Database Users

Sacrifices and shortcomings of the Samsung Vibrant's body

Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.

I'm not sure what to tell you other than you need to run to the store and swap yours out.
Mine sounds way better than any other phone that I've ever owned.

silverwolf0 said:
The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound.
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Click to collapse
I think there's something wrong with your phone, bro. I can hear my ringtone very loud and amazingly clear over my car stereo (Pioneer HU, Infinity Reference 6.5", 10" subwoofer w/600w).

I couldn’t care less what the phone looks like. It could have a 'scratch and sniff' picture of a rotting cow covered with maggots on the back. That’s what they make gel covers for! I just want it to have an awesome screen, CPU and GPU. It has all that. Qwerty would have been nice for emulators.
UPDATE
Yeah, your speaker is 'jack'd', I have to turn mine down because it's way to loud!

Well the back cover of all phones aint worth a damn. But i dont care because mine ALWAYS have a case of them. I have a skinomi screen protector on it so i dont have any fingerprints. I am right handed and press the power button with my thumb or if its in my left hand i use my index finger. Maybe you need practice. I can care less about how the phone looks when its off.
I agree you should return your phone.......

silverwolf0 said:
Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
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Click to collapse
LOL WoW tell us how you really feel about the phone, you sound like you ran out and bought it and your pissed that the Sim's game isn't as fun as you thought it was going to be so now the whole phone sucks I'm just sayin...

I haven't really known anyone to complain about a phone being too light.

im with this guy on the phone, coming from the evo, this samsung kind of sucks, im trying to stick it out but i'll probably go back too sprint. tmo's reception is not stellar and samsung software is less then stellar =\.

98classic said:
im with this guy on the phone, coming from the evo, this samsung kind of sucks, im trying to stick it out but i'll probably go back too sprint. tmo's reception is not stellar and samsung software is less then stellar =\.
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Click to collapse
TMo's reception works fine for me and the comparison between the Evo and the Vibrant stops at they are both Android phones. Vibrant is far better. But to each their own.

acjames said:
TMo's reception works fine for me and the comparison between the Evo and the Vibrant stops at they are both Android phones. Vibrant is far better. But to each their own.
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Click to collapse
might be the phone but, its far to jumpy, i travel between LA and Portland weekly and only get 3g for about 15 minutes in 3 citys in those 1000 miles. hopefully 2.2 fixes some of the issues.

I guess to each his own, but I love this phone. I've had it next to an EVO and even though the Evo's screen was bigger the Galaxy S screen was definitely more vivid.
I hope you're still within the return period...

Guess there should've been a "IMO" in the title, this phone is fine to me in all those aspects you mentioned.
Thanks for venting, I guess ...

silverwolf0 said:
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes.
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Click to collapse
I wouldnt blame it on Samsung. Since there are many variations to the Galaxy S lineup.
I would blame T-Mobile for ordering a glossy backed phone from Samsung. What Samsung does is they take the order and customize a phone for their customer (T-Mobile) to meet their needs.
Captivate has a different back, Fascinate has a different back, Epic 4G has a different back.
So your argument that it is Samsung's fault for making a bad design decision is fruitless. I like fruit by the way.

silverwolf0 said:
Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., AND beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many great compromises, great design choices, and awesome cost-cutting ideas for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. The vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does'nt bother me that I am sort of upgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a great design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that i like. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and its easy to clean with one swipy. It's also very secure and does not creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold my mouth closed in amazement to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The comfortable plastic buttons are also easy to press because of the thinness, are very firm, and the power button should be applauded because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for non complainers.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too (huh?) of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera and also more expensive if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap (the flash that never existed you mean?). It would also be adding some weight to that 118g. but who wants a heavy phone?
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely a looker, accented with a cool chrome trim that has been great phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. i mean its awesome you know cause i get reception unlike a iphone 4. The front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror. (great idea!)
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, other than amazing but the actual earpiece and speaker is very good. The earpiece is very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a hot mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can get very loud and has that same hot mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so good, or if Samsung has gone awesome again.

Batpimp said:
I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so good, or if Samsung has gone awesome again.
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Click to collapse
ROfl
Nice one
@OP
If you don't like the phone, return it.
If you can't return it, sell it.
There a plenty of people interested in buying this phone.

^ +1
Funny stuff

Humorous, I find the case of the phone to be a mute point as in my case the phone is sitting snug in a rubber body glove with only the screen exposed. To each his own.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Funny post. Complaint about everything but the GPS. This phone has the biggest capacity battery I have seen for a phone, yet that's too small. The nicest back cover yet. I must be deaf, because I can hear my phone quite well in a 100db engine room. Cheap plastic buttons? There is buttons on this phone? What is he doing, typing the Morse Code on the power button? Or is there some great phone I'm missing?
YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!

