Samsung Galaxy S2 Anyone? - Nexus One General

What are your thoughts on the Samsung galaxy S2. Gonna be available for ATT soon .

Why is this in the Nexus One forum?

cymru said:
Why is this in the Nexus One forum?
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The S2 is one of the first devices that's made me think about upgrading from my N1.

question is why is it here. it doesnt help any fellow n1 users

too big, tried it already in a phone store here in Korea. It is VERY light tho, my first thought when holding the phone was, "why did they removed the battery off the phone?", then i pop out the cover and found the battery was there!!! phone is extremely light!!!!!! I was afraid of dropping it when using. 4.3" is too big for my hand, i think 4" is the perfect size for any phone.
Everything is fast and smooth, what else do you expect from a dual core 1.2ghz A9 chip? screen is beautiful, put the nexus 1 screen to dust even at max brightness.

already a thread on this topic in this forum. just search it out and find all the info you need there.

Some of us N1 users like state of the art technology. Wanted to know what other N1 users thought of it. Some are on the lookout for something better . Love the N1, but too many lockups and rom bugs, battery life is poor, screen resolution has been improved on S2 as well as scratch resistant glass. It's something I'm considering for speed, quality and performance. Use my phone daily as a PC/PDA.

But if this was asked in say... the Samsung G II area, then you could get proper opinions from more people who ACTUALLY OWN THE DEVICE.

I'm not interested in Samsung 2 thread opinions! Wanted to ask N1 users. Last I looked it was my post

haha fair enough.
Anyway, i agree with some others, it runs really nicely, but just a wee bit too big for the hand and also i'd prefer the phone to be aluminium and heavier than plasticy and light

Big_O said:
I'm not interested in Samsung 2 thread opinions! Wanted to ask N1 users. Last I looked it was my post
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That's why I'm saying a huge thread in this nexus one forum already exists about the galaxy s2, and u will prob find every piece of info already posted.

I'm switching from my N1 to a SGS2. Currently waiting for it to ship from Handtec. It's the first Android phone since the N1 that really appealed to me.

I´m going to retire my beloved N1 as soon as I can get the S2 from my provider (should be in a week or two) I played with a S2 of a college (who bought it of contract) and I deem it worth to upgrade.

if it had qhd and nfc it would be the ultimate device
i hear it will come with nfc in some markets tho..
samsung always have the latest tech, mhl, samoled2, usb3, bluetooth 3?

well either way to answer this i would just get both phones there is no doubt

Had it for a bit now. You get used to the size pretty fast, before long the N1 seems small. I'm pretty big and I find devices too thin nowdays so I got a case that made it thicker on purpose. Did the same with the N1. If the S2 has any killer feature it would have to be the hardware acceleration in 2D. This really stands out in the browser where pages are rendered with desktop speed and zooming and such have a fluidity that are unmatched with any device I have seen. All lot of the attributes of this phone are pretty obvious. It is much more powerful and that can be seen throughout the gui while in operation and performing any task. This is pretty much a no brainer considering you are comparing what is now a year and a half old device to one which was just introduced. It should not be taken as a knock against the N1 as I am impressed with how well it holds up in comparison, it is no slouch on the latest nightly.
Specific things I do not like about the sgs2.... Hate having the power button on the side. I have turned the phone off several times accidentally and then had to reboot when I went to use it. I do not like having the single hard button surrounded by the two cap buttons arrangement. It kinda screws with the flow of doing stuff on the phone. Touch, touch, touch, oops, should have PUSHED the home button, push, touch, touch, PUSH. Just doesnt seem right to me. Plus while I never actually used the search softkey to search I did use the longpress to access quick settings and now of course used or not that button simply isnt there. I would have greatly prefered a standard 4 button arrangement. The build quality is lower than the N1. It is not what I perceive as terrible like my wifes captivate but the materials and feel of the phone in hand are a step down from the N1. Since both are cased all I really see is the case and screen either way so this one doesnt bother me but its there.
The pluses of the sgs2 are mostly obvious. Being newer and possessed of the latest greatest it is a more powerful device in every way. Again its good to keep in mind that I am comparing to a generationally older phone here and it should not be taken as a knock against the N1 but there it is. The screen is stellar and touch is very accurate. Side by side with cupertinos best the colors appear more saturated but it falls behind slightly in rendering fine text. Overall we both rated it a push while we both rated the extra real estate as a huge bonus. This screen is really good and can stand up to the best out there IMO. Touchwiz is surprisingly not horrible. I have gone back and forth between ADW, LP and TW and ended up actually keeping TW but with most of the "wiz" removed. The built in exchange support is better than the N1.
Overall I'm glad I did it. The N1 is the first device I ever owned where I actively liked it. I still have it, normally I would have put it up for sale the minute the new phone successfully booted. I still load nightlies. The bottom line though is in the pro/con department the sgs2 brings more to the table.

