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I've had the phone over a week now and I'd like to give my insight as to what I love and what I dislike in comparison with the Nexus.
Just a few sentences.
First off about me: I'm a big texter, I use Twitter, Facebook, IM and general browsing the most, as well as listening to a lot of podcasts and music. SO here are my impressions taking this into account.
The screen: it is hard to fully express how much nicer this feels than the Nexus screen, but suffice to say whites are whiter, colours seem truer and tactile response is noticeably improved. The screen feels more close to your finger somehow...it's hard to put into words. Visibility in sunlight is noticeably better - not quite as visible as iPhone but perfectly acceptable.
Build quality of i9000 is not on a par with the Nexus in terms of its chassis, which seemingly uses cheaper plastics compared to the Nexus' metal architecture. I was still fairly happy with the Samsung's build quality at first but subsequently noticed little microscopic scuffs appearing on the battery cover and a little dink on the bezel. I swear I have only had the phone in my pocket and haven't been throwing it around. Although it isn't exactly in bad condition now I still resent the fact that after only TEN DAYS of careful use and pocket-placement I am already able to detect small signs of wear. On the other hand the screen on the i9000 looks to be of higher build quality - it is made from Gorilla Glass and to look at doesn't seem susceptible to dust contamination as the relatively highly-mounted Nexus digitizer.
The loudpeaker is important to me, and the Nexus had a crappy, hissy loudspeaker. Thankfully the Samsung i9000 speaker is more powerful with richer dynamics and less hiss. It is on a par with the iPhone 3G, if not slightly better as it seems a bit louder...great for listening to podcasts.
Camera.
Like-for-like testing of the Nexus and Galaxy in daylight shows what appear to be richer and sharper pictures on the Samsung. I suspect (judging by their use of rubbish loudspeaker components) that HTC use pretty bog-standard camera optics; and although the Nexus is pretty good most people would favour the Samsung shots under default conditions. The Nexus wins at dim-to-low-light shots though just because it has a flash and is therefore usable in more varied conditions. Video capture on the i9000 is just leagues ahead of the Nexus which not only records at a lower resolution but also produces muddier images with dreadfully low-quality audio. The Samsung also offers a consistent framerate of 30fps and handles low lighting really quite admirably compared with the Nexus.
UI
Since the i9000 only has Eclair there are a few notable missing features found only in Froyo. Despite this the Galaxy still outperforms the Nexus in all the Benchmarking tests I've seen. I haven't performed any benchmarks myself but a side-by-side comparison of both devices (Nexus with Cyanogenmod 6.0 RC) shows noticeably smoother scrolling on the Galaxy S in all apps, including the browser. There are some nice extras too: like quick access to WIFI, Bluetooth, Silent switch and Vibration mode from within the notifications bar. I also like the fact that you can change to different fonts on the i9000 across the whole UI. This gives the OS a slightly different feel which is nice.
Input -
This really fails the Galaxy S i9000. I've really come to realise how much I miss having some form of trackball with the Galaxy S.
On the face of it things seem fine; in fact RAW TEXTING on the i9000 is a lot more pleasurable than on the Nexus not only because of the greater screen real-estate but also because the screen itself is more responsive....but the caveat is that lack of a trackball or optical trackpad...
There is no reason why Samsung couldn't have included an optical button (as seen on the Omnia among other Sammy phones) to facilitate text selection. Judging by the iOS-inspired Touchwiz 3.0 it SEEMS that Samsung want some of the minimalism of the iPhone hardware and UI but what they have failed to notice is that the iPhone uses a long-press magnifying glass feature across the ENTIRE OS which allows for VERY EASY text selection, copying and pasting. Android, and Touchwiz does NOT include such a facility - just a half-hearted cursor pad in the default keyboard which is obtained by long-pressing the numeric button. This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. I've found myself having to do this a few times as it is often practically IMPOSSIBLE to select a passage or move the cursor to the exact right place without a d-pad or trackball. This really is a major failing for me and completely ruins things.
*EDIT* i've found that swiping from the Swype to the Sym key in Swype opens up a cursor system. I've tried to get along with Swype and haven't succeded so far but i'll give it a try again .
Media -
Owing to the great speaker, listening to podcasts on the i9000 is a pleasure. Music also sounds acceptable. The music control panel which shows up in the notifications bar when you are playing tracks is also genuinely useful.
One of the i9000's main selling points is not only its ability to record HD video but also to PLAY it. I've tested it with about twenty 720p clips from Youtube, and a number of 720p WMV files and it hasn't skipped a beat. Genuinely wonderful smoothness of playback. I haven't found a video of 720p or less that it wouldn't play as yet, although the BBC iPlayer downloads from Myplayer played without sound and necessitated Rockplayer.
Anyway I'm running out of steam now....but to conclude: I'm getting rid of the Galaxy S: it's a combination of overall build durability and a lack of nice, simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light that make me think that there will be something better along for me soon. I really like the phone and find it a joy to use but the few annoyances have spoilt it for me sadly.
