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I've had the phone over a week now and I'd like to give my insight as to what I love and what I dislike in comparison with the Nexus.
Just a few sentences.
First off about me: I'm a big texter, I use Twitter, Facebook, IM and general browsing the most, as well as listening to a lot of podcasts and music. SO here are my impressions taking this into account.
The screen: it is hard to fully express how much nicer this feels than the Nexus screen, but suffice to say whites are whiter, colours seem truer and tactile response is noticeably improved. The screen feels more close to your finger somehow...it's hard to put into words. Visibility in sunlight is noticeably better - not quite as visible as iPhone but perfectly acceptable.
Build quality of i9000 is not on a par with the Nexus in terms of its chassis, which seemingly uses cheaper plastics compared to the Nexus' metal architecture. I was still fairly happy with the Samsung's build quality at first but subsequently noticed little microscopic scuffs appearing on the battery cover and a little dink on the bezel. I swear I have only had the phone in my pocket and haven't been throwing it around. Although it isn't exactly in bad condition now I still resent the fact that after only TEN DAYS of careful use and pocket-placement I am already able to detect small signs of wear. On the other hand the screen on the i9000 looks to be of higher build quality - it is made from Gorilla Glass and to look at doesn't seem susceptible to dust contamination as the relatively highly-mounted Nexus digitizer.
The loudpeaker is important to me, and the Nexus had a crappy, hissy loudspeaker. Thankfully the Samsung i9000 speaker is more powerful with richer dynamics and less hiss. It is on a par with the iPhone 3G, if not slightly better as it seems a bit louder...great for listening to podcasts.
Camera.
Like-for-like testing of the Nexus and Galaxy in daylight shows what appear to be richer and sharper pictures on the Samsung. I suspect (judging by their use of rubbish loudspeaker components) that HTC use pretty bog-standard camera optics; and although the Nexus is pretty good most people would favour the Samsung shots under default conditions. The Nexus wins at dim-to-low-light shots though just because it has a flash and is therefore usable in more varied conditions. Video capture on the i9000 is just leagues ahead of the Nexus which not only records at a lower resolution but also produces muddier images with dreadfully low-quality audio. The Samsung also offers a consistent framerate of 30fps and handles low lighting really quite admirably compared with the Nexus.
UI
Since the i9000 only has Eclair there are a few notable missing features found only in Froyo. Despite this the Galaxy still outperforms the Nexus in all the Benchmarking tests I've seen. I haven't performed any benchmarks myself but a side-by-side comparison of both devices (Nexus with Cyanogenmod 6.0 RC) shows noticeably smoother scrolling on the Galaxy S in all apps, including the browser. There are some nice extras too: like quick access to WIFI, Bluetooth, Silent switch and Vibration mode from within the notifications bar. I also like the fact that you can change to different fonts on the i9000 across the whole UI. This gives the OS a slightly different feel which is nice.
Input -
This really fails the Galaxy S i9000. I've really come to realise how much I miss having some form of trackball with the Galaxy S.
On the face of it things seem fine; in fact RAW TEXTING on the i9000 is a lot more pleasurable than on the Nexus not only because of the greater screen real-estate but also because the screen itself is more responsive....but the caveat is that lack of a trackball or optical trackpad...
There is no reason why Samsung couldn't have included an optical button (as seen on the Omnia among other Sammy phones) to facilitate text selection. Judging by the iOS-inspired Touchwiz 3.0 it SEEMS that Samsung want some of the minimalism of the iPhone hardware and UI but what they have failed to notice is that the iPhone uses a long-press magnifying glass feature across the ENTIRE OS which allows for VERY EASY text selection, copying and pasting. Android, and Touchwiz does NOT include such a facility - just a half-hearted cursor pad in the default keyboard which is obtained by long-pressing the numeric button. This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. I've found myself having to do this a few times as it is often practically IMPOSSIBLE to select a passage or move the cursor to the exact right place without a d-pad or trackball. This really is a major failing for me and completely ruins things.
*EDIT* i've found that swiping from the Swype to the Sym key in Swype opens up a cursor system. I've tried to get along with Swype and haven't succeded so far but i'll give it a try again .
Media -
Owing to the great speaker, listening to podcasts on the i9000 is a pleasure. Music also sounds acceptable. The music control panel which shows up in the notifications bar when you are playing tracks is also genuinely useful.
One of the i9000's main selling points is not only its ability to record HD video but also to PLAY it. I've tested it with about twenty 720p clips from Youtube, and a number of 720p WMV files and it hasn't skipped a beat. Genuinely wonderful smoothness of playback. I haven't found a video of 720p or less that it wouldn't play as yet, although the BBC iPlayer downloads from Myplayer played without sound and necessitated Rockplayer.
Anyway I'm running out of steam now....but to conclude: I'm getting rid of the Galaxy S: it's a combination of overall build durability and a lack of nice, simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light that make me think that there will be something better along for me soon. I really like the phone and find it a joy to use but the few annoyances have spoilt it for me sadly.
If anyone near the midlands, UK wishes to buy an unlocked, unbranded Galaxy S with unopened accessories for a £290 before it goes on eBay then drop me a line.
Any other questions I will be happy to answer.
leoni1980 said:
simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light
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Click to collapse
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Leoni,
I know you're not exactly in love with the swype keyboard yet, but I think you'll love it fiercely once you get into it. You know how I hated swype in the past, I think, because of my fierce liking for Tengo. But even I can like swype keyboard, and like it a lot.
The copy/cut and paste being poorly designed as compared to iPhone will be something that we had to put up with, no matter which Android phone we switch to. Granted at HTC has the iPhone-like copy and paste facility, but that's not available uniformly across the system and across all applications. So, I reckon there isn't much effective difference across different android phones in this regards. I know the lack of trackball makes text selection difficult, but not impossible I believe. But with or without trackball, the design are all bad. Perhaps a future firmware could redo cut and paste from the ground up again and get it right.
Overall, when I read your comparison, I thought it was overwhelmingly positive towards SGS, a lot more then Nexus. It was the conclusion which took me by surprise.
INeedYourHelp said:
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
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Click to collapse
It's not so much a lack of trackball that's the problem so much as a complete lack of innovation with respect to compensating for the lack of a trackball. Ironically HTC sense implements a good system very similar to (perhaps even BETTER than) the iPhone's magnified system within the Desire browser, yet the Desire requires such a system far LESS than the i9000 owing to its optical trackball.
Text selection on the N1 is very easy in the browser: click in the trackball, move the arrow cursor click again to highlight. It's such a pity that Samsung didn't devote a little more time to core features that make the user experience more friendly and enjoyable rather than making those ugly widgets and pointless add-on apps.
Dont get me wrong I do really like the phone but it just feels too proprietary, too unfinished and too lacking in development support compared to.the N1, despite its many nice features.
INeedYourHelp said:
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
distortedloop said:
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
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Click to collapse
I've already sold my Nexus. I have a 32gb iPhone which Apple have fixed for me after I left it faulty and unused for months so Im thinking of going back until something new comes along. I got the Galaxy on upgrade and suspect (as with all samsung phones) that its value will plummet very rapidly so i'm going to sell it while I can still get a reasonable price on it. Maybe I'll buy the Droid x, maybe the iPhone 4....maybe the Desire HD....either way I'm selling the Galaxy S before it gets any tattier.
I agree with the points of the OP, I'm in the same situation, coming from a Nexus One to the Galaxy S. I'm coming to a different conclusion though: I'm keeping the Galaxy S. I find the cell signal/reception to be significantly better, pretty outstanding actually. Also, it just feels much faster in terms of data both via 3G and Wifi.
It's still early, the Nexus One has had a lot of time to mature. I believe the ROMs along with the upcoming 2.2 will give the Galaxy S the polish it needs. As for the casing, well, the material will certainly scuff faster but I'm not really feeling the back plastic is too cheap-- it feels just like my old iPhone 3G, which no one accused of feeling cheap.
leoni1980 said:
The loudpeaker is important to me, and the Nexus had a crappy, hissy loudspeaker. Thankfully the Samsung i9000 speaker is more powerful with richer dynamics and less hiss. It is on a par with the iPhone 3G, if not slightly better as it seems a bit louder...great for listening to podcasts.