Related

staying with N1 a little longer

I finally got my hands on a NS just a few minutes ago. Given, it was handcuffed to an alarm and a usb charger, and completely not fun to use this way. The camera.apk crashed several times. The market was less than responsive. I figured this was a badly beat up device, and am prolly right, being at a bestbuy store.
The thing is, when it was announced, I was going to buy, sight unseen. Then I read it was really a galaxy S with not much different, possible gps issues, etc - you've all heard this before.
Now, don't go crazy thinking I'm about to flaunt and rave about a wp7 device. No sir, not me. I'm a android nut to the bone. My Nexus One is just going to have to make do a little longer until the multi-core devices come out....
unless....
can someone motivate me as to why i might replace my N1 with a NS ? please, I'm -NOT- looking for a flamewar, or to bash any device. I think the S is badass, but just not badass enough to toss the N1 yet.
Convince me ? Flame me ? whatever, i want to hear why you switched from a N1.
There are plenty of threads about the device for you to make an informed decision. I suggest reading and deciding for yourself instead of creating another one of these threads.
I have a Nexus One.
I sold a G2 Friday.
Bought the Nexus S Saturday.
I found I didnt need a keyboard (I use Swype) and the G2 didnt seem to be
any faster than the N1.
I do like both the N1 and the NS.
The GPS/maps works fine on the NS, used it today.
I wouldnt pay $529 for an NS but if you are off contract its a great phone for $199.
Best phone on the planet right now. At least for the next 15 minutes.
My first impressiong of the NS was...."wtf is this ****" at best buy. It was tied up as well, and for whatever reason it wasn't turning on, felt cheap.
That was about a week ago. Today I headed out to best buy again, apparently the first time around there was no battery in it. I felt better about, and ended picking up for my papa dukes.
I've been ****ting on the NS all week after my first encounter. After using it for a few hours setting it up, holding it. It feels reall really nice in the hand. The N1 feels more "solid" but there's no form to it, it feels like holding a piece of aluminum stock down at the metal yard. The NS feels much more organic. The plastic allows it to feel warm.
Screen - Takes a huge **** on the N1 screen. The size combined with the extra saturation, it's no comparison. Touch screen in about 3 - 4 million times better than the N1. The screen wrapped with a black housing gives the phone a certain "presence" that makes the n1 seem feeble.
Software wise - stock android is trash, always has been. CM 6 runns much smoother than 2.3, no question abuot it.
4" SUPER AMOLED screen.
Game over.
I have a nexus one and I picked up the nexus s a couple of days ago.
The biggest difference for me is the fantastic screen. It's significantly better than the nexus one screen. That alone is worth the upgrade for me.
Speed wise, the nexus s isn't much faster than a nexus one running the aosp gingerbread roms, so I wouldn't buy a nexus s expecting it to be faster.
My reply will sound like everyone else's. This is a flagship phone, and it shows. Spec wise, its comparable to the N1. Experience wise, the N1 can't compare.
2.3 is very streamline. Its smooth. It flows. The 4" SAMOLED screen is incredible. The colors are vivid, the transitions are smooth, and its response is unmatched. Its so responsive, it sometimes presses the buttons before i do!
I have an N1 and I was a skeptic as well, until i turned it on and used it for a day. You simply cannot compare the two. Nexus S all day.
distortedloop said:
4" SUPER AMOLED screen.
Game over.
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This is really all you need to know. I also came from an N1 and loved the amoled screen on there; to put it simply, the Samoled screen on the NS makes the N1 screen look like ****. I didn't think it could really be all that much better but it really is, also the touch sensor and oleophobic coating are fantastic.
I showed my 5 coworkers, who all have iphone4's, my NS yesterday and they all said the exact same thing "that screen is gorgeous."
No LED notification light, and no trackpad/trackball. These are two major sell points for me. So much so I may end up with a MyTouch 4G
if i have anything from N1, Desire, Desire HD, Galaxy S, i wouldnt trade or sell it for Nexsus S.
not that NS isnt better than N1 or Desire, its just FOR ME, the LG star "optimus 2x " or whatever its going to be called coming by Feb . thats like 2 months only from now. duel core processor with Tegra 2 from Nvidia gpu for assuming gpu performance. and on top of that a super amoled screen as well as 8M camera " i think ? "
so it doesn't make sense for me to spend an X ammount TODAY on an adroid phone when a new much better one coming in like exactly 2 months.
NOW, the NS is a developers phone. what does that mean for you that all developers will be baising their games on the Nexus S. thats the standard. for gaming. it will be on Nexus S. much like how games standards was Nexus 1. what does that mean to you is until the next developers phone comes out, ALL the new games for example or apps will run as defult on NS.
that not to say it wont run better on Tegra 2 in the LG phone for example, just like how games runs better on Galaxy S over the Nexus 1.
i think you should stick with your Nexus 1 as well.
going_home said:
Best phone on the planet right now. At least for the next 15 minutes.
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lol. i think the Desire HD has more power and 150% more Ram. and a 4.3 screen
but i love the nexus S though. its a great phone
Das_mobile said:
No LED notification light, and no trackpad/trackball. These are two major sell points for me. So much so I may end up with a MyTouch 4G
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No LED notification light? No problem. NoLED turns on the screen and displays an icon depending on what kind of notification you have (new e-mail, new text, etc). Since it's SAMOLED, the black uses little to no power so it isn't a battery drain.
No trackpad/touchball? I barely used mine on my G1. I don't miss it on my Verizon Fascinate either. Not sure why people want that so badly that it influences their decision on getting a phone or not...
Das_mobile said:
No LED notification light, and no trackpad/trackball. These are two major sell points for me. So much so I may end up with a MyTouch 4G
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Click to collapse
This was my same thought when I picked up the NS, I needed to have a notification light and thankfully the NoLed app makes the lack of trackball notifications irrelevant now. NoLed works great and looks awesome too and doesn't have any noticeable affect on battery.
ll_l_x_l_ll said:
lol. i think the Desire HD has more power and 150% more Ram. and a 4.3 screen
but i love the nexus S though. its a great phone
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If they released it on T-mobile in the US, it'd be nice. But it isn't.
JCopernicus said:
My first impressiong of the NS was...."wtf is this ****" at best buy. It was tied up as well, and for whatever reason it wasn't turning on, felt cheap.
That was about a week ago. Today I headed out to best buy again, apparently the first time around there was no battery in it. I felt better about, and ended picking up for my papa dukes.
I've been ****ting on the NS all week after my first encounter. After using it for a few hours setting it up, holding it. It feels reall really nice in the hand. The N1 feels more "solid" but there's no form to it, it feels like holding a piece of aluminum stock down at the metal yard. The NS feels much more organic. The plastic allows it to feel warm.
Screen - Takes a huge **** on the N1 screen. The size combined with the extra saturation, it's no comparison. Touch screen in about 3 - 4 million times better than the N1. The screen wrapped with a black housing gives the phone a certain "presence" that makes the n1 seem feeble.
Software wise - stock android is trash, always has been. CM 6 runns much smoother than 2.3, no question abuot it.
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Click to collapse
JC turning the corner on the NS?! Don't go towards the light!
To the OP, I will probably be returning the Nexus S before the 30 day return policy is up and sticking with the Nexus One as well.
Benefits of Nexus S:
1. SuperAMOLED (Soooo beautiful... 1 of 2 things that kills the Nexus One for me)
2. 4' screen (Personal opinion but I actually like the compactness of the Nexus One's design... I know I'm weird)
3. NFC (Not around yet, wont be for awhile)
4. True multitouch for gaming (I use a wiimote to play emulators so I don't care about multitouch gaming)
5. Better Speaker (I don't blast music through my phones speaker. If Im at home I use my computer, if I'm in the car I use the car speakers, if Im out an about I'll use some earphones)
6. Android updates developed w/ Nexus S in mind(Long as the N1 gets updates as well I'm ok w/ sharing the love)
7. Hummingbird processor (I don't notice any lag on my stock Nexus One)
8. More app storage space (I always keep my Nexus One at 75-80% free)
9. Battery life (2nd thing that kills the Nexus One... but I have a spare battery so my N1 lasts all day)
These are some great benefits for 90% of people to be worth upgrading for. Just that I'm one of the weird 10%
Another option I've been thinking of is actually getting the Samsung Galaxy Tablet to completely replace my Nexus One (with 3g enabled skype app) and Netbook (with a bluetooth keyboard) for $40/mo with T-mobile this doesn't seem like a terrible idea if I find a cool looking European shoulder bag that I wouldn't mind taking with me everywhere to have the tablet with me at all times like a phone
I had to sell my N1 as I couldnt stand the touchscreen going mental from time to time
ap3604 said:
JC turning the corner on the NS?! Don't go towards the light!
To the OP, I will probably be returning the Nexus S before the 30 day return policy is up and sticking with the Nexus One as well.
Benefits of Nexus S:
1. SuperAMOLED (Soooo beautiful... 1 of 2 things that kills the Nexus One for me)
2. 4' screen (Personal opinion but I actually like the compactness of the Nexus One's design... I know I'm weird)
3. NFC (Not around yet, wont be for awhile)
4. True multitouch for gaming (I use a wiimote to play emulators so I don't care about multitouch gaming)
5. Better Speaker (I don't blast music through my phones speaker. If Im at home I use my computer, if I'm in the car I use the car speakers, if Im out an about I'll use some earphones)
6. Android updates developed w/ Nexus S in mind(Long as the N1 gets updates as well I'm ok w/ sharing the love)
7. Hummingbird processor (I don't notice any lag on my stock Nexus One)
8. More app storage space (I always keep my Nexus One at 75-80% free)
9. Battery life (2nd thing that kills the Nexus One... but I have a spare battery so my N1 lasts all day)
These are some great benefits for 90% of people to be worth upgrading for. Just that I'm one of the weird 10%
Another option I've been thinking of is actually getting the Samsung Galaxy Tablet to completely replace my Nexus One (with 3g enabled skype app) and Netbook (with a bluetooth keyboard) for $40/mo with T-mobile this doesn't seem like a terrible idea if I find a cool looking European shoulder bag that I wouldn't mind taking with me everywhere to have the tablet with me at all times like a phone
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Click to collapse
cool, and thanks to all the others that replied. i like the list approach, it's how i usually do stuff....
i didn't get to try out the speaker, there was crap super glued to the phone @ the store. :-(
the screen was very very very bright and impressive. almost a G1 to N1 comparison side by side.
thankfully, folks didn't label me as trolling and have seen a similar take before. i think i'll stick with the n1 a little longer given the points in this thread. maybe february i'll buy, or maybe i'll find a NS on craigslist for 1/2 price, who knows. i'm pretty partial to my N1 for now.
thanks everyone !
psp888 said:
I had to sell my N1 as I couldnt stand the touchscreen going mental from time to time
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+1
The N1 had so much potential, but the user experience was greatly impacted (negatively) by the wonky touchscreen behavior (imho). It was also unusable outdoors, here in sunny southern CA.

Atrix \ Galaxy S2 Comparison

I have prepared this thread to help myself and others compare and contrast the different phones and hopefully come to a decision here. If anyone has anything to add to the comparison that I have missed, please list it and we can get it all chocked up.
For the record. I have only listed something as a "Disadvantage" if I believe that the category is below what we would expect of the average Android.
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Advantages:
ATRIX
Battery Life - This is a big thing for me. I can make my vibrant last through a 14 hour day by crippling every single possible feature. But people here are saying that the Atrix runs solid though 30 hour periods. This is a huge plus for me.
Higher Resolution (even if its fake) - Even though this resolution is fake and can actually cause text to blur, I can say first-hand that I saw the screen in action at a local wal-mart and found it to be acceptable by my standards. I think it may help overall with browsing. The GS2 has a larger screen size, and no pentile matrix display, which could possibly be considered better. This is one that may work out to be a tie.
Tegra 2 - I list this as an advantage not because it is faster, the various benchmarks for either processor seem to be inconclusive at this point. I am listing it as an advantage because it has its own series of games optimized specifically for it, and because Google has chosen to build their framework around tegra 2.
Webtop - I am initially hesitant to even mention this. The phone has a webtop environment, it is most likely Debian Linux and it is said to also be very sluggish. If, in the future, devs gain access to this environment and find ways to optimize it and add in worthy apps such as Chrome and open office, then this will be a massive advantage, but right now it is pretty much just a gimmick.
The webtop interface retains its session when you disconnect it. So you can plug the phone back into another dock and go right back to what you were doing. This is one of the good things about webtop.
Laptop Dock - We all know it is hideously overpriced right now and maybe in the future a cheaper solution will be available. But regardless of how you get the dock, it is an advantage to run your apps in full screen, even if you don't use the sluggish webtop interface and firefox.
The dock charges your phone, but plays sound through your atrix speakers, it has no speakers of it's own, you can answer calls by removing the phone, picking it up on bluetooth or by just yelling at it from behind the laptop. The phone retains its session when you remove it and there is no special unmounting procedure, you just grab it and run.
GALAXY S2
Screen - Bright beautiful and extremely rich. Those who have seen the screen firsthand have claimed that there is nothing like it at all and that it is miles above even the old Super Amoled display. The 4.3 inch size is also a bonus for those of us with large hands. This is probably the best overall feature of the Galaxy S2.
Camera - 8 Megapixels, and 2 megapixel front facing camera. People say that megapixels don't really matter in the long run but the Atrix camera is also said to have a purple wash to it and that the video can be splotchy in certain situations.
Design - Even though it looks way too much like the iPhone, this phone actually looks exceptionally nice. I like the three button design much better than the 4, the search button is pretty useless overall. The thinness of this phone is also amazing if you are into that sort of thing. Naturally it may come down to the US carriers to ruin the design, but by it will likely be summer before that happens.
32GB internal storage - Expect to pay for it, but it is there, you get 64 gigs total with this phone.
Gingerbread - The Atrix won't likely get gingerbread until at least this summer, this phone will have it much sooner if you get the international version coming sometime this quarter.
Gyroscope - This phone has it, do any apps support it? Not sure, but it is there.
NFC - In the off chance that any stores upgrade to NFC this year, you will have the ability to use it. NFC may have other uses that we haven't envisioned yet. It is a protocol, so it can be applied to just about anything. You could potentially set it up to unlock your home, cars could start with it, whatever.
So it has a lot of potential use other than having your money stolen from you.
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Disadvantages:
ATRIX
Bootloader - To sum it up for those not familiar, the phone can be rooted, a custom ROM can be flashed, but the kernel cannot be altered at all. (someone will likely correct me here) but if part or all of the webtop code is contained in the kernel somehow it will be difficult to alter it to add new software or make it run more efficiently. This would be a terrible shame.
I can tell you that Team Whiskey has made my Vibrant browse faster than I have seen in Atrix videos, with half the memory and a single core processor. It is scary to think of what this phone could actually accomplish if Moto decided to allow it.
Motoblur - I read that this requires you to sign up for an account before you can even use the phone. I find it alarming that Motorola has decided to help themselves to all this information and it makes me wonder just exactly what they really have access to and why.
Crippled FM radio - WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY. All of these phones have both transmitters and receivers for FM. So can someone tell me why in god's name anyone would disable them? FM radio has many more uses than just listening to local stations and why again should I have to burn my limited data on
internet radio when there is a receiver right in my phone?
GALAXY S2
Heat - My current Galaxy S runs very hot already, if the screen is active while the phone is being charged it will heat up to what seems to be a very dangerous temperature. The pre-release Galaxy S2 was said to be scorching hot after running with the screen on and the charger active.
Fail File System, Hideous and crippling lag - Update: the galaxy S2 is said to not use RFS. Chock one up for Samsung.
Updates - Samsung has a horrible reputation for updates when working with US carriers, even for new phones. If it was not for this community I would have likely given up on Android and Samsung altogether. Although I know that part of the update delay has been t-mobile, it is also in Samsung's interests to ship out new phones instead of updating their old ones.
Battery Life I have a feeling that Samsung tried to push the limits to get their phone to be as thin as possible and I am worried that they have done so at the expense of battery life. We won't know for sure until it gets in people's hands but I expect the battery life to be subpar.
NO HID Bluetooth Support (possibly) - I have had a black wiimote sitting here for 6 months waiting to connect to my Vibrant. I love emulated classics but action games are near impossible to play with the on-screen kb. So if you want this feature, I would make sure that the GS2 has it first, because it is not likely that it will.
Availability - What it really comes down to now. Unless you want to shell out over 1000 for the phone, you will probably need to wait 5 months from now for any kind of US availability this summer. And don't doubt that those versions will become crippled and even more bloated in the process. But again there is no locked bootloader here.
Ok I think that covers it. Having written all this down, I think I am really leaning more toward the Atrix. There just doesn't seem to be anything else out there now that will be able to match it at the moment. And as you can see, our experience with Samsung has not been exceptional.
Good comparison there. I am also looking at the exact 2 models and thank you very much, looks like Atrix will too be my choice.
I guess I'll get the atrix laptop dock too and prays for the devs here to make it all better. Otherwise, I think its still a good piece of hardware I don't mind owning.
""Samsung's dual-core, Gingerbread-powered Galaxy S II has appeared on Play.co.uk alongside a tentative SIM-free price and release date. According to Play, which is currently taking pre-orders for the phone, it'll ship Mar. 31 for £599.99 (~$960). Pre-release prices are never guaranteed to be accurate and are always subject to change, but £599 seams like a realistic price point for the Galaxy S II, as it's slightly higher than current single-core offerings from other manufacturers.""
Just published at androidcentral. £599.99 (~$960)?? Get a grip..
Not bad, just a couple of things to note that I thought of while reading. First, the screen resolution can be arguable considering the Pentile screen that the Atrix uses. That gives the SGS2 more sub pixels, but then it's a bigger screen, so less (I believe) pixel density still... it's really kind of a toss up, but I think they will both look great. I think the lower resolution and bigger screen on the SGS2 will look just fine with the full 3 subpixels per pixel.
Also, the SGS2 looks nothing like an iPhone. I wish people would stop saying that about every phone that comes out. Apparently every square black phone with a screen is an iPhone now.
And also it's been reported that the SGS2 does not use RFS.
The Galaxy S2 looks like a great phone, but even as much as I hate Motorola's implementation of the lockdown...I can't *STAND* Samsung for updates. They've promised up and down that they would release updates for every phone since Android came out, and they've delivered on about 3 of those promises...out of probably 20. They are *HORRIBLE* at updating devices and they don't even apologize when they cancel. I would *never* buy a Samsung on the hopes that it would get an updated OS.
As for the screens, I don't really notice much of a difference. I'm a pretty severe audiophile and videophile and although I can tell a difference it's absolutely not enough to make me go with one phone over another. I'm coming from an iPhone 4 which has the best screen to date on a mobile phone...and even between that and my Atrix I barely see a difference. They're both fantastic screens.
hotleadsingerguy said:
The Galaxy S2 looks like a great phone, but even as much as I hate Motorola's implementation of the lockdown...I can't *STAND* Samsung for updates. They've promised up and down that they would release updates for every phone since Android came out, and they've delivered on about 3 of those promises...out of probably 20. They are *HORRIBLE* at updating devices and they don't even apologize when they cancel. I would *never* buy a Samsung on the hopes that it would get an updated OS.
As for the screens, I don't really notice much of a difference. I'm a pretty severe audiophile and videophile and although I can tell a difference it's absolutely not enough to make me go with one phone over another. I'm coming from an iPhone 4 which has the best screen to date on a mobile phone...and even between that and my Atrix I barely see a difference. They're both fantastic screens.
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The updates aren't really an issue for people who visit sites like this. I would never rely on Samsung to update my phone. My Captivate has been running 2.2 for ages while they just released the update for everyone else. Yes, Samsung sucks at updating, but the hacking community will always get it done regardless.
I must be the only one, but i use the search hotkey absolutely all the time. I love it and I realize that you can hold menu for the same effect on the SGS2, but i'd prefer to have the 4th hotkey than their ugly stupid home button. It is not an iPhone, embrace uniqueness samsung.
eallan said:
I must be the only one, but i use the search hotkey absolutely all the time. I love it and I realize that you can hold menu for the same effect on the SGS2, but i'd prefer to have the 4th hotkey than their ugly stupid home button. It is not an iPhone, embrace uniqueness samsung.
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I really miss the hardware home key! The orientation of the 4 buttons makes it a bit awkward to thumb navigate since its so close to the bottom. Its actually one of the things about the sgs2 that is making me think twice about my atrix. Despite how much I love it.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Man_of_Leisure said:
I really miss the hardware home key! The orientation of the 4 buttons makes it a bit awkward to thumb navigate since its so close to the bottom. Its actually one of the things about the sgs2 that is making me think twice about my atrix. Despite how much I love it.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
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I wouldn't mind if the buttons were hardware, thats another debate. I just want all four of them!
The back button is beyond crucial. Maybe back and home should be two hardware with the other capacitive? For symmetry, obviously a concern for samsung .
I definitely want the new Galaxy S 2. I've heard that the Atrix was a huge let down. I used to own a Captivate and I loved everything about it except the ****ty build quality and lack of flash for the camera. It was so smooth with voodoo and custom roms. The Galaxy S 2 will have an amazing screen and I think it will do average on battery consumption. Just my 2 cents
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
King Shady said:
I definitely want the new Galaxy S 2. I've heard that the Atrix was a huge let down. I used to own a Captivate and I loved everything about it except the ****ty build quality and lack of flash for the camera. It was so smooth with voodoo and custom roms. The Galaxy S 2 will have an amazing screen and I think it will do average on battery consumption. Just my 2 cents
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
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****ty build quality? Like hardware wise? I personally think the Captivate is the nicest of all of the Galaxy S phones. The hardware itself has been absolutely wonderful for me. The software quality leaves a lot to be desired from a stock standpoint though.
AJerman said:
****ty build quality? Like hardware wise? I personally think the Captivate is the nicest of all of the Galaxy S phones. The hardware itself has been absolutely wonderful for me. The software quality leaves a lot to be desired from a stock standpoint though.
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Click to collapse
The plastic build was a huge downgrade for me, especially coming from a beautiful iPhone 4. I'm much happier with the Inspire 4G now though. HTC Sense is amazing and super smooth, and HTC build quality is great. The phone feels ultra solid.
SGS2 is apparently RFS-free. Also, some versions will have Tegra2 instead of Exynos - hope this includes us.
People knock Samsung's plastic designs, but they're actually a lot harder to break than the "well-built" iPhone 4.
Very good write up man, these are the posts that I like to see.
By looking at my signature, you can see that I just got the Atrix as well, and I love the phone. Amazingly fast, awesome screen (love the higher density and the effect itbhas on the overall experience), and the battery is pretty good too.
I'm seriously thinking about buying the laptop dock, but I don't know how well that will perform, and I haven't seen any live videos of it.
I really like the design and specs of the GS 2, but there are a lot of possible problems holding me back....
Rooted/ROM Captivate (For Sale)
Rooted Atrix
FLAC Vest said:
Very good write up man, these are the posts that I like to see.
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Click to collapse
Thanks a lot, bro.
I am no engineer and I can't build tools. But I can put a few thoughts together and provide someone with some information.
This is an amazing community and what people do here is outstanding, I just want to do what I can to add to that.
King Shady said:
The plastic build was a huge downgrade for me, especially coming from a beautiful iPhone 4. I'm much happier with the Inspire 4G now though. HTC Sense is amazing and super smooth, and HTC build quality is great. The phone feels ultra solid.
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Click to collapse
S2 looks like meizu m9
I have both and a Galaxy S 2 on order
Why? I really liked the Captivate. My plan was to use both but the Atrix is so much more fun to use I'm selling the Captivate. Well, maybe. Maybe not.
Yesterday after I removed the SIM card and replaced it, the Atrix went bonkers with freezes and instability issues. After numerous soft resets, two factory resets and replacing the SIM card, SD card and battery a couple of times it seems to be back to normal. I suspect I had reinserted the SIM card incorrectly but maybe there was another issue.
So why would I pay $1000 for the Galaxy S 2? The Captivate was that much fun. Although I'm sure we will be able to do more custom rom's shortly on the Atrix, the Galaxy S 2 sounds like an even bigger blast than either. And boy oh boy does that LG 3D look interesting. But you have to draw the line somewhere.
Here is what the Atrix has that the Captivate does not:
1-better graphics and screen quality, dynamic and vivid visuals, a joy to read and watch (text as well as video quality is sharp and crisp, very clear)
2-more interactive features with outside devices (i.e. computers)
3-interacts more efficiently with e mail, voice and text programs (really like the way it handles multiple incoming calls especially when you are already on one-notification, instructions and directions for handling)(I can now actually use Excel spreadsheets and Word documents) (works well with contacts)
4-updated browser can handle more types of video content and pop up windows better
5-it feels better when you hold and talk or watch or do most anything with it (I did make one call and even though I could hear the other party clearly they could not hear me-I do not what happened.)
My friends all tell me I should get an iphone. I had one for years and the Androids are far more fun. I'll never return. I don't think. LG 3D anyone?
I think Tegra2 is actually a disadvantage for Atrix 4G.
As a new generation dualcore processor, it's early, but not strong.
It's video playback ability of H.264 is limited, but H.264 is currently the most frequently played format.
It has no neon support, big loss on processing power.
Till now Tegra2 has not proven itself in Graphics power. In benchmarks it's no superior to Hummingbird.
However the performance of Mali400MP on GS2 is also questionable, so just wait and see...
hotleadsingerguy said:
The Galaxy S2 looks like a great phone, but even as much as I hate Motorola's implementation of the lockdown...I can't *STAND* Samsung for updates. They've promised up and down that they would release updates for every phone since Android came out, and they've delivered on about 3 of those promises...out of probably 20. They are *HORRIBLE* at updating devices and they don't even apologize when they cancel. I would *never* buy a Samsung on the hopes that it would get an updated OS.
As for the screens, I don't really notice much of a difference. I'm a pretty severe audiophile and videophile and although I can tell a difference it's absolutely not enough to make me go with one phone over another. I'm coming from an iPhone 4 which has the best screen to date on a mobile phone...and even between that and my Atrix I barely see a difference. They're both fantastic screens.
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+1 great post!
King Shady said:
The plastic build was a huge downgrade for me, especially coming from a beautiful iPhone 4. I'm much happier with the Inspire 4G now though. HTC Sense is amazing and super smooth, and HTC build quality is great. The phone feels ultra solid.
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Click to collapse
See, I don't understand that. There is far less plastic on the Captivate than the majority of the phones out there. The front is all glass, and the back is mostly metal. It's only the top and bottom on the back that are plastic, and they have both felt very solid to me since I got the phone on launch day. I came from an iPhone 4 as well, and granted nothing compares to the iPhone 4 in build quality, the Captivate definitely doesn't seem bad at all to me.
As long as you're happy with what you have now though, that's what matters. I just think the Inspire is a bit of a waste of money considering it's lack of power compared to all the other phones coming out now. It feels like it's last generation still. I did play with it a little at the AT&T store though, and it seemed nice. If it had come out last summer with the Captivate (even if it didn't have 4G), I might have gotten it. Now I'm going to wait until a dual core offering I like though.