If anyone near the midlands, UK wishes to buy an unlocked, unbranded Galaxy S with unopened accessories for a £290 before it goes on eBay then drop me a line.
Any other questions I will be happy to answer.
leoni1980 said:
simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light
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Click to collapse
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Leoni,
I know you're not exactly in love with the swype keyboard yet, but I think you'll love it fiercely once you get into it. You know how I hated swype in the past, I think, because of my fierce liking for Tengo. But even I can like swype keyboard, and like it a lot.
The copy/cut and paste being poorly designed as compared to iPhone will be something that we had to put up with, no matter which Android phone we switch to. Granted at HTC has the iPhone-like copy and paste facility, but that's not available uniformly across the system and across all applications. So, I reckon there isn't much effective difference across different android phones in this regards. I know the lack of trackball makes text selection difficult, but not impossible I believe. But with or without trackball, the design are all bad. Perhaps a future firmware could redo cut and paste from the ground up again and get it right.
Overall, when I read your comparison, I thought it was overwhelmingly positive towards SGS, a lot more then Nexus. It was the conclusion which took me by surprise.
INeedYourHelp said:
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not so much a lack of trackball that's the problem so much as a complete lack of innovation with respect to compensating for the lack of a trackball. Ironically HTC sense implements a good system very similar to (perhaps even BETTER than) the iPhone's magnified system within the Desire browser, yet the Desire requires such a system far LESS than the i9000 owing to its optical trackball.
Text selection on the N1 is very easy in the browser: click in the trackball, move the arrow cursor click again to highlight. It's such a pity that Samsung didn't devote a little more time to core features that make the user experience more friendly and enjoyable rather than making those ugly widgets and pointless add-on apps.
Dont get me wrong I do really like the phone but it just feels too proprietary, too unfinished and too lacking in development support compared to.the N1, despite its many nice features.
INeedYourHelp said:
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
distortedloop said:
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
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Click to collapse
I've already sold my Nexus. I have a 32gb iPhone which Apple have fixed for me after I left it faulty and unused for months so Im thinking of going back until something new comes along. I got the Galaxy on upgrade and suspect (as with all samsung phones) that its value will plummet very rapidly so i'm going to sell it while I can still get a reasonable price on it. Maybe I'll buy the Droid x, maybe the iPhone 4....maybe the Desire HD....either way I'm selling the Galaxy S before it gets any tattier.
I agree with the points of the OP, I'm in the same situation, coming from a Nexus One to the Galaxy S. I'm coming to a different conclusion though: I'm keeping the Galaxy S. I find the cell signal/reception to be significantly better, pretty outstanding actually. Also, it just feels much faster in terms of data both via 3G and Wifi.
It's still early, the Nexus One has had a lot of time to mature. I believe the ROMs along with the upcoming 2.2 will give the Galaxy S the polish it needs. As for the casing, well, the material will certainly scuff faster but I'm not really feeling the back plastic is too cheap-- it feels just like my old iPhone 3G, which no one accused of feeling cheap.
leoni1980 said:
The loudpeaker is important to me, and the Nexus had a crappy, hissy loudspeaker. Thankfully the Samsung i9000 speaker is more powerful with richer dynamics and less hiss. It is on a par with the iPhone 3G, if not slightly better as it seems a bit louder...great for listening to podcasts.
Input -
This really fails the Galaxy S i9000. I've really come to realise how much I miss having some form of trackball with the Galaxy S.
This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. I've found myself having to do this a few times as it is often practically IMPOSSIBLE to select a passage or move the cursor to the exact right place without a d-pad or trackball. This really is a major failing for me and completely ruins things.
*EDIT* i've found that swiping from the Swype to the Sym key in Swype opens up a cursor system. I've tried to get along with Swype and haven't succeded so far but i'll give it a try again .
Anyway I'm running out of steam now....but to conclude: I'm getting rid of the Galaxy S: it's a combination of overall build durability and a lack of nice, simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light that make me think that there will be something better along for me soon. I really like the phone and find it a joy to use but the few annoyances have spoilt it for me sadly.
If anyone near the midlands, UK wishes to buy an unlocked, unbranded Galaxy S with unopened accessories for a £290 before it goes on eBay then drop me a line.
Any other questions I will be happy to answer.
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Click to collapse
The ending was a surprise to me, but to each there own.
From all comparisons I've read, this has a better speaker than the iPhone 3G (not sure about anything beyond that), the iPhone 3G didn't even have as good a speaker as the iPod Touch 2.
leoni1980 said:
"This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am either misunderstanding or you have it wrong, I use SwiftKey and I can select text, and select text very well. The screen is so accurate and I don't have to do much. Wherever my cursor is it will start there, so if I'm not where I need to be I move the cursor there which typically takes one touch, then I select my ending point which again I get right more often than not. Where I'll agree with you though is in apps, I read engadget and God is there touch accuracy off in that app for whatever reason. I have to literally be a cm away from the location I want and maybe above/below where I want. Typically I just settle for retyping extra...a trackball here would be marvelous.
distortedloop said:
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tenshi888 said:
I agree with the points of the OP, I'm in the same situation, coming from a Nexus One to the Galaxy S. I'm coming to a different conclusion though: I'm keeping the Galaxy S. I find the cell signal/reception to be significantly better, pretty outstanding actually. Also, it just feels much faster in terms of data both via 3G and Wifi.