Input -
This really fails the Galaxy S i9000. I've really come to realise how much I miss having some form of trackball with the Galaxy S.
This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. I've found myself having to do this a few times as it is often practically IMPOSSIBLE to select a passage or move the cursor to the exact right place without a d-pad or trackball. This really is a major failing for me and completely ruins things.
*EDIT* i've found that swiping from the Swype to the Sym key in Swype opens up a cursor system. I've tried to get along with Swype and haven't succeded so far but i'll give it a try again .
Anyway I'm running out of steam now....but to conclude: I'm getting rid of the Galaxy S: it's a combination of overall build durability and a lack of nice, simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light that make me think that there will be something better along for me soon. I really like the phone and find it a joy to use but the few annoyances have spoilt it for me sadly.
If anyone near the midlands, UK wishes to buy an unlocked, unbranded Galaxy S with unopened accessories for a £290 before it goes on eBay then drop me a line.
Any other questions I will be happy to answer.
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Click to collapse
The ending was a surprise to me, but to each there own.
From all comparisons I've read, this has a better speaker than the iPhone 3G (not sure about anything beyond that), the iPhone 3G didn't even have as good a speaker as the iPod Touch 2.
leoni1980 said:
"This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. "
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Click to collapse
I am either misunderstanding or you have it wrong, I use SwiftKey and I can select text, and select text very well. The screen is so accurate and I don't have to do much. Wherever my cursor is it will start there, so if I'm not where I need to be I move the cursor there which typically takes one touch, then I select my ending point which again I get right more often than not. Where I'll agree with you though is in apps, I read engadget and God is there touch accuracy off in that app for whatever reason. I have to literally be a cm away from the location I want and maybe above/below where I want. Typically I just settle for retyping extra...a trackball here would be marvelous.
distortedloop said:
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
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Click to collapse
tenshi888 said:
I agree with the points of the OP, I'm in the same situation, coming from a Nexus One to the Galaxy S. I'm coming to a different conclusion though: I'm keeping the Galaxy S. I find the cell signal/reception to be significantly better, pretty outstanding actually. Also, it just feels much faster in terms of data both via 3G and Wifi.
It's still early, the Nexus One has had a lot of time to mature. I believe the ROMs along with the upcoming 2.2 will give the Galaxy S the polish it needs. As for the casing, well, the material will certainly scuff faster but I'm not really feeling the back plastic is too cheap-- it feels just like my old iPhone 3G, which no one accused of feeling cheap.
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Click to collapse
I was thinking of getting an N1 in addition to my Galaxy S. I'm in Korea and the N1 has been available for about a month, I got my Galaxy S about 3 weeks ago when they first came out. Now they are moving to unlimited data and free tethering so I was thinking about going with 2 devices. Samsung Hub just reported that FroYo is coming to Korea in about 2 weeks though, which takes some of the steam out of me wanting the N1.
What do you 2 think? Would you get the N1 unlocked, without a plan? I was 67% going to get it when I heard the data plans, then now it's flipped to 33% now that I heard FroYo...what to do?
Good balanced review, though I am surprised at the conclusion
The SGS certainly has some annoyances compared to my old N1+Froyo, however I'm confident the SGS firmwares will improve on this great hardware.
For me, camera flash = consistently rubbish looking photos; I don't miss visual notifications because the SGS is in my pocket and its more important the phone be loud; Cut-and-Paste - yes a little easier using the N1 trackball but I seem to rarely want to do c'n'p except to share a URL or whatever; Positioning the cursor was definitely easier using a trackball but I'm a big fan of Swype and I use the cursor positioning so rarely that it's not a big deal for me to use the Swype cursor keys. The iPhone definitely has the superior c'n'p implementation, but for a function I use so infrequently I don't miss it that much (before the N1, I was on a iPhone 3G).
For me the trackball/cursor issue ismt just about being able to cut copy and paste, its about being able to get the cursor back where it was supposed to be if it happens to move! And it seems to happen to me a lot
just so you can see my point, try typing out a sentence here on these forums within the browser then move the cursor slightly....see how efficiently you can put the cursor back where it should be
I can see where Leoni is coming from and why his decision makes sense though. With iPhone 4, Droid X, and Desire HD in the horizon, it does make sense. Leoni has experienced just about every phones available. The only thing i wonder is if he's leaving enough money for his retirement.
eaglesteve said:
I can see where Leoni is coming from and why his decision makes sense though. With iPhone 4, Droid X, and Desire HD in the horizon, it does make sense. Leoni has experienced just about every phones available. The only thing i wonder is if he's leaving enough money for his retirement.
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Click to collapse
EDIT**** The trackball-less system strikes again
I don't know what you mean Eaglesteve: in the last year i've only owned an iphone 3G, T-Mobile G1, Sony Ericsson C905. HTC Magic, iPhone 3Gs, HTC Hero, HTC HD2, Motorola Dext, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Omnia 2, Google Nexus One, HTC Desire and a Samsung Galaxy S....
;-)
leoni1980 said:
I don't know what you mean Eaglesteve: in the last year i've only owned an iphone 3G, sony Ericsson C905.
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Click to collapse
Is that right? I thought you had an HD2 and HTC desire as well, no? What about Nexus one? BTW, why did you get an iPhone 3G instead if 3GS last year?
eaglesteve said:
Is that right? I thought you had an HD2 and HTC desire as well, no? What about Nexus one? BTW, why did you get an iPhone 3G instead if 3GS last year?
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Click to collapse
See my revised post. Ironically the cursor decided to move and in the process of trying to get it back in place I hit 'submit Reply'. Can you see why I am getting annoyed with this phone now??
Yes I KNOW there is the XDA app 'brought to me by Tapatalk' but I just don't blinking LIKE it....
OMG...I know you've tried many phones but not in my wildest dream that many, hahaha.
eaglesteve said:
OMG...I know you've tried many phones but not in my wildest dream that many, hahaha.
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I forgot to mention the Nokia 5800 and the cheap N95 I picked up.
One or two devices barely saw a week's usage!
I still like the iPhone for pure 'appliance' slickness and have loads of iPhone docks and external battery add-ons; sadly I despise Apple's closed ecosystem. I may yet change my mind about the Galaxy S - I'm just particularly irritated with it this morning.
miker71 said:
Good balanced review, though I am surprised at the conclusion
The SGS certainly has some annoyances compared to my old N1+Froyo, however I'm confident the SGS firmwares will improve on this great hardware.
For me, camera flash = consistently rubbish looking photos; I don't miss visual notifications because the SGS is in my pocket and its more important the phone be loud; Cut-and-Paste - yes a little easier using the N1 trackball but I seem to rarely want to do c'n'p except to share a URL or whatever; Positioning the cursor was definitely easier using a trackball but I'm a big fan of Swype and I use the cursor positioning so rarely that it's not a big deal for me to use the Swype cursor keys. The iPhone definitely has the superior c'n'p implementation, but for a function I use so infrequently I don't miss it that much (before the N1, I was on a iPhone 3G).
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Click to collapse
I think that the soft d-pad of the Galaxy works suprisingly good when it comes to text selection. It is triggered by default in the newest firmware (don't believe it is triggered in the older firmware).
Anyway one can manually trigger the soft d-pad by holding down the "?123" button on the standard samsung keyboard. Very nice feature....
appelflap said:
I think that the soft d-pad of the Galaxy works suprisingly good when it comes to text selection. It is triggered by default in the newest firmware (don't believe it is triggered in the older firmware).
Anyway one can manually trigger the soft d-pad by holding down the "?123" button on the standard samsung keyboard. Very nice feature....
