Database Users

Good time to buy the legend? hows is it for you?

okay so first how do you guys feel with it is it snappy can it run the new apps fast?
hows flash videos playing?
do you think htc will update it soon or is now a good time to get one?
with the 2.2 out hows flash video? generally dose it feel good?
also i can buy it at best buy for 350 plus i get a 100$ bestbuy card so 250
you think its a good buy or get a nexus one used/vibrant for 300?

You shouldn't buy a Legend if your aim is to run apps fast.
Adobe flash doesn't work on Legend, but official rom has Flash Lite from HTC.

jul644 said:
okay so first how do you guys feel with it is it snappy can it run the new apps fast?
hows flash videos playing?
do you think htc will update it soon or is now a good time to get one?
with the 2.2 out hows flash video? generally dose it feel good?
also i can buy it at best buy for 350 plus i get a 100$ bestbuy card so 250
you think its a good buy or get a nexus one used/vibrant for 300?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its slow and buggy woul have been better off on 2.1 if u ask me

.
thanks guys

Legend is a great phone. I really dislike big phones like the Nexus1, HTC Desire, iPhone, GalaxyS.
Legend fits the bill perfectly, it's got great build quality, it's pretty fast (600Mhz CPU), but it's GPU is faster than most high end phones, outperforming 1GHZ snapdragon phones for gaming and graphically intensive stuff.
For $250, it sounds like a great buy.

CrazyPeter said:
Legend is a great phone. I really dislike big phones like the Nexus1, HTC Desire, iPhone, GalaxyS.
Legend fits the bill perfectly, it's got great build quality, it's pretty fast (600Mhz CPU), but it's GPU is faster than most high end phones, outperforming 1GHZ snapdragon phones for gaming and graphically intensive stuff.
For $250, it sounds like a great buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Legend pretty fast are you crazy and the only thing the gpu will out perform is a wildfire ...... if your lucky. I came from desire > desire hd > legend
the legend is the best lookin phone out of them all i think but definatly the slowes my legend even lags when playin angry birds so dont see how it could out perform any high end snapdragon. well worth $250 tho.

got a local buyer that is selling a mint nexus one for 320 you think its worth it,
also for calling dose the chin on the legend make voice conversations better?>

jul644 said:
got a local buyer that is selling a mint nexus one for 320 you think its worth it,
also for calling dose the chin on the legend make voice conversations better?>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not really had the phone long enough to say about the legend calls.
I have never had the nexus but on paper its a better phone, but it will never look as nice as the legend. You have to choose between spec or design, and the nexus will more than likley get gingerbread

The battery can't hold a charge, the unibody design impairs getting signal in low reception areas, scrolling is jerky on almost everything, pinch to zoom is completely unusable and the camera is crap.
Don't do it man.

I get a day and a half on a charge with WiFi always on, so the battery is excellent. I never had any issues with pinch to zoom. The camera is very good imo. WiFi reception is very good as is GPS and cell signal. Call quality is excellent, as per the people I call. The music player does not have an eq, that is my only gripe. Oh, and the buttons below the screen seem cheap. But hey, for $250 its a great deal. you cant even get a new iphone 3Gs for that.

Pro: I like the legend's smaller physical size when I carry it in my pants pocket (which is always unless I'm using it). I have no problems with the battery -- I charge it every second or third night depending on how much I play with the phone. Of course if you use it a lot, you'll be charging it every night.
Con: The camera is the worst phone camera I've had[1] - everything that isn't staying perfectly still will get smudged, so it's not good for taking pictures at concerts or parties or of children. The aluminum edge along the top doesn't feel nice against my ear when talking on the phone. If you want to use the web a lot on the phone, you might want something with a higher resolution -- like the nexus one.
All in all, I'm not unhappy with my legend, and I have no plans for getting rid of it. Maybe when android phone cameras start beating the Nokia N8.
Personal recommendation: I'd invest the extra $70 to get the nexus one.
[1] Previous camera phones: SE k800i, Nokia N82.

zukа said:
The battery can't hold a charge, the unibody design impairs getting signal in low reception areas, scrolling is jerky on almost everything, pinch to zoom is completely unusable and the camera is crap.
Don't do it man.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
erm, not for me dude, all those things are A OK.
I love my Legend, the build quality and design are superb and, although it isn't the fastest phone in the world, it performs just fine.

zukа said:
The battery can't hold a charge, the unibody design impairs getting signal in low reception areas, scrolling is jerky on almost everything, pinch to zoom is completely unusable and the camera is crap.
Don't do it man.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you must have got a bad one? all those things are good for me?
like another has mentioned the edge by the screen is a bit sharp but thats really my only complaint...its very close to being the 'perfect phone'

nolook said:
you must have got a bad one? all those things are good for me?
like another has mentioned the edge by the screen is a bit sharp but thats really my only complaint...its very close to being the 'perfect phone'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree it is more than likley a bad phone mine is pretty decent as stock but things get a lot better once you get a custom rom and overclock it things get smoother but still not really a fast phone just reasonable. For me this phone is all about looks.

ive got a legend and regret it.
i was choosing between the desire and the legend and really wish i went the desire.
i chose the legend due to size but the desire is not much bigger and is much better. better cpu and bigger screen for surfing and apps. the keyboard is a little too cramped for my liking and i dont even have fat fingers.
the legend doesn't have enough storage for apps (yes 2.2 may fix this) plus the CPU can get bogged down and now for me the plastic cap on the bottom at the back is coming off so easily when i go to pull the phone out of my pocket. the plastic cap is the aerial, so when it is pulled off you lose reception.
i got my legend in april and i cant wait to upgrade to the nexus s in the coming months.

