Database Users

Considering getting this phone..

So I have a Motorola Atrix 4G right now. My problem with it is the locked bootloader. With this, it might as well not be dual core because it barely taps into that potential. It also doesn't seem to utilize the 4G network on At&t?? Anyhoo, for whatever reason, I'm interested in this phone. I just have a few questions...
How much can I buy it off contract? And where can I buy it at? I don't even see it on the ATT website yet, but it seems it's in fact been released? Maybe I'm crazy but I thought it was on ATT.
Is the screen really as bad as people say? It seems like it has a good size, but for that size the res. might be small...my Atrix has qHD and it actually is quite nice.
What's with the buttons on the bottom? Only menu and back? What does that center button do?
Any awesome custom kernels/ROMs yet? If not, is there reason to believe there will be in due time? Seems like a pretty dev friendly phone...
Thanks for the help guys! I could probably sell my Atrix for around $300 which would go towards this phone off contract, if I decide it's worth it.

cant answer all questions, but there is no better screen out there, your Atrix is not real qHD because of Pentile, the center button is Home, yes there is some custom ROMs and kernels if you check the development section
Sent from my Galaxy S2 using Tapatalk

the gs2 is not currently released in the US yet (so it is not technically on At&t), but since it is compatible with at&t bands some are importing it from the UK and then using it on att

Ahhh I see. That makes sense now. I wonder when it will be coming out then..
So if the center button is home, there's no search button? Seems kind of unnecessary to lay it out like that, but definitely not the worst thing ever lol.
Anyway, can you tell me more about the Pentile thing making the Atrix not really qHD?

I would have preferred the standard 4 softbutton arrangement. While I never used the search button to search I did use it to long press into quick settings. I also dont like that its touch, touch, touch, oops, press, touch touch press. Kinda screws with the flow. To say nothing of the fact that the real estate goes wasted and real estate on a smart phone is precious. This is a minor quibble and you get used to it but I wish these people would stop trying to reinvent the wheel and go with what works.

krabman said:
I would have preferred the standard 4 softbutton arrangement. While I never used the search button to search I did use it to long press into quick settings. I also dont like that its touch, touch, touch, oops, press, touch touch press. Kinda screws with the flow. To say nothing of the fact that the real estate goes wasted and real estate on a smart phone is precious. This is a minor quibble and you get used to it but I wish these people would stop trying to reinvent the wheel and go with what works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The home button is not bad. In fact it's nice that it's hardware so it can wake the device.
I've not once had an issue not remembering the press it.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

One positive thing that comes with a hardware home-button is that it's much harder to press it accidentally, which can be an annoyance if it's capacitive.
Having the other buttons being capacitive isn't really an issue since the most annoying action when you're doing something is being thrown back to the homescreen.
Search is on long-press of the menu-button btw and a double press of the home-buttton brings up voice search.
What it means that it has a Pentile Matrix layout is that it has fewer subpixels than a traditional layout.
Traditionally on lcd-screens one pixel contains a red green and blue sub-pixel and is laid out like this horisontally:
RGBRGB... etc
Pentile matrix displays are either like this:
RGBGRGBG... etc
or more recently (in the Atrix):
RGBWRGBW
What a pentile subpixel layout does is cutting the sub-pixel count by 1/3 while aiming to keep the same perceived resolution. In the display on the Atrix that is introducing a white-subpixel the aim is to offer brighter displays while using less power.

Thanks for all the replies guys! And yeah I hadn't even thought about the lack of a button to use as a shortcut now. On my Atrix I have long-press search opening the Quickdesk app. But I suppose I could have double tap home do that instead? And I had no idea about the Atrix screen being like that. So basically if I like this screen, there's no reason I shouldn't like a GSII screen just as much?
Hmmm I'm kind of liking the sound of this phone... It seems like it'll probably be around $600 to $700 off contract, which is pretty steep. Especially considering I might only be able to sell this Atrix for about $200 MAYBE 300..

Galaxy Note Wiyh SoftKeys

Hi
Which one is better in CM9 in your opinion?
With SoftKeys?
Without SoftKeys?

I don't get why youd even want softkeys, why would you want to waste a portion of your screen with keys that you have already have anyway

i didn't buy a device with a 5.3" screen because i like wasting screen real estate...

i did buy a device with a 5.3" screen because i like wasting screen real estate!
Tablet mode with touch keys is how i use it now.
I even disabled the original menu/back button, cause i touch them while typing.

Soft keys for the multitasking button. With such a large screen we can easily afford to waste screen real estate.

Also softkeys are not good for our SUPER AMOLED screens, they will be permanently burned to your screen after a few months!
No kidding!
Read about the AMOLED burn-in problem on Google.
Cheers!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

Rayan said:
Also softkeys are not good for our SUPER AMOLED screens, they will be permanently burned to your screen after a few months!
No kidding!
Read about the AMOLED burn-in problem on Google.
Cheers!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So will your status bar.