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Click to collapse
But that necessitates using the default keyboard and despite trying to like it for four days straight I just found it very unlikeable
leoni1980 said:
But that necessitates using the default keyboard and despite trying to like it for four days straight I just found it very unlikeable
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Click to collapse
I think it all depends on the device you are comming from. I come from a HTC HD2 and the keyboard is a relief for me. (due mostly to the better cap. touchscreen of samsung)
It's good to have device by device comparisons. But I think one always have to take into perspective the platform or device one particular person is comming from. For a HD2 user the nexus maybe worse than the galaxy. For a nokia user maybe not. Persons are historically situated
I came from the samsung captivate with high hopes and well I have noticed a few things the i would rather have over the atrix
one would be the screen, items like the opening screen to the xda app comes out pixaled
the overal make of the phone is I would say is cheap compared to the captivate. It feels as it would break on the first drop not to mention the plastic back cover feel as if it would break after a few openings. Overall I am content with it but not as happy as expected
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Agree here. Regret to have my inspire sold.
I'm pretty happy with it, coming from an iPhone 4 (and an Evo.)
Pros:
- Screen looks great, pretty close to my i4. Yeah, if I touch my nose to the glass, I can see pixels. I'm also fine with the screen not being AMOLED over-saturated. My regular laptop isn't, my PC isn't, my Atrix lapdock isn't, my i4 isn't, my Evo isn't, my HDTV's aren't, so it doesn't really bother me that the phone looks exactly the same as everything else I own.
- It is quite fast. As an example, I tend to install or update multiple apps at once, and on my Evo (which was overclocked), it would drag the phone to being nearly unresponsive having more than 1 thing going at once.
- I'm digging the accessories so far. The DLNA feature has been great for grabbing stuff from my media server and displaying it in 720p on my TV. It's not 1080 yet, but it still looks quite good. The browser works well on the TV as well. The lapdock has been quite nifty so far as well. Barring Windows games, I've had no problem doing everything else I use my standalone laptop for.
- Battery has been amazing, compared to either my Evo or i4.
- Fingerprint scanner works extremely well, I was surprised by this, pleasantly.
- The on-screen keyboard is fantastic, right up there with the i4. Far better than any other Android I've owned to date (which is quite a few.)
Cons:
- When flipping through the screens on the phone, it hasn't been all that smooth, even after a fresh boot. It's not bad, but its like my Evo, circa launch day, prior to mods to improve its responsiveness. Might be Motoblur related?
- Data uplink is killing my latency, which if it isn't something that is fixed relatively soon, could actually be a deal breaker for me, since I do like to tether to play stuff like Bad Company 2 while at work... 130ms latency on my Evo is okay, 400 on the Atrix... isn't.
- This might sound odd, but it's so smooth that it is slippery as hell. I've had a few miraculous catches following the phone just sliding right out of my hand.
- When grabbing media for my server, I have to copy it via DLNA to the device first, THEN play it, when using the Webtop OS in either the entertainment or lapdocks. I have a feeling this will come down to someone making a crafty software fix, but who knows.
- The lapdock needs a way to hide the icon bar at the bottom to expand the browser window. If you try a Facebook game, you can't quite fit the whole game window into view, and there are other things that have a similar issue.
Overall I'm pretty happy with it, and it seems like most of the issues I have can be solved in software, one way or another.
No stock UI works that well other than Sense. I suggest getting ADW launcher and theme it like your stock UI. Its very smooth side to side etc.
One thing I noticed - this phone is flat out HORRIBLE with UI animations such as the gingerbread launcher. My captivates UI speed blows this out of the water.
They need to fix that asap.
Pretty happy so far.
Im pretty happy with it so far. I came from the LG Expo which was a WM 6.5 device. This is my first Android phone, so it was a pretty big upgrade.
If there is one thing I am slightly disappointed in is the phone's ram. The "1gb" of ram appears to be split in half between the phone and the web top environment, so either one can only access 512mb at any one time. I'm only slightly disappointed because I expected it. It's another case of misleading, but not totally false advertising...now, about my missing "G" in network speed....
Also from iPhone 4. Still haven't decided if I am going to keep it yet, overall the phone is really nice, but it still just doesn't feel as smooth/fluid/solid as the iPhone. I was really hoping a nice Tegra 2 chip would make things smooth on Android but alas I was still disappointed. The phone is fast don't get me wrong, but the UI still has plenty of places that are just ... chunky. Overall build quality of the phone is also nice, but it still doesn't feel nearly as solid in my hand as the iPhone does.
I like the phone just not sure I like it tons better than my captivate. I think a lot of people that downplay samoled screens have never owned one. Its very tough going back. Overall my phone flys using launcher pro plus with 3d animations. No slow Downs or chunkiness whatsoever.
I'm definitely happy. I @so came from the Captivate and there isn't anything I would change.
I LOVE the fact that the pixel Dr/ity is larger, therefore making everything smaller. today is going to be the first day I see how it performs out in the realworld so I hope that goes well
I'm thinking about picking up the laptock dock since you can tether for free as well... might wait a while though since I don't need it now.
Rooted/ROM Captivate
Rooted Atrix
I'm unimpressed. Of course it's fast but not noticeably faster than the inspire. I really want to keep this phone and use it as my main device but it's not looking good right now. The touch screen isn't as responsive as the captivate or the inspire. When I try to fly through things, I find the phone missing registered touches. At first, I just thought I need to get used to this device but I could do this on the inspire and captivate with no problem at all. I'm going to give this more time so we'll see how it goes. Another thing I noticed, Motorola has a load of crap that runs on the device that I'll never use (see running services) and it takes up a significant amount of memory. It'd be a pain to go through and manually end these services. Even after using a task killer, most of the services persisted.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Coming from the Nexus One, which is still regarded as the baseline for a good Android device, I'd have to say I'm pretty happy with it, no regrets at all in selling my N1 to get this. Yes, I do sorely miss the stock UI and being in that comfort zone that I'll be first to get updates (even though Google has been slacking lately). With that said, the pros out number the cons.
Pros
- BLOODY fast
- Battery is 1000x better than the Nexus One. I can go a whole day on one charge and it's not an iPhone? Say it ain't so
- Screen is 1000x better than the Nexus One, and very, very close to my wife's iPhone 4
I don't know what the guy above is smoking, but the Atrix is a 1000X better than the Captivate in terms of build quality. I was sorta anxious about it being all plastic, but the phone feels rock solid. With an Otter Box Commuter on the way, I doubt I'll ever notice it was any different than my ex-N1 (with a Commuter case as well).
Neutral
- The phone isn't the prettiest, but certainly nice.
Cons
- Motoblur adds some nice touches, but overall it's slow. I'm using LauncherPro Plus which is getting me back some of my sanity.
- Doesn't come with Gingerbread out of the box :-(
- Power button location sucks
- Volume buttons are on wrong side :-(
- I know people hate trackball, but until Gingerbread makes it out to the Atrix, copy-n-paste SUCKS
I prefer this phone over my captivate 10 fold. The screen is not a big issue to me as a lot of times on the captivate screen peoples faces always had a tint of red to them. Over saturation is over saturation no matter how you look at it. The phone is also super fast in UI transitions for me and is worlds better then the captivate in that respect. Motoblur home UI used to cause all sorts of slow down but switching to launcher pro fixed all of those issues. The phone is really quick and snappy. The XDA load screen is pixelated i would assume because it is a lower res image in the first place. Also why is that even important? it's just a load screen?
Some people are just trying too hard to find any excuse to hate the phone.
tbae2 said:
The XDA load screen is pixelated i would assume because it is a lower res image in the first place. Also why is that even important? it's just a load screen?
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Click to collapse
Coming from a Nexus One (which btw was a great phone in its own right), and having had a plethora of phones including an iPhone 4 and a Captivate, I am very happy with the Atrix.
There are a lot of people making a big deal of AMOLED vs LCD. What I'd like to add is that it really is COMPLETELY A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE! I, for one, prefer the more natural tones and higher brightness of an LCD display, but do see the draw of the higher contrast AMOLED. There are valid arguments for the pros and cons of both types of displays, and it really is best to see the two side by side in various environments to determine what works best for you.
Moving right along to the data speed: I've read a lot of posts about the data being capped and slower than 3g phones, but this has not been my experience! I used the new SIM they sent me and made sure I was on the 4G plan, and now my downloads are consistently faster than they are on the N1 and even faster than the iPhone (funny how that the iPhone still sets the benchmark).
Lastly, I want to address the performance of the phone: I think it's phenomenal! I did root and replace the stock launcher right away, but besides that everything is stock. The phone is super responsive. The transitions are seamless. Everything works great with one exception - the lock screen which takes a second to come up.
