First Impression of the evo 4g! - EVO 4G General

My first impression of the evo 4g when I played with it at Sprint. I was the first one in the store so I was first to use their demo unit. The unit they had was not tied down to a table and a chord. The rep was holding it in his pocket. Being first means no one has been able to mess it up(unless reps did) before I got a hold of it. These were my impression coming from the HD2.
1) The back feels more rounded. It feels more like I was holding the iphone 3gs where the back cover is curved. The hd2 feels more sharp after holding the evo4g.
2) The kick stand is spring-loaded! Awesome. I liked it. The whole kick stand felts very durable. It feels like it was made from good metal and not some cheap one. It didn’t wobble. It was sturdy! This is important! Awesome kickstand I thought! If I was able to break the kick stand and held it alone in my hand, I would assume it weighs quite a bit for its size.
3) Back battery cover feels cheap. It can flex like the same material as the incredible. In terms of material coating, its not like the hd2 where its rubberized and gives a good grip. It feels just like regular plastic. It’s not coated with anything special.
a. But unless you pop it out of the evo, you’d never be able to tell that it feels like cheap plastic. And when you have the back cover on the device, the whole device feels solid
b. The back cover doesn’t seem to be completely flushed with the seams. With the back cover on, I was still able to gently press the cover down to make it more flushed.
4) The circles around the capacitive buttons and the front speaker are SILVER. It’s not white like you see on a lot of pictures.
5) Light bleeds out of the bottom where the entire front glass meets the evo’s housing. There’s some sort of gap that should have been sealed. Very noticeable bleed especially since the light in the store wasn’t dimmed. Not deal breaking, but come on’ htc.
6) The front entire glass isn’t flushed at the top two corners near the word “hTc” and “sprint” -they sink down a bit unlike the glass near the capacitive buttons where it’s fully flushed. If I ran mu finger across the device, I could feel the evo’s housing when I hit the edge. Not deal breaking but just a matter of personal preference. Most people wouldn’t even know if I didn’t point this out. Im just very anal about every minor detail in terms of hardware build.
7) The volume rocker buttons are awesome. They don’t wiggle/jiggle or anything. They are rock solid, set in stone!
8) The power-on button near the top is also solid. It’s not fully flushed like some review websites say-making it hard to find and turn on. –psh. The button stuck out enough to find and power.
9) The entire screen looks bigger for some reason. Even though I had the hd2, and I placed it side by side, the evo screen just looks bigger than the hd2. It’s probably because WinMo 6.5 has black top/bottom bars. Using a GTX theme would made the hd2 screen look just as big. =)
10) Android 2.1 didn’t feel snappy at first, but then that’s only because sprint filled it up with bloat. Root that evo and flash a ROM. Woohoo! I can care less about the stock Rom because if I ever got it, xda is my solution for custom ROMS.
11) Front facing camera is actually decent in terms of quality. It’s actually pretty clear. Not astonishing, but good enough for day to day video conference! Review sites like pocketnow made it seem as though the front camera is choppy and pixilated. Its not.
12) Back speaker is loud and clear! It’s very nice! Better than the hd2.
13) The screen color production is better than the hd2. I noticed colors were a little more vivid and popped a little more on the evo 4g- not THAT noticeable though. However, I don’t think I would be able to tell the difference if I didn’t put it side by side with the hd2.
14) Weight of evo4g vs hd2 felt practically the same. You can’t really tell the difference. Well, I didn’t and I don’t use case coverings, etc, on my hd2 either.
15) Size, the evo did feel bigger in hand. And it is. But again, weight felt the same
16) Battery; 5 minutes before I was done using the phone, it was telling me to recharge the phone. The battery was around 23% when I first started to use it. Battery drain is very fast for some odd reason.
Those were my impression with the device. I played with the device for a good 20 minutes until I left the store. Am I sold to move over to the evo4g? yes if it was on GSM. No- since it’on CDMA and it’s also on sprint’s expensive network (personal financial issues). But in overall, there is no doubt this evo4g is a power house. I would recommend it even though I don’t own one.

Sprint.. expensive? BAHAHA!

lemonspeakers said:
3) Back battery cover feels cheap. It can flex like the same material as the incredible. In terms of material coating, its not like the hd2 where its rubberized and gives a good grip. It feels just like regular plastic. It’s not coated with anything special.
b. The back cover doesn’t seem to be completely flushed with the seams. With the back cover on, I was still able to gently press the cover down to make it more flushed.
5) Light bleeds out of the bottom where the entire front glass meets the evo’s housing. There’s some sort of gap that should have been sealed. Very noticeable bleed especially since the light in the store wasn’t dimmed. Not deal breaking, but come on’ htc.
16) Battery; 5 minutes before I was done using the phone, it was telling me to recharge the phone. The battery was around 23% when I first started to use it. Battery drain is very fast for some odd reason.
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3. Yeah, that's a trade off that has to occur when you make the battery cover snap-on rather than the traditional 'slide into place' method. I noticed it with my Evo, but it's not like I notice it much anyway.
5. You can only see this light bleeding when you look at the phone directly from above. It hasn't interfered with my screen in any way so far.
16. That seems to be an issue with the phone when it's fresh out of the box. After you condition it a bit, the battery life improves dramatically.

