Database Users

Debating on buying a Galaxy Nexus

Guys I need your help. I'm not sure what I should do but the galaxy nexus looks really good to me. Now I know the Galaxy s 2 that we have is pure BEAST, in fact as far as the internal go it's better than the galaxy nexus. But i do like the 720p screen on the nexus, the no capacitive buttons and the bigger screen and of course Ice Cream Sandwich bare naked. So should I get the nexus or should I wait for ICS on the S2 and get the s3 later?

Wait for those A15 cores.
$1 gets you a reply

The 720p screen is Pentile. While it has a lesser effect at higher pixel densities (I have seen the Galaxy Note and it's way better than my friend's SGS1), it's still noticeable. Like the guy above said, wait for the A15-equipped phones.

I would love to buy a pure Google phone but they always seem to be six months behind Samsung's Touchwiz devices. It seems that in order to stay bleeding edge you have to make do with Touchwiz. The Galaxy Nexus isn't of BAD spec; but the pentile screen tech and camera and lack of expandable memory makes it a no-go for me. The Galaxy S3 will completely destroy it. I just hope for a more solid construction that doesn't scuff and scratch so easily and that Touchwiz is redesigned to be more sexy than it currently is. I want Samsung to move away from their current garish design ethos and make something a bit more smart.

leoni1980 said:
I would love to buy a pure Google phone but they always seem to be six months behind Samsung's Touchwiz devices. It seems that in order to stay bleeding edge you have to make do with Touchwiz. The Galaxy Nexus isn't of BAD spec; but the pentile screen tech and camera and lack of expandable memory makes it a no-go for me. The Galaxy S3 will completely destroy it. I just hope for a more solid construction that doesn't scuff and scratch so easily and that Touchwiz is redesigned to be more sexy than it currently is. I want Samsung to move away from their current garish design ethos and make something a bit more smart.
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What I'll like to see from SGS3:
Non-Pentile 720P SuperAMOLED
Camera with 1080p 60fps recording
Dual or quad core A15
Fully open source. That includes driver so that Team Hacksung can work their magic.

I just sold my GS2 and my Nexus is on its way. I did my research, I know that the GS2 has slightly better internals, but the Nexus phones were never about having bleeding edge hardware. The Nexus phones are about bleeding edge software... and when it comes down to it, you can have all the hardware in the world, but stay stuck with crappy software.
The only thing, IMO, that keeps the S2 going is Cyanogenmod. I have immense respect for their work, but when the developers have to hack around closed-source, ****ty code from Samsung, things mostly work. Emphasis on mostly. I'm sick and tired of being constrained by Samsung's unwillingness to cater to the Android dev community, and I decided to break free from their chains.
Is the Galaxy S2's GPU slightly better? Yes. Is the S2's camera slightly better? Yes. Does the S2 have a SD Card slot? Yes. But the GPU in the Nexus is better than the GPU in the iPhone 4, and that thing is super smooth & capable. The camera in the Nexus does what its supposed to - take good quality photos for Facebook, G+ etc. I've always had SD cards in my phones, and have never used them.
Go look at the Nexus's development forum... its like a beehive in there, and the honey looks crazy sweet
So yes, the S3 will probably destroy the Nexus in terms of hardware... but its simply not what counts - look at all the N1 users who are only upgrading now, because only now their phone feels like it needs upgrading. Software is where its at.

ppl should get a nexus and compare. I got both at the moment.
Hands down a better experience.
like soulcro said, the development there is amazing!!
doubt me, check these - all this over 2 weeks.
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s18/s...12690192d279/402eb97e626011c2b2a8d828ab90144c
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s18/s...24b19efbe36e/8aac1540cbe655c3c4199885ea92b509
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s18/s...470f65bbda91/b9945d9911d7c3934950bbd34776d1d4
ALL OPEN SOURCE! WINZIP KANG WARRIORS GETS SHUT DOWN IN < 8 HOURS

Does the Galaxy Nexus have a MicroSD card slot? No
'nuff said.

Ok
Gs2 has muuuch better GPU not only slightly, try 1080p on Nexus...
Nexus has no MicroSD slot, which means constantly moving files from ur phone to pc to free up space ( unless you dont make oics and videos at all, or dont watch any movies on it)
On Nexus u cant even watch 720p on youtube it's lagging like hell!!!! (Talking about flash from any browser)
Cant transfer bluetooth files TO Nexus! The only way is to ZIP them and then send them ( not rly convenient. Has no problems from Nexus to any device
The camera...oh god, pics not bad with lots of light, but indoors in low light, noisy as hell!!! Video recording is not even close to the quality of GS2!!!
Nexus doesnt have DLNA app u have to download thirdparty one, the best is Skifta,but on ICS it drains the battery like hell!
Nexus doesnt have wifi direct, it's just API for developers
Battery is the same, but Nexus manages the processes better. No wakelock etc. no tweaks are needed to get good battery life )
Nexus has pathetic speaker!!! Almost unusable on loudspeaker unless it's really quiet around you!
Nexus is sooo much more expensive than GS2!
a good point is the Screen of Nexus it's really good!! Cant even tell it's pentile. it is so much easier to read anything with HD screen
Those observation are from about 1 month testing
I think I have said enough to make ones mind into bying any of the two hope it helps
Guess which One I'm gonna keep, but still everyone has different needs
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

I ran out of memory on both my internal and external card (8gb) so had to buy a 32gb which is now half full. Nexus is useless to me.
Anyway, this question is a bit like asking on a BMW forum whether I should buy a Mercedes.
Why not go ask on the Nexus forum??
Sent from my GT-I9100

I think i would be better to wait for the sgs3...
Samsung made a really great job with the original sgs and the sgs2...

sxi200 said:
I ran out of memory on both my internal and external card (8gb) so had to buy a 32gb which is now half full. Nexus is useless to me.
Anyway, this question is a bit like asking on a BMW forum whether I should buy a Mercedes.
Why not go ask on the Nexus forum??
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It helps to judge it properly by having both devices. Don't think I will ever buy a non-nexus again.

s2d4 said:
It helps to judge it properly by having both devices. Don't think I will ever buy a non-nexus again.
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True. But where do I fit the more than 20gb of data I already have on my S2.
Like I said, its useless to me. A bit like buying a fantastic 2 seater car for a family of 5. Doesn't serve the buyers purpose.
Sent from my GT-I9100

not worth it
i was at the same situation and stay'd with my SGS2.
the Gnex not offering real upgrade over the SGS2
* CPU - the TI OMAP 4460 CPU is good for lower Power consumption but is no match for the sammy's 4120.
* GPU - the Gnex GPU is SGX540 clocked at 400mhz while the SGS2 GPU is the MALI-400
an old GPU but much stronger then the SGX540\400mhz.
* Screen - the Gnex 720p screen is real blessing but the Pentile matrix ruin's it
i dont know if anyone saw it before but it looks a bit blurry compare to the SGS2
"SAP" screen.
* Software - its very important to keep the phone updated but to be honest
no one actually stay's with the original rom for long.
with ICS our SGS2 will be even faster then the Gnex in every parameter.
so software OTA is irrelevant.
* Camera - the SGS2 camera is amazing 28mm 2.4 that takes really great shots
no Camera-phone is nighttime capable (yet!)
stay with the SGS2 and get the SGS3 when it comes out.

My only reasons to get Nexus is that, it's LED Notification (Although overcome by BLN in S2) and of course, Nexus's AMOLED HD (Although I've yet to get it hands on, so, I'm not sure how good it is).
Lastly, my fear is that, Custom ROMs & Kernels developers would shift to other devices within my two years of contract with my carrier for S2 although Nexus is my dream.

Infra said:
There was no attitude in that message But it was already stated couple of posts ago that b19 fixes the wrong alignment of the navbar buttons.
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fair point, different purpose.
I stream practically all my media so SD card is a mute point for me.
Anyways, i am happy with the sentiments. That should fetch me a good price for the gs2 then.
OT: I will never buy a sports car with fitting a family as a requirement.

I played with a GNex a few minutes in-store and I must say CM9 on sgs2 is 3 times faster. Nexus even lags when switching screens slightly and especially when entering appdrawer. Screen is nice, but it's nowhere near Retina-quality is should've been. I'd say it's VERY slightly clearer. Performance on SGS2 is just crazy fast. Not to mention a lot better camera and SD card slot.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

NoOneCanHelpMe said:
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GUARDIANBD said:
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Everyone uses their phone differently. I've never, ever had a use for DLNA/Bluetooth File Transfer/Wifi Direct/MicroSD. The flash is reportedly working fine when you upgrade to 4.0.3. The camera does exactly what its supposed to - pictures for usage by Facebook, etc... I hope you're not taking your wedding pictures with your S2
The speaker problem is easily fixed with Volume+, although I've seen users saying the stock volume works for them.
Regarding software - yes, developers can and will port AOSP ICS to the S2. But I've been using Cyanogenmod (only worthwhile AOSP in my experience) on my previous three phones - HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy, and Samsung Galaxy S2. In all cases, the CM developers had to work around propriety code/drivers, and the end user always had to sacrifice one or more features in order to get AOSP on his device. On the Nexus line of phones, everything is wide open - meaning developers don't have to jump through hoops to get things working.
No more "petition Samsung to release XYZ!!!", no more "XYZ doesn't work because we don't have the source for XYZ", etc etc. I used to think owning a Nexus wasn't worth it due to the developers, but its simply not the case.
And I think we can agree the TouchWiz, or any manufacturer skin for that matter, just kinda sucks.

