Database Users

reasons for buying the i9000 Galaxy S

Hey guys,
I'm not that pretty sure anymore about the phone.
My main PRO is the big screen and Android.
The main CON is: Samsung...
My friends, who already owned a Samsung warned me.
One of them said:"I'll give you 3 month till you send it back, because it's not working anymore."
The missing camera LED, notification LED and the update policy of Samsung are reinforcing my concerns.
I'm currently not sure about buying one, so could you give me your reasons for choosing the Galaxy S over a HTC Desire/Legend or an iPhone?

iPhone - don't like the platform and Apple condescending BS.
Desire - have one currently, excellent phone, reasoning for trying the Galaxy S - better graphics prowess (I like gaming), TV Out & DLNA, more storage space for app installation, WiFi tether, DivX, the screen - both better display characteristics and multitouch, better audio SQ.
EDIT: Oh, and the Desire's bluetooth implementation is anoying with peripherals like keyboards/controllers/heart rate monitors.

You dont need to go for htc or apple. There's the new motorola coming out that also has Arm cpu
http://www.slashgear.com/motorola-xt720-hands-on-video-0788530/
I'm loving the cam on it.. and build quality.. but not super amoled but apparently they have great screens (motorola droids)
i still want the galaxy but build quality is worrying..
edit: just doesn't make sense why accessing the app drawer on the motorola is so sluggish lol... seriously it's just icons... I'm pretty sure it's Android's fault not the phone.
edit 2: btw you just worried me as well Knobibrot LOL with your story. though I've heard many but now I'm really thinking about it since I'll be traveling for a long time, I need a lasting phone that does 720p. and Motorola seems like it has strong build quality and a great camera. And it's still Android so hmm..
edit 3: I don't care about watching movies, I don't watch movies on cell phones. LOL count me in Knobibrot, why should we buy it ? haha Galaxy is a great phone but I am not sure all because of build quality and how long it may last.. since already many errors are being reported..
edit 4: arg it doesn't have wireless n the motorola and it's not amoled.

Still have my doubts too and am questioning the logic behind leaving out all leds. It does appear to be a long running design choice with Samsung phones from what I've read.
I'm ditching my HD2 due to unreliability issues, so the Galaxy does seem a bit of a gamble when the Desire has so many great reviews. It's that damn screen on the G that keeps pulling me back tho!

this "samsung-bashing" is really getting boring...
its always the manufacturers fault if the user is too stupid, right ?
would you buy a car without ever testdriving it ? no you wouldn't even if the guy who wants to sell it to you says "its the greatest thing since sliced bread and it does 200 mph" !
but with phones it's seemingly totally different... the manufacturer tells you something and you do believe the **** out of it.. instead of just taking the goddamn device in your hand and use the features you need and check if it is ok for you.
yeah i know, its so much harder to get a phone into your hand than having a test-drive, right ?
oh, and when you save all your money for a phone its the best thing to confide in the manufacturers claims and blindly buy it without testing
either be a man and buy something without testing, because you have the money and don't care if its **** (its still YOUR DECISION to spend the money on something you never used before) or be "smart" and test the device, if the money does matter so much for you...
i owned the i8510 and the i8910 samsung devices and they were both top of the line... i got no complains
and here the reasons for buying the i9000:
big super amoled screen
best videoplayer on a device so far (mkv, avi/divx support out of the box)
720p @ 30 fps so far (not "up to 30 fps" like the iphone 4 )
android os
nice samsung customization with touchwiz

Simple answer from me.....
If I don't like, then by law under the Distance Selling Regulations I can send it back and obtain a full refund inc postage.

Well the whole reason with pre-ordering without testing for me is that manufacturers these days don't seem too good (or perhaps intentionally) at judging demand, so if I'm not getting one in the first batch then I could end up waiting months. But that's why I've been checking every review and user opinion, so at least I've got an idea.

just watch steven jobs tout his iphone ... don't you think he knows that the iphone is crap in some regards ? yet he sells it to "stupid" folks as best thing since sliced bread ... why would he tell you something he knows the iphone is bad in ? his job is to sell phones and not to tell the truth ... same is with the other manufacturers
even without testing every phone i did not have many complains .. some people really need a reality check if they blame the manufacturers for saying their product was great....

Simple answer from me.....
If I don't like, then by law under the Distance Selling Regulations I can send it back and obtain a full refund inc postage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, you see, in my coutry for example they respect this law only if the contents of the packege is intact.
Practice shows that sallers always say that the packege was unwrapped and the unit shows signs of usage and they decline taking it back. And that means weeks or even months of Consumer Advocate work or a lawsuit.
So your suggestion is out of question for me (and I think other unfortunates) and becasue of that I always wait and read a lot before I buy a thing that I can't test properly.

DonAndress said:
Now, you see, in my coutry for example they respect this law only if the contents of the packege is intact.
Practice shows that sallers always say that the packege was unwrapped and the unit shows signs of usage and they decline taking it back. And that means weeks or even months of Consumer Advocate work or a lawsuit.
So your suggestion is out of question for me (and I think other unfortunates) and becasue of that I always wait and read a lot before I buy a thing that I can't test properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well my heart goes out to you in not having a government strong enough to enforce better consumer laws.

v1rtu4l said:
just watch steven jobs tout his iphone ... don't you think he knows that the iphone is crap in some regards ? yet he sells it to "stupid" folks as best thing since sliced bread ... why would he tell you something he knows the iphone is bad in ? his job is to sell phones and not to tell the truth ... same is with the other manufacturers
even without testing every phone i did not have many complains .. some people really need a reality check if they blame the manufacturers for saying their product was great....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case you will simply love reading this....
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Like the bearded one, I shall be returning mine under UK distance selling regulations if I'm not entirely happy with it. But I am cautiously optimistic. Samsung is a big company with a lot of customers, it stands to reason they're gonna have some unhappy ones.
This phone is going to be such a big seller (over 1 million pre-orders in Europe), they will have to get it sorted if there are any little niggles, plus if they plan to be taken seriously on Android they do realize they need to change their support and policy towards upgrades. We've already seen them make a clear statement that 2.2 will be supported.
But my main reason for buying it, there's still nothing else out there that comes close in terms of overall capability.

Beards said:
In that case you will simply love reading this....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got nothing against Apple, but that did make me chuckle.