adrian.gab said:
ive got a legend and regret it.
i was choosing between the desire and the legend and really wish i went the desire.
i chose the legend due to size but the desire is not much bigger and is much better. better cpu and bigger screen for surfing and apps. the keyboard is a little too cramped for my liking and i dont even have fat fingers.
the legend doesn't have enough storage for apps (yes 2.2 may fix this) plus the CPU can get bogged down and now for me the plastic cap on the bottom at the back is coming off so easily when i go to pull the phone out of my pocket. the plastic cap is the aerial, so when it is pulled off you lose reception.
i got my legend in april and i cant wait to upgrade to the nexus s in the coming months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When the desire/legend was first release I got the desire then swaped it for a desire hd and now ended up buyin the legend as this was the 1 i really wanted but i went for spec over style and 3 fones later i finally have 1 and dont regret it 1 bit. well at least not yet as for the cpu gettin bogged down just use set cpu an it should be fine mine is running at 800MHz runs a lot better an smoother and now with data2ext the speed really shouldnt be an issue as far as the plastic cap goes you could always buy a new 1.

legend is a real smartphone compared to the others. they are more like pocket pc
we have great dev crew and ongoing skinning and modding
buy legend

I think the time has come...

Having been a very proud HTC Desire owner for almost a year, I upgraded a month ago to the Desire HD - at first I loved it, despite being massively larger it seemed like a superior device.
But now, a month on I'm charging the old Desire back up and preparing to transition back to it, in my opinion it is the best phone that HTC have produced and for me, the Desire HD just doesn't cut it due to the following:
- Reception quality: Awful compared to the Desire, from having full 'H' and '3G' within my house with the old desire, I'm left with barely 1 bar of 3G, and barely any GSM at all - I can't hold a phone conversation in my house anymore without going upstairs, even then signal is in/out.
- Call Volume: Despite having the volume at max for incall, its so poor that whilst in town or on a busy street, I just can't hear the caller
- Size: It's too big, I feel ridiculous holding it and I have big hands, it bulges from my pocket and is too big/heavy for my shirt pocket. Compared to the old Desire it feels like a brick
- Battery Life: Worse than the old Desire, even with the same config the battery life is far less than 1.5 days, compared to the 2 days of the old Desire.
- Data Speed: Whilst out and about, the old Desire is far more snappy whilst browsing the web, far more responsible.
- Notifications: Once a new SMS arrives, I view my inbox and read the SMS yet the notification doesn't self-acknowledge until I either 'Clear' it or click on it, very annoying.
The ONLY positives for me about this phone are it's DNLA support, I am hoping that I can get the 'Connected Media' on the old Desire somehow.
I hope this guide assists anyone else considering an upgrade from the old Desire to the new Desire HD - in my opinion it isn't an upgrade, its a downgrade.
Just charging up my old Desire last night and setting it up, it felt better already.

Regarding the Sms notification issue you mentioned, I've never experienced it. Are you on stock?
Anyways, the desire is a great phone.
Cheers from my DHD.

ashleyhall said:
Having been a very proud HTC Desire owner for almost a year, I upgraded a month ago to the Desire HD - at first I loved it, despite being massively larger it seemed like a superior device.
But now, a month on I'm charging the old Desire back up and preparing to transition back to it, in my opinion it is the best phone that HTC have produced and for me, the Desire HD just doesn't cut it due to the following:
- Reception quality: Awful compared to the Desire, from having full 'H' and '3G' within my house with the old desire, I'm left with barely 1 bar of 3G, and barely any GSM at all - I can't hold a phone conversation in my house anymore without going upstairs, even then signal is in/out.
- Call Volume: Despite having the volume at max for incall, its so poor that whilst in town or on a busy street, I just can't hear the caller
- Size: It's too big, I feel ridiculous holding it and I have big hands, it bulges from my pocket and is too big/heavy for my shirt pocket. Compared to the old Desire it feels like a brick
- Battery Life: Worse than the old Desire, even with the same config the battery life is far less than 1.5 days, compared to the 2 days of the old Desire.
- Data Speed: Whilst out and about, the old Desire is far more snappy whilst browsing the web, far more responsible.
- Notifications: Once a new SMS arrives, I view my inbox and read the SMS yet the notification doesn't self-acknowledge until I either 'Clear' it or click on it, very annoying.
The ONLY positives for me about this phone are it's DNLA support, I am hoping that I can get the 'Connected Media' on the old Desire somehow.
I hope this guide assists anyone else considering an upgrade from the old Desire to the new Desire HD - in my opinion it isn't an upgrade, its a downgrade.
Just charging up my old Desire last night and setting it up, it felt better already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never experienced any of these problems. I actually thought it was a significant upgrade from the Desire. I find the desire HD to be faster, smoother, better battery life (my desire had awful battery life, despite having a larger capacity) and the screen size is brilliant for everything (browsing, videos, gaming). Putting the desire and desire HD side by side, it wasn't that much bigger really.

dhiral.v said:
Never experienced any of these problems. I actually thought it was a significant upgrade from the Desire. I find the desire HD to be faster, smoother, better battery life (my desire had awful battery life, despite having a larger capacity) and the screen size is brilliant for everything (browsing, videos, gaming). Putting the desire and desire HD side by side, it wasn't that much bigger really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Cheers from my DHD.

junta_mpb said:
+1
Cheers from my DHD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here!

+1..
maybe you just got a "Monday Device"
what'll you gonna do with the dhd?
DN41

I never had those problems you mentioned, and I love the big screen. I saves me from using my netbook at bed time. This phone is the best one ever I had.