I know it sounds a little odd, but I kinda wish the phone was a little heavier. When I was holding the Evo yesterday it felt beefy and really solid.
However with that being said, I really like the fact that when I wear cargo shorts and my phone is in my pocket its not cracking me in the knee like my G1 brick used to do.
I guess you have to take the good with the bad and the bad being its rather light I suppose I can live with unless of course I decide later to duct tap some lead to the battery cover.

Batpimp said:
and the power button is made for non complainers.
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Click to collapse
LOL!!! I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk, otherwise, my laptop would be bathed in it!

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 initial thoughts and impressions

Alright everyone who is lucky enough to have this beast in hand let's hear your thoughts. Specifically looking for audio quality from speaker, handset, and headphones. Tell us about the memory usage, issues you are having, etc.

Audio is nice & loud, especially coming from my Gnex. I miss AOSP a lot, not a fan of Samsung's messaging app at all. Not really sure why the touch tones on the dialer are all the same tone. The blue is a finger print MAGNET, but it's gorgeous. Think I might go white, just for the fingerprints though. I'm still not used to TouchWiz and I have barely any of my apps loaded, so it doesn't really feel like "my" phone yet. I'll install Apex launcher tonight, though I wish we had root. Manually installing 100 apps and redoing their settings is a *****. Rather have Titanium work its magic.
Other than that:
I haven't played around with it much, but I'm not getting the "double tap the top" to scroll to the top of an app, even with it enabled. Some of the gestures are really well thought out though, such as putting the phone to your ear from a text message to automatically call that person.
By the way, the FEEL of this phone is amazing. I'd have preferred a textured back, but the overall build quality is top notch. Feels solid, has a bit of heft to it, but isn't overly heavy. I can tell this is going to be a great device, especially once we get some roms going. I'm loving the home button, but I wish the Back & Menu buttons were reversed. Miss that from my GNex.
Edit: Since coming from an Infuse, GS2, Skyrocket, International GNex, to the GS3... I'm getting the best data speeds on AT&T by FAR. I used to be lucky to get 2-3mb down, now I'm getting a consistant 6-8.

entropism said:
Audio is nice & loud, especially coming from my Gnex. I miss AOSP a lot, not a fan of Samsung's messaging app at all. Not really sure why the touch tones on the dialer are all the same tone. The blue is a finger print MAGNET, but it's gorgeous. Think I might go white, just for the fingerprints though. I'm still not used to TouchWiz and I have barely any of my apps loaded, so it doesn't really feel like "my" phone yet. I'll install Apex launcher tonight, though I wish we had root. Manually installing 100 apps and redoing their settings is a *****. Rather have Titanium work its magic.
Other than that:
I haven't played around with it much, but I'm not getting the "double tap the top" to scroll to the top of an app, even with it enabled. Some of the gestures are really well thought out though, such as putting the phone to your ear from a text message to automatically call that person.
By the way, the FEEL of this phone is amazing. I'd have preferred a textured back, but the overall build quality is top notch. Feels solid, has a bit of heft to it, but isn't overly heavy. I can tell this is going to be a great device, especially once we get some roms going.
Edit: Since coming from an Infuse, GS2, Skyrocket, International GNex, to the GS3... I'm getting the best data speeds on AT&T by FAR. I used to be lucky to get 2-3mb down, now I'm getting a consistant 6-8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm coming from an iPhone so I am a noob but would APEX launcher still allow you to use all the cool features that comes with the TW UI?

entropism said:
I haven't played around with it much, but I'm not getting the "double tap the top" to scroll to the top of an app, even with it enabled. Some of the gestures are really well thought out though, such as putting the phone to your ear from a text message to automatically call that person.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IIRC, the "double tap" feature only works in a few supported apps, like the contact list.
By the way, the FEEL of this phone is amazing. I'd have preferred a textured back, but the overall build quality is top notch. Feels solid, has a bit of heft to it, but isn't overly heavy. I can tell this is going to be a great device, especially once we get some roms going.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto. Definitely would've preferred black, but the dark blue with fake brushed-metal and purple home button was hideous, so I went for white instead.

Installed to check: You lose the weather widget from the default home page, but most Samsung widgets are there.
The clocks, the media hub, "assistive light", S Memo, S Suggest (which seems awful), the Yahoo crap, the YP crap is all there.
Honestly, I like Samsung's weather widget, but I have Beautiful Widgets and Android Pro Widgets to make up for it.

i LOVE the led notification, nice and bright unlike htc one x's. phone is sleek and just wonderful to hold/look at. screen is spectacular, love the contrast. fluid, dont even care about exynos b/c i love 55+ mbps.
oh and hardware buttons +1.

