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So, I was one of the idiots who soft-bricked my phone by refusing to listen to common sense and have patience. I went ahead and installed various ROMs all while knowing that my Vibrant was hardware locked. Eventually, it caught up with me and I got in a situation I couldn't get out of. I had to get a new phone and got a loaner from T-mobile for a few dyas while I waited. Using that old, crappy phone really made me long for my Vibrant back.
Well, it just came yesterday (not hardware locked!) and I started trying a few of the different ROMs in this forum. Currently on Bionix 1.8. On my first Vibrant I had used one of those Invisible Shields, but as I look at my new one I'm thinking I may forego the shield and ride bare back (I am using a rubber case - still talking about phone here). I'm amazed at the how beautiful the display is on this phone and I think the shield actually cut down on how stunning this phone is. Plus, I've read how durable this gorilla glass is and it really doesn't smear. So, I may live to regret it, but I'm gonna give it a shot. This phone really is a work of art. Maybe it's all relative because i had to deal with that loaner, but I am so glad to have my Vibrant back.
I really like this phone too and it only seems to get better with time. We've got a fantastic dev community who consistently produce quality work, we've got great individuals in the forums who help others with questions, etcetera. Sure there are going to be bugs along the way but that happens...every major software/firmware producer put out patches for software (Just think of Apple & Microsoft).
I'm using a Realook SP on my Vibrant. It looks like nothing is there and many people don't even know I have a screen protector on my phone.
kangxi said:
I'm using a Realook SP on my Vibrant. It looks like nothing is there and many people don't even know I have a screen protector on my phone.
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Click to collapse
ive also heard that realook takes nothing away from the vibrant....as much as im obsessed with the screen quality of this phone, it just makes me feel very uneasy to think the screen is butt naked
Well this thing uses gorilla glass so its not really needed to have a screen protector. It will withstand a lot except for a hardcore hit and even a SP wont protect you from that.
Actually, I've heard people reporting that moderately sharp objects can scratch the Vibrant screen; the Gorilla Glass is more useful against impact/cracking than scratching.
Also, +1 on the Realook not taking away from screen quality. I got my Vibrant used and it had a SP on it that made it look sorta fuzzy; I finally decided to try a different SP and got a Realook, and WOW what a difference.
Steinheil Ultra Crystal is also pretty good. I am using it atm but I can't decide between that and the Realook. The Realook seems clearer when there are no smudges, and seems like it fits just a tiny bit better (it seems slightly bigger and thus seems to cover more exactly), but smudges easier than the Steinheil and the smudges are more noticeable.
Thanks for the suggestions. I may try one these other SP, but I still can't get over how great the screen is without one. And unlike my old SP, the gorilla glass does not smudge. What little it does, I can simply wipe on my shirt and it looks sparkling new. With my old SP, I had to use special lens or LCD glass cleaner.
This phone sure is beautiful, and I have had a really hard time trying to find a SP that doesnt distort the image quality but would hold up to the abuse I regularly subjected a phone to. ReaLook SP had my vote for the longest time, but one day out of curiosity I tried trimming down a SP intended for my TRIMBLE unit... and it has my vote... it is crystal clear, and made from some sort of window cling plastic that has yet to recieve damage from my haphazard phone manners. Just my .02, but dont be afraid to try out several different products, after all the 30-40 bucks you spend finding the right SP, is well worth it on a 500 dollar phone.
Thanks for the infomation
Thanks for the review/input on the SP's The original ones I got from TMO were about the worst I have ever used. I will try the ones all of you have mentioned
I would recommend a screen protector. I used mine completely bare for a few months, always being very careful only to put it into pockets with no other objects, and making sure that there was no grit on the screen before using it. It still started developing hairline scratches. You have to hold the phone to the right angle under a light to see them, but they are there. I've ordere a TPU case now, and I'm using one of those ultra cheap, 5 for $1 eBay screen protectors. It works fine, doesn't seem to detract from the screen, and feels smooth and pleasant like the original glass.
bigragu said:
So, I was one of the idiots who soft-bricked my phone by refusing to listen to common sense and have patience. I went ahead and installed various ROMs all while knowing that my Vibrant was hardware locked. Eventually, it caught up with me and I got in a situation I couldn't get out of. I had to get a new phone and got a loaner from T-mobile for a few dyas while I waited. Using that old, crappy phone really made me long for my Vibrant back.
Well, it just came yesterday (not hardware locked!) and I started trying a few of the different ROMs in this forum. Currently on Bionix 1.8. On my first Vibrant I had used one of those Invisible Shields, but as I look at my new one I'm thinking I may forego the shield and ride bare back (I am using a rubber case - still talking about phone here). I'm amazed at the how beautiful the display is on this phone and I think the shield actually cut down on how stunning this phone is. Plus, I've read how durable this gorilla glass is and it really doesn't smear. So, I may live to regret it, but I'm gonna give it a shot. This phone really is a work of art. Maybe it's all relative because i had to deal with that loaner, but I am so glad to have my Vibrant back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you loud and clear.
Going through a near identical experience right now, except I will be without my phone for 2 weeks minimum (has to ship to US and back). I really can't believe how much I'm missing my phone. Really amazes me that there are so many complaints about the Vibrant. It's an absolutely fantastic device once you have it setup correctly. I wouldn't trade it for any other phone in the world.
2-3 days was the turn around time at T-mobile?
Yes, but I had to pay for expedited shipping $20 vs. $10 for 7 days,
I haven't gone through your experience, but one of my buddies was trying to sell me a his MyTouch slide for a good price and as soon as he turned it on I was like "ohhh.... is that what the screen looks like?" lol. For anyone who thinks this screen isn't all that great go play with another phone for a little hahaha
bigragu said:
So, I was one of the idiots who soft-bricked my phone by refusing to listen to common sense and have patience. I went ahead and installed various ROMs all while knowing that my Vibrant was hardware locked. Eventually, it caught up with me and I got in a situation I couldn't get out of. I had to get a new phone and got a loaner from T-mobile for a few dyas while I waited. Using that old, crappy phone really made me long for my Vibrant back.
Well, it just came yesterday (not hardware locked!) and I started trying a few of the different ROMs in this forum. Currently on Bionix 1.8. On my first Vibrant I had used one of those Invisible Shields, but as I look at my new one I'm thinking I may forego the shield and ride bare back (I am using a rubber case - still talking about phone here). I'm amazed at the how beautiful the display is on this phone and I think the shield actually cut down on how stunning this phone is. Plus, I've read how durable this gorilla glass is and it really doesn't smear. So, I may live to regret it, but I'm gonna give it a shot. This phone really is a work of art. Maybe it's all relative because i had to deal with that loaner, but I am so glad to have my Vibrant back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I originally wanted an Evo but got a Vibrant instead when the Evo was sold out everywhere. But I am loving it.
I was in a car with 2 Evo owners and we had our phones all running Google Navigation (whew.. one of the times my GPS worked before JI6 . My screen looked so much more colorful and crisper than theirs. It wasn't even close.
I have a rooted, with Cm 6.1 stable mod, EVO 4G. I hated the battery life on it, and it was a bit heavy in the shirt pocket. And T-Mobile is cheaper per month, by approx $30.
So I bought the Nexus-S yesterday morning, and set the EVO in a drawer. Now having it almost two days, I am really digging it, especially out of the plastic case, it feels so thin and feather light. And the Super AMOLED screen is drool worthy.
But a few things have been worrying me, I am afraid if this thing gets dropped, not sure it will handle a beating. And T-Mobile while good service, I did have a few dropped calls already, and flaky internet connections. I was pretty surprised by how near perfect Sprint has been these past 6 months I have been with the EVO, it is extremely rare to get a dropped call, and just spot on full bars everywhere in Chicago, and even in my basement Office, where ATT or T-Mo never worked there, only Sprint has been able to find a connection in Basement.
I pulled out my EVO, and I have both phones setup almost exactly the same, same live wallpaper, same widgets, and apps, clock. My EVO looks just like the raw 2.3, due to Cyanogen 6.1. Anyways, I was playing around with them both, side by side, and now undecided if I should keep the Nexus-S, they both feel almost the same.
I will say the Nexus-S is slightly snappier and a wee bit faster, and sure does feels nice in the hand and on the face with no case. The Nexus looks sweet with the cool screen technology. But is it worth the $600 I paid to have it out with no contract ?
One thing I did like about the EVO, was how flat and big it was, sure I didn't like the heavy thick feel of the EVO, but the large screen was easier for texting, the keyboard was big and nice to type on, the N-S with the curved screen, makes the keyboard look really small to me compared to the EVO.
Zorachus said:
I have a rooted, with Cm 6.1 stable mod, EVO 4G. I hated the battery life on it, and it was a bit heavy in the shirt pocket. And T-Mobile is cheaper per month, by approx $30.
So I bought the Nexus-S yesterday morning, and set the EVO in a drawer. Now having it almost two days, I am really digging it, especially out of the plastic case, it feels so thin and feather light. And the Super AMOLED screen is drool worthy.
But a few things have been worrying me, I am afraid if this thing gets dropped, not sure it will handle a beating. And T-Mobile while good service, I did have a few dropped calls already, and flaky internet connections. I was pretty surprised by how near perfect Sprint has been these past 6 months I have been with the EVO, it is extremely rare to get a dropped call, and just spot on full bars everywhere in Chicago, and even in my basement Office, where ATT or T-Mo never worked there, only Sprint has been able to find a connection in Basement.
I pulled out my EVO, and I have both phones setup almost exactly the same, same live wallpaper, same widgets, and apps, clock. My EVO looks just like the raw 2.3, due to Cyanogen 6.1. Anyways, I was playing around with them both, side by side, and now undecided if I should keep the Nexus-S, they both feel almost the same.
I will say the Nexus-S is slightly snappier and a wee bit faster, and sure does feels nice in the hand and on the face with no case. The Nexus looks sweet with the cool screen technology. But is it worth the $600 I paid to have it out with no contract ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only worth keeping if you're gonna sell the Evo.
Either way they both are strong phones I'd say. However I myself would stick with the pure Google. I'm never going to anything else ever again lol. Waiting for handset updates is the most frustrating thing ever.
As for dropping it. I once dropped my Vibrant. Walked into a water hydrant (yes). The back flew off, as did the battery and the SD card (which I didn't notice had shot out). Either way, it had minor scuffs on the bezel and battery cover after this. Bezel is easy to replace and battery cover is easy to replace. Screen was still flawless. What did I lose? A 16gb class 6 SD card full of source code backups. Good thing the Nexus S has internal storage, .
Anderdroid said:
It's only worth keeping if you're gonna sell the Evo.
Either way they both are strong phones I'd say. However I myself would stick with the pure Google. I'm never going to anything else ever again lol. Waiting for handset updates is the most frustrating thing ever.
As for dropping it. I once dropped my Vibrant. Walked into a water hydrant (yes). The back flew off, as did the battery and the SD card (which I didn't notice had shot out). Either way, it had minor scuffs on the bezel and battery cover after this. Bezel is easy to replace and battery cover is easy to replace. Screen was still flawless. What did I lose? A 16gb class 6 SD card full of source code backups. Good thing the Nexus S has internal storage, .
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Click to collapse
Good point, I did buy the N-S for the "pure" Android experience, and not having to run custom roms/themes, and million downloads and installs, just to get what this gives me right out of the box, stock. And with all those custom roms, and stuff, the EVO seemed a little more sluggish to me, than stock Sense UI.
Plus this screen is just so awesome, I love it. And really like the thinness and light weight of it compared to the heavy EVO.
Looks you are actually having second thoughts on keeping T-Mobile rather than device.
I've been on TMobile since 1998 and I don't think I've ever experienced a dropped call. Sprint as my work phone the last two years and never had one either. What happens? Phone just hangs up? Just bizarre to me
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
As long as you don't break the screen it should be very durable. The great thing about a plastic housing is that you can treat it like crap--a replacement back will probably run $5-$10, which is cheaper than any case you can buy. Metal phone housings are tres nice, but you're always paranoid about scratching or denting it (which, besides bringing tears to your eyes, lowers resale value).
My philosophy has always been that since I look at the screen and hold the housing, I'd prefer a phone with a great screen over a great housing (it's nice to have both, but you right now you have to choose).
That being said, I'd stick to the Evo. An Android phone loses the majority of its functionality if you can't get a signal, so in your case the Evo is the better choice (or get an Epic, which has SAMOLED and the same CPU/GPU as NS).
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
You own an Evo already. Its the most feature rich phone on the market. NS is awesome for me. But if I had to choose just one id keep my Evo
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
The longer I have this Nexus-S, the happier I am with it. It is just T-Mobile that concerns me, need a little more time with it. I have an office in the basement, and down here get crap reception. ATT on the iPhone rarely worked down here, or maybe 25% at best, Sprint was 90% reception, very good, and T-Mobile so far seems to be 75%, not too bad, I do get most texts down here right away, but not near perfect like Sprint either.
The EVO battery life was my #1 reason for looking for a different phone, it was horrible, and every smartphone review, always listed it dead last place for battery life, and the iPhone4 at the top. When reading reviews of the N-S, what sold me was that it is supposed to be closer to iPhone 4 battery life, and much better than EVO. So far after 3 days that seems to be true.
With this Nexus-S, I need to wear my sons bib around this screen, I am drooling all over it And I do like the lightweight and compact size, fits into a shirt pocket easily without weighing it down. The EVO in comparison was a brick, and would never fit in a shirt pocket, without weigh down and falling out almost. Even in Summer when wearing shorts, the EVO felt like a brick in the pocket, almost making your shorts droop. But I did like the large flat 4.3" screen on the EVO, that size is sweet, and easy to text, with the on screen keyboard. Just the colors blew on that phone, very washed out and way too much white light bleed.
I would LOVE the EVO, if it had a Super AMOLED screen, or something close to it, and if they could reduce the thickness and weight. And of course design it to use the less battery power, and last a whole day like the iPhone4 or N-S. Other than that, the EVO is a great phone. But T-Mobile pricing helped sweeten the deal. I need the full unlimited packages, I run my own business, and on phone most of the day sometimes, so minutes is a must, plus texting and data. The T-Mobile plan is a good $35 cheaper per month than Sprint, on exact same plan, and I have no contract to be stuck on, with T-Mobile So if there is a Nexus-M this summer/fall by Motorola, or they might call it the Nexus-3.0 for Honeycomb Android 3.0 OS, I might get that.
Zorachus said:
The longer I have this Nexus-S, the happier I am with it. It is just T-Mobile that concerns me the most. I have an office in the basement, and sometimes down here get crap reception. ATT on the iPhone never worked down here, or maybe 10% at best, Sprint was 75% and very good, and T-Mobile so far seems to be 30-40%, not terrible, I do get some texts down here, but not great like Sprint either.
I need to wear my sons bib around this screen, I am drooling all over it And I do like the lightweight and compact size, fits into a shirt pocket easily without weighing it down. The EVO in comparison was brick, and would never fit in a shirt pocket. Even in Summer when wearing shorts, the EVO felt like a brick in the pocket, almost making your shorts droop. But I did like the large flat 4.3" screen on the EVO, that size is sweet, and easy to text on screen keyboard. Just the colors blew on that phone, very washed out and way too much white light bleed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully within the next few days custom kernels will start cranking out and someone will port the WiFi calling app from the G2 or the MT4G which should help resolve your issue with your office. Assuming you have a wifi connection, that is.
unremarked said:
Hopefully within the next few days custom kernels will start cranking out and someone will port the WiFi calling app from the G2 or the MT4G which should help resolve your issue with your office. Assuming you have a wifi connection, that is.
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Click to collapse
Yes I have WiFi in my basement Office, and real work Office, I am a computer gamer junky, build my own Eyefinity systems
But not familiar with WiFi calling ? How does that work ?
Zorachus said:
Yes I have WiFi in my basement Office, and real work Office, I am a computer gamer junky, build my own Eyefinity systems
But not familiar with WiFi calling ? How does that work ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
instead of using the signal from the cell towers to make phone calls, it will use your wifi connection. It still uses your voice plan and thus costs minutes but its useful for situations like yours.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
unremarked said:
instead of using the signal from the cell towers to make phone calls, it will use your wifi connection. It still uses your voice plan and thus costs minutes but its useful for situations like yours.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a brilliant idea. Will that be a market app, or must be rooted first I would assume to download and use that ? Then that would solve my biggest problem I had with T-Mobile, sometimes getting bad reception inside home or office.
Zorachus said:
That's a brilliant idea. Will that be a market app, or must be rooted first I would assume to download and use that ? Then that would solve my biggest problem I had with T-Mobile, sometimes getting bad reception inside home or office.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will require root because the WiFi app I speak of doesn't work on the Nexus S right now. It will require a custom kernel in order to port it over so it should happen within the next few days or so I'd imagine.
In the interest of fairness, there is one downside to it. The app won't switch dynamically, which means if you start a call on wifi and walk out of range, the call will drop period. Even if you walk into an area with absolutely perfect coverage.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
unremarked said:
It will require root because the WiFi app I speak of doesn't work on the Nexus S right now. It will require a custom kernel in order to port it over so it should happen within the next few days or so I'd imagine.
In the interest of fairness, there is one downside to it. The app won't switch dynamically, which means if you start a call on wifi and walk out of range, the call will drop period. Even if you walk into an area with absolutely perfect coverage.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, but that kind of sucks then, if it drops the call cold turkey once you walk out of the WiFi range ? Phone hardware can't handle the smooth transition from WiFi to cellular at the same time I guess ?
I pulled out my EVO, and I have both phones setup almost exactly the same, same live wallpaper, same widgets, and apps, clock. My EVO looks just like the raw 2.3, due to Cyanogen 6.1. Anyways, I was playing around with them both, side by side, and now undecided if I should keep the Nexus-S, they both feel almost the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by this? The Nexus S is running raw 2.3. No theme or bloat. This is the purest experience straight from Google. No more waiting on HTC/Sprint to get their act together or relying on Cyanogen and crew to make sure everything is working on thier build. Personally, I can't go back to my EVO after experiencing the screen and weight of the Nexus. The EVO just feels like a rock now, and I'm very satisfied with T-Mobile's data speeds over Sprint.
TheBiles said:
What do you mean by this? The Nexus S is running raw 2.3. No theme or bloat. This is the purest experience straight from Google. No more waiting on HTC/Sprint to get their act together or relying on Cyanogen and crew to make sure everything is working on thier build. Personally, I can't go back to my EVO after experiencing the screen and weight of the Nexus. The EVO just feels like a rock now, and I'm very satisfied with T-Mobile's data speeds over Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Today after 3 days with the Nexus-S, I agree with you. My EVO feels heavy like a brick now, and the screen color is so washed out and bland compared to Super AMOLED< no comparison. Plus the battery life on the N-S does seem to be much better than the EVO's so far. And the icing on the cake, T-Mobile is cheaper per month, for me a good $30 cheaper.
Plus T-Mobile seems to be the best Android carrier, they seem to get the best and latest phones pretty quick. They were first ever Android carrier with the G1, and then the first with the Nexus-One, and now the Nexus-S. And I prefer the "Nexus" idea, getting the untainted OS, sort of like Apple with the iPhone. Just buy a new Nexus every Christmas to have the latest and most pure Android phone.
Sure there will be new dual core faster phones early next year. I rather wait for the Nexus-3, by then dual core will be done beta testing on other phones, and the Android OS will be really optimized for it by next Winter. I wait for the dual core Nexus, not the any ol dual core coming out right away next year, no thank on the bugs and issues that may pop up. For now I am a happy Nexus owner. Will just plan to buy a new Nexus every year for now.
Zorachus said:
I have a rooted, with Cm 6.1 stable mod, EVO 4G. I hated the battery life on it, and it was a bit heavy in the shirt pocket. And T-Mobile is cheaper per month, by approx $30.
So I bought the Nexus-S yesterday morning, and set the EVO in a drawer. Now having it almost two days, I am really digging it, especially out of the plastic case, it feels so thin and feather light. And the Super AMOLED screen is drool worthy.
But a few things have been worrying me, I am afraid if this thing gets dropped, not sure it will handle a beating. And T-Mobile while good service, I did have a few dropped calls already, and flaky internet connections. I was pretty surprised by how near perfect Sprint has been these past 6 months I have been with the EVO, it is extremely rare to get a dropped call, and just spot on full bars everywhere in Chicago, and even in my basement Office, where ATT or T-Mo never worked there, only Sprint has been able to find a connection in Basement.
I pulled out my EVO, and I have both phones setup almost exactly the same, same live wallpaper, same widgets, and apps, clock. My EVO looks just like the raw 2.3, due to Cyanogen 6.1. Anyways, I was playing around with them both, side by side, and now undecided if I should keep the Nexus-S, they both feel almost the same.
I will say the Nexus-S is slightly snappier and a wee bit faster, and sure does feels nice in the hand and on the face with no case. The Nexus looks sweet with the cool screen technology. But is it worth the $600 I paid to have it out with no contract ?
One thing I did like about the EVO, was how flat and big it was, sure I didn't like the heavy thick feel of the EVO, but the large screen was easier for texting, the keyboard was big and nice to type on, the N-S with the curved screen, makes the keyboard look really small to me compared to the EVO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the EXACT same boat. I left TMO in june to get the EVO, and now I just switched back to get the NS. I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it. On the one hand, I love the weight and size of the EVO. It's the number one reason I got it. Th3 4.3" screen is awesome for texting and videos. However, the LCD blows. 4g is alright, but I never use it because the battery on the EVO sucks so bad already.
On The other hand, the NS is pure google, which with the rate custom ROMs get ported over these days, isn't that big of a deal anymore. I'm sure 2.3 will get ported to all the other major phones within 2 weeks. The AMOLED screen is AMAZING. But the overall size and feel of the phone and screen are a bit prohibitive at the moment. Coming from such a big phone, the downgrade is def noticeable. Also, the phone feels...delicate. I'm scared to set it down.
The 1ghz Hummingbird processor FLYS. In side by sibe comparison with my EVO running CM 6.1, the NS always manages to open each app faster and scroll smoother.
So what's a guy to do? Keep the NS and compromise size and 4g to be on the bleeding edge of software development and better battery life? Or keep the EVO and stay with superior build quality while having a couple chargers on hand?
thefoss said:
I'm in the EXACT same boat. I left TMO in june to get the EVO, and now I just switched back to get the NS. I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it. On the one hand, I love the weight and size of the EVO. It's the number one reason I got it. Th3 4.3" screen is awesome for texting and videos. However, the LCD blows. 4g is alright, but I never use it because the battery on the EVO sucks so bad already.
On The other hand, the NS is pure google, which with the rate custom ROMs get ported over these days, isn't that big of a deal anymore. I'm sure 2.3 will get ported to all the other major phones within 2 weeks. The AMOLED screen is AMAZING. But the overall size and feel of the phone and screen are a bit prohibitive at the moment. Coming from such a big phone, the downgrade is def noticeable. Also, the phone feels...delicate. I'm scared to set it down.
The 1ghz Hummingbird processor FLYS. In side by sibe comparison with my EVO running CM 6.1, the NS always manages to open each app faster and scroll smoother.
So what's a guy to do? Keep the NS and compromise size and 4g to be on the bleeding edge of software development and better battery life? Or keep the EVO and stay with superior build quality while having a couple chargers on hand?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I find the Nexus to be the perfect size after using the EVO for so long. Often times I found myself having to stretch my hand to reach the notification bar, and the phone just seems too wide now. As far as the "build quality," my EVO's had unattractive light leakage from day one while the Nexus is perfect in every way. I think a lot of people have gotten stuck in the "heavier = better quality" rut. Just because the Nexus is light doesn't mean it isn't solid.
thefoss said:
I'm in the EXACT same boat. I left TMO in june to get the EVO, and now I just switched back to get the NS. I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it. On the one hand, I love the weight and size of the EVO. It's the number one reason I got it. Th3 4.3" screen is awesome for texting and videos. However, the LCD blows. 4g is alright, but I never use it because the battery on the EVO sucks so bad already.
On The other hand, the NS is pure google, which with the rate custom ROMs get ported over these days, isn't that big of a deal anymore. I'm sure 2.3 will get ported to all the other major phones within 2 weeks. The AMOLED screen is AMAZING. But the overall size and feel of the phone and screen are a bit prohibitive at the moment. Coming from such a big phone, the downgrade is def noticeable. Also, the phone feels...delicate. I'm scared to set it down.
The 1ghz Hummingbird processor FLYS. In side by sibe comparison with my EVO running CM 6.1, the NS always manages to open each app faster and scroll smoother.
So what's a guy to do? Keep the NS and compromise size and 4g to be on the bleeding edge of software development and better battery life? Or keep the EVO and stay with superior build quality while having a couple chargers on hand?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will make final decision by Monday, after a full weekend with the Nexus-S, but leaning on keeping her
Nexus-S;
- T-Mobile is cheaper, almost $30 per month.
- Super AMOLED screen is amazing
- Lightweight and compact size easy to keep in shirt pocket, but still good size 4" screen
- Hummingbird processor is smoother at pulling apps and scrolling, not choppy
- Pure Android OS, no need for major custom roms, will get Honeycomb right away
EVO;
- Large 4.3" screen is easier to text on, and read
- Sprint service might be slightly better than T-Mobile
- 4G ( but never used but a few times, major battery )
Zorachus said:
The longer I have this Nexus-S, the happier I am with it. It is just T-Mobile that concerns me, need a little more time with it. I have an office in the basement, and down here get crap reception. ATT on the iPhone rarely worked down here, or maybe 25% at best, Sprint was 90% reception, very good, and T-Mobile so far seems to be 75%, not too bad, I do get most texts down here right away, but not near perfect like Sprint either.
The EVO battery life was my #1 reason for looking for a different phone, it was horrible, and every smartphone review, always listed it dead last place for battery life, and the iPhone4 at the top. When reading reviews of the N-S, what sold me was that it is supposed to be closer to iPhone 4 battery life, and much better than EVO. So far after 3 days that seems to be true.
With this Nexus-S, I need to wear my sons bib around this screen, I am drooling all over it And I do like the lightweight and compact size, fits into a shirt pocket easily without weighing it down. The EVO in comparison was a brick, and would never fit in a shirt pocket, without weigh down and falling out almost. Even in Summer when wearing shorts, the EVO felt like a brick in the pocket, almost making your shorts droop. But I did like the large flat 4.3" screen on the EVO, that size is sweet, and easy to text, with the on screen keyboard. Just the colors blew on that phone, very washed out and way too much white light bleed.
I would LOVE the EVO, if it had a Super AMOLED screen, or something close to it, and if they could reduce the thickness and weight. And of course design it to use the less battery power, and last a whole day like the iPhone4 or N-S. Other than that, the EVO is a great phone. But T-Mobile pricing helped sweeten the deal. I need the full unlimited packages, I run my own business, and on phone most of the day sometimes, so minutes is a must, plus texting and data. The T-Mobile plan is a good $35 cheaper per month than Sprint, on exact same plan, and I have no contract to be stuck on, with T-Mobile So if there is a Nexus-M this summer/fall by Motorola, or they might call it the Nexus-3.0 for Honeycomb Android 3.0 OS, I might get that.
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Be aware that AMOLED can be a serious battery killer. Try to play Angry Birds and you'll know what I am saying.
480*800*3(color per pixel) light together can draw power like crazy.
Currently using a Nexus One, actually have 2 of them. Have the opportunity to make a straight trade for a G2 for one of my N1's.
Other than the keyboard and "4G" connection, is there anything that really is different about these hardware wise?
I know the N1 will get updates faster, but with the use of custom roms this does not affect me. Also, dont have much use for a keyboard, so would this even be a beneficial trade in anyway?
Guess i am just a little confused, any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
G2 is pretty much better in every way except the screen. I have both.
I had a Nexus One and then got a G2 in a BOGO offer at T-Mo. I find myself using the Nexus more. The G2 has some weird issues, like updates to Google Apps that are pre-installed causing force closes (Google Earth, for one, and I can't install the new version of Maps because it constantly runs and shows up as 80% on battery usage when I check to see why it's draining). I also hate how bulky/heavy it is (and it's more annoying since I don't use the keyboard). I have small hands so I find it more comfortable to hold my Nexus. If you use a case (which I need, I tend to drop phones) the phone doesn't stay fully closed due to how the cases snap on.
I guess it depends on your usage. Since you'll be keeping a Nexus, then maybe it'll be fine. If you won't miss the second Nexus, then go for it.
Thanks for the input so far.
I think one of the unknown factors that i am trying to decide is....will the N1 get updates as long as the G2 will? I know the N1 is a developers phone, but with the NS coming out, do any of you think the N1 will stop getting updates although the hardware may very well still support it? With the G2 being 6-8 months newer, will it get updates longer in the future than the N1?
I know we really dont know the answer to this, but it would be interesting to see what you guys think.
Also keep in mind that the G2 is SIGNIFICANTLY heavier than the nexus one. i think it's almost a half-again heavier and that can be a big deal.
If you are going to have a N1 extra I say do it! I have a N1 and have used a G2 before. I hate keyboards built into a phone but that is just my preference. I would not worry about the N1 loosing support because of the NS the N1 I think will always be supported and updated if not always at least until the N1 can not handle newer Android OS. Only then will I upgrade to what ever Nexus is available at that time.
Trade and if you hate it find someone who will trade you for a NS or a N1 again!!
In contrast to Carlos' opinion, I would actually say the screen is BETTER than our N1s. My gf has a G2 and its screen is much sharper than mine. If you're into gaming, I'm guessing the multitouch would be better too. On the downside, it's bulkier because of the unnecessary keyboard.
uansari1 said:
In contrast to Carlos' opinion, I would actually say the screen is BETTER than our N1s. My gf has a G2 and its screen is much sharper than mine. If you're into gaming, I'm guessing the multitouch would be better too. On the downside, it's bulkier because of the unnecessary keyboard.
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I think the keyboard is what really makes it the G1's successor.. people were waiting for that.
this is a tough decision. i love the G2 because it's build quality and materials are just like the nexus one, which i love. but i never use a physical keyboard, so that's wasted space to me. but the g2 has the better snapdragon CPU and better GPU, but the nexus one has a better form factor.
since you will still have a nexus one after the trade, go for the g2.
uansari1 said:
In contrast to Carlos' opinion, I would actually say the screen is BETTER than our N1s. My gf has a G2 and its screen is much sharper than mine. If you're into gaming, I'm guessing the multitouch would be better too. On the downside, it's bulkier because of the unnecessary keyboard.
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Click to collapse
The screen is sharper because it is a SLCD like some of the newer N1's, but it uses a back light so the blacks aren't as deep as our AMOLED N1s. My Co-Worker has one and I like it.... but would I trade it for my N1... no.
The G2 is noticeably heavier and thicker. The optical sensor works and supposedly it has a "trackball light" notification around it but I haven't seen it in action. While I dislike keyboard phones, it is comparable to the Nexus. They truly look like brothers.
I don't know if a G2 could replace my Nexus, but if you have 2 N1's and looking for something different then it might be worth a trade.
You guys have been really helpful. Some really good points have been made about both the N1 and G2.
Now i gotta sleep on it and figure out what i decide to do. Will let you guys know!
Leaning towards keeping the second N1 right now....
The G2 is Free on T-Mobile right now if that helps your decision.
yes free G2 and call 611 and say cancel and if you have been a long time customer and paid your bills on time you can ask for the $20 data plan.
I have both phones and I'm thinking about going back to my Nexus one. Few bugs with the G2 have been bothering me. GPS takes awhile to start up and some map issues, which is a big deal for me.
Rooted, they both run very smoothly. I like the weight and the size of the N1 compared to the G2. Less obvious in the pocket and easier to slide out. [Rooting on the N1 was a cake walk compared to the numerous steps and complications with the G2.]
I only use the keyboard while driving (ya, I know it's a bad habit that I need to break) but I can feel that over long uses of the keyboard can lead to future problems more specifically in your thumbs. The hinge gets loose, I've dropped the phone a few times and the screen always snaps open.
What makes me want to use the N1 more is the trackball alerts. G2 is only limited to white and I get tired of checking to see if it's something important or if it's something I can ignore. Also the screen on the N1 seems to be better than the G2 along with the auto brightness sensor.
Girls seem to like playing with my N1 more... just saying
Same dilemma
Well I have the same question. First off, I appreciate this post in general, everyone definitely seems to have good input and good opinions that they back up well. I have kind of the same "issue" so to speak. I am getting a new G2 tomorrow, but I know someone who is willing to give me 100 dollars plus a mint condition n1 for it, what do you guys think I should do? I'm just afraid that in terms of day-day function, the n1 will be slower. Any info is much appreciated!
I considered getting a G2 for a while as well. A few things turned me off:
1. The size of the thing compared to a N1 - this thing is a hefty brick!
2. "Pure" Google, not really...seeing how TMobile conveniently removed tethering, but this can be solved through root
3. The MMS bugs
4. The N1 Car/Home dock are just too slick to give up.
omgdwong said:
I have both phones and I'm thinking about going back to my Nexus one. Few bugs with the G2 have been bothering me. GPS takes awhile to start up and some map issues, which is a big deal for me.
Rooted, they both run very smoothly. I like the weight and the size of the N1 compared to the G2. Less obvious in the pocket and easier to slide out. [Rooting on the N1 was a cake walk compared to the numerous steps and complications with the G2.]
I only use the keyboard while driving (ya, I know it's a bad habit that I need to break) but I can feel that over long uses of the keyboard can lead to future problems more specifically in your thumbs. The hinge gets loose, I've dropped the phone a few times and the screen always snaps open.
What makes me want to use the N1 more is the trackball alerts. G2 is only limited to white and I get tired of checking to see if it's something important or if it's something I can ignore. Also the screen on the N1 seems to be better than the G2 along with the auto brightness sensor.
Girls seem to like playing with my N1 more... just saying
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Click to collapse
yeah i just cant stress enough how excellent the color trackball is on the n1. having color blink in succession, so when i'm at work and i see it blink from red to green to blue to yellow to cyan, and instantly KNOW what each of my 5 messages are, is truly useful. its more useful then anyone without it could ever understand, and its highly under rated i think by many. it may sound cheesy to say "i like colors", but talk about functional and cool at the same time. the perfectly centered nipple just looks classy.
Good morning all,
I created this thread in the Inspire forums and thought I'd bring it over here too. It's just my experiences as a daily carrier of both of these devices. It's aimed at people torn between the two handsets, and also to help me ultimately choose which I prefer to keep. Only one will survive.
I've included my running updates in the OP.
___________________________________________________________________
Hello all!
I've had the daunting task to pick between these two phones for the last couple days. I went into the store to actually get the devices in my hand and fully expected to walk out with the Atrix. I've always had a soft spot for HTC, ever since their WoMo phones. I saw the Inspire and was super impressed at how solid the phone felt in my hand. The phone felt very responsive, and I already knew the XDA Inspire team was cranking out some awesome stuff.
I then grabbed the Atrix and was not nearly as wow'd as I had expected to be. I've been following the phone since it's announcement, and pretty much had made up my mind on the spot to pick it up. After spending a half hour goofing around with both phones, I decided the Inspire really won my heart.
Then it happened... The cold sweats... The tossing and turning in bed at night. Images of the Atrix's Tegra 2 laying waste to the earth and doing vile things to my Inspire. My horrid indecision had struck. I decided that I had obviously made the wrong choice, so the next morning I headed off to the store and bought an Atrix without returning my perfectly set up Inspire. I wanted to play with them both side by side and just return whichever one didn't make me happy.
That was a bit over 24 hours ago. After spending the last day with both of the handsets, I am closer to a decision, but it's damn tough. My overall thoughts and struggles follow:
Motorola Atrix:
-Pros:
- Bright, higher resolution screen
- Dual Core processor (even though I thought the experience was pretty weak)
- Battery (theoretical, as I haven't had it long enough to fully experience)
- This goes to the hardware again, but this phone is quite a bit more future proof.
- The handset is light enough to not remind you it's in your pocket at every step.
- GPS (This is the most rock solid phone GPS I've ever used)
- Incredibly loud speaker
- Tons of ram
- HDMI out
-Cons:
- Cheaper build quality (I feel like I need to qualify this. The phone feels solid, but the battery door is, for lack of a better word, brittle)
- Very poor color representation on the otherwise beautiful screen.
- MotoBlur - This is just a very inelegant, unrefined overlay...
- Strange compatibility issues with certain apps
- multiple force closes
- Weak social media integration
- Odd bouts of lag when least expected
- Locked Bootloader (most don't care about this, but it matters when you have a primary developer that has a history of slow patches, feature adds, and os releases.
- Chicklet keyboard is a touch small for me and requires some focus to not miss type.
**FOLLOW-UP**
- I've removed the call quality knock from the Atrix device. It turns out it was entirely my own fault, and while some people, including Motorola, are reporting issues with sound quality on some devices, mine isn't one of them.
HTC Inspire:
-Pros:
- Excellent build quality (the aluminum uni-body is a joy to hold, and has the extra added benefit of being able to be used to fend off an attacker)
- Beautiful 4.3" screen (Yes, it is big, but I'm a fan)
- Sense (I'm not a fan of these proprietary UI's, but Sense shows that HTC can offer up an experience that is easy to like, and provide an attractive interface for a phone OS that is sometimes described as clinical looking)
- The brilliant development community (currently running CoreDroid /drool)
- Very snappy performance from the second gen Snapdragon CPU
- Tons of ram (Not as much as the Atrix, but enough to be a "ton" in my eyes)
- Lovely camera (I used to not care, but I have a new son, so suddenly a camera climbed up the ladder of important features)
- Fantastic out of the box social media integration
- Has that "Just works like it should" feel to it.
- Very clear call quality
- Second best phone gps I've used
-Cons:
- The screen washes out to a grey slab in direct sunlight
- Stock battery life is horrid
- "Electric Razor" ear screen can have some jagged edges and chafe your ear
- Battery door was a ridiculous design decision
- Very current gen hardware (doesn't mean a whole lot if you're not going to be riding this phone for the next two years, but a new day has dawned and it's name is "Multi-core")
- Stock external speaker/notification volume super weak
- odd placement of the number button on the keyboard (thanks iPhone for etching that into my brain)
- recessed power and volume buttons can be a bit tough to find.
- No internal storage (this is just ridiculous)
- Relatively weak GPU
There you have it. That's what I've come up with so far. At the moment, I'm leaning toward the Inspire, as so many of those issues can be (and have been) corrected through roms. In the end, I just don't really get the warm fuzzies from the Atrix. I feel like it's a brilliant set of components tied together with a really sorry software suite, and a manufacturer that doesn't really understand the strengths of their chosen platform, or the customers that choose it.
I will continue carrying both of the devices for the next couple days, but at the moment, the winner is most definitely the Inspire in my eyes. It just feels like it's been polished to a wonderful android flavored candy shine, and with the community behind it, there's really nothing I feel the device won't be able to handle for quite some time.
**Update 1**
The inspire's build quality is top notch. The screen is perfectly alligned and allows no notable give for me. There is also no more light bleed than you expect from an lcd panel, and none to the touch. The battery cover is a pain. Its actually so well fitted that you have to break it in over multiple removals in order to confidently take it off without breaking it. The sim cover fits nicely, and doesn't pose the same pain that the battery cover does. There is a slight raised edge in the center of the sim cover that takes it just out of flush. Its nigh unnoticable. Viewing angles on the inspire's slcd are fantastic. I can see it clearly in a near complete 180 degree angle, with little to no noticable color bleed. It obviously dims as you move from dead center.
The atrix is in the same boat with build quality for the most part. The phone has a good weight, metal rails down the side, well alligned screen, and mostly tight fitting components. I do have some issues here, though. Mainly with the back cover. As noted in my initial post, its very brittle, thin plastic. If you think I broke a sweat taking the inspires battery cover off, you should have seen me trying to get the battery on the atrix. I pulled the top clip free, and almost bent the cover in half fighting the mid phone clips. Also, the back cover on my atrix doesn't line up flush on one side. The last couple issues are the "creakynesss" of the handset. When I grip the phone tightly I can feel the plastic components giving, and settling into place. Not terribly bad, but noticable. The last issue is the fingerprint scanner. It's been pointed out in some reviews, but the scanner is off center on some devices and just looks shoddily thrown together and misalligned.
The atrix beautiful qHD screen also washes out and tints yellow when viewed at extreme angles.
**Update 2**
I've been using the Atrix today as my primary carry handset, and I must say PROPS to Motorola on this battery... I've been beating on it for all I can muster and with almost two full hours of HSPA+ web surfing, Angry Birds while waiting for my food, poking around in the marketplace, and trying out apps, the phone has dropped 25% of the battery in 7 hours of heavy use. I'm pretty damn impressed with that. My focus would be on the charger right now. I'll be going through the exact same process on the Inspire tomorrow to see how everything shakes out.
**Update 3**
I've been carrying my Atrix for the last two days, and I have to admit... It's amazing... I don't mean to sound disappointed, quite the contrary, but I was coming closer to making my decision, and now I'm struggling again.
New Revelations/Findings:
- The little hitches you sometimes see in games like Angry Birds, when scrolling and pinch zooming are all gone... Like, completely gone. That goes for every game/app i've played that is relatively intensive with animation or processing. The Inspire is definitely no slouch, but the performance edge is fully in the Atrix's court.
- The external speaker of the Atrix is LEGEND-(Wait for it)-DARY! I hopped on a conference call last night and it was right on the edge of being as good as the dedicated conference speakers at my office. Really outstanding.
- The screen is also really pretty. I, once again, had to run from hospital to hospital yesterday and while outside was able to see every color, icon, and word on my screen. It made me secure in the fact that no matter where I took the device, i would be able to rely on it 100%, and it would perform as well as I could ever ask for.
I've been using the anti-glare/anti-fingerprint Case-Mate screen protectors on both of the devices since i've purchased them, and these things just destroy the fidelity of the screen. I will be getting my Realook protectors tomorrow, and will get to experience a bit more vibrance from both screens.
I'm still fairly disappointed with the color reproduction of the qHD screen. It's really in your face when you have the two devices sitting side by side. The SLCD screen of the Inspire is much more natural looking.
MotoBlur is still a disappointment, but after setting up LauncherPro Plus and getting Beautiful Widgets, and exploring LauncherPro's new facebook widget (think FriendStream). It's become nearly a non-issue. I've been using ADW as well, and it's great, but the Atrix seems to love LauncherPro, and I love LauncherPro... Guess that's a match made in Android heaven.
My experience, for most part mirrors yours. I went from the Captivate to the Inspire to the Atrix. I kept the Inspire for about a week and immediately missed the screen on the Captivate.
The Inspire's screen is definitely sharp, but I like the contrast on the captivate. The black text sharpness on the Atrix is really good and very comparable to the Inspire and both beat the pants off the Captivate.
I'd have to disagree with the build quality of the Inspire. Yes, aluminum feels solid compared to the plastic on the Atrix and does give you that solid quality feeling, but I had the same plastic alignment issues with two Inspires I went through. The plastic parts just doesn't line up evenly with the aluminum. The battery door was never a problem with me because of the gaps were plastic met aluminum. I was always able to get my finger nails in two places to pull the cover off easily and without destroying the soft touch cover.
Call quality on the Inspire's headset speaker always sounded tinny and lack the volume of the Atrix. The loudspeaker is really, really weak on the Inspire. The Atrix's loudspeaker has surprisingly good range, I hear a semblance of bass when playing media.
Security wise, the fingerprint scanner is a really good feature on the Atrix, makes me wonder why no one has done it before on a mobile phone. So much faster to unlock securely without a passcode or drawing.
The camera on the Inspire is better than the Atrix. The Inspire's pics come out with more contrast and better color. The Atrix has sharp images, but the color look a little washed out and there way more noise. Seems like Motorola wanted sharper images and turn down the noise reduction. Noise reduction is a big killer when it comes to image sharpness.
+1 just for referencing Barney Stinson.
Haha no, but really, this is a good comparison of the Inspire and the Atrix. I agree with most, if not all, of your pros and cons. I really can't help but emphasize the battery life though. I usually end up having to buy a spare battery and charger set for my smartphones, but it seems really unnecessary for the Atrix. If you're a power user, that's reason enough to pick the Atrix over the Inspire.
I agree almost 100%
I sit here with both phones still. I love the Inspire, and Gingerblur on the Atrix makes me love the Atrix.
The interwebz speed is what is forcing the Inspire as my daily driver at the moment.
I have gone through 3 atrix's already, when i have it, i want to sell it, as you can see in my signature, and when i sell it, i want one. thus #3....
I almost NEED to wait and see 4g... and this backhaul att speaks of....
And then there is the Samsung infuse/enfuse? idk... But they say when its dropped, it will most certainly have the capable speeds, as will the 2 other flagship "4g" phones.
I treat my phones with utmost care, as i usually am selling them for the new and next best thing, and want to ensure they can be purchased as a 10/10 quality. That being said, I will say the case-mate case i have on the inspire gives GREAT protection, but makes a big phone even bigger, the atrix with the bodyglove feels tiny in my hands after 2 weeks of driving the inspire... I recently sold another iphone4, and it reminded me of the atrix in my hands, not build quality, as you mentioned above, but size...
4.3 qHD would be a perfect mix for me, and I am sure is what is in store for future HTC devices... but for now, I am in the same dilemia many are.
to Inspire, or not Inspire and Atrix my way through the rough of it...
to the avg user, hdmi out is no biggie, but to the ub3r geek in me who likes to VPN home, CIFS mount shares, and stream, hdmi is a big deal....
oh woe is me.....
Today Inspire still drives me to and from.... CM7rc4 battery gets me through the day, even as an Exchange Admin with more email on touchdown then most people, including gmail push...
But that said, i come right back with the atrix could get me past a full day!
like the good old Blackberry days..
theres my 2 cents, thrown into the pot, both heads up...
~killster
I'm so sick of these threads.
Man_of_Leisure said:
I'm so sick of these threads.
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Then don't read 'em... Problem solved.
Divinedark said:
Then don't read 'em... Problem solved.
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Just like you have the right to create threads, I have the right to respond to them. If you don't like that, you want a blog, not a forum.
Man_of_Leisure said:
Just like you have the right to create threads, I have the right to respond to them. If you don't like that, you want a blog, not a forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are absolutely correct. I appreciate your need to contribute completely unrelated, and pointless reflections on your own worthless personal opinion in my thread. So many others that are trying to decide between these two devices will find your additions to the subject of this thread invaluable. I truly hope that you will continue to follow that urge to spout your own polished, self-important drivel in the rest of the threads on this forum. If you don't, you will effectively be robbing us of your wisdom.
I'm sorry that I wasted your time reading my relatively well researched and thought out comparison between two close competing devices on the same carrier. From this point forward I'll be sure to continue adding to the typical device war crap like "TEH ATRIX IS A$$" and what not. That should sate your thirst for informative and entertaining topics on this forum.
Again. I'm very sorry.
Man_of_Leisure said:
Just like you have the right to create threads, I have the right to respond to them. If you don't like that, you want a blog, not a forum.
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+1 I'm pretty sure there's already at least fifteen threads about Inspire vs Atrix. I thank you for taking the time to compare both and noting their strengths and weaknesses but like I said, there's already a ton of these threads and they just repeat the same opinions/info.
Clienterror said:
+1 I'm pretty sure there's already at least fifteen threads about Inspire vs Atrix. I thank you for taking the time to compare both and noting their strengths and weaknesses but like I said, there's already a ton of these threads and they just repeat the same opinions/info.
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It's true that there are a lot of posts that contribute this kind of information, but this one in particular was well thought out and written, and that helps provide a better reference for those interested. I also value those posts that say good things about devices. A lot of posts tend to complain about whatever device they're talking about. It's nice to have some good things to say in order to balance out the amount of user feedback.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
Yea... the majority of threads you see with this same general topic are basically just "The Atrix BLOWS!!!! I'm going back to my Inspire" blah blah blah. He was polite enough to explain his thoughts on the phone thoroughly, and go through his overall opinion on the phone over time, showing what has changed in his mind about each phone. Can kinda think of it more as a "phone review" than a "disgruntled customer".....
There are many Inspire / Atrix threads I've read but this one is a good, unbiased, well written everyday user experience. +1 for op.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Divinedark said:
I do have some issues here, though. Mainly with the back cover. As noted in my initial post, its very brittle, thin plastic. If you think I broke a sweat taking the inspires battery cover off, you should have seen me trying to get the battery on the atrix. I pulled the top clip free, and almost bent the cover in half fighting the mid phone clips. Also, the back cover on my atrix doesn't line up flush on one side. The last couple issues are the "creakynesss" of the handset. When I grip the phone tightly I can feel the plastic components giving, and settling into place. Not terribly bad, but noticable. The last issue is the fingerprint scanner. It's been pointed out in some reviews, but the scanner is off center on some devices and just looks shoddily thrown together and misalligned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery cover design is one of the things I really like about the Atrix. It is flexible on my phone, not brittle at all. It fits well and is a breeze to get on and off -- after the first time. The first time I was also a little scared and it caught at the middle a little. Since then, it is trivial to do. Of course, it spends most of its time covered by two layers of Otterbox Commuter in my case.
I have not noticed any creakiness -- seems very solid to me. It's reinforced by the Otterbox, so I might not ever notice anyway.
My fingerprint scanner doesn't seem to work at all. I get nothing but too short a swipe messages (works for me about 1 time out of 20). I have been assuming this is due it being placed down in a little hole by the Otterbox. I'm perfectly willing to give that up to get the extra protection and reduced slipperiness. My last unprotected phone (BB 9000) only made it a year before I dropped it many times including into 2 feet of water (don't ask, I need to be drinking to talk about it).
Yea.... i had the Defender for a day or so before i returned it for that one reason. Made it a bit more tricky to use the fingerprint reader. Found that too many times when i went to swipe (almost typed Swype in there... and no, not even on my phone. haha) my finger, it would wind up getting stuck with the outer soft casing of the Defender and either stop mid-swipe or skip part of my fingertip.
fingerprint scanner works great for me; when i first got it i thought it would be a useless novelty.
Slade8525 said:
fingerprint scanner works great for me; when i first got it i thought it would be a useless novelty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying it doesn't work great. It works phenomenally. The issue is that some cases.... or mostly the OtterBox Defender, has quite a large hole where the fingerprint scanner resides.... and part of that hole is surrounded by the soft silicon/rubber of the outer shell of the case, which can make trying to get a solid swipe across the fingerprint reader a bit of a pain.
This is a pretty good review. I too left for an inspire and couldn't be happier, but I can see why people like their Atrix. Having cm7 was the deal breaker for me but if roms aren't a big deal the Atrix might be a better fit. I also had two phones with extremely bad call quality issues but I hear that's more of an isolated thing.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
I came from the captivate...to the atrix to the inspire and back to the atrix ...the only thing I miss from the inspire is htc sense
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
slimslim said:
There are many Inspire / Atrix threads I've read but this one is a good, unbiased, well written everyday user experience. +1 for op.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
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+1 great unbiased and amusing post. I was about to moan when I saw how long your post was, Divinedark but your well thought out/written comparison made me finish it without realizing it.
Well written OP. It's actually like two reviews of both phones and not just which beats which.
Thank you.
Okay so i dont know if this should be posted here, so if it belongs elsewhere please feel free to move it mods. I tried to post in the "real life reviews" but couldnt find a spot to submit a new thread there.
I hate the v20. I've had it since October when i was forced to give up my Note. I wanted to trade it in for the S7 edge but that wasn't available, and i liked what i'd heard about the v20 so i went ahead and went for it. Me and my wife both upgrade at the same time so we both got the v20, after trading in the Notes.
At first it was fine enough. I did enjoy the cameras on the phone quite a bit. Amazing cameras. but then the glass shattered over the two lenses (without so much as a drop) and the exposures became terrible. So the camera was ruined for me. I could have mailed it away to LG but i dont have a second phone and i can't be without mine for 2 weeks while they do repairs so i just have to deal with it. The screen got small scratches on it over time, which really surprised me. I have never had a single device going all the way back to the G1 that has gotten scratched. I dont know if this phone uses gorilla glass or not, but thats another issue.
The battery life sucks. Most days by lunch time my phone is under 15 percent. I've done everything you can think of to solve the problem, but nothing works. New roms, battery savers, efficiency stuff..i've tried it all. It just sucks.
The phone has a million other issues but i won't get in to those now. Long story short, i'm EXTREMELY tempted to get the new S8 plus but i'm gonna wait on the note because i really love that stylus...
Am i alone? does anyone else feel this way? I really hate it because i've never had an android phone i disliked. But i must regretfully admit, that this one sucks.
How do you feel?
First of all, you broke your phone and didn't fix it. Not wise. Second, use the phone for what it is designed around; swappable batteries. They last all day. You are apparently using apps that drain your battery. When that happens, you just pull off the back and swap with a fresh one. That alone sets this phone apart from the rest. Third, you should protect your screen with a tempered glass protector. 10 bucks can change your world. All of your problems are self inflicted it seems...that's what really sucks!
Yea, I'm gonna echo FreakyFrank.
It's not a huge battery given the size of the screen, so get a swapper. Especially given your load it's a wise idea.
Second, check the battery section under Settings and see where your battery is going to. Perhaps you need to remove an app or to that are abusing the juice.
Next, even if you rock case-free, you should still get a tempered glass screen protectors. There are good ones out there for well less than $10 (I got the Spigen and love it).
In short, the V20 sucks for you. Perhaps you've already optimized your phone and it's still not a good fit. That happens. Each phone is a set of trade-offs based on the purpose of that phone as determined by the manufacturer. Some of these make some phones not as optimal for a given person as it would be for others.
@thatisandwas
You couldn't find a temporary replacement phone to use if you'd sent your V20 away for repair? That strikes me as a poor excuse.
And a LG V20 Battery Charging KIT BCK-5200 doesn't cost a lot so thats your second gripe shot down. I bet if it was a non-removable battery you'd be wishing for the old days of removable batteries.
Over 6 months ownership of such a shi**y phone that has a "million other issues" and the only thing you've done is log in here to whinge about it.
Sell your V20, get another phone, and start formulating a rant about its faults 6 months down the line.... Happy days
Edit: you should change "the" to "my" in the thread title...
I'm really (not really) sorry to hear that V20 didn't work out for you quite well. So the morale of the story is
1. Fix your phone once it's broken.
2. always carry a spare phone just in case (at least, $100 cheap android phone)
3. never ever used a phone naked even if the phone is tough or rugged. put on a case and a tempered glass screen protector.
4. take advantage of the phone's main feature (in this case, removable battery).
LOL i +1 all of these posts.
In addition to the following:
-The camera lens replacement is already out there for sell . Ebay, amazon, you name it. And it doesnt cost practically a thing.
-How many user apps do you have? how many of them are constantly synchronizing? How long do you use your phone with heavy battery consuming apps such as ... Well. Facebook alone is a big consumer (it synchronizes a lot). I currently have 93 user apps. from which 28 of them are constantly synchronizing. Not to mention that i play fun run arena for an hour or 2 a day. and my battery last about 4 - 5 hours with screen on. or even up to almost 3 days with screen off and some of the app synchronizing.
But still, i think 6 month is really too late to be writing a thread like this lol!
LOL I Should have expected these responses. The thing is, i shouldn't have to pay money to fix camera glass. I've never had a camera glass break on me, ever. I'm very careful with my devices. I've had dozens of android phones. Never had any of these issues with any of them. Its clearly a design flaw that the glass shatters and you guys are just like "but a new one" as if thats a perfectly acceptable solution. It shouldn't break in the first place. The battery management could be any number of things. I've tried nothing but stock apps. I've had android OS in battery usage exceed 100%. I've now installed a new rom and am getting better battery life, but it still isn't great. I don't want to carry spare batteries. I want my battery to last from 8-5 then i can charge it on the drive home enough to last until it gets to my bedside charger. I don't think thats a very huge ask. But it dies before lunch time most days.
You guys all make good points, and yes i could remedy some of these problems with the suggestions. But you have to admit the camera glass is piss poor design on LGs part. I mean come on? It just shatters with regular usage?
thatisandwas said:
LOL I Should have expected these responses. The thing is, i shouldn't have to pay money to fix camera glass. I've never had a camera glass break on me, ever. I'm very careful with my devices. I've had dozens of android phones. Never had any of these issues with any of them. Its clearly a design flaw that the glass shatters and you guys are just like "but a new one" as if thats a perfectly acceptable solution. It shouldn't break in the first place. The battery management could be any number of things. I've tried nothing but stock apps. I've had android OS in battery usage exceed 100%. I've now installed a new rom and am getting better battery life, but it still isn't great. I don't want to carry spare batteries. I want my battery to last from 8-5 then i can charge it on the drive home enough to last until it gets to my bedside charger. I don't think thats a very huge ask. But it dies before lunch time most days.
You guys all make good points, and yes i could remedy some of these problems with the suggestions. But you have to admit the camera glass is piss poor design on LGs part. I mean come on? It just shatters with regular usage?
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I think i stated on another thread that i was starting to think that it is just a percentage of v20 that has that defect. You know how many times i have dropped my phone or even threw it to the wall by accidrnt (sure it did have a poetic revolution cover) but still, the pressure should have broken the camera glass by now. Nevertheless, mine still intact. And i have 6 month already with the phone. Another thing i have done that i believe it may causes the glass to break out of nothing, is to be on really cold and hot weather. Yet... Thr glass still not broken. (between 24 F and 106 F temprtstures >> oklahoma lol)
"The phone has a million other issues but i won't get in to those now...." < world of difference > "But you have to admit the camera glass is piss poor design on LGs part. I mean come on? It just shatters with regular usage?"
You could be right about the lens debacle but your OP was a tad OTT don't ya think...?
rubiicon59 said:
"The phone has a million other issues but i won't get in to those now...." < world of difference > "But you have to admit the camera glass is piss poor design on LGs part. I mean come on? It just shatters with regular usage?"
You could be right about the lens debacle but your OP was a tad OTT don't ya think...?
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Yes it is over the top. I mean the thing is i have loved ALL my android phones. They all have a "soul" to them tha makes me like them for their own reasons. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it just feels like something is majorly lacking with the v20 compared to my others. I mean does no one agree with me at all on any of the points i made?
Well I inferred understanding what you mean regarding the lens, lots of others have complained about if too.
But I stand by what I said in post #4.
So now I'm interested what you're going to do with your V20.... keep or ditch?
rubiicon59 said:
Well I inferred understanding what you mean regarding the lens, lots of others have complained about if too.
But I stand by what I said in post #4.
So now I'm interested what you're going to do with your V20.... keep or ditch?
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I'm gonna keep it for the time being. I don't hate it so much that i'm willing to spend more to get the s8 plus. But i will more than likely replace it when the note 8 rolls around....after waiting for 30 days after launch, for obvious reasons I can only imagine a large number of people came to v20 after giving up their note 7. I wonder how many of us will end up going to the note 8???
Yep I get your reasons... I think now we're on a similar page.
I've only had my V20 two days so I'm still exploring but so far I'm really pleased with it. Every phone manufactured has good and bad points so I try to take each one on its own merits and flaws rather than making comparisons. More so this time with switching manufacturers.
I've only had one LG in the past, the KF750 Secret, and I really liked that. But there will be no Note for me.
Anyway good luck with your V20, and your next phone too.
And get that lens fixed man
I love my v20. Last phone made with sensibility in mind. Removable battery, IR blaster, and SD slot. Only thing lacking is water resistance, but there are solutions for that. Plus I have 100+ apps installed and mine still lasts all day and then some.
Sent from my LG-V521 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Not exactly on topic (I guess) but as someone who is fully committed and stoked about the V20, I stopped and checked out the S8 the other day. I will say it looks really awesome. Samsung did a fantastic​job with the display.
But it still stands, like others say. The V20 is probably the last phone you can get with such a great feature set. I don't want to buy a new phone every year, other year, week, whatever. I want a phone that will last. Removable battery plus an LCD (not AMOLED) will truly last.
As a iphone user with the 7 Plus being my last and trying out the V20 it does kinda suck. battery life is pretty terrible for a newer model phone, I wanted to give android another shot but it still is not as polished as IOS is.
Sounds to me like you didn't do your research before buying the V20.
LG's V series of phones are meant to be the last of the "oldschool" style cellphones with expandable storage AND a removable battery with Phillips head screw construction. The idea is that when your battery dies, as others have stated, you pop off the back cover and pop a new battery in. Speaking of which, the other users are definitely right about having too many apps running. I have unlocked my bootloader and installed LineageOS (stock android), which could be a factor in my better battery life, and usually get close to 48 hours of moderate to heavy usage per charge. Battery aside, if something breaks, you simply buy the spare part online and replace it yourself. The replacement camera glass is only around $25 and takes about 10 minutes to swap.
I definitely do agree with you that the camera glass is a bit fragile, however, I doubt it broke from just the softness of your touch. If you dropped your phone even just once, it may have broken then, which is a bit ridiculous being that it's the camera glass...But if you had gotten the S7 Edge and dropped it once, there's a very, very good chance the the entirety of your front or back glass would have shattered (or both - the whole phone is glass) so you really should not be complaining about this.
But all comments aside, definitely go with the upcoming Note if you have the dough and are unsatisfied with the V20. I'd love to grab the new Note but I'm just a broke college student (hence why I got the V20. Cheap repairs =P ).
Anyway, best of luck phone hunting in the future!
I appreciate all the responses. I did definitely do a lot of research before buying the v20. Getting the sweet ear buds for free that i'm using as i type this was a big reason why i got it. I agree that it is good in its own merits, such as expandable storage/removable battery. I won't settle on the camera glass though, that's BS on LG's part and the fact that they still haven't acknowledged in publicly as a defect is disappointing to me. I've used LineageOS for a few weeks, and frankly i'm AMAZED if you're actually getting upwards of 48 hours use. Thats insane. I'm super lucky if i get til 5 with any juice left.
thatisandwas said:
I'm gonna keep it for the time being. I don't hate it so much that i'm willing to spend more to get the s8 plus. But i will more than likely replace it when the note 8 rolls around....after waiting for 30 days after launch, for obvious reasons I can only imagine a large number of people came to v20 after giving up their note 7. I wonder how many of us will end up going to the note 8???
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The V20 is a powerhouse and can hold its own against the rest. No phone will be perfect and its all about preference. However, I too gave up my Note 7 for the V20. I will be definitely going back to the Note series.
thatisandwas said:
I appreciate all the responses. I did definitely do a lot of research before buying the v20. Getting the sweet ear buds for free that i'm using as i type this was a big reason why i got it. I agree that it is good in its own merits, such as expandable storage/removable battery. I won't settle on the camera glass though, that's BS on LG's part and the fact that they still haven't acknowledged in publicly as a defect is disappointing to me. I've used LineageOS for a few weeks, and frankly i'm AMAZED if you're actually getting upwards of 48 hours use. Thats insane. I'm super lucky if i get til 5 with any juice left.
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You must have the screen on and be using the phone most if not the whole 5 hours.
Plug it in. If you don't have ac\dc available - get a nice power bank.
The camera glass is only $6.69 on eBay with the adhesive part and the glass.
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/282431684616