My wife has my old desire and even she has aleady clamed my DHD as soon as i get my LG star in april

sergeantash said:
Having been a very proud HTC Desire owner for almost a year, I upgraded a month ago to the Desire HD - at first I loved it, despite being massively larger it seemed like a superior device.
But now, a month on I'm charging the old Desire back up and preparing to transition back to it, in my opinion it is the best phone that HTC have produced and for me, the Desire HD just doesn't cut it due to the following:
- Reception quality: Awful compared to the Desire, from having full 'H' and '3G' within my house with the old desire, I'm left with barely 1 bar of 3G, and barely any GSM at all - I can't hold a phone conversation in my house anymore without going upstairs, even then signal is in/out.
- Call Volume: Despite having the volume at max for incall, its so poor that whilst in town or on a busy street, I just can't hear the caller
- Size: It's too big, I feel ridiculous holding it and I have big hands, it bulges from my pocket and is too big/heavy for my shirt pocket. Compared to the old Desire it feels like a brick
- Battery Life: Worse than the old Desire, even with the same config the battery life is far less than 1.5 days, compared to the 2 days of the old Desire.
- Data Speed: Whilst out and about, the old Desire is far more snappy whilst browsing the web, far more responsible.
- Notifications: Once a new SMS arrives, I view my inbox and read the SMS yet the notification doesn't self-acknowledge until I either 'Clear' it or click on it, very annoying.
The ONLY positives for me about this phone are it's DNLA support, I am hoping that I can get the 'Connected Media' on the old Desire somehow.
I hope this guide assists anyone else considering an upgrade from the old Desire to the new Desire HD - in my opinion it isn't an upgrade, its a downgrade.
Just charging up my old Desire last night and setting it up, it felt better already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your useless rant. Have fun with your old Desire! Bye Bye!

Black1982 said:
Thank you for your useless rant. Have fun with your old Desire! Bye Bye!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't call it a useless rant ... as I am currently trying to decide between the Desire HD and the iPhone 4. Posts from people telling me the downsides of each are far more use to me than simply saying "My device is fab!".
And no ... this has not turned me off going for the Desire HD but gives me more to think about.

I love my DHD
The best bits for me are the screen size, and the solid weight of the aluminium case. I know the plastic covers for battery and cards don't fit perfectly, but it just has a feel of real high tech, high quality construction. It's slim, so the size isn't an issue for me as it slips into a pocket nicely.
The speed and responsiveness is better than the Desire, and having a big phone means my big hands don't fumble through small screen icons, keyboards are easier to handle, and scrolling etc just work.
Sure the LED screen doesn't have the colour depth of my Desire, but that's a small price to pay. Satnav function is brilliant on the huge screen.
Plus, battery is much less of an issue now since the most recent updates, particularly the latest radio.
The Apps market is ever-expanding as well - the iphone concept is being overtaken at last!

Grantzxr said:
My wife has my old desire and even she has aleady clamed my DHD as soon as i get my LG star in april
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snap, gave the wife my old desire aswell haha, but she aint getting her mitts on the DHD for a long while yet

Well,it is both better and worse.
I am having trouble with se size in two situations:
1)When I'm in bed and have laid down,I cannot use it with one hand,the law of gravity steals it from me!
2)I cannot take it out of my pocket in class cause everyone will see it.
Seriously though,I just think it's an upgrade of everything the Desire had.Only thing I could do better with from the Desire is the screen(AMOLED,not size!).Battery life is comparable between the two,even when one is clocked @1190MHz and the other @1516MHz(guess which one is what ),but I charge it every night out of habit so I have no problem and usually have much battery juice left at night.
Fast?Responsive?Well,the iCrap's medal for smoothness and responsiveness is stolen and fast has got a new meaning now.Something must be wrong with your device OP!
And finally,when it comes to signal strength,I'll admit you are right.That was my first complaint when I got it.It was totally awful.But the newer radios sorted it out and it is the first phone I ever had that had full signal inside my house.Plus its wifi antenna is far superior!

rbcd said:
I wouldn't call it a useless rant ... as I am currently trying to decide between the Desire HD and the iPhone 4. Posts from people telling me the downsides of each are far more use to me than simply saying "My device is fab!".
And no ... this has not turned me off going for the Desire HD but gives me more to think about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already got the DHD but I strongly second that.
IMHO this forum is about exchange of user help, ideas and views. Good or bad, lets keep it that way.

I simply love my DHD and the only issue i had with stock was battery life with no longer is an issue with all those custom roms.
i keep my 2g data constantly on do listen to radio 3-5 hours a day, play alot of angry birds and tank hero and other games as well.
Also do make and receive around an hour of calls.
Still i get an fair 28-34 hours of battery life, which in my opinion is quite good.
This phone really makes a smartphone experience worth for me.
I love my DHD.

The opening post was great the chap obviously has issues and he sees them clearly with 2 phones side by side. But DHD is fantastic no question. You just have to spend a little time to tweak it thru this forum to get the best out of it. Not really fair to complain about the size -its big but that was your choice My only real issue is the low in call volume - it simply sucks when you've got a little noise around you

Black1982 said:
Thank you for your useless rant. Have fun with your old Desire! Bye Bye!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thankyou for your useless country lol have fun with all our drug addicts bye bye

As someone who also came from a Desire to a Desire HD, that seems a pretty fair summary. The Desire is an excellent general purpose smartphone that just works. The Desire HD is really a specialist smartphone. I wouldn't dream of recommending it to an ordinary user. It takes waaay too much work to get the HD running the way most people would need (using battery savers, etc.). But for the geek, like me, the HD can be coaxed to be an excellent (maybe the best) smartphone. I can understand why you went back. But I prefer the HD.

Tests on the web have shown the Desire and DHD have the same battery life. Something's wrong with your phone OP.
I have none of the problems you have, and as I am using my phone to read news and browse the web there is no way I could go back to one of the small screens.
Especially the small 3.5" iPhone screen is just good enough for some basic email and messaging, but if I want to use the web comfortably, the DHD it is.
And the size is just perfect for my pockets.

I think among other things the OP has the init bug. Namely the bad battery life (though imo anything greater than a day is a waste of space) and the laggy browsing. For the reception issues, I think we have enough discussions going on and on and on. Basicly if you want metal body you have to sacrifice some of the reception. Period. The size is something that I'm surprised he didn't expect from the moment he decided to buy the phone. The bigger screen is...bigger! What a surprise! The notification problem he is reporting is something that I haven't noticed and I think it might be caused by some third party software he installed. And maybe I live in an extraordinarily quiet place, but I never had any trouble hearing anyone I'm calling.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

Overall feeling of the phone thus far...