I wish they would've went with all 3 hardware buttons to be honest. On my Galaxy Note and my HTC One X I can't tell you how many times i've been either texting or playing a game and accidently have my hand barely touch the back button. SO annoying!

Build quality is top notch
Love the blue, but agree the back is fingerprint prone.. Its like a blue chrome color.
The early comments about a purple button are false. The button looks a little lighter because the glass is over the entire front except the button. Button color is fine.
Speaking of the button, I'm not sure I like the physical button. Initial thought is capacitive button is my preference.
Touchwiz has come a long way since my captivate. Some real good stuff now. Awesome new Widgets too.
Screen is gorgeous.
Overall worthy of a 2 year contract for $200. (Until s4 next year)

no parallel scrolling on wallpaper?

darn now I'm really getting more exciting about it. I'm not too concerned about fingerprints since all of my phones have some kind of case on them. A TPU back cover and screen protector will be high priority. Glad to know the audio is good. The Nexus I have is okay but nothing compared to the iPhone 4 I turn on from time to time.

Surprised they moved to micro USB as my GS1 was mini... BTW, what was the GSII

Liferules said:
Surprised they moved to micro USB as my GS1 was mini... BTW, what was the GSII
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Click to collapse
Micro is the new standard gs2 has micro pretty much everything has used micro for the past 2 years
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

My only complaint is the back piece seems like its not sturdy at all. its all so cheap feeling

entropism said:
Audio is nice & loud, especially coming from my Gnex. I miss AOSP a lot, not a fan of Samsung's messaging app at all. Not really sure why the touch tones on the dialer are all the same tone. The blue is a finger print MAGNET, but it's gorgeous. Think I might go white, just for the fingerprints though. I'm still not used to TouchWiz and I have barely any of my apps loaded, so it doesn't really feel like "my" phone yet. I'll install Apex launcher tonight, though I wish we had root. Manually installing 100 apps and redoing their settings is a *****. Rather have Titanium work its magic.
Other than that:
I haven't played around with it much, but I'm not getting the "double tap the top" to scroll to the top of an app, even with it enabled. Some of the gestures are really well thought out though, such as putting the phone to your ear from a text message to automatically call that person.
By the way, the FEEL of this phone is amazing. I'd have preferred a textured back, but the overall build quality is top notch. Feels solid, has a bit of heft to it, but isn't overly heavy. I can tell this is going to be a great device, especially once we get some roms going. I'm loving the home button, but I wish the Back & Menu buttons were reversed. Miss that from my GNex.
Edit: Since coming from an Infuse, GS2, Skyrocket, International GNex, to the GS3... I'm getting the best data speeds on AT&T by FAR. I used to be lucky to get 2-3mb down, now I'm getting a consistant 6-8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DONT U WORRY
ill fix the mms app soon enough
its the first app im working on
---------- Post added at 03:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:31 PM ----------
kyan~ said:
no parallel scrolling on wallpaper?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have it done if u wanna test

Liferules said:
Surprised they moved to micro USB as my GS1 was mini... BTW, what was the GSII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think everyone went to mini in 2010.. My Nexus One had a mini.

Can anyone check the how much is the free memory after reboot? Thanks

So far so good taking a screenshot is almost Damn near impossible but I figured it out. I have blue and installed a matte skin so no fingerprints for me. I like touchwiz but coming from a nexus I'm not too crazy about it, I definitely miss aokp.
Also noticed on the international version you can change the screen mode, but on this one you can't which sucks because I wanted to tone the colors down a bit
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5

Please for the love of everything holy, can someone tell us what audio hardware is in the stateside phones? Some say Wolfson, some say not but apparently nobody knows still. Thanks
Sent from my DROIDX using xda premium

Does it multi-task ?

FM radio??
Does the at&t version have the built in fm radio capability?

[Q] Buttons on the back

Alright so, now, I've got an LGOG and I would love a phone just a bit bigger, so LG G2 looks just perfect, but I have this huge question, how do buttons on the back of the phone feel? They still don't have the LG G2 as a demo phone yet, and they wont have it anytime soon . so I would like to hear how do you feel this new design, does it feel natural or does it feel weird? I'm asking because I still don't like the change of the power / lock button from above to the side when I upgraded from the P720 3D Max to LGOG (I actually hate that change, I still don't get used to it LOL :silly. Please reviews on how it feels
Thanks in advance :good:

endeavor2908 said:
Alright so, now, I've got an LGOG and I would love a phone just a bit bigger, so LG G2 looks just perfect, but I have this huge question, how do buttons on the back of the phone feel? They still don't have the LG G2 as a demo phone yet, and they wont have it anytime soon . so I would like to hear how do you feel this new design, does it feel natural or does it feel weird? I'm asking because I still don't like the change of the power / lock button from above to the side when I upgraded from the P720 3D Max to LGOG (I actually hate that change, I still don't get used to it LOL :silly. Please reviews on how it feels
Thanks in advance :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They've got some review videos of the Korean version, which has the back buttons there. So far, none of the videos really complained about it. It's probably something we'll get used to and I kind of like the fact that it'll be harder to bump the buttons while holding the phone. Also, I can lay it in landscape without touching the volume rockers.

endeavor2908 said:
Alright so, now, I've got an LGOG and I would love a phone just a bit bigger, so LG G2 looks just perfect, but I have this huge question, how do buttons on the back of the phone feel? They still don't have the LG G2 as a demo phone yet, and they wont have it anytime soon . so I would like to hear how do you feel this new design, does it feel natural or does it feel weird? I'm asking because I still don't like the change of the power / lock button from above to the side when I upgraded from the P720 3D Max to LGOG (I actually hate that change, I still don't get used to it LOL :silly. Please reviews on how it feels
Thanks in advance :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't notice the Q&A forum when you posted this?
Thread moved...

ApriliaM3 said:
You didn't notice the Q&A forum when you posted this?
Thread moved...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You think people post questions in the question part of the forum? Dont be ridiculous.....
Anyways, the last days I have thinking how Im holding my phone, and in portrait I mostly have my fingers ontop of where the buttons are on the G2. So I think they are perfectly placed there. Only when you hold it in landscape I could imagine it being a bit awkward to reach them, but really, how often does one really change the volume through out the day? I think in the end it will work out for the better.

Well...
wargreymon89 said:
You think people post questions in the question part of the forum? Dont be ridiculous.....
Anyways, the last days I have thinking how Im holding my phone, and in portrait I mostly have my fingers ontop of where the buttons are on the G2. So I think they are perfectly placed there. Only when you hold it in landscape I could imagine it being a bit awkward to reach them, but really, how often does one really change the volume through out the day? I think in the end it will work out for the better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm listening to music all day long at the office with my phone, so I do change the volume very often and I've been thinking about it and might be very uncomfortable because I change the volume as the phone is laying on my desk but anyway, I'll wait to try it before I rush to get it

I like the IDEA of the volume buttons on the back. I'm sure it reduces the bezel size and makes more room for the larger screen with only a marginal increase in overall size. However I use my phone's GPS regularly with the phone mounted in a car holder. The volume and power buttons on the back would be totally inaccessible in the car holder. Since my car cannot play notifications from the GPS while listening to music on my flash drive, I need to occasionally access the volume controls to adjust the notification volume. No can do with the volume on the back.
Having said that, I really don't know if I would find it merely a minor inconvenience, or a major pain in the ass. I sure like what I'm hearing about the phone though.

marleyfan61 said:
I like the IDEA of the volume buttons on the back. I'm sure it reduces the bezel size and makes more room for the larger screen with only a marginal increase in overall size. However I use my phone's GPS regularly with the phone mounted in a car holder. The volume and power buttons on the back would be totally inaccessible in the car holder. Since my car cannot play notifications from the GPS while listening to music on my flash drive, I need to occasionally access the volume controls to adjust the notification volume. No can do with the volume on the back.
Having said that, I really don't know if I would find it merely a minor inconvenience, or a major pain in the ass. I sure like what I'm hearing about the phone though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do have the volume control in the notification drawer, even though that might be slightly more complex than pushing buttons on the side.

i'm more interested to see how the veirzon buttons feel compared to the rest, seeing as it looks like stupid verizon made them smaller than the normal G2.
also, i like how theres an LED light around hte power button....is that for notifications, too? i bet verizon took that out!