GUARDIANBD said:
* CPU - the TI OMAP 4460 CPU is good for lower Power consumption but is no match for the sammy's 4120.
* GPU - the Gnex GPU is SGX540 clocked at 400mhz while the SGS2 GPU is the MALI-400
an old GPU but much stronger then the SGX540\400mhz.
* Screen - the Gnex 720p screen is real blessing but the Pentile matrix ruin's it
i dont know if anyone saw it before but it looks a bit blurry compare to the SGS2
"SAP" screen.
* Software - its very important to keep the phone updated but to be honest
no one actually stay's with the original rom for long.
with ICS our SGS2 will be even faster then the Gnex in every parameter.
so software OTA is irrelevant.
* Camera - the SGS2 camera is amazing 28mm 2.4 that takes really great shots
no Camera-phone is nighttime capable (yet!)
stay with the SGS2 and get the SGS3 when it comes out.
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Click to collapse
CPU, agreed. However with hardware acceleration in ICS. less load is on CPU, even max 700MHz is fine for a lag free experience.
GPU, agreed. Maybe I don't play enough games, however Modern Combat 3 on the GNEX dispay is amazing
Screen, this is where one would need both phones in comparison, gs2 is not even close on this one even though the gnex has pentile.
Software, with pure AOSP. Sort of, not with closed source though. It took Jkay awhile to get to where its at, the same thing happens on the nexus in 2 days. Check my previous posts with links to screenshots.
with how samsung is making it like gingerbread, not so much.
Camera, agreed. Not for low light conditions, iphones are better yet. The gs2 has better camera, however not highly noticeable so far between the two for me.
Hmm, it looks like I don't need the gs2 anymore, any buyers?
---------- Post added at 05:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------
freemini said:
I played with a GNex a few minutes in-store and I must say CM9 on sgs2 is 3 times faster. Nexus even lags when switching screens slightly and especially when entering appdrawer. Screen is nice, but it's nowhere near Retina-quality is should've been. I'd say it's VERY slightly clearer. Performance on SGS2 is just crazy fast. Not to mention a lot better camera and SD card slot.
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Is that a proper google phone or a carrier version?
Like CM9 is non stock firmware, put a good rom and kernel with vm tweaks on the gnex, it is silky smooth even at 700MHz.
VERY slighly clearer? I wear glasses and I can tell it's a better screen. put the GNEX on 240DPI and see the diff.
Retina quality is awesome for the small display, but the screen resolution and the resultant ppl, even my gf on the iphone 4s likes the GNEX screen better.
---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:21 PM ----------
soulicro said:
Regarding software - yes, developers can and will port AOSP ICS to the S2. But I've been using Cyanogenmod (only worthwhile AOSP in my experience) on my previous three phones - HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy, and Samsung Galaxy S2. In all cases, the CM developers had to work around propriety code/drivers, and the end user always had to sacrifice one or more features in order to get AOSP on his device. On the Nexus line of phones, everything is wide open - meaning developers don't have to jump through hoops to get things working.
No more "petition Samsung to release XYZ!!!", no more "XYZ doesn't work because we don't have the source for XYZ", etc etc. I used to think owning a Nexus wasn't worth it due to the developers, but its simply not the case.
And I think we can agree the TouchWiz, or any manufacturer skin for that matter, just kinda sucks.
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Agreed.
I think the main point here may be people defending their purchase, or just being fanboys without actually using the GNEX.
I've paid the same price for both phones due to being a fairly early adopter.
I have no such need to justify purchases and can definitely compare both in my hands to have an objective view.
btw, a sound comparison between the two by plugging them into a stereo system clearly ensures the gnex as the better device. Sorry I checked coz I had been asked to check before.

I came to the GS2 from the RAZR. The siren call of the GNex and it’s big screen is sweet but in the end I couldn’t stand not having a decent camera in it. The pictures I take with my cell camera when I don’t have my regular digital camera will play an important part of recording my kid’s as they grow up. I feel that the GS2 has one of the top 3 cameras in android at this point.
Ask yourself this: if the GNex wasn’t first to market with ICS, would it really have been THAT much of a big thing?
The GS3 should be a world beater with great camera, OS AND HD screen.

Should you buy a Xperia Z or not?

Yes, if you can find a used one to a reasonable price, and no if youre renewing your contract or buying a brand new one.
Reason is that even though its great phone, the samsung s4 and htc one is right around the corner and they both come with full hd displays with nearly everything better in software terms, look at the rewies.
I bought mine used for around 350 pounds it had been used for 11 days. Reason, i didnt wait for the s4 (i dont like metal (htc one)) is that i didnt wanted to renew my contract, and i had a iphone 5 (just to small of a screen) which i sold and bought the Xperia Z.
Now the Xperia Z is a great phone, its a beautiful looking phone, it has a great full hd display, the launcher is nearly stock witch i prefer etc.
The "not so great" about the phone is the software side. The camera isnt the best, but its not bad!. There arent many feauteres in the settings app, its allmost stock, so for the people who like minimality its allright, but for people like me who likes a lot of features the software dissapoints. Even though a lot of the software (samsung series) is gimmicks its nice to have them. My big issue with this phone is the battery, im a heavy user and it isnt meant for heavy users. Even in stamina mode and brightness in auto mode i have to charge the phone at least 2 times a day. And the charge time is crazy, if you are using your phone while charging it just stands still. Bluetooth is dissapointing, it connect to my cars bluetooth but when trying to make a phone call it disconnects every time. On the lockscreen theres time, music and camera icons, if u have a missed call or a message it does not show, for me thats dissapointing, the software just needs big improvements.
Now this phone is big, so if you have small hands try it out in a store before you buy. I have small hands but i like to use two hands so its fine for me, but still it could have been nice if it were a bit smaller, like the zl. The rectangular shape isnt as comfortable to hold as a others. This phone definetely needs to be tried before bought.
To round up:
Good part. Its beautifull looking, great hardware, great full hd screen, good camera, little to no lag, good launcher, notifcation lights, waterproof,
Bad part. battery life, bluetooth, software, not comfortable to hold (small hands),

I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.

When you recontract (in my country), the HTC One is $528 vs the Xperia Z at $388, with the NFC speakers thrown in for free. Looking at the SGS4, it's going to be >$500 if the prices of the SGS3 were anything to go by (SGS4 drops on 27th April here). Kind of an easy choice

mahay_love said:
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
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So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?

Nameless One said:
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
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I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
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If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

gm007 said:
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
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It was a small video clip though

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
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Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).

Nameless One said:
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
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Maybe on the internet but I've seen no such negativity from the people who own it, and when I displayed it to my relatives they had a clearly good impression of the device. I think I'm just too particular about my devices.

@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium

With respect to the OP there is simply no answer to the question. Choice is there and all the debate in the world will not alter that.
Trying to compare the top three mobiles at present is fruitless. They all have weaknesses and strengths. It will come down to personal choice and thank heavens for that choice.
I have the blessing to have purchased what mobile I like to that end I am not biased in favour of one brand nor the other. I buy what pleases me and NOT what reviews write. 'Experts' only confuse the situations. The difference between the XZ, HTC One and the SGS4 will come down to style and aesthetics, as far as daily use goes we have reached a ceiling now where the speeds etc can make zero noticeable difference in user interaction between person and device. UI's differ as does materials used in construction. I went with the Sony on this occasion as my SGS3 is a spectacular mobile, for the cost the materials used (for me) are unacceptable, it just feels cheap and the SGS4 looks exactly like its predecessor even though Samsung are using different forms of plastic it still looks cheap.
The HTC One, I fear, living in a very hot climate, that the HTC One will allow body perspiration into the phone via those large frontal speakers ? The phone looks a million dollars but again I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend. The other point in choosing to try the Sony was signal strength.
You see I live in the middle of no where so signal strength is a vital part of my mobile ownership. Nokia, in the past, have been top notch in this area where HTC have proved abysmal and I have owned about 5 different HTC's. The Samsung Note was not too bad but the Galaxy S3 that I still have is not as strong as the Sony XZ.
I have found HTC and Nokia build quality to be very good, Samsung are, well they are plastic and look plastic!?
I am thankful for the choices. There is no best and to debate on such things is like trying to debate who the best singer is, the best song, the best brand of stereo speakers or HI-Fi separates. It is a personal choice.
What's the best fruit would be an equally pointless debate.

Best phone so far I find
The fact it's so close to stock android compared to everything else I find a real bonus as well
Feels like a nexus but with the Sony bonus features rather then a forced view of what they think android should be like e.g Samsung
Great camera
Good battery life I find
Best astetic design
Sent from my Xperia Z

swifteh said:
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
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the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.