lemonspeakers said:
My first impression of the evo 4g when I played with it at Sprint. I was the first one in the store so I was first to use their demo unit. The unit they had was not tied down to a table and a chord. The rep was holding it in his pocket. Being first means no one has been able to mess it up(unless reps did) before I got a hold of it. These were my impression coming from the HD2.
1) The back feels more rounded. It feels more like I was holding the iphone 3gs where the back cover is curved. The hd2 feels more sharp after holding the evo4g.
2) The kick stand is spring-loaded! Awesome. I liked it. The whole kick stand felts very durable. It feels like it was made from good metal and not some cheap one. It didn’t wobble. It was sturdy! This is important! Awesome kickstand I thought! If I was able to break the kick stand and held it alone in my hand, I would assume it weighs quite a bit for its size.
3) Back battery cover feels cheap. It can flex like the same material as the incredible. In terms of material coating, its not like the hd2 where its rubberized and gives a good grip. It feels just like regular plastic. It’s not coated with anything special.
a. But unless you pop it out of the evo, you’d never be able to tell that it feels like cheap plastic. And when you have the back cover on the device, the whole device feels solid
b. The back cover doesn’t seem to be completely flushed with the seams. With the back cover on, I was still able to gently press the cover down to make it more flushed.
4) The circles around the capacitive buttons and the front speaker are SILVER. It’s not white like you see on a lot of pictures.
5) Light bleeds out of the bottom where the entire front glass meets the evo’s housing. There’s some sort of gap that should have been sealed. Very noticeable bleed especially since the light in the store wasn’t dimmed. Not deal breaking, but come on’ htc.
6) The front entire glass isn’t flushed at the top two corners near the word “hTc” and “sprint” -they sink down a bit unlike the glass near the capacitive buttons where it’s fully flushed. If I ran mu finger across the device, I could feel the evo’s housing when I hit the edge. Not deal breaking but just a matter of personal preference. Most people wouldn’t even know if I didn’t point this out. Im just very anal about every minor detail in terms of hardware build.
7) The volume rocker buttons are awesome. They don’t wiggle/jiggle or anything. They are rock solid, set in stone!
8) The power-on button near the top is also solid. It’s not fully flushed like some review websites say-making it hard to find and turn on. –psh. The button stuck out enough to find and power.
9) The entire screen looks bigger for some reason. Even though I had the hd2, and I placed it side by side, the evo screen just looks bigger than the hd2. It’s probably because WinMo 6.5 has black top/bottom bars. Using a GTX theme would made the hd2 screen look just as big. =)
10) Android 2.1 didn’t feel snappy at first, but then that’s only because sprint filled it up with bloat. Root that evo and flash a ROM. Woohoo! I can care less about the stock Rom because if I ever got it, xda is my solution for custom ROMS.
11) Front facing camera is actually decent in terms of quality. It’s actually pretty clear. Not astonishing, but good enough for day to day video conference! Review sites like pocketnow made it seem as though the front camera is choppy and pixilated. Its not.
12) Back speaker is loud and clear! It’s very nice! Better than the hd2.
13) The screen color production is better than the hd2. I noticed colors were a little more vivid and popped a little more on the evo 4g- not THAT noticeable though. However, I don’t think I would be able to tell the difference if I didn’t put it side by side with the hd2.
14) Weight of evo4g vs hd2 felt practically the same. You can’t really tell the difference. Well, I didn’t and I don’t use case coverings, etc, on my hd2 either.
15) Size, the evo did feel bigger in hand. And it is. But again, weight felt the same
16) Battery; 5 minutes before I was done using the phone, it was telling me to recharge the phone. The battery was around 23% when I first started to use it. Battery drain is very fast for some odd reason.
Those were my impression with the device. I played with the device for a good 20 minutes until I left the store. Am I sold to move over to the evo4g? yes if it was on GSM. No- since it’on CDMA and it’s also on sprint’s expensive network (personal financial issues). But in overall, there is no doubt this evo4g is a power house. I would recommend it even though I don’t own one.
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I generally liked your impressions until i saw you said that sprint was expensive, which is totally ignorant, sprint is the cheapest network in america i believe that has damn good coverage.

Your impressions were mostly spot-on, VERY impressive for someone who has only played with the phone for 20 minutes. You werent kidding around when you said you are anal about build quality--in 20 minutes you were able to notice all of those little details that took me two days.
Now, the back cover is actually coated, and is soft to the touch. Its not pure plastic at all.
Also, how is Sprint expensive? I pay $67/month with unlimited everything AND handset insurance. I was paying $140 with AT&T for the same plan and had no insurance(iPhone).

TickLe MY eLMo said:
I generally liked your impressions until i saw you said that sprint was expensive, which is totally ignorant, sprint is the cheapest network in america i believe that has damn good coverage.
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I agree, sprint is very good on the wallet, especially with the any mobile any time stuff, and as for coverage, I love it!

Related

adhesive loosening on HD2?