To wrap up, I think the Atrix is a very nice upgrade to my N1 and that Motorola hit a home run with this phone. Granted, we won't realize it's full potential for a few months, but I believe that the Atrix is a great platform and will have superb development support from the community!
dew.man said:
Coming from a Nexus One (which btw was a great phone in its own right), and having had a plethora of phones including an iPhone 4 and a Captivate, I am very happy with the Atrix.
There are a lot of people making a big deal of AMOLED vs LCD. What I'd like to add is that it really is COMPLETELY A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE! I, for one, prefer the more natural tones and higher brightness of an LCD display, but do see the draw of the higher contrast AMOLED. There are valid arguments for the pros and cons of both types of displays, and it really is best to see the two side by side in various environments to determine what works best for you.
Moving right along to the data speed: I've read a lot of posts about the data being capped and slower than 3g phones, but this has not been my experience! I used the new SIM they sent me and made sure I was on the 4G plan, and now my downloads are consistently faster than they are on the N1 and even faster than the iPhone (funny how that the iPhone still sets the benchmark).
Lastly, I want to address the performance of the phone: I think it's phenomenal! I did root and replace the stock launcher right away, but besides that everything is stock. The phone is super responsive. The transitions are seamless. Everything works great with one exception - the lock screen which takes a second to come up.
To wrap up, I think the Atrix is a very nice upgrade to my N1 and that Motorola hit a home run with this phone. Granted, we won't realize it's full potential for a few months, but I believe that the Atrix is a great platform and will have superb development support from the community!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly, my phone pulls the same DL speeds I could get from my captivate in my area. The only thing I'm lacking is the upload speed.
Think I'm going back to my inspire.....on another note, the Atrix's GPS is STELLAR
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
I'm extremely happy with mine. Coming from a ton of phones recently, including iP4, Captivate, Inspire, Surround among others. It may be the perfect size of phone/screen combo for me. Atrix is super fast and I'm good with the screen.
Everyone sees it's a pentile display and all of sudden it's garbage. I don't notice pixels. Sure, maybe if I got really close and squint my eyes I might. I'll never know because I don't spend all day trying to figure out how my phone sucks. Web page loads are faster than the Inspire for me.
Battery looks to be insanely good compared to the Inspire. I'd been using mine heavily since 10am yesterday googing around with it and playing games. I didn't plug it in when I went to bed and it still said 40% when I woke up. I realize that it goes in increments of 10, but that's pretty solid.
Sound quality is excellent! Talking on the phone shows really great audio quality for me. The biggest surprise was how loud/clear the speaker is for music and nav. I couldn't be happier with the phone.
Aaron J said:
If there is one thing I am slightly disappointed in is the phone's ram. The "1gb" of ram appears to be split in half between the phone and the web top environment, so either one can only access 512mb at any one time. I'm only slightly disappointed because I expected it. It's another case of misleading, but not totally false advertising...now, about my missing "G" in network speed....
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Click to collapse
Hey, that's interesting. How did you come to this conclusion? I can't find any place in the settings that tells exactly how much RAM is in use/available.
Happy from aa TP2 but furious about what I paid for. Horrible Service no, Signed bootloader. Capped 3g Speeds, forget about 4g that is non existent where I live although it says 4G+
sdlopez83 said:
Happy from aa TP2 but furious about what I paid for. Horrible Service no, Signed bootloader. Capped 3g Speeds, forget about 4g that is non existent where I live although it says 4G+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious why you bought it if your service is so bad? We all knew the bootloader was going to be locked down because it's Moto.
I found the Inspire to be light years ahead of the Captivate, and the Atrix to be just a notch above the Inspire. Also, I like the Atrix's skinned version of Swype. I honestly didn't even know it came with Swype until last night. I was using stock the whole time. lol
As for the iPhone 4, I can see why some aren't as impressed. When it comes down to it, no phone on the market can match its polish. Some come close, but none match. For me, I just prefer Android over iOS.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Hello I created this thread to share each of our thoughts, opinions, and feelings about the device so far.
I'll start.
Pro's
So far I really like this device. The screen display is the best I've seen so far.
One of the best features is multi tasking. The screen size makes perfect sense for doing so compared smartphones.
The main reason I ordered this tablet is because of college. Reading articles and textbooks are great due to 1080p display and it's pixels per inch.
My magazine/flipboard is a great integration into touchwiz ui even thought it feels laggy at first.
Con's
Though this is branded as a high spec device, I did notice some minor lag which doesn't bother me to much. But for a high end device and it's asking price, it's unexceptional!
Missing certain note 3 features like nfc, usb3.0
Physical buttons personally isn't the best idea. When I use this device in portrait mode, my fingers sometimes might hit them.
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Anyone want to share your impressions and experience about the device so far?
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Pros
- SPen
- Multi Windows Feature
- Hardwarekeys
Cons
- very hot around the camera (in Potrait Mode its to warm for me, on the other side is the home button)
- lags are often (Chrome, Firefox extremly. other Browser ok but not for a tablet for this price)
Agree almost entirely with op. Hopefully custom toms get rid of lag.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
I'm coming from the TF700, so I'm in heaven.
My pro's, beside not having extreme lag like my Infinity, are the screen and, also, the feel. The TF700 used to dig into my hands when I was holding it between my thumb and forefinger. This device is smoother on my fingers; when I hold the device in the same way, the device doesn't cut into my hands.
My cons are basically using Touchwiz (this is my first Sammy-d, so I have to become adjusted and figure out where to go to adjust settings and what-not. I also don't care for the physical buttons, because I'm constantly changing from portrait to landscape, and vice-verse.
But, overall...I'm very happy; I'll put up with the little things as long as I have a tablet that will do what I tell it to do, instead of waiting for an eternity.
:laugh:
Pros: screen is awesome. S pen seems better than original, stock video player does better job with media server
Con's: Listening to all the people who probably do not even own the device talk about lag!
I propose that you have to prove ownership of note 2014 to post a complaint about lag AND show video proof.
Oh yeah!? Well....... I say anybody NOT having lag should also prove it with video and at least two ghost apparition sightings. It IS nearing Halloween
Just to let you know the resolution is higher than 1080P.
I agree with Most of your list though
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk 4
Pros:
-Display (as everyone has already mentioned).
-Design is sleek and much more comfortable and easy to handle than the previous model. I love the hard buttons and it works well with me. One issue I have heard about though is that the main menu button isn't receded so sometimes when pressure is applied to a case around that area it will wake up the tablet. As I don't have a case yet I can't confirm that this is an issue, but I believe just be running my finger over the button.
-S Pen (for the most part)
-And despite what many have said this thing is generally very fast. It's only within some applications that it gets a little laggy and I'm hoping that this will improve with software updates.
Cons:
-Mainly the software. I hate the new S Note. So much in fact, that I purchased Lecture Notes without having received my galaxy perks (which I"m still waiting on actually). Also I was a little disappointed that the air command wasn't customizable as I had heard it would be (or maybe I just haven't figured out how to do that yet). Taking screen shots with the lasso and s-button seems slower than it was in the older model, but I love that there are more options to shape the outline more cleanly.I'd also really love to be able to uninstall or disable some of the bloatware, like mymagazines. I'm sure it's a great app, but I personally have no need for it.
-There are hardly any accessories out for this baby yet. I'd feel a lot more comfortable with a case.
-The back of the tablet gets a little warm, but not so warm to the point where I'd be concerned about it. I've had laptops that would get uncomfortably hot so maybe I've just been desensitized to this issue.
And the biggest problem I've had with this thing... the thing that has actually made me consider returning it is the customer service. I have not gotten my perks yet and contacted them several times only to get the run around. Each time I called back I found out that they had taken my information incorrectly and I honestly feel like they were toying with me. I spoke with one rep who seems more genuine than the others and said I should get them by Thursday so I'm holding out hope. There is no way I'll take this thing back, but if I dont' get my perks I may reach out to a friend who works for samsung in Korea. It'd be an awkward convo though cause I haven't spoken to the guy in years.... 대한민국!