So I have an HTC One AND a Galaxy S4 now...unbiased observations between the two

I just wrote this this thread to humor myself and anyone else who cares or is interested in comparisons between the two phones. I'm coming from an HTC Sensation which I've had for about 2 years, previously owned the og Galaxy S (Vibrant), and instead of the S4 I chose the HTC one, and got the GS4 for my wife instead, and use both on a regular basis.
Here are my observations since I actually have both phones and can compare them with no bias...
-A lot of the online mainstream reviews you'll read between the two hit the nail on the head. The One imo is a better "phone". It does indeed have less features then the S4 (although many of them are gimmicks like the eye scrolling/tracking, airview, and a few others) but the speakers are far superior, which obviously aids for anyone who ever uses speakerphone or plays music and videos, the call quality is also a little better, the phone is more fluid and faster than the GS4 with basic functions like scrolling screens etc, and the phone of course has a MUCH more "premium" feel. Sense 5 is MUUUUUCH better than past versions of Sense and like a lot of review say, it *DOES* improve over stock android in actual useful features. The look is subjective of course but it's flat, useful and fast, and to me that's all that matters. The camera is better than any past smartphone I've ever used (Tmobile Dash>G1>Vibrant>Sensation>One) so I like it personally, but compared to its rivals like the GS4 I guess it's not the best, but does everything I've ever asked of it VERY well so no complaints from me.
-The GS4 on the other hand has a superior camera. The camera on the One isn't bad at all, and kills the Gs4 in low light conditions and the aspect ratio and wide lense captures waaay more in each frame, but the GS4 has more camera features, packs a crapload more detail in each shot, has some pretty useful camera modes the One doesn't have, and is just generally better. The Galaxy might not be made of aluminum like the one, but it's lighter and imo actually feels better in my hand (without a case). Once you add a case in the mix, hand feel is null and void obviously but if you like to go commando the Gs4 feels better and will probably hold up to abuse better than the One due to the polycarbonate body and gorilla glass 3. The screen on the Galaxy is bigger than the One while the actual phone altogether is lighter and smaller so that's pretty nice, but it's not really THAT noticeable to be honest. One huge, huge advantage the Galaxy has over the One is removable storage and battery, which *USED* to be a deal breaker for me back in the day, but I've learned to live without them since I got my One, so either way it's a definite advantage but I guess how much so is up to the user. The Galaxy also has native quick settings built in which the one doesn't have (yet), so minor issue but another positive for the galaxy.
As far as negative for each, I'm actually on my second One already. Somehow my camera lense glass cracked even though I keep the phone in case and have never dropped it or bumped it. It just appeared one day in addition to the top speaker grill starting to separate from the body. Weird, but I got it replaced and the replacement is doing fine and actually stands up to overclocking and undervolting better than my old unit, so that made me pretty happy lol. That's really the only issue I've had with mine, but on the whole, the phone is definitely more fragile than the Galaxy WITHOUT a case. It scratches easier, dents, chips, etc...while the Galaxy doesn't.
The Galaxy feels better in hand (caseless) than the One, but it's slippery as hell and slides around easily and can be more prone to being dropped. Again, only an issue without a case, but this is my observation.
Touchwiz...personally I think it's a mess. I don't care for the look, as many have said it feels like your still running Gingerbread 2.3. The look hasn't changed much since I had a Vibrant running Touchwiz from 3 years ago, and while Touchwiz DOES have some unique features and generally does more than Sense and stock android...it's just ugly as hell while doing so lol. The Galaxy also does feel a tad slower and microstutters every so often while the One is almost always fluid and seems much smoother even tho it's running a newer version of android and has slightly better specs on hardware...it just doesn't "feel" like it. Other than that it's a fantastic phone and we haven't had any problems with it whatsoever unlike the One.
Between the two...if I just had to pick one, it's a toss up. I prefer my One honestly but I can see the advantages of the Galaxy S4 with it having more features so I'll just break it down like this...
Usefuleness as an actual phone
One>S4
Camera
GS4>One
In hand feel, portability
One=GS4
Usefulness as a multimedia device
GS4=One
Expandability
GS4>One
I will say that between the two if this even matters to anyone...I get WAAAAAY more props and questions and even jealous stares directed towards the One.........although..........people tend to ask to let them play with the Galaxy S4 quite often lol...
This is going to be TLDR post
I think now I have owned all 1080P phones from mainstream manufacturers and Oppo.
DNA, Xperia Z, SGS4 and One.
Could not live with Xperia Z, unacceptable compromises on a flagship device. Sold DNA as well and now with SGS4 and One (And Oppo find 5 as well, but that purchase was of oa curiosity purchase )
Both have their niggles to be honest at this point. But as far as one is concerned, I am not going to live with Sense 5 in its current form. I just cant. I will keep complaining about blink feed until HTC fixes it to add custom sources or more sources comparable to Pulse. The social media capabilities of blink feed are irrelevent to me as I dont use facebook much and for twitter which I do use, it does not even comes close to functionality of Falcon Pro.
Then the caveats with app drawer, lack of options to change wallpaper from home by long pressing also gets on my nerves. Having to go through 3 steps extra to change wallpaper is just silly. So I had to resort to custom launcher which has its own share of problems due to the fact that for some reason lot of launchers are not butter smooth on One with MSM DCVS governor as well as not as smooth as Note 2 or Nexus 4 even on default On demand governor. For those who have not actually experienced what butter smooth experience means on these device, it appears smooth. My sis who came from SGS2 thinks its smooth. I can feel the jitter in UI and that is really disappointing. And it has something to do with governor and / or kernel as there are issues with jitter and microstutter in 2d arcade games like Hill climb racing on One when the same game runs just fine on older Krait 200 CPU on Oppo Find 5. I got Go launcher to be most close to what I want by adjusting animation speed. But it is still not as perfect as I want it to be.
That and menu button even when mapped to long press back using custom rom does not still behave perfectly 100% of time. Sometimes it just goes back. But I have learned to live with that. But these are notable niggles.
Camera issues I had with older camera are now fixed. I am happy with One camera results now.
The only other bugs that annoys the hell out of me is the contact bug that was there is Sense 4 as well and it is there in sense 5 as well where Sense decides to save new contact to my other gmail account than my primary account even when the second gmail account is not even set to sync contacts. Every time after installing new ROM clean I have to click on Google tab and select my primary account before hitting save.
SGS4 TWUI might be visual mess but it is very functional. Everything just works as it should on Android phone. The actions are not that far away from what we get on stock android. So even with Samsung plastering entire colour spectrum all over, everything works as I am used to. No surprises, no irritating faults. I dont might extra features. I have half of them disabled and bloat removed.
The power saving features on Exynos Octa does not seem to work properly yet, or not as good as they are suppose. The product was clearly rushed, but I guess it will be SGS3 story all over again with Samsung fixing most issues with unofficial leaks over coming weeks and with final release fixing this on OTA for those who dont want to experiement. I have that much faith in Samsung now.
Hardware I leave it to the users but SGS4 does not feel like cheap plastic. Sure it does not feel as premium as HTC One, but that typical BS people on forums and even some press spreading about SGS4 feeling cheap is just plain BS. It feels good in hands, it feels as premium as Note 2 and Note 2 did not feel cheap at all. Specially not in white colour. Rest is upto end user to decide but if you get the chance, do see S4 in person. It is great device to hold and use. With right case which I always use no matter what phone, it is not going to be an issue at all.
Coming down to personal choice, I am still using One as my personal daily driver and S4 as work phone. The bigger real estate on S4 does come in handy though and I have a feeling that in the end it is going to be better overall device to use for media consumption for someone like me who do not listen to songs or watch videos without using headphones. I dont like to watch videos even at home with the Ones wonderful speakers as I dont like disturbing my family members, and specially my hyperactive dog that just wants to get its head between me and my phone to investigate what sound is coming out of this weird device if I play anything on it using loudspeaker So really I am wasting the speakers on One. But that can be big selling points to some. For me, it is nice thing to have but I like to use phone strictly for personal media consumption and not broadcast it to others, neither do I want to disturb others at night in bed when I usually check up on some youtube videos from my subscribed channels.
The bigger real estate also helps a lot in gaming.
In the end S4 has less niggles at the moment. HTC has chosen risky strategy with Sense 5. People will either love it or those like me who simply hate it. I replaced it with custom launcher. Lot of people still love it but plenty are going to be frustrated by it. I never likes less options or restrictive behaviour on any android phone. That is exactly what HTC has done on their stock sense 5 launcher.
UI functionality is as or rather more important that UI design and feel. Sense 5 feels smooth and polished but it is very restrictive in nature and feels like HTC have done some things deliberately different just for the sake of being different without thinking logically if they really needed to do those things differently.
It is case of "So close to perfection, yet so far" with One. It is wonderful device. Good enough for me to be ready to live with the cavates it has. But sometimes I feel like switching to S4 as primary personal daily driver. But the beauty of this device is what keeping me from ditching it. That is ultimate thing in favour of One. But frustrating thing is, it could have been so much better with just few changes.
Thread closed
This thread is another sad example of the reason why we do not wnat any comparison threads here. Although the OP had the best goals with posting it, some fanboy users can't refrain from using it as another battle ground. Deleted 15 posts (some of them NOT being unfair, but I treated all equal)
So thank you OP for the comparison. It stays here as it is helpful. The rest of the discussion is not.

IMO: HTC One vs Galaxy S4 (if you are torn between the two)

Author's comments: I have always loved HTC phones, my first high-end phone was the original HTC EVO and I am the maker of the Azrael ROM for that phone (which eventually became Azrael X). I also was a proud owner of a HTC EVO 3D. But I have had my share of Samsung devices as well. I have had the Samsung Captivate, the Samsung Galaxy S3, and most recently the Samsung Galaxy S4. I also tried the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom but found for me it was impossible to store and I did not like the false advertising as it is NO S4. It is gimped compared to the S4.
So to sum it off, I like Samsung and HTC, I am no fanboy, I simply choose the device I think fits me best. I am also aware there are other threads like this, but this is just another opinion or another review, so to speak. I hope this proves helpful if you are on the fence about either device.
CONSTRUCTION:
Samsung Galaxy S4: I have easily broken every Samsung phone's screen I have ever had (except the Captivate, which seems to be to invincible!). Let me get that out of the way before I go anywhere else. Do not think Gorilla Glass will live up to it's name! I am not abusive to my phones but I have dropped them while at work especially. I am sure everyone drops their phone from time to time, or it falls out of your hoodie (which has doomed 2 of my phones).
The Captivate was a little tank, that phone is smaller but it feels substantial in your hands and I feel it is the most well made Samsung phone. The S3 and S4 feel very plastic in your hands because frankly, they are! The screen on both my S3 and S4 broke with small drops on the edge toward where the power button is, which makes me think it is a weak spot. The rest of the phone holds up well, despite feeling like it will not but unless you have a very protective case which protects the screen, it does not take much to break the glass.
But as far as the overall setup goes (button locations, etc) I like the 3 button navigation, gestures are pretty cool but I did not use them much. The removable battery and Micro-SD card ports are great to have.
HTC One: Much better build quality, a slightly smaller screen, and aluminum both look and feel nice. I have only had mine for a short time but I was able to tell right away that I liked HTC's construction a LOT better than Samsung's. The phone looks cooler, is a little heavier in the hands (which I like, actually), and the design is very nice. I have not dropped this phone yet in 3 weeks I have owned it, but I am certain if I did it would hold up better.
Where I like the S4 better is the fact you can open the back up and there is a Micro SD-card expansion the HTC lacks. If you carry tons of stuff on your phone, the S4 might be a better bet. I also like the 3 navigation keys on the S4 compared to the HTC One's 2. It took me a bit of getting used to navigating the phone without a back button.
My opinion: Samsung Galaxy S4 has more expandability and I like the fact you can access the battery. But for build quality, there is no comparison. The HTC One is better built and would hold up better.
DISPLAY:
Samsung Galaxy S4: I love the display but I have a few reservations. It is 5.0 Inches with 441 PPI, colorful, and overall very nice with a sharp full-HD resolution. I found the S4 has slightly exaggerated colors, which sometimes look "off" to me. I found even the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, with it's smaller and lower resolution screen, looked way better thanks to improved color accuracy and the brighter display. The S4 Screen was a bit of a letdown for me, to be honest. Still nice for what it is but I feel they could have made it better.
HTC One: Hands down, a much better display, despite it's slightly smaller size. It is full HD, 4.7 Inches, and an extremely high 468 PPI. The HTC One has one of the best cell phone displays I have ever seen, it is more or less perfect. The PPI is higher than the Samsung's and the colors pop without being over-saturated. It has better contrast than the S4 too, which only has an advantage of a slightly bigger screen.
My opinion: No contest, the HTC One display is sharper, better contrast, and higher quality. The S4 is .3 inches bigger, which is not much. Both look good though
SOUND QUALITY:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Another area I think Samsung dropped the ball is the sound quality. The Galaxy S4 sounds awesome with headphones, no doubt. Yet the built in speaker is low quality and distorts easily at higher volumes. In fact, the S3 had a superior speaker compared to the S4. While loud in a quiet room, it's easy to miss calls unless you have it on vibrate as well. Call quality is good but the earpiece speaker is pathetic. Mine distorted easily, barely went loud enough, and had a tinny sound. The S3, again, had a superior speaker for the earpiece. I also found a lot of the ringtones are downright annoying and I had trouble picking one I really liked. Thankfully, custom ROMS have their own versions that are good.
HTC One: Front facing stereo speakers that sound good and go very loud, Beats Audio, a good earpiece speaker, and amazing sound that comes from the headphone jack. For Multimedia experience, the HTC One walks all over the Samsung Galaxy S4. With sound more than display, there is NO question which is the superior device of the two for music or Multimedia. The built in ringtones and sound samples are superior and sound cooler (unless you are into animal sounds or ethnic sounds).
My opinion: I think the S4 is far inferior to the HTC One is sound, the S4 seems to use low quality components (except the headphone jack circuitry and DAC). The HTC One by a landslide.
USER INTERFACE:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Uses Touchwiz, a lot more like vanilla Android. I like Touchwiz a lot and find it both easy to navigate and easy to use on a regular basis.
HTC One: Sense, which I have always loved. While I am not as used to it as Touchwiz, Sense looks good, has good functionality, and I do like the news and social feeds.
My opinion: This is purely personal preference. Both work good and are easy to figure out. I prefer things about both, I think Touchwiz is a little bit easier (but I am more used to it) and Sense has more features. Both are great.
SPECS:
Samsung Galaxy S4: For raw horsepower, on paper the Galaxy S4 is a step up from the HTC One. Super fast, great with games, and lag is rare. But, I also have seen the S4 lag quite a bit even when just using the phone. In actual use, the S4 is the slower of the two usually. Surprising but true.
HTC One: In execution, I have seen no difference in games or using the device day to day. Despite slightly lower specs, the HTC One is just as fast and if the S4 is faster (which it should be according to benchmarks), you do not see it in use. In fact, the HTC One seems to be the faster of the two in actual use. Benchmarks and specs are great but useless in actual use.
My opinion: Both are snappy and are great for games. I would not buy one or the other because of the specs, but in theory the S4 is slightly superior (but you are splitting hairs, really). Both are currently 2 of the fastest devices around. I find the HTC One the faster of the two in actual use, which is surprising.
CAMERA:
Samsung Galaxy S4: with 13 Megapixels, a back-lit sensor, and a bunch of image editing options, the camera is more than adequate for most people. The front facing camera is pretty decent too, I have managed to take some great photos with the S4 as I am sure anyone can. Ghosting around moving objects is the Achilles heel with the S4.
HTC One: With a 4 Megapixel "Ultrapixel" Camera, though it sounds worse on paper, I find they both tradeoff in the camera department. The colors are less vibrant but more natural looking in general on the HTC One. I found the image stabilization to work better on the One, so it is easier to get a better shot.
My opinion: For more vibrant looking photos, or for larger blowups of taken photos, the S4 is the pick. For more natural color, better image stabilization, and a wider angle, the HTC One is the better device. They both have good cameras though, and I am sure they will satisfy anyone who likes to snap photos with their phones. I prefer the HTC One camera overall though.
DEVELOPMENT:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Awesome developers with decently active development going on. But Samsung has been more active in trying to prevent tampering with the phone, so it is harder to root it and get past the protection. The removable SD Card can save your butt if you get into a bootloop as it allows you to have another means to push a different ROM (or firmware, etc) onto the phone if you get into trouble.
HTC One: HTC is a lot more helpful when it comes to unlocking the phone for developers. They even have a website which allows you to get root access (though still S-On) and is simple to use with full instructions. Once you have done that, getting full S-Off, changing firmwares, and even turning your device into more customizable versions (like the Google Play edition or Super CID which is unlocked) is easy to do. The development is as active as the S4 with a lot of very good developers that have been around a long time.
My opinion: The HTC One is your ticket if you want an easier time gaining full root access and not having to worry about HTC coming out with new ways to thwart you from getting full access. In fact, users with newer Galaxy S4 phones have a bootloader that has yet to be fully cracked, which causes a headache and prevents you from easily changing radios or firmwares. It also requires you to use tricks just to put a custom ROM on the phone.
CONCLUSION: Both amazing phones, you cannot go wrong with either. Both are fast, run the newest versions of Android, and have tons of features.
For raw horsepower, removable storage, and a more vanilla-Android like interface the S4 may be the better phone for you.
For MUCH better sound and video quality, a better and more durable build quality, and a chipset that seems just as fast, the HTC One is your meal-ticket. It is also much easier to customize, so if you want to install and run custom ROMS and keep the ability to run custom firmware and radios, the HTC One is yet again the better advice. If you like Sense, you will love the HTC One!
To me, the HTC One is a better device in all ways that are important. A large part of a smartphone is the display and sound for the games and multimedia, and in that respect the HTC One is the better device.
I will likely have to edit this for mistakes but I hope this is helpful and I tried to be as subjective as possible. Both are super nice and show that technology in these phones is quite amazing and will just continue to improve over time. :good:
Good to hear your opinion. Now mods can you close this thread. What a waste of writing.
No comparison thread, you should know this.
Duuuuuuuude! This is very very detailed,
But its probably gonna get closed man. Comparison threads like this have been closed multiple times in the One forums already.
That being said I agree with most of the points you've covered except for a few.
- You mentioned the button layout and said the One is missing the back button... I'm sure you meant the menu button though. Like it or not "menu" buttons are gonna die out. Googles design philosophy opts for the on screen 3 dot menu buttons inside apps.
- I'm not sure how your s4 managed to match the One in speed. In my time comparing the two directly, the S4 has noticeable lag compared to the One. The One is much smoother in real world use. Benchmarks are completely useless imho.
- Also I know its subjective but the consensus around here seems to be different when it comes to Sense vs Touchwiz. You said both are easy to use, and that Sense has more features. Actually, Touchwiz definitely has more "features" to the point of being bloated and gimmicky. Sense is much leaner and easier to use imo. Sense isn't bloated with things nobody will ever use, part of why its a cleaner faster experience I think.
- Not sure what you mean by the s4 being a good choice if you want a more vanilla android experience... Touchwiz is about the furthest away from vanilla android you can get. If your referring to the legacy menu button then as I've said before, that is actually against googles design philosophy, look at nexus devices. No menu button.
Good write up for the most part, and I agree with your conclusion. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Xstop said:
Good to hear your opinion. Now mods can you close this thread. What a waste of writing.
No comparison thread, you should know this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not meant as a comparison thread, rather my own experience with the phones and to help choose between the two as choosing a device is difficult. For one, what do you care if I write this, does it interfere with your day to day life? Are you a "thread police officer"? At least my thread could be helpful, yours is more of a waste of writing IMO.
FanDroid09 said:
Duuuuuuuude! This is very very detailed,
But its probably gonna get closed man. Comparison threads like this have been closed multiple times in the One forums already.
That being said I agree with most of the points you've covered except for a few.
- You mentioned the button layout and said the One is missing the back button... I'm sure you meant the menu button though. Like it or not "menu" buttons are gonna die out. Googles design philosophy opts for the on screen 3 dot menu buttons inside apps.
- I'm not sure how your s4 managed to match the One in speed. In my time comparing the two directly, the S4 has noticeable lag compared to the One. The One is much smoother in real world use. Benchmarks are completely useless imho.
- Also I know its subjective but the consensus around here seems to be different when it comes to Sense vs Touchwiz. You said both are easy to use, and that Sense has more features. Actually, Touchwiz definitely has more "features" to the point of being bloated and gimmicky. Sense is much leaner and easier to use imo. Sense isn't bloated with things nobody will ever use, part of why its a cleaner faster experience I think.
- Not sure what you mean by the s4 being a good choice if you want a more vanilla android experience... Touchwiz is about the furthest away from vanilla android you can get. If your referring to the legacy menu button then as I've said before, that is actually against googles design philosophy, look at nexus devices. No menu button.
Good write up for the most part, and I agree with your conclusion. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, and I am glad you agree with my conclusion. I think Touchwiz is a lot more like vanilla Android, but opinions are just that. As far as looks go, for behavior sure it is nothing like Google's version of Android. The extra button makes it easy to navigate for me. But as I said, I am just far more used to it (plus my S3 had the same.)
I totally agree, the S4 seems the slower of the two devices in use, especially when just using the interface itself. The S4 seemed to lag a lot out of the blue, maybe because they just have so much junk running in the background? I have been running custom ROMS (much cleaner) with overclocked kernels so my S4 was snappy and lost the lag problems, but with the HTC One I did not even have to do that.
ricsim78 said:
It is not meant as a comparison thread, rather my own experience with the phones and to help choose between the two as choosing a device is difficult. For one, what do you care if I write this, does it interfere with your day to day life? Are you a "thread police officer"? At least my thread could be helpful, yours is more of a waste of writing IMO.
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Click to collapse
This is definitely a comparison thread. I mean its pretty much the definition of a comparison thread haha.
He is not a thread police officer but he is right. And this thread is going to be closed once an actual "thread police officer" notices it. Sorry man, these threads are just plain against the rules.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Just an fyi....
Gorilla glass has nothing to do with how easily a screen breaks, it is a coating which makes it scratch less easily
crixley said:
Just an fyi....
Gorilla glass has nothing to do with how easily a screen breaks, it is a coating which makes it scratch less easily
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that, but some people may be under the illusion it is strong. I did...before I had the S3 and it broke being dropped less than 3 feet onto an office carpet.
FanDroid09 said:
This is definitely a comparison thread. I mean its pretty much the definition of a comparison thread haha.
He is not a thread police officer but he is right. And this thread is going to be closed once an actual "thread police officer" notices it. Sorry man, these threads are just plain against the rules.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess things have changed here, I have not really used the forums much in a long time. I am not trying to break any rules or do a direct comparison thread, I just know it is hard to pick a phone (I had a heck of a time choosing one more than once) but IMO there is no comparison (hence why I own a HTC One now and had a S4 )
Mods, if this is against the rules please close it and sorry. But even if 1 person finds it useful, it is no waste. I also have seen a few other threads like this on here and they were not deleted (hence why I thought it was okay).
ricsim78 said:
I understand that, but some people may be under the illusion it is strong. I did...before I had the S3 and it broke being dropped less than 3 feet onto an office carpet.
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Click to collapse
Glass is glass....
They never ever marketed it saying it would survive falls better.
So I think to say it doesn't live up to its name is fallacious
crixley said:
Glass is glass....
They never ever marketed it saying it would survive falls better.
So I think to say it doesn't live up to its name is fallacious
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Click to collapse
While Samsung did not (they DO list it as a feature), Corning, the makers of Gorilla Glass, DO market it is the strongest glass you can buy that comes on a phone. If you do not believe me, Google it. It can give you false impressions about it's strengths, but I have dropped my HTC Evo and my Evo 3D (in fact, the Evo 3D fell out of my pocket and rolled down concrete steps) and they both survived without a scratch. I think it is the design of the S4 (glass covers the whole front of the phone) that contributes to this.
Thread closed.
As stated this is a comparison thread and these are not allowed under forum rules. The forum moderators have discussed this and decieded to have the thread closed.

I have to say this is the best phone I've ever owned.

Obviously relative to the time I loved my 3210 and 3310 but you cannot say they're better phones than what we have today. I thought I wasn't going to buy this because of the screen protector thing, however I needed a new phone because I sold my Windows Phone as that OS is just plain bad. I ended up going for this phone in the end because I hate big phones and it finally felt like Android got its iPhone... a normal sized flagship. I've avoided the mini versions in the past as they're always the poor peoples phone, for some reason OEMs see smaller phones as this? However this phone really makes no compromises.
I love the size, love the speed, love the fact Sony don't do a Touchwiz, the construction is so solid and nice, the camera is great, the screen is great etc. It is such an amazing phone to fit in this size, which next to my iPhone 5c it is barely any bigger. What has amazed me though is I'm getting 4 days on a single charge, I'm not a heavy user, I used to get 2 days on my HTC One, but my Windows Phone only lasted a day and this one is thrashing them all. I'm currently on 70% at 1 day 19 hours, those battery saver things built in really work.
I have to wonder if wanting higher and higher resolution screens is worthwhile, I don't miss the 1080p screen of my HTC One, I didn't miss it with my Windows Phone which was 720p, I don't miss it with this one either. I use my iPhone (which I own because IOS has the best games) and that is even lower res and I just don't care it looks good enough. I don't miss not having 460ppi or whatever the HTC One was, I cannot see a pixel on the screen of this phone or my iPhone, I don't look at my phone with a magnifying glass.
My only gripe is I wish they used the bottom bit for capacitative touch buttons.
Really great phone I'd recommend it to any one, maybe people can pick faults with it, I dunno I can pick faults with every phone I've ever used, at some point you just have to accept there is no perfect phone. The HTC One went on about the front stereo speakers, only they weren't great quality, weren't loud after the updates that toned them down because they would crackle at high volumes, the camera sucked, it was impossible to repair. The 1020, the camera was over rated, it would take 4 seconds between shots, have lots of noise, the battery would barely last a day, Windows Phone sucked. I could go on and on but I think so far the Z1 Compact is the best all rounder I've owned and definitely the best normal sized phoned that you can actually fit in your pocket comfortably.
I have to agree, love this phone so far. Before buying the phone, I was a little apprehensive due to various complaints on this forum about touchscreen, slow to wake, etc. But after 9 days without a reboot, I have yet to experience any bugs. Performance is lightning fast, Sony 4.3 ROM is very stable, and the size is almost perfect (would prefer even smaller, but I don't expect anything smaller with similar performance anytime soon).
Venekor said:
My only gripe is I wish they used the bottom bit for capacitative touch buttons..
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Click to collapse
^^^^ THIS! There is plenty of room on the bottom bezel for the buttons, and that would get more usable screen area back. But that's a minor complaint for an otherwise superb phone.
I've not got bugs on 4.3, I just don't get why people want to be on the latest version all the time, I've been on Kitkat with my HTC One and never noticed a difference...
I like the apps that keep the on screen buttons but make them opaque and get rid of the black bar, it means you don't really notice them and you feel like you're getting the whole screen. I still don't get why there is a big unused Bezel there, maybe that didn't have the space and it is a tight fit in there?
The other thing I don't get is you can easily remove the back cover and it is a bit like a Galaxy phone in there, the internals are covered by plastic, you can get the battery out quite easily and it is easy to repair. They should have just made it into a battery cover instead of giving them impression the battery cannot be replaced.
Still it is nice that you can open it up so easily.
I agree...best phone I ve ever used
Sure is best!. I have 4.4.2 rom now and it rox
Send from my Z1C using tapatalk
First of all sorry on my english
Bezel on the end of phone is probably place where you holding hands when you play games or watching movies
a title?
sorry for my poor English
I like its size and the appearance and no shrinkage to Z1.
Im worry that few people choose this phone here(they often appreciate big ones)and it appears few roms. My last phone was Moto me525 defy, it could use dozens of roms.
Finally I would complain that the forum here is not so friendly as in my country.
11 numbers! are needed, I was used none or 6 numbers when you submit frequently.
Love the dimensions and specs of this phone as well.
But I am still not a fan of Android coming from Nokia's Meego Harmattan.
If the Sailfish OS port ever comes (bug free), this would be my perfect phone.
I completely agree. I came from a Find 5, which is nice in its own right, and this phone is just ridiculously good. I left it stock for about 5 minutes before rooting and unlocking, and have not looked back. I have had no issues thus far with KK (the slightly modded version from munjeni), and the performance / battery and build quality is superb. I haven't messed with BT or camera much yet, but getting a few little things like the softkeys out of the way is about all I needed to make this my perfect phone.
:good:
Venekor said:
I've not got bugs on 4.3, I just don't get why people want to be on the latest version all the time, I've been on Kitkat with my HTC One and never noticed a difference...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google does not leave an update/work for nothing uh... If you do not see the differences, is that your usage is too basic to see (e.g., UI improvements...).
Btw, I always used Xperia smartphones and this is the best phone I've ever owned too!
couldn't agree anymore with you! this is my favorite phone too, and i just love it! all other "mini" smartphones either need a large batteri or have little internal memory or something else. this phone is a beast and have it all!
I agree 100% that this is the best phone I have to date. For a compact phone, the specs alone was a winner and has proven to be in it's performance. It's by no means a mini when it comes to resources. Superb processing and battery power and proprietary Sony battery usage software which I don't even have to use, lol.
I appreciate that Sony doesn't have to be out there marketing wise like Samsung and elegantly meet and surpass their performance. Water proof, dust proof, no biggie full LTE support no limitations except maybe finger print reader (like they even use it). I have owned Samsung s2 to s4, even their minis. Ironically I loved the s2
I am soo happy I have jumped ship and look forward to continued Sony development.
sllik said:
Love the dimensions and specs of this phone as well.
But I am still not a fan of Android coming from Nokia's Meego Harmattan.
If the Sailfish OS port ever comes (bug free), this would be my perfect phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes sailfish os on the z1c would it make perfect.

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