Hey guys,
Can you share your overall feeling with the usage of the phone so far? I have seen O2x users complaining how badly their phone is and would like to know the general feeling of S2 users.
Thanks in advance.

....there are plenty of threads with ppl giving their opinions on this phone? Why don't you read a little more?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Or we could leave our opinion as he asked.
I have many issues with this one but they are all related to software, and i will be applying root to my one so it does not bother me.
But i was using an iphone 4 and it isn't as smooth a transition, wifi is chewing battery, but that's really all .
But i love the freedom of the os so i will suck it up for now.

If you're considering an O2X, run, run fast and far. I had its illegitimate offspring the G2X and it was hands-down the worst phone I've ever owned. The price for it in the U.S. has dropped to "free" with new service and it's been out for only five weeks. I've only had my phone since Monday but so far I like it a lot. I (knock on wood) don't seem to be having the battery issues others are and I expect the SGS2 to get about 16 hours with moderate usage. It's been getting 11-12 with me on it constantly tinkering. Also, Samsung's already issued two updates so I'd imagine things will only get better. If you want a high-end phone the Sensation will be out soon. I think that's a more relevant comparison than anything produced by LG.

Not overly impressed with mine.
I originally came from an iphone 4, had a HTC Desire HD for a few days, til someone at work made me an offer I couldn't refuse for it.
Then I bought the S2.
As much as the S2 is a better equipped phone
i.e
Camera
Dual Core
Better Battery
AMOLED screen
I still prefer the user interface etc of the HTC
I would say try the sensation when available, but apparently its Locked for modding.
I am considering the Optimus 3D myself as the S2's are fetching more money on fleabay than I orignally paid.
All I can suggest is try before you buy if possible.

Devices ive owned in the last year.
Samsung Vibrant(Most consistently used)
HTC HD2( Love the modding)
Atrix(POS device, this made my decision easier but decent battery life)
LG G2x(Decent device, wasnt impressed)
Motorola Milestone(My favorite)
Xperia X10(decent device, great music player)
Iphone 4(my fiance phone)
I have absolutely none of the problems that other users are having. Ive had it for 2-3 weeks now. My battery life is amazing and getting through my workday plus some. My screen is very vibrant and have no issues. Size/Weight is perfect for me and device feels very sturdy. No lag whatsoever and apps run very smoothly with no crashes since owning. I can only see this device getting better with age once developement start. We have some great Devs coming to work with the sgs2.
I dont think much of iphones and I think this is the phone to beat. I like the look of sense but I think it lost alot of functionality since window mobile days. We all have to wait and see what the htc sensation has to offer. I think it will be the usual htc offering, 3steps forward 2steps back.
The only real con for alot of people is the non support for games without tegra 2 processors. But I dont care for games much(not enough time) aslong as Live Holdem Poker and angry birds work.

impressions
excitement at first then boredom now excitement again looks like this phone is going to be a ripper when all the guru's start to work on it----roms themes etc etc

Besides the GPS, data, screen and battery issues, this thing rocks!

FishTaco said:
Besides the GPS, data, screen and battery issues, this thing rocks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's play a game. I'll go first. Assuming there are at least a hundred thousand SGS2's in the wild already, what percentage do you think have the problems you indicated?
GPS - My guess is <10% and the cause has still not been isolated and isn't consistent
Data - My guess is <15% with an unknown amount attributed to specific carrier, SIM, or router issues
Screen - My guess is <2%
Battery - <25% and again, some people are getting appropriate performance for an Amoled dual-core phone meaning it's not a universal problem
The first three work great for me and battery seems OK so far but I want to use the phone normally (instead of constantly playing with it) before declaring victory.
P.S. - I see in the Sensation vs. SGS2 thread you're getting a Sensation. Let's see what the front page of the Sensation board looks like three weeks after launch. Especially considering it'll be loaded with T-Mobile crapware and specific changes they've demanded of HTC. I hope for both T-Mobile and its customers that the launch goes better than the G2X launch.

BarryH_GEG said:
Let's play a game. I'll go first. Assuming there are at least a hundred thousand SGS2's in the wild already, what percentage do you think have the problems you indicated?
GPS - My guess is <10% and the cause has still not been isolated and isn't consistent
Data - My guess is <15% with an unknown amount attributed to specific carrier, SIM, or router issues
Screen - My guess is <2%
Battery - <25% and again, some people are getting appropriate performance for an Amoled dual-core phone meaning it's not a universal problem
The first three work great for me and battery seems OK so far but I want to use the phone normally (instead of constantly playing with it) before declaring victory.
P.S. - I see in the Sensation vs. SGS2 thread you're getting a Sensation. Let's see what the front page of the Sensation board looks like three weeks after launch. Especially considering it'll be loaded with T-Mobile crapware and specific changes they've demanded of HTC. I hope for both T-Mobile and its customers that the launch goes better than the G2X launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am lost, whose side are you on??
You claim that between 24.999% and 51.999% of all SGS2 have some kind of a problem?

The SGS2 is going to be the HD2 of 2009.
It's the first phone out with all the top specs that from now, will set the standard.
HTC do NOT have amoled or a 1.2ghz dual core cpu.
I have been a big fan of HTC since I had the XDA EXEC. But sadly HTC have not done anything that great recently. I am also not a fan of the htc Sense.
I have used the HD2 for the past two years and this was my introduction to android too.
the SGS2 is my first native android device and, Whilst I didnt like touchwiz that much at first (Has a very much Iphone-esk feel to it) I have soon learnt how to get around it, and how to use the different connectivity modes (Kies 2.0/Kies air etc)
This phone is outstanding, And Samsung have done them selves proud.
The general feel of the phone makes you think its a cheap dummy phone. Its all plastic and SOOO light, It only seems to weigh as much as the battery does.
The screen is just brilliant, Great colours and amazing blacks, When the screen is black it blends so well with the screen bezel that it looks like there is no screen. If you have a few icons against a black screen, It looks like they are stickers planted on - It's that good!!!
I have a friend who is a big Apple Iphone fan, He has just come from the Iphone 4 and really loves it for how smooth and responsive it is. He did say he wished there was more pixles and he also seems to have an issue with how fast the battery dies - But he uses the phone purely for the internet, generally watching tons of flash in desktop mode. It runs as well as a PC, it's that good!
This forum is picking up fast and quite frankly I cant wait to see what roms come about, this phone is future proof and blows every other phone out of the water. Try running an N64 emulator with 0 frame skip - It's flawless. Try that on a Desire HD, It's laggy really bad. The dual core really comes into its own here.
Amazing phone, Amazing screen, Similar battery consumption as a HD2, Great UI when you get used to it and great connectivity for getting your files off your phone. Oh, And 16GB internal memory!... Wow!

Amazing phone so far. Battery life is good eniugh to get me through a day and loving the fact samsung pre installed 'my files' and 'downloads'. I do like the touchwiz app drawer a lot because of folders and horizontal scrolling. The only thing i would want on this phone would be the ability to set default homescreen on TW. Or someone could make a sense 3.0 ROM?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Thanks for your inputs guys. I certainly have a better idea of whether to get this phone or the nexus s. Battery life is a very big factor to my phone criteria.
Thanks once again.

Desire HD to SGS2 - Thougts and AMA for anyone considering the upgrade!

I posted this in my ROM thread but thought it may be worth moving it to the General section, as I've noticed users asking what the SGS2 is like coming from the DHD.
These are just some initial thoughts, but feel free to ask me anything about the phone that would influence your decision. Just to be clear, don't turn the thread into a Sensation vs SGS2 thread please!! That said, I have had a good play with the Sensation so can answer some questions about it.
Being a HTC Fan for the best part of a decade, I was apprehensive of making the move to Samsung. Their previous Android offerings all had major flaws and didn't cut it for me. I used to laugh at the original SGS with it's lag/GPS/lack of camera flash issues. I upgrade my phones often and naturally assumed that my next phone would be the Sensation but the whole issue with the bootloader turned my head. Even though HTC have now backtracked, I'm grateful they turned my head because the SGS2 is unbelievably good!
The battery life is a major improvement, with similar usage I now find myself with 20-30% more battery at the end of the day and no longer dread the "15% Remaining" notification.
Although my N1 is an AMOLED model, nothing prepared me for the SAMOLED+ which is just unbelievable. The blacks, colours and clarity are on another level and I know I will really struggle going back to LCD after seeing this.
The speed of the device is just insane. Coming from the N1 to DHD, there wasn't any major improvements in speed as such, just the bigger screen. You'd think that it wouldn't be very noticeable coming from a 1.3Ghz OC DHD to SGS2 but side by side, the SGS2 just chews through everything almost 2x as fast. The browser, as many have shown is buttery smooth and makes for an awesome browsing experience.
The camera is much better and the 1080p recording looks stunning on my 42" 1080p TV with the increased bitrate mod. The main improvement is in low light conditions where the DHD would always give grainy distorted images and videos. I can actually leave my digicam at home now and use the phone for most of my quick picture taking.
Build quality is awesome. People always say that it feels cheap and plastic, but if you are like me and use a case, it "feels" the same just so much lighter. I can now read longer in bed and watch videos without feeling my arm aching! My DHD used to creak slightly when pressing on the touchscreen (the SIM cover) and I have no problems like this and don't forsee any the way the phone is built.
Sound quality through headphones is not as good as the DHD which is a shame. I've had to fiddle with DSPManager and PowerAmp to make it sound good. The stock player sounds horrible and the included 5.1 mode is garbage. I can cope now with my adjustments but really I was disappointed with this. The speaker is much better though and is much clearer than the DHD, so voices are easier to hear on podcasts and radio.
TouchWiz is rubbish. They may have improved it but I HATE the iPhone wannabe look and although I tried my best to use it, I had LP back up and running after an hour or two. I prefer stock Android anyway but can use Sense if I had to. I cannot use TouchWiz.
Phonecall quality is OK. Sounded slightly better on DHD, but people can hear me clearer on the GS2. They sometimes think I have hung up because the line is so clear from background noise.
Overall I can't recommend the phone enough to any DHD users who are not reliant on SENSE UI and want to upgrade to Dual Core.
Regards.

Thanks for the insights d00d, but you really can't compare two phones one with a single core processor and the other a dual core processor in terms of functionality, speed, lag/response. I tried the SGS2 myself on a Vmobile stand in a mall and I'd prefer the matte finish of the DHD over the somehow iphone 3G-ish gloss curved plastic finish for it's case. I'm just waiting for a GSM 3D phone and my brand of choice would be HTC.

plskillme said:
Thanks for the insights d00d, but you really can't compare two phones one with a single core processor and the other a dual core processor in terms of functionality, speed, lag/response. I tried the SGS2 myself on a Vmobile stand in a mall and I'd prefer the matte finish of the DHD over the somehow iphone 3G-ish gloss curved plastic finish for it's case. I'm just waiting for a GSM 3D phone and my brand of choice would be HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not trying to compare them head to head. This is more of an experiential viewpoint having used both phones and hopefully will help those considering the SGS2 as an upgrade from the DHD.
Regards.

Dude,I made the move just yesterday,and it feels like you've been in my head these two days.I can't stand the abscense of Sense.I'm so used to it that it feels so strange without it,it's like using another OS.All the other stuff though...What can I say?The phone's like a dream come true.
On a side note,Thursday night my DHD works like a charm as always.Fast,smooth and stable.Friday morning,after the call that informed me my GS2 was here,the DHD started behaving strangely.It lags like hell,it's slow and gives random reboots.Perhaps my DHD wasn't the best for overclocking as it couldn't handle 2GHz,but it felt jealous!How advanced is that?

