All Things Android - Apps, Phones, Tablets - Discussion

I don't know why people are still complaining about a lack of MicroSD storage, with top tier phones with 16/32/64 GB storage on SoC, you don't need MicroSD storage. Also non-removable batteries is the only way to get a slim phone design, also prevents tampering and installation of 3rd party/crapo batteries. Batteries should last 2-3 years, to where you would replace your smartphone already.

 

I've modified so many SystemUI.apk's and framework-res.apk's that I just don't even bother. lol I made custom Captivate ROM's for so long, and having to deal with TouchWiz on 2.2/2.3.... just couldn't do it anymore.

 

I've been modding and themeing my ROMs since I had my Epic 4G. As tedious as it gets to be, I don't update my ROM often enough to where it becomes a pain to mod my SystemUI and Framework.

 

My layout overall doesn't change, icon's do though if I don't remember to take a screenshot before flashing a new ROM:



CM9...couldn't stand Gingerbread anymore so I'm accepting the wi-fi drops and random sluggishness of a ROM that was never really completed. I plan on moving to JB in a few days now that someone's posted settings tweaks that make JB usable.

Sadly, the camera won't work on JB.

 

With ~15 GB of music alone, I definitely need a microSD card slot if I want to use my phone as a media player without relying on data (ie: on the plane and in rooms with poor signal). I'm not about to pay $50-100 extra for a phone with 64 GB of space instead of the base 16 GB when I can get a 32GB C10 microSD for as little as $20.

I don't really mind non-removable phone batteries, seeing as I probably won't be replacing it in the phone's lifetime. It is useful as a hard reset option, but not essential.

 

I used to, but I barely have time to keep my ROM newer than a month old now let alone do any real modding.

Like said above, I have about 60gb+ of music so I have to downsize even to fit it on a 64gb SD Card. And I hate relying on cloud services.

As for the battery part, I have an unusual use for a removable battery.
I never actually plug in my phone to charge it, I have two batteries (good ones, not cheap crappy ones) that I have a charger for, I keep one in my phone and one on the charger, that way I always have a fully charged battery and I just swap them in the morning. It's especially good for me because I would always fall asleep without plugging in my phone and wake up to a dead or almost dead battery, with two I dont have to ever worry. And if I'm going on a trip or something I can make it so I have two fully charged batteries.

 

I don't know about you guys, I also have a huge music library, but I certainly don't need all 60 GB of it on my phone. Maybe 5-10 GB max, but honestly, do you need 50k, 80k songs on your phone? And it's not like non-expandable storage is a new idea, first pioneered by Apple.

 

Same here. I only use 8GB of 14GB of storage (16GB microSD). But I have the SD card for added piece of mind cause I've had a phone go bad and had all my media on the SD card. So it was saved. Conversely, a friend of mine's iPhone went bad and they to redownload all their music back to their replacement iPhone (I know it's comparing moldy Apples to Oranges, but still...) cause they didn't sync their iPhone to back up all their music. I have my music backed up on my Alienware but I still like the idea that if for some astronomical reason my SGS3 goes bad and I have to get it replaced, I don't have to sit and reload all my music files back onto the new unit.

 

One of the benefits of Android over iOS is options, by taking those away you're removing features that differentiate your device.

For many, they may not need it, but it's nice to have those things available if they ever need them. My Android phone wasn't even a year old and they had to give me a new battery, would have been irritating to have to be without it while they had to fix it. When I get a new Android phone, it will be much easier to move the SD card than resync my media.

 

You mean where Samsung put theirs. They've been doing that since before the first WP handsets were launched.

Just can't be bothered.
Even when I was more into messing around with my handsets, I never went that far, now I barely change anything on them - lack of time or motivation I guess.

So why are both the S3 and S4 thinner than both the One X and One?
Despite, not only having removable batteries but higher-capacity batteries than their respective competitors?

If someone uses their phone as their primary media consumption device then why not?
If they weren't going to listen to certain songs then, the question would be why do they have them in the first place.

 

I like removable batteries because I tend to use extended batteries. I have some boring days where I mess around on the phone a LOT. Which beans me to why I like removable storage. I'll put whole tv seasons of shows on the phone since I don't have signal some places. Video, music ect.

A nice 64GB SD card formatted in FAT32 and I'm all set. I also prefer to keep my nandroid backups on an external SD. Just in case I accidentally send my phone through the washer... Which I've been known to do to an ipod... Or three... So I think the SD has a better chance of surviving in water.



Sent from my Samsung Captivate/JB CM 10.1 via Tapatalk.

 

SD card slot: its admittedly a nice to have feature for me. It keeps the cost of entry low without shakeling you with only say...8 gb of storage forever.

Yes there are cloud services, but Google music kinda sucks and regardless of music service, tiered data plans significantly reduce the appeal of such things, particularly if you want to listen to higher quality files.

Removable battery: its a "feel good" thing for me. I likely don't need a removable battery but one of the first things I thought when taking out my tablet was "wonder how this sealed battery will hold up..."

Being able to pop in a extended battery is nice....I never seem to get even the battery life numbers people say they get in reviews. With the stratosphere I was lucky to make it to 3pm. Same with my Droid 3 now.

Sent from my XT862 using Tapatalk 2

 

Well, with the OG Note, the sleep button was way up on the right side. Then with the Note 2 and S4 from what I remember at the store the button is a tiny bit above which is definitely an improvement, but the HTC 8X I played with had the sleep button directly in the middle of the right so it was a little easier to hit.



Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

 

It's not just that, it also allows you to pay for the storage once instead of having to pay extra every time you upgrade.

The exact positioning may vary but the power button up the right hand side is common to a lot of Samsung handsets all the way back to at least the i9000.

 

I just use Spotify for music, so I don't even really need 16GB. I've used 3GB out of 13.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

Not only that, but it also allows higher quality NAND. Smaller amount of higher quality (fast) NAND, or higher amount of lower quality NAND.

 

A coworker just got the Galaxy S4 today (US Cellular). I played with it for about 30 seconds. A few impressions:

(1) At first glance, the hardware is just another Samsung phone. If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all.

(2) The screen is BREATHTAKING. The colors are much more vibrant and realistic than my S3, and there's no visible lines between pixels, even when you stick your nose up to it, even on a solid color. I can't see pixels at all, even with tiny text. Just gorgeous.

(3) While he hadn't installed much of anything to try out performance, I will say that the lock screen animation (a lens flare instead of rippling water) is perfectly fluid, whereas it sometimes isn't on the S3. May just be because it's a new phone without anything installed. Also, the lens flare effect is so cool I almost forgot the phone said "life companion" in dopey lettering on the lock screen.

 

You know it's good when it looks like a picture on one of those demo models. So jealous of the display and it makes my Note II look even more gigantic.

Do I really need the pen? Heh.

 

Probably not, but the Note lineup always carries Samsung's top technology for the year.

 

I keep changing my mind, but I'm pretty sure I want the s4. The Ones camera just isn't good enough for me. it's really only good enough for web usage..

anyways, one more day and I'll have my new phone.

 

HTC employee apologizes for HTC Thunderbolt

 

If you're talking calendar year then yeah, simply by virtue of being launched towards the end of the year.
But it's a 6-month cycle, so both the Note and S series handsets are top for the same length of time.

 

Another example of a handset wrecked by excessive carrier control. Its cousin, the Inspire 4G and Desire HD, were much better off.

More in reference to the duration of time they are the flagship phone for Samsung. If I want the most powerful from Samsung's lineup, I shouldn't have to default to the Note. Giving both series the same specification with the only differentiations of the Note's stylus and larger screen would keep the Note inadvertently degrading the Galaxy S series. I'm not sure if anyone feels this way, but since the original Note came out, I feel like I am missing out on something if I decide to get the Galaxy S instead of waiting three or four more months for the Note.

Here's a good video directly comparing the Exynos and Snapdragon version of the S 4:

 

Quote from the comment section of this article and very much how I feel:

Regardless, owning the Thunderbolt means I will never own another HTC product. They have shown a willingness as a company to ignore a product that becomes a burden to maintain and leave the the owners with no support. I don't want to risk them doing that again. Thunderbolt was their flagship phone when it was introduced, and it had barely launched before they moved all support to the next phone. Never again, HTC.

I turned in my S3 on Saturday after the 14 day trial period and preordered the S4. I've got this damn Thunderbolt until May 29th.

 

Played with several Galaxy S4s at a "Samsung Galaxy Studio" set up at my university for the week, and definitely agree on these points. I've always loved the contrast of AMOLED displays, and once the pixel density gets as high as it does on the S4, Pentile v. non-Pentile is irrelevant. Absolutely beautiful display. The front of the device looks better and more premium than the S3, but the rear battery cover does feel rather unpleasant. To be fair, that's a relatively minor sacrifice considering that most would put a case around the device anyway.

Even with the heavy load of TouchWiz and the huge number of default widgets, the animations and all are very fluid. Pretty impressive as well.

 

6 months each.
The S3 was the top handset from April to October last year, the Note2 was top from October to April, the S4 will be top from April to October. It's the same for both.

Well, for half the year you don't.
And in terms of specs, generally it looks as though the S-series models will be the bigger leap than the Notes - a tick-tock affair. If you look at the difference between the Note2 and the S3, they pale in comparison to the differences between the S4 and the Note2.




We got some S-View cases today. They are nice, really nice.
The only annoyance is that they gave us white ones to use with black LDUs

Still, maybe it's a good sign - if we get white S-View covers, then we might get white handsets for work, that means I can get myself a black handset for myself and avoid confusion.

 

Giveaway: Galaxy S4 Diztronic TPU Cases

 

Did you notice those SunSpider scores? QCOM: 878. Exynos: 660. That, kids, is what we call Cortex A15. The PowerVR GPU is also more consistently smooth than the Adreno 320, but the 320 still has a LOT of muscle.

 

The Exynos S 4 showed up this afternoon. Not much difference from the Snapdragon variant with casual apps but this SoC crushes it when it comes to heavy lifting...this thing blows through Real Racing 3 and PSX emulation like nothing. I'll gladly trade LTE for the raw processing power in this case.

 

But would it be worth having to pay another $500 as well? My answer is no.

 

Ahh, the carriers have done their job.

 

I'm probably not the right person to ask this, I haven't bought a phone on contract in nearly six years. In this situation, the difference between buying an AT&T version outright and the international S 4 would have been a difference of $60, to which I would have to answer, "Absolutely". Other than the performance advantage, you get a better audio processor and the thermal dissipation of the Exynos 5 is excellent -- even when stressed, it doesn't heat up the entire phone like the Snapdragons. I could thermal shutdown my Optimus G in fifteen minutes while this phone plays Need for Speed without so much as a hiccup for nearly an hour straight.

I'm having a heck of a time choosing between the S 4 or the One. Both caters to different needs/desires and they're great handsets in their own rights.

 

I haven't been on a contract in almost 3 years. My parents switched to prepaid, and they pay for mine. My plan costs <$50 for AT&T prepaid (Net10), and the plan includes unlimited minutes and texts plus 1.5GB of data.

Net10: (unlimited minutes & texts, 1.5GB)

24 Months of service: $1200
Unlocked Galaxy S4: $700

2 year total: $1900


AT&T(450 minutes, unlimited texts, 300MB:

24 Months of service: $2112
AT&T Galaxy S4: $200

Total: $2312
Total(3GB): $2576

Red Pocket(unlimited minutes & texts, 2GB):

24 Months of service: $1440
Unlocked Galaxy S4: $700

Total: $2140


These are all rough, but fairly accurate figures. I didn't figure in the costs of sim cards(Net10 and Red Pocket) or activation fees(AT&T). Both Net10 and Red Pocket run on AT&T's network, so you get the same decent coverage. You don't get LTE on prepaid yet though.

 

I got mine before noon, GMT +1. I guess the $99.95 shipping was good for something. :S I ordered a new charger today (ETA-U90EBE) since I needed to replace the white US one that came in the box. A speedy 64GB microSD card is underway so that only leaves protection. From what I've seen so far, the official Samsung Pouch (EF-LI950BAEG) comes the closest to my preference but for that price I would at least have liked to see it in a colour that would match the phone. We'll see.

As for the phone itself, I don't feel like saying much about it yet because of the limited hands-on time I've had with it. To me, the back of the phone doesn't have a "faux carbon fiber motif" like a lot of reviewers say. It's a chrome surface with a very dark blueish grid pattern on top, so depending on the light conditions it can look more silver than black. The front's brushed metal look is rather convincing but the colour doesn't match the home button. Speaking of the home button: it's actually slightly tilted on my particular device, which is a bit disappointing. The frame surrounding the edge of the phone, including the volume rocker and power button, helps the phone feel more premium, and it definitely feels like a solidly built device all in all. The screen is of course the pinnacle of the device and is what I've been paying the most attention to so far. Colour reproduction is superb, the amount of details is phenomenal, and brightness is good considering it's an AMOLED panel. Whether you have square pixels or a PenTile arrangement has lost it's importance at this pixel density, and that is something you hear time and time again. I will add that the underlying matrix is still noticeable. You have to look for the purple tint at the bottom pixel row that should be white, but black text on a white or grey background stands out a bit more. Of course, it should not be cause for concern or bother anyone, including those that are very particular about it, but it is an observation nonetheless. I haven't played games much yet but thermals seem good. The phone keeps cooler than I expected it to. As for video playback, neither MX Player or the bundled video app will display video when using the H/W decoder for 10-bit video. MX Player's S/W decoder will give a perfectly watchable result with no audio skipping but skipped frames and the occasional stutter. Things might become more fluid with a custom ffmpeg build. I'll play around with it more tomorrow.