It's still early, the Nexus One has had a lot of time to mature. I believe the ROMs along with the upcoming 2.2 will give the Galaxy S the polish it needs. As for the casing, well, the material will certainly scuff faster but I'm not really feeling the back plastic is too cheap-- it feels just like my old iPhone 3G, which no one accused of feeling cheap.
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Click to collapse
I was thinking of getting an N1 in addition to my Galaxy S. I'm in Korea and the N1 has been available for about a month, I got my Galaxy S about 3 weeks ago when they first came out. Now they are moving to unlimited data and free tethering so I was thinking about going with 2 devices. Samsung Hub just reported that FroYo is coming to Korea in about 2 weeks though, which takes some of the steam out of me wanting the N1.
What do you 2 think? Would you get the N1 unlocked, without a plan? I was 67% going to get it when I heard the data plans, then now it's flipped to 33% now that I heard FroYo...what to do?
Good balanced review, though I am surprised at the conclusion
The SGS certainly has some annoyances compared to my old N1+Froyo, however I'm confident the SGS firmwares will improve on this great hardware.
For me, camera flash = consistently rubbish looking photos; I don't miss visual notifications because the SGS is in my pocket and its more important the phone be loud; Cut-and-Paste - yes a little easier using the N1 trackball but I seem to rarely want to do c'n'p except to share a URL or whatever; Positioning the cursor was definitely easier using a trackball but I'm a big fan of Swype and I use the cursor positioning so rarely that it's not a big deal for me to use the Swype cursor keys. The iPhone definitely has the superior c'n'p implementation, but for a function I use so infrequently I don't miss it that much (before the N1, I was on a iPhone 3G).
For me the trackball/cursor issue ismt just about being able to cut copy and paste, its about being able to get the cursor back where it was supposed to be if it happens to move! And it seems to happen to me a lot
just so you can see my point, try typing out a sentence here on these forums within the browser then move the cursor slightly....see how efficiently you can put the cursor back where it should be
I can see where Leoni is coming from and why his decision makes sense though. With iPhone 4, Droid X, and Desire HD in the horizon, it does make sense. Leoni has experienced just about every phones available. The only thing i wonder is if he's leaving enough money for his retirement.
eaglesteve said:
I can see where Leoni is coming from and why his decision makes sense though. With iPhone 4, Droid X, and Desire HD in the horizon, it does make sense. Leoni has experienced just about every phones available. The only thing i wonder is if he's leaving enough money for his retirement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT**** The trackball-less system strikes again
I don't know what you mean Eaglesteve: in the last year i've only owned an iphone 3G, T-Mobile G1, Sony Ericsson C905. HTC Magic, iPhone 3Gs, HTC Hero, HTC HD2, Motorola Dext, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Omnia 2, Google Nexus One, HTC Desire and a Samsung Galaxy S....
;-)
leoni1980 said:
I don't know what you mean Eaglesteve: in the last year i've only owned an iphone 3G, sony Ericsson C905.
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Click to collapse
Is that right? I thought you had an HD2 and HTC desire as well, no? What about Nexus one? BTW, why did you get an iPhone 3G instead if 3GS last year?
eaglesteve said:
Is that right? I thought you had an HD2 and HTC desire as well, no? What about Nexus one? BTW, why did you get an iPhone 3G instead if 3GS last year?
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Click to collapse
See my revised post. Ironically the cursor decided to move and in the process of trying to get it back in place I hit 'submit Reply'. Can you see why I am getting annoyed with this phone now??
Yes I KNOW there is the XDA app 'brought to me by Tapatalk' but I just don't blinking LIKE it....
OMG...I know you've tried many phones but not in my wildest dream that many, hahaha.
eaglesteve said:
OMG...I know you've tried many phones but not in my wildest dream that many, hahaha.
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I forgot to mention the Nokia 5800 and the cheap N95 I picked up.
One or two devices barely saw a week's usage!
I still like the iPhone for pure 'appliance' slickness and have loads of iPhone docks and external battery add-ons; sadly I despise Apple's closed ecosystem. I may yet change my mind about the Galaxy S - I'm just particularly irritated with it this morning.
miker71 said:
Good balanced review, though I am surprised at the conclusion
The SGS certainly has some annoyances compared to my old N1+Froyo, however I'm confident the SGS firmwares will improve on this great hardware.
For me, camera flash = consistently rubbish looking photos; I don't miss visual notifications because the SGS is in my pocket and its more important the phone be loud; Cut-and-Paste - yes a little easier using the N1 trackball but I seem to rarely want to do c'n'p except to share a URL or whatever; Positioning the cursor was definitely easier using a trackball but I'm a big fan of Swype and I use the cursor positioning so rarely that it's not a big deal for me to use the Swype cursor keys. The iPhone definitely has the superior c'n'p implementation, but for a function I use so infrequently I don't miss it that much (before the N1, I was on a iPhone 3G).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that the soft d-pad of the Galaxy works suprisingly good when it comes to text selection. It is triggered by default in the newest firmware (don't believe it is triggered in the older firmware).
Anyway one can manually trigger the soft d-pad by holding down the "?123" button on the standard samsung keyboard. Very nice feature....
appelflap said:
I think that the soft d-pad of the Galaxy works suprisingly good when it comes to text selection. It is triggered by default in the newest firmware (don't believe it is triggered in the older firmware).
Anyway one can manually trigger the soft d-pad by holding down the "?123" button on the standard samsung keyboard. Very nice feature....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But that necessitates using the default keyboard and despite trying to like it for four days straight I just found it very unlikeable
leoni1980 said:
But that necessitates using the default keyboard and despite trying to like it for four days straight I just found it very unlikeable
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Click to collapse
I think it all depends on the device you are comming from. I come from a HTC HD2 and the keyboard is a relief for me. (due mostly to the better cap. touchscreen of samsung)
It's good to have device by device comparisons. But I think one always have to take into perspective the platform or device one particular person is comming from. For a HD2 user the nexus maybe worse than the galaxy. For a nokia user maybe not. Persons are historically situated
I currently have a T-Mobile G1 and I have been thinking of an upgrade.
Have any of the current Vibrant owners come from a G1?
If so, are you happy with your new phone/glad you switched?
If you aren't a past G1 owner, I still value your input.
Thanks for any/all opinions.
I lost my G1 a little over a week ago, and got a Vibrant as a replacement. So far I'm pretty happy. There are a few things to know though. First of all, no matter what anyone says to the contrary, the software keyboard is a poor substitution for a real hardware keyboard, and not a day goes by that I don't miss the keyboard on my G1. That said, I have found alternatives that work for me, but might not for everyone. I was a longtime Palm user, so the addition of a capacitive stylus and Graffiti for Android went a long way toward easing my lost keyboard anxiety. Also, the speech to text on the phone is surprisingly good, and once I found a program that optimized the speech to text workflow (Ultra Keyboard), that got me set so that between those two, I can get by without a hardware keyboard.
You should also know that the compass on the Vibrant is complete garbage compared to the G1. It is slow to update, inaccurate, and sometimes just freaks out and points in a direction that has absolutely nothing to do with where the phone is pointing. Some people also report poor GPS performance, though I haven't had this problem.
The bad stuff out of the way, it is SO MUCH faster than the G1! That, and I actually like some of the additions Samsung made to Android. I don't like how the whole thing looks so iPhoney, but it all works really well, and given the choice I wouldn't go back to a G1 from the Vibrant.
The compass and gps suck. There are various settings that help the gps, but we really need a driver update from samsung. Hopefully they will get on that soon and not make us wait for 2.2.
As for the keyboard, I like swype almost as much as a real keyboard. The voice input works good as well, but swype doesn't have the button for it for some reason. Hopefully they will add it soon.
Overall, it's a great phone and the speed and screen will blue you away coming from a g1.
I came from a G1. The phone is incredible, but the hardware/drivers have their rough edges, no doubt. I might have waited a little longer in hopes of the manufacturing becoming more consistent had I known of the issues before I bought, but when all is said and done I'm quite happy. Just not as happy as I could be.
I am really picky when it comes to this kinda stuff. Loved my g1 and thought twice about getting this phone for several reasons lyk 5mp camera when others offer more, not keyboard, forward facing camera and screen size but overall i gotta say i love this phone and wouldnt think twice about it. This phone performs amazingly and the screen is beautiful the battery is great for me atleast the gps is good no issues here and lastly the speed on the phone itself and online is crazy i love it. I couldnt be happier and it fills in the g1's shoes very nicely. I loved my g1 but i think i like this phone alot more.
Yes, I like this phone more than the G1. It was time for me to ditch the qwerty keyboard anyways and I don't like how it adds bulk to any type of phone. Plus, there are already plenty of accessories for the phone already since T-Mobile was smart enough to have the dimensions very similar to the original Galaxy S.
Many of us came from the G1 (contract about up, y'all?).
With Swype, I'm not at a huge loss for the hardware kb - the slide mechanism on the G1 was always a little scary to me, so I'm glad to be rid of that. hat being said, if the option was available, I'd've taken the SGS w/the kb.
I also dislike the iPhone rip-off part of Samsungs UI, but there are many benefits, too. The notification buttons are great & save homescreen space. Many other small things.
The biggest gripe is the GPS. IT IS TERRIBLE! It will literally lock up my phone after not locking onto the 12 satellites it can see. Buncha bull****.
