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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
I just posted this on the AT&T Note forum thread if this is considered a duplicate the moderators are free to delete one.
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/0...-pen-promises-even-more-features-galaxy-note/
Damn i was talking about patenting this like 2 weeks ago. Use the stylus as a handset. Charge when inserted into phone for storage. Microphone in tip, speaker in top. Geeze. O well
The only thing is, web sites have moaned about the G-Note looking funny when people hold them up to their head to make phone calls. Just wait until people start talking into what looks like an ink pen. People will freak out at first but I can at least imagine it becoming trendy. Perhaps you could just park it on top of your ear like everyone has seen someone doing with a pencil. School kids would love the stealthy phone. Teachers wouldn't even notice until the word got around. Other kids might start hanging real ink pens on their ears to make it look like they had a cool phone too. I can imagine lots of funny scenarios if this thing actually comes to market. I hope it does.
I already got 2 S4 coming, but question is, I keep reading around in different threads that maybe the Note 2 is a better device than the S4, a few people who've already got their S4 are saying that the S4 does not compare to the Note 2, my wife wanted the note 2, and I talked her out of it....man I am in deep shi$ if she gets wind of any of this....and she reads a few areas here in xda...I smell the dog house coming
Throw out a few opinions...PLEASE! save me
TheAxman said:
I already got 2 S4 coming, but question is, I keep reading around in different threads that maybe the Note 2 is a better device than the S4, a few people who've already got their S4 are saying that the S4 does not compare to the Note 2, my wife wanted the note 2, and I talked her out of it....man I am in deep shi$ if she gets wind of any of this....and she reads a few areas here in xda...I smell the dog house coming
Throw out a few opinions...PLEASE! save me
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I have never used a S4 (I do own a Note 2) and based on specs alone the S4 wins (full hd display with almost twice the pixel density and dual quad core processors). Good news is, if your wife really wants a Note 2 you should be able to easily sell your S4, buy a Note 2 and pocket a few hundred bucks.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
JB910 said:
I have never used a S4 (I do own a Note 2) and based on specs alone the S4 wins (full hd display with almost twice the pixel density and dual quad core processors). Good news is, if your wife really wants a Note 2 you should be able to easily sell your S4, buy a Note 2 and pocket a few hundred bucks.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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Thank you for that advice, spec wise is what I sold her on, but there a few people out there bashing the S4.
I am going to keep her out of the forums until she gets the S4 in her hand, she has a note 1 now.
My wife has a note 2 and the only thing to be envious about is battery life. After using the s4 for a week or two now, I'm always taken back on the screen quality of the note 2. It's no where near as good as the s4. Same goes for ergonomics, camera and so on. You made the right choice, don't listen to trolls and ask yourself, if the note 2 is so much better, why are their fan base posing in the s4 section?
Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
robstunner said:
My wife has a note 2 and the only thing to be envious about is battery life. After using the s4 for a week or two now, I'm always taken back on the screen quality of the note 2. It's no where near as good as the s4. Same goes for ergonomics, camera and so on. You made the right choice, don't listen to trolls and ask yourself, if the note 2 is so much better, why are their fan base posing in the s4 section?
Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
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Once the S4 gets some stable custom roms out with custom kernels I am sure the S4's battery life issues will be a non factor. I run Jedi Master 13 with Saberkernel 23 on my Note 2 and the speed and battery life of the rom blows the Note 2 stock rom out of the water. You are right, people are just trolling. Based on the S4s specs it is a superior phone.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Thanks guys, I kinda knew the G4 had better graphics, on the battery side, the Note gets her some serious time. I think I made the right choice, seen a few posts where some of the G4 users are selling them off now. wow. Don't remember, but I think this issue came up when the G3 was released also. man, I can not wait till I have that phone.
thanks, much appreciated!!!!
TheAxman said:
Thanks guys, I kinda knew the G4 had better graphics, on the battery side, the Note gets her some serious time. I think I made the right choice, seen a few posts where some of the G4 users are selling them off now. wow. Don't remember, but I think this issue came up when the G3 was released also. man, I can not wait till I have that phone.
thanks, much appreciated!!!!
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Really, only get the Note if you need the s-pen features and plan to actually, you know, take notes on the thing. Otherwise, go for the newest shiny.
burhanistan said:
Really, only get the Note if you need the s-pen features and plan to actually, you know, take notes on the thing. Otherwise, go for the newest shiny.
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That's exactly what my wife and I discovered. She came from the LG Lollipop to the Note2, and she was ecstatic about this thing, even though she "hated touchscreen phones" (mostly due to her experiences a long time ago with the Motorola Backflip, and the HTC Pure ... I don't blame her). She loves the Note2 because of the huge screen and low DPI (yet the picture is very clear and sharp at 720p) - excellent for texting and navigating around. She has no problems with a touchscreen now! Oh, and the camera is pretty good on the Note2 as well, with a snappy shutter time and extras like slo-mo video and such.
When she saw my S4, she was actually somewhat jealous! We've been comparing the devices side-by-side for a couple weeks now, and we've determined that the S4 is overall a much better phone. The primary exclusion to this statement is that the Note2 has the S-Pen, which is a really, really nice feature - for those who really use it. She uses it rarely to doodle or take some notes when she doesn't feel like dealing with the onscreen keyboard, so it would not be a huge loss for her if it were gone.
The sacrifice of .5in of diagonal screen space is noticeable by comparison, but the 5" screen the S4 has will still outshine nearly any other smartphone - especially at 1080p.
Lastly, I will comment on the covers. We purchased the official Samsung flip cover for her device, primarily because it was too difficult to find a third-party cheap-knockoff that actually included the NFC antenna. They exist now, but they were hard to come by when we were shopping. At least the S4 doesn't include the NFC antenna as part of the battery cover. >_<
I purchased the S-View cover at the nearest corporate AT&T store (30mi away or so in the next town) because I wanted it on Day-One (I had my phone on Day-Negative-One, and I was eager to buy the silly cover). After shelling out $60, I drove home with the shiny S-View cover, and I once again made my wife jealous. While she'll admit that the S-View window is a tad gimmicky, she both finds it "really cool!" and actually kinda useful for every-day use.
So, just as burhanistan stated: if you have a great need for the awesome S-Pen that the Note2 provides, buy it. Otherwise, the S4 certainly competes to be the best phone ever created to-date (IMHO).
She has been reading this thread at work, the pen she said is a plus, I think I got her leaning toward the G4, you guys are helping a bunch. I like the idea of the earlier reply, sell the G4 if she is not happy, get her the note 2 and save some $$$.
Or just keep it, and pass it on to some devs to help out with the rom progress, that would be my contribution to the cause.
This seriously is helping, cause she is seeing it from other people who have the phone and have been using it already.
Thanks
Aou said:
That's exactly what my wife and I discovered. She came from the LG Lollipop to the Note2, and she was ecstatic about this thing, even though she "hated touchscreen phones" (mostly due to her experiences a long time ago with the Motorola Backflip, and the HTC Pure ... I don't blame her). She loves the Note2 because of the huge screen and low DPI (yet the picture is very clear and sharp at 720p) - excellent for texting and navigating around. She has no problems with a touchscreen now! Oh, and the camera is pretty good on the Note2 as well, with a snappy shutter time and extras like slo-mo video and such.
When she saw my S4, she was actually somewhat jealous! We've been comparing the devices side-by-side for a couple weeks now, and we've determined that the S4 is overall a much better phone. The primary exclusion to this statement is that the Note2 has the S-Pen, which is a really, really nice feature - for those who really use it. She uses it rarely to doodle or take some notes when she doesn't feel like dealing with the onscreen keyboard, so it would not be a huge loss for her if it were gone.
The sacrifice of .5in of diagonal screen space is noticeable by comparison, but the 5" screen the S4 has will still outshine nearly any other smartphone - especially at 1080p.
Lastly, I will comment on the covers. We purchased the official Samsung flip cover for her device, primarily because it was too difficult to find a third-party cheap-knockoff that actually included the NFC antenna. They exist now, but they were hard to come by when we were shopping. At least the S4 doesn't include the NFC antenna as part of the battery cover. >_<
I purchased the S-View cover at the nearest corporate AT&T store (30mi away or so in the next town) because I wanted it on Day-One (I had my phone on Day-Negative-One, and I was eager to buy the silly cover). After shelling out $60, I drove home with the shiny S-View cover, and I once again made my wife jealous. While she'll admit that the S-View window is a tad gimmicky, she both finds it "really cool!" and actually kinda useful for every-day use.
So, just as burhanistan stated: if you have a great need for the awesome S-Pen that the Note2 provides, buy it. Otherwise, the S4 certainly competes to be the best phone ever created to-date (IMHO).
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You have a pic or a link to the cover?
I had both but returned my S4 & switched back to my GN2 since I'm changing carriers. At first it was hard to get use to since I was so use to the GN2.
I rarely use the spen but the big screen & not having to charge every night with the GN2 is awesome.
I was getting about 20-22hrs w/ 5-7hrs screen time with my S4.
I do admit being able to use the phone with one hand is cool but typing was a little awkward since I'm so use to typing with 2 hands on my GN2.
Now that I'm back to my GN2, I'm not sure if I want to get the S4 when the 32gb for TMO comes out but knowing my habit of always wanting the latest gadgets, I'll probably do get it. Lol.
-Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 2
TheAxman said:
You have a pic or a link to the cover?
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This YouTube video shows it in action, but I think it's French or something (dun car, not English). Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mQOrk2DBg
Here' my experience with the S-View cover:
If you do not have a password/pattern/number lock on your lock screen (simply set to swipe-to-unlock), just opening the S-View cover will turn on and unlock the device. You open it, and it's ready-to-use immediately.
Closing the lid will lock the device for the most part, and for the next 10 seconds or so, it will show the time and notification icons (and battery/signal/etc) through the little window. After 10 seconds, the device shuts off. You can power it back on like this with the power button, but it doesn't unlock it until you open it again.
The window itself appears to be made of glass. It's fairly nice - I was half expecting it to be crappy plastic. If it's not glass, it's really nice plastic.
You can answer or decline incoming calls through the glass when it rings with a swipe of a little round icon one way or the other. Pretty neat, but if you have the touch sensitivity all the way down, you might have a slight trouble using this feature. I haven't tried it since the OTA update, so they may have improved that!
You can hang up an existing call in a similar fashion.
The flip cover itself needs some time to "break in". When you first put it on, it will not lay flat onto the glass of your phone without some convincing, or being held in place by your pocket. After enough use, or a day or two, it gets much better. Don't think the cover is defective from this, it's just too tight in the "hinge" at first, but will loosen up with use.
Occasionally, if I have the cover flipped backwards for long periods, it somewhat emulates the same effect as the above point. It will shy away from the screen for a brief while, and then return to normal. I suspect after several more weeks, this will go away entirely at this rate.
One thing that I really do like about this cover: Because it replaces the battery cover of your phone, it adds virtually no bulk to the phone. It is very slightly thicker, and I can tell you that I appreciate it for one reason: The normal battery cover is inset, such that the camera lens sticks out the furthest, and when placing the device on a flat surface, it rests on the edge of the camera lens. On the S-View flip cover, the new back sticks out just a hair past the camera lens, so it no longer rests on the camera anymore. I take a lot of pictures, so I like to keep my camera lens immaculate.
The glass window will get rather dirty, especially if you shove the phone against a greasy head. Not a big deal, just use a microfiber cloth once in a while and some screen cleaner to get it shiny again.
The normal covers have no window, and so when you open it all the way (flipped around backwards), you can't use the rear-facing camera! With the S-View cover, it lines up such that you can use the camera straight through the glass on the cover. A nice touch, really. Because I take a lot of close-up shots and other detailed pictures, I choose not to flip the cover all the way around, because sometimes the window is dirty. So I just flip it downwards or whatnot.
The flip cover, even when purchased through AT&T, does not have AT&T's logo on the back, like the normal battery cover. I like it that way better. Even better: the front shows "Galaxy S4" near the bottom, and makes it a lot easier to show that you have a really, really cool phone.
I hope this all helps if debating whether to drop $60 on the S-View cover or not. Generics are starting to become available, but I don't know anything about the quality, etc.
---------- Post added at 12:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 PM ----------
RMXO said:
I had both but returned my S4 & switched back to my GN2 since I'm changing carriers. At first it was hard to get use to since I was so use to the GN2.
I rarely use the spen but the big screen & not having to charge every night with the GN2 is awesome.
I was getting about 20-22hrs w/ 5-7hrs screen time with my S4.
I do admit being able to use the phone with one hand is cool but typing was a little awkward since I'm so use to typing with 2 hands on my GN2.
Now that I'm back to my GN2, I'm not sure if I want to get the S4 when the 32gb for TMO comes out but knowing my habit of always wanting the latest gadgets, I'll probably do get it. Lol.
-Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 2
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I didn't mention battery at all, but you bring up a point. The Note2 has excellent battery life, there's no doubt about that. The S4 has "good" battery life in my experience, especially coming from the S2. People are saying that battery life has improved with the OTA update recently, but I haven't had a good chance to test that out. Freezing bloatware has really been a big help to increasing the battery life, regardless.
My S4 easily lasts the day, and can last two days with moderate/intermittent usage. I think the OTA update may have improved the battery life significantly, but I will have to test this out over the next couple days. Also, keeping it on Wi-Fi where available seems to be the best way to conserve battery life in my area.
Went from the note 2 to s4 pre update, ui fluidity was the only issue. I addressed it with nova launcher and the options in the developers setting, which made the ui very fast. Update addresses that issue and everything else on the s4 is better and my battery life is very comparable. I get 20+ hours with 4+ hours of screen time easily and I'm sure it will increase with roms and kernels.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
porkaysi said:
Went from the note 2 to s4 pre update, ui fluidity was the only issue. I addressed it with nova launcher and the options in the developers setting, which made the ui very fast. Update addresses that issue and everything else on the s4 is better and my battery life is very comparable. I get 20+ hours with 4+ hours of screen time easily and I'm sure it will increase with roms and kernels.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
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Thanks, I needed this one....
I had the Note 2 for a week before I traded it for the S4. They are both awesome devices, but imo the S4 was the right choice for me. Much easier to carry it in your pocket. Battery life not as good, but that was expected. Cant go wrong either way. Go to the store and play with them both.
qbanlinxx said:
I had the Note 2 for a week before I traded it for the S4. They are both awesome devices, but imo the S4 was the right choice for me. Much easier to carry it in your pocket. Battery life not as good, but that was expected. Cant go wrong either way. Go to the store and play with them both.
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funny you said that.. we just got back from the mall...saw them both....the wife agreed on the S4...so I am safe..for now....she will be ok when it arrives Monday. thanks...I showed her a few of the posts here...thanks to you all....very good imput.
TheAxman said:
funny you said that.. we just got back from the mall...saw them both....the wife agreed on the S4...so I am safe..for now....she will be ok when it arrives Monday. thanks...I showed her a few of the posts here...thanks to you all....very good imput.
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She made a wise choice, I have a Note 2 and would gladly trade it for a S4. I don't even use my Spen, I got it last September because it had the best guts and it's a Samsung. Never buy a HTC. PITA software and very unforgiving. Buy Sammy, Odin is your friend. Enjoy your S4's!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
JB910 said:
She made a wise choice, I have a Note 2 and would gladly trade it for a S4. I don't even use my Spen, I got it last September because it had the best guts and it's a Samsung. Never buy a HTC. PITA software and very unforgiving. Buy Sammy, Odin is your friend. Enjoy your S4's!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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I had a htc hd2...it was a nightmare..to flash roms...a win phone..dual boot crap..rock solid...hard to deal with...hehe i ask her..how much are you really use that pen..also the res on the s4 was SWEET...they had the perfect wallpaper on that demo...i showed her she said ok. so when she gets that new rom on it...she won't even mention the note. its on now.
as far as the G3...i love the damn thing..my son is keeping his...so i will be hanging around here for awhile still...sold 2 keeping 1...
I had three people tell me the Note 3 would be too big. I would hate it. This, of course, was based on their opinion of holding the Note 2 and being put off by the size. I get it, it's not for everyone. It may not even be for me. Two years ago, I know it wasn't. But today, I might be coming around.
A relative of mine had the first Note. At the time I had the Evo 3d. I remember being so put off by that monstrous phone that I thought no way could I deal with something as big. But then I got a Galaxy Nexus. And now I've held the S4. And I see the G2. And I have to wonder, is this really a HUGE phone anymore?
Below on the left are the phones I've owned with the GN being the current. On the far right are the current choices for top in the Android world. Is the Note 3 bigger than average? Yes, but not so much anymore. Now it just seems like it's ahead of the curve.
So is this really a device in a different category due to it's size, or is this just progress?
My original smartphone was the Droid eris. I then moved to the Galaxy Nexus, and at first i thought the screen was pretty big, but I got used to it within a week lol...
fast forward to last week, when my nexus died... I have me beat up old eris and I cannot wait to have a big screen again lol...
yes, the note is big, but that much bigger than current phones, whereas the original note was gigantic compared to the current phones of the day.
I have the Note 1 and think its great, but like you said people go what the hell you need a phone that big. Then I show them how much more I can do because I have a bigger screen and 9 out of 10 people after go, "that not so bad after all". Just need to think beyond only calling and texting
Handling it should be no problem for you seeing that you're used to a gradual increase in size...and if you think note is big see the z ultra in person XD..you won't understand till then
3 years ago I bought s1 and everyone told me that my phone is too big to use comfortly.:laugh:
Ergonomically, there is a huge difference and more relative to hand size and finger length. The main function for a lot of people is phone and text. Most prefer one hand operation most of the time in that regard. Previous size progression did not breach this function for most people until the phablet, hence the term.
Phablet is a fair and accurate term for most people. Either choice depends on the user and nobody else. If I did not have a tablet, I would get the N3, since more display and IMO, a better all-in-one if no tablet. I though have a Excite 7.7, TF300, Nook HD+ and iPad 4. I will stick with the S4, but would not be surprised if there is a S800 refresh of some form for the S4.
I have the (original) Note, bought it when they first came out, before it was even evident that any of the US carriers would offer it. So I didn't even have a chance to see one in person before I ordered it. I mocked up the phone by gluing two pieces of corrugated cardboard together, cut out to the same size as the Note. It fit in my pocket, and didn't feel awkward holding it to my face, so I ordered it. Once I got the phone, I loved it, and wouldn't go back to something smaller. However, I also don't want anything larger, as I do feel this pushes the limits of what comfortably fits in my pockets in certain clothes or activities. In fact, I wish they would have rounded the ends of the N3 more like the S4 just for that reason. But it really took no time at all for the size to seem normal to me. Of course, I grew up holding the Bell "trimline" phones to my face, so the Note is an amazing shrinking of technology from that perspective. When I first got the Note, I did get occasional "is that a tablet or a phone" questions, but not so much any more.
Size is not a big factor nowdays even more for those who seek the best experience
I am in full agreement with most of you on this matter. Basically my thinking and reasoning is this: I want the best (IMO) smartphone but at a reasonable size, so I want to look at Galaxy S4, LG G2, Sony Z1,Nexus 5 and Note 3. But hey, these mobiles are quite big and in my case in which I have small hands, it is difficult to operate them in one hand. So in essence, all these smartphones are big for me so the size factor is almost eliminated and therefore I am only after the total power, experience and functionality from those smartphones! Therefore I think Note 3 is the winner! Not to mention that Z1 is almost reaching the Note 3 dimensions but having only 5 inch display, so Note 3 at least is exploiting the big screen at an optimum level compared to its size! Now I hope the battery life of this beast will be great and at least to be on Note's 2 range.
SAVVAS. said:
I am in full agreement with most of you on this matter. Basically my thinking and reasoning is this: I want the best (IMO) smartphone but at a reasonable size, so I want to look at Galaxy S4, LG G2, Sony Z1,Nexus 5 and Note 3. But hey, these mobiles are quite big and in my case in which I have small hands, it is difficult to operate them in one hand. So in essence, all these smartphones are big for me so the size factor is almost eliminated and therefore I am only after the total power, experience and functionality from those smartphones! Therefore I think Note 3 is the winner! Not to mention that Z1 is almost reaching the Note 3 dimensions but having only 5 inch display, so Note 3 at least is exploiting the big screen at an optimum level compared to its size! Now I hope the battery life of this beast will be great and at least to be on Note's 2 range.
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This is exactly where I'm at. I just want the best phone. And at the moment, the Note 3 looks like it. It just happens to be a bit bigger than average. But I think much of the stigma of holding the "phablet" to your head is gone with the Note series. I mean, is it maybe a half inch longer and quarter inch wider than the S4? Not so noticeable anymore.
dscline said:
I have the (original) Note, bought it when they first came out, before it was even evident that any of the US carriers would offer it. So I didn't even have a chance to see one in person before I ordered it. I mocked up the phone by gluing two pieces of corrugated cardboard together, cut out to the same size as the Note. It fit in my pocket, and didn't feel awkward holding it to my face, so I ordered it. Once I got the phone, I loved it, and wouldn't go back to something smaller. However, I also don't want anything larger, as I do feel this pushes the limits of what comfortably fits in my pockets in certain clothes or activities. In fact, I wish they would have rounded the ends of the N3 more like the S4 just for that reason. But it really took no time at all for the size to seem normal to me. Of course, I grew up holding the Bell "trimline" phones to my face, so the Note is an amazing shrinking of technology from that perspective. When I first got the Note, I did get occasional "is that a tablet or a phone" questions, but not so much any more.
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I cut out cardboard last night for the Note 3 size... Glad I'm not the only one who obsesses over things like this.
I think we've become desensitized to devices the size of the Note (all three are similar as is OG Pro). I've been using a N2 for eleven months and it’s become "normal." It's not normal though. One-handed operation was and still is a pain in the a- and I've got fairly large hands. I was recently visiting some friends and family in another state and they all had iPhones (at least a dozen of them) in various shapes and sizes. I felt like Gulliver with my N2.
I would never buy anything larger that the Note to use as my only phone. I have a large tablet so don't need my phone for the majority of my consumption. I'm betting others increasingly have 7-10" tablets too. And at least with a Note you can justify the larger screen as anything smaller would make multitasking and inking impractical. What’s the justification for the XZ Ultra?
So what problem does something like the XZ Ultra or even the One Max really solve? They create a portability problem if they are someone's primary communication device. I guess the problem they solve is not having to buy and/or carry both a phone and a tablet. But a 5.9-6.6" display is still too small for a tablet which is why the 8" form factor is the fastest growing. And God knows 5.9-6.6" is laughable as a communication device.
It kind of reminds of pre-gas crisis times where gargantuan SUVs were the biggest selling segment and people that didn’t need them bought them purely because "bigger was better" and the statement they made - “mine’s bigger than yours.” I think phones larger than the N3 will find their niche but I think once the novelty wears off people that buy them and use them as their primary device will come to their senses.
Other phablets are just "big smartphones." The Note is an honest to goodness productivity machine. There are plenty of options in terms of larger smartphones, but there is only one (well 3 now) Note.
hdad2 said:
I cut out cardboard last night for the Note 3 size... Glad I'm not the only one who obsesses over things like this.
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I am glad I'm not the only one who did a cardboard cut out
The phone is just a feature
Bah, I got the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 3G (T-311). Why bother with tablet + phone? Just carry one device. But seriously, it really depends how important the phone function is to you. For those who only take the occasional call, the bigger the screen, the better. The Sony SBH52 handset will take care of the rest.
joe_dude said:
Bah, I got the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 3G (T-311). Why bother with tablet + phone? Just carry one device. But seriously, it really depends how important the phone function is to you. For those who only take the occasional call, the bigger the screen, the better.
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Talking isn't the limiting factor to me. I don't talk much, I text, email, and browse much more. I could hold an 8" screen up to my face and talk, but it would be an issue fitting that into many of my pockets or keeping on me for certain activities. The Note is about as big as I'd want to go for someone who prefers to just drop it in a pocket & go.
dscline said:
Talking isn't the limiting factor to me. I don't talk much, I text, email, and browse much more. I could hold an 8" screen up to my face and talk, but it would be an issue fitting that into many of my pockets or keeping on me for certain activities. The Note is about as big as I'd want to go for someone who prefers to just drop it in a pocket & go.
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Short answer: Cargo pants/shorts
What I did was get a belt pouch that was designed to carry a small tablet. Easier to take out while sitting down, and no wardrobe malfunctions. 8) It leaves my hands free, which is the important part. But again, it depends on each person's needs. I wanted one device to do everything, including remote desktop.
joe_dude said:
Short answer: Cargo pants/shorts
What I did was get a belt pouch that was designed to carry a small tablet.
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I suppose if I could or wanted to wear cargo pants to every thing I did, that would be an option. It's rare (read: never) that I'm interested in sporting some kind accessory to carry my phone in. For those who are willing to dress around their phone, then sure, size isn't really an issue. May as well carry a full tablet around. Heck, you can make calls on a laptop if you want.
dscline said:
I suppose if I could or wanted to wear cargo pants to every thing I did, that would be an option. It's rare (read: never) that I'm interested in sporting some kind accessory to carry my phone in. For those who are willing to dress around their phone, then sure, size isn't really an issue. May as well carry a full tablet around. Heck, you can make calls on a laptop if you want.
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Yeah, 8-inch tab is about the biggest that can be held in one hand. Even then, it is a bit extreme. It's kinda like heading back to the days of carrying a ghetto blaster. Totally retro, man!
staryoshi said:
Other phablets are just "big smartphones." The Note is an honest to goodness productivity machine. There are plenty of options in terms of larger smartphones, but there is only one (well 3 now) Note.
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I agree. I've been a Samsung user for years, and I have to say that the gradual changes that they've made with the S series and now the Note series have been nothing but benefits. It's crazy, I didn't even know until recently that Samsung offers phones even larger than the Notes: the Mega has a 5.8 inch screen in diameter, and the second one in that series is at 6.3.
BarryH_GEG said:
I think phones larger than the N3 will find their niche but I think once the novelty wears off people that buy them and use them as their primary device will come to their senses.
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If you don't care about one handed use, and i don't, then the biggest practical phone is the one that still goes where your current phone goes.
I could easily go a bit bigger than the note 3. I know several girls who have the note 2 that carry the phone in their purse and there is no reason they couldn't go bigger as well.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Tired of the chipping chrome paint and backplate of my still-works-fine S4, I decided it was time to try something new because I apparently have too much disposable income and an awful addiction to new phones. Here are some first impressions I've had with the device in the few hours I've been able to play with my shiny (literally) new factory unlocked gunmetal grey HTC One (M8).
Hot damn does it feel solid. Like I could use it as a weapon should someone ever try to mug me for it.
It's tall, son! Half an inch or so taller than the S4. Not a problem for me, but I can see where it would generate complaints from folks with smaller hands.
Wow that was a long first boot. Even the girls at the T-Mobile mall kiosk were shocked at this. Can't say I've ever had a phone take that long without me screwing up a flash.
Getting T-Mobile's LTE in Detroit on the thing it seems. 22Mbs down. I'm OK with this.
I forgot how much I hated having on screen buttons over the S4's capacitive ones. This really stands out to me since so much space is devoted to them. If feels like 1/5 or 1/6 of the screen is simply OS chrome elements. I can't wait to get Xposed and the immersion module on this (or better, a rom like PA).
The swipe gestures to unlock it sounded really cool at first, until I noticed that every time I tried to pocket the phone, I was unlocking it. a
Is it just me, or is the stock font just huge? I mean, I get the accessibility case here, but man...
Sense is a ton less annoying than TouchWiz (in the brief time I tried to roll with it). Specifically, I always hated the way Samsung perverted the notification shade with toggles. I can't, however, seem to find any compelling reasons to keep it outside of the swipe gestures, but I'm not sure how much I'm going to care about those anyhow. Time will tell, right?
Ok, the gestures thing where you can turn the device and hit the volume button to get into the camera without first unlocking your phone is awesome.
The camera isn't as bad as I've read. A few shots of my kids inside the mall I went to get a new sim card was poorly lit and the shots came out as expected for an Android device. Granted, I haven't printed them or shared them on Facebook, but that's why I have a 5D Mk III
God this thing feels great in my hand. I've read some say the gunmetal version is a little more "slick", but it doesn't seem any better or worse than the S4.
Someone was complaining that the metal from the case where the speakers go and the glass don't seem to be super flush. I can see what they're saying, but I can't say this bothers me outside of the gross abominations that groove will contain after a few months of use. I feel dirty just thinking about it.
Yeah, the sound is a lot better than the S4. No, it's a metric asston better. Since we're using metric, you know that's a scientific statement.
Blinkfeed is, um, cute? I mean, I already had Flipboard so I don't see what the fuss is about other than access from the homescreen, but it's not like I'm going to rock out a stock launcher anyhow.
The buttons are very subtle in the build. Not in a bad way, but it'll take time to get used to their positioning.
Bah! Why doesn't this have every rom ever for it yet! It's almost been two weeks, damnit! #fakerage
I think I'll give it another hour of play time before I void my warranty.
Thread closed,
I have closed this thread as it will very quickly become both a phone comparison and rom comparison thread, which are against forum rules.
Any issues please let me know,
Ghost