Knobibrot said:
I'm currently not sure about buying one, so could you give me your reasons for choosing the Galaxy S over a HTC Desire/Legend or an iPhone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The choice between iPhone and the GS is more a choice between android and iOS. I thought about buying the iphone, but then I realized I hated their push notification system (had a lot of bad experiences with it with my iTouch), the lack of widgets, the lousy multitasking (I use ebuddy a lot, and the multitasking implementation of the iphone only allows for push messages with IM's). The iPhone itself is a great device, technically, but the software just doesn't cut it for me.
The choice between the Desire and the GS is a bit more difficult. While the Desire is the nice looking, better built cheaper phone with the great Sense UI (although the touchwiz UI also has some nice things, like the app list and the ability to take screenshots), the Samsung is better in about every other aspect. For example:
-Better, bigger screen with better multi-touch (the Desire has trouble tracking as much as 2 fingers at the same time).
-Better processor AND better graphics processor.
-Better bluetooth and wifi and higher mobile upload speed (2mbps<5.76 mbps)
-Better media player and sound quality with support for Avi, FLAC, ...
-Extra memory, both ROM and general
I'm coming from a desire myself, because I really had trouble playing games on emulators with the bad multi-touch. The GPU also wasn't able to keep up in games like Asphalt.
With the GS already on amazon for 499 euros, I would definitly choose it over the desire, which is around 469 here in Belgium.

v1rtu4l said:
this "samsung-bashing" is really getting boring...
i owned the i8510 and the i8910 samsung devices and they were both top of the line... i got no complains
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only had one Samsung phone so far (i900 Omnia I) but in the 2 years that I owned it I never had a serious problem, even though I bought it 2nd hand on eBay. The only few times it crashed was when I installed a new app it didn't like.
The main reasons why I'm interested in this phone are the 4" Super AMOLED screen, 8GB/16GB on board storage plus SD card, 512mb RAM, 2GB ROM, 1GHz processor with 1500 mAh battery suggests good battery life (although reports so far are mixed), confirmed update to Froyo (as per gsmarena) and apparently good video player and sound quality. Also, I had good experiences with the camera of my Omnia so I'm hoping this bodes well for the Galaxy S camera (yes, I'm aware that it doesn't have a flash). I hated TouchWiz on the Omnia and would prefer plain vanilla Android on the GS, but GS TouchWiz looks much less invasive and more practical than Omnia TouchWiz so I think I can live with it.
I'm keeping an eye on the iPhone 4 as well, but I'm put off by the small screen (smaller than previous iPhones), no flash support for the browser (not so much for youtube but so many websites use it) and I'm a bit suspicious about Apple potentially hobbling Google sync functions. Also not looking forward to iAds.

Yeah, the performance of the phone and the screen are the things that are keeping me from waiting for another phone.
Hearing about bad build quality from those that tried it worries me.
But then again I come from an HTC Magic which has bad build quality but nothing happened to it in a year except dust under screen, but on Sammy that won't be a problem.

Reasons ?! i could write many reasons but this is all i have for now
1- Of course the Super Amoled Screen (best screen to date)
2- The screen is BIG!
3- The Hummingbird processor that means i wont have problems watching a movie on my phone and also it'll rock on game
4- Tv-out sulotions so you have:
a- Wired tv-out using S-video cable .
b- DLNA so you can stream your videos/images/music to your TV ,Media Player, PC , Laptop or PS3 wirelessly
5- Huge internal memory so you can throw anything you want in it .If it's not enough just throw in a 32 GB M-SD card
6- Codecs support so it's ready for your vids
These are the reasons i have for now that makes the galaxy s stands out between Desire , Legend and iPhone !
So if i made a comparison between each device the list will grately expand !

I hated TouchWiz on the Omnia and would prefer plain vanilla Android on the GS, but GS TouchWiz looks much less invasive and more practical than Omnia TouchWiz so I think I can live with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know the source any more, but I read somewhere that it's possible to deactivate TouchWiz and use the Vanilla Android instead.
I'll do a search on that!
Thanks for all these great comments.
And informations like the 1 million pre-orders in Europe and Cooki3s' review of the Desire really helps!

Knobibrot said:
I don't know the source any more, but I read somewhere that it's possible to deactivate TouchWiz and use the Vanilla Android instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I think I read that too somewhere. You can deactivate it on the Omnia, so that would make sense. But the GS version looks like I might actually find some of it practical to use, e.g. the Daily Briefing (provided Samsung modify it to allow custom news feeds), unlike the Omnia version which I didn't find very useful.

If the GS build quality is as good as other Samsung's I've had I would be happy. I've always found the build quality excellent, especially compared to SE and Nokia.
However, Samsung haven't been the fasted at updates, so the sooner they confirm Froyo the better.

Questions from Potential Buyer

I'm thinking of upgrading my daughter's phone to Android. I have a Verizon Droid X and my wife has a Samsung Vibrant.
I was looking at the G2X and the Galaxy S 4G, but really would rather not spend $200 for a new phone.
T-Mobile has the MyTouch4G for free at the moment.
So, how does it compare to the Droid X and Vibrant? Looks like it's at least on par with both of those spec wise. She'll like the front facing camera.
Is it pretty easy to root?
I'm only looking to do stock ROMs. What's the current stock ROM version? Froyo? What's the word on Gingerbread or beyond making it onto this phone?
How's the build quality in comparison to the G2x and Galaxy S 4G?
How's the battery life?
How much internal memory for programs is there?
Anything else I should know in comparison with those 2 phones?
With a 2 year contract, I'd just want to be sure I get something that will survive for 2 years.
I understand that, coming to this forum, I'll probably mostly hear from people happy with their device, but please do share any negatives as well.
Let me know anything else I should be considering here.

A little search and reading will answer most of these questions, but IMO there's nothing those 2 phones have that makes them worth spending the extra $200. The MT4G is at the top of the current available phones spec-wise, looks and feels good in the hand, and should be powerful enough to remain relevant for the next 1-2 years. If money is a consideration, I'd get the MT4G 100%. I wish I could've gotten mine for free!

That's pretty much what I thought. I mean, I don't really see getting tired of my Droid X anytime soon and this is pretty much on par, if not better, spec wise and my daughter isn't nearly as much of a power user as I am.
She had a broken ipod that I was going to replace for $200. I was adding a 3rd line shortly anyhow, so I figure might as well just pay $0 and $20/mo (loyalty data plan) and get the phone rather than deal with 2 devices. Makes a lot more sense.

I think you're making the right choice. If money wasn't a factor, the MT4G would still be a great choice, but considering the price points, it's a no brainer. And that's my reasoning too: I now just use my phone for media/music as well, haven't even used my ipod in like 2 months. Lol I don't even use my dedicated digital camera anymore, I just use my phone for everything. Lightweight FTW.

I have been an owner of every iphone (2,3g,3gs,4) and went to the mt4g, and I find it very nice in comparison to those. I know you didn't want those compared, but I can't compare if I've never owned a vibrant or a g2x
The battery life on the mt4g is really bad until you learn to manage it well. Mine lasts really long now, even longer than my dad's 2g iphone. GPS is the big drain. Even if programs say "use only when needed" it will use it much more than it should, that was the problem I had.
I did ask vibrant vs mt4g, and the general consensus was mt4g > vibrant. It will last 2 years assuming it's not abused and used as a sports toy or something.

danyune said:
I have been an owner of every iphone (2,3g,3gs,4) and went to the mt4g, and I find it very nice in comparison to those. I know you didn't want those compared, but I can't compare if I've never owned a vibrant or a g2x
The battery life on the mt4g is really bad until you learn to manage it well. Mine lasts really long now, even longer than my dad's 2g iphone. GPS is the big drain. Even if programs say "use only when needed" it will use it much more than it should, that was the problem I had.
I did ask vibrant vs mt4g, and the general consensus was mt4g > vibrant. It will last 2 years assuming it's not abused and used as a sports toy or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just curious, but what made you switch from the iphone? Also - having used both, does music through headphones sound better on the iphone, or about the same? Which overall experience do you prefer? Lol I'm just curious, as I'm a mac guy when it comes to computers, but have never owned an iphone.

lexluthor said:
I'm thinking of upgrading my daughter's phone to Android. I have a Verizon Droid X and my wife has a Samsung Vibrant.
<snip snip>
Let me know anything else I should be considering here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty much in agreement with previous posters. The specs are still top-notch for the moment and will hold up well for the next year or two. To answer some of your other questions . . .
Yes, it is pretty easy to root, but that's coming from someone who is technically-inclined. If you can work a terminal/console window and understand some basic commands, you should be able to follow the guides. Use the gfree method, it does more than the root.sh script does.
At the moment, MT4G runs Android 2.2.1 (Froyo). I expect there to be a Gingerbread update from HTC at some point, but I'm already running a Gingerbread ROM. Just a heads up, some knowledgeable people have suggested that the stock ROM doesn't play well with root.
Build quality is really nice in my opinion. It has some heft to it, feels pretty solid and not plastic-y like many Samsungs do.
Battery life is dependent on a number of factors as well as your usage pattern. The biggest battery savings for me came from installing a custom ROM without all the HTC Sense overhead and installing a custom kernel, which underclocks the CPU and uses lower voltage settings. Aside from that, it's a matter of being conscious and selective about what connections (GPS, bluetooth, WiFi, accounts sync) you leave open and what apps you let run in the background. Don't use Taskillers.

sunsean said:
I'm just curious, but what made you switch from the iphone? Also - having used both, does music through headphones sound better on the iphone, or about the same? Which overall experience do you prefer? Lol I'm just curious, as I'm a mac guy when it comes to computers, but have never owned an iphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well mainly the fact that I had EDGE speed on every iphone, including the 4, just didn't feel right you know?
I do however prefer the iphone interface, just much smoother to me. I'm also not a person that is into customizing much. My mt4g pretty much looks stock, just removed some stuff like yahoo mail etc.
I do like androids market system better, not having to type a pw everytime. I always hated having to put a CC into my iphone app store just to download free apps.
If the iphone 4 had HSPA speed on t-mobile (which we may see!) then I would use that. I feel that music sounds better on the iphone when I'm walking to places, but maybe that's just bias since I've always owned an ipod or iphone for music.

danyune said:
well mainly the fact that I had EDGE speed on every iphone, including the 4, just didn't feel right you know?
I do however prefer the iphone interface, just much smoother to me. I'm also not a person that is into customizing much. My mt4g pretty much looks stock, just removed some stuff like yahoo mail etc.
I do like androids market system better, not having to type a pw everytime. I always hated having to put a CC into my iphone app store just to download free apps.
If the iphone 4 had HSPA speed on t-mobile (which we may see!) then I would use that. I feel that music sounds better on the iphone when I'm walking to places, but maybe that's just bias since I've always owned an ipod or iphone for music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can download PlayerPro from the market and also the DSP pack for it; lets you change your sound preferences for headset, phone speaker, and bluetooth, like an equalizer. you can also run a different ROM (CM7 has the DSP installed already, DSP Manager i think) and it integrates it with the included music player. the mt4g is awesome! only other phone I would consider is the HTC Sensation, eagerly waiting for it. but the mt4g will last for 2+ years, no worries on that one. rooting the phone is fairly easy, took me a total of 15-20 minutes to flash everything and I was good to go(using rooted stock ROM, never had any problems). battery life on sense is 'fair'...but once you uninstall the bloatware and mess with the settings, I can go 14+ hrs on a full charge. I tried out CM7 and wow...32+ hrs on a full charge, so it depends on the ROM also. the build quality is very good, not plasticy feeling like some other phones, descent weight to it, and has a nice design.
con(s): only issue I have is that the buttons tend to squeak from time to time, but it doesnt really bother me. there is also a good display and bad display version, luckily I got the good display on my first try. the bad version doesnt look much different, but the colors look washed out and a bit blurry at an angle. other than that, the mt4g is a beast

The MT4G is the Best Hands Down
I'm another past owner of the Iphone, 2g, 3g, 3gs and 4G.
Mytouch blows those iphones away, especially when you have rooted the the phone and dropped RoyalGinger 1.6 rom on there.
Sweeeeeet!

renjohn78 said:
I'm another past owner of the Iphone, 2g, 3g, 3gs and 4G.
Mytouch blows those iphones away, especially when you have rooted the the phone and dropped RoyalGinger 1.6 rom on there.
Sweeeeeet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the last few days have changed for me
i finally did the gfree method of rooting, installed CM7 7.0.2 and man it is nice
feels better than the iphone 4 did
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Changed it to just a basic red theme "Red Remix for CM7" and loving it

In my opinion its a great choice. But if its for your daughter then that might change things a bit. I love myTouch 4G, and so does everyone in this forum, but we're all geeks to our own respect and we all like this phone for mainly the same reasons. But if its for your daughter to replace her mp3 player then you might want to take a look at the Galaxy S 4G, as long as she doesn't care about not having aa flash on her camera. IMO it's a better media phone than the myTouch 4G. Of course it has a bigger screen with the SAMOLED screen and the music app has a nice equalizer and music sounds awesome. Also the myTouch 4G's sspeaker pales in comparison to the SGS2's. And the SGS2 plays divx videos out of the box which is nice if she likes to watch videos on her phone.
Of course I would still hands down pick the myTouch since it would be free for you and its the best all around phone, but if she doesn't care about updates and a camera flash then I would consider the Galaxy S 2.
Hope this helps!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App

Awesome! Glad you're coming to like the phone more. Yeah, rooting and flashing a new rom can do WONDERS for your phone! It literally turns it into a whole new experience. I'm on cm7 too, and it rocks, the DSP manager has been a HUGE improvement in listening to music, I can now use the stock player instead of mixzing/poweramp. I was using those just for the eq, but I prefer the simplicity of the stock music app...and re: the statement about stock rom not working well with root, I think it's true. When I first rooted, I stayed on stock for a week or two, and it wasn't terrible, but something felt off, a little sluggish and bad battery life. Flashing to cyanogen seemed to fix everything.

Don't hate me.
TMo now has a promo for the Galaxy S 4G for free with an add a line.
I'm thinking of swapping.
It's for my daughter. I think the size/weight might be a factor. The Samsung is really a lot lighter. I was surprised how heavy the mytouch4g was.

lexluthor said:
Don't hate me.
TMo now has a promo for the Galaxy S 4G for free with an add a line.
I'm thinking of swapping.
It's for my daughter. I think the size/weight might be a factor. The Samsung is really a lot lighter. I was surprised how heavy the mytouch4g was.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol well considering it's for your daughter, that might not be a bad choice. As someone else said, the Galaxy might be better for that particular user, it's lighter and has better stock media capabilities. Overall, the MT4G is the superior phone, but the Galaxy should be fine for her, especially if you can now get it for free.
A few points about Samsung though: they're generally considered to have inferior builds, break easily, have been reported to have GPS problems, and while the AMOLED screen looks great, it's a huge battery drainer, and from what I hear Samsungs are harder to root and don't offer as many rom/customization options.
All that said, I'm sure it's still a solid phone and your daughter would love it!