May be off topic (I am not writing a review) but I think 'lag' in general on this device is unacceptable. If you're advertising a powerhouse piece of technology and it stutters in an internet browser then something is wrong. Using a different launcher to reduce 'lag' is also unacceptable as it shouldn't even be there in the first place! Hopefully new firmware irons out the kinks (I'm sure the lag isn't tablet-related as it just needs some optimization)
rushless said:
Oh yeah!? Well....... I say anybody NOT having lag should also prove it with video and at least two ghost apparition sightings. It IS nearing Halloween
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone with both the this device and an HTC one, I can say that the note certainly lags more. It's not something that's major, but it's certainly noticeable if your coming from something smoother.
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk 4
rushless said:
Oh yeah!? Well....... I say anybody NOT having lag should also prove it with video and at least two ghost apparition sightings. It IS nearing Halloween
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recorded a video on my crappy iphone, but i can't transfer it and i refuse to install that memory hog of crap itunes to get to it. I should be getting a note 2 in the next couple of weeks so i'll take a video then. is there anything in particular that you wanted me to do on it?
I admittedly dont' do too much on it besides browsing and taking notes. The worst I've seen the lag is when I have a webbroswer open and I'm writing in lecture notes. the writing shows up a second after i've written something and that is a bit annoying. Over all though I think people are being too critical of the lag. It's not so bad that it's keeping me from working on it (with the exception of using split screen between lecture notes and the default browser.
Besides for this tablet it's all about the s pen. if it wasn't for that i wouldn't have bothered with a tablet at all. I think smart phones are good for when you're on the move and if i'm going to sit down to watch a movie or do some gaming... well that's what i've got my laptop for. I don't live in a big city with good public transportation, but i could easily see myself just using my phone to watch a movie on a train or bus. I wouldn't bring out a tablet for that even if I owned one.
Sitting next to my rooted S3 running AOSP 4.3 it's a bit laggier. That's undeniable, IMO, and I'd argue that it's because of Samsung's bloated OS additions. It's not a device problem, I don't think.
However... I could not possibly care less. It's attractive, feels AMAZING in the hands (why is everyone complaining about the back?? I don't even want a case!!), the speakers are burly, the screen is superb, the stylus with the art apps can make stuff that looks like it was tone with a Wacom tablet, the cameras are SURPRISINGLY solid, it multi-tasks more like a PC than any tablet I've ever seen, and it's just... a joy to use.
gina$zanboti said:
I recorded a video on my crappy iphone, but i can't transfer it and i refuse to install that memory hog of crap itunes to get to it. I should be getting a note 2 in the next couple of weeks so i'll take a video then. is there anything in particular that you wanted me to do on it?
I admittedly dont' do too much on it besides browsing and taking notes. The worst I've seen the lag is when I have a webbroswer open and I'm writing in lecture notes. the writing shows up a second after i've written something and that is a bit annoying. Over all though I think people are being too critical of the lag. It's not so bad that it's keeping me from working on it (with the exception of using split screen between lecture notes and the default browser.
Besides for this tablet it's all about the s pen. if it wasn't for that i wouldn't have bothered with a tablet at all. I think smart phones are good for when you're on the move and if i'm going to sit down to watch a movie or do some gaming... well that's what i've got my laptop for. I don't live in a big city with good public transportation, but i could easily see myself just using my phone to watch a movie on a train or bus. I wouldn't bring out a tablet for that even if I owned one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems a lot of us sometimes forget the TRUE bottleneck of Android: The byte code Dalvik layer. This type of coding is not exactly multithread friendly and IMO seems amazing as good as the current passive cooled chipsets can do what they already do. Case in point, I never would have thought back in the G1 days emulators would be as efficient (MAME, PSX, PSP, N64). Then again, those apps are designed to not be multi-tasked.
IMO the issue is not as much the hardware or OE rom, but the platform itself as far as having global impact to software. iOS is not much better and ALSO lags. Such is the price of balance: Platform security (iOS andDalvik constraints), passive cooled devices, battery efficiency, etc.
Pros: Beautiful screen
feel and weight in your hand (compared to the previous version - which wasn't bad either)
S-Pen is less laggy and the finer screen allows for more precise writing/drawing
Cons: S-Note. I want the old version back.
Physical buttons. I really miss the natural "awareness" of where they are as compared to the old one where they were always at the
bottom of the screen.
Battery life isn't as nice as the first (alot more pixels to push I guess)
Lack of accessories (I'd really like a case)
Lack of root. I REALLY miss the 'add anything' multiwindow support'
I've waited a long time for a note 10.1 with this resolution but I'm considering returning it
I returned mine to BB. For a high end device and the associated high price I didn't find the performance acceptable. Hoping for this or that doesn't cut it for me. If it doesn't perform up to expectations out of the box, it goes back. I'll keep using my better performing Nexus 10 until version 2 of that device comes out.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Count me among the disappointed... I got mine on launch day, and it's slower than last year's note 10.1.
New S Note is inexplicable.
Occasionally it hangs up and is unresponsive for at least a minute. (Happened in my beloved Lecturenotes as well as others)
Try this for a demo of the lag, I use LectureNotes with double tap zoom mode... open a note, double tap to enable zooming, pinch to zoom to 200%. Now double tap again to zoom back to 100% and watch it stutter. You can keep double tapping to switch between 100% and 200% and see the terrible lag. Do the same on last year's note 10.1 to compare.
It's not good enough. I expected this to be an upgrade!
I love the display, I love the more compact form factor, and I'll get used to the new buttons eventually.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
BigStuart said:
Count me among the disappointed... I got mine on launch day, and it's slower than last year's note 10.1.
New S Note is inexplicable.
Occasionally it hangs up and is unresponsive for at least a minute. (Happened in my beloved Lecturenotes as well as others)
Try this for a demo of the lag, I use LectureNotes with double tap zoom mode... open a note, double tap to enable zooming, pinch to zoom to 200%. Now double tap again to zoom back to 100% and watch it stutter. You can keep double tapping to switch between 100% and 200% and see the terrible lag. Do the same on last year's note 10.1 to compare.
It's not good enough. I expected this to be an upgrade!
I love the display, I love the more compact form factor, and I'll get used to the new buttons eventually.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Key words: launch day. I know it's ****ty that a new device gets rolled out with imperfect software, but that's what this is. An update or two and this will be perfect. The 10.1, by the time we all upgraded, had a lot of updates to it that ironed out its issues.
SomeGuyDude said:
Key words: launch day. I know it's ****ty that a new device gets rolled out with imperfect software, but that's what this is. An update or two and this will be perfect. The 10.1, by the time we all upgraded, had a lot of updates to it that ironed out its issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're probably right, but it's shameful that the new note is slower than the old one, launch day or not.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
BigStuart said:
You're probably right, but it's shameful that the new note is slower than the old one, launch day or not.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a few culprits here.
1) Software just plain isn't optimized for all the cores. Think about the tech advances from the old G1 to now. Are our devices now as much faster, proportionally speaking, as they are more powerful? Not by a long shot.
2) Was the launch day 10.1 2012 faster? I don't think. But that goes back to what I said earlier.
3) I feel like the new OS is just bloated as all hell. The device isn't slower, the burly Touchwiz is. It's like getting a brand new laptop and it takes longer to start: the PC isn't the problem, it's the new Windows.
I've been waiting for a good slider for a long time and the Priv was pretty much it. Sadly, it's not to be. I went to the store yesterday to try it out. Within seconds I realized this phone wasn't for me. The keyboard is tiny. It is usable but very small, I typed 3 sentences and my thumbs started hurting. 10 minutes after I was done typing the thumbs continued to hurt. I realized this is for the diehard blackberry users, not for us who've been using sliders with a bigger, more comfortable keyboard.
I understand with every new keyboard there's a learning curve. Hell, even between laptops there's a learning curve, but with this phone there may be way too much, and long messages will be pretty uncomfortable.