How's the battery life? This is a big issue for me.

Thanks buddy for the comparison. From your insights I won't be upgrading then; due to the sound effects. I very much love the dolby effects, which I would miss in the S2........
Denny
sent from my Beloved Desire HD with ARHD using xda app

How about the white color on the SGS 2? It seems to me that white on Sgs 2 is blueish!
Personally I don't like Super, mega, extra, amoled because of the unnatural colors.

Meatboy42 said:
How's the battery life? This is a big issue for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is great! While calibrating (first few cycles) it was draining quite fast when in use, but now I am calibrated I find it great. Obviously coming from the DHD, anything would seem better, but I still have a N1 and it outperforms that. The biggest differences I notice are when playing music it hardly moves, I still lose similar to standby drain (-1%-2% per hour) which is mind boggling. That said, super intensive use with lots of white backgrounds (think web browsing on 3G) can drain the battery quickly but yesterday I absolutely hammered the phone with YouTube, Music, Calls, Browsing etc and even after 17hours I was still in double figures (albeit at 10%). DHD would have been dead after 13-14 with similar usage.
vicedens2002 said:
Thanks buddy for the comparison. From your insights I won't be upgrading then; due to the sound effects. I very much love the dolby effects, which I would miss in the S2........
Denny
sent from my Beloved Desire HD with ARHD using xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh, coming from the DHD it was the first thing I noticed. There is a big thread in the SGS2 section started by supercurio, the developer of the Voodoo sound mod on the original SGS, where he analysed the hardware and came to the conclusion that the DAC performed poorly. I was reading this before I got the handset and was wondering could it be that bad? It isn't terrible but it's not great either. After combining PowerAmp and DSP Manager it now sounds much better and because my ears have adjusted i'm quite happy. I would say if DHD was 9/10 the SGS2 is a 7.5/10 for music. If SQ is SUPER important, I mean you one of these people with a full flac music collection and £100 headphones, then I don't think this phone is for you (Sensation is supposed to be good for SQ). The stock player sounds HORRENDOUS.
stylus1828 said:
How about the white color on the SGS 2? It seems to me that white on Sgs 2 is blueish!
Personally I don't like Super, mega, extra, amoled because of the unnatural colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The whites are good, but I guess they are blueish whites. You only really notice this from an angle when the tint becomes apparent. Otherwise the whites are simply brilliant and eye burning bright! The colours can be unnatural at times, but that in a way is the appeal of the SAMOLED+. I understand on a PC monitor when you may be doing graphic and digital image work that having natural colours is important, but on a phone I really appreciate the pop and brilliance of the display. Don't take Youtube videos as a gauge of how the screen looks because to the naked eye, it simply looks AMAZING! As soon as I turned the phone on it was a jaw dropping moment. Unfortunately there is slight banding on some gradients but this is minor and doesn't take anything away from this awesome screen.
Regards.

Thanks for the replay! Why didn't you get the HTC Sensation because the bootloader will be unlocked?!

stylus1828 said:
Thanks for the replay! Why didn't you get the HTC Sensation because the bootloader will be unlocked?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty relative pal.They can unlock the bootloader,but don't think they'll make our lives THAT much easy.Nand-locks and stuff like that will almost surely be there.I hope not though!Not that I'll buy the Sensation,but I will probably be buying HTC again in the future(old habits die hard,don't they? ) and their policies probably won't change.
I have to admit though,messing with the Galaxy S 2 is easy as pie.Once you get the hang of it it's much easier than any HTC I've owned.

As a long time DHD owner and a previous SGS owner, I bought the SGS2 few days ago. Some quick thoughts:
1. I'm quite critical to build quality and I couldn't stand original SGS display bezel and back cover getting loose. Ok, why even consider SGS2 then? Well, I kind of fell in love for Case-Mate Tough case, and I'm happy with it after using it for a day.
Some quick notes about SGS2 build quality in general, display bezel seems very solid and since back cover only covers the back area of the phone (unlike SGS where the back cover went all the way to sides of the phone), and this is a good thing. It seems to be very tightly attached to the body and it has more snaps that attach than original SGS.
Back cover can be pressed a bit down and it makes a little click under camera module. But these are not an issue for me as I got the case on mine.
2. The main reason I bought it, SAMOLED+ display. Okay, first boot and I immediately noticed white is not very good white. It's blueish. I've already used to that, but that's just something that immediately jumped on me after looking at white with DHD LCD display.
Otherwise, viewing angle is awesome, but that doesn't matter much to me as I tend to look at my phone in the front.
Overall of course all the colors are very good looking and sharp. All in all I maybe expected a bit more, but I'm definitely happy with it. But I feel that moving back to DHD LCD display would not be such a big deal that I thought if I had to do that.
3. The physical home-button makes quite loud click when pressed, I'm not a big fan of it.
4. Now here's why I'm having serious second thoughts about having this device: ROM support. My main grudge of course is that there is no CM7 for SGS2 yet. I have to say that I REALLY REALLY, I mean REAAALLY miss CM7. *sigh* It's until now that I'm using Samsung's customized Android, I realize how much I miss massive number of features available in CyanogenMod.
Another thing is that as far as I can see, there is no official CWM support for SGS2, and currently users use a customized version by Chainfire. It's ok though, as long as it works.
All in all my general feelings about the phone itself is good, I like many things over DHD such as improved taking camera photos speed, camera picture quality seems a bit better and ADW screen transitions and 4D drawer runs smoother than on my DHD. But the more I use SGS2, the more I miss my DHD running CM7....
I know, my complaints are mainly related to CM7 not being available on SGS2 so it's pretty subjective view. I also know atinm and Teamhacksung is working on CM7 on SGS2, but I have no idea when it'll be ready. CyanogenMod is just that awesome.

Doesn't CM7 have massive battery issues on the DHD though?

