Database Users

Potential buyer - what is the common fault + other questions

So I am now considering this phone having previously considered 2 other phones that have very common faults, first the HTC Desire has random reboots then I decided I'd look at the Motorola Defy which I actually did buy but then the earpiece died seems this is very common too .
Is there a common fault with this phone? I'd like to know before I get to set on it.
Also:
How is the battery life? with a 4" AMOLED screen surely it can't be too good.
I understand it comes in two varieties (8GB & 16GB), which is do they sell on AmazonUK?
Because it comes in two memory options does this mean it doesn't support micro SDHC expandability? (I have a 16GB SDHC card from the Defy, would be a shame to waste)
Am I right to assume it has a-GPS as well?
What version of Android does it have currently? and what are the upgrade plans?
Thanks

jtak1 said:
So I am now considering this phone having previously considered 2 other phones that have very common faults, first the HTC Desire has random reboots then I decided I'd look at the Motorola Defy which I actually did buy but then the earpiece died seems this is very common too .
Is there a common fault with this phone? I'd like to know before I get to set on it.
Also:
How is the battery life? with a 4" AMOLED screen surely it can't be too good.
I understand it comes in two varieties (8GB & 16GB), which is do they sell on AmazonUK?
Because it comes in two memory options does this mean it doesn't support micro SDHC expandability? (I have a 16GB SDHC card from the Defy, would be a shame to waste)
Am I right to assume it has a-GPS as well?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok where should i start...?
First yes u can expand menory with a micro sdhc. The phone has built in gps. But dome people report problems with lock and accuracy. Cant tell u much about this cause mine seems to work without any problems. A much bigger minus point is that it seems a litle laggy out of the box and they get worse the longer u have it. BUT actually there are several fixes for both of the provlems here on the forum.
So if u like to play around and tweak whatever u can then id say this one is the best u can have.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Latest Android 2.2.1 no lag .
GPS for me excellent .
has A-GPS
Common as in the majority have a problem or do you mean the occasional phone has a problem .
jje

Durability of the Super AMOLED is underwhelming
see the link on my sig and judge for your self, still a great phone..

Oh yeah forgot to answer for amoled....
Well as on any phone screen is the most energy hungry thing. But the difference from amoled to others is, that black parts of a picture are "on standby" so they dont use as much power as white parts. And amoled doesnt have a back light so its really energy saving compared to others.
To be honest, battery drain IS a problem but compared to other smartphones this one is one of the best (if not THE best)
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Thanks for all your replies
JJEgan said:
Common as in the majority have a problem or do you mean the occasional phone has a problem .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both. See its hard to tell how common a fault is because most people only post/mention when they have a problem making it seem more common then it is so I'm really looking for what multiple people have reported.
EarlZ said:
Durability of the Super AMOLED is underwhelming
see the link on my sig and judge for your self, still a great phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm that is slightly worrying has anyone else on this board mentioned the same issue?
shrooms90 said:
To be honest, battery drain IS a problem but compared to other smartphones this one is one of the best (if not THE best)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it easily do at least 1 day with out a recharge, or does it struggle to do a day (with moderate usage)?
Also would it be recommended that I get a case/cover. It has Gorilla Glass right?
Has Android 2.3 been confirmed? If so when's it out.
And (finally for now anyway ) did Samsung announce anything interesting at CES?
Thanks I know its a lot of questions but I do really appreciate your help.

Personally I think you'd be better of waiting for the new Tegra 2 dual core phones. If not why not invest in a Samsung Infuse when it comes out. Now that's a phone

PaulForde said:
Personally I think you'd be better of waiting for the new Tegra 2 dual core phones. If not why not invest in a Samsung Infuse when it comes out. Now that's a phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is a better idea, the Galaxy S2 should be out pretty soon.. I doubt the Galaxy S1 will reach 1yr as the top tier phone.. even though samsung said something like for 13 months it will be the top.

Personally I would wait for the Samsung Galaxy S2 as that is due to arrive/be announced soon (see engadget news recently). In regards to the other questions here we go:
Bell Samsung Galaxy S 2.2.1 (phone bought Aug 4th)
1) No lag. period.
2) GPS works, locks within 10metres, and stays locked. It is very hard to get a lock within a building but I imagine this is common across most GPS devices. Inside my car I get a fast lock and accurate while on the highway for example.
3) SAMOLED burn-in or degradation? I have had no issue. I would say the case above is rare especially since most people are not reporting an issue.
4) Battery life: lasts a bit more than 24 hours with frequent texting and a few hour or so calls. Idling where I am not making a lot of calls it lasts well over a day. Overnight it loses less than 10% battery.
5) It has gorilla glass.
Nothing announced at CES however they are teasing an announcement in feb with the tagline "evolution is fate" beside a galaxy S. See engadget for more details.

My experience with the Galaxy S2 for the last 21 days

Hi all,
Im a new member of the forum (duh!) and I was brought here after searching a couple of things in google and it seems to hit this place more often than any other site, I've been using the Galaxy S2 for the last 21 days and here are my thoughts:
The design of the over all hardware is just premium, phone feels extremely great on the hand and the weight is just amazing! It does not feel plasticy at all as what some review sites say, for what its worth the feel is extremely premium. Tactile response on the buttons and home key is also great!
The screen is great but I see some flaws/technology limitation here and there or maybe my display is just faulty? Why is the left side slightly a bit darker than the right side of the display, its pretty noticeable even upto 50% brightness.
Samsung has advertized this as a 0.1ms response time screen but I do see some ghosting in some apps and also when dropping the notification tray, a friend of mine who has the original Galaxy S says theres no ghosting on the SuperAMOLED
Black levels are INSANELY MINDBLOWINGLY AMAZING!! I cant stress this enough! Being a fan of high end plasma displays, the SAMOLED+ just blows everything out of the water! I have to admit that if your using the phone just before bed time ( when all the lights are off ) you can definitely tell that the screen is powered on when displaying a black image but its extremely great! The lightning is so faint and perfectly uniform!
Performance ( speed ) is really great, coming from a lower end andriod phone the Galaxy S2's performance is just through the roof! Aside from the innate micro-jitters from andriod everything else is on steriods!
I really like how the Samsung UI is made especially the swipe to SMS/Call, its pretty simple yet very effective! Messaging and contacts are pretty straight forward!
GPS accuracy is spot on, I can easily get 10M locked accuracy on ~9 sats and locking speed is like less than 10 seconds!
Battery life is a bit lacking for my usage but hey I cant expect a device with a dualcore and 4.3" screen to last me 24hrs with all the things Im doing, I also have 3G data enabled with some facebook and twitter widgets and some personal email stuff going around, I also use the music player alot, depending on the usage I get about 16-19hrs.
Wifi strength is just average or maybe its just my weak router at home but on the same spot my laptop can get a very solid signal where the S2 loses it from time to time.
Speaker output is very acceptable, nothing really to write about.
Call quality is "just average" as everyone I've called says that my voice is either pretty low or theres a very slight echo.
Over all the phone is good ( not great ) it kinda meets the expectation, Im a little disappointed on the display since I really believed on all the marketing things they have made for both SuperAMOLED and SuperAMOLED+ , I payed about $680 for this phone and I still have a few days left to either return this and get an exchange or a full refund.
Sorry for the long wall of text and my poor english (not my first language)
Share your thoughts on the device and your opinion on what Ive posted, Thanks!!

- Reserved Space for other things I might add in a couple of days -

My experience last 5 days
Definetly improvements over original galaxy s are noticeable, specialy GPS.
All hardware is mindblowing but sound. Yamaha DAC is a mess, Wolfson kick ass Yamaha DAC.

caviera said:
Definetly improvements over original galaxy s are noticeable, specialy GPS.
All hardware is mindblowing but sound. Yamaha DAC is a mess, Wolfson kick ass Yamaha DAC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never owned the original Galaxy S but I've read some posts about that, with a decent heaphones the difference is day and night, not too much of an issue for me though but I can understand the gravity of this.

Flightless said:
Hi all,
Battery life is a bit lacking for my usage but hey I cant expect a device with a dualcore and 4.3" screen to last me 24hrs with all the things Im doing, I also have 3G data enabled with some facebook and twitter widgets and some personal email stuff going around, I also use the music player alot, depending on the usage I get about 16-19hrs.
Read the battery Faq posts and in particular .
better battery stats .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1179809
Applications safe to remove .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1069924
Remove Samsung Apps script .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1108479
Wifi strength is just average or maybe its just my weak router at home but on the same spot my laptop can get a very solid signal where the S2 loses it from time to time.
Excellent signal on latest KH3 firmware .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Try one the "praised" Custom-Roms =) I got much more satified since using them, especially battery life improved (still not state-of-the-art, but acceptable).
But I'm also searching for a solution for the poor call-quality. Every second call i have I'm told that people can understand me hardly. Hardware-design failure?

Flightless said:
Hi all,
Battery life is a bit lacking for my usage but hey I cant expect a device with a dualcore and 4.3" screen to last me 24hrs with all the things Im doing, I also have 3G data enabled with some facebook and twitter widgets and some personal email stuff going around, I also use the music player alot, depending on the usage I get about 16-19hrs.
check out
http://www.batteryupgrade.com/shopB...hType=searchByshopGroup#/shopGroupId/11033729
bought the biggest one, you will need an extra back cover but it comes with
the battery 28 euros for a 2750 mAh battery which at least for me by now
works perfect is a good price i believe, the batteries seem very stable and they also have the message below stated on the site
This Samsung Galaxy S2 battery (2600 mAh, Black) contains advanced technical components and has been tested according to strict CE safety standards. The Samsung Galaxy S2 battery contains a chip that prevents overcharging and short circuiting. Next to this the Samsung Galaxy S2 battery is made from high quality cells that do not suffer from a so-called 'memory effect'.
i have been on this battery now with wifi or 3g connect at all times for 30 hours
and i have 40 % power left. fairly heavy use every morning, heavy use in the evening work 9am to 6 pm mostly screen off but checking FB Twitter newspaers etc pretty frequently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I wont be messing with the ROM yet since im still in the grace period for a return, for the battery I dont think ill spend anything more to make the phone thicker or anything I also understand that the 16hrs is acceptable for the usage that I do.

caviera said:
Definetly improvements over original galaxy s are noticeable, specialy GPS.
All hardware is mindblowing but sound. Yamaha DAC is a mess, Wolfson kick ass Yamaha DAC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, nice review Flightless.
Secondly, Caviera, could you please show any reference to your statement. I'm curious to know. AFAIK not so many review site truly measure audio output/quality, except GSMArena but they haven't yet review SGS2. Although in their most recent reviews, for example for the SGS+ they put SGS2 statistics in the same page for us to compare, as you can see below:
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_plus-review-623p5.php
I am not very techie, but I can say the numbers do not differ much there. Or does it?

Mine totally disaster with the Galaxy S2 for the last 21 days.
Replaced 4 units within one month due to pink spot (wasn't know that's issue), easily overheating, power button hardware failure, very low mic volume during calls, and camera mechanism noise problems.
Also waited for another one month to get it repaired/exchanged to my 5th unit. Long run disaster, bad experience to own SGS2 in the first place.
Now start to use SGS2, found it really a nice on hand, useful and powerful smartphone.

My experience is that this phone is amazing... however the GPS is not so amazing. Nothing past 10m... at least navigation works with all the tweaks I've applied.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

ChongoDroid said:
My experience is that this phone is amazing... however the GPS is not so amazing. Nothing past 10m... at least navigation works with all the tweaks I've applied.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried an app for a faster fix, like fasterfix?

holyguyz said:
Mine totally disaster with the Galaxy S2 for the last 21 days.
Replaced 4 units within one month due to pink spot (wasn't know that's issue), easily overheating, power button hardware failure, very low mic volume during calls, and camera mechanism noise problems.
Also waited for another one month to get it repaired/exchanged to my 5th unit. Long run disaster, bad experience to own SGS2 in the first place.
Now start to use SGS2, found it really a nice on hand, useful and powerful smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WTF, 1 month to get a new unit ?
thought that would go faster as this is a manufacturers mistake i would assume?
good thing you didnt flash any custom roms or rooted the phone before sending it back then.. unless you did and already have a jig
from first glance the unit worked flawless for me, bought it in the NL, no issues at all except for the battery drain in the original firmware and the 2.3.3 OS
I flashed after a week over to Litening v5 with ninpheta 2.0.5 kernel
mostly U/c to 1000 or 800 mhz with a little bit of under voltage aswell.
but sometimes for show off or heavy games i boost it to 1400 or 1600 MHZ also .
with a little U/V and phone is fast and stable as a Rolls Royce Phantom <)
Phone gets a bit heated when it is under heavy use or when charging,
but at least my personal belief is that the reason for this happening
is simply because there is not a metall etc bezel around this phone
like it would for example be on an iphone, surely all that metal must spread out the heat to even it out??
Phone was also heating up under stock rom with heavy use so or charging so
i believe that it is not really heating up to much
but because of the bezel thing mentioned above it feels a lot hotter.
what do you guys think?

Stwzzz said:
WTF, 1 month to get a new unit ?
thought that would go faster as this is a manufacturers mistake i would assume?
good thing you didnt flash any custom roms or rooted the phone before sending it back then.. unless you did and already have a jig
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, over one month at retailer shop where i bought my SGS2 in UK. I have no ideal why they need more than a month to diagnose the phone (checked online with diagnose status). Btw, problem was found on original unrooted preloaded fw and did root the phone to solve the problem, unfortunately it can't be solved. And it's not jigged. That time was suspect hardware problems then just send it for service without thinking too much. It's still under warranty anyway. As a result they replaced another new unit for me.
Cross-fingers. Hope no more problems on my current SGS2.

I also had to wait for 30days on my 3rd replacement but I was able to use the phone till then, now processing another replacement since it has yet another defect.. waiting time is another 30days for approval.

As for wifi, even with barely any signal, i've always hit the max speed of my bandwidth during the speed test

EarlZ said:
I also had to wait for 30days on my 3rd replacement but I was able to use the phone till then, now processing another replacement since it has yet another defect.. waiting time is another 30days for approval.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really bad. I know. I know.
ph00ny said:
As for wifi, even with barely any signal, i've always hit the max speed of my bandwidth during the speed test
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also realize that my SGS2 WiFi signal always at very low bar (one bar), where placed beside my laptop (full bar). And distance to WiFi router only about 5 meter away. Is it something wrong with the SGS2 WiFi module or just another software problem again. Don't tell it's hardware problem again.

holyguyz said:
That's really bad. I know. I know.
I also realize that my SGS2 WiFi signal always at very low bar (one bar), where placed beside my laptop (full bar). And distance to WiFi router only about 5 meter away. Is it something wrong with the SGS2 WiFi module or just another software problem again. Don't tell it's hardware problem again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like something is wrong with the actual transmitter, wireless card or what to call it, my wifi on a real ****ty sweex router has good strength and I can even be in the basement of our complex and still have decent strength, I live on the third floor so the basement is pretty far away, in the house everywhere I have full strength,.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

holyguyz said:
Mine totally disaster with the Galaxy S2 for the last 21 days.
Replaced 4 units within one month due to pink spot (wasn't know that's issue), easily overheating, power button hardware failure, very low mic volume during calls, and camera mechanism noise problems.
Also waited for another one month to get it repaired/exchanged to my 5th unit. Long run disaster, bad experience to own SGS2 in the first place.
Now start to use SGS2, found it really a nice on hand, useful and powerful smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you had the same problem that my brother had with his HTC sensation! He went through 4 phones overheating, and running supper slow, I believe that you got your hands on a batch of bad phones
Sent from my LT15i using XDA Premium App

Stwzzz said:
Sounds like something is wrong with the actual transmitter, wireless card or what to call it, my wifi on a real ****ty sweex router has good strength and I can even be in the basement of our complex and still have decent strength, I live on the third floor so the basement is pretty far away, in the house everywhere I have full strength,.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then it could be something to do with WiFi frequency channel. i should tweak around and see how is it.
Poker gypsy said:
I think you had the same problem that my brother had with his HTC sensation! He went through 4 phones overheating, and running supper slow, I believe that you got your hands on a batch of bad phones
Sent from my LT15i using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No more problem on my 5th unit. Hope for the best!

-> Common problems of SGS3 <-

I was considering buying the Galaxy Note, but after I read the Note subforum carefully, I discovered few (major) issues with the device, which made me reconsider my choice.
Now I have the same situation with Galaxy S3. Before I purchase it, I want to know about all the potential problems that are known for this device. Maybe it has bad battary performance, maybe it has bad sound quality, maybe... ?
Please shortly list all the common problems (if any) that happen to be associated with this device.

not just building it up, but i can not say that i have noticed any big flaws with this device.
i have the Note right now as well, and i would pick the S3 hands down over my note, its faster, the screen is better, the battery is great compared to what i was getting on my Note and Skyrocket. and now with Jelly Bean/cm10 here this thing flys.
Gps is decent, Sound is much better than any other phone that i have had, and thats without Supercurio's Voodoo sound which should be dropped here soon.
Its a S3 forum, so yes you will get alot of people saying exactly what i am saying....its a great device. and if you HAVE to choose between the Note and S3 the S3 is a no brainer....
now the Note2 thats a different story when it drops......

TRX_ said:
I was considering buying the Galaxy Note, but after I read the Note subforum carefully, I discovered few (major) issues with the device, which made me reconsider my choice.
Now I have the same situation with Galaxy S3. Before I purchase it, I want to know about all the potential problems that are known for this device. Maybe it has bad battary performance, maybe it has bad sound quality, maybe... ?
Please shortly list all the common problems (if any) that happen to be associated with this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a lot of issues and ended up having 4 replacement handsets and have just got a full refund today. Issues I experienced were; large gaps between the screen and bezel which allowed dust to settle on the edges of the screen, pink blotch issues when using the front camera, volume button and home button that stuck in when pressed, and all AMOLED screens suffer from ink marks on a black screen to varying degrees.
I think the initial production batches have suffered from poor build quality and I do think I will purchase the phone again in a month or so when the factories won't be over stretched to cope with demand. The pebble blue version which I had seems to suffer from a lot of issues which I put down to rushed production.
Good luck

the2rrell said:
not just building it up, but i can not say that i have noticed any big flaws with this device.
i have the Note right now as well, and i would pick the S3 hands down over my note, its faster, the screen is better, the battery is great compared to what i was getting on my Note and Skyrocket. and now with Jelly Bean/cm10 here this thing flys.
Gps is decent, Sound is much better than any other phone that i have had, and thats without Supercurio's Voodoo sound which should be dropped here soon.
Its a S3 forum, so yes you will get alot of people saying exactly what i am saying....its a great device. and if you HAVE to choose between the Note and S3 the S3 is a no brainer....
now the Note2 thats a different story when it drops......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything you've said, except for the GPS part.
I don't find it decent, it's exceptional imho.
It seems to be able to get a solid signal within 5 seconds on a cold start.
It uses both GPS and Glonass together, which explains why it's so fast, but it's still impressive to see.
But back on the subject, I've always chosen devices I was pretty sure I'd be happy with (I'm doing lots of research and reading a lot of reviews on them before buying), but it's the first time that I really don't have any complaints at all (besides minor problems with easy fixes/tweaks, but the phone is really stable and fast out of the box).
Even the only thing I thought I'd be disappointed about, coming from an HTC HD2 (the build quality and design), I was pleasantly surprised about the build quality, and I love the look of the phone, even if it's plastic.
Of course that's only my opinion, but I don't regret buying it one bit

These threads are a common problem in the S3 General section....if you look down I'm pretty sure you'll find threads already created, discussing the problems you've just mentioned
Sent from my Jelly Belly S3

TRX_ said:
I was considering buying the Galaxy Note, but after I read the Note subforum carefully, I discovered few (major) issues with the device, which made me reconsider my choice.
Now I have the same situation with Galaxy S3. Before I purchase it, I want to know about all the potential problems that are known for this device. Maybe it has bad battary performance, maybe it has bad sound quality, maybe... ?
Please shortly list all the common problems (if any) that happen to be associated with this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using Note for last 5 months . I bought it from Ebay . Till now I didn't face any problems with the device.
It depends on the device you get, some device may have manufacture defects and that's rare.
Worst case if you get such device you can get it replaced as you have warranty.
So stop thinking about odds and go for the device you love

The GS3 has had an unusually bug-free (relative to most other smartphone releases) launch.
Hardware Problems:
Crackling in audio output when phone display is off (phone is in idle mode). Can be fixed in software by setting sleep mode to Idle Only from Idle + LPA.
Some screens are faulty and have pink areas
Some cameras are faulty and cause pink blotches in images
Software problems:
Cell standby battery usage is misreported and over-inflated
Creating an SMS longer than 3 messages converts it into an MMS. No way to disable this unless modding.
Email client (not gmail) mail body field text selection is bugged. Text gets deleted randomly when moving the text selection handles.
Music player sometimes plays the wrong song (one from a previous playlist) when you click on a song.
Music player also has some problems with organising songs into albums, creating duplicate albums with the same name.
The quick scroll alphabet column (in contacts and music lists) has a delay when sliding finger on it for the first time after app load
That's all I can think of right now.

jonathanyong said:
The GS3 has had an unusually bug-free (relative to most other smartphone releases) launch.
Hardware Problems:
Crackling in audio output when phone display is off (phone is in idle mode). Can be fixed in software by setting sleep mode to Idle Only from Idle + LPA.
Some screens are faulty and have pink areas
Some cameras are faulty and cause pink blotches in images
Software problems:
Cell standby battery usage is misreported and over-inflated
Creating an SMS longer than 3 messages converts it into an MMS. No way to disable this unless modding.
Email client (not gmail) mail body field text selection is bugged. Text gets deleted randomly when moving the text selection handles.
Music player sometimes plays the wrong song (one from a previous playlist) when you click on a song.
Music player also has some problems with organising songs into albums, creating duplicate albums with the same name.
The quick scroll alphabet column (in contacts and music lists) has a delay when sliding finger on it for the first time after app load
That's all I can think of right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say the marble white version was relatively bug-free as a launch handset but the pebble blue version probably has just as many launch defects as any other handset. For example, I ended up going through four faulty pebble blue handsets until finally giving up and getting my money back.

Physical home button - hard to reach, hard to press, looks stupid, feels stupid
Wake up lag - Push the power button and wait 1.500 ms for the screen to appear
Only 1 GB RAM - Not enough for a top phone in 2012... This is not 2011 anymore, Samsung!
Nothing else.. Everything else is top class..

Yea that lag is sooooooooo long I fall asleep! And I have to get a long stick to push that dam home button! And the battery it last way to long! Why can't it just die after 14hours like the rest? If you didn't know I was being sarcastic!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

but the pebble blue version probably has just as many launch defects as any other handset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same device, other color. Other batch though since it was produced after the white one due to quality control issues with the color.
Wake up lag - Push the power button and wait 1.500 ms for the screen to appear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Siyah-Kernel greatly fixes that issue. CM9/CM10 even more, it's probably well below 0.5sec

sav_uk said:
I'd say the marble white version was relatively bug-free as a launch handset but the pebble blue version probably has just as many launch defects as any other handset. For example, I ended up going through four faulty pebble blue handsets until finally giving up and getting my money back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are just too picky about the phone being built perfect it's not going to happen for any phone. The chances of getting a perfectly built phone with no defects at all is lower than getting some minor defect such as "the gap being too big between the bezel and letting in dust" I can't believe they even let you return it for that reason. Good luck on your quest of finding the perfect phone.

Halmo said:
I think you are just too picky about the phone being built perfect it's not going to happen for any phone. The chances of getting a perfectly built phone with no defects at all is lower than getting some minor defect such as "the gap being too big between the bezel and letting in dust" I can't believe they even let you return it for that reason. Good luck on your quest of finding the perfect phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My returns were all due to pink blotch issues with the front camera which is unacceptable. I've never had a phone that takes pictures with a pink blotch. In addition to that pink blotch two of my devices also had large gaps. Bits of dust actually got stuck under the screen which, again, is unacceptable for a £500 phone. Samsung must ensure the bezel and screen are correctly sealed so that dust does not build up in inaccessible areas. I've also never had a phone where I could see black dots and whirls on the screen when viewing YouTube videos at night. I'd rather have blacks that are not so deep but are consistent in colour.
Thing is, general build quality of phones is going down whilst prices are going up. It's inevitable.

Love the phone, not noticed any bugs or faults at all. No crackling when playing back audio via headphones

d4fseeker said:
Siyah-Kernel greatly fixes that issue. CM9/CM10 even more, it's probably well below 0.5sec
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No kernel fixes it. I've tried every single one available on the development section. They are all the same. 1.5 seconds wasted every time you turn on the screen.
Measure it yourself: http://online-stopwatch.chronme.com/

aydc said:
No kernel fixes it. I've tried every single one available on the development section. They are all the same. 1.5 seconds wasted every time you turn on the screen.
Measure it yourself: http://online-stopwatch.chronme.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be very lucky my phone not even a half of a second, maybe because I'm running a live wallpaper? Or maybe my phone not rooted? But is that 1.5 that important to you? Then you need to change phones,
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Poker gypsy said:
I must be very lucky my phone not even a half of a second, maybe because I'm running a live wallpaper? Or maybe my phone not rooted? But is that 1.5 that important to you? Then you need to change phones,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You seem to be trying so hard to start a conversation with me, but sorry, I don't talk to noobs. Especially ones who think live wallpapers change time Exynos SOC waits for the modem to go out of deep sleep.

I don't need our want you as a friend sorry, just get another phone if it's that bad for you
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

aydc said:
You seem to be trying so hard to start a conversation with me, but sorry, I don't talk to noobs. Especially ones who think live wallpapers change time Exynos SOC waits for the modem to go out of deep sleep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how to solve your problem! Get another phone! It's simple if your gong to lose asleep about 1.5 it's not worth it
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Poker gypsy said:
I know how to solve your problem! Get another phone! It's simple if your gong to lose asleep about 1.5 it's not worth it
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know that you was that famous! Please send me your autograph lol
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Before I buy this phone ...

Anything i should know before i buy this phone?
Like any cons/problems?
How's the battery life?

Depends how picky you are. Some people are finding problem everywhere and returning their phones for the smallest reason.
If you check the forum will will find lots of this.
Battery life ...... I had shockingly bad screen on time on the standard kernel so I flashed franco kernel and it seems a little better.
If i didnt leave 3g turned on and didnt actually do anything on the phone i could get 2 days between charges, but if used 3g the battery would go down 10% in 10 mins. But with a different kernel im getting a lot better screen on time.
As for the software its vanilla android and its virtually perfect for me and the phone is blistering fast it does everything i want very fast, also a lot of people where i live dont know what it is especially people with iphones and they are a litttle jealous when they see how fast it is.
A minus though is the phone can get very hot, I men where i live it gets down to -40 and i can use it as a hand warmer I dont know if this is heat dissipation working correctly or some other problem
Im hoping the battery and heating issues can be solved with an update which im sure they will be.
For me buy it its individual i havent seen one anywhere apart from in my pocket any problems and you can just take it straight back )))

Battery life has been fine for me, even on stock kernel (though I'm running a custom one now). As for cons, some people have problems with the phone being a little more fragile, as both front and back are made of glass. YMMV depending on how careful you are / how willing you are to put a case on it.
As far as the heating issue goes, if you flash a custom kernel and UV a bit you should be fine. Also depends on what you use your phone for. 3D gaming will obviously get you higher temps.
OP - you might get some more informative answers if you mention what phone you're coming from and what you're used to or expecting.

Battery life is about the same as any other phone in this category of the Nexus 4's specs.
The heat it gives off I would consider the same as my Galaxy S3.
Only thing that I would tell you is to have a case for it, it has glass on both sides ..I would recommend the Diztronic TPU case.
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2

im running franco kernel with it underclocked and i still get the heat issue. I dont use it for games i have a n7 for that. only normal phone use and stuff like social networks and looking at the browser when on the bus, or when im using 3g when using for example facebook (which i dont think is too demanding on the cpu) it gets damn HOT at the back like i said even when its -40 well maybe -20 on the bus which tbh is very bad becasue then it will condense inside causing water damage.
Im gonna wait till the next update and see if that cures it if not ill have to speak to google i think when im in the uk next month. Im not the kind of person who RMA`s for small things but my battery really is shockingly bad.
But i do agree that this kind of high level hardware is going to hammer batteries it has 4 x the power of my old xperia arc......

scampy said:
im running franco kernel with it underclocked and i still get the heat issue. I dont use it for games i have a n7 for that. only normal phone use and stuff like social networks and looking at the browser when on the bus, or when im using 3g when using for example facebook (which i dont think is too demanding on the cpu) it gets damn HOT at the back like i said even when its -40 well maybe -20 on the bus which tbh is very bad becasue then it will condense inside causing water damage.
Im gonna wait till the next update and see if that cures it if not ill have to speak to google i think when im in the uk next month. Im not the kind of person who RMA`s for small things but my battery really is shockingly bad.
But i do agree that this kind of high level hardware is going to hammer batteries it has 4 x the power of my old xperia arc......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, have you checked the binning of your processor (fast, nominal, slow)?
Sent from my Nexus 4

I got my nexus 4 just 2 days ago and I have an annoying static noise during calls while using earpiece. Will have to RMA it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

tengen said:
Out of curiosity, have you checked the binning of your processor (fast, nominal, slow)?
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent i will
and report back

I have something to add that I forgot to mention in my first post.
The touch response sensitivity on the Nexus 4 takes a bit getting use to..its a bit "off"
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2

I've had my nexus 4 since dec 13 it's the first batch.. The only problem I've encountered is back where the camera is It's got a little rattling noise .. Other than that I'm quite happy with my purchase:good:

Got my phone on day one. The issue I have had with the phone is it came with these forums. Best phone I have ever owned other then that. Lol

This phone is absolutely brilliant. I would put it at a 9/10, losing 1 point for the camera.
It's cooler than the SGS3 temperature wise, it's well built, it's super fast and has great battery life. Volumes are loud, earpiece speaker is clear and as loud as a jet engine, the screen is absolutely gorgeous.
On AOKP milestone build 1, with franko kernel, I get around 20 hours standby, and 4.5 hours screen on time with moderate use. Thats with some form of data on permanently apart from at night (standby time includes sleep at night lol)
Once google release good camera software, nexus will take over. Camera is a 6/10 for me.

biffsmash said:
and has great battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don´t think/feel so. But the other points 100% agree.

I'm coming from the HTC Amaze, that has an amazing battery but I'm leaving that phone because of the battery and the reboot problem.
and can you guys give me a little more information on the camera? Like pictures you guys took, and I heard the battery can compete with the Samsung galaxy 2

kevinrubio1 said:
I'm coming from the HTC Amaze, that has an amazing battery but I'm leaving that phone because of the battery and the reboot problem.
and can you guys give me a little more information on the camera? Like pictures you guys took, and I heard the battery can compete with the Samsung galaxy 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people in this thread have been discussing camera issues. There are also a bunch of pictures taken by the N4 there. The gist of it is that low light performance may not be up to everyone's standards, but (again) it depends on how picky you are about these things. If it bothers you, you may be able to work around it by using a third-party camera app - there's some debate about whether the problem is hardware- or software-related.
My personal impression is that the camera is good enough for my uses, but then again I'm not a photography buff, so take that opinion with a grain of salt

I could easily recommend this phone to anyone. The battery is what it is, I get 3-4 hours of screen on time. I do have a charger at work and home and in the car, so it's a non-issue for me. The screen is beautiful. The phone is insanely fast. The heat issues I think are non-issues, the back is glass which is a much better conductor, so all that really means is the glass back heats up to cool off the processor, plastic backed phones don't have a huge thermal plate to dissipate heat. I'd call the phone a 9.5/10 especially if you can get it straight from Google for their price. (good luck)

The biggest issue this phone has is that no one can get their hands on one.

Androyed said:
The biggest issue this phone has is that no one can get their hands on one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So true. I'm lucky I got mine!
But I love this phone. Battery isn't the best but it is still fine for me. It operates great! I love it!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

charger04 said:
So true. I'm lucky I got mine!
But I love this phone. Battery isn't the best but it is still fine for me. It operates great! I love it!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still waiting for a good offer...

I'm just buying mine's in the T-mobile store

Should I BUY S4 or Wait even more! S4 Owners Advice Needed!

Advice from current S4 Owners Required!
One month before launch of S4 i sold my One X to buy S4 when it comes in market. When it finally came out, it had known issues of
>Screan Smearing/Pink tint
>Over Heating & Battery Drain
>Lags, Lags and Lags as compared to iPhone specially.
So i skipped S4 at launched and for the first i decided to try iPhone in my life, after 10 or so Android Phones!
NOW I WANT TO ASK FROM CURRENT S4 USERS, IF THIS PHONE IS STABLE ENOUGH AND FREE FROM ABOVE ISSUES FOR ME TO BUY IT NOW, OR SHOULD I WAIT S4 WITH GOOGLE AS I HATE TOUCHWIZ AND STOCK MAY BE LITE WEIGHT OR EVEN WAIT FOR NEXUS 5?
I like smoothness of iPhone, almost all softwares like, Viber, Skype, Facebook or more smooth and beautiful on iPhone than any android i ever used, they usually stutter on Android, my problem with iPhone at times is small screen, at times i feel smaller screen is blessing to carry phone around easily in pockets.
Sharing limitations of iPhone was taken care with Dropbox as i can share songs and videos with any phone via dropbox, at times i think of absolute sharing like in any Android Phone?
I have budget now a days to sale my brand new iPhone and add money and try S4 now? but on net too much confusion, thats why i ask users to give me there say.
Thanks in advance in case if you give me piece of your precious time here and give me your thoughts.
Kind Regards!

I have s4 its good in every aspect except the heating problem
If u play any game which requires a good level of ram than it gets heated up like an oven
U cant even put it on your ear after playing games
Rest all is good
Sent from my Dell Streak using xda premium

Feels like downgrade
I had a Galaxy Note II before S4 I9500, and to be frank, it feels like a downgrade. No amount of tweaking seems to improve the lag, overheats like crazy and battery life, especially when compared to GN II, is much worse. Screen is good, but really, cannot tell the difference with naked eye. The only benefit for me was the size, as GN II's size was starting to get at me.

adem_7 said:
I had a Galaxy Note II before S4 I9500, and to be frank, it feels like a downgrade. No amount of tweaking seems to improve the lag, overheats like crazy and battery life, especially when compared to GN II, is much worse. Screen is good, but really, cannot tell the difference with naked eye. The only benefit for me was the size, as GN II's size was starting to get at me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if its just me or I'm really a nitpicker. I have an officemate who has a note 2 and I can see the jagged edges of the icons on his screen. I must say the s4 is well worth it for a flagship device. I looked around today with a friend that is looking for his next phone.. we compared my phone to other phones and he's really amazed at my s4. He will get his own s4 next week.

I have the i9505 version.
Personally i didn't notice any overheating. Its same as s3 after 1h playing, just the s3 gets warm on bottom and s4 on top. I have nothing like some said here that phone got so hot that couldn't be touched
I noticed the smearing. Doesn't bother me at all and today was released new update , which is fixing the smearing problem.
LAGS? My s4 stock with all samsung's bloats on, is pretty damn smooth, i just noticed sometimes when closing multiple apps a bit of stutter in animations but nothing major here.
If you are not interested in Note 3 which anyway you will have to wait for, go for the s4. This is my opinion.
I remember when s3 came out with ICS on, was so so laggy and buggy and everything..after updates > jellybean was perfectly smooth.
So i'm sure s4 will get just better and better with every update.

If size isn't an issue, then wait for note 3, it will be a supreme device I feel so.

Aaryana said:
I have s4 its good in every aspect except the heating problem
If u play any game which requires a good level of ram than it gets heated up like an oven
U cant even put it on your ear after playing games
Rest all is good
Sent from my Dell Streak using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it means this heating issue is having by majority of people, which means it is genuine issue and its not just playing games, i guess its by doing anything extensive, like chatting hard or surfing etc? So i should try to relax and may be wait how stock S4 pans out? as strangely i am doing with iPhone too, only smaller screen has advantage and disadvantage, at times i feel, both phones do OK, so better stick to iPhone and think about other things in life

sohebq said:
If size isn't an issue, then wait for note 3, it will be a supreme device I feel so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My dear, size is not that much of an issue, being a man here, but S4 had to be supreme of them all device as well if you remember, but cartoonish touchwiz is an issue, specially now as touchwiz often connected to lags. Plus with Note my concern is, Gosh we came out of Stylus Era, putting stylus again in phone, causing it to gain weight and size, you can't take notes on screen better then on actual paper i feel.
Yet i hope Sammy may not let you down again here with your expectation with Note 3, as you are saying, next time they will do a better Job!
My own little hope is Stock Android, but again Nexus 4 may be still have over heating less battery issues!

Dean-xXx said:
I have the i9505 version.
Personally i didn't notice any overheating. Its same as s3 after 1h playing, just the s3 gets warm on bottom and s4 on top. I have nothing like some said here that phone got so hot that couldn't be touched
I noticed the smearing. Doesn't bother me at all and today was released new update , which is fixing the smearing problem.
LAGS? My s4 stock with all samsung's bloats on, is pretty damn smooth, i just noticed sometimes when closing multiple apps a bit of stutter in animations but nothing major here.
If you are not interested in Note 3 which anyway you will have to wait for, go for the s4. This is my opinion.
I remember when s3 came out with ICS on, was so so laggy and buggy and everything..after updates > jellybean was perfectly smooth.
So i'm sure s4 will get just better and better with every update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So basically you are saying, Buy it and wait/hopes for updates to fix the problems, like stay on chances, little heating is not that of an issue, but something beyond that is not a pleasant feeling, but as people saying, its uncomfortable at times.
You are breaking news here i guess, that today smearing issue will be rest in peace, though i heard they are solving pink tint issue.
Moral of the story, which is sad, that, some users are having problems more than others, so i am not sure i will fall in which category, as usual!

adem_7 said:
I had a Galaxy Note II before S4 I9500, and to be frank, it feels like a downgrade. No amount of tweaking seems to improve the lag, overheats like crazy and battery life, especially when compared to GN II, is much worse. Screen is good, but really, cannot tell the difference with naked eye. The only benefit for me was the size, as GN II's size was starting to get at me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and a lot of people share your thoughts, i wish if Sammy could concentrate on actual use and performance of phone instead of wasting times, on extremely useless gimmicks, and if you are amongst those who think these gimmicks are useful, then don't talk to me.

usmanxhmed said:
So basically you are saying, Buy it and wait/hopes for updates to fix the problems, like stay on chances, little heating is not that of an issue, but something beyond that is not a pleasant feeling, but as people saying, its uncomfortable at times.
You are breaking news here i guess, that today smearing issue will be rest in peace, though i heard they are solving pink tint issue.
Moral of the story, which is sad, that, some users are having problems more than others, so i am not sure i will fall in which category, as usual!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not about hopes, because it will happen and updates will iron out all the issues, they always did it properly for their flagships. It was confirmed that smearing is gone on the newest update, so i guess the rest of the problems will be ironed out soon enough. Its true some has more problems than others, but this happens on all phones, not only samsung ones.
Will see what else is fixed in the new update. Looks like some camera improvements are done also.

Dean-xXx said:
Its not about hopes, because it will happen and updates will iron out all the issues, they always did it properly for their flagships. It was confirmed that smearing is gone on the newest update, so i guess the rest of the problems will be ironed out soon enough. Its true some has more problems than others, but this happens on all phones, not only samsung ones.
Will see what else is fixed in the new update. Looks like some camera improvements are done also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are painting a rosy picture here, if you are dead sure, all screen issues are solved, and if you hope, over heating issue will be resolved, then kindly let us know here too, for lag i guess stock android will be better, somehow i find touchwiz to be like chinese phones, and prefer stock android more!

usmanxhmed said:
You are painting a rosy picture here, if you are dead sure, all screen issues are solved, and if you hope, over heating issue will be resolved, then kindly let us know here too, for lag i guess stock android will be better, somehow i find touchwiz to be like chinese phones, and prefer stock android more!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't paint any rosy picture here, i was very upset last year with the s3 and all the SDS problems and all the rest, but samsung ,,fixed'' it with an update and things got better. It was confirmed by other users that flashed the new ROM that the smearing is gone. I'm not sure about the pink tint as this sound more a hardware problem on AMOLED screens, but if they will fix this somehow...even better. I have very very little pink tint at the bottom on the screen ( barely noticeable ) and this doesn't bother me. About the overheating, i guess i'm one of those which doesn;t have this issue, so for me at the moment everything is ok and i'm happy with my phone, even if this wasn't a planned upgrade, was because one of my s3's was stolen and i got the insurance out of it.

Dean-xXx said:
I don't paint any rosy picture here, i was very upset last year with the s3 and all the SDS problems and all the rest, but samsung ,,fixed'' it with an update and things got better. It was confirmed by other users that flashed the new ROM that the smearing is gone. I'm not sure about the pink tint as this sound more a hardware problem on AMOLED screens, but if they will fix this somehow...even better. I have very very little pink tint at the bottom on the screen ( barely noticeable ) and this doesn't bother me. About the overheating, i guess i'm one of those which doesn;t have this issue, so for me at the moment everything is ok and i'm happy with my phone, even if this wasn't a planned upgrade, was because one of my s3's was stolen and i got the insurance out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you are one satisfied customer

usmanxhmed said:
So you are one satisfied customer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dean-xXx said:
I don't paint any rosy picture here, i was very upset last year with the s3 and all the SDS problems and all the rest, but samsung ,,fixed'' it with an update and things got better. It was confirmed by other users that flashed the new ROM that the smearing is gone. I'm not sure about the pink tint as this sound more a hardware problem on AMOLED screens, but if they will fix this somehow...even better. I have very very little pink tint at the bottom on the screen ( barely noticeable ) and this doesn't bother me. About the overheating, i guess i'm one of those which doesn;t have this issue, so for me at the moment everything is ok and i'm happy with my phone, even if this wasn't a planned upgrade, was because one of my s3's was stolen and i got the insurance out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sent my wallet deep down my drawer, you want me to search for it again

usmanxhmed said:
I sent my wallet deep down my drawer, you want me to search for it again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't where are you from and what s4 they sell in your country. 9500 or 9505?
I'm talking here about the 9505.
You can keep an eye on this thread >> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2252855&page=17
Soon users that will flash the new ROM will keep it updated if anything else is fixed, so you can decide.

Dean-xXx said:
I don't where are you from and what s4 they sell in your country. 9500 or 9505?
I'm talking here about the 9505.
You can keep an eye on this thread >> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2252855&page=17
Soon users that will flash the new ROM will keep it updated if anything else is fixed, so you can decide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am from Pakistan, here we get officially in warranty unsubsidised 9500, some importers have also imported 9505 but thats without warranty!
People could not even find out yet which version is better, though i feel over heating is more of an issue with 9500!

usmanxhmed said:
Yes and a lot of people share your thoughts, i wish if Sammy could concentrate on actual use and performance of phone instead of wasting times, on extremely useless gimmicks, and if you are amongst those who think these gimmicks are useful, then don't talk to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get it, why does when Apple release features that are unique people see it as amazing and innovative while if Samsung does the same thing they are called "gimmicks"

TeeeJaay said:
I don't get it, why does when Apple release features that are unique people see it as amazing and innovative while if Samsung does the same thing they are called "gimmicks"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O yes!
This is a very good question!

usmanxhmed said:
My dear, size is not that much of an issue, being a man here, but S4 had to be supreme of them all device as well if you remember, but cartoonish touchwiz is an issue, specially now as touchwiz often connected to lags. Plus with Note my concern is, Gosh we came out of Stylus Era, putting stylus again in phone, causing it to gain weight and size, you can't take notes on screen better then on actual paper i feel.
Yet i hope Sammy may not let you down again here with your expectation with Note 3, as you are saying, next time they will do a better Job!
My own little hope is Stock Android, but again Nexus 4 may be still have over heating less battery issues!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want stock android then you can go for stock google version of S4. It won't be directly available in Pakistan I feel so you will have to got for used one.
Regarding stylus, we it i useful as well as gimmek. Its up to you how you want to use it.