I hope the cases for the other g2 still work on Verizon version
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I know, right? I'd be so pissed if they didn't.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 4

endeavor2908 said:
I'm listening to music all day long at the office with my phone, so I do change the volume very often and I've been thinking about it and might be very uncomfortable because I change the volume as the phone is laying on my desk but anyway, I'll wait to try it before I rush to get it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I to have had that concern, but I also use an app called Volume Control that allows me a volume slider that sits on top of everything. This would cure it for me.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk 2

theres volume control on the drop down bar, too... so that may help!
or just lay the phone on its back?
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 4

rear buttons drawback
Hi there. I just got myself a Korean version of this beautiful beast, I also got the quickview cover so that the magic is complete.It works perfect, battery life is awesome-compared to the lgog I had before. So after a week of heavy usage and txsting, I have noticed a single drawback of the unusual buttons placement-I often accidentally interrupt my calls because -yes, they placed those buttons exactly where you normally place your index finger. And that is why you push the end-of-call button sooooo easily. Apart from that-not a single complaint. They finally came to their senses about the speaker placement becsuse the rear panel is really unfortunate, I could not hear the phone ring on the sofa. bottom location is much better. Also the knock-knock feature is great, I got used to it in an instant and it does not consume your battery life in idle mode if this is what worries you. It works just fine and I love it. Really!

M8 First Impressions from an S4 Convert

Tired of the chipping chrome paint and backplate of my still-works-fine S4, I decided it was time to try something new because I apparently have too much disposable income and an awful addiction to new phones. Here are some first impressions I've had with the device in the few hours I've been able to play with my shiny (literally) new factory unlocked gunmetal grey HTC One (M8).
Hot damn does it feel solid. Like I could use it as a weapon should someone ever try to mug me for it.
It's tall, son! Half an inch or so taller than the S4. Not a problem for me, but I can see where it would generate complaints from folks with smaller hands.
Wow that was a long first boot. Even the girls at the T-Mobile mall kiosk were shocked at this. Can't say I've ever had a phone take that long without me screwing up a flash.
Getting T-Mobile's LTE in Detroit on the thing it seems. 22Mbs down. I'm OK with this.
I forgot how much I hated having on screen buttons over the S4's capacitive ones. This really stands out to me since so much space is devoted to them. If feels like 1/5 or 1/6 of the screen is simply OS chrome elements. I can't wait to get Xposed and the immersion module on this (or better, a rom like PA).
The swipe gestures to unlock it sounded really cool at first, until I noticed that every time I tried to pocket the phone, I was unlocking it. a
Is it just me, or is the stock font just huge? I mean, I get the accessibility case here, but man...
Sense is a ton less annoying than TouchWiz (in the brief time I tried to roll with it). Specifically, I always hated the way Samsung perverted the notification shade with toggles. I can't, however, seem to find any compelling reasons to keep it outside of the swipe gestures, but I'm not sure how much I'm going to care about those anyhow. Time will tell, right?
Ok, the gestures thing where you can turn the device and hit the volume button to get into the camera without first unlocking your phone is awesome.
The camera isn't as bad as I've read. A few shots of my kids inside the mall I went to get a new sim card was poorly lit and the shots came out as expected for an Android device. Granted, I haven't printed them or shared them on Facebook, but that's why I have a 5D Mk III
God this thing feels great in my hand. I've read some say the gunmetal version is a little more "slick", but it doesn't seem any better or worse than the S4.
Someone was complaining that the metal from the case where the speakers go and the glass don't seem to be super flush. I can see what they're saying, but I can't say this bothers me outside of the gross abominations that groove will contain after a few months of use. I feel dirty just thinking about it.
Yeah, the sound is a lot better than the S4. No, it's a metric asston better. Since we're using metric, you know that's a scientific statement.
Blinkfeed is, um, cute? I mean, I already had Flipboard so I don't see what the fuss is about other than access from the homescreen, but it's not like I'm going to rock out a stock launcher anyhow.
The buttons are very subtle in the build. Not in a bad way, but it'll take time to get used to their positioning.
Bah! Why doesn't this have every rom ever for it yet! It's almost been two weeks, damnit! #fakerage
I think I'll give it another hour of play time before I void my warranty.

Thread closed,
I have closed this thread as it will very quickly become both a phone comparison and rom comparison thread, which are against forum rules.
Any issues please let me know,
Ghost

On the fence about buying a Nexus 6P; Convince Me

On the fence; convince me.
So, still rocking the nexus 5, but it's time to upgrade since the mic is giving out (my fault for being rough replacing the screen without a heat gun lol).
I know I want a nexus device but I'm not sure if I want to super-size my screen. I've never owned a "phablet", in fact I used to dislike them, but now that they're more common place I might reconsider. My hands are average if not on the larger side so I'm sure I'd get used to it, but do I want to? One handed use is nice when necessary, but is it ever absolutely necessary?
The beefier speakers, cpu, ram, battery, and screen (AMOLED) are all turn-on's. But I want to now how the transition was for all of you, be it to the nexus 6, Note, 6p, or whatever other device was your first big screen phone. Any regrets, big or small? Will you ever down size? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Stop worrying. Once you go phablet, you want want to go back. Plus, front facing mothereffing speakers! I rock the piss out of my nexus 6 and the speakers are just so, damn, good. Back on the size subject, you adapt to the size very fast and I hear the 6p is a narrower device than my N6, so I say go for the 6p.