But, all-in-all, the G1 was getting tired, so I'm glade to move on.
-bZj
I was very hesitant about getting a phone with no physical keyboard. About a month before I bought my vibrant, I used just the virtual keyboard on the G1. I have to say, Swype is the best thing since slice bread for keyboard technology. I can actually "type" faster with Swype than I did with my G1. Like others, my only gripe about the vibrant is the gps issues. I don't use it daily but if Samsung doesn't fix this, they will never get my business again with ANY product. That said, I'm pretty sure they will fix this, it would be a PR disaster otherwise.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
lmlloyd said:
no matter what anyone says to the contrary, the software keyboard is a poor substitution for a real hardware keyboard, and not a day goes by that I don't miss the keyboard on my G1.
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Click to collapse
That is my BIGGEST fear....
lmlloyd said:
The bad stuff out of the way, it is SO MUCH faster than the G1!
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Click to collapse
That is what I'm looking forward to...
androidmonkey said:
I was very hesitant about getting a phone with no physical keyboard. About a month before I bought my vibrant, I used just the virtual keyboard on the G1.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great idea...
Thank you so much for your opinions.
I'm running CM6 Froyo on my G1 and it can get very laggy.
I also don't want to go back to Sprint just to get an EVO...
My T-Mobile experience in Milwaukee has been a dream compared
to my Sprint experience...
Go to a store and play with one... you will immediately buy it. I cherish my G1 and refuse to sell it, but it is so... so... dwarfed by the Vibrant it is laughable.
s15274n said:
Go to a store and play with one... you will immediately buy it. I cherish my G1 and refuse to sell it, but it is so... so... dwarfed by the Vibrant it is laughable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G1 is a plastic brick...
That's definitely a reason I decided to abandon the physical keyboard--it just adds so much bulk.
s15274n said:
Go to a store and play with one... you will immediately buy it. I cherish my G1 and refuse to sell it, but it is so... so... dwarfed by the Vibrant it is laughable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I will be purchasing one..
I would never sell my G1 either!
I will use it as a mini-netbook until it dies of natural causes (I still won't get rid of it).
It has a full keyboard, wifi, I paid for Docs2Go, so I have an office suite,
it has a camera, mp3 player, full web, etc...
My biggest fear was the loss of the keyboard as well. I do miss it at times (mainly games), but swype is very fast and it took all of a fe messages to start swyping as fast or faster than the keyboard. Its not the same thing, but it does a great job.
Gpa and compass... Well, you know by now. I'm confident it'll be fixed soon.
The screen is amazing, even in bright sunlight. Movies on the phone rock. And the speed is unbelievable. It's so worth the upgrade!
One other bonus... With the galaxy s being on every carrier, it had the best chance of many mods and released quickly once things get going.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Bought it and love it!!!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Check the bottom of the Sig
You can't compare the two...not only different ballparks...different sports altogether. But even with that in mind, I STILL have my trusty G1 for when I'm feeling nostalgic . If you can, go for it. You'll like it.
Hi guys,
first let me say I am sorry if this has already been discussed, I tried searching but didnt find much info.
Am asking your personal opinion, if you can go back would you get the droid 2 again?
i've been researching the phone, and found some people complaining that the touch screen isn't very responsive (in comparison to other high end phones)...
Also is the sound quality really that big of an issue to you?
Again sorry if this is been already discussed.
Thank you.
I would. I've been wanting to switch over to an Android phone for a while now. I had and HTC Touch Pro for over a year now and it's a great phone but I've admired the Android phone ever since they came out. I've only had mine for 2 days so maybe my opinion isn't very merited but so far I love this phone.
Screen response seems fine to me, I might have to press slightly harder but not enough to be a nuisance.
Sound quality isn't a major issue, if it were, I would connect it to my stereo or computer audio jack.
The functionality is the reason for my purchase, plus the fact I don't own anything Windows based now!
I love this phone but at the same time I want the incredible or the x or even the merge whenever that comes out, that thing looks sick
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
I would buy it again.
I took a look at the X before I bought the 2. I don't need HDMI out; I have never been out and been like "oh let me hook my phone up to your TV and show you this vid", I usually just show it to them on my phone.
5MP camera is fine as well. My phone is for pictures when I don't have a real camera.
Keyboard is great. I love swype for an onscreen keyboard, but if I am about to type a long email, post, etc, I like having the keyboard.
The droid2 is fast, and any breakthroughs in hacking on the X usually work on the 2.
It sounds like the bootloader will be hacked soon enough, so all my issues are pretty much being fixed.
I would buy it again. I honestly cant compare it to any other smartphone because this is my first. What sold me is the qwerty keyboard and the android system. I'd rather have this over the X and Inc any day. I don't need HD video or a HDMI output
Absolutely buying it again, Swype is a great option, but when comes special word and such I just need a keyboard since there is no way to set up Swype as portrait keyboard and regular qwerty as landscape.
And I persoanlly have a feeling of other keyboards since my gf has a OG droid and I played with it a lot, and. I had a EnV3 before this droid 2 so I love this keyboard even tho it could be better.
The 1Ghz processor and dedicated GPU is a powerhouse. Again, Motorola could of played nice and leave us a open Bootloader for development.
Sent from my DROID2
Well I can't really say I would buy it again because I never bought this phone I had the D1 and had problems with it, so I kept complaining and they gave me a D2 . Overall I really like this phone and I would get it again. I like the keyboard on it because a hard qwerty keyboard is a must for me. The touchscreen seems very responsive, just like the D1. The things I wish they changed were the camera, which isn't a huge issue, but still would have been nice if they changed it a little and the sound quality does bug me a little. Speaker phone seems much quieter then it did on the D1. I would much rather have this phone than the Droid X or the Incredible. I don't really like all touch screen phones. All my phones with touchscreen always had a hard keyboard that come with it.
I'd definitely buy it again! This is my 5th Android phone (three on T-Mo, two on Vzw) and it's hands down my favorite. My previous phone was a rooted Incredible and, although the size and screen were nice, the D2 just feels like a much more solid phone. I couldn't stand not having a keyboard either, so it was a no brainer. Bonus for me is the better Quadrant scores on my un-tweaked D2 and better battery life to boot! Can't wait until the bootloader gets hacked and we can really start tweaking!
Had the X been available that's what I would have gotten. Since I don't have one though I can't be certain that I would have stayed with it.
I am however satisfied with the D2.
So I'm really considering taking advantage of the Spirit BOGO and upgrading my wife and my Epic 4G to this S4. The big holdback is we both prefer a slide out keyboard to the Swype method, but I Swype a lot more than she does (or have more practice at it).
However, on the Epic, when I use the stock email app for my work (exchange server) the Swype keyboard does not erase words correctly and I have to use the physical keyboard to erase the messed up words.
I really need to be able to use this new phone for work and engage email is paramount.
So coming from an Epic 4G, do you guys think we'll have problems adjusting and will the stock email app work properly with the S4 keyboard?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app
TexasAggie97 said:
So I'm really considering taking advantage of the Spirit BOGO and upgrading my wife and my Epic 4G to this S4. The big holdback is we both prefer a slide out keyboard to the Swype method, but I Swype a lot more than she does (or have more practice at it).
However, on the Epic, when I use the stock email app for my work (exchange server) the Swype keyboard does not erase words correctly and I have to use the physical keyboard to erase the messed up words.
I really need to be able to use this new phone for work and engage email is paramount.
So coming from an Epic 4G, do you guys think we'll have problems adjusting and will the stock email app work properly with the S4 keyboard?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately I have no real insight to offer you on the email issue but I can tell you I was a die-hard physical keyboard person forever before finally getting the E4GT and realized the transition was easier than I thought. (I'd tried no keyboard before with OG EVO and gave up too soon). Also, I much prefer swiftkey to swype and swiftkey now has a swype function built into it. The beauty of Android is that there are so many keyboards you can try them out until you find one that fits you.
I can tell you, in ever other aspect of phone comparison, you will not regret moving both your wife and yourself over to the S4, especially with this great deal going on.
Good luck! I hope someone with more information on the email/swype issue can help you out.
Going from physical keyboard to on screen is like taking the training wheels off your phone. You've gotten so used to the safety net being there that anything else is scary. No top end phones have keyboards anymore. You either have to get used to that fact or continue to get mid and low range phones because you absolutely must have a keyboard.
I went from the epic to the sgs4. With the bigger screen and more sensitive touch screen it works a bit better then it did on the epic. You also have the option of the Samsung keyboard, kind of a mix of a stock keyboard and Swype. If you through it in to screen rotate the keyboard is huge but limits how much of the text you can see at once. If you're going for a new contract I believe you have the 2 week trial period to change your mind. I have loved the sgs4, works like the epic just way faster and an even nicer screen! With the higher resolution the pentile screen looks great without as much of the draw backs of pentile on the sgs1. I did have a issue with the first phone I got, wouldn't read my cheap sd card, an had an issue where the power bar wouldn't read correctly, always said 100%. My second phone has been solid and I don't regret the upgrade.
Stringyquark said:
I went from the epic to the sgs4. With the bigger screen and more sensitive touch screen it works a bit better then it did on the epic. You also have the option of the Samsung keyboard, kind of a mix of a stock keyboard and Swype. If you through it in to screen rotate the keyboard is huge but limits how much of the text you can see at once. If you're going for a new contract I believe you have the 2 week trial period to change your mind. I have loved the sgs4, works like the epic just way faster and an even nicer screen! With the higher resolution the pentile screen looks great without as much of the draw backs of pentile on the sgs1. I did have a issue with the first phone I got, wouldn't read my cheap sd card, an had an issue where the power bar wouldn't read correctly, always said 100%. My second phone has been solid and I don't regret the upgrade.
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Click to collapse
I am thinking I am sold on the S4. I am curious if anyone has had any problems with the stock e-mail app and using the SWYPE/SWIFT/Samsung keyboard with autocorrect and whether they have had problems deleted words in the app?
All I can say is do it. My wife had to have a keyboard too. Well after 2 days she loves this phone and keypad.
I dont have experience with the email, but if it helps I also came fron the Epic 4g. At first I thought it would be weird to not have a physical keyboard but due to the screen size it was a quick transition.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
TexasAggie97 said:
So I'm really considering taking advantage of the Spirit BOGO and upgrading my wife and my Epic 4G to this S4. The big holdback is we both prefer a slide out keyboard to the Swype method, but I Swype a lot more than she does (or have more practice at it).
However, on the Epic, when I use the stock email app for my work (exchange server) the Swype keyboard does not erase words correctly and I have to use the physical keyboard to erase the messed up words.
I really need to be able to use this new phone for work and engage email is paramount.
So coming from an Epic 4G, do you guys think we'll have problems adjusting and will the stock email app work properly with the S4 keyboard?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I upgraded to the S4 a week ago from the Epic 4g Touch, so not a big of a gap as you'd make, but this phone is amazing. I don't use stock email though, only Gmail. You do always have the 14 day window though, if you hate it exchange it for something else.
How is the signal quality after switching? Just curious how much better it'll be. My gf is still on the epic 4g,but will probably switch to the gs4.
Sprint 3g has been so terrible for her.. Usually 150kbps,and this is in San Jose. I'm thinking it's gotta be due to the poor radio in the e4g.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
In terms of call reception, data signal quality, and especially GPS, the S4 totally blows the E4GT out of the water for me. It's superior in every single way. I still kept around my E4GT as a backup smartphone and use it once in a while and the differences are so great.
My wife used to own the epic 4g. The transition from physical keyboard to the s4 is a lot easier then you think. As far as signal reception. Its hella lot better but it all depends on where you live
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
bender29 said:
How is the signal quality after switching? Just curious how much better it'll be. My gf is still on the epic 4g,but will probably switch to the gs4.
Sprint 3g has been so terrible for her.. Usually 150kbps,and this is in San Jose. I'm thinking it's gotta be due to the poor radio in the e4g.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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Click to collapse
Everything is better! I am way out in the country and the S4 absolutely destroys the E4GT, call quality, signal, ect. I used to get a lot of dropped calls with the E4GT and I haven't had any with the S4. My 3g was terrible on it's best day on the E4GT and it is soooo much faster on this phone. I wanted to wait for the Note 3. They gave me a killer deal at BestBuy though and I paid less than a hundred bucks. They even gave me 90 for my E4GT and the usb port was dead and would't charge the phone anymore. Can't go wrong though, this phone is a beast!
do it, do it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra70O9nps6E
Unless you are planning to use a keyboard for terminal related purposes, the switch is not too difficult. I recently switched from the Epic 4G to the S4. I loved the keyboard on the Epic, and still have the urge to rotate my phone to type occasionally, but overall the boost in specs makes up for it. It is an overall better experience, and I managed to get used to the soft keyboard quickly.
optimummind said:
In terms of call reception, data signal quality, and especially GPS, the S4 totally blows the E4GT out of the water for me. It's superior in every single way. I still kept around my E4GT as a backup smartphone and use it once in a while and the differences are so great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I agree but I sold my E4GT while it still had some value.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
This is kind of off on a tangent, but all this talk about keyboards made me think of Anandtech's review of the original iPhone from back in 2007. It seems almost quaint to read about Anand's struggles to type on a screen.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2265/6
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
maxpower7 said:
This is kind of off on a tangent, but all this talk about keyboards made me think of Anandtech's review of the original iPhone from back in 2007. It seems almost quaint to read about Anand's struggles to type on a screen.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2265/6
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Honestly, all that does is remind me how little iphones have changed over the past 6 years...
But back on topic, I had moved from an original Droid to the EVO 3D without a second thought. Leaving behind the physical keyboard was an easy choice when you have an actually good modern touch screen like the 3D did at the time, and that the S4 has now. I have no experience with the stock email app, but with the sheer number of keyboard apps available, you're bound to find something that will work. Not to mention the stock email app is much improved in the S4 over the Epic.
mattkane21 said:
Honestly, all that does is remind me how little iphones have changed over the past 6 years...
But back on topic, I had moved from an original Droid to the EVO 3D without a second thought. Leaving behind the physical keyboard was an easy choice when you have an actually good modern touch screen like the 3D did at the time, and that the S4 has now. I have no experience with the stock email app, but with the sheer number of keyboard apps available, you're bound to find something that will work. Not to mention the stock email app is much improved in the S4 over the Epic.
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Click to collapse
The OG Droid had such a terrible keyboard. Even on that phone, I still used the onscreen keyboard probably about 80% of the time.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
Well, I've been "practicing" my SWYPE and onscreen keyboard skills in anticipation for the big jump! Thanks for all the feedback. I feel a lot better, even though for people like me, it's a shame that sliders are going out of style....
I had an Epic, Evo, Evo lte, E4GT, Gnexus, Nexus S4G, Note2, GS2 & 3 and my GS4 runs Aosp better than all of the devices I've owned that aren't Nexus! Love this thing and have had no problems! Happy with my phone!!:thumbup:
Sent from my Jfltespr (CM10.1-Skank)
I miss my BlackBerry keyboard. Does anyone think that BlackBerry can bring the qwerty back, or is it doomed?
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
Borderpatrol1987 said:
I miss my BlackBerry keyboard. Does anyone think that BlackBerry can bring the qwerty back, or is it doomed?
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
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All I know is that I'm buying this phone the very first day that I can. I'm still rocking a Droid 4. It's sooo ****ty and old and broken, and I just recently dropped it and cracked the screen. I thought my love affair with QWERTY phones was over, and was even looking at that Galaxy keyboard case thingy, until I heard rumors about this last month. Now I'm news.googling blackberry venice everyday for more information.... really ****in' excited to care about having a smartphone again
I hope it sells well and shows other companies that there is definitely a market out there for QWERTY phones. From what seems to be general knowledge, manufacturers killed QWERTY phones primarily due to the increased costs associated with repairs and such of the keyboard, and NOT due to lack of public desire!
Oh I hope so. I have been saying for years as Blackberry started to lose marketshare to Android and iPhone that they need to adopt Android so they could pick up the people who wanted hardware keyboards. Looks like they can put that to the test finally.
Now, if it does take off, I'd like to see Motorola bring back the Droid/Milestone based on the X line... unlocked, and sliding landscape.
Seems like it's too narrow to hold comfortably and type with two thumbs, no number row, etc.. They really should have slid landscape style like droid 4, even droid 4 keyboard looks bigger than this venice keyboard, yet venice overall looks bigger. If they'd done that, I think it would revive qwerty, the way it is, I'd say maybe helps, maybe hurts. Still want to hold it in my hands for myself and decide tho.
enigma9o7 said:
Seems like it's too narrow to hold comfortably and type with two thumbs, no number row, etc.. They really should have slid landscape style like droid 4, even droid 4 keyboard looks bigger than this venice keyboard, yet venice overall looks bigger. If they'd done that, I think it would revive qwerty, the way it is, I'd say maybe helps, maybe hurts. Still want to hold it in my hands for myself and decide tho.
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Click to collapse
I was never a fan of the landscape qwertys. I always found them to awkward to use. I prefer portrait.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
I'm still rocking my Galaxy Relay on CM11. It's exciting to finally have a reason to get a new phone! And yes, I really do think this could revive the QWERTY phone. One major problem with previously released QWERTY phones is that none of them were true flagships. Relay is still one of the best out there, but stacked against the s3 (which came out at the same time), it was clearer an inferior device (only 480p screen, lesser camera). This will be the first time in a long time that a keyboarded phone is not just a compromise and is a full-fledged flagship. I think competitive pricing is key here. $499 would sell a lot of these.
Also, on the subject of landscape vs portrait keyboard, I have always used landscape, but I'm keeping an open mind with this one. Most landscape QWERTYs were super small anyway, so with the Priv's size might actually be as big as the landscape keyboards we're already used to.
Zer0.exe said:
I'm still rocking my Galaxy Relay on CM11. It's exciting to finally have a reason to get a new phone! And yes, I really do think this could revive the QWERTY phone. One major problem with previously released QWERTY phones is that none of them were true flagships. Relay is still one of the best out there, but stacked against the s3 (which came out at the same time), it was clearer an inferior device (only 480p screen, lesser camera). This will be the first time in a long time that a keyboarded phone is not just a compromise and is a full-fledged flagship. I think competitive pricing is key here. $499 would sell a lot of these.
Also, on the subject of landscape vs portrait keyboard, I have always used landscape, but I'm keeping an open mind with this one. Most landscape QWERTYs were super small anyway, so with the Priv's size might actually be as big as the landscape keyboards we're already used to.
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Click to collapse
Your right about the price. If they try to go premium flagship, it will never sell. Why buy from a has-been when I can go with a hot name. If they undercut everyone on price, it will sell in droves.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
http://www.androidauthority.com/blackberry-ceo-john-chen-showcases-blackberry-priv-644712/ Welp, one thing was confirmed by John Chen and that's that the keyboard CAN in fact be used as not just a scroll wheel but a full blown mouse/ pointer! Certainly makes up for the lack of stylus for precision selection. Hype!
P.S. I find it adorable that Mr. Chen still didn't quite know how to use Android. Practice makes perfect, Mr. Chen!
I'd rather have a BB Classic. This seems gimmicky IMO. It won't sell well. BB fans love blackberries, not wannabe androids. I LOVE BB but since my curve 8900, I haven't felt the phone is productive enough to match my needs. Its sad really... I'd much rather own BB than Android
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk