Database Users

Is the Samsung Fascinate a good choice?

I'm due for an upgrade on Nov. 18th, and wanted to know the goods and bads of this phone from my fellow XDA Community. Basically, I want to know:
1. Will the lagfix potentially fix any "lag" on the phone beforehand?
2. Is the GPS as bad as people say it is?
3. Is Screen Burn in a problem with the Super Amoled Screen?
4. Is the Camera and Camcorder any good?
I'm coming from a Droid Eris and want to get the best phone out there that can last me for a year.

Ok my personal opinion:
Camera is great!!!
Video Recording is great
Screen Is great!!!
GPS is quirky (might be fixed with 2.2 update)
Touchwiz is boring , slow etc
Great design!
But i got rid of mine, in hopes that the htc desire hd is being released this month on verizon! The new Sense UI is awesome .......my opinion others love stock android ui!

Just saw your coming from a HTC Eris..........then honestly if you like the Sense UI, dont get this!
Goodluck!

I came from an Eris too and I love this! (I got rid of the Sense UI on my Eris with a custom ROM) Personally I don't have any problem with lag even without a lagfix, my GPS works just fine, and call quality is great. It is a big improvement from the Eris, the battery life is definitely better, and I really have nothing bad to say about it. The only thing I miss is the LED notification but there are ways around that. The camera and camcorder work great - excellent picture quality, and no screen burn in that I have seen so far anyway.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Wtf does HTC sense have to do with the Samsung phone. I never flame but that is dumb as hell to say. Touchwiz and sense are not even close. Besides. Put LP on there and forget it. People only slam it when its not their cup of tea. I have literally had every phone Verizon has release since the Droid 1 and I ****ing love my fascinate. The new HTC will likely be a ***** to root much like the others. And Verizon WILL NOT GET DESIRE HD. it will likely be the exact same phone but not called that. But in Sherwood's defense ill say that's one hella good looking phone. But I am gonna keep my fascinate til LTE and by the. That HTC will be shot BC it wont have LTE. if u want to be impressed read about how much better fascinate screen and CPU /GPU Are than any other phone. If u like to game the Samsung galaxy phones are the absolutely best made for that
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Untrue statement about Sense UI being better than Touchwiz. I have had the eris, incredible and now the facinate and touchwiz is just fine. Load ADW as your launcher and you will really dig this phone over the eris for sure.
IMO... GPS is not that big of an issue for me as there are some work arounds to get satellites to lock quicker and if I do get burn in on my screen I will have it replaced.With the 2.2 update just around the corner it should help make this a more solid phone. (Especially after the developers get a hold of it!) If your ok with the size of the incredible, there isn't a better phone made but it lacks a good car dock/mount and the best case ever made, "kickstand case". My incredible did have a little better cell signal also... Having said that, good luck. The facinate will be a huge upgrade from the eris. And as stated before, this is all (IMO) with experience with all three.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Depending on your screen size preferences and the reviews you might want to take a look at the Samsung Continuum when it comes out - should be before your upgrade date. If you must have a notification when things happen then the ticker seems to be a great idea. We have yet to see how it affects battery life though.

1. Yes. Also depends on your level of annoyance to the lag.
2. No.
3. None evident at all, after a month and a half.
4. Yes. I have always loved the sammy panorama feature.
No regrets at all.
good day.

Coming from a moto droid this phone is great!
Camera and camcorder are great
gps is iffy at time but works prob get fixed
I like touchwiz and find it not laggy at all in fact its one of the only launchers that dont lag when used with lwp. I mean launcher pro does not lag alot but u can see it in the app drawer alittle touchwiz app drawer has zero lag.
I dont use lagfix (uninstalled) i see no need for it actually i think just running the stock deodexed rom makes for a super smooth experiance.

Problem is, I'm deciding between a Samsung Fascinate with AWESOME hardware (love that GPU) and a Droid X with 2. 2. It's hard!
Sent from Eris with Froyo

Go to a corporate store and play with both of them - I briefly considered the Droid X but when I tried it out in the store, it just seemed slow and somehow cumbersome and not just from the size - even stock the Fascinate was smoother to me.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

If you liked the ERIS......... stay with SENSE UI. Its hard to give it up. I regret it!!!
As far as Games , if you want a gaming phone WAIT TILL THERE ARE QUALITY GAMES. And not 1 year old IPHONE PORTS.
Wait a little longer trust me.
BTW I had the droid X the camera was complete garbage!!! And I prefer capacative buttons at the bottom and not tactile ones like the x.
But again stay with sense. You get alot of built in options stock instead of 3rd party addons to get same options. Like copy and paste, and scrollable widgets.
Goodluck!!

I'll just have to wait and see.

TheSonicEmerald said:
1. Will the lagfix potentially fix any "lag" on the phone beforehand?
2. Is the GPS as bad as people say it is?
3. Is Screen Burn in a problem with the Super Amoled Screen?
4. Is the Camera and Camcorder any good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I don't notice any lag for normal use. It only really lags on me when installing things from the Market, but I'm guessing this is a general issue with Android
2. GPS lock can take 10-20 sec, but isn't that bad. I've found that always leaving GPS on as opposed to turning it off/on as needed helps keep the lag from being as bad.
3. Haven't noticed any burn in on my phone
4. I haven't taken many pictures yet, but the one's I have taken have been good for a phone camera
I'd say go to a store and play with both devices. After using the capacitive buttons on the Fascinate for a couple weeks now, the physical buttons of the Droid X seemed annoying when I played around with one a few days ago. Also, if you're waiting until the 18th, FroYo should be out not long after that, and that is when I'd expect a lot of development to start up for ROMs and kernels, so the software should hopefully catch up to the great hardware in a couple months.

Droid X VS Fascinate
I just picked up the Fascinate a few days ago after returning the X. I had the X for three weeks. I agree with the poster that noted how BAD the X camera is. So far with the sammy I have not had any issues lag,GPS or otherwise. I had a Tmo Vibrant and loved it. My only complaint about the fascinate is the lack of 2.2. Other than that I think its the perfect size and weight. I currently carry and iPhone 4 and the Fascinate. I dont think I have taken the iPhone out of my laptop bag since I got the Samsung.

you should wait and see if the nexus two comes to vzw

Chuban7 said:
you should wait and see if the nexus two comes to vzw
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Click to collapse
No, you shouldn't. Right now the Nexus Two is a mythical device that does not exist. Even if Google does decide to make one, it won't be out anytime soon, and there's a good chance it wouldn't be on Verizon first, if at all.
I came from an Eris myself, and had no problem dumping Sense UI. In fact, the last month I had it, I was running the KaosFroyo ROM, which is based on stock Froyo. Once I installed LauncherPro Plus, Dialer One, and a few other goodies, I realized that it was even better than when it ran Sense UI. If I were you, I would grab the Fascinate over the Droid X, because te hardware is superior, and Froyo will be out for it soon enough. Bing is a non-issue, since it can easily be removed by rooting, if you don't like it.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Upgrade to Epic 4g from evo 4g?

So my evo is starting to act up, wondering if the epic would be a viable replacement?
Anyone done this or have any input on it?
Mostly use my phones for the tether, texting and killing time at work.
Thanks for any help!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Not much of an upgrade unless you want the keyboard or a slightly better screen if you ask me. If your phone is acting up it may be software related? Try flashing a different ROM or something

Could be rom, but Im thinking the meeting with the concrete today may have something to do with it to be honest.
Could be warranty time. Lol.
I'll try a different Rom in a bit.
Cyanogen mod time.
But nothing really better than the evo then?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

trueplaya89 said:
Could be rom, but Im thinking the meeting with the concrete today may have something to do with it to be honest.
Could be warranty time. Lol.
I'll try a different Rom in a bit.
Cyanogen mod time.
But nothing really better than the evo then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Epic is better then an EVO overall..but it boils down to is it worth for you to spend money buying a new one...
your usage is mostly fairly simple, I guess you'd have better time texting if you use the physical kb I guess...or if by killing time you mean running high end games..then Epic would definitely be an improvement..
I mean what do you mean by "acting up" and "killing time"..be a bit specific?
I'll tell you this though Epic runs really awesome stock with little to no issues...

trueplaya89 said:
Could be rom, but Im thinking the meeting with the concrete today may have something to do with it to be honest.
Could be warranty time. Lol.
I'll try a different Rom in a bit.
Cyanogen mod time.
But nothing really better than the evo then?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us answer that question after official froyo is released and/or Cyanogen mod is fully ported.

I have had 5 random restarts, seem to all happened during data usuage, but I haven't had random ones on this phone before. Trying to strain the phone some more now.
My usuage for my phone is mostly just the tether/wifi tether, facebook chat, texting, mp3 player occasionally, haven't really gotten into gaming on the phone.
I know it may me being paranoid... And I haven't bought a new phone in a while haha.
And anyone swype on their epic? Or is everyone all die hard keyboard?
Thanks everyone
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I just recently got the epic over the evo, due to the beautiful screen and so far I'm thrilled. The Evo is a very nice phone and I'd say on par with the epic but the epic has the keyboard along with a super amoled screen. Some say the 8MP camera is a plus for the evo but personally I'd rather have a samsung 5mp than a htc 8mp, just due to their reputation. But both take beautiful pics, so it really comes down to is the keyboard and amoled with gorilla glass worth it for you? I rarely use the slide out, mostly swype, but for long emails, texts, etc the slide out is extremely useful!
So evaluate the pros / cons and see if its worth it for you! I'm more than happy I went with the epic!
Sincerely,
D3luSi0n4L

I agree with D3luSi0n4L, you just need to evaluate the pros/cons as they pertain to you. I'm overall pleased with my Epic because IMO the screen quality is superior and I like to have a physical keyboard (especially when traveling, Emulators play nicely with keyboards ) The only hangup with the Epic is the lackluster support from Samsung. If you really like playing with new ROMs and constantly tweaking your phone, then the EVO will be better for you. Lets face it, HTC phones just have more support behind them. Hell, even the Hero is still getting updates...
Like i said, figure out what's most important to you and go from there.

The epic is a viable replacement. Its noticeably smaller though, even if its only .3 inches. That might make a difference. Other than that its basically the same+keyboard. And froyo isn't out officially yet. and there's a considerable difference in development for the epic and evo...so you might wanna take that into account too, although stock dk28 froyo is good enough. I've been running it since it firs got leaked and my gps is perfect and everythin else works. Even the browser. Wen froyo is officially released, this phone will easily beat evo
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Oh and swype is preinstalled lol
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Evo has Swype since last week's update.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

That's a downgrade if you ask me, I have both unless you game and watch movies. The Evo is a better daily functional phone, hands down.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Basically the phones are very similar. You should try to see about that warranty before you drop a load of cash on a phone that isn't all that different. Are you out of warrantee/due for an upgrade? T-Mobile Nexus S looks yummy

sleepy8594 said:
That's a downgrade if you ask me, I have both unless you game and watch movies. The Evo is a better daily functional phone, hands down.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will have to agree with this statement. But again, this is MY OWN personal thoughts on it. I have both phones as well and I find myself using my EVO a lot more than my Epic. Not saying that the Epic is not a good phone because it is a good phone.
At the end of the day though, its all in what YOU want and what works best for YOU. Thats something no one can speak on. Either way, your in a win-win! GOOD LUCK!

trueplaya89 said:
I have had 5 random restarts, seem to all happened during data usuage, but I haven't had random ones on this phone before. Trying to strain the phone some more now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember hearing someone say they had this issue on multiple EVOs..not sure if its true or not but this is not an issue on the Epic.
My usuage for my phone is mostly just the tether/wifi tether, facebook chat, texting, mp3 player occasionally, haven't really gotten into gaming on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well both phones can do what you want...things come to mind is our Inferstructure tethering is right now 2.1 only, hopefully will be fixed soon..if ad hoc or wire tethering is what you need 2.2 works...as for mp3, we got 5.1 surround sound option if you have headsets that support it..
I know it may me being paranoid... And I haven't bought a new phone in a while haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boils down to your financials..I say go play with an Epic at the store to get a feel for it before deciding though...you can load up 2.2 on their demo phones while they arent looking too lol
And anyone swype on their epic? Or is everyone all die hard keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of people use swype..most ppl use kb for long messages and gaming...in my case I need kb for remote desktop programming in emergencies...I use on screen kb by default...but I do enjoy using the physical kb for when surfing the net..I so hate using the onscreen kb when surfing webpages on all phones in general..mostly since..
1) web is ment to be surfed vertical resolution anyways
2) the onscreen kb popping up is a mess that blocks my screen :/
hence the physical KB makes surfing the net more enjoyable for me at least..
If you would like to know what we got going over the EVO its:
1) Better processor
2) 3x better GPU
3) 6 axis accelometer
4) super amoled
5) keyboard
6) Better camera
7) Better Audio
8) Gorilla Glass
9) Built in video drivers such as xvid/divx/mkv etc
10) and more...
and probably a few other things I'm missing...I'm not saying the Epic has no flaws..but its definitely a step up hardware spec wise..

Switching from Vibrant to HD2

Got a bit tired of Vibrant.....not that its bad, its a great phone and TouchWiz has been great too, GPS worked fine as well.....but the lack of ROMs made me switch. I tried going back to Nexus One.....no go, screen is crap, cant type anything without mistakes after Vibrants SAMOLED.....so HD2 came into my mind. Ironically, this Windows 6.5 phone has more Android support then Vibrant. It runs anything you want, Win6.5, Win7.0, CM7, Miui, HTC Sense, and even Linux......thats why I decided to give it a shot, at least until Pyramid comes out.

I've used both...
The screen size of the HD2 is nice, but the Vibrant display is superior in every other way IMO. And while the HD2 has some excellent ROMs, I wouldn't expect everything to work out of the box. It may run all those OSes you just mentioned, but the only one it officially runs is WinMo 6.5. Expect to compromise on features and do some tinkering otherwise. (If you require HD video recording, for example, don't even consider the HD2.)
It sounds like you've had pretty good luck with your Vibrant (compared to other Vibrant owners). Especially considering the fact that you don't mind TouchWiz, not sure I'd recommend the switch...that's just my opinion from several weeks experience. Your mileage may vary of course.
Good luck though. The HD2 has the best build of any phone I've ever used.

inconceeeivable said:
I've used both...
The screen size of the HD2 is nice, but the Vibrant display is superior in every other way IMO. And while the HD2 has some excellent ROMs, I wouldn't expect everything to work out of the box. It may run all those OSes you just mentioned, but the only one it officially runs is WinMo 6.5. Expect to compromise on features and do some tinkering otherwise. (If you require HD video recording, for example, don't even consider the HD2.)
It sounds like you've had pretty good luck with your Vibrant (compared to other Vibrant owners). Especially considering the fact that you don't mind TouchWiz, not sure I'd recommend the switch...that's just my opinion from several weeks experience. Your mileage may vary of course.
Good luck though. The HD2 has the best build of any phone I've ever used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks.
well, since today, Miui Gingerbread is officially supported on hd2. this is one of the reasons for switch. Miui work great on my Nexus 1

I have both the vibrant and hd2, the hd2 is my back up/ fun phone. I gotten tired of touch wiz and wanted to try aosp android. So after months of having the hd2 I flashed everything under the sun and loved it. There is always something new to do on the hd2.
But as for battery life, stability and speed i still use the vibrant for my main phone.

Blkegk said:
I have both the vibrant and hd2, the hd2 is my back up/ fun phone. I gotten tired of touch wiz and wanted to try aosp android. So after months of having the hd2 I flashed everything under the sun and loved it. There is always something new to do on the hd2.
But as for battery life, stability and speed i still use the vibrant for my main phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not a fan of aosp. more of a sense and Miui fan
really worried about battery though

inconceeeivable said:
I've used both...
The screen size of the HD2 is nice, but the Vibrant display is superior in every other way IMO. And while the HD2 has some excellent ROMs, I wouldn't expect everything to work out of the box. It may run all those OSes you just mentioned, but the only one it officially runs is WinMo 6.5. Expect to compromise on features and do some tinkering otherwise. (If you require HD video recording, for example, don't even consider the HD2.)
It sounds like you've had pretty good luck with your Vibrant (compared to other Vibrant owners). Especially considering the fact that you don't mind TouchWiz, not sure I'd recommend the switch...that's just my opinion from several weeks experience. Your mileage may vary of course.
Good luck though. The HD2 has the best build of any phone I've ever used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After using the HD7 so much, I cannot fathom going back to using only a 4" screen as my main phone. I still use my Vibrant daily - I think some of the Official Apps on WP7 like Twitter and FB still need a bit more work. But with just 0.3" less screen size it feels too small already. I can barely type on it anymore.
The screen is really good but once you start using the other phones (even using them side by side) I don't think I ever really think about which screen is better, TBQH.
And yea, the build quality of the HD2 is great outside of the dust-attracting speaker grilles
However, the Vibrant makes a superior phone to the HD2/HD7. Reception is a lot better. The Vibrant's speakers are also a lot better than the HD2/HD7s. Less tinny and twice as loud. Even the earpiece volume for talking on the phone on an HD2/HD7 is almost 50% thinner and lower in volume than the Vibrant.
Just makes me think how much of a shame it was for Samsung to put such terrible software on the Vibrant (not in function or aesthetics, but in performance and robustness).

kolyan said:
thanks.
well, since today, Miui Gingerbread is officially supported on hd2. this is one of the reasons for switch. Miui work great on my Nexus 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow...did not know that lol. That's awesome.

if you could, just buy a 2nd hand hd2 and keep them both.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

N8ter said:
After using the HD7 so much, I cannot fathom going back to using only a 4" screen as my main phone. I still use my Vibrant daily - I think some of the Official Apps on WP7 like Twitter and FB still need a bit more work. But with just 0.3" less screen size it feels too small already. I can barely type on it anymore.
The screen is really good but once you start using the other phones (even using them side by side) I don't think I ever really think about which screen is better, TBQH.
And yea, the build quality of the HD2 is great outside of the dust-attracting speaker grilles
However, the Vibrant makes a superior phone to the HD2/HD7. Reception is a lot better. The Vibrant's speakers are also a lot better than the HD2/HD7s. Less tinny and twice as loud. Even the earpiece volume for talking on the phone on an HD2/HD7 is almost 50% thinner and lower in volume than the Vibrant.
Just makes me think how much of a shame it was for Samsung to put such terrible software on the Vibrant (not in function or aesthetics, but in performance and robustness).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stay away from the SGS2, you'll never be able to go back to a 4.3 inch.

Nothing against the vibrant but I jsut bought an dell streak. Vibrant is the champion being the longest phone in my possession. Im just bored with it and the dell streak is about the only phone I havent had besides the nexus s. Just waiting until the sgs2 comes out.

So far 4.3'' is pretty impressive, dont miss SAMOLED at all. Both speakers suck in HD2 compared to Galaxy, built quality is much better then Galaxy, Android actually runs faster (maybe the same), battery life dont know yet..... I hear mixed reports that Gingerbread is draining more battery......but the good thing is that Miui updates are comming out each week and no wipe is needed. Might try Gingerbread Sense UI later on since its still "new" to HD2

kolyan said:
So far 4.3'' is pretty impressive, dont miss SAMOLED at all. Both speakers suck in HD2 compared to Galaxy, built quality is much better then Galaxy, Android actually runs faster (maybe the same), battery life dont know yet..... I hear mixed reports that Gingerbread is draining more battery......but the good thing is that Miui updates are comming out each week and no wipe is needed. Might try Gingerbread Sense UI later on since its still "new" to HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the latest releases, but pongster's GBX ROM has a great reputation battery-wise. And yeah, those GB Sense builds will be sick if they get the camera working.
Edit: The main thing that bothers me about the HD2/7 display is the LCD response time. Do you guys notice this as well?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

inconceeeivable said:
Not sure about the latest releases, but pongster's GBX ROM has a great reputation battery-wise. And yeah, those GB Sense builds will be sick if they get the camera working.
Edit: The main thing that bothers me about the HD2/7 display is the LCD response time. Do you guys notice this as well?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do you mean about LCD ? Haven't noticed anything different from Vibrant yet.

I've been considering getting an hd2 for awhile, I just don't know what to do though, I'll miss my vibrant like crazy, one of the main reasons I'll miss my vibe is because I wouldn't have a clue how to flash roms on the hd2..

kolyan said:
what do you mean about LCD ? Haven't noticed anything different from Vibrant yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost like a ghosting effect. Mainly noticeable on white text scrolling on a dark background. Not a huge deal, but was definitely there on both HD2 and HD7.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

cashyftw said:
I've been considering getting an hd2 for awhile, I just don't know what to do though, I'll miss my vibrant like crazy, one of the main reasons I'll miss my vibe is because I wouldn't have a clue how to flash roms on the hd2..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine with Android ROM so it was easy. with original windows, you have to flash radio, spl, and bootloader. after that its easy, and pretty much the same as Vibrant, flash the same clockwork recovery and flash Rom of your choice.

cashyftw said:
I've been considering getting an hd2 for awhile, I just don't know what to do though, I'll miss my vibrant like crazy, one of the main reasons I'll miss my vibe is because I wouldn't have a clue how to flash roms on the hd2..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will glady help you flash roms on the Hd2.
It may seem complicated, but most of it is done through the computer. DFT's executables are very simple to operate. And unless you flash the wrong radio or mess up the bootloader, the phone is impossible to brick, partly thanks to the ability to flash through the computer (kind of like odin).

battery lasted 9 hours of pretty heavy use in 3g area with brightness set to auto....mostly playing and browsing the net, not much talk time or gps. also right now and at least in Miui, I can't change settings for light sensor (its a bug or something) and stock brightness is pretty high. Ones thats fixed, I bet it will greatly help the battery.

XPLANE9 said:
I will glady help you flash roms on the Hd2.
It may seem complicated, but most of it is done through the computer. DFT's executables are very simple to operate. And unless you flash the wrong radio or mess up the bootloader, the phone is impossible to brick, partly thanks to the ability to flash through the computer (kind of like odin).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, once you get clockwork on there, it wont be so different.

april fools? haha just playing
I came from an HD2 to a Vibrant. Gave the HD2 to my brother (android virgin). I love the screen size and the ease of running multiple roms on it but speaker and camera annoys the heck out of me. Funny though because I don't even use GPS that much and barely take picture but those are some things I NEED to have in a phone.
ANyway, good luck with your new phone. I am a bit jealous of not being able to run GB w/ gps my vibrant but it makes up in other area.

Moving over from hd2

I can't wait for the roms to come out. Its simply amazing that my hd2 running android was actually faster than the samsung galaxy s2 but that is also disappointing given that I am supposes to be upgrading.
Having said that, at stock level the s2 its actually very good. Launcher pro is definitely faster than touchwiz. I have tried to stick with touchwiz but there doesn't seem to be any saving on battery life, hence no point when there are better home programs.
There are some debates about the gps but I get it working in seconds all the time even at home. The builds quality is really poor to the extent that I wanted too send it back the next day. It may be light but it doesn't exude style, more like cheapness. Battery is great without needing any compromise from me.
These comments are all compared too the hd2

hm, I also just migrated from HD2, but speed wise, none of the HD2 android builds I have tried comes even close to SGS II, so which build were you using?

Wtf u talking bout. Lol, android on hd2 was better than a lot of pure android phones. But against sgs2 ur crazy. What exactly is slow about touchwiz? Its not as integrated as sense but not slow on my device.
yeancheant said:
I can't wait for the roms to come out. Its simply amazing that my hd2 running android was actually faster than the samsung galaxy s2 but that is also disappointing given that I am supposes to be upgrading.
Having said that, at stock level the s2 its actually very good. Launcher pro is definitely faster than touchwiz. I have tried to stick with touchwiz but there doesn't seem to be any saving on battery life, hence no point when there are better home programs.
There are some debates about the gps but I get it working in seconds all the time even at home. The builds quality is really poor to the extent that I wanted too send it back the next day. It may be light but it doesn't exude style, more like cheapness. Battery is great without needing any compromise from me.
These comments are all compared too the hd2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

I also had the HTC HD2 before buying the SGS2. I used to be a flashing maniac. Everytime something new was released I had to try if it was better than what I had already tried. But enough of that.
Once I got my SGS2 I knew why I felt like getting a new, real android phone in the first place. The SGS2 has beat my old HD2 in every aspect.
I only miss the weight of the HD2. After holding it for so long the SGS2 feels like you have nothing at all in your hands.
Sent from my GT-I9100

Touchwiz is ok but the experience is not as smooth as the iphone. Nor is it as good as my experience with darkstone ram build

Yay another fake "i come from xxx phone and the sgs2 sux!"
The sgs2 is extremely fast and responsive on stock rom, so good luck trolling on that lol.

Jonzza said:
I also had the HTC HD2 before buying the SGS2. I used to be a flashing maniac. Everytime something new was released I had to try if it was better than what I had already tried. But enough of that.
Once I got my SGS2 I knew why I felt like getting a new, real android phone in the first place. The SGS2 has beat my old HD2 in every aspect.
I only miss the weight of the HD2. After holding it for so long the SGS2 feels like you have nothing at all in your hands.
Sent from my GT-I9100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, my thoughts exactly.
The HD2 was a fantastic phone, tons of ROMS and dev, but slow compared to the SG2

I don't mind the discussion but why the provocative choice of words.

+1 samething happens with every device released. Its either coming from xxx device or threatening current users with upcoming devices.
Hd2 is the flashers dream, and I have no problems with that device besides the fragile screen. But please remember that the hd2 is hacked/modded/tweaked to death. And I was there when it was just winmo 6.5. It was an extremely long process and has been in development for years now. Its a damn good android device but nowhere near the sgs2.
Its 10 times better than any iphone to above post.
bilboa1 said:
Yay another fake "i come from xxx phone and the sgs2 sux!"
The sgs2 is extremely fast and responsive on stock rom, so good luck trolling on that lol.
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Hmm, you must have a faulty GS2, as I had a GS2 for a bit, and it was so much faster than the HD2!
However, I'm back to HD2 now as the price GS2s were going for on ebay left me with no choice
If you're not making it up, can you please post your HD2 setup so I can make mine faster than a GS2 as well? I'd pay you if it worked!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

I probably should stop now as it is clear my experience is just mine. I use the darkstone ram build but with almost no other widget on. It was my weekend os as I needed windows mobile for work.
I certainly feel the iphone os had a more finished feel to the stock touchwiz. For example scrolling to the next screen with the ap news widget and the email widget below is not 100% smooth. A lot of you our there really love this phone and I don't mean to dispute.
In fact I wish I can delete this thread as it is now a meaningless reflection of my own and I accept that my opinions are not shared at all.

yeancheant said:
I probably should stop now as it is clear my experience is just mine. I use the darkstone ram build but with almost no other widget on. It was my weekend os as I needed windows mobile for work.
I certainly feel the iphone os had a more finished feel to the stock touchwiz. For example scrolling to the next screen with the ap news widget and the email widget below is not 100% smooth. A lot of you our there really love this phone and I don't mean to dispute.
In fact I wish I can delete this thread as it is now a meaningless reflection of my own and I accept that my opinions are not shared at all.
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Wow, I'm surprised that people are still using my build on the HD2
In some aspects the SuperRAM build will be faster since /system is completely in RAM. This is great for quick loading etc, but in terms of raw performance, the SGS2 has it beat
Still though, the HD2 is a great phone but I've moved on to the SGS2 now. I'll likely start working on this superphone some time soon

wow, i can't believe darkstone is commenting here haha - it was the last person i'd expect to see!
btw - i loved your ROMs, i was a major flashaholic with my HD2 ever since the beginning. Thanks for contributing to the huge breakthrough that was Android on the HD2! I still remember the first desire build
anyways, back to the thread topic
I'm currently using the HD2 and still waiting on Handtec to get stock for the 2nd preorder batch
The ONE MAJOR problem i had with the HD2 was that it did not have a "true" multitouch touch controller. Whenever two points were touched in parallel it would register it as one point of touch.
So my major issue was with TYPING on the HD2. I could never type fast because i had letters jumping here and there.
I temporarily switched to an Atrix and loved the multitouch keyboard. But after using it for about a month and reading about the S2 - i know what's better.
I had a bunch of issues with the Atrix as well so I cant wait to try out the S2. The qHD screen was nice , but the pentile matrix was too noticable for me. Plus it got WAAY too hot.
Here's hoping Handtec gets stock soon
AND I AM SO HAPPY DARKSTONE IS ON BOARD WITH THE S2!! I can't wait for custom roms

DarkStone1337 said:
Wow, I'm surprised that people are still using my build on the HD2
In some aspects the SuperRAM build will be faster since /system is completely in RAM. This is great for quick loading etc, but in terms of raw performance, the SGS2 has it beat
Still though, the HD2 is a great phone but I've moved on to the SGS2 now. I'll likely start working on this superphone some time soon
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Hey, I was quite happily using one of your ancient FroyoStone v3.1 (manually patched up and tweaked with my own stuff of course) until I jumped on the SGS2 just two days ago
yeancheant said:
For example scrolling to the next screen with the ap news widget and the email widget below is not 100% smooth
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Mate, if you reckon the default TouchWiz interface is crap just ditch it and download one of the million launcher apps on the Market these days. I didn't bother with TouchWiz at all - I just migrated my entire LauncherPro setup from my HD2 to the SGS2. The only things that bug me on the SGS2 atm was the stupid battery drain (which I think I've just fixed this morning) and the lockscreen, which I'll be rid of as soon as someone ports over a stock Gingerbeard build.

I came over from Pongster's build because I was so fed up with custom notifications not working.
Only things I miss from the HD2 are the call end button, notification LED and easy access to the MicroSD card. Oh, and TomTom (in Windows of course).
The speed boost is really noticeable in comparison, especially on the Market when you're updating or installing several apps at once.
I'm baffled as to why Samsung made the card reader so hard to access with a battery removal.

Jonzza said:
I only miss the weight of the HD2. After holding it for so long the SGS2 feels like you have nothing at all in your hands.
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Well, yesterday I took my old HD2 in my hands after 3 weeks of using the Galaxy S II.
My reaction was: "How could I carry such an overweight brick for so long?"

I'll have a hard time leaving my old HD2 behind. It may be a heavy brick but it's a good looking and tough brick. And with AmericanAndroid's Gingerbread build and the MIUI Gingerbread builds it's also been really fast and efficient with battery.
*sniff* , oh well at the end of the day it still isn't a "real" android phone so it will be nice to see what that feels like. And I've always got a solid backup if the Sammy goes on the blink. Hopefully Darkstone will have some nice treats for us in the future as well. His Froyostone Sense build was my first HD2 Android experience.

Having moved over from the HD2 myself the only disadvantage I notice is a reduction in WiFi signal strength. The S2 is a lot faster though overall, there is simply no comparison in that respect and I have used virtually every HD2 Android build available at one time or other, both SD and nand.
I miss my MIUI roms though, I'm looking forward to the S2 getting them.

DarkStone1337 said:
I've moved on to the SGS2 now.
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Over the Evo 3D? :-o
The Evo 3D has the SGS2 beat in every way save for the hacky "internal storage." The screen especially is better on the Evo 3D (qHD S-LCD). Plus it, like, has 3D.
Hurry before it's too late and you're forced to buy the SGSII! XD

curiousGeorge said:
Over the Evo 3D? :-o
The Evo 3D has the SGS2 beat in every way save for the hacky "internal storage." The screen especially is better on the Evo 3D (qHD S-LCD). Plus it, like, has 3D.
Hurry before it's too late and you're forced to buy the SGSII! XD
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Back under your bridge....
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[Q] How good a phone is this ?

Ig Going to Upgrade from my Lg optimus and was wanting to get the g2x but have heard that it has too many problems so i was looking at this one and saw it had all of my favorite roms i really dont like the design of the phone or mysense but custom roms make up for all of that . The thing is that the hardware old now that there are more dualcore phones And the screen is small for what i was wanting. Can you all give me some feedback or maybe suggest some better alternatives ?

Its solid. Battery life is fair, don't expect to be away from the charger. But thats common with Android phones.
There are 2 screens/displays. If you get one, you will get a nice one (bright colors) or the washed up one thats all white and just is terrible.
I have the one with the washed up screen but didn't really notice it until I got a G2X. However, from my experience here is what I find:
Stock Rom: Its solid. I never had any complaints with it. It will bogg down and lagg, but its expected. You get used to it after a while, but the phone was solid in Stock Rom. Never had problems while using it. Camera is decent. Sense 2.1 is alright, I like it. You won't have complaints
If you feel adventurous, you can Root it and flash ROMS. CM7 and Virtious Unity are the best alternative to the stock ROM. You'll get a performance boost.
Personally I bought a G2X thinking its better and in many ways it is. However, the one thing that just disgusts me about my phone is just how washed up screen is. Its not that is defective, just that HTC used different manufacturers for the display and I got the one that looks all washed up and just looks terrible. When compared to the G2X, the difference is night and day.
If not for that, I probably would still be using this phone. Mytouch 4G has been good to me. I have it as a spare. But if you haven't been spoiled by a bright, rich color, and contrast. Give it a shot. 50/50 on getting a good display. Overall the phone is great.
I mean get it if you can't wait. I won't lie, G2X took time to find a stable ROM. There are issues, but you'll have to test and tweak before finding stable ground. Or you might be lucky and get a bright/good display. LG can rot for producing such trash of a ROM. I'm on a G2X. But I do miss the stable myTouch 4G.

Umm I see. If I Get a bad one I can replace until I get lucky and get a good one right? I don't like the stock ui so yea I was planning on putting cm7 miui or virtuous unity are those smooth and stable?
Sent from my LG-VM670 using XDA Premium App

fr0zenblood75 said:
Umm I see. If I Get a bad one I can replace until I get lucky and get a good one right? I don't like the stock ui so yea I was planning on putting cm7 miui or virtuous unity are those smooth and stable?
Sent from my LG-VM670 using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
mt4g addict here, it's basically the best single core phone out there, i haven't seen anyone with a bad display yet (socal)
you will love this phone, it is definitely a beast.
I never used miui but every top rom out there is smooth and stable on here.
virtuous unity, royalginger (it's like cm7 that is stripped down and supercharged) heard a lot of good things about faux's rom. But i'm definitely attached to virtuous unity right now.
Forewarning, you will go on a flashing craze the first time you get this phone because every rom on here is amazing. there's a lot of great devs on here.
comparison, my friend, cousin, and brother has the samsung galaxy 4g and is jealous of my phone
my friend with the g2x is jealous of it.
However, right now I'm a bit jealous of the sensation and the devs that are heading over there.

MT4G is a good phone. I was hesitant to buy one after I dropped in broke my Vibrant screen.
It very speedy and the battery life is decent. My only complaint is I was/am used to the Super AMOLED display but after one month of using my old Blackberry this screen is beautiful.

From what I have seen if the phone was made in china you will get a good display. I think the washed out one is made in taiwan. check under the battery before it gets installed.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

Thanks guys I was looking at it and ended up picking up a sensation
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App

fr0zenblood75 said:
Thanks guys I was looking at it and ended up picking up a sensation
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
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Nice choice, that seems to be a pretty awesome phone. Havent heard bad things about it yet and they just barely got into unlocking the bootloader and rooting that device. Hope to see good things from it.

eqjunkie829 said:
Nice choice, that seems to be a pretty awesome phone. Havent heard bad things about it yet and they just barely got into unlocking the bootloader and rooting that device. Hope to see good things from it.
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Yea its really nice I dont regret it and battery life is really good . Im actually gonna wait a while to root it probobly when cm7 and miui get released for it . I have not found any defect so far

I had a bad one from china
Axe_Thrasher said:
From what I have seen if the phone was made in china you will get a good display. I think the washed out one is made in taiwan. check under the battery before it gets installed.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
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Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

tvotony said:
I had a bad one from china
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I have both, Bad and good, from china