Why not go with 5x

fingerprinted said:
Why not go with 5x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's between the 6p and the 5x for me, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for the jump in size.
mikehunt22 said:
I hear the 6p is a narrower device than my N6, so I say go for the 6p.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear, I kinda thought the 6 was a little uncomfortable to handle with its size and design. Plus I prefer the more square design of the 6p over the roundness of the 6.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I came from Galaxy S6, no regrets. I did own the Note 4 before that but after you make the adjustment you'll like having a larger screen.

I came from a Moto X 2014. The device feels huge but very premium and thin. The camera and screen are insanely good. I ended up returning it because when playing music through the aux it would stop randomly. Idk if it was hardware or software but it was annoying. The speakers are good as well but each sound a bit different. I assume it's what sits behind each speakers that gives it the effect that one is louder than the other. I also had weird stutters with apps like instagram, snapchat, and the settings menu. Ultimately I don't think I'll repurchase the device because of its size. I had it for a week and got used to making adjustments to handle a big device but it's so much easier for me to manage my Moto X 2014.
I also have the 5x sitting on my desk. I don't think I can justify the price to upgrade from my Moto X 2014 so that one will also be returned. You might want to check it out. It's more of the workhorse of the two and feels really good in the hand.

You get used to the phone being big for the most part. I was using a phone with a 5 inch screen temporarily after having a samsung note 3 and I did like how much easier it was to handle the phone but at the same time I missed the bigger screen. You need to decide yourself which is more important to you so you don't have buyers remorse.

Just buy my old N6. You'll love it. It's nowhere near as awesome as my 6P, but you'll love it. Yup.

You will adapt to its size after a hour or so of use. You will begin to realize that it isn't even that huge anymore.

Get another Nexus 5 for $100 on Ebay and enjoy life.