I personally love the onscreen buttons. I disable the other ones and disable the backlight as well. I do this for the fact that my kids and I would constantly back out of things when grabbing the phone landscape. I like the fact that with the onscreen you have somewhere to grab the phone without backing out. And although not a big deal, its less stress not having to press the big button, and this I would think would help the longevity of the hardware button itself . But in the end, it's purely preference, oh and I don't worry about the burn in as I have mine set very low so its just noticeable and It moves when I open apps and when I go landscape.

Spartoi said:
So will your status bar.
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Click to collapse
I think that was so freaking obvious so I didn't mentioned it.
Point is, why have yet another static object on screen?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

skillz9669 said:
And although not a big deal, its less stress not having to press the big button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the main reason why I enable software keys on every ICS ROM I try! When you try on-screen keys you will feel how LONG it takes to launch the recent apps panel using the long-pres on Home button! Add to that I got very used to multitask using the recent apps softkey then physical button will only hinder my speed and will wear out in a matter of couple months

I've flashed the soft keys and disabled the back lights of the hardware keys, but how do I completely disable the hardware keys so I won't press them by accident?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Rayan said:
I think that was so freaking obvious so I didn't mentioned it.
Point is, why have yet another static object on screen?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think its so freaking obvious that you're gonna have a burn in (allegedly) regardless.
Point is, why even bother trying avoid a screen burn in if its inevitable.

Rayan said:
I think that was so freaking obvious so I didn't mentioned it.
Point is, why have yet another static object on screen?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point is if u enable softkey , ur status bar blend in with the keys to to bottom of the screen. Where is the another static object comes from? It is still one black bar just different position.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

Rayan said:
Also softkeys are not good for our SUPER AMOLED screens, they will be permanently burned to your screen after a few months!
No kidding!
Read about the AMOLED burn-in problem on Google.
Cheers!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to quote this again so people are aware. Amoleds are notorious for ghosting due to pixel wear out burnout whatever you want to call it. Using the ICS on screen virtual buttons will surely destroy your screen.
That's why I also autohide my notification bar on the home screens.
---------- Post added at 12:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 AM ----------
Spartoi said:
I think its so freaking obvious that you're gonna have a burn in (allegedly) regardless.
Point is, why even bother trying avoid a screen burn in if its inevitable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Burn out is avoidable provided you don't leave static images on the screen for long periods of time. With the notification bar it is always there unless you use a launcher that hides it on the home screens and apps that have the option to hide the notification bar as well.
I use opera mobile so I can browse in full screen and not worry about static notification bars. Also use launcher pro so I can hide the notification bar.

Azeazezar said:
i did buy a device with a 5.3" screen because i like wasting screen real estate!
Tablet mode with touch keys is how i use it now.
I even disabled the original menu/back button, cause i touch them while typing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you disabled them??? Is there an easy way?

I like to use the softkeys simply becuase it allows me to completely disable the capacitive buttons and use my s pen to go back, home and bring up the multitasking window pane :good:

Rayan said:
Also softkeys are not good for our SUPER AMOLED screens, they will be permanently burned to your screen after a few months!
No kidding!
Read about the AMOLED burn-in problem on Google.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one of those old wives tales.
The burn-in isn't so much related to the technology as it is related to build quality.
Most of those issues are stemming from Gnex owners, and the ones with problems usually have other build quality problems too... they just were unlucky to have a bad batch that skipped QC.
I've got a friend who had the Gnex from day one, and to this day... no burn-ins!
I would normally prefer physical buttons (ftw) but I'm going to have to agree that the Note needs "soft buttons" aka on-screen Navigations.
Why?
Because it gets annoying shifting finger to stylus and back again during the daily use.
Bonus reasons:
- without it, the device looks much better (like the Gnex or N9)
- these can be customized for colour, glow, function and gestures

does the on-screen buttons get in the way while you're playing?

I'm asking this because I have never used a nexus device before.
I have seen some photos and noticed that the on-screen buttons appears while gaming.
So isn't this a problem? I mean you can accidently touch a button and it will mess everything up.
Is there an option to make the buttons less sensitive while gaming? or is it not an issue at all and it's a matter of getting used to it?
Also what is your opinion about them compared to the buttons in.. lets say.. SGS3.. what is more comfortable in your opinion?
I'm really intersted in buying the Nexus 4 but first I want to make sure that the most basic stuff, the on-screen buttons, are efficient and comfortable to use so I'm waiting for your answers

I've had a Gnex since July and I love the on screen buttons. Never had a problem with them. I actually like them better than the capacitive ones because you don't have to reach as far to the bottom of the phone. I owned a gs3 for a couple days and it was difficult for me to reach the menu button and I have pretty big hands. Hope this helps!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I've never had a problem with them getting in the way. Some screens will hide those keys if neccessary.
How ever software keys does cause image retention, I noticed just this past week when playing a youtube video in full screen that the notification bar and software keys leave distorted display in those areas.
Not a big deal to me, will buy the LG Nexus 4

robbyf66 said:
I've never had a problem with them getting in the way. Some screens will hide those keys if neccessary.
How ever software keys does cause image retention, I noticed just this past week when playing a youtube video in full screen that the notification bar and software keys leave distorted display in those areas.
Not a big deal to me, will buy the LG Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That image retention is only because of the super amoled. Nexus 4 has ips LCD,issues like black crushing, burn ins won't be present

If it can help, custom ROM like Paranoid or CyanogneMod have an option in the Power Menu (when holding power button) to hide or display the NavBar. (Source)

A few questions regarding N4

First off, I don't want this to turn into a "best rom" "best phone" type thread.
My HTC One X recently bit the dust, and a nexus 4 is my only option. (besides sending it in for repairs at $200, and when I paid $100 for the HOX, why not just shell out another $50 for the N4?) I was planning on buying a Nexus 4 later down the road, or a Nexus device at the next generation. Unfortunately, the time has come, a little too soon for my liking. Nonetheless, I think I will be happy with the Nexus.
Anyways, the only phones I have used have hardware buttons.. I have tried the software (navigation keys) on AOKP.
I was wondering, what are they like? Will I have a hard time getting used to them.. or do they just feel right?
If any of you have ever held an HTC One X, it feels a little weird to operate with one hand.
How does the phone feel when holding it? Is it easy to grip, or a little bulky?
Again.. Just a few simple questions, hopefully you guys understand.. We are a little unforgiving in the HOX forums towards people that ask questions about best ROMs or talk about other phones, or ask something that has been stickied, etc.

You will absolutely love the software buttons^^ So much better than hardware buttons imo. You can configure them and do anything you want with them (if on a custom ROM of course)! And to me the Nexus feels great in the hand!

Ngo93 said:
You will absolutely love the software buttons^^ So much better than hardware buttons imo. You can configure them and do anything you want with them (if on a custom ROM of course)! And to me the Nexus feels great in the hand!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course on an HTC device I would naturally run aosp ROMs. But since nexus is already aosp... Might run that for a few weeks and then look at ROMs or dev my own
If I have any other questions I'll bump this thread

Ngo93 said:
You will absolutely love the software buttons^^ So much better than hardware buttons imo. You can configure them and do anything you want with them (if on a custom ROM of course)! And to me the Nexus feels great in the hand!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a matter of opinion. I personally dislike software keys, they take up valuable screen real estate. You can also set hardware keys to do whatever you want (much like the Viper rom for the One X). Why waste a portion of your screen on buttons?
That being said its still a great phone. Although it lacks the storage capacity, capacitive keys and LTE of my Optimus G...
I've also had the One X, and they're similar in terms of form factor and feel in the hand.

Mercath said:
Its a matter of opinion. I personally dislike software keys, they take up valuable screen real estate. You can also set hardware keys to do whatever you want (much like the Viper rom for the One X). Why waste a portion of your screen on buttons?
That being said its still a great phone. Although it lacks the storage capacity, capacitive keys and LTE of my Optimus G...
I've also had the One X, and they're similar in terms of form factor and feel in the hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why aren't you using LTE on N4 when you're in Canada?

i too came from a HOX and dont regret it one bit. N4 definitely feels more hefty than the HOX but only because of the materials used as oppsed to the plastic used on the hox, also in my opinion n4 feels better in hand than the hox, theres not too much of a weight difference overall is just a wayyyy better more premium feel of the n4 comparing it to HOX, not to say HOX wasnt premium, N4 is just above it.
and to your question on onscreen vs soft keys question.To be honest i never wanted to turn on the on screen keys on roms i ran with HOX, defeated the whole purpose of having the soft keys. transitioning to on screen keys didnt take much effort at all in fact i actually love it and prefer it over the soft keys of the HOX. To me it just seems to flow better with the Jellybean OS and overall look of stock android.
All is just opinion though but id definitely buy the n4 again no regrets

I came from a One XL with no regrets.
I find the on screen buttons to be a lot more responsive than the capacitive buttons on any phone i've used before, including the One X. And i actually prefer that they take up screen real estate since they make the usable part of the screen more or less 4.5" which is far more comfortable than a full 4.7" screen. Also, the extra empty space below the on screen keys means the keys are higher up and easier to reach, as opposed to the One X keys which are waaay at the bottom of the phone and tough to get to with my thumb.
Maybe its just me, but i always felt the One X was really awkward to hold. It was never really mentioned much in reviews before i bought it. The screen bezel was really thick, and on top of the weird angled frame on the sides, it made it difficult, if not uncomfortable to hold, for me at least. The N4 is about the same width, but the grippy flat sides make it a lot easier to hold. Not the most comfortable phone i've held in my hand, but a big improvement over the One X.
The only thing i miss from the One X is the better screen. It had better viewing angles, and more vibrant colours. Pretty obvious when you hold them side by side, but you get accustomed to the N4 screen after a while. The One X camera also captured more detail and took less noisy photos, but i don't miss the camera much since it always seem to get the exposure wrong, faces always looked orange when taken indoors.
The performance difference is pretty huge, especially with multitasking, even compared to AOKP and CM10 on the HOX.
All in all, its a much easier phone to handle.

My last 2 phones where HTC and what I did to adjust was set my navbar much like my HTC devices.
Home. Menu. Back. Search
It made the change from my doubleshot really easy. At first I was SO lost using nav keys and everything but after an hour I don't think I could use anything other than full touch.
Sent From a Freaked out Nexus 4

andyondroid said:
I came from a One XL with no regrets.
I find the on screen buttons to be a lot more responsive than the capacitive buttons on any phone i've used before, including the One X. And i actually prefer that they take up screen real estate since they make the usable part of the screen more or less 4.5" which is far more comfortable than a full 4.7" screen. Also, the extra empty space below the on screen keys means the keys are higher up and easier to reach, as opposed to the One X keys which are waaay at the bottom of the phone and tough to get to with my thumb.
Maybe its just me, but i always felt the One X was really awkward to hold. It was never really mentioned much in reviews before i bought it. The screen bezel was really thick, and on top of the weird angled frame on the sides, it made it difficult, if not uncomfortable to hold, for me at least. The N4 is about the same width, but the grippy flat sides make it a lot easier to hold. Not the most comfortable phone i've held in my hand, but a big improvement over the One X.
The only thing i miss from the One X is the better screen. It had better viewing angles, and more vibrant colours. Pretty obvious when you hold them side by side, but you get accustomed to the N4 screen after a while. The One X camera also captured more detail and took less noisy photos, but i don't miss the camera much since it always seem to get the exposure wrong, faces always looked orange when taken indoors.
The performance difference is pretty huge, especially with multitasking, even compared to AOKP and CM10 on the HOX.
All in all, its a much easier phone to handle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what worried me. I love the colors of the screen and the camera. (I use cm10.1, which apparently doesn't have the camera quality of sense, but I prefer it anyway.) If the camera on n4 compares to aosp ROMs for the hox, then I'm in the clear. I don't have any option though as my hox is in shambles really looking forward to the n4 though

HTC M8 (One+) Info

I know we all waited a LONG time for the One but this news and specs look awesome! I just somehow have a feeling VZW is gonna make us play the waiting game again... Looks like the wife will be getting my One as a hand-me-down sometime next year. :good:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=49090894&postcount=66587

Those specs look pretty good but I'm not sure how I feel about no capacitive buttons and losing screen real estate. I actually quite like having some sort of buttons to press. Anyway, if they really deliver on a better camera, better battery life, and expandable storage this thing will be killer... and better quality control this time too

Crawshayi said:
Those specs look pretty good but I'm not sure how I feel about no capacitive buttons and losing screen real estate. I actually quite like having some sort of buttons to press. Anyway, if they really deliver on a better camera, better battery life, and expandable storage this thing will be killer... and better quality control this time too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree I hate on screen buttons I much prefer capacitive. It just doesn't look right when using some apps since it will make a black bar along the screen just for a menu option and back sometimes
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Malvarose said:
I agree I hate on screen buttons I much prefer capacitive. It just doesn't look right when using some apps since it will make a black bar along the screen just for a menu option and back sometimes
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fix is to do what many ROMS allow. By holding the power button I can select full screen mode which makes the black bar disappear.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I saw some features as leaked in an article about it. And I am really impressed.

Wrong thread lol
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

hoa1 said:
:good:
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Can't wait for this. I prefer a bigger screen. 4.7 seems kinda small by todays standards.

YouthSoccer said:
Can't wait for this. I prefer a bigger screen. 4.7 seems kinda small by todays standards.
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Click to collapse
yeah, you are right. sciance has introduced much technivalaity in mobile phones ... in my circle, everbody use the bogger screen phones

This is interesting.. M8 case. Possibly 2 rear cameras?
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/1609107966/new_style_for_HTC_M8_case.html

UgXvibe said:
This is interesting.. M8 case. Possibly 2 rear cameras?
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/1609107966/new_style_for_HTC_M8_case.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more likely a cutout for the fingerprint scanner like on the Max