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thats how mine is but in the bottom. not a big deal but i did feel it
several people reported the same thing before. screen not flush all the way around. there's no adhesive, the screen slides out of the outer sleeve if you remove the screws in back.
Oh...
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mine does it on the bottom.
it feels like there is a slight gap in between the bottom bezel and the screen.
It's not a problem at all, but it sure is annoying at times.
On the left side of my HD2 the screen is easier to push in at the top and bottom, but it takes a lot of pressure to make it "squeak".
If I had a cosmetic issue, you can bet I would be on a waiting list to get a replacement. The looks on these phones are nearly as important as the performance, IMHO.
oh i deff agree, @op, if you only just got it id be trying to take it back.
Same on mine at the bottom - just barely - if you slightly press between the usb and headphone jack you hear a slight (guess it sounds like) a click and you feel it slightly move. When the usb jack is plugged in it stops Some play and I don't think its worth returning - also don't think it will get worse. Case materials should have been a little more rigid. Think if you get a hard shell case or aluminum skin - when they become available you won't notice it. Talking to other guys with the HTC branded Euro version their build quality is a bit better. Think its pretty much the same with all HTC stuff - their branded models (TYTN TYTN II etc.) were build better than the AT&T versions - they also cost a lot more because they aren't subsidized.
Personally feel the HD2 of all the MS phones with the exception of the HTC TYTN I is the most solid. The Fuze which I just got rid of was probably the worst. The case was ok but the front keypad was pure junk - out of the box the thing felt like it was going to break and it never sat "square" in its opening. The USB ports on all of them were really weak and were super loose out of the box. The slide out keyboards always loosened up and had too much play.
stim141 said:
Personally feel the HD2 of all the MS phones with the exception of the HTC TYTN I is the most solid. The Fuze which I just got rid of was probably the worst. The case was ok but the front keypad was pure junk - out of the box the thing felt like it was going to break and it never sat "square" in its opening. The USB ports on all of them were really weak and were super loose out of the box. The slide out keyboards always loosened up and had too much play.
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For me, the Touch Pro 2 has top honors when it comes to "feeling" solid. My sister dropped it the other day and cracked the bevel, with a large triangle missing near the volume rocker and three other cracks on the bottom, top and opposite side.
I am encouraging her to return it and claim the insurance, but since there is no change in the quality of the phone's operation, she wants to keep it.
Again, for me, the TP2 seems more solid than the HD2, but the HD2 is very well-built compared to other phones. I am so paranoid about even putting my phone down on a hard surface, due to the sharp edges of the camera mount and the light metal case.
I will be installing my new invisibleSHEILD as soon as sirphunkee and I can make the time to meet somewhere clean (I have a 2yo at home ). I imagine my paranoia will drop a bit then...
I dropped my phone while working out at the gym.
I was on the treadmill, and dropped the phone from my hand to the treadmill belt, then it flew out (i was running pretty fast at speed 7) and ended up hitting the wall behind me. Well, I freaked out and ran over to check on the phone.
Even though I had NO protection, the phone was perfectly fine. Only a tiny scratch that's barely visible on the top left bezel, and everything was fine.
I really was surprised at the sturdiness of the phone.
Snarksneeze said:
For me, the Touch Pro 2 has top honors when it comes to "feeling" solid. My sister dropped it the other day and cracked the bevel, with a large triangle missing near the volume rocker and three other cracks on the bottom, top and opposite side.
I am encouraging her to return it and claim the insurance, but since there is no change in the quality of the phone's operation, she wants to keep it.
Again, for me, the TP2 seems more solid than the HD2, but the HD2 is very well-built compared to other phones. I am so paranoid about even putting my phone down on a hard surface, due to the sharp edges of the camera mount and the light metal case.
I will be installing my new invisibleSHEILD as soon as sirphunkee and I can make the time to meet somewhere clean (I have a 2yo at home ). I imagine my paranoia will drop a bit then...
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Click to collapse
My TP2 fell out of my hand in a parking lot, the thing didn't hit hard, but it left a small scratch on the screen (it was visible, but wasn't too obvious) and then some nicks at the corners of the device. It did look used. I returned it to T-Mo (I was still within 14-day remorse period) and used the money I got back to get an HD2 instead (for some reason I didn't qualify for either the full or the 11 month upgrade price, only 50 bucks discount... now that I think about it, I should have gotten it at full price, also, the day after it arrived (ordered online) T-Mo came out with the 2 for 1 smartphone, but alas, a new line was needed and I had no use for it).
I've dropped my HD2 at least 4 times since and there's not a nick on it. I figure the glass screen helps (as opposed to the TP2's plastic), even if it's a finger print magnet. I also have no problems with the screen or bezel being uneven, even after dropping it, nor have I had any single of the problems people complain about, so, go figure, I got the perfect production HD2.
Whew.... OK. Soooo glad to hear this isnt only my device. Mines is on the bottom. I also dont see it getting any worst and its so minor right now its probably not worth the hassle of returning. I tend to keep the gel case on it anyway..
thrashingdeth said:
thats how mine is but in the bottom. not a big deal but i did feel it
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x2 same as mines.
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I had an issue with mine creaking, on the bottom. Mainly when I was pressing the start key, or back. Got a replacement and it seems better. For a phone seriously delayed I don't get how the quality is so terrible.
my first hd2 the camera lens started to rattle tmobile replaced it
Tm5078 said:
my first hd2 the camera lens started to rattle tmobile replaced it
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Was it the camera lens or the casing around the camera?
After watching the tear-down video I could see how the camera casing could be improperly installed and loosen after a bit of handling, but I thought the lens was pretty solid...
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JWang158 said:
Seriously, this phone is turning out to be pretty half baked.
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I disagree. Not sure if I got lucky or not, but my phone is in perfect condition despite being a month old and spending most of that time in my back pocket.
I've sat on it countless times, dropped it from my hand to the floor twice and dropped it from the car holder to the console in my vehicle so many times I can't count.
The only problem I have is with the SMS freeze, and I've solved 90% of that by keeping my inbox clean. If I have the money for a class 6 microSD card, I'd bet on having solved the other 10% of my problems.
Since upgrading my radio, I don't have any problems with dropped calls, missing texts, loss of 3G or any of the other popular issues that seem to be plaguing the new owners.
Since bad news always travels faster and wider than good news, one simply can't infer from the issues being discussed here that they are the norm. I would suspect a very small percentage of the HD2 owners frequent the forums here, and of those another small percentage are having hardware issues.
I've been through a few of these new phone releases here in the past and from my experience I would say that this is pretty normal for the first few months of a phone's release. In another month or so there will be a firmware upgrade to fix the freezing and icon switching, then a lot of the issues will switch from hardware to software. Soon after that, I expect everyone will be clamoring for the release of a Windows Phone 7 ROM, followed a few months later by a newer, faster phone that everyone will be switching to. A cycle, vicious but almost predictable.

Sacrifices and shortcomings of the Samsung Vibrant's body

Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
I'm not sure what to tell you other than you need to run to the store and swap yours out.
Mine sounds way better than any other phone that I've ever owned.
silverwolf0 said:
The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound.
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I think there's something wrong with your phone, bro. I can hear my ringtone very loud and amazingly clear over my car stereo (Pioneer HU, Infinity Reference 6.5", 10" subwoofer w/600w).
I couldn’t care less what the phone looks like. It could have a 'scratch and sniff' picture of a rotting cow covered with maggots on the back. That’s what they make gel covers for! I just want it to have an awesome screen, CPU and GPU. It has all that. Qwerty would have been nice for emulators.
UPDATE
Yeah, your speaker is 'jack'd', I have to turn mine down because it's way to loud!
Well the back cover of all phones aint worth a damn. But i dont care because mine ALWAYS have a case of them. I have a skinomi screen protector on it so i dont have any fingerprints. I am right handed and press the power button with my thumb or if its in my left hand i use my index finger. Maybe you need practice. I can care less about how the phone looks when its off.
I agree you should return your phone.......
silverwolf0 said:
Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
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LOL WoW tell us how you really feel about the phone, you sound like you ran out and bought it and your pissed that the Sim's game isn't as fun as you thought it was going to be so now the whole phone sucks I'm just sayin...
I haven't really known anyone to complain about a phone being too light.
im with this guy on the phone, coming from the evo, this samsung kind of sucks, im trying to stick it out but i'll probably go back too sprint. tmo's reception is not stellar and samsung software is less then stellar =\.
98classic said:
im with this guy on the phone, coming from the evo, this samsung kind of sucks, im trying to stick it out but i'll probably go back too sprint. tmo's reception is not stellar and samsung software is less then stellar =\.
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TMo's reception works fine for me and the comparison between the Evo and the Vibrant stops at they are both Android phones. Vibrant is far better. But to each their own.
acjames said:
TMo's reception works fine for me and the comparison between the Evo and the Vibrant stops at they are both Android phones. Vibrant is far better. But to each their own.
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might be the phone but, its far to jumpy, i travel between LA and Portland weekly and only get 3g for about 15 minutes in 3 citys in those 1000 miles. hopefully 2.2 fixes some of the issues.
I guess to each his own, but I love this phone. I've had it next to an EVO and even though the Evo's screen was bigger the Galaxy S screen was definitely more vivid.
I hope you're still within the return period...
Guess there should've been a "IMO" in the title, this phone is fine to me in all those aspects you mentioned.
Thanks for venting, I guess ...
silverwolf0 said:
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes.
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Click to collapse
I wouldnt blame it on Samsung. Since there are many variations to the Galaxy S lineup.
I would blame T-Mobile for ordering a glossy backed phone from Samsung. What Samsung does is they take the order and customize a phone for their customer (T-Mobile) to meet their needs.
Captivate has a different back, Fascinate has a different back, Epic 4G has a different back.
So your argument that it is Samsung's fault for making a bad design decision is fruitless. I like fruit by the way.
silverwolf0 said:
Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
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Click to collapse
The phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., AND beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many great compromises, great design choices, and awesome cost-cutting ideas for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. The vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does'nt bother me that I am sort of upgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a great design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that i like. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and its easy to clean with one swipy. It's also very secure and does not creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold my mouth closed in amazement to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The comfortable plastic buttons are also easy to press because of the thinness, are very firm, and the power button should be applauded because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for non complainers.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too (huh?) of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera and also more expensive if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap (the flash that never existed you mean?). It would also be adding some weight to that 118g. but who wants a heavy phone?
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely a looker, accented with a cool chrome trim that has been great phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. i mean its awesome you know cause i get reception unlike a iphone 4. The front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror. (great idea!)
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, other than amazing but the actual earpiece and speaker is very good. The earpiece is very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a hot mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can get very loud and has that same hot mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so good, or if Samsung has gone awesome again.
Batpimp said:
I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so good, or if Samsung has gone awesome again.
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Click to collapse
ROfl
Nice one
@OP
If you don't like the phone, return it.
If you can't return it, sell it.
There a plenty of people interested in buying this phone.
^ +1
Funny stuff
Humorous, I find the case of the phone to be a mute point as in my case the phone is sitting snug in a rubber body glove with only the screen exposed. To each his own.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Funny post. Complaint about everything but the GPS. This phone has the biggest capacity battery I have seen for a phone, yet that's too small. The nicest back cover yet. I must be deaf, because I can hear my phone quite well in a 100db engine room. Cheap plastic buttons? There is buttons on this phone? What is he doing, typing the Morse Code on the power button? Or is there some great phone I'm missing?
YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!
I know it sounds a little odd, but I kinda wish the phone was a little heavier. When I was holding the Evo yesterday it felt beefy and really solid.
However with that being said, I really like the fact that when I wear cargo shorts and my phone is in my pocket its not cracking me in the knee like my G1 brick used to do.
I guess you have to take the good with the bad and the bad being its rather light I suppose I can live with unless of course I decide later to duct tap some lead to the battery cover.
Batpimp said:
and the power button is made for non complainers.
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Click to collapse
LOL!!! I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk, otherwise, my laptop would be bathed in it!

Long time HTC user goes to AT&T and gets a little Focus

It's been a long journey for some of us with smartphones/pdas. My journey began with XDA and moved to the 8125, 8525, Tilt, Fuze and Tilt 2.
Today I join the ranks of the qwerty-less and HTC-less folks on the XDA as I now have a focus SGH-i917.
First impressions:
From reading various reviews I was thinking the Samsung Focus was going to be a plastic, piece of junk. I feel it is better than I expected. With an exception, the back cover and the way it attaches to the device. Instead of it being a slide, click & lock like an XDA/HTC this thing is a click. It is hard to explain but the back cover looks flimsy and like you should choose to rarely take it on and off. It snaps into place and snaps out of place, the snaps are very tiny little plastic tabs. Not galaxy tabs but plastic tabs. It reminds me of an older motorola phone where if you dropped it once, broke all those tiny plastic attachment tabs then your cover would never stay attached.
Accessories:
So far the body glove case that AT&T was selling at my store works like crap, as it keeps pressing in the power button. I am going to take a Dremel tool to it and report back in, I am going to shave the interior portions to make them slimmer.
Thresher said:
I
Accessories:
So far the body glove case that AT&T was selling at my store works like crap, as it keeps pressing in the power button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the exact same problem.. lame case.. should have know not to buy it.. but the phone is great. I agree with the back cover, but I think the IDEA is that you only need to open a few times to insert SIM or SD card..
surfnet said:
I had the exact same problem.. lame case.. should have know not to buy it.. but the phone is great. I agree with the back cover, but I think the IDEA is that you only need to open a few times to insert SIM or SD card..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lame case! At&t Gel Case from Body Glove.
I saw the cases they had and told them I would wait for better ones. As for the tabs, I had the same exact thought. Better to keep the back on and hardly take it off. I was worried they could break easily, but other than that the phone is really nice.
I too had (and really liked) the 8125, Tilt, and Tilt 2, and just got the Samsung Focus today. I really like it so far, and agree taking off the cheap back cover was scary.
I guess I'm keeping my Tilt 2 until someone comes up with a tethering app so I can use it while travelling.
MarcBate said:
I too had (and really liked) the 8125, Tilt, and Tilt 2, and just got the Samsung Focus today. I really like it so far, and agree taking off the cheap back cover was scary.
I guess I'm keeping my Tilt 2 until someone comes up with a tethering app so I can use it while travelling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe...8525, Fuze, Tilt2, HD2. I just picked up the Focus today, was the last one left in the store. I am in the same boat as you with tethering, hopefully ATT wont charge to use it.
I was a lot more worried about the screen side than the back side. I've owned a lot of Windows phones (HTC WinMo and that awful LG piece of crap AT&T was selling last year) and, invariably, the screen was plastic and fairly easily scratched and damaged. Not the Focus. I've read it has Gorilla Glass and given how rigid it is and how tapping it sounds the same as tapping the iPhone, I believe it. I'm not so worried about the back because I've had phones with "snap on" backs before and they were surprisingly sturdy if you applied a little care when removing and replacing the back. What I don't like about the back is how the camera pokes out, making it a greasy fingerprint magnet which leads to lousy pictures. It would have been nice if it had been recessed even 1/2 mm so it was at least a little more difficult to trash the glass. I'm sure a case would fix it but I don't have a case and from I've read above, I won't be getting one quite yet.
I can't say I've committed to the phone yet since I have 30 days to return it and I'm coming from a relatively feature rich iPhone 4. But since buying it....yesterday....I've already bought Slingplayer (the fastest I've EVER seen Sling Media do ANYTHING, ever, by several magnitudes!) and new apps are appearing quickly. So far so good!
Oh...per tethering, each system has it's own schedule, of course, but I can tell you it took a LONG TIME before the iPhone got tethering and oh yeah, you BET AT&T charges out the ass for it. $30 a month for 5 GB? What a swindle. If you jailbreak the iPhone you have better options, such as a $30 app that does it "for free" in that AT&T doesn't know you're tethering, but who knows if something that like will be an option with these WP7 phones in the future? You may want to keep in mind the old saying "Buy a phone for what it does now, not what has been promised in the future" because it may be a LONG TIME before there's WP7 tethering.
People are reporting too many accidental power offs, the location of the power button and the volume buttons and the power button in general is a detractor.
Solution:
The case I reported was so lame may be dremelled even further to make ' notches ' where the buttons are, removing the plastic case over that button. This would force my fingers to have to depress a bit.
markgamber said:
and how tapping it sounds the same as tapping the iPhone, I believe it.
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The iPhone does NOT use Gorilla Glass. It uses an inferior glass that's somewhere between normal and Gorilla.
MikeyMike01 said:
The iPhone does NOT use Gorilla Glass. It uses an inferior glass that's somewhere between normal and Gorilla.
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Click to collapse
That's not what I've read elsewhere. It was even posted here, I believe, that Samsung stated on twitter that it was Gorilla glass. Whatever, as long as it's not cheap plastic that scratches when you look at it twice in the same hour I don't really care.
I was still on a 8125 Wizard until monday. What a shocking change when I turned on the Focus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91cmj_dP_4
He says it won't scratch. It must be similar to gorilla glass.
I too have been a very loyal HTC user. I got a lot of use out of my tilt and tilt 2 especially, but when it was announced that HTC was going to be launching with a phone that features a slide-out speaker instead of a slide-out keyboard, it was like a slap in the face. Maybe it was ATT that made the call (idk) but i wasn't going to pick up the LG Quantum (whenever it does come out.)
So, HTC has lost a customer and Samsung has gained one and i'm liking it so far.
Also, has anyone tried placing a Captivate gel case on the Focus? i curious to see how it fits - not that i think it'll be perfect, but i'm interested to see how much modification would be required to make it decent.
Not gorilla glass in my opinion
He says it won't scratch. It must be similar to gorilla glass.
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Click to collapse
I have a iPhone4, Captivate and now the Focus. The focus' glass on the front is just like the Captivate (obviously, both Samsung made). The captivate survived in my pocket for over 2 months with no case or screen protector on it and the screen looks good as new.
The iPhone on the other hand with a case on it and no screen protector now has what appears to be a surface abrasion in a 3/8 by 3/8 square spot, from what I assume was the other phone rubbing on the screen while in the same pocket. It is light, but noticable in direct light. Gorilla glass, I don't believe it is.
/signed
I went from an 8125 to the Tilt, and now the Focus. I didn't care much for the build materials either but it's starting to grow on me. I wish I could find a decent case though so that there's something to actually hold on to.
I am in the same boat. I am a VERY happy HTC owner since the StarTrek, to the Tilt and Fuze. I was stunned when att opted to go with a qwertyless HTC model, or maybe HTC is just over att and no longer providing cutting edge design or tech. The att sales rep who sold me my Focus claims that Samsung R&R dwarfs HTC's and that att is redirecting its smartphone relationship to Samsung. Whatever. Back on point.
I picked up a Focus on day one, feeling a little dirty to be dipping my toes in Samsung's waters. And now, I love this phone.
Build Quality: I agree that the plastic is disappointing, but I am not feeling it really when I hold the phone and I am a very tactile person. The phone feels nice. Would I like a nice metal battery case, yes, but the antenna works so maybe that lack of drama is the pay off.
Screen: This thing is what is really making my Fuze feel like it was a toy. It looks better, it feels better, heck it even has a nicer appearance when the phone is off. My only issue with the screen is the small ridge between it and the phone body. If that was smooth or imperceptible the feel would be sublime.
Typing: I love qwerty physical keyboards. I also love the lightweight Samsung feel right now and I am slowly getting used to the virtual keyboard. The key is using the suggested word which I am getting used to. That way you don't really need to fix every mis step. Will I go back to a physical keyboard? That was my plan originally, to bail the Samsung and get the first NICE HTC that cam along, but I love this phone. I am learning to deal with the virtual keyboard.
I won't get into the WP7'isms. The OS has a great feel and has room for updates but those are being discussed in other threads.
I love HTC, I have transitioned to Samsung and it was actually easy and enjoyable. I will now be very curious to see what is on Samsungs 2011 roadmap and yes, I will keep an eye on HTC in the distance.
MarcBate said:
I too had (and really liked) the 8125, Tilt, and Tilt 2, and just got the Samsung Focus today. I really like it so far, and agree taking off the cheap back cover was scary.
I guess I'm keeping my Tilt 2 until someone comes up with a tethering app so I can use it while travelling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung Focus CAN tether:
http://www.amitbhawani.com/blog/enable-usb-tethering-windows-phone-7-samsung-devices/
Steps to Tether :
Open the phone screen composition
Enter the code: # # 634 # > Press Call
This will open a new screen will be similar but in test mode
Then type in the code * # 7284 # > Press Call
See the screen that you see in the picture > Select Tethered
The phone will restart
Attach the USB cable to your phone and PC and wait for it to install drivers
You will see the phone modem and you can configure the data connection
number: *99***1#
user name: [email protected]
password: CINGULAR1
Click on connect and the Internet tethering would start, while if it does not work for the first time you should retry it a few times before which the connection would successfully work.
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Click to collapse
First of all...Wow. Not the phone, but the fact that there are so many formerly loyal HTC users that jumped ship to Samsung with the Focus product. My story is just like everyone else, owned an HTC this and that, was holding out with my Fuze for something better on AT&T than the Aria. Before my visit today I had no knowledge of the Focus, but had researched the Captivate quite well. My Focus is still in the box, I'll break its hymen when I get everything backed up in my Fuze. Reading through the forums I was pleased to hear the reactions of many of you Focus veterans. I have been a lurker for the most part on XDA, but I feel that with so many like minded and experienced members here, I'll do my part to contribute monetarily and with any effort I can provide. Cheers to all and our new phones!
I've had HTC phones for years, the last one being the Fuze. And I was going to have a choice to make if the Dell Lightning had come out on AT&T and not T-Mobile, but as it was just the Focus and the HTC speaker model, the Focus was a no brainer. I was worried about it feeling like a toy after reading the pre-release reviews mentioning that's what it was made of, but I don't notice it and everyone who grabs it to check it out only comments on how light it is and never mentions any plastic feeling. They all seem to love it.
Like a previous comment, I wish the camera was a bit down in the body more...it seems I always get my finger on it when pulling out of my pocket, but so far the pics have still been great. And after my horrible pics experience with the Fuze, it's night and day better. (My camera on the Fuze just kept getting worse and worse as time went on. Even after wiping the OS, the camera lagged and every shot would be blurry. And that was my second one after the first one developed mysterious spots on it and was replaced while still under warranty)
Samsung has a new fan!
Ditto man, that little ridge on the front screen could potentially be problematic (i.e. I can see little specs of lint and stuff possibly getting in there).
The phone is great, but the build quality of the plastic back leads me to believe I really need a good case.
With my iPhone 3G, I've used a Griffin case that has really held up. It's basically leather-coated plastic, which I think would be perfect for the Focus. Here's a link: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/elanform3g.
If anyone finds a good case, please post it! Thanks guys.