I have the origipnal vibrant, so I'm aware. Samsung also terrible wth updates.
Tmo makes the swap easy
Guess we'll visit a store tonight to look.

Well, the most important thing is to get a phone she will like, no matter what brand it is. Hope it works out either way!

[Q] Nexus S owners, convince me to get this phone!

Hi Nexus S owners,
So am I am torn between the Xperia Arc, or Nexus S as my next phone.
I want to know some real stories here, what do you love about the nexus S, what is not so great?
I made a list of pros and cons of the device, tell me if there is anything I should add
Pros:
seems very stable
updates delivered in a timely fashion
no bloatware
fast
larger internal memory (than Arc)
Cons:
only 16GB storage
camera is not as nice as the Arc
Here are some things I would like to know:
Is there better camera software in the app store that may improve the stock camera?
How is the screen in bright daylight?
In my head, I am leaning towards this phone, mostly because of the lack of carrier/manufacturer "bloatware", and the fact that I will get updates straight from Google whenever they come out. But the main thing that is holding me back is the camera. I am a photographer, and always like to have a camera with me. I can't always carry my DSLR, so I need something that can function as a half decent P&S.

123go! said:
Hi Nexus S owners,
So am I am torn between the Xperia Arc, or Nexus S as my next phone.
I want to know some real stories here, what do you love about the nexus S, what is not so great?
I made a list of pros and cons of the device, tell me if there is anything I should add
Pros:
seems very stable
updates delivered in a timely fashion
no bloatware
fast
larger internal memory (than Arc)
Cons:
only 16GB storage
camera is not as nice as the Arc
Here are some things I would like to know:
Is there better camera software in the app store that may improve the stock camera?
How is the screen in bright daylight?
In my head, I am leaning towards this phone, mostly because of the lack of carrier/manufacturer "bloatware", and the fact that I will get updates straight from Google whenever they come out. But the main thing that is holding me back is the camera. I am a photographer, and always like to have a camera with me. I can't always carry my DSLR, so I need something that can function as a half decent P&S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should get whatever you want, I'm not going to try to convince you. But I will answer your questions
Camera software: Vignette is the best on the market. It takes fantastic uncompressed pictures and improves ANY camera hardware in my opinion.
Sunlight: I have never seen another phone that is as readable in the sunlight as the Nexus S. The SAMOLED is tailor-made for this. It's miles ahead of any other screen technology when it comes to sunlight visibility. It's one of the strongest features of the Nexus S.

Thanks!
I am merely looking for real user experiences. I still need to go to the store to play around with both of the phones.
Thats good to hear about the sunlight visibility. How do you find the camera on the nexus s? Does the vignette app add touch to focus?

123go! said:
Thanks!
I am merely looking for real user experiences. I still need to go to the store to play around with both of the phones.
Thats good to hear about the sunlight visibility. How do you find the camera on the nexus s? Does the vignette app add touch to focus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it adds touch to focus
I have the SLCD screen on the Nexus S, I've never seen a screen this amazing. It's fantastic in broad daylight, actually, it doesn't even matter in where you use it, it's always legible.
The camera is good, for a 5MP it's really good. It has no digital zoom though, beware, some people want that feature
Greetz

123go! said:
Thanks!
I am merely looking for real user experiences. I still need to go to the store to play around with both of the phones.
Thats good to hear about the sunlight visibility. How do you find the camera on the nexus s? Does the vignette app add touch to focus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera is very good. It takes better photos than any other mobile device I have owned (2nd would be Evo 4G which was not bad at all).
Your idea to go play with the phones is a good one. I was only mildly interested in the Nexus S until I was at Best Buy one day and they had one and I got to hold it. There was no turning back. I knew then there was no other phone in the world for me

the version here in canada is the AMOLED one. Digital zoom is not an issue at all
My current phone is a SE C905a, w/ 8mp camera. Camera is a big deal to me, but from what I have seen in reviews, it's not too bad. I even compared the camera's on gsmarena between the arc and the nexus s, and they seem comparable. Minus the fact that the Arc has 720p video

well, despite of low specs, camera is really good, i can't compare with arc camera, but i'm coming from a desire hd (what was announced as best android camera by that time) and i prefer nxs camera, mainly because shots in dark places that is way better, but also, camera in DHD is mostly for still life, because it blur with any movement.
16gb is enought for me, (i used to have 8gb in my dhd it was never full), and now, with google music, the decision must be based in your data plan, if you have an "unlimited" one, you have no problem at all! Said that, i can tell you: what is avalaible for storage is only 13,3gb, don't ask me why.
about screen sunligh, i can't help you, since i have a 9023 (with slcd).
another thing: i really think you should get both in your hand and decide, most things are not in specs lists, they are in how you fell with the phone. eg, i really hate 'haptic feedback' in nexus s and i loved in DHD and that is a thing i can't know without get it in my hand.
and some more things, nexus is a pretty device, looks nice with the screen off, all black, like a monolith. the cuverd screen is really beautiful (besides let it good upon your face).
BUT, the main reason i bought it is to escape of the "race for the best device of the week"... you know what i mean.
sorry for typos and bad engrish! =o)

I got this phone cuz it's Google Nexus series.
There are of course better phones out right now like the Galaxy S2 i believe with dual core or what not. When I got my NS last December, it was a pretty good phone, but if you keep holding out for something better, you'll never buy anything.

thiagodark said:
and some more things, nexus is a pretty device, looks nice with the screen off, all black, like a monolith. the cuverd screen is really beautiful (besides let it good upon your face).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You definitly got a point. A recently cleaned Nexus S is almost a guaranteed buy (or sell, whatever pov ). One of the best looking phones while in stand-by.
--
If you care about getting the latest android within a few days after being released, NxS is the only option. Beside that and the pretty looks I think Arc and NxS are pretty much on the same level. If you can't decide because of looks or the immediate updates, compare the price, still no winner, flip a coin, I think you can't go wrong really between NxS and Arc.
--
Btw, the non-720p videos (scaled to 720p) shot with NxS look way better then most 720p vids from other smartphones.

rentaric said:
If you care about getting the latest android within a few days after being released, NxS is the only option. Beside that and the pretty looks I think Arc and NxS are pretty much on the same level. If you can't decide because of looks or the immediate updates, compare the price, still no winner, flip a coin, I think you can't go wrong really between NxS and Arc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to hear about the camera. It really is one of the few things holding me back from the nexus s vs the arc.
I do care about the updates, it seems SE has been doing better since the whole thing with the X10. But who knows how long that will last!
I love the looks of both phones. They are totally different looks wise, but both appeal to me. I think making these threads is actually making the decision harder for me! lol, I thought for sure I was going to get the arc, now I am on the fence again...

rentaric said:
Btw, the non-720p videos (scaled to 720p) shot with NxS look way better then most 720p vids from other smartphones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what i'm talking about, have you seen atrix 1080p videos?! it's awful.
that's a pic with an atrix:
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"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
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"lightbox_share": "Share",
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e that is the same thing with an iphone:
what do you prefer?! =oP
edit: posting smaller imgs!

123go! said:
I think making these threads is actually making the decision harder for me! lol, I thought for sure I was going to get the arc, now I am on the fence again...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, just post same thing in arc forum! =o)

I did!! (click here)

123go! said:
I did!! (click here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
after read it, i wanna buy a arc too!! lol..
seriously, whetever device you choose, you'll be fine! just pick one and don't look back... =o)

thiagodark said:
after read it, i wanna buy a arc too!! lol..
seriously, whetever device you choose, you'll be fine! just pick one and don't look back... =o)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worst thing to do when you bought a technical device. The moment the money has been spend stop looking for alternatives/replacements, that's a vicious circle
--
Lol @ the guys on the Arc forums, didn't ease the question for the OP

rentaric said:
Worst thing to do when you bought a technical device. The moment the money has been spend stop looking for alternatives/replacements, that's a vicious circle
--
Lol @ the guys on the Arc forums, didn't ease the question for the OP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know!
I think I am going to go tomorrow to play with both phones, I still have a week or so until I can get either one...I am becoming obsessive..

Don't make the MISTAKE I did...choose the Nexus S for the love of GOD. Do NOT buy the Arc.
I walked into a Rogers Store thinking I knew how the Arc would handle and feel, playing with a dummy phone WRONG. I bought the thing cash for $700 after tax and a $19 case.
I go home, fire it up and instant regret.
I will list everything wrong with the phone in my opinion:
1. Multitouch is retarded. When you try it out go into gallery and try to pinch to zoom around pics...it will not behave correctly.
2. If you can access the browser, go to a web site that allows you to pinch to zoom and just set your finger tips on the screen motionless...watch as the screen vibrates and goes crazy.
3. Screen is too thin and long. I found typing to be really bad, and SE removed speach to text from the Arc stock keyboard. Also the Arc keyboard is not multitouch.
4. The build quality is much worse than the Nexus S. The back door creeks and makes noises almost everywhere you touch it.
5. The screen IMO looks washed out, but sharp.
6. On 3 bars I dropped a call 5 times in the same call! WTF is that?
7. Arcs screen SUCKS. Its mineral glass with a thick plastic "shatter proof film" on it that not only gets scratched up too fast, but makes the screen a finger print, smudgy mess. Horrible.
Anyways the Arc is so bad I actually took my Arc (that I just had dropped $700 on 2 days before) and traded it for a used/mint Nexus S and I could not be happier. My only regret is that I did not buy the Nexus S first.
Sure the Arc has some nice features like HDMI out (I found useless really) and it does Video nice (I find the Nexus S takes better pics personally)
Go Nexus S or you'll be sorry...I can PROMISE you that...

gunstar3035 said:
Don't make the MISTAKE I did...choose the Nexus S for the love of GOD. Do NOT buy the Arc.
I walked into a Rogers Store thinking I knew how the Arc would handle and feel, playing with a dummy phone WRONG. I bought the thing cash for $700 after tax and a $19 case.
I go home, fire it up and instant regret.
I will list everything wrong with the phone in my opinion:
1. Multitouch is retarded. When you try it out go into gallery and try to pinch to zoom around pics...it will not behave correctly.
2. If you can access the browser, go to a web site that allows you to pinch to zoom and just set your finger tips on the screen motionless...watch as the screen vibrates and goes crazy.
3. Screen is too thin and long. I found typing to be really bad, and SE removed speach to text from the Arc stock keyboard. Also the Arc keyboard is not multitouch.
4. The build quality is much worse than the Nexus S. The back door creeks and makes noises almost everywhere you touch it.
5. The screen IMO looks washed out, but sharp.
6. On 3 bars I dropped a call 5 times in the same call! WTF is that?
7. Arcs screen SUCKS. Its mineral glass with a thick plastic "shatter proof film" on it that not only gets scratched up too fast, but makes the screen a finger print, smudgy mess. Horrible.
Anyways the Arc is so bad I actually took my Arc (that I just had dropped $700 on 2 days before) and traded it for a used/mint Nexus S and I could not be happier. My only regret is that I did not buy the Nexus S first.
Sure the Arc has some nice features like HDMI out (I found useless really) and it does Video nice (I find the Nexus S takes better pics personally)
Go Nexus S or you'll be sorry...I can PROMISE you that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, this kind of things is always in the back of my mind when thinking about either one.
Do you think it was the firmware you were using? Not saying you are wrong, but just wondering.
The camera thing intrigues me, on the gsmarena camera compare tool, the nexus s did look a little better at 100% crop. Check it out.
The arc seems to be fuzzier, there is a loss of detail in the 100% crop.......
I will check all that stuff out when I go to physically use the phones, hopefully today.

I hesitated and I finally went with the NS. Reasons:
Unlocked bootloader means custom ROMs
Always up to date software
Fast smooth UI with no carrier or OEM crap on it. I'll load my own crap thank you very much.
This phone will be useable long after SE ditches support for the Arc and relegates it to the scrap heap.

mr_raider said:
I hesitated and I finally went with the NS. Reasons:
Unlocked bootloader means custom ROMs
Always up to date software
Fast smooth UI with no carrier or OEM crap on it. I'll load my own crap thank you very much.
This phone will be useable long after SE ditches support for the Arc and relegates it to the scrap heap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you will regret it.. the general attitude I see, and share, is that once you own a Nexus device you really don't want to own anything else. I came from an Epic 4G for example, so the hardware between that and my Nexus S 4G are literally identical. However, the Nexus S runs circles around the Epic which is crippled with the TouchWiz framework.
You really just can't beat AOSP the way Google intended.

Dell streak 5

Is it still a viable phone today? I have a g2 and I'm debating on buying one for 200-250 just because of the screen size.
Easy to root and overclock?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

scottmog said:
Is it still a viable phone today? I have a g2 and I'm debating on buying one for 200-250 just because of the screen size.
Easy to root and overclock?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very much a viable phone.
Easy to root.
Easy to overclock, although how stable it is at OC speeds varies from device to device.
Do not expect the same performance you would get from a current dual core phone.

despite the months passed it is still a good allrounder. the huge screen of course is one of its biggest selling points. the main cons imho are
no official gingerbread (big question mark here. is it coming? is it not? things are quite confusing)
not powerful gpu (adreno 200 quite crappy if you are into serious gaming)
small custom rom scene (i'm not saying there are no custom roms, but there indeed are few devs)

1 thing : if you are someone who like to get people's attention, then the Streak maybe for you as every time you take it out of your pocket, people will probably start looking at this monster! This is what I like about the Streak! lol
The Streak main point is that it is different from other phones out there due to its form factor and it is a great device to show movies/photos to your friends. Its main advantage is definitely Web Browsing, this is the best device for this usage!

Agreed, The Streak Is Not Your "Ford Tempo"
Final5k said:
1 thing : if you are someone who like to get people's attention, then the Streak maybe for you as every time you take it out of your pocket, people will probably start looking at this monster! This is what I like about the Streak! lol
The Streak main point is that it is different from other phones out there due to its form factor and it is a great device to show movies/photos to your friends. Its main advantage is definitely Web Browsing, this is the best device for this usage!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely true! While just about every other android device releases looks like they all came from the bc same mold then divided up and stamped with various brands and carrier names like a basic template, the Streak is so unique in form. I love it!
GAWD why did DELL break whats not broken?!

If your upgrade is not urgent, it may be advisable to check for coming Samsung Galaxy Note price and specs. It is my preferrable upgrade path from streak to date.

dunno, I will want to check the note in person before buying. 5 millimeters wider means a lot for me as I can use the streak one handed.

Mine takes TWO Hands
crashDebug said:
dunno, I will want to check the note in person before buying. 5 millimeters wider means a lot for me as I can use the streak one handed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh-heh! Mine takes TWO HANDS to handle THIS whopper
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btvbtv said:
If your upgrade is not urgent, it may be advisable to check for coming Samsung Galaxy Note price and specs. It is my preferrable upgrade path from streak to date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I have been keeping close track of the note for the past 2 months. But dang, its like what? 700-900 bucks... yikes.
Honestly, I would personally choose a 5 inch screen phone with a sliding qwerty keyboard but I dont see one in the near future. So im thinking 200 bucks would be a small price to pay to try this baby out. Heck, I could always resell it fairly easily.
One more question, USA TMobile network. If unlocked I only get edge correct? No 3G/4G?

scottmog said:
. . .
One more question, USA TMobile network. If unlocked I only get edge correct? No 3G/4G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most Streaks are edge only on T-Mobile. The AWS version Streaks (with T_Mobile's 3G band) are rarer and will set you back a lot more cash.

Censor T H I S! A T&T Wireless Worthless Forum Goonmod
scottmog said:
Yes I have been keeping close track of the note for the past 2 months. But dang, its like what? 700-900 bucks... yikes.
Honestly, I would personally choose a 5 inch screen phone with a sliding qwerty keyboard but I dont see one in the near future. So im thinking 200 bucks would be a small price to pay to try this baby out. Heck, I could always resell it fairly easily.
One more question, USA TMobile network. If unlocked I only get edge correct? No 3G/4G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come on over to Ma Bell, Scott.
"Check out them 'hamhocks'.
..yeah thats my family plan
keep'n THAT fed!..."

I kinda got a little phone fever now. Waiting for the Note to come to the USA, but getting impatient. Went to the At&t store today and looked at the SGSII Skyrocket. A sweet phone on paper, and I half expected I would leave with one, but it just couldnt compair to my Streak with its little (although technically way better) screen. It would honestly feel like a down-grade. And the stock UI was laggy compaired to my pimped out Streak...
The Streak will spoil you, even now!
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

slaydog,
Did you check out the HTC Vivid while you were there?

scottmog said:
Yes I have been keeping close track of the note for the past 2 months. But dang, its like what? 700-900 bucks... yikes.
Honestly, I would personally choose a 5 inch screen phone with a sliding qwerty keyboard but I dont see one in the near future. So im thinking 200 bucks would be a small price to pay to try this baby out. Heck, I could always resell it fairly easily.
One more question, USA TMobile network. If unlocked I only get edge correct? No 3G/4G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the streak was 2x thicker with a slide out kb, it would be awful to handle, I think. The streak works cause it's so thin.
Yes, correct on the Edge.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App

marvin02 said:
slaydog,
Did you check out the HTC Vivid while you were there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, also a very cool phone that for some reason has never been on my radar. They had one in black and one in white. Feels much more substantial than the SGS2, but for some reason the screen looked a little smaller than the Samsung even though they are both the same size. I pulled up a side by side comparison from the net, and the review said the Vivid had a slower processor, but they were both labeled as 1.5 Ghz dual core.
HTC sense looks great too...
I think the problem I had was that they both looked like PHONES, and the streak is a STREAK. Everyone I know has a phone, but I have this thing that is in a class (so far) by itself, and I have just gotten used to it...
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

The Streak 5 is the device I had been waiting years for. Previously I purchased the Axim 51v, which was a stunning piece of kit. It was the best PDA I ever owned (and mine is still working). Not only did it have the fastest CPU of any PDA at the time, it also had a massive 8 MB graphics chip (the same size as the video card in my first desktop), and could do what no other PDA still seems capable of; direct PDA to VGA out, so you can connect it straight to a computer monitor or data projector in mirrored or single screen format.
I waited a very long time for a device which could do everything I wanted (for me a smartphone is an essential business tool), and finally the Streak 5 arrived. In one stroke it replaced my Axim 51v, my iPod Nano, and my HTC Touch 3G. Using the standard battery I can get 48 hours of use out of it if I'm extra careful, 24 hours without being particularly careful, and 12 hours if I'm being completely careless.
It's superb, and I'm disappointed that it already seems to be going the way of the Axim 51v (abandoned by Dell distressingly shortly after release). I love the screen size, the form factor, the build quality, and the general finish. It sits very well in an Otterbox Commuter, and turns the heads of unfortunate iPhone users envious of the screen size. I just wish it had the same VGA out ability as the 51v; with that, it would be perfect.

Fortigurn said:
The Streak 5 is the device I had been waiting years for. Previously I purchased the Axim 51v, which was a stunning piece of kit. It was the best PDA I ever owned (and mine is still working). Not only did it have the fastest CPU of any PDA at the time, it also had a massive 8 MB graphics chip (the same size as the video card in my first desktop), and could do what no other PDA still seems capable of; direct PDA to VGA out, so you can connect it straight to a computer monitor or data projector in mirrored or single screen format.
I waited a very long time for a device which could do everything I wanted (for me a smartphone is an essential business tool), and finally the Streak 5 arrived. In one stroke it replaced my Axim 51v, my iPod Nano, and my HTC Touch 3G. Using the standard battery I can get 48 hours of use out of it if I'm extra careful, 24 hours without being particularly careful, and 12 hours if I'm being completely careless.
It's superb, and I'm disappointed that it already seems to be going the way of the Axim 51v (abandoned by Dell distressingly shortly after release). I love the screen size, the form factor, the build quality, and the general finish. It sits very well in an Otterbox Commuter, and turns the heads of unfortunate iPhone users envious of the screen size. I just wish it had the same VGA out ability as the 51v; with that, it would be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my Dell Streak

Fortigurn said:
The Streak 5 is the device I had been waiting years for. Previously I purchased the Axim 51v, which was a stunning piece of kit. It was the best PDA I ever owned (and mine is still working). Not only did it have the fastest CPU of any PDA at the time, it also had a massive 8 MB graphics chip (the same size as the video card in my first desktop), and could do what no other PDA still seems capable of; direct PDA to VGA out, so you can connect it straight to a computer monitor or data projector in mirrored or single screen format.
I waited a very long time for a device which could do everything I wanted (for me a smartphone is an essential business tool), and finally the Streak 5 arrived. In one stroke it replaced my Axim 51v, my iPod Nano, and my HTC Touch 3G. Using the standard battery I can get 48 hours of use out of it if I'm extra careful, 24 hours without being particularly careful, and 12 hours if I'm being completely careless.
It's superb, and I'm disappointed that it already seems to be going the way of the Axim 51v (abandoned by Dell distressingly shortly after release). I love the screen size, the form factor, the build quality, and the general finish. It sits very well in an Otterbox Commuter, and turns the heads of unfortunate iPhone users envious of the screen size. I just wish it had the same VGA out ability as the 51v; with that, it would be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
like if you were reading in my mind
+1

Members upgrading from HD2, kindly share ur views...

Still using my HD2 and extremely confused between getting the Note and the
Nexus. I think of siding with one and then in a few hours I invariably end up siding with the other.
I had upgraded to the two best phone that had been out since the HD2, namely the GS2 and the Sensation, but ended up selling both and came back to the HD2. The sensation just gobbled up my battery and the display felt inferior to that of the HD2. The GS2 had severe blue tint on the two devices I purchased, and after using the HD2 it just felt cheap to hold and never gave the feel of premium quality.
The itch for a new phone has started again and I am more inclined towards getting the Note at this moment and would love to know the views and reviews from members specifically upgrading from the HD2. Stuff like:
How did you come to the decision?
How easy/hard has the transition been?
How does the build quality feel?
Do you still miss and feel like going back to your HD2?
This and other stuff you want to share about your experience with life after moving on the Note and as much direct comparison as possible with respect to the way it has changed/improvised the way you do the same stuff..
Looking forward to hearing a lot of great stories

I'd never go back to my HD 2 cuz USB port I'd broken. But I don't regret purchasing the Note.If my HD 2 wasn't broken (charging battery only in extern charger is really annoying) it would have been a harder choice and I probably would wait for Asus padfone.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

viper_79 said:
Still using my HD2 and extremely confused between getting the Note and the Nexus. I think of siding with one and then in a few hours I invariably end up siding with the other.
I had upgraded to the two best phone that had been out since the HD2, namely the GS2 and the Sensation, but ended up selling both and came back to the HD2. The sensation just gobbled up my battery and the display felt inferior to that of the HD2. The GS2 had severe blue tint on the two devices I purchased, and after using the HD2 it just felt cheap to hold and never gave the feel of premium quality.
The itch for a new phone has started again and I am more inclined towards getting the Note at this moment and would love to know the views and reviews from members specifically upgrading from the HD2. Stuff like:
How did you come to the decision?
How easy/hard has the transition been?
How does the build quality feel?
Do you still miss and feel like going back to your HD2?
This and other stuff you want to share about your experience with life after moving on the Note and as much direct comparison as possible with respect to the way it has changed/improvised the way you do the same stuff..
Looking forward to hearing a lot of great stories
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi and thanks for the great thread.
I love my HD2 and reckon it is a design classic, rugged and stylish.
It is the best of the top 4 devices I have owned, along with the XDAII, O2 Atom, & Touch HD.
I usually upgrade once a year but I couldn't see anything I liked in the last 2 years. I was wary of Android, being a HTC/Winmo user. But Winmo 7 looked ****house so I held off for 2 years. Lately I had the desire to get a more modern device. A friend showed me his GSII. I was impressed by the performance but not by the build quality. On reflection I think it's build is pretty good, thin and sleek. Touch Wiz didn't grab me. In August I read about CyanogenMod and found a really good Android rom for the Hd2 called Typhoon CyanogenMod 7. I tried it and loved it. It turned me on to Android. I was surfing the net in September looking at the GSII and HTC Sensation XL and saw the buz about the Note. I almost bough the XL but the higher cpu and ram specs, bigger screen, and above all, the stylus/spen grabbed my interest and I preordered the Note straight away.
The HD2 was great, but the Note is better in many ways. The build quality is understated but functional. It doesn't feel as rugged or stylish as the HD2. But it's function is better. It is a bit thinner than the HD2. The plastic back works quite well and it allows the device to be thinner.
I like the bigger sceen of the Note, the stylus, the Android OS and it's integration with google calendar and contacts. I use Launcher Pro which is cleaner in looks that TouchWiz, but doesn't run as smooth.
Can't go back to the HD2. The Note is 3 times faster, 1" bigger screen, has a stylus and a more modern OS.
Maybe you should hold out for a Nexus or the quad 4 SGIII next year.

viper_79 said:
Still using my HD2 and extremely confused between getting the Note and the
Nexus. I think of siding with one and then in a few hours I invariably end up siding with the other.
I had upgraded to the two best phone that had been out since the HD2, namely the GS2 and the Sensation, but ended up selling both and came back to the HD2. The sensation just gobbled up my battery and the display felt inferior to that of the HD2. The GS2 had severe blue tint on the two devices I purchased, and after using the HD2 it just felt cheap to hold and never gave the feel of premium quality.
The itch for a new phone has started again and I am more inclined towards getting the Note at this moment and would love to know the views and reviews from members specifically upgrading from the HD2. Stuff like:
How did you come to the decision?
How easy/hard has the transition been?
How does the build quality feel?
Do you still miss and feel like going back to your HD2?
This and other stuff you want to share about your experience with life after moving on the Note and as much direct comparison as possible with respect to the way it has changed/improvised the way you do the same stuff..
Looking forward to hearing a lot of great stories
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My story is very similar to yours. Since 2003 I had been a die hard WM fan and the HD2 still represents one of the greatest devices ever released for its build quality, power, asthetics and flexibility especially where customising and custom roms from multiple platforms is concerned. Although I am from the UK, I was living in the US when the HD2 came out (I worked for T-Mobile) and even the Android handsets that were released afterward could not sway me. Even WP7 left me feeling cold.
After coming home to the UK, I first got the Sensation when it was released. It was either that or the GS2. After a few months and despite the build quility I was less than impressed. Don't get me wrong, its a good phone, its just not a great phone. The I got the GS2 and that I think is far better. Smoother, faster and a much better screen. Not long after I heard of the Note and when I learned it would have a stylus I knew I had to have it. Up till the HD2 every device I had ever owned had a stylus.
I have had the Note since the 4th of November. No regrets. Its doesnt feel as big as some make out. The screen is amazing. Its fast. Great battery. Super fast GPS and the S-Pen apps work very well and it is everything a stylus should be and more. Sure the build quality isnt on par with say Nokia or HTC but you know what, I dont care. Its a minor niggle. I had more regrets getting the the Sensation free on contract than I did spending £600 on the Note. I still miss the HD2 but only because it was my most versitile phone. I have now given that to a friend to use so I know its being used well.
Hope that helps

Just switched from HD2 (Artemis ROM) to the Note. I bought an Archos 101 tablet a few months ago and started dual booting the HD2 into Android as it was the only way I could tether the tablet. I was reluctant to give up on WM6.5 as I liked it but I found so many aviation apps for Android which simply weren't available for Windows phones. My main use for my phone is browsing and the note is simply amazing! This is the first phone which allows me to see everything on a website without zooming so I don't really need the tablet anymore. I have a friend who is an Apple fan and he likes his iPad 2 so much that he's sold his iPhone and just has a simple flip phone and his iPad. I have gone the other way and will ditch my tablet. The Note slips into my shirt pocket easily and does not feel that big but the HD2 now seems tiny. I love my new Note and it hasn't frozen or crashed once, unlike the HD.

I bought the HD2 the day it came out. It was precisely the phone I had wanted for years, but nobody could ever seem to get right. Even with all it's software glitches, the ability to customize WM was one of the most fun and interesting things I've ever had the pleasure to delight in with any form of technology. Once android was in the mix, it was pure magic.
Even if my digitizer hadn't broken on my HD2, I would have still bought the SGN the day it became available. Much like my vision of the HD2 coming to light, once I had the HD2 I knew i needed a bigger phone, so as to eliminate any need for a tablet. I'm 6'4" and have pretty big hands; the HD2 was but a child's toy in them. the note looks and fits me the way the iphone fits normal sized people. Additionally i used to carry my kindle around in my back pocket, not i can leave that at home.
This for me was a no brainer. The HD2 was the first, and in many ways will always be the best. It's an under the radar powerhouse of a phone, which most people never even heard of. The Note by comparison, is like the space shuttle as compared to the HD2 being a 747. It's bigger, faster, and just more impressive overall.
My lone wish is the ability to dual boot WP7. I'd barely use it as I had the same setup on my hd2 but while not as deep with features and customability as Android, WP7 is a very nice OS, and it wouldn't take much to make it world's better than Android. It's quite beautiful and elegant already, and I very much appreciate the minimalist approach, as an homage of sorts to WinMo.
Caveat emptor: this is a big ass phone and while it fits me perfectly, i can totally see how it might feel slightly too large for the general population. Oddly enough I can see girls gravitating to it more than men since it can easily fit in a purse. Considering most people use headsets anyway, the need to put this thing to ones head isn't really there although again for me, it is a perfect fit.
Jason

Thank you so much for starting this brilliant thread.
I am facing the same dilemma. After 2 years of HD2, it has been a real pleasure, and even now I dont really put my finger down on why I want to upgrade. But there is this itch to get a new phone.
Basically Im stuck between the RAZR Droid and the Note. I like the Note better, but the RAZR is so bloody cool. Plus, I donno if the Note will be uncomfortable (Im 6'2" with big hands, but still Im donno if it will look awkward during a call).
Help will really be appreciated.

Another member in the same dilemma. Keep HD2 (Americandroid nand) and buy the tab 7.7, give sis HD2 and buy Gnote, or wait for Asus padfone... Don't know how practical is it to carry a phone and a tablet around though... but not sure if the note will be able to display PDFs without panning at all and how much better the overall browsing experience would be tab 7.7 vs gnote. Is it worth carrying a phone and a tablet around for it?
I'm still happy with my HD2 and don't have much incentive to upgrade unless it will give me the kind of experience upgrading from wm6.5 to android. The browsing in wm6.5 was just horrible. Pics not loading etc etc

I have just ordered the Note after using the HD2 as my main phone with Android for 2 years (loved it!).
Can any of the ex-HD2 owners comment on how the Note compares sound quality wise listening to music via headphones?
I read some worrying comments on sound quality and would be interested how people feel it compares to the HD2.

as my hd2 is broken i will buy a note too. but if you ask me if hd2 wasnt broken i will wait for companies to fill market with big screen phones and pick one from them.

For me, it was a no-brainer.
My HD2 was great, but my new Note is way better. I'm not so sure I will be able to look at any other device after seeing the SGN's gorgeous screen.
For me, SGN is the new HD2 of sorts - niche device, underrated, unknown and very powerful, designed specifically for those people who love this kinds of stuff. Most people would rather buy an iPhone or some regular-sized Droid, than the gargantuan behemoth that is the Note.
One thing though - HD2 felt... more robust, I guess. This one feels light and slick, but I'm a little afraid of breaking it.
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rupple said:
I have just ordered the Note after using the HD2 as my main phone with Android for 2 years (loved it!).
Can any of the ex-HD2 owners comment on how the Note compares sound quality wise listening to music via headphones?
I read some worrying comments on sound quality and would be interested how people feel it compares to the HD2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I am going to answer my own question, as I now have the Note. I have done A/B testing with two headphones: a mi-range Sony MDR-EX300 and a high-end Shure SE530 (both IEM). Test done using Power Amp with no EQ.
Basically the sound quality of the Note is worse than that of the HD2:
- less refined stereo separation
- lower dynamics
- sound stage is more compressed
+ the Note does have a very clean signal (HD2 too)
Whereas on the HD2 the SE530 brings out better details of the sound, the Note is simply a no-go for that high-end IEM. On the mid range Sony MDR-EX300 it is usable although I would have wished for better overall SQ.

My full review in video form!!
This is a video review i did of the note. It covers everything you need to know http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JyfrD4VrHY cheers!

To be honest am so in love with pens phones...it started with htc universal and then nokie 5800...aftr that i bought the hd2 the 1st day it was available in uk...no regrets on that phone...was the fastest phone and a best for a long time with no compitator other then desire hd.....but to he honest its been 2 years now...we hav to move on for newer technology better and faster one...nothing caught my eyes other then the notes..am a fan of huge phones and the stylus pen woow...i find it like hd2 but a 2011 version...enhanced faster bigger (twss)...anyway if u r asking wht am using the pen for....am now going to lectures without anypapers nor abag....i write every lecture in s.memo....and even recording the voice of the lecturer while writing in s.memo...in the end i like this phone....its the best for now

ProzzaK said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much did DUNHILL pay you sir?

It really is like when i got my HD2. A totally new experience. I love it. I've already started using it where i used to use my ipad. Probably my best device since my HD2.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

Beautiful thread. I got the HD2 and a Galaxy Tab 8.9. The tab is perfect for media consumption especially for reading magazines books watching videos etc. But unfortunately i cant always have the tab on me. LEO is still very good as a phone as well as for things like perusing posts in the social networks. But after more than 2 years i think its time the decorated general went into semi retirement.
I wont ever sell my hd2 as it will still remain my test unit. I am testing ice cream witj it as we speak and running Mango too. But the note will take its place as daily driver while the tab serves its duty for serious reading.
So in short for me i will not be replacing my hd2 but basically the 2 (or should i say the three to include the tab) shall live side by side in glorious harmony.....
Oh in case anyone is wondering I got a man bag (murse?) for carrying my stuff sround

@PlayStation
Would love to see a photo of your man bag.
I'm intrigued and interested
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk

my969 said:
@PlayStation
Would love to see a photo of your man bag.
I'm intrigued and interested
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure will take a photo or 2 and upload....

Icon and general text size compared to HD2
Good day,
I am an HD2\WM 6.5.3 user with poor vision, hence my interest in the Galaxy Note.
1) Can someone tell me if the icons and the icon text is smaller or larger on the GNote?
2) Same question when browsing the internet and reading mail BEFORE zooming in?
I often have to squint or occasionally use a monocle to view some of the program screens on my HD2 and am hoping that the increased DPI of the GNote is not going to make things smaller over all, despite the larger screen size.
Clearly I am hoping for all things to appear larger!
3) And a little off topic but one of the best things I liked about the HD2\Opera 9.7 browser was auto text wrap\reflow when one does a pinch to zoom. HTC seems to include this functionality in their Sense UI on Android as they did with WM and I do not think the built in browser on the GNote does this???
I tried Dolphin HD on an Andorid SD build on my HD2 but I could not get auto text wrap to work at all, let alone like it does with WM\HTC\Opera.
I would greatly appreciate any\all details and insights anyone can provide before I drop my cash on what I hope to be the answer to my needs.
Thanks in advance, you lucky people.