high memory usage and additional processing adds heat and sucks down battery life. - Man, that crack pipe is really getting a workout today!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, so I guess you've never heard of VPN adblockers then, strange that as there are a few on the XDA forums developed by devs here, and surprise surprise, they block ads in apps and browsers alike
An example of a non root adblocker that blocks ads everywhere
https://blokada.org/index.html
And Package disablers remove bloatware and any system app you want without root just fine
A word of advice:
1. Stop with the insults or you'll be reported
2. Go learn about what you're talking about, you're just making yourself look bad
The guy you quoted originally is correct, Root is almost unnecessary for most these days, last phone I rooted was my S5, I had a non rooted S7 and now S9 since then, no root and never missed it
I think root is a must adaway tb Hotspot hack audio mods I can go on what a rooted device can do I kick myself every day for buying a locked phone.. Yea there's ways to block ad non rooted but to truly modify your phone to be your own does require root. No dogging on ppl who don't want root to each there own
WTF? said:
Ummm ... no
there are no effective adblockers on the level of AdAway that can block ads in all of your apps, as well as in youtube videos etc. - you need to "educate yourself" - the sheer design of the Android OS limits what an ad blocking app can do without root privileges, same goes for removing bloatware. You must be thinking of browser based ad blocking such as u-block, etc., which is the least of my worries. If root wasn't a critical thing, XDA wouldn't even be a thing. And TouchWiz is just less laggy than it used to be, but still nothing like the same phone with stock Android, not to mention high memory usage and additional processing adds heat and sucks down battery life. - Man, that crack pipe is really getting a workout today!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have unlocked S9, sure there's like 1 or 2 apps that i don't want, i can just disable them. If you use samsung internet, you can download the adblock addon which works perfectly. For youtube i just need to download youtube vanced for an ad free experience. Sorry mate, but i really like how secure folder and samsung pay works. Also i like getting my monthly security updates and minor tweaks and stuff without hassle. Rooting isn't necessary and the disadvantages outweigh the advantages in my opinion.
All you guys preaching that root isnt needed...wth are you doing here on this site then lol?
Its a development site (or used to be anyway) for gods sake...your preaching to the wrong crowd for the most part.
Now dont get me wrong, everyone is absolutely entitled to have an opinion and their own preferences of course, but really.... trying to convice the majority here root isnt needed lol....your definitely on the wrong site people.
Maybe iphones are more your speed (jk) lol.
sent from my Exynos S9 plus, Pixel 2 XL or Note FE