After spending two weeks with the iPhone 5, I am unable to agree that it has a better camera than the Xperia Z. I have got better pictures with the latter when manual settings.
I would also say that the selection between Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (after seeing the ad in Times Square, the name is S 4 instead of S IV) is a matter of software preferences to a high degree. In my case, the Xperia Z won because of the following:
1. IP57 and the relaxation that the smartphone can be used even if the weather is less than perfect.
2. No TouchWiz or Sense and a very clean Android experience that is more of a "refined Nexus" than a traditional manufacturer modified one. The problem with Samsung is that they change a lot of things in their devices and that results in very heavy bloated ROMs. I also think that Sony has made a better job with their apps like dialer, contacts, messaging, Album and Walkman.
The new HTC Sense isn't too attractive to me either even if I have the opinion that HTC usually make more elegant apps (Gallery, contacts, dialer etc) than Samsung.
3. Because of 2, running clean ROMs are of interest to me in the case of Samsung and HTC. Unfortunately, neither Galaxy S 4 or HTC One are too developer friendly (locked bootloaders, a lack of sources etc) which is paired with a severe fragmentation (in the case of the S 4) where different markets has different CPUs etc. Sony has made a better job with standardizing Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 since both of them can use the same ROMs and kernels. It is also worth to mention that the CM10.1 development has been very rapid for the Xperia Z and everything like camera etc is working.
4. The performance of the Xperia Z is very high, it is the first time I don't feel that overclocking is necessary. The device is very smooth and fast on the stock frequency. It is better to undervolt in order to get better battery life and less heat (it made a big difference in my case).
The performance differences between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the 600 can be reduced by overclocking. The light ROMs for the Xperia Z is facilitating smoothness, my experience is that Samsung and HTC needs heavy debloating in order to begin to perform at their best.
The most interesting product besides the Xperia Z when it comes to the CPU is the S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa. It is a great benefit that it is always quad core in both modes (performance and power saver A15/A7). Unfortunately, the Snapdragon 600-versions are what Samsung pushes hard since the production of the Exynos 5 Octa hasn't been ramped up yet.
The drawback with the Exynos is the unwillingness of Samsung to release proper sources, a problem that has affected CM and PA on their devices. Otherwise, it is a really interesting CPU.
The step between Snapdragon S4 Pro and 600 is too small in my opinion, the step to the 800 is much more interesting.
5. The screen of the Xperia Z is very good in my opinion with good color reproduction after calibration. The viewing angle "problem" doesn't disturb me the slightest since I usually don't use the device in off angles - and the screen is still legible in those cases. The "problem" is overrated IMHO.
I also prefer the colors compared to the extreme "color explosion" Samsung offers on their AMOLED screens (which can be changed by make the proper settings). I think the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One offers decent screens but I don't see that the difference between them and the Xperia Z is much of a concern. All three are good.
6. The audio quality of the Xperia Z when decent headphones are used is very good and that is with the PureXAudio mod flashed. I don't experience any kind of "inferior sound" compared to the Galaxy Note II. For further enhancements of the sound, Power AMP can be used.
HTC focuses too much on Beats Audio instead of good DACs etc which is a drawback. Personally, I would not buy anything with Beats (Crap Audio in my opinion). When it comes to the Galaxy S 4, I think the Snapdragon 600 versions are using the integrated DAC while the Exynos version should use the Wolfson one. I therefore expect the i9500 to offer higher audio quality than i9505 et al.
I would claim the Wolfson Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500 will be the best sounding with Xperia Z as the second while HTC with their Beats Audio will lag behind. Samsung usually manage to offer very good sound from their Wolfson equipped products.
7. The integrated battery on the Xperia Z is a drawback but can partly be explained by the water tightness. The HTC One has a completely disastrous battery placement, sandwiched between the mainboard and the screen. The 1 out of 10 in repairability that iFixit gave it would put me off completely.
The Galaxy S 4 is the winner since it offers both the user replaceable battery and a memory card slot. The Xperia Z comes in second and the HTC One suffers from a very big question mark about the internal layout.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the Xperia Z is the most "well rounded" device available today. The Galaxy S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa offers some benefits but suffers from very restricted availability. Many of the features Samsung puts in are more of "gimmicks" than useful things. HTC focuses also on a bit of bling bling with Beats Audio and Blinkfeed.
The Xperia Z on the other hand offers a clean experience that is easy to customize and gives a more "productive" feeling rather than "bling bling". On the other hand, everything comes down to what type of Android experience that is preferred. For those that are comfortable with TouchWiz and Sense, Samsung and HTC is good choices.
On the other hand, for those that prefer a cleaner experience but think the Nexus 4 is too limited (storage, screen etc) - the Xperia Z is a very good choice - especially now when CM10.1 is out and seem to work well in the latest build. It is possible to step straight onto "pure Android" right now, without the question marks that surrounds the other options.
Personally, I think the Xperia Z is the best option right now and can only see the Galaxy S 4 with Exynos Octa as the closest competitor - then there is interesting products from Huawei that can be worth a look. HTC One is uninteresting to me, especially because of the hopeless internal layout with the sandwiched battery that makes repairs extremely complicated.
What I don't like with the Galaxy S 4 is the insane fragmentation Samsung introduced. They use two different CPUs but it doesn't end there: then we have a couple of carrier versions with alterations that make ROMs incompatible. I can see atleast FIVE different S600 versions: i9505 for Europe and then different models for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 is the optimum in standardization in comparison.
HTC One seem to be more standardized too even if there are different carrier branded versions. According to available info, the AT&T version can use the EU ROMs without any alterations necessary and that is a big plus.
I think that the "worst" device of the three is the HTC One and that is purely because of the internal layout and the sandwiched battery. It is tough luck to have a problem with it. Even if it is integrated, it should be placed above the mainboard and not between it and the screen.
Galaxy S 4 is certainly a nice device in different aspects but TouchWiz and the severe fragmentation with different versions is something to keep in mind since it affects ROM development.
Xperia Z is a device that offers a very well rounded or balanced experience that is close to stock Android but with Sony refinements (that adds some value rather than just being bloat). I also think it gives an appearance of sophisticated elegance while the HTC One is a bit "bling bling" and the S 4 is a bit too much of an S III in style.
My last word is this: it is also worth to check out competitors like Huawei with their Ascend series. I think the rumored Ascend Mate II with 1080p screen will be an interesting alternative to a Note III for example.
There is also rumors about a Sony Xperia Cybershot later this year. I guess it will be powered by the Snapdragon 800.
I am very happy with the Xperia Z and don't miss Samsung the slightest.

Ryland Johnson said:
I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well maybe scratching is not as bad, looking at this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWqPpYVE08

coios84 said:
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you seriously trying to say that an 8mp camera is better than a 13 mp camera? i read lots of reviews and watched countless youtube reviews by top reviewers, yes i paid full price but im not fully flaming the phone, viewing angles dont bother me too much either, just pointing out one of the screens shortcomings.... im just hacked off at 50/50 gamble that you get a locked bootloader, which is why we buy android devices in the first place, to unlock, mod and set free, but i really needed a phone at the time so hey ho.

Quite agree with some but not all.
Battery I find it better, at least it was far better than my previous phone - Samsung Galaxy S III, and it also charging fast, at least it was faster than my previous Samsung Galaxy S III.
I don't find this phone that bad only deserved for 2nd hand value.
I do miss some useful function by Samsung especially on those sensor part, but.. it was not a must as it ain't really important.
Stability wise, I can only said this is my 1st Android that is stable out from the box. My experience with Samsung Galaxy S II - G version was the most terrible one, it hang often until I sold it after 2 months usage, actually before I sold the SII-G ROM already quit stable but it still hang maybe once a week. Then I get S III, the performance was smooth before you install anything, it drag down after install full of apps, I am not so satisfied with S III performance, I mean the international edition which only 1GB RAM, it will anytime restart the launcher once you touch the Google Chrome. Even the most simple task - opening Phone also need to wait, this is truly nightmare as older S II - G also don't have this issue, it open instant.
Then my sister buy Note II, and this is the 1st time Samsung did it pretty solid and stable. I am sure since this, they no doubt any issue on S4. But I still don't choose S4 due to bored on it similarity design.
HTC One - this is my choice before I pick Xperia Z as I had seen HTC Butterfly screen before, and it extremely impress me. But for design wise, I still pick Sony as I find it did the best in outer and inner (software part) design. Then, after seeing a lot reviews of HTC One camera, the Ultrapixel camera was quite let down, it too easier over expose in day light outdoor shoot due to it big aperture f/2.0, such aperture if not handle well is a nightmare. HTC One body is similar and even slightly bigger than S III, in such body, it was easier squeeze in 5" screen rather than current 4.7". Beside this, Xperia Z waterproof and solid build with capable of SD card was a plus.
Now talk on screen wise, I actually not please with Samsung over saturate AMOLED screen, it was just too vivid to be natural & preset color of Natural is not working, as it became too dull. Don't talk on S4, I know it came with Adobe RGB Professional profile, maybe this help, I can't justified now as I need to see in person. Xperia Z screen wise was nature but never lost it vividness and nice to look at, the only lose here is the viewing angle but it not really impact actual use.
Sound quality on Xperia Z stock not really impress me due to it too low volume loud speaker and not clear, also all the preset was too flat to listening, Clear Audio+ not flat but too high pitch. All this issue solved after with PureXAudio mod, it was really good and not worst than my S III after the mod.
Performance wise, no doubt S4 win here as it bundle with latest highest CPU and highest speed as well. But is this really matter, I doubt about it, now every flagship phone is fast enough, not really need getting the highest speed, in-fact future phone shall more look on RAM (probably is time equip with 3GB or 4GB) and battery. RAM always play important part in any IT electrical device. More RAM will eventually make everything much smoother and better.
Until now, the only thing I want Sony make it better was reduce the camera over post processing & jpeg compression, I know the output could be better if Sony reduce down the post processing especially the noise filtering, it was like a paint of wax sometimes the output.