The other issue is the actual placement of the keyboard. The phone is too big and heavy. This is essentially the same size as the Blue Angel, just not as heavy. However that keyboard was, for some reason, easier to use than this one. Being that the BA was thicker, it had good grip. The Priv doesn't. I felt it was going to slide out of my hands, which added to the stress of holding it, which added to the uncomfortable typing. All in all I played with it for a good 20 minutes, and I just am not convinced. I may have to bite the bullet and get a non keyboard phone...
devis said:
I've been waiting for a good slider for a long time and the Priv was pretty much it. Sadly, it's not to be. I went to the store yesterday to try it out. Within seconds I realized this phone wasn't for me. The keyboard is tiny. It is usable but very small, I typed 3 sentences and my thumbs started hurting. 10 minutes after I was done typing the thumbs continued to hurt. I realized this is for the diehard blackberry users, not for us who've been using sliders with a bigger, more comfortable keyboard.
I understand with every new keyboard there's a learning curve. Hell, even between laptops there's a learning curve, but with this phone there may be way too much, and long messages will be pretty uncomfortable.
The other issue is the actual placement of the keyboard. The phone is too big and heavy. This is essentially the same size as the Blue Angel, just not as heavy. However that keyboard was, for some reason, easier to use than this one. Being that the BA was thicker, it had good grip. The Priv doesn't. I felt it was going to slide out of my hands, which added to the stress of holding it, which added to the uncomfortable typing. All in all I played with it for a good 20 minutes, and I just am not convinced. I may have to bite the bullet and get a non keyboard phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved away from a BlackBerry with a physical keyboard a few years ago, and then had to use one with a physical keyboard again, it usually makes ones thumbs hurt since on a screen you're tapping, on a physical keyboard you tap the button, but have to press down as well.
I'm interested in actually feeling what the Priv feels like, I don't think I'll be able to get it in my country for another month or so, but I thought the Priv might be heavy, BlackBerry phones usually feel heavier.
I have the phone and it's great so far. Yes typing on keyboard may seem tiresome and slow but once you get used to it, u will ove the fact that u have the whole screen estate to type long emails chats etc. The phone build quality is pretty good too and slim bezels considering front speakers.
varun.gid said:
I have the phone and it's great so far. Yes typing on keyboard may seem tiresome and slow but once you get used to it, u will ove the fact that u have the whole screen estate to type long emails chats etc. The phone build quality is pretty good too and slim bezels considering front speakers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget you can set keys as short cuts and the keyboard is capacitative so can be used like a limited track pad. Unique features for productivity.
And, of course, you do not even have to use the physical keyboard.
Im not sure how the Priv could be seen as slippery. I've played with a couple now, and also own a Z30 with the same back material. The glass weave is an extremely grippy material. I can hold my Z30 at probably a 60 or 75 degree angle with only three fingers flat on the back
Damn, it's been a while I'm waiting for it, I loved my htc desire Z (2009).
But no manufacturer tried to do a physical keyboard since then...
But what the hell BB?!?
Most providers will sell it almost at the same price as an iphone 6s.
Even the note 5 is half cheaper!
BB was know for replaceable battery and FM radio, which was I small difference compared to others. Anddd they get rid of it .
What's their marketing goal?
BB have hard time : Lets sell it at way higher price than most of flash ship phones, remove some nice features and let the rooting difficult.
( I believe rooting not necessary equal to security flaws )
oVeRdOsE. said:
Damn, it's been a while I'm waiting for it, I loved my htc desire Z (2009).
But no manufacturer tried to do a physical keyboard since then...
But what the hell BB?!?
Most providers will sell it almost at the same price as an iphone 6s.
Even the note 5 is half cheaper!
BB was know for replaceable battery and FM radio, which was I small difference compared to others. Anddd they get rid of it .
What's their marketing goal?
BB have hard time : Lets sell it at way higher price than most of flash ship phones, remove some nice features and let the rooting difficult.
( I believe rooting not necessary equal to security flaws )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola Photon Q (XT897) 5 row keyboard slider - last best qwerty phone FYI.
I also have 2x G2's/DZ's, and the original G1/Dream.
The Photon Q design with the side (landscape) slider 5 row (similar to the G1) is probably the best layout, just needs to be built again with update specs.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Free mobile app
varun.gid said:
I have the phone and it's great so far. Yes typing on keyboard may seem tiresome and slow but once you get used to it, u will ove the fact that u have the whole screen estate to type long emails chats etc. The phone build quality is pretty good too and slim bezels considering front speakers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue I had when I tried it out at the store was that i didn't think i could get used to it. I've used sliders for nearly 10 years now, and never had an issue getting used to a physical keyboard, including the BB 7390 or the 8200 which i used myself or the other models which I supported in my job. This one just doesn't seem to do it... and i was so looking forward to having an high specs phone. Oh well...
The other issue is that ATT wants a 35 dollar restocking fee if I return it, and since this phone is nowhere else but ATT, I just don't feel I should shell out 35 dollars so that i can try it out for 2 weeks.
devis said:
The issue I had when I tried it out at the store was that i didn't think i could get used to it. I've used sliders for nearly 10 years now, and never had an issue getting used to a physical keyboard, including the BB 7390 or the 8200 which i used myself or the other models which I supported in my job. This one just doesn't seem to do it... and i was so looking forward to having an high specs phone. Oh well...
The other issue is that ATT wants a 35 dollar restocking fee if I return it, and since this phone is nowhere else but ATT, I just don't feel I should shell out 35 dollars so that i can try it out for 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always buy the unlocked version for a whopping $700 and return it, free of charge.
Since the keyboard looks mediocre at best, and that's the only reason I want this phone, I'll pass.
I'm getting the unlocked model and will use it on T-Mobile. I'm sure the keyboard leaves much to be desired but I'm sure this will be the " last of the Mohicans " as far as keyboard sliders go. Especially if it flops. It's been said marshmallow will come to the priv. So the only other chance could possibly be project Ara, but I haven't heard anything about that in quite some time.
I'm not surprised, to be honest at the price point there are far better Android devices out there. And I know may BB users are convinced it'll be a game changer but I'm not.
The starting price is insanez and the build quality isn't anything particularly good.
Ok phone, but not for me. On screen keyboards are so good now that they are even much better and faster than real physical BlackBerry keyboard. Maybe if they got into Android few years earlier. How can they move on if they can't let go?
I've had mine for two days.... it runs REALLY hot. Just browsing, it gets warm instantly. Battery life is great when you're not actually using the thing. I lost something like 2 percent overnight. But as soon as you pick it up and start using it, it heats up a lot. I've been running android on my s5 for years so I know I don't have anything particularly nasty running in the background. I had a little reddit browse for half an hour in bed after waking up, and the battery went from 99 down to 85 in that short time.
The keyboard is good, but it lags. If you double type a letter, it doesn't keep up. Typing google gives me 'gole' sometimes, for example. Also, you can type from the home screen to universal search. However, because the process isn't killed upon exit, i search for 'google' the first time, and then later in the day i'm after 'spotify'. The problem is, the new search is 'googlespotify' which obviously brings up nothing.
There's also movement in the screen when the slider is closed, i can tap on the left half and feel the whole screen move.
Overall I think it could be a great phone but the software is very slow, and just very inefficient. Lags all over the place, and the physical keybaord just can't be missing inputs like that. I've got a few days left to decide if I can make it work. If not I will return it. It's too much money to be 'sort of happy'
Dejan92 said:
Ok phone, but not for me. On screen keyboards are so good now that they are even much better and faster than real physical BlackBerry keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better than a blackberry keyboard? Maybe. Better than my Samsung Relay keyboard? Not a chance. I find it rare to see a touch keyboard user able to walk and type without looking at their screen. I do it flawlessly on my 5-row relay keyboard.
Picked this lovely device up last night, and have been putting it through its paces. Thus far, here is my analysis of things, which hopefully will answer some concerns users have had.
The heat/battery issue: I believe the causes here are largely related to apps, though reception may also be a factor. As noted in another thread, the core system apps in the phone do not immediately inform you that they require updating, and you will only know to update them by accessing the app's page on the Play Store. I've seen this with other Android 5.0 devices, though, so I suspect it might not be unique to the Priv. Once I updated all the core BB apps, the phone was significantly more stable and have had less heat and drain issues on that front.