 

Damnit.
You lot have got me really tempted to buy an i9500 now.

 

I found out that among all the plethora of electronic gadgets I've got, this phone is the only one that can properly format a SDXC card.

Le sigh...

Good observation! It's nowhere as noticeable as the older AMOLED panels with the green lines, and chances are I would have never noticed it if you didn't point it out. As you mentioned, the color reproduction on this panel is impressive. I prefer the more natural tone of IPS screen but the color balance and the ability to switch between Movie (Seems to be the closest to natural color reproduction) and Dynamic (Full blown oversaturated colors) is pretty nice.

Well, I've made my decision. I'll miss BoomSound and the excellent volume level of the headphone jack, but I can't make the One perform at this level without turning it into a microwave. I just ordered the Moga Pro for it and it'll be my portable console emulator. Looking forward to see how it handles Nintendo 64 emulation this afternoon.

 

picking up the s4 this morning at my local att store. black. I also got myself a nice $50 off deal with one of the employees that felt bad I had to use a dumb phone for three months

 

Good choice, self.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

 

It looks like T-Mobile is getting the Xperia Z.

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Well, that's a massive win for Sony.

 

FINALLY a good break for Sony. If I was on T-Mobile, I'd be sorely tempted by the Z, even over the GS4 or the One. Its visual design is distinctive and gorgeous and the waterproofing would be nice in the Pacific Northwest (not for actually submerging the phone, but for using it outside when it's raining).

And did I mention it's gorgeous?

Spoiler

 

The Z/ZL's aesthetics is the only thing it's got going for it. Otherwise, you have a device using a TFT screen with below average contrast and viewing angles, inconsistent performing camera, loudspeaker that lacks volume, and merely okay battery life. Even on T-Mobile US, the Galaxy S 4, iPhone 5 and One is going to pull any potential consumer away from it. Sony's 'Honami' is the one to look towards to.

EDIT: I took a picture of my loaner ZL, the Note 2 and the Droid DNA side by side a while back just for kicks.

Spoiler

 

Of the Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, One, and Xperia Z, only one of the four is waterproof. The ZL is harder to justify because it doesn't have that objective advantage over competitors, but the Z-with-no-L (which T-Mobile is getting) definitely has one real objective benefit over its direct competition.

And it's gorgeous

EDIT: hadn't heard of the Honami until now. Looks fantastic.

 

I just started using Nova Launcher last night and I can't believe it took me so long to start using it. It's almost worth the 4 bucks just for the "keep in memory" function (launcher redraws drive me insane).

 

Nova Launcher is fantastic. I've got mine set up so that one sweep down is notification shade, two finger swipe down is settings, one finger swipe up is multitasking, and two finger swipe up is app drawer. I've also used a Nova shortcut so now there's a "camcorder" icon that launch the camcorder function of my camera app--so I don't have to launch the camera app and then switch modes in order to capture video. I've also increased the rows of icons to five and added a google search bar to the top of all webpages (so effectively six rows instead of TouchWiz's four). I also use the card-deck animation for transitioning homescreen and the slide animation for opening and closing apps, which gives a very polished lag-free feel to the entire interface.

 

It looks like a workaround has been found for the U.S. Galaxy S 4's locked bootloaders:

[Updated: Q&A] Dan Rosenberg Has Unlocked AT&T Galaxy S4's Bootloader, But We Won't Get To See How For A While - Here Is Why

No release until the Verizon version is out though, but at least it can be done.

 

I haven't even scratched the surface of what I can do with it. I have it pretty much set up like I had Trebuchet (CM launcher) set up, but I'm experimenting. So far all I've changed is that now if I hit my home key while I'm already on the home screen it pops open the quick settings panel, which I use a fair amount. I love the snappiness and the customizability.

 

After seeing your Tapatalk signature, I realized that AT&T's S4 model number spells LEET.

 

It was right in front of us THE WHOLE TIME!

 

Well played, Samsung, well played. You know your target audience well.