Meatboy42 said:
Doesn't CM7 have massive battery issues on the DHD though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It used to have,something to do with the DSP chip not sleeping correctly I think.It has been solved a looooong time now.

Looking to trade Sony Xperia Z for HTC One

I have had my Sony Xperia z for over a week now. I have been so impressed with the phone, it's speed, interface etc. The sound could be better but overall it's hard to complain. Defiantly the best phone I've owned.
Vodafone have kindly aloud me to trade my Xperia for the new HTC ONE at no cost or anything, straight swap. I know of HTC's recent poor history. My friends and family have had old HTC's (2/3 year old models) and they have been extremely poor in terms of reliability.
Just looking some opinions on the phones. I have read and watched many reviews on both phones and the HTC almost always comes out on top on each categorie (design, speed etc)
Considering it's a straight swap is it worth it and why. I'm a heavy phone user and I understand that phones with specs as close as these two are to each other that the differences is down to opinion. But would like some more expect (better knowledge or HTC ONE user help)
Thanks in advance
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

I am seriously considering htc one over s4 as I am not one to follow the crowd and love something different
Custom Stock Rom 4.1 Eternity
Brilliantly Stock

My super technology literate friend recommended the S4 but gee will be keeping the Sony due to it pushing all his buttons. I can't wait a month (S4 release date) and won't be able to have a straight swap by then. The HTC reliability is his biggest concern.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

virtualyoda said:
I have had my Sony Xperia z for over a week now. I have been so impressed with the phone, it's speed, interface etc. The sound could be better but overall it's hard to complain. Defiantly the best phone I've owned.
Vodafone have kindly aloud me to trade my Xperia for the new HTC ONE at no cost or anything, straight swap. I know of HTC's recent poor history. My friends and family have had old HTC's (2/3 year old models) and they have been extremely poor in terms of reliability.
Just looking some opinions on the phones. I have read and watched many reviews on both phones and the HTC almost always comes out on top on each categorie (design, speed etc)
Considering it's a straight swap is it worth it and why. I'm a heavy phone user and I understand that phones with specs as close as these two are to each other that the differences is down to opinion. But would like some more expect (better knowledge or HTC ONE user help)
Thanks in advance
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny, my opinion might be of value to you.
In February I made my choice: the Xperia Z. I got it at the end of February and owned it for about 4-5 days. Then I send it back, cancelled my order. Yes, I was very happy my carrier accepted it. Why did I do it? First of all, what I didn't like about the XZ:
• Ergonomics: the phone may not be much larger on paper then my S3, but in my hand it felt much less comfortable. Ergnomic wise, the XZ is bad: it's all look but not so much feel. Because of the shape it was just not comfortable for me to use, mostly one handed. Note: I do have small hands.
• The One: On the other hand, the HTC One is a pleasure to use. Just looking at it's curved back and sides, you already can conclude it's nice in the hand. My feeling has been confirmed by all the fantastic reviews about the One. And besides ergonomics, it's seen as the most beautiful/premium looking phone out now.
• The screen: while the XZ's screen was super sharp, there are some problems with it. I have owned my Galaxy S3 for a year, seen the HTC One X a ton of times, but the XZ's screen just seems "washed out" compared to these 2012 flagship's. You really see it when looking from a side (angle) at the XZ's screen: it just seems "washed out". While you can still see what the screen is displaying, this does give the feeling of a "non-premium" product. It bothered me.
• The One: The One's screen is considered one of the best, if not the best, screen out now at the moment. It's the sharpest screen (it won't be a huge difference with the XZ in this aspect), but it also has fantastic viewing angles and contrast. The screen just looks much better, no doubt. While it's 4.7" and smaller then the XZ's 5" screen, you actually see more content 90% of the time on the One. The XZ has onscreen buttons, which the One doesn't. So when webbrowsing, chatting, using your homescreen, etc, you will actually see more on the One then on the XZ. Overall: the One wins with a supperior screen.
These are the 2 main reasons I send back the XZ and waited for something else. Now I can go on by saying that the One has much better speakers, also better audio quality overall (check GSMArena, audio wise the One is fantastic). The One also comes with at least 32GB of storage, though the XZ has microsd card support. For me, the One's camera is also (probably) better because of the excellent low light performance (most picture I take are at party's when going out..).
I would say to you: do the ergonomics and the screen of the XZ bother you? If yes, go for the One!
ps: I'm not really scared about HTC. I owned an HTC HD2 and HTC Desire, before my Galaxy S2 and S3. Both HTC devices were great, expect that the HD2 ran Windows Mobile 6.5 and microsoft announched WP7 3 months after I bought the HD2 If I hadn't send back my XZ and I would be offered what you are being offered, I would go for it no doubt.
ps2: I'm not going for the S4 for several reasons. First of all, I have owned the S2 and S3 the past 2 years. I would really like something new. Second, expect a sharper screen, I won't notice I have a new mobile if I upgrade from the S3 -> S4. Further more, I don't like touchwiz and I am running Cyanogenmod on my S3. The CM team is not happy at all about the S4 and I don't see a CM-build for it anytime soon. So for me going from the S3 to the S4 would almost be a downgrade.. I know, it sounds stupid but it really feels that way.

-
virtualyoda said:
My super technology literate friend recommended the S4 but gee will be keeping the Sony due to it pushing all his buttons. I can't wait a month (S4 release date) and won't be able to have a straight swap by then. The HTC reliability is his biggest concern.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bad experiences?
ive owned
desire
desire hd
htc one s
htc one x
now the one.
the only one i ever found issue on was the one x,with the wifi. The desire and dhd were amazing phones.
ive got a weird issue with the htc one ive got,i think its a first batch? still regardless im getting another one. The s4..is the s4.you either like it or you dont. I still say the htc blows it out of the water. for sense alone comparable to touchwiz.
id say do the trade,although the xperia z is supposed to be a great phone. Probably down to which one you like the look of more than actual specifications. Although shelf life wise id say the htc one. Sony are already gearing up there next flagship which is weird considering the xperia z hasnt been out long.
i say do the trade.i was tempted with the z..but never had one of the newer generation smartphones..so decided against it.
best bet try the htc one in a shop

Thanks very much for your input. Very detailed and exceptionally helpful. Defiantly going for the trade. Super excited
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

virtualyoda said:
Thanks very much for your input. Very detailed and exceptionally helpful. Defiantly going for the trade. Super excited
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was initially in the market for the xperia z until feb 19th..... htc one announcement and it only took me three minutes to test out the camera/video and audio on the htc one and cancel my pre order of xperia z.
since then I have played with both side by side and I think the main things of the phone are better on the One
camera (imo)
video/video audio
audio quality and volume
battery life is great on the one (havent heard good news from my friend who has the z (and is now going to change it for the htc one) and other people who have the z)
call quality and volume
speed
UI(imo)
look and feel (imo)
loud speakers

I've used both but had to choose one to keep. I kept the XZ.
The HTC had a better screen and much better speakers and that's something I was very impressed by. Even Sense and the optional flash player were an advantage.
However, I was not convinced by it's reliability when it came to the basics. By that I am specifically referring to the signal reception. In LTE it just does not hold well to the signal in poor reception areas as the XZ and the Nokia 920. I'm on EE so this could be different when Voda launch 4g as I believe they are on the 800 Mhz band.
The HTC is one of the best smartphones but once again HTC fail on mastering the basics. They have a beautifully engineered phone yet the wireless components are always questionable.
These 2 videos show what I mean by signal instability and fluctuations. Watch the 2 phones on the same network and the variance in signal strength. I've had such a poor experience with LTE on this phone and it dropped so many calls that has not happened once on the XZ which I am enjoying high speed and stability even on one bar of LTE. (also better battery).
It's a shame about the HTC but it may be fixed with a software update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kzW7G07WFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQO9VPu1FpM

I've owned several Sony, Samsung and htc products over the years and all have their shortcomings no doubt. None of created the "perfect" phone and nor will they ever.
Sony phone screen's always look washed out and ui sluggish and unfortunaletly Z is no different especially when comparing to S3, Note 2 and Htc One. That's been the biggest issue with Sony phones. I was tempted to get the Xperia Z because 5" 1080p, sd card, white colour but after playing with it I wasn't impressed, it reminded me of my Xperia T experience, which wasn't pleasant. Primarily sluggish, crashing and washed out colours.
HTC One on the other hand is a pleasure to use.
No lagging issues.
No crashing issues.
Sound is amazing, LOUD and clear.
Ui is brilliant and very different.
Camera is very good.
Screen is gorgeous, vibrant, bright and very sharp. Second to none far superior then Z.
Better reception, certainly better then S3, Note 2 and Sony T.
But what convinced me in getting HTC One, other the above mentioned points, rather then wait for S4 or Z was the premuim build, SLCD3 screen.
So good move mate you won't regret it.

Without a doubt trade it in and get the HTC One, myself and a mate (we're both technical geeks) found the screen on the Z lacking and the pinch and zoom gestures where hit and miss to say the least but let me push out a few points to you for why the one is for you ..
1. fast fluid and zero lag no matter how many apps are open
2. amazing screen with very good viewing angles
3. stunning audio (coming from a guy who doesn't really care about phone audio)
4. very clear call quality
5. camera can give very surprising results if used properly
6. 4 to 7 hours of screen on time
Bad points.
1. can get hot to the touch
2. can be slippy when holding it due to the metal back

daleski75 said:
Without a doubt trade it in and get the HTC One, myself and a mate (we're both technical geeks) found the screen on the Z lacking and the pinch and zoom gestures where hit and miss to say the least but let me push out a few points to you for why the one is for you ..
1. fast fluid and zero lag no matter how many apps are open
2. amazing screen with very good viewing angles
3. stunning audio (coming from a guy who doesn't really care about phone audio)
4. very clear call quality
5. camera can give very surprising results if used properly
6. 4 to 7 hours of screen on time
Bad points.
1. can get hot to the touch
2. can be slippy when holding it due to the metal back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How hot are we talking.
And no lag even with heavy apps and low battery?

cronus101 said:
How hot are we talking.
And no lag even with heavy apps and low battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not hot enough that it is uncomfortable but it does get warm to the touch and not noticed any lag even with the battery almost flat.

daleski75 said:
Not hot enough that it is uncomfortable but it does get warm to the touch and not noticed any lag even with the battery almost flat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

ksarius said:
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heaving gaming and every now and again from charging. The highest temp I measured was 40 degrees celcius

ksarius said:
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From charging the phone as I don't play games on it or from constant use but too be honest it's barely noticeable.

Thank you all for your super detailed and honest device. My HTC One comes tomorrow and i'm more than excited for it. I think I could have a mental problem when it comes to buying, selling and trading new things. I get bored easily and usually change my phone, console or whatever I can every 4-6months.
I cannot fault the XZ. When I get the One tomorrow im not going to be biased if it never faults me and say that the Sony XZ is a poor phone or anything like that. Im not one to use a camera that often, I prefer performance and sound and I feel the One has that.
I wouldn't be trading these phones if it came to any cost to me, don't think it would be worth the trade if it cost me £. There was also an update out today from HTC improve there One's camera in high-light. Glad to see issues being addressed quickly by HTC.
I have always been an iPhone fan but have seen the light and will be staying with android with this trade, and gladly so. Apple iOS is outdated and I couldnt believe the much 'jailbreaking' could be done with an android phone. Look forward to learning more by using ROM's etc to get the most out of my HTC One, I would aim to have the best possible battery endurance and processor speed etc.
If anyone has any knowledge of a current ROM or up coming ROM that is in development that they could recommend for the perks I have mentioned I'd be very grateful for those recommendations.
Thanks again, and I will be sure to give uses all a update on my opinions of the HTC One compared to the Sony XZ