I mention reception, as there appears to be a flaw with LTE reception. Whether it is hardware or software, I'm not certain, though I have a hard time believing it would be software, but when running the phone on LTE, I am lucky to get more than 1 bar of service anywhere in the city of Toronto, which has excellent coverage. My former device, the LG F3Q, was able to get 5 bars of LTE practically everywhere in the city, and most certainly did at my office. Right now, my Priv is seeing 0~1 bars of LTE coverage at the office. Forcing the phone to 4G/HSPA+ helps things a bit, I get 3-4 bars, but that's not really a solution. On crackberry, a lot of users are reporting the same problems with reception, so it appears to be a device-wide problem, and I'm certain BB will address it however they need to.
So, between those two factors, I believe that is the source of the heat/battery drain.
In terms of build quality otherwise, the phone is quite excellent. I don't understand the upset about the keyboard, I find it very excellent, and it's certainly more finger-friendly than pre-10 BB devices, which is all that I've used.
My only complaints on the build quality are somewhat minor nitpicks, such as placement of the power/volume buttons (I'd have preferred them reversed), the placement of the 3.5" jack (why the bottom?! even the holster case doesn't account for the placement!), and the size of the camera bezel. It sticks out so far that I'm slightly paranoid to set the device down on flat surfaces.
All-in-all, for me, this device is as close to perfection as I could have ever hoped in a device. Once the antenna problem is resolved (which I can't see not being resolved, otherwise it'll be a massive failure for the company), I'll be extremely satisfied. It may not be the device for everyone, but it is the device for me.
TPMJB said:
Better than a blackberry keyboard? Maybe. Better than my Samsung Relay keyboard? Not a chance. I find it rare to see a touch keyboard user able to walk and type without looking at their screen. I do it flawlessly on my 5-row relay keyboard.
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Well yeah, i was thinking about typing when you looking at keyboard... Typing without looking at screen will never be flawless. :fingers-crossed:
Dejan92 said:
Well yeah, i was thinking about typing when you looking at keyboard... Typing without looking at screen will never be flawless. :fingers-crossed:
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I've known people who claim they can do it, but I haven't seen it. I'm frequently on the go. I walk and text all the time. Walking and texting is such a problem that the last company I worked for would escort you off the campus for attempting it.
Meanwhile I'm looking straight ahead while doing it and don't understand it at all lol
schmandroid said:
Motorola Photon Q (XT897) 5 row keyboard slider - last best qwerty phone FYI.
I also have 2x G2's/DZ's, and the original G1/Dream.
The Photon Q design with the side (landscape) slider 5 row (similar to the G1) is probably the best layout, just needs to be built again with update specs.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Free mobile app
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The moto wasn't a flagship. Development was dead even at the beginning. Most north america carrier don't sell it or even advertise it.
So, imho, that wasn't the ''last good'' physic keyboard device.
The desire Z had pretty impressive performances when rooted. 800mzh stock, and 1.8ghz stable OC.
oVeRdOsE. said:
The moto wasn't a flagship. Development was dead even at the beginning. Most north america carrier don't sell it or even advertise it.
So, imho, that wasn't the ''last good'' physic keyboard device.
The desire Z had pretty impressive performances when rooted. 800mzh stock, and 1.8ghz stable OC.
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DZ had a 4 row keyboard, unlike the G1, which had a 5 row, so I consider that a step backwards.
The Priv also has a 4 row, so entering numerical data will require holding or double tapping a function key mid sentence.
Photon Q has 5 row.
Whether it is/was sold at a convenient store to you is irrelevant - with a sim mod, it is usable everywhere around the world. I guess you've missed out.
Compared to the G2/DZ, the PQ is a much more powerful & up to date device - if it wasn't, I wouldn't be using it.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Free mobile app
CONGRATS on your purchase,
I know a lot of us have already received our devices, and some haven't. If you have received your new phone, post your first impressions. After using the device some, also post what little tricks you may have found, what you have fell in love with and what you dislike or absolutely hate. Also, what was your previous phone and are you enjoying your upgrade? I'll start by saying first impression is I love the size and screen. Real quick thing I do absolutely hate is Bixby. Tried it out a few times from the button, sucked. And the image recognition got me a little excited, but disappointed. I must also add, the face recognition is amazingly fast.
I use only FACE RECOGNITION - it is very fast, works 99% and I don't think one will steal, shoot a photo, print it... and so on.
It is the fastest and easy way to unlock the phone, I was wearing a hoodie and it worked very very well.
I am not the NSA, so face recognition is enough for me and I am happy that it is as fast as it is...
lienot
My Initial Thoughts
I received my Orchid Gray 64GB T-Mobile device yesterday around 5 PM EST. I have had a few hours to mess around with the device as a result. Here are my first impressions:
1. The screen is absolutely gorgeous. Samsung really hit it out of the park with this one. The images are clear, crisp, vibrant, and with absolutely zero pixels to the naked eye. This holds true even when the device is held close to the face. With that being said.... there are definitely some app and media content compatibility issues. Samsung tries to alleviate this with some built in cropping and optimization from the software side of things, but it just can't hide the fact that the content has quite caught up with the hardware. That is on the development community, though, and not Samsung.
2. Biometrics are the way to go when it comes to logging into and working your way through this device. The iris scanner isn't perfect, but, it is absolutely light years ahead of the tech that we had a taste of in the Note 7. The iris scanner ALMOST feels like a feature at this point, rather than a gimmick. With that being said. The fingerprint scanner is total weak sauce. This doesn't so much have anything to do with the actual location as it does the accuracy ratio of the scanner itself. I have long and thin fingers which make the placement of the fingerprint scanner a nonissue for me. To each their own. I would say that the accuracy is more a constant miss than a hit. I find myself using a combination of smart lock and the iris scanner with a pin to keep me going and it works well for me. I have not tried the facial recognition yet.
3. The device is blisteringly fast. There isn't any argument to be had here. Everything flies from web page scrolling to scrolling through the Playstore to loading apps from memory. No management issues yet that I have been able to spot. The only limitations are those of your data connection. The Snapdragon 835 is a thing of beauty.
4. The actual hardware absolutely oozes quality from the orchid color to the excess of gorilla glass and metal. The device is thin but not flimsy and big but not too heavy. Home run as per usual.
5. I am still working through battery life. I know it takes a few days for your software to settle so i'll report back at a later point with an update. Thus far, though, it is AT LEAST no worse than my Pixel XL. It might be a bit better but it is too early to tell. With that being said. The Pixel XL has faster fast charging. This sucker takes a bit to charge up. Not as long as it could take, but there is faster on the market.
6. My final point and my biggest issue with the device is primarily software. Whereas I felt that Samsung had finally reached a place of beauty with the final Marshmallow builds on the S7 Edge. The Nougat Touchwiz, or Grace, or whatever it is called these days feels like a bit of a step back. The software hasn't reached that point of optimization that the Pixel XL has nor even the level that the S7 Edge had. It feels more like the early Grace UX on the Note 7. There are scaling issues. The menus aren't always arranged in the best way. There is some scrolling jank in terms of the actual Android menus and whatnot. I feel that it probably has to do with an experience that wasn't quite optimized for such a unique screen, yet. I am hoping this will improve over time. I won't really hold it against Samsung. I mean, perhaps I am just spoiled after having been a Pixel XL user from the beginning but I won't say it necessarily works in their benefit yet, either. The S7 Edge felt polished. This experience still feels like a work in progress. Of course.....as of 420/17 we haven't even had a day one patch yet since day one is tomorrow...so......to be continued.
Feel free to ask me any questions if there is something I have missed. I feel like there is a lot I have left unstated.
EDIT: One additional thought. S7 Edge era standing wireless charging cradles are not completely compatible with the 8+ I have one and have tried it. The wireless charging cycles between connect and disconnect because the device is too tall for the cradle. The hardware inside as a result sits just at the edge of the top of the cradle and provides an inconsistent connection. This can be alleviated by sitting the device on the cradle sideways...but who wants to do that? Lol!
First impression...I no like it so much.
After playing with it all night tho, I like it. I got the 64gb s8+ and it's a lil tall but I think I'll grow into it. The fingerprint scanner that everyone is making such a huge deal about is in a great spot for me. When I go to pull it out of my pocket my finger falls right there and it's unlocked B4 I even look at the screen. The audio out of the akg headphones is great and it's even better in my car. Battery life, well, it's at 71% now and it's been on since about 7pm yesterday (10:49am now) and that's with heavy use. My only real gripe with it so far is I want to remap the bixby button to launch the camera. I think that would be perfect...Hope you guys are having fun with your new toys like I am
I've found it to be pretty snappy! I love the iris scanning, it works even with my glasses on. It is actually really easy to use one handed, with a rare supporting off hand assist.
The screen is of course impressive.
I've had 3 occasions where I needed to reboot the device because either an app refused to load. Play Store once, setting TW as my launcher (I was using Nova on my S7E so after smart switch when I pressed the home key it asked which launcher to set as default) and then trying to enable "Ok Google" where it didn't hear me. As an early adopter, I expect that there may be possible hiccups.
Not crazy about lock screen music player...Wish there were other options for that... Seems like I have to make sure I'm hitting exactly in the right spot to skip songs.
Becomes a bit of a annoyance when having to hit the button repeatedly to switch a song...
I'm currently at work and I have 4 bar signal while in the basement. My Note 7, S7, LG V20 got 2-3 or no bars. I'm extremely happy due to this. More to follow and im glad i got it.
took forever for Iris scanner to register my iris properly
Its a great phone overeall.
Fast and great looking screen. Feels really good in the hand.
I got the s8 plus and im able to access everything on the phone.
The fingerprint sensor works. I can have the phone in my right hand and press the power with my thumb and finger on the sensor.
The home key took a bit to get use to. I wasnt pushing on it like i should.
Gui/OS has some nice changes, that makes things faster or easier to do.
Bixiy isnt useful at all. Maybe once its update it will work better. But on a sids note i havent Accidentally hit the button. So thats good.
The obly complain i would have a bout the phone that some apps dont fit full screen. You can force them but then the sides get cut off.
I know its an Aspect rataio that should be fix in updates of those apps.
And ill have to test but i think the speaker is lower volume then the s7e. But not sure yet.
buttsak said:
First impression...I no like it so much.
After playing with it all night tho, I like it. I got the 64gb s8+ and it's a lil tall but I think I'll grow into it. The fingerprint scanner that everyone is making such a huge deal about is in a great spot for me. When I go to pull it out of my pocket my finger falls right there and it's unlocked B4 I even look at the screen. The audio out of the akg headphones is great and it's even better in my car. Battery life, well, it's at 71% now and it's been on since about 7pm yesterday (10:49am now) and that's with heavy use. My only real gripe with it so far is I want to remap the bixby button to launch the camera. I think that would be perfect...Hope you guys are having fun with your new toys like I am
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I haven't updated it yet, so I was stil able to use the "All in one Gesture" app that was discussed on XDA before official release.
My second day impressions are pretty much spot on with @TheAnarchist1. This is hands-down the snappiest phone I have ever used. The screen is brilliant, and this version of Touchwiz is (finally) excellent. I've seen lot of features that the other launchers have had for years. I usually install Nova immediately, but this time I'm rolling with stock. I also was able to remap the Bixby button to Google Assistant with no problem.
My only issue (so far) is with the always-on screen. I've had two pocket dials and responded to a text with gibberish while the device was in my front pocket. Clearly, that's not going to work. I'll probably have to turn it off.
Just got mine going.
Design is pretty good, however, I think personally I would have preferred they stick with the sharper corners from the Note 7 and less rounded screen like the Note 7. Basically make the Note 7 but with smaller top and bottom bezels and this screen size. This is fine though, here's to hoping for the Note 8.
Obviously the fingerprint sensor on the back. Would have been exceptional for the fingerprint sensor to be built into the screen as rumored, but I don't particularly think this placement is much worse than any other fingerprint sensor that is on the back of the phone. I've mapped fingers from both hands, and when two handed, I find my left pointer rests on the sensor so it is kinda nice in some regard. I use smart location and bluetooth device unlocks a lot, so I avoid unlocking for the most part, at home, in vehicle, running with headphones, etc... Iris scanner is very useful, most of the time, but it can be awkward. Haven't tried facial recognition.
I see SIGNIFICANT improvement to Touchwiz and now they finally get at least some customization options. I'm trying to make it work, but a couple hours in, I'm already itching to switch back to Nova launcher. Small little peeves, but overall, it finally looks good, and has enough customization that I don't think the Samsung launcher is too bad. I really wish they would stop loading messengers for Verizon and Samsung, to which Samsung's is un-disable-able. Samsung makes special customization and actions for theirs, but I still don't want to use a manufactures messenger. Google brand for me.
1. So far, I'm amazed how well the iris scanner works and it is totally a fingerprint substitution. The battery life is simply amazing imo, I'm using it to the phone quite frequently in fact I have been browsing the web and using all sorts of social media the past hour. I should say I've only dropped about 8%, I'm genuinely pleased.
2. Performance is snappy, I haven't come across "real" lag (arbitrary statement). Coming from a note 4, TouchWiz has greatly been optimized and made much smoother.
3. 4gs of ram sounds like a little in 2017 but it's holding up like a champ!
4. So far I'm just in awe how great this phone is just to hold. I was scared the s8+ would be too big, but it fits perfect in the hand and is comfortable to use.
I can update this post as time goes by, but so far I only have a few gripes and some are not of the phone itself but the software:
1. I was upset when I was forced to go from the Note 7 back to the S7 edge due to the battery issues ( Twice! ) and was upset again when the s7 did not have the option of showing your calendar events listed on the Always On screen and instead just had the full month calendar. Eventually it was updated and gained that capability, but now, the S8 is the same way! I am an attorney and always have somewhere to be or someone coming by so it was nice just to look at my phone and know what was coming up without having to unlock it to check my calendar. Not a biggie, just annoying that a new phone is without that option.
2. The screen ration thing does look annoying sometimes. You can just tell that you have this big beautiful screen but almost everytime you turn it landscape there are black bars and your apps look the exact same as on the previous phone. Like I said, this is just the software thing and hopefully apps will catch up and start utilizing the larger screen more.
Otherwise, love the screen, love the speed. Wanted to stick with TouchWiz but I have a thing about the bottom of the screen not being available and the limitations of the 5x5 setup so I went back to Solo Launcher where I can hide the notification panel and dock at the bottom which makes this big screen look even bigger! More native customization of the home screen closer to home replacements such as that is what Touchwiz has been missing for a long time.
My initial impressions on my S8+:
1. It's incredibly fast. Snappier than any Samsung phone I've ever had or would ever expect them to produce. Loading time doesn't even exist for most apps, and the various animations seem much better than their older phones - the phone's performance reminds me more of the One plus 3T than an S7.
2. Battery life is really impressive. It looks like it might have the best battery life of any phone I've ever owned, which is particularly impressive considering it's a bigger screen and a smaller battery than the S7E.
3. The fingerprint scanner placement isn't quite as bad as people would lead you to believe. I haven't accidentally touched my camera lens once. However, it is a not too high up on the phone, which leads me to only touching it with half my finger, leading to it not unlocking. If they had located the entire set up a little lower on the device, it would've been fine.
4. The S8+ is a little too tall for my liking. It's practically impossible to reach the top opposite corner when using it with one hand. Obviously, activating one handed mode is one solution, but I really hope with flagships switching to 18:9 ratios, developers start moving any and all buttons to the lower half of their apps.
First impression, absolutely fabulous phone. Why ist the small cores maximum freq disabled?
Other than AT&T sent me the wrong color (You had one job...) I LOVE the phone. Coming from a Nexus 6P this thing is INSANE.
TheAnarchist1 said:
This can be alleviated by sitting the device on the cradle sideways...but who wants to do that? Lol!
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I got a chuckle from that because someone asked me in another thread if the charger would work with the phone in landscape position. BTW, nice review.
Just set it up. My only gripe is so far is I wish Samsung used Google version of restore data. I connected it to my Pixel and it copied everything but data. I guess the app wasn't able to do it. So having to manually download all my apps sucked.