Questioning my purchase...hand discomfort.

Hey everyone...
I love just about everything with my new S6 Edge...but I have to say that the narrow metal band around the sides starts to dig into my hands after using it for a while, and gets uncomfortable. I am kind of wishing I went with the regular S6 now...
I guess I could get a case to help with this...?? I usually hate cases and would want something absolutely minimal..maybe even just a bumper case.
Thoughts or recommendations?
That sucks...I hope I don't have this issue. Also, why not go exchange it?
having same issue with me though is weneva i type n use one hand n say i get to the other side of the keyboard i smash into another letter...I believe a case will help i just ordered mine.
hazy4days said:
having same issue with me though is weneva i type n use one hand n say i get to the other side of the keyboard i smash into another letter...I believe a case will help i just ordered mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which cases did you go for?
The Edge is so think and slippery it's probably a bad idea to carry it naked. I have big hands and it does feel awkward to hold. I'm debating if I won't to go get the clear T-Mobile case at cost or save a few more bucks on Amazon. I just want something now. As far as going with the S6 I just like the look of the Edge a lot better.
I went for the spigen neo hybrid it provides not only a nice grip but also protection it also comes with a free screen protector. Should look into it
Same issue here. I was already going to send mine back because of scratches, but the more I use the edge, I'm thinking I'd be happier with a regular one. I'm torn because I think the regular one looks awful, where as the edge looks gorgeous. The digging into awful, I could probably get used to it, but I'm just running into little usability things here and there making it tricky for me to use. I use my phone a lot one handed in landscape mode, I barely ever use portrait view. I'm finding it's hard to grip one handed in landscape comfortably, and the screen ends up registering my fingers that are holding onto the phone since I need them to be a bit more tight and on the screen when im doing one handed. If it had a little more side to it , I dont think this would be an issue, and wouldnt dig into my fingers. Also it's a ***** getting off a flat table. I love the bubble effect the edge has on video though, really makes it pop. I'm afraid I'll be sacrificing too many positives for comfort and functionality.
This is the only thing that has me at a crossroads between both phones grr,
I'v read a lot about the S6 Edge being sharp after continuous use and talk about the color problems with a pinkish discoloration that only effects the S6 Edge. However the price is probably justified, I mean how many phones look this sleek and eye catching? Probably saves me from spending it on other random **** so might as well invest, plus developers will be working on tonnes of additional features for the Edge's capability, I think the stock features are just the start of great ideas.
However the cons about the regular S6 make me look back to the Edge ha it's a roundabout, I'll admit when I went into O2 UK and experienced the phone first hand I loved it, I own a Iphone 6+ and comparing it with the regular S6 minus the screen difference I found it hard to differentiate the two afar, the beveled edges and design positioning (speakers, power input etc).
The Edge gives a remarkable & memorable first glance I WANT IT feeling however the recent user reviews are wavering my urge to preorder the phone or purchase on-release. I'm not sure how the sharp edge where the glass meets metal will effect the user? I don't want to buy a phone that hurts ha i'm not buying a phone to experience pain after 20 minutes of use in one-hand, or isn't it as bad as first put?
I would hate regretting my decision in buying the Edge, I'm not a hate on apple person I have an Iphone and have owned many android devices mainly HTC and wanted to try out an Apple product, but I find it hard to tell the regular S6 apart from a IP6 apart from specifications.
In the end I'll probably go with my gut and purchase the Edge, the emerald color looks magnificent but there's been no answer on which carrier will stock it or when, hints on end of July but I can't wait that long ha, the black/navy looks amazing, black in the dark but a great navy hue in light is amazing, the fingerprint problem isn't a biggie, quick wipe on your shirt and it's sorted?
Any Edge users comment on the sharp issue or have experienced any discomfort in using the device?
--- I want it ))))
Yea its discomfort but a case should solve the problem. Its hard getting use to this phone as the screen pops out instead of the back. Also headphone jack on the bottom is weird to me. Other than that phone is a beast picture quality is amazing.
I use to have this problem with my note edge. Once you put a thin case on the phone it's feels amazing, almost like Samsung built the phone with the intentions of having a case on
Sent from my SM-N915V
I had a similar problem. The metallic edges I didntnfind were to sharp...but The thinness of the phone + a flat back + slipperiness made it kind of awkward to hold.
I have a spigen case that definitely made it more comfortable to hold. The edges are thicker and softer as well.
I was going to go caseless but I didn't want to take any chances. Once I put the below case on it its even better. I think it's perfect. Good Grip and minimal bulk.
http://www.spigen.com/brands/samsung/galaxy/galaxy-s6-edge/galaxy-s6-edge-case-ultra-hybrid.html
Stupid Question about the case, It doesn't effect the usability of the Edge (screen) does it? I.E Swiping from the right/left
Thanks
Have any of you bought the bumper case by spigen? I am thinking about picking it up.
Other than the sharp sides, I don't really have anything bad to say about the phone. It looks stunning, has been nice and peppy, and battery life has been fine for me.
Crispy92 said:
Stupid Question about the case, It doesn't effect the usability of the Edge (screen) does it? I.E Swiping from the right/left
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No issues what so ever with the case and the screen. Fits perfect.
OP, i warned people before the phone ever came out.. i posted what you're experience here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s6/general/s6-s6-edge-t3043748/post59649530#post59649530
i kind of got trolled and glad to see i was right...
guess all you can do is get a case to cover up those razor sharp edges :cyclops:
Man, this post kinda bothers me now about the Edge. I normally like to rock my phones naked, because I like showing off the beauty of my phones. Now I've got some thinking to do before making my purchase... I did order the slim case from Spigen, and it just came in today, but every single time I do put a case on my phones they only last a week before I can't stand them any more... Sigh...
WilliamStern said:
Man, this post kinda bothers me now about the Edge. I normally like to rock my phones naked, because I like showing off the beauty of my phones. Now I've got some thinking to do before making my purchase... I did order the slim case from Spigen, and it just came in today, but every single time I do put a case on my phones they only last a week before I can't stand them any more... Sigh...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My advice is to feel the phone for a few days and then return it if it's too bad. I know it doesn't sound practical, but not everyone will have the same experience. I hope it feels good for you!
yes better to try out both in person, me personally i loved holding the edge i didnt want to put it back on display haha
Worst case scenario, if you can't return it or exchange it, you get a slim case to improve comfort and grip on the edges. Best part is you don't lose the benefits of the curved screen, whether it's software features or just the look and feel of the curved edges. I'm really happy with my case.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UA7LTFS

Thoughts on Z3 after a couple months of use

This is the most expensive phone I ever bought and I'm pretty satisfied with it, and also the one I have the least amount of gripes with, but it's not perfect unfortunately. My previous phone was the Galaxy S4 which I absolutely loathed from day one (made me wish I never exchanged my Xperia S for it), and the Z3 was a huge jump in quality compared to it.
Things I like a lot about the phone:
Stereo speakers sound pretty good (and by that I mean you can actually listen to it without wanting to tear your ears off), I actually like to listen to stuff using them, on the S4 and XperiaS the sound quality from speakers was unbearable.
Screen is nice, compared to S4 it's a bit less saturated but it seems much more neutral and accurate, white is actually white and not yellowish like on the S4, but black depth is obviously not absolute, but still pretty good. I think I prefer this screen to the AMOLED on S4 and AMOLEDs in general.
The phone is extremely fast and smooth, I'm a smoothness freak and I couldn't stand how laggy the S4 was.
The waterproofing is nice to have, makes you worry a little less about rain and water spills when using the phone near the shower or stuff like that.
Battery life is great, it lasts 3x what my S4 used to last. I still can't get a full day when I do extra heavy usage with hours of google maps.
Camera is pretty good, I don't know why everyone complains about it, it's not the best on the market but it's still in the top 3 best phone cameras available from waht I can tell. I'm more interested in videos on a phone since I have a decent compact camera, and I think the Z3 makes the best videos.
The phone does not overheat, the S4 was often worryingly hot and it also suffered from CPU throttling that basically cut performance in half.
Things I don't like about the phone:
I had a dead pixel on the first one I bought, brought it back and got it replaced, I examined the replacement for dead pixels and couldn't find any, too bad 2 weeks later I noticed a dead green subpixel but it was too late to exchange it (as it isn't covered by the store's warranty, previous one was replaced under customer satisfaction program). I absolutely hate dead pixels but this one is near the bottom and harder to notice.
The device seems extremely fragile and I am getting paranoid after reading a ton of reports from people who had bent phones, cracked glass, failed waterproofing, and all sorts of other breakage. Right now I have one micro scratch on the front glass that I have no idea how it happened, but it's extremely faint and only viewable in a certain angle, at which the touch grid also becomes visible so it's not really a big deal. Other than that I also found a minor scratch on the power button that is noticeable if you look at it closely.
I don't like the new Lollipop firmware, the colors are especially crappy and there doesn't seem to be any way to customize them properly. I'd like to have dark blue accents but there's no way to do so, and even if I select the blue theme, many accents are orange and I don't like it. I still think the Sony interface was at its best on the XperiaS and the original Z.
The SCR24 cover is absolutely worthless. I really can't find any positive qualities in it other than the fact that it saves the back glass from scratches. A cheap ass cover with cheap glitchy software. Except it costs 40€.
Stock keyboard is very nice and fast but I keep running into a glitch while typing in chrome where the stuff I delete using the backspace key keeps coming back. Another glitch that ruins my workflow is the email app which no longer autocompletes addresses in Lollipop and drives me nuts. Hopefully they'll fix these issues.
It happened twice already, out of nowhere I found my phone pretty much unusable as apps kept crashing all over the place (mostly com.android.phone, "enterprise service" and google play service) and I had to reboot. It happened once on Kitkat and once on Lollipop. On Lollipop I also had a random reboot. Did a factory reset and everything seems fine, but I wonder why these android phones keep having issues after OS updates until you factory reset. I had similar issues with the S4, except much worse (something like 3 reboots per day).
Lollipop multiuser mode is worthless, since gues users can also mess up your phone and access the SD card. There should be a way to limit usage only to certain apps, disable installing of apps, and stuff like that. I miss the baby mode from the S4, which came in handy when I wanted to let my little sis or someone try out my phone without having to worry about them accessing stuff I don't want them to.
Another thing I miss from the S4 is dual app multitasking, it was very limited and slowed the already laggy phone to a crawl, but it was great to play youtube in the background or use WhatsApp while doing something else at the same time. SmallApps are nowhere near as useful.
Soft Keys are awful and they make the screen feel smaller than the one on S4. This is noticeable only in some apps, for example Chrome or certain games that are not optimized to hide soft keys.
Overall I'm satisfied with it but I have major worries the phone will break and sometimes I dust off my S4 when I do something risky such as rollerblading, I can already imagine my Z3 shattering as soon as I fall once (which happens very rarely but is obviously still a risk). Not sure it was worth 565€ but so far it has worked better than any other phone I ever had. The dead pixel is also a cause of minor buyer's remorse every time I notice it.
I'd agree with most of that.
I bought a Ringke Fusion case from Amazon for mine, as the phone is obviously made of the worlds slippiest material! I got a clear one, as I like showing off the copper colour of my Z3. I think the phone may be tougher that it looks. I've dropped mine on a tiled floor, and had it slip off a bathroom shelf into an empty porcelain sink without any damage whatsoever.
I also bought a 9H tempered glass screen protector. Best buy ever. I always thought they were an unnecessary luxury, but it makes the screen a pleasure to touch when compared to a "normal" screen protector. Cuts down on fingerprints too.
I'd invest in a magnetic dock too. Saves wear and tear on the flap for the micro USB, which if it's anything like my original Z, will work loose after a few months.
The couple of things I'd add would be that the camera shutter is too close to the end of the phone, and that the lens itself is too far into the top corner. I keep putting my finger over the lens when I hold it landscape!
warface said:
I'd agree with most of that.
<snip>
I'd invest in a magnetic dock too. Saves wear and tear on the flap for the micro USB, which if it's anything like my original Z, will work loose after a few months.
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Regards the mentioned flaps, XZ and X3, what are your thoughts on it after some time on them compared with the XZ? Are they designed better and more robust? I've replaced an XZ one before, but it failed already unbeknown to me and it got wet and is dead now. So I'm in the market for a phone...

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