It's a great device. At the end of the day is a flagship so it won't disappoint you but it all comes to personal preference sony xz, HTC one or Samsung s4 they are all awesome devices. Compare them and pick the one that ticks all the boxes for you.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.

biffsmash said:
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music: seriously check with the doctor, volume is high enough.
Perfirmance: laggy but very fast?? What app/game lags for you. Quad core 2gb ram and lags you are trolling here for sure.
Screen: that's totally bs, viewing angles are perfectly fine, right now I'm typing from my desk, I've seen videos in bed with my partner no problems at all.
Getting a bit tired of those HTC fan boys reviews.
What I suggest you to do is go to a shop try all of them and pick the one you like more. Because at the end of the day it's you who have to like it.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

[Comparison] HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4

This looks like one of the hot comparisions out there right now. Many of you are probably wondering if you should get the One or S4. I was in the same boat as some of you guys before buying the HTC One. I had been using a nexus 4 which felt fast and good in hand, but after breaking the screen and getting quoted $250 to fix it, i decided to buy a new one. I didn't even look at any phones other than the HTC One, Galaxy S4 and XPeria Z. I removed the XPeria Z from my list after hearing that the snapdragon s4 feels laggy on the 1080p screen and the screen is a little washed out compared to the other two. It was really hard to choose from the remaining two, but here are things that i thought were pros and cons of both phones:
Galaxy S4 Pros:
- Has SD Slot
- Has Removable Battery
- Processor is clocked 200MHz higher at 1.9GHz (Doesn't make much difference)
- AirView is pretty cool and would be pretty useful if more apps implemented (I don't think the API is open though)
- Faster unofficial updates since Google announced they would be providing updates for the stock version of GS4 which means the roms can be ported faster.
Galaxy S4 Cons:
- Doesn't have a premium feel with plastic polycarbonate body (the phone's plastic felt like the plastic used on my motorcycle's helmet)
- Has too many gimicky features that just take up space but you can never use (the eye tracking features are useless at night or where there is no perfect lighting, Air gestures are not practical for most people.)
- Only 16GB of internal storage (at the moment), and only about 10 GB is free for users to use, which means you cannot download apps that are more than that on size. Almost all big games on the android market are at least 1GB and can go up to 3, and if you install like 5 or 6 of them, you will be pretty close to running out of storage for apps.
- When i held the device on my hand, it felt slimey (its kind of hard to explain) as if it was dipped in some kind of oil.
- Phone speaker is tiny. I don't listen to music through the speakers, but while trying my friends GS4's speakerphone to call while driving, i felt like the volume was little too low.
- TouchWiz is really cluttered. I checked how many apps that i didn't need were installed by default, and there were more than 20 apps that i would never use.
- Periodic Jitters. The phone seemed to freeze up for a quarter of second randomly while using the phone. And sometimes the UI would totally skip animations. These aren't big things, but they make the user experience feel less fun.
HTC One Pros:
- Smooth aluminum finish definitely makes the device feel premium in hand and gives overall better hand feeling.
- Ultrapixel camera works great at low light conditions.
- The infrared blaster merged into the power button just makes the device look less cluttered.
- The PPI is the higest out of anything i have ever used. The display is so sharp that it looks like you are looking at a printed photo when you are looking at the picture on the phone.
- HTC Sense 5 is great. I was always an aosp fan, but they have optmised sense so much that i like sense better than stock now.
- Boomsound speakers are great. I never thought i would be using speakers to watch videos on my phone, but the boom sound speakers are so loud and clear that i like using them over my $200+ headphones while watching movies and videos. The speakers are something that you will not notice how good they are unless you actually use them. Head down to a Sprint or Tmobile or ATT store and try it out.
- Beats Audio sounded like a gimmick at first, but it surprisingly works really well. Some songs sound so much better with beats turned on.
- It has a built in amp for the speakers, which helps the speakers perform really good.
- It is iPhone smooth. No matter what you guys say, i had never used an android phone that could match iphone's smoothness before using the htc one. The galaxy s4 is smooth, but the one feels a lot more smoother than the s4 when using side by side.
- Call Quality seemed much much better than S4 on my tests.
HTC One Cons:
- No Removable Battery. This definitely sucks.
- No SD Slot.
- Still uses 4.1.2 instead of latest version.
- Only 4 MP camera. Way more than enough on daily use, but if you want to print a photo in really large size, you might want to look for a real camera.
- It's almost impossible to repair.
Well these were pros and cons from my tests. I ended up buying the HTC one after a long research. Here are some deciding factors and solutions for HTC one's cons that made me get the HTC:
- The One came with 32 GB which was enough for me. And since i have good network and unlimited data with tmobile, i could always use cloud storage if i needed more.
- The One supports USB OTG like the S4 which means after buying a $1 cable from ebay, i could just plug in my USB flash drive and watch movies and other things from there. This would save me internal space, and i could always use the usb if i wanted to watch a movie. This would compensate the non removable storage in the HTC One.
- The non removable battery in the HTC One sucks, but according to a lot of reviews it would last for a day with moderate use which was good enough for me.
- The non removable battery problems could be solved by portable chargers.
- Even though the battery is non replaceable in the HTC One, i don't think i will need to replace it for at least 2 years, and i wont be using this phone for more than 2 years. The battery is rated for charging cycles of 1000 times. This means even if you charge and discharge your phone completely 3 times in two days (which we don't normally do), the phone would easily last 2 years. And the 1000 times rating is the minimum rating, the battery could last even longer.
- The One has much more premium feel in hand compared to the S4. If you hold both in hands at the same time, you can totally feel the difference.
- Samsung's 16GB internal storage feels like too low for apps. Since you can only use 10GB out of the 16, i feel like i am going to run out of internal storage pretty quick.'
- The Audio quality from headphone port as well as the speakers is much better than the S4. I tried both side by side and One was far better in terms or audio quality.
- The display in HTC One seemed better than the S4 probably because of the higher PPI or samsung's use of pentile display tech. You wouldn't notice this if you were just using one of the phones, but if you had both phones side by side, the difference was noticable.
- The display on the HTC One works much better on sunlight compared to the Galaxy s4's OLED display. The difference is pretty big.
- I noticed that most pictures that i took with my phone were in low light situations. HTC One was much better in low light, even when the Galaxy S4's night mode was turned on.
- I actually liked the looks of HTC's sense compared to Touchwiz. Touchwiz just feels cartoonish compared to Sense.
Let me know if there are any pros or cons or any of the phones that i missed to mention above.
P.S. I am pretty biased towards the HTC one on the last part (deciding factors) since those were the reasons i got one instead of other. But i've tried to be as fair as possible on the pros and cons.
Update: Check this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=41502507&postcount=27

Thanks for the info. I thought Verizon did me a favor and gave me one decision with the s4. Looks like there going to release it and I will have a decision. I've read all the pros and cons and you really have to hold the devices side by side and I did that yesterday for the first time.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app

Fstall303 said:
Thanks for the info. I thought Verizon did me a favor and gave me one decision with the s4. Looks like there going to release it and I will have a decision. I've read all the pros and cons and you really have to hold the devices side by side and I did that yesterday for the first time.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, both phones are pretty similar in terms of performance specs. But its the tiny little things that make a big difference. Try both phones and don't make your decision based on the fact that verizon doesn't have the one yet. Since sprint already got the CDMA version, verizon should be getting one pretty soon.

Yes, the HTC One is "feeling" good in the hand because of the aluminum. But how things works and functions is way more important than how things feels.
But that feeling comes with a big cost. Aluminum is spreading the heat way more than plastic does. And because the temprature on the HTC One is way higher than it is on the Samsung Galaxy S4 (according to NordicHardware here: http://tinyurl.com/brskpgw), then i wouldn't really say aluminum is a good thing to have on a phone when a phone gets that hot.
And good luck holding that phone under heavy usage, because you know, over 57 degrees celcius and aluminum is NOT gonna fell good in the hand at all.
You should write this down as a cons / negative side for the HTC One.

Tom-Helge said:
Yes, the HTC One is "feeling" good in the hand because of the aluminum. But how things works and functions is way more important than how things feels.
But that feeling comes with a big cost. Aluminum is spreading the heat way more than plastic does. And because the temprature on the HTC One is way higher than it is on the Samsung Galaxy S4 (according to NordicHardware here: http://tinyurl.com/brskpgw), then i wouldn't really say aluminum is a good thing to have on a phone when a phone gets that hot.
And good luck holding that phone under heavy usage, because you know, over 57 deagrees celcius and aluminum is NOT gonna fell good in the hand at all.
You should write this down as a cons / negative side for the HTC One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if you would think about what you just posted, you'd know that heat dissapation is a good thing. Both phones have more or less the same processor, so they heat up about equally. The heat you feel on metal means that the heat is getting sucked away from processor and other electronics inside, preventing them from overheating. :good:

Tom-Helge said:
Yes, the HTC One is "feeling" good in the hand because of the aluminum. But how things works and functions is way more important than how things feels.
But that feeling comes with a big cost. Aluminum is spreading the heat way more than plastic does. And because the temprature on the HTC One is way higher than it is on the Samsung Galaxy S4 (according to NordicHardware here: http://tinyurl.com/brskpgw), then i wouldn't really say aluminum is a good thing to have on a phone when a phone gets that hot.
And good luck holding that phone under heavy usage, because you know, over 57 deagrees celcius and aluminum is NOT gonna fell good in the hand at all.
You should write this down as a cons / negative side for the HTC One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey mate i been using htc one for 2 month and i wanna correct you even i watching movie and playing asphalt 7 or nova or modern combat
my battery highest rate will go till 41 degree and i never feel hot or watsoever just warm if u going to ask me how the hell i check now i teach u guys and that dont know just press *#*#4636#*#* if the device battery heat higher than 48degree will be consider defected battery as what HTC service center told me.lastly im not a HTC fanboy i own samsung s3 previous and my sister own s4 now,we compare side by side and my sister said wanna sell of s4 and get HTC one no offense and peace

OP, as you can see by reading the sticky by jotha in this very section, comparison threads aren't allowed in this forum.

Tom-Helge said:
You can't see ANY differences from 441 PPI to 468 PPI with the naked eye. It's that simple. You are only imagine in your head that you actually are seeing differences. But in reality, you don't. You can't see any differences here before you gets the screens under a microscope.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normally I would agree with you on this...But the fact that the S4 uses a pentile display I would have to disagree! I'm sure most people can tell a difference side by side.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

gutrrob said:
Normally I would agree with you on this...But the fact that the S4 uses a pentile display I would have to disagree! I'm sure most people can tell a difference side by side.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you should read about the new Pentile technology that are in the Galaxy S4 before you claim it's bad because of earlier pentile techologies: http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_S4_ShootOut_1.htm
TLDR: The Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S4 are as good as the iPhone 5 screen is. It says enough.

Tom-Helge said:
Maybe you should read about the new Pentile technology that are in the Galaxy S4 before you claim it's bad because of earlier pentile techologies
TLDR: The Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S4 are as good as the iPhone 5 screen is. It says enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HTC One has a far superior screen compared to the iPhone 5! Your comment doesn't hold any water.
Find a article where the S4 screen is just as good as the One.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

gutrrob said:
The HTC One has a far superior screen compared to the iPhone 5! Your comment doesn't hold any water.
Find a article where the S4 screen is just as good as the One.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When it's about PPI, then yes, HTC One are better than iPhone 5. But everything is not about the PPI on a screen.
Maybe you could find the article / proof that says the HTC One's screen are better than iPhone 5 when it comes to color accuracy?
HTC One and iPhone 5 uses the same screen technology (both have RGB stripes). So the only thing we can compare between those 2 are color accuracy.
And if you then can find me the proof that HTC One is doing a better job at color accuracy than the iPhone 5, then sure, i will use the HTC One over the iPhone 5 to compare the Samsung Galaxy S4's screen with.

gutrrob said:
The HTC One has a far superior screen compared to the iPhone 5! Your comment doesn't hold any water.
Find a article where the S4 screen is just as good as the One.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry if I'll make you upset or something but IMO the iphone 5 screen is one of the best LCD's out there.
It has excellent calibration, sunlight visibility is superior to everything out there (even better than HTC one), excellent viewing angles and very high (maybe even the highest) contrast among mobile LCD displays.
Yes, the SLCD3 (of Samsung and Sony) in the HTC one is excellent but it's not perfect and the only place it's superior to the iphone 5's screen is ppi. Other than that, it's on par or inferior.
Check it yourself, and I know I'll be backed up by you and any other person who've seen the iphone 5's in person.
BTW, I still prefer the HTC one display over the iphone 5 display.

Tom-Helge said:
When it's about PPI, then yes, HTC One are better than iPhone 5. But everything is not about the PPI on a screen.
Maybe you could find the article / proof that says the HTC One's screen are better than iPhone 5 when it comes to color accuracy?
HTC One and iPhone 5 uses the same screen technology (both have RGB stripes). So the only thing we can compare between those 2 are color accuracy.
And if you then can find me the proof that HTC One is doing a better job at color accuracy than the iPhone 5, then sure, i will use the HTC One over the iPhone 5 to compare the Samsung Galaxy S4's screen with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny how you keep bringing up the iPhone 5 when were talking about the S4 vs HTC One screen!
I'm done here Troll!
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

gutrrob said:
Funny how you keep bringing up the iPhone 5 when were talking about the S4 vs HTC One screen!
I'm done here Troll!
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If iphone 5's screen superior (or on par) than the HTC one's screen than we can bring comparisons (that already made) between him and the S4 instead of the s4 against HTC one which we don't have professional comparisons unless you count the GSMArena comparison (for example) which gave the s4 the winning spot in the screen part:
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s4_vs_htc_one-review-913p3.php

sindresv said:
Tom-Helge:
Why do you come here and try to destroy a perfectly good thread? The OP was trying to help others in the same situation as he was in, and he was not blindly butchering the S4. He had many valid points both pro and cons on both devices, so I don't really see the problem.
You tell us the One's screen isn't that good compared to the S4, but yet the only phone you compare it to is the iPhone 5. I struggel to see your point as this isn't an iPhone 5 VS One thread.
And for the dark screen on the S4: when you compare phones, you have to do it in stock condition. Not everyone roots and flashes.. In fact most people don't..
I still don't get the fuzz over the battery not being able to be changed. I personally have never had the need to change a bettery, and neither have any of my friends.
I guess this thread will be closed, but I kind of liked it and found it useful
Ind just for your information: yes, the One gets a bit hot, but it's never been a problem holding it, and far from any discomfort!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, there's no a problem in showing the pros and cons of the devices but the list the OP listed is total biased towards the HTC one.
Almost all of the cons of the galaxy s4 and the pros of the HTC one was a matter of opinion and preference.
So yes, it's good for non-techy people to have such thread but not as biased toward the HTC one as this thread is.

Tom-Helge said:
I'm not destroying this topic. I'm correcting some points the op talked about witch isn't true.
When wasn't that allowed to do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SGS4 screen was engineered with a pentigon style layout making the screen more green/blue than it should be , also making the whites more gray than it should be.
in reality the statments that you were bringing up do have some weight, but the SGS4 is a refreshed the SGS3.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Is there any reason that the only people who think that are owners of a S4?

EclipzeRemix said:
The SGS4 screen was engineered with a pentigon style layout making the screen more green/blue than it should be , also making the whites more gray than it should be.
in reality the statments that you were bringing up do have some weight, but the SGS4 is a refreshed the SGS3.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen the professional test of displaymate? The s4 (in movie mode) have accurate colors.
The "diamond" pentile use different sizes for each subpixel so in the end you can get accurate colors and in movie mode it actually have accurate colors as stated in displaymate tests.

sindresv said:
None of your points have been valid, and when you realise that, you just bring in another phone to compare it with...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So my links that explains why the Galaxy S4 screen is that good as i say isn't any valid points?
I bring in the iPhone 5 because it have been the mainstreamphone to compare other screen on other phones to, because the iPhone 5 screen is pretty mu7ch one of the best screens out there (untilk proven wrong).

The fact that the display is perfect in some situations doesn't change the fact that it is s**t in other key functions. Not being able to use chrome is kind of a big deal for many people!
And you showed us a link telling us that the S4 display is s**t when browsing. Is that explaining how good it is?

Note 3 vs LG G2?

My main phone is currently the Nexus 4 and my work phone is the iPhone 4S with ios7, which I'm looking forward to retiring, iOS does nothing for me on mobile any more - plus the wifey wants the 4s as she doesn't like her 5, I do like it on the (aging) iPad 3rd gen for garageband and infinity blade, but that's by the by, I really want to replace it with the Nexus as my work phone and a new phone for my main phone and stop using iOS on mobile completely - the way I see it, there are 2 options, as I would LOVE to go for a windows phone, but even the best of them the Lumia 1020 is old news in terms of hardware, though the system has potential.
The two contenders for best non-vanilla Android phone of the year (it is fair to assume that nothing better will come out this year, excluding the potential Nexus 5) are the Note 3 and the LG G2 (IMO).
The LG kills it in terms of having a very useful feature-packed but still light UI based on the TW roms but it looks to be lag-free and not junked up with too much purely-gimmicky stuff. I like the simple yet innovative move of the unlock/vol/camera button to the back of the phone and the fact that you can customise the main button bar on stock as standard.
The Note 3 goes balls-out blazing with the all-new 3gig ram compared to the 2, massive phablet screen and extra storage, as well as the S-Pen and all of the TW gimmicks, extras and cool features you'd expect. It will have at-least the same snapdragon 800 processor, if not clocked higher, a better battery life and potentially better camera, and there could also be a second octa-core version, also it has a minimum of 32GB storage and an expandable slot (i forget if the LG has a slot) which makes it a perfect media device to boot.
Which will win the battle of the 2013 titans and which would you choose for yourself, and which would you recommend for others (we all know that sometimes we would choose something different as nerds than what we would recommend for others xD)?
So far, I'm leaning towards the Note 3 depending on what price I can get it on a contract with a decent LTE package on, but I'm open to being swayed by the G2.
What are your thoughts?

dodgebizkit said:
My main phone is currently the Nexus 4 and my work phone is the iPhone 4S with ios7, which I'm looking forward to retiring, iOS does nothing for me on mobile any more - plus the wifey wants the 4s as she doesn't like her 5, I do like it on the (aging) iPad 3rd gen for garageband and infinity blade, but that's by the by, I really want to replace it with the Nexus as my work phone and a new phone for my main phone and stop using iOS on mobile completely - the way I see it, there are 2 options, as I would LOVE to go for a windows phone, but even the best of them the Lumia 1020 is old news in terms of hardware, though the system has potential.
The two contenders for best non-vanilla Android phone of the year (it is fair to assume that nothing better will come out this year, excluding the potential Nexus 5) are the Note 3 and the LG G2 (IMO).
The LG kills it in terms of having a very useful feature-packed but still light UI based on the TW roms but it looks to be lag-free and not junked up with too much purely-gimmicky stuff. I like the simple yet innovative move of the unlock/vol/camera button to the back of the phone and the fact that you can customise the main button bar on stock as standard.
The Note 3 goes balls-out blazing with the all-new 3gig ram compared to the 2, massive phablet screen and extra storage, as well as the S-Pen and all of the TW gimmicks, extras and cool features you'd expect. It will have at-least the same snapdragon 800 processor, if not clocked higher, a better battery life and potentially better camera, and there could also be a second octa-core version, also it has a minimum of 32GB storage and an expandable slot (i forget if the LG has a slot) which makes it a perfect media device to boot.
Which will win the battle of the 2013 titans and which would you choose for yourself, and which would you recommend for others (we all know that sometimes we would choose something different as nerds than what we would recommend for others xD)?
So far, I'm leaning towards the Note 3 depending on what price I can get it on a contract with a decent LTE package on, but I'm open to being swayed by the G2.
What are your thoughts?
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Click to collapse
If those 2 are your choices I'd say note 3 all day. The only significant feature g2 has over note is the Optical Image Stabilization in my opinion. Don't forget custom roms should equalize any differences in software features between the phones.
You mentioned the lumia 1020, If you actually like Windows Phone 8 and you like taking pictures then get the lumia 1020. You said the hardware is outdated but the thing is, on WP8 hardware is almost never outdated, that os is so damn friendly to the processor/screen/ram. It will probably be a while till 1020 is overthrown in terms of camera quality. (look how long the 808 held its throne). Still that operating system leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the new update will bring more functionality to it. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that...

For all the comparison I see about the hardware, how similar they are and aren't, and the talk of TW vs whatever LG is using, I think it comes down to something altogether simpler: Do you want a phone or a phablet?
I do understand comparing the other stuff though, and if LG makes a G2 Pro then it'll be pretty relevant. I don't think the hardware difference is that notable. I'm pretty disappointed with the GS4's TW though, and the G2's UI actually seems pretty useful. I will give TW on the Note 3 a fair chance before judging it though. But if it lags and feels as bloated as the GS4's does, it'll probably really irritate me. I'm personally stuck with Verizon, so I'm operating on the assumption of using it completely stock given the trend of them locking things down to hell.

DHM078 said:
For all the comparison I see about the hardware, how similar they are and aren't, and the talk of TW vs whatever LG is using, I think it comes down to something altogether simpler: Do you want a phone or a phablet?
I do understand comparing the other stuff though, and if LG makes a G2 Pro then it'll be pretty relevant. I don't think the hardware difference is that notable. I'm pretty disappointed with the GS4's TW though, and the G2's UI actually seems pretty useful. I will give TW on the Note 3 a fair chance before judging it though. But if it lags and feels as bloated as the GS4's does, it'll probably really irritate me. I'm personally stuck with Verizon, so I'm operating on the assumption of using it completely stock given the trend of them locking things down to hell.
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Click to collapse
DHM, I don't see how that matters though seeing as how custom development always alleviates any software woes... I hear the note 3 may be challenging to develop for initially but i doubt that people will have to wait long given how incredibly popular this phone is.
I'm sorry i'm assuming that everyone is comfortable customizing their phones with roms. Given that someone would not deviate from a stock experience then i see how the launcher may affect someones purchasing decision. I guess after using custom roms for the past 5 years i just take that for granted.

I'm getting a Note 3 only because the G2 doesn't have expandable sd slot or removable battery. Plus I've never owned a Note device so I'm curious to have one. The GPro is awesome and I plan on keeping it as my personal phone. Note 3 will be for work!

systoxity said:
DHM, I don't see how that matters though seeing as how custom development always alleviates any software woes... I hear the note 3 may be challenging to develop for initially but i doubt that people will have to wait long given how incredibly popular this phone is.
I'm sorry i'm assuming that everyone is comfortable customizing their phones with roms. Given that someone would not deviate from a stock experience then i see how the launcher may affect someones purchasing decision. I guess after using custom roms for the past 5 years i just take that for granted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am perfectly comfortable modifying my phones. I've been using custom software pretty much exclusively basically since I started with smartphones. That's not my point. I have a lot of faith in the developers here, they've accomplished amazing things and have defeated the manufacturers time and time again. But I'm trying not to take it for granted. With how freaking locked up Verizon phones specifically have been as of late, I am not going to buy a phone on the assumption that I'll just be able to toss out the stock stuff. I tend to be pretty optimistic about things getting cracked, but I also think that it will very likely take a while. So I will consider the stock firmware when purchasing a phone as there's a pretty damn good chance I'll be stuck on it for quite some time before it gets cracked.

A good amount of caution is always wise. Guess everyone just has to weigh what features matter to them most and then try to make an informed decision when selecting between phones.

systoxity said:
If those 2 are your choices I'd say note 3 all day. The only significant feature g2 has over note is the Optical Image Stabilization in my opinion. Don't forget custom roms should equalize any differences in software features between the phones.
You mentioned the lumia 1020, If you actually like Windows Phone 8 and you like taking pictures then get the lumia 1020. You said the hardware is outdated but the thing is, on WP8 hardware is almost never outdated, that os is so damn friendly to the processor/screen/ram. It will probably be a while till 1020 is overthrown in terms of camera quality. (look how long the 808 held its throne). Still that operating system leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the new update will bring more functionality to it. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that...
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Click to collapse
Pretty sure the note 3 has smart stabilization as well. samsung's take on ois. correct?
and g2 doesnt have sdcard, no removable battery and no stylus throws it out for me.

oneandroidnut said:
Pretty sure the note 3 has smart stabilization as well. samsung's take on ois. correct?
and g2 doesnt have sdcard, no removable battery and no stylus throws it out for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its got digital which according to the internet is trash compared to optical (almost all phones use digital stabilization). Digital apparently is good for reducing shake during videos but does nothing to fight blur from taking pictures in low light. Low light photography involves dropping the shutter speed allowing more light in, any tremors in the shooters hands can then cause blur in the picture, effectively "smearing" the image over the sensor. Optical Stabilization involves physically moving the lens to compensate for movement while the shutter is open.
I'm going to google the subject some more and see if i can get some comparison shots... I have no idea just how much of a difference optical makes so i'm left with only what i've read and we all know how accurate the internet can be some times...
Update* Well.... according to the internet the answer is.. A lot. Take that with a grain of salt though lmao. here's some comparison shots: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/ISComparison.png/240px-ISComparison.png and http://www.digicamhelp.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/is-on-off_large.jpg

systoxity said:
Its got digital which according to the internet is trash compared to optical (almost all phones use digital stabilization). Digital apparently is good for reducing shake during videos but does nothing to fight blur from taking pictures in low light. Low light photography involves dropping the shutter speed allowing more light in, any tremors in the shooters hands can then cause blur in the picture, effectively "smearing" the image over the sensor. Optical Stabilization involves physically moving the lens to compensate for movement while the shutter is open.
I'm going to google the subject some more and see if i can get some comparison shots... I have no idea just how much of a difference optical makes so i'm left with only what i've read and we all know how accurate the internet can be some times...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there was a video of the g2 showing off the ois and it looked like a joke. let me see if i can find it. friend sent to me in a facebook message. but wasnt impressive to me. and true it may not be true optical but im not that concerned with it. And what you mean the internet is always true!?!?! haha

Rofl yeah the T.V. too. I'd be interested to see that video you saw. i'll check back here for updates. I updated my post with supposed pictures of OIS on vs off.

systoxity said:
Rofl yeah the T.V. too. I'd be interested to see that video you saw. i'll check back here for updates. I updated my post with supposed pictures of OIS on vs off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think this is it.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjcqtCo-bq4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

You know the LG G2 and Note 3 are in two different product categories right? There is a big size difference between the two. You have been using sub 5" phones. Have you tried out a phablet at the store? Borrow one to try out and pocket? The LG G2 is no bigger than last year's Galaxy S3 and packs a 5.2" whereas the Note 3 is still very much a phablet and bigger than the Optimus G Pro.
They use two different screen technologies. Do you want Super AMOLED or IPS LCD? It makes a big difference for some people. Check it out at the store.
Do you want removable battery and microSD? The LG G2 has none of these, but that makes the phone unibody and more durable, no annoying seams and creaks. The Note 3 has both, but you have to deal with a flimsy back cover. I've owned nothing but Samsung phones for the past few years. I really hate the creaky back covers that eventually get loose and aren't flush anymore.
Do you want a stylus? Have you tried using it? I've owned the Note 1 and 2 and beyond playing with the stylus for a couple hours, never pulled it out again. Some surveys out there say 90% of Note owners don't even use the stylus at all. The stylus is way too small to hold for me and the button impossible to push. It's slippery and unnatural when writing on the screen. No friction. The accuracy isn't much better than a finger either, so don't expect to be able to scribble really small text or fit more than a few words per line, or do anything more than doodling. I'm not a big writing or doodling person, and you might find it useful, but I'd rather type out something on a keyboard, or quickly finger a note (the LG G2 has quick note taking apps as well) than have to pull out the stylus and clutch the thin stylus.
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
Both have 13MP Exmor RS cameras made by Sony with optical image stabilization. They are about as good as the OIS in the HTC One, basically not very good. It is no where near the kind of smoothness the Lumia 920/925/1020 can achieve. It is because they aren't willing to go the extra mile and make the camera module bigger for better OIS. The pictures are roughly the same, since they are they same sensor after all. It's down to which type of post-processing you like more. The LG G2 has a nasty autofocusing issue in video that makes the image bounce around like a diaphragm. It may be fixed by release time (or not).
Do you like side buttons or buttons on the back? You'll have to try the LG G2 out in person to see if you like the back buttons. Do you like on-screen buttons or Samsung style shoved to the bottom buttons? I'm not a fan of onscreen buttons, but LG's ability to customize them, as well as the infinitely useful double tap to turn on, are turning me around. I honestly hate the home button and the shoved down to the corner capacitive buttons on Galaxy phones. How many times have I backed out of the camera or screwed something else because of accidental button presses? And going from soft taps to a hard push for the home button is still jarring. It's not a quick or reassuring process. Apple makes way better home buttons than Samsung.

This is my dilemma as well. I already have a Note 2 but was thinking about getting something smaller/different. But when you add up everything the Note 3 comes out on top.
Note 3 pro's when compared to the G2
Removable battery
SD card
More Ram
32gig off the bat (I still don't know if the Verizon G2 is 16gig or 32gig)
S-Pen
I like the look off touchwiz better than LG
USB 3
Universal accessories
More popular
Don't know about LG update track record
4.3 out the box
Love the blacks and colors on the screen but not the brightness
LG G2 pro's when compared to the Note 3.
Smaller
$100 less expensive (If at 32gig)
Different phone from the Note series
Double tap to wake out the box
Like the idea of having the buttons on the back
Brighter screen
Better camera with optical image stabilization

katamari201 said:
You know the LG G2 and Note 3 are in two different product categories right? There is a big size difference between the two. You have been using sub 5" phones. Have you tried out a phablet at the store? Borrow one to try out and pocket? The LG G2 is no bigger than last year's Galaxy S3 and packs a 5.2" whereas the Note 3 is still very much a phablet and bigger than the Optimus G Pro.
I had the Note 2 and loved it. Size is no issue for me. I 6'4" and have big hands. Can reach all parts of note 2 no problem. This shows you that i want a bigger phone. S4 is too small for my taste. Wish Note 3 was 6 inches!
They use two different screen technologies. Do you want Super AMOLED or IPS LCD? It makes a big difference for some people. Check it out at the store.
Wish the note 3 or G2 looked as good as the HTC One but i can live with either one of them not a huge deal both of their ppi and resolution are fine.
Do you want removable battery and microSD? The LG G2 has none of these, but that makes the phone unibody and more durable, no annoying seams and creaks. The Note 3 has both, but you have to deal with a flimsy back cover. I've owned nothing but Samsung phones for the past few years. I really hate the creaky back covers that eventually get loose and aren't flush anymore.
Yes i want a removable back and microSD card. Love being able to charge a spare battery with the sammy charger and slapping in phone and not having to worry about plugging in my phone. And unibody has been perfected by the HTC One. I have had the S3, Note 2 and S4 and not had creaking or gaps/loose etc. Im going to put a spigen case on it anyways.
Do you want a stylus? Have you tried using it? I've owned the Note 1 and 2 and beyond playing with the stylus for a couple hours, never pulled it out again. Some surveys out there say 90% of Note owners don't even use the stylus at all. The stylus is way too small to hold for me and the button impossible to push. It's slippery and unnatural when writing on the screen. No friction. The accuracy isn't much better than a finger either, so don't expect to be able to scribble really small text or fit more than a few words per line, or do anything more than doodling. I'm not a big writing or doodling person, and you might find it useful, but I'd rather type out something on a keyboard, or quickly finger a note (the LG G2 has quick note taking apps as well) than have to pull out the stylus and clutch the thin stylus.
Comes from the Note 2 as i have stated before i dont use on a daily basis but plenty of times do i like having out its just easier to do some things with and some things it isnt. And i could write 10x more accurately with s pen then my finger.
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
If i remember correctly back to my Note 2 the battery life was very impressive and this phone has a snapdragon 800 and 3 GB of ram and 100 mah bigger and everything i have seen is that the snapdragon 800 conserves power so both phones should be beasts at battery.
Both have 13MP Exmor RS cameras made by Sony with optical image stabilization. They are about as good as the OIS in the HTC One, basically not very good. It is no where near the kind of smoothness the Lumia 920/925/1020 can achieve. It is because they aren't willing to go the extra mile and make the camera module bigger for better OIS. The pictures are roughly the same, since they are they same sensor after all. It's down to which type of post-processing you like more. The LG G2 has a nasty autofocusing issue in video that makes the image bounce around like a diaphragm. It may be fixed by release time (or not).
Camera isnt a big deal breaker the S4 camera was fine for my liking so getting the same on the note 3 isnt a huge deal breaker but would have liked to see some improvements and upwards of 20 mp.
Do you like side buttons or buttons on the back? You'll have to try the LG G2 out in person to see if you like the back buttons. Do you like on-screen buttons or Samsung style shoved to the bottom buttons? I'm not a fan of onscreen buttons, but LG's ability to customize them, as well as the infinitely useful double tap to turn on, are turning me around. I honestly hate the home button and the shoved down to the corner capacitive buttons on Galaxy phones. How many times have I backed out of the camera or screwed something else because of accidental button presses? And going from soft taps to a hard push for the home button is still jarring. It's not a quick or reassuring process. Apple makes way better home buttons than Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent played with a G2 yet but i dont like the idea of back buttons. awkward hump on the back and tough to get to i think when in hand. And i agree i hate on screen buttons. Samsung buttons at the bottom are just fine with me. I cant remember a time where i accidental closed an app or process due to a button press. I love being able to wake the screen with just a press of the home button. Just as easy as the G2 double tap. Swipe to wake and swipe to sleep would be better like i have on my nexus 7. And Apple does NOTHING YES NOTHING better then android!

katamari201 said:
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Panel Self Refresh (PSR) is what LG terms as G-RAM. It has been in Exynos 5250 for a year now.
To maximize power efficiencies at the system level, the Exynos 5250 has an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) interface that is compliant with panel self-refresh technology (PSR) applied to the timing controller (T-CON). The embedded PSR technology enables static images to be refreshed directly from the frame buffer memory incorporated in the T-CON, resolving the need for regular display refresh instructions to be made by the application processor in cases such as reading static web pages or e-books.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, it has Envelope Tracking tech from Qualcomm, actually the first of it's kind.
Looking at the benchmarks, I think we are looking at higher binned AB version of 800 SOC.
It already has the latest 3GB memory module from Samsung.
I am just waiting to check if they are using the new eMMC 5.0 in GN3.
Motorola has made use of Samsung's F2FS file system in Moto X. It has been very well reviewed by Anandtech. I think Samsung will also start using their F2FS in their products, afterall they designed it.
These are some of the techinical aspects of GN3 I am interested in. I don't think in anyway it's going to have a bad batterylife. Infact Samsung already mentioned in their keynote that they expect 3-4 hours more video playback as compared to GN2. GN2 already had a monster batterylife. This will be even better.

FinancialWar said:
I would get the iPhone 5s.
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Click to collapse
I hope that you are kidding me.:laugh:

Hi.
That are the right questions!
According to the Snapdragon artice on Wikipedia, it has not the faster AB Version of the S800 SoC.
But according to this Benchmark Comparison on GSMarea, I think there is the newer eMMC 5.0 3GB RAM in the Note 3.

Overall Note 3, but G2 for cyanogen-development-support.
Sent from my GT-I9205 using xda premium

xSCHITaX said:
Hi.
That are the right questions!
According to the Snapdragon artice on Wikipedia, it has not the faster AB Version of the S800 SoC.
But according to this Benchmark Comparison on GSMarea, I think there is the newer eMMC 5.0 3GB RAM in the Note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wikipedia is not really a good source of information specially when the product is just announced. The GN3 benchmark numbers are very close to MDP results. Samsung never mentions SOC details in their announcement.
Lets wait and see..

HTC One, should I buy it now?

Hi,
I know I'm pretty late to the game since this phone launched on Feb and it's Sept already.
I just recently thought of replacing my phone and I always liked the HTC One.
However as time goes, the One specs appear to be shadowed by other competing devices. I know Snapdragon 600 is nothing to sneeze at, but I'm talking about, well a year later or so. Will it still be relevant?
I had a bad experience with my Xperia Pro, while Sony is nicely handing ICS upgrade, its hardware simply can't cope with modern, multicore and ram-hogging apps.
I'm leaning to Xperia Z1 but more-or-less turned off by its screen size. (I hate gigantic phone).
Camera is not a deciding factor.
There are rumours saying HTC going to release One+ or something, but I'm taking it with a grain of salt, most likely the Tablet One will come first.
Should I buy HTC One? Or get another more recent device? Or wait for M8?
I'm sorta long term user, will replace phone every two years if nothing is wrong with the current one.
Thanks in advance, I could really use any One's user advice.
Sent from my MK16i using xda app-developers app

I got one today, and it is by no means a slouch and I can't see it becoming slow anytime soon. Maybe in 18 months time, but it's perfect at the moment. It may not get Android 5.0 when it comes out officially next year (Maybe), but the developers on XDA will surely support it.

It's still one of the best phones available, however at this point in the year, I think I would wait to see what the N5 looks like officially.
I'm already tempted by the G2.

Same question. I know you all have the HTC one but to me what's the selling point? I got a gs4 and someone wants to trade me a 32g HTC one. Besides storage, beats audio, less bloat, and build quality. why would the HTC one be better than gs4? Sell me on it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337

For OP I suggest Z1,G2 if you are looking from newest devices. If i were you i would buy one of this phones. But if you don't like big phones, then One is perfect choice. It's beautiful, strong, good software and not bad camera. Main disadvantage to me is battery and log charging. I came from S4 because of lag. but overall S4 is realy nice device - good battery, very nice camera (i used it when i was on my vacation in Greece), nice screen and size.
---------- Post added at 06:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 AM ----------
[email protected] said:
Same question. I know you all have the HTC one but to me what's the selling point? I got a gs4 and someone wants to trade me a 32g HTC one. Besides storage, beats audio, less bloat, and build quality. why would the HTC one be better than gs4? Sell me on it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are lucky with your S4 when i don't see why you should change to One

[email protected] said:
Same question. I know you all have the HTC one but to me what's the selling point? I got a gs4 and someone wants to trade me a 32g HTC one. Besides storage, beats audio, less bloat, and build quality. why would the HTC one be better than gs4? Sell me on it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point, if you are an average user, which means you use smartphone just for read/reply email&news, social networks, gaming stuff, watch one or two videos, listen to music clips, then you are fine with this phone. The major features missing from other devices are Boomsound speakers, Zoe, Blinkfeed and soon to be released Android 4.3.
The other benefit is that you can find decent price. You can trade in an old iPhone or find special offers for HTC One easily. This doesn't happen for those latest devices.
ps. It might be better to keep the comparison stuff out of this thread. Otherwise this thread might be closed soon.:highfive:

@WhizzWr
you might want to see this
http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/123671-sony-xperia-z1-review
size, weight, screen and sound quality are issues on the Z1 as well as the high density camera sensors suffers in 1:1 precision due to the tiny pixel size

Came from the MK16i to the HTC One
After updating to ICS, the lag was horrible on my Pro. I rooted and flashed many ROM's but none were good enough.
So I bought the One.
If your main concern is that the phone will become slow within a year or so, then forget it. Google itself is pushing the new Nexus 7 which has a modified S4 Pro. The S600 on the One should be as fast as that one, at the very least. And because Google itself pushes new versions of Android every year or so, the One should be fast enough until after Android 4.4 Kitkat.
Now if you are worried about developers creating apps for S800 processors, then be cool. The S800 hasn't hit the Samsung Galaxy line yet at which point it will probably reach maximum market penetration.
And when you say memory hogging apps and stuff, I can only think of one case: games. All other apps like Facebook, Twitter and what not are designed to work on the maximum number of phones. Their aim is again market penetration and not faster performance. You can argue that it is a combo of both but I hope you see the point I am trying to make.
Now if you are thinking about games: fret not. The best/most demanding/a large number of games are usually made for iOS and then ported over to Android. So in this case you should probably be praying that Apple doesn't come up with better hardware than it already has. Because until this point Android phones and specifically Qualcomm has been able to reach upto or in some cases beat Cupertino's best hardware.
So relax, have fun and buy the One.
P.S: If you feel that the One is slowing down after a year or so, then again unlock -> root -> overclock.

True in regards to gaming, currently the GPU is faster than the iPhone 5 even when running at 1080p
Its pure performance lies between the iPhone 5 and 5s however when games are scaled from 720p or less they can still match the iPhone 5s (like Asphalt 8)
keeping in mind gaming on the HTC one requires root if you want to disable thermal throttling and boost CPU for accelerometer heavy 3D games and if you want to unlock it to full speed 487mhz
iPhone 5s GPU, Egypt HD offscreen 1080p: 56fps
HTC One GPU 487mhz 4.3, 3.17 firmware, Egypt HD offscreen 1080p: 48fps
iPhone 5 GPU, Egypt HD offscreen 1080p: 29.7fps

Everyone, lot of thanks for your opinion, I'd expected some bias since this is HTC One forum, but I think a lot of your answers are quite impartial. :victory:
@I Am Marino @pokosik
One thing I liked of HTC is its physical design: the dimension, colour tone and material.
Nexus devices are great, but I'm not really into Google's plain design, that's about the same with Samsung and LG. Those phones are definitely not bad, but if I can choose HTC One, I'll choose HTC One, if design aspect is the only single consideration.
I think I'm going to emphasize on the hardware durability and future-proof-ness aspect.
what are you guys thinking? (e.g @Liam0102 said One won't slow anytime soon, perhaps in 18 months).
@hamdir thanks for the review. I have read it. Z1 has some quirks, but they are relatively minor compared to its form-factor.
Big screen is nice. A lot of things like watching movie is better of bigger screen, but my problem lies within holding and handling a large phone. 5 inch phones feels and looks awkward when I hold it. Perhaps it's just a matter of getting used to it, but holding those 5 incher feels strangely like being an attention seeker shouting "here look at my phone" I'm not sure but I think it's also gonna be easier for those prying eyes LOL.
Yet another runours there going to be Z1 mini.. will definitely look at it.
IMHO Z1's slab glass design is classy, but i'll choose One anodized aluminium any day of the week.
I'm still open to any suggestion.
Cheers! :victory:

Which one do you guys prefer HTC one or galaxy s4?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Switched from the s4 to HTC one yesterday.loving it so far. don't miss any of the touchwiz gimmicks from the s4, had rooted and gone with pacman Rom anyway.
Loving the build quality of the one.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

@WhizzWr
Well the HTC One is not that small either but certainly lighter and more pocketable than the Z1
but there is one factor you are forgetting here
both the speakers, earphones and sound recording quality on the HTC One are still unmatched, out of this world even
if you ask me its worth the asking price itself, equally if you like shooting photos of your friends and family HTC Zoe, low light and video highlights are gold
as for durability the HTC One is a sealed single piece design, also the metal is a little slippery, a cover like the official double flip cover or at least a transparent slim cover is a must, it also prevents you from feeling the heat during heavy use since the HTC One body is design as heatsink for the CPU, it can heat but it quickly gets of rid of it as well

Hmm, thx guys, maybe I'll switch
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Don't forget there's the Z1 Mini! There are images rolling around with it next to the Z1. Rumored to have the same specs just with a smaller, iphone sized screen.
IMO I'd wait until after 4.3 if getting this phone. You may end up with one of the purple low light cameras. The final 4.3 release is supposed to fix it apparently.

getbacktosrinu said:
After updating to ICS, the lag was horrible on my Pro. I rooted and flashed many ROM's but none were good enough.
So I bought the One.
If your main concern is that the phone will become slow within a year or so, then forget it. Google itself is pushing the new Nexus 7 which has a modified S4 Pro. The S600 on the One should be as fast as that one, at the very least. And because Google itself pushes new versions of Android every year or so, the One should be fast enough until after Android 4.4 Kitkat.
Now if you are worried about developers creating apps for S800 processors, then be cool. The S800 hasn't hit the Samsung Galaxy line yet at which point it will probably reach maximum market penetration.
And when you say memory hogging apps and stuff, I can only think of one case: games. All other apps like Facebook, Twitter and what not are designed to work on the maximum number of phones. Their aim is again market penetration and not faster performance. You can argue that it is a combo of both but I hope you see the point I am trying to make.
Now if you are thinking about games: fret not. The best/most demanding/a large number of games are usually made for iOS and then ported over to Android. So in this case you should probably be praying that Apple doesn't come up with better hardware than it already has. Because until this point Android phones and specifically Qualcomm has been able to reach upto or in some cases beat Cupertino's best hardware.
So relax, have fun and buy the One.
P.S: If you feel that the One is slowing down after a year or so, then again unlock -> root -> overclock.
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Click to collapse
Aha! an ex-PRO user! you must also understand my lagging agony
...and your answer happens to be about the exact answer I'm looking for! :highfive:
The iOS port comment is especially insightful, I never thought of that! Thanks! that's a lot of explanation.
Additionally, While I'm a casual gamer, I'm a heavy multi-tasker (e.g switching a decent amount of apps, opening *a lot* of browser tabs, a little high on widget usage also).
Do any of you think One going to slow down in a year for that usage scenario??

hamdir said:
@WhizzWr
Well the HTC One is not that small either but certainly lighter and more pocketable than the Z1
but there is one factor you are forgetting here
both the speakers, earphones and sound recording quality on the HTC One are still unmatched, out of this world even
if you ask me its worth the asking price itself, equally if you like shooting photos of your friends and family HTC Zoe, low light and video highlights are gold
as for durability the HTC One is a sealed single piece design, also the metal is a little slippery, a cover like the official double flip cover or at least a transparent slim cover is a must, it also prevents you from feeling the heat during heavy use since the HTC One body is design as heatsink for the CPU, it can heat but it quickly gets of rid of it as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, 5inch vs 4.7inch isn't that far apart. You are spot on, pocketable is the keyword. I'm actually more a 4-incher guy, but One design is rather efficient in terms of space usage (no extra gaps, etc), thanks to it's unibody build.
Sound quality is a big plus, will note that.
I don't take photo a lot. Any decent camera will do.
Again I appreciate everyone who has give their share of opinion.

Thread closed,
Phone comparison threads are not allowed. Which this has turned into.