I'd love to share my thoughts about this phone with you. I have a lot and I also come from the Nexus 5 and skipped the Nexus 6 entirely because of its size. So strap in...
I was also on the fence back in mid October. I just couldn't make the jump yet. The 5X didn't seem like much of an upgrade to me. It just seemed like they remade the 5 again. I'm not here to argue specs with anyone, but personally, I wasn't too impressed. I was impressed with the 6P specs though. That felt more right in the way of an upgrade. I didn't really need an upgrade, but the screen is slightly raised on my N5. It clicks when you press the right spot. It does not impact functionality at all and it's been like that about 6 months now. I got my N5 brand new on launch, so it held up pretty well I'd say. I have a lot of friends who (despite my best efforts) are with the dark side and recently got the 6+ and 6S+ iPhones. They all justify the size of the phone with the real estate for gaming and movies. I get that, I do. I'd much rather game and watch movies on my 55" HDTV then on my 24" in the bedroom. After playing some games and checking out Netflix on their phones, I did like the bigger size in that sense. That being said, I got the phone delivered to me on November 9th and I am still getting used to it. If you've ever held a 6+, that is what you can expect. I compared my 6P to a buddies 6+ and they are exactly the same size.
My best advice to you (and anyone else in a similar situation) would be to be please, please, please, please, please do not let the threads in the 6P General forum scare you. There's a lot of threads about a lot of defects and issues. They have already acknowledged and addressed these issues and aside from a few bad eggs, from what I've seen the RMA's that have been going out have been better. I have 0 issues with my device. Everything is cut and lined up properly. All flush. Nothing is loose or raised. I decided to make the jump and was ready to order from Project Fi the moment I finally got my invite from them. That happened on 10/16/2015. I ordered the 32gb graphite. I love the overall look and feel of it way more than the N5 which I could not get enough of at launch. The build quality of the phone is amazing. The weight of it and the metal touch make it feel extremely high quality. That's the one thing I always thought Google could take a lesson from Apple in. Despite my opinion on Apple and iOS, I could always appreciate the build quality of the iPhones. They felt so solid and great to hold. None of my phones gave me the same satisfaction as iPhones did. I never had one, but I've played with my friends. It always felt so legit while my phones always felt like cheap lightweight plastic toys. Google finally stepped up in that sense. I have had mine since the 9th of November and so far I have not had a single issue as found in this forum. The phone still sits completely flush on the front or back. No wobbling when you press one of the edges. No bends, the back glass hasn't spontaneously cracked. Everything works 100%. It's solid. It's legit.
The feel is phenomenal. The first thing you will notice is the feel of the aluminum. It feels great. No, I mean great. Amazing, even. The one downside being that it is slippery. Keep a good grip on it. Don't try to balance it on your leg or clothes when you're sitting down. It'll slip. Besides that though? The first time you leave you phone idling in a cool room and pick it up. Oh man, I was not prepared for that. I would compare it to flipping your pillow over to put your face on the cool side. You get the same satisfaction. It's refreshing, every single time. 10/10 would recommend. You don't get that with the N5, no sir.
The next thing that I noticed right away was the haptic feedback. As soon as I pressed the home button I giggled like a schoolgirl. I don't know if my N5 had a defective motor (known issue, I know), but it never, ever felt like that. It feels so much crisper, cleaner and a lot more tight. My N5 kind of sounds and feels loose and rattly. Another thing I love, which isn't really a selling point...at all is that when you listen to the haptic feedback in a dead-quite room, it makes a neat sound. The vibrations just feel deeper and sharper. I can't get enough.
My screen is perfect. Not a single issue. There is no color or hue defects at all. There is no raised edges. Everything is 100% in this department. As mentioned earlier, it is awesome for movies and gaming if that is your thing. I don't really game much besides N64 emulators and as far as videos and movies goes, Netflix and YouTube is pretty much all I use.
Next up is the front facing speakers. The front facing speakers. The front facing speaks blew me away. Coming from a Nexus 5? Absolutely blew my mind. I had both phones, one in my left hand one in my right. I opened YouTube on both and I opened up 'Who Are You' by The Who on both. I played it first on my N5, rooted with V4A installed and finely tuned. My thoughts? "OK, sounds pretty good. Yeah." I had my Viper settings to my liking and that's what I was used to. The very second I pressed play on the 6P I had the biggest grin on my face. It was so LOUD and the sound was coming right at me! You know how when you hold the Nexus 5, half of the time you cover the speaker holes with your hand? It was just the way you held it and the placement of the speaker? Especially in landscape when trying to watch a video... I hated that sooooo much. I love these speakers so much. Some people here say the sound quality is bad, but I haven't noticed that at all. No crackling or popping. Nothing sounds distorted or washed out, but there are others out there a lot more judgmental in those regards than myself.
USB Type-C. Now when I mentioned earlier than I am still getting used to the phone, this is primarily what I mean. I cannot seem to shake the habit of slightly twirling the cable and looking down at it to make sure it's facing the right direction before plugging it in. You don't need to do that anymore, just plug and go. If I don't think about it and just go to plug in, I find myself doing that almost every time.
The buttons. The buttons are nice. They have a clean, crisp click when you press them. Almost like a snap. I like the way the power button is textured. It feels nice when you slide your finger over it. While on topic of the power button, I love the double press to access camera feature. I can't tell you how many pictures I missed (animal or insect that got spooked) waiting to open my N5 camera, even from the lockscreen. Even if the 6P is idle, a quick double press of the power button and the camera is open instantly. It's so fast, I'm blown away every time. I still haven't got used to that either. Oh and the 240 FPS is so cool, just make sure you do it in well lit places otherwise it comes out grainy. I don't want to go as far as to say potato quality, but you'll see what I mean if you try in a dimmer setting.
The only, and I mean only beef I have with the buttons is the placement. I am left handed. The way I hold and use all of my phones is that I primarily support my phones with my right hand and use my left for scrolling, reaching across the screen, zooming, etc. As a result, I got into the habit of using my right hand for single handed use. It just doesn't feel right to use only my left hand with my phones. It's awkward and just not natural for me. So when I want to take a screenshot, I do have to use both hands. My right thumb and then my left hand for the power button, otherwise I end up capturing a bug report. I can take screenshots one handed if I use my left hand, but I just don't do that, ever. Other than that I have no issues with that. I do not have any rattling from them during normal usage or movement of the phone. They do slightly rattle if I shake the phone quite hard. However having button rattle ONLY when I shake it hard enough to see if they rattle is not a turn of for me, at all.
The battery. I am honestly so incredibly impressed with the battery, I cannot even begin to tell you. On my Nexus 5, I would take all sorts of measures to improve battery life as well as screen on time. Granted I did have some things working against me like the Viper drivers and things of that nature, but I would keep the brightness around 50%, usually slightly under. NFC, location, etc. was all off and I was pretty impressed with 3-3.5 hours of screen on time, per charge. With my 6P I get 6 hours of screen on time every single charge. That is with the screen at 100% full brightness at all times. Nothing is turned off either. This is with the phone bare stock. It isn't unlocked or rooted, it is completely factory stock plus about 80 or so user apps installed. At least an hour of YouTube throughout the day, probably more. I also stream Spotify sometimes, not too much though. Aside from that just web browsing. XDA, Facebook, Google+, things of that nature. As far as the brightness goes, I'm not too worried about burn in as I never got any on my Galaxy Nexus and I had that for almost 4 years. The idle drain is insane. I went an entire work day without my phone. I left it in the car and at the end of the day when I went back, it was at 99%. 8 hour shift on full bars LTE. I often find myself using the phone and after so long I'm like yeah it's about time to charge it before it dies. Since I'm used to the Nexus 5 and all, but I pull the shade down and see like 40% left and I can't help but laugh. I love it. Love love love it.
Now as far as the size goes. If that's all you're worried about... Do yourself a favor and go order the phone right now. Just do it. I was so against it myself, but you do get used to it. You really do. Eventually you get the hang of using it one handed no problem. You kinda have to tilt it in towards your palm so you can reach your thumb across to the furthest corner, but that's only if you happen to need to press whatever is in the furthest corner. Texting in landscape was a bit of a curve as well. I don't have huge hands, but I don't have small girly hands either. That's a lot of phone to cover. Instead of just resting it in your fingers, you kind of have to set it further back on your fingers to cradle it. That way you have a bit more reach with your thumbs. It took some getting used to, but now I can text one handed, or landscape with no issues. Believe me though, when you first try you will probably say nope, this isn't happening I am returning it. Don't. You get over that. Really, you do. Everything else about this phone will make you fall in love before you are inconvenienced by the size even once. Seriously, pull the trigger. You want to and you know it, stop kidding yourself. I just got used to the size though, I didn't really fall in love. I would say if they made a phone with the same specs and they found a happy medium between the N5 and the 6P as far as size goes, I'd surely downsize and get it. Not until this phone put in it's 2+ years though. I wouldn't ever send it back to get a smaller screen now that I actually have it.
I have no real complaints with any aspects of the phone. It's been so great I honestly haven't even wanted to unlock or root it yet. Now that Cataclysm is available- and a user over in that thread commented that with systemless root he was able to successfully add cards and complete purchases with Android Pay, I may reconsider. Solid phone and a solid experience using it. Like you said, you have slightly larger hands, so you certainly will acclimate to the size of the phone in little to no time. I hope I could answer some of your questions about the device and alleviate some of your concerns! Let me know if you have any other questions!
tl;dr - Do it and welcome to the 6P forums.

It's OK to sit on the fence. Just make sure not to sit on the phone... It will bend.

6P imo is the best android phone you can buy right now, its a full package, much easier to hold than the N6 too

Jimmy_Noname said:
So, still rocking the nexus 5, but it's time to upgrade since the mic is giving out (my fault for being rough replacing the screen without a heat gun lol).
I know I want a nexus device but I'm not sure if I want to super-size my screen. I've never owned a "phablet", in fact I used to dislike them, but now that they're more common place I might reconsider. My hands are average if not on the larger side so I'm sure I'd get used to it, but do I want to? One handed use is nice when necessary, but is it ever absolutely necessary?
The beefier speakers, cpu, ram, battery, and screen (AMOLED) are all turn-on's. But I want to now how the transition was for all of you, be it to the nexus 6, Note, 6p, or whatever other device was your first big screen phone. Any regrets, big or small? Will you ever down size? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd be surprised how quickly you get used to it. I went from a smaller screen to the OnePlus One and it was a pretty big jump, but I was used to it within a few hours. Now I have the 6P. You won't want to go back to a smaller screen.
Sent from my Nexus 6P

Try it and probably never look back!

I had a Nexus 5X until my 6P came in. Trust me, it's night and day and although the size difference is VRY noticeable, it's not unbearable. You're getting a lot of phone for a rock bottom price. NOT saying the 5X was bad at all, actually quite different. I just wanted the extra screen real estate.

I came from an N5, had the same phablet reservations. But after seeing what Google did with the 5X, it wasn't quite what I was hoping it would be. I love the 6P!
Sent from a 128th Legion Stormtrooper 6P

Rado_vr6 said:
I had a Nexus 5X until my 6P came in. Trust me, it's night and day and although the size difference is VRY noticeable, it's not unbearable. You're getting a lot of phone for a rock bottom price. NOT saying the 5X was bad at all, actually quite different. I just wanted the extra screen real estate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Returned my 6p for a 5x and could not be happier. The 6p is a very big and long phone.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk