I've been waiting for a good slider for a long time and the Priv was pretty much it. Sadly, it's not to be. I went to the store yesterday to try it out. Within seconds I realized this phone wasn't for me. The keyboard is tiny. It is usable but very small, I typed 3 sentences and my thumbs started hurting. 10 minutes after I was done typing the thumbs continued to hurt. I realized this is for the diehard blackberry users, not for us who've been using sliders with a bigger, more comfortable keyboard.
I understand with every new keyboard there's a learning curve. Hell, even between laptops there's a learning curve, but with this phone there may be way too much, and long messages will be pretty uncomfortable.
The other issue is the actual placement of the keyboard. The phone is too big and heavy. This is essentially the same size as the Blue Angel, just not as heavy. However that keyboard was, for some reason, easier to use than this one. Being that the BA was thicker, it had good grip. The Priv doesn't. I felt it was going to slide out of my hands, which added to the stress of holding it, which added to the uncomfortable typing. All in all I played with it for a good 20 minutes, and I just am not convinced. I may have to bite the bullet and get a non keyboard phone...
devis said:
I've been waiting for a good slider for a long time and the Priv was pretty much it. Sadly, it's not to be. I went to the store yesterday to try it out. Within seconds I realized this phone wasn't for me. The keyboard is tiny. It is usable but very small, I typed 3 sentences and my thumbs started hurting. 10 minutes after I was done typing the thumbs continued to hurt. I realized this is for the diehard blackberry users, not for us who've been using sliders with a bigger, more comfortable keyboard.
I understand with every new keyboard there's a learning curve. Hell, even between laptops there's a learning curve, but with this phone there may be way too much, and long messages will be pretty uncomfortable.
The other issue is the actual placement of the keyboard. The phone is too big and heavy. This is essentially the same size as the Blue Angel, just not as heavy. However that keyboard was, for some reason, easier to use than this one. Being that the BA was thicker, it had good grip. The Priv doesn't. I felt it was going to slide out of my hands, which added to the stress of holding it, which added to the uncomfortable typing. All in all I played with it for a good 20 minutes, and I just am not convinced. I may have to bite the bullet and get a non keyboard phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved away from a BlackBerry with a physical keyboard a few years ago, and then had to use one with a physical keyboard again, it usually makes ones thumbs hurt since on a screen you're tapping, on a physical keyboard you tap the button, but have to press down as well.
I'm interested in actually feeling what the Priv feels like, I don't think I'll be able to get it in my country for another month or so, but I thought the Priv might be heavy, BlackBerry phones usually feel heavier.
I have the phone and it's great so far. Yes typing on keyboard may seem tiresome and slow but once you get used to it, u will ove the fact that u have the whole screen estate to type long emails chats etc. The phone build quality is pretty good too and slim bezels considering front speakers.
varun.gid said:
I have the phone and it's great so far. Yes typing on keyboard may seem tiresome and slow but once you get used to it, u will ove the fact that u have the whole screen estate to type long emails chats etc. The phone build quality is pretty good too and slim bezels considering front speakers.
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Click to collapse
Don't forget you can set keys as short cuts and the keyboard is capacitative so can be used like a limited track pad. Unique features for productivity.
And, of course, you do not even have to use the physical keyboard.
Im not sure how the Priv could be seen as slippery. I've played with a couple now, and also own a Z30 with the same back material. The glass weave is an extremely grippy material. I can hold my Z30 at probably a 60 or 75 degree angle with only three fingers flat on the back
Damn, it's been a while I'm waiting for it, I loved my htc desire Z (2009).
But no manufacturer tried to do a physical keyboard since then...
But what the hell BB?!?
Most providers will sell it almost at the same price as an iphone 6s.
Even the note 5 is half cheaper!
BB was know for replaceable battery and FM radio, which was I small difference compared to others. Anddd they get rid of it .
What's their marketing goal?
BB have hard time : Lets sell it at way higher price than most of flash ship phones, remove some nice features and let the rooting difficult.
( I believe rooting not necessary equal to security flaws )
oVeRdOsE. said:
Damn, it's been a while I'm waiting for it, I loved my htc desire Z (2009).
But no manufacturer tried to do a physical keyboard since then...
But what the hell BB?!?
Most providers will sell it almost at the same price as an iphone 6s.
Even the note 5 is half cheaper!
BB was know for replaceable battery and FM radio, which was I small difference compared to others. Anddd they get rid of it .
What's their marketing goal?
BB have hard time : Lets sell it at way higher price than most of flash ship phones, remove some nice features and let the rooting difficult.
( I believe rooting not necessary equal to security flaws )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola Photon Q (XT897) 5 row keyboard slider - last best qwerty phone FYI.
I also have 2x G2's/DZ's, and the original G1/Dream.
The Photon Q design with the side (landscape) slider 5 row (similar to the G1) is probably the best layout, just needs to be built again with update specs.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Free mobile app
varun.gid said:
I have the phone and it's great so far. Yes typing on keyboard may seem tiresome and slow but once you get used to it, u will ove the fact that u have the whole screen estate to type long emails chats etc. The phone build quality is pretty good too and slim bezels considering front speakers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue I had when I tried it out at the store was that i didn't think i could get used to it. I've used sliders for nearly 10 years now, and never had an issue getting used to a physical keyboard, including the BB 7390 or the 8200 which i used myself or the other models which I supported in my job. This one just doesn't seem to do it... and i was so looking forward to having an high specs phone. Oh well...
The other issue is that ATT wants a 35 dollar restocking fee if I return it, and since this phone is nowhere else but ATT, I just don't feel I should shell out 35 dollars so that i can try it out for 2 weeks.
devis said:
The issue I had when I tried it out at the store was that i didn't think i could get used to it. I've used sliders for nearly 10 years now, and never had an issue getting used to a physical keyboard, including the BB 7390 or the 8200 which i used myself or the other models which I supported in my job. This one just doesn't seem to do it... and i was so looking forward to having an high specs phone. Oh well...
The other issue is that ATT wants a 35 dollar restocking fee if I return it, and since this phone is nowhere else but ATT, I just don't feel I should shell out 35 dollars so that i can try it out for 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always buy the unlocked version for a whopping $700 and return it, free of charge.
Since the keyboard looks mediocre at best, and that's the only reason I want this phone, I'll pass.
I'm getting the unlocked model and will use it on T-Mobile. I'm sure the keyboard leaves much to be desired but I'm sure this will be the " last of the Mohicans " as far as keyboard sliders go. Especially if it flops. It's been said marshmallow will come to the priv. So the only other chance could possibly be project Ara, but I haven't heard anything about that in quite some time.
I'm not surprised, to be honest at the price point there are far better Android devices out there. And I know may BB users are convinced it'll be a game changer but I'm not.
The starting price is insanez and the build quality isn't anything particularly good.
Ok phone, but not for me. On screen keyboards are so good now that they are even much better and faster than real physical BlackBerry keyboard. Maybe if they got into Android few years earlier. How can they move on if they can't let go?
I've had mine for two days.... it runs REALLY hot. Just browsing, it gets warm instantly. Battery life is great when you're not actually using the thing. I lost something like 2 percent overnight. But as soon as you pick it up and start using it, it heats up a lot. I've been running android on my s5 for years so I know I don't have anything particularly nasty running in the background. I had a little reddit browse for half an hour in bed after waking up, and the battery went from 99 down to 85 in that short time.
The keyboard is good, but it lags. If you double type a letter, it doesn't keep up. Typing google gives me 'gole' sometimes, for example. Also, you can type from the home screen to universal search. However, because the process isn't killed upon exit, i search for 'google' the first time, and then later in the day i'm after 'spotify'. The problem is, the new search is 'googlespotify' which obviously brings up nothing.
There's also movement in the screen when the slider is closed, i can tap on the left half and feel the whole screen move.
Overall I think it could be a great phone but the software is very slow, and just very inefficient. Lags all over the place, and the physical keybaord just can't be missing inputs like that. I've got a few days left to decide if I can make it work. If not I will return it. It's too much money to be 'sort of happy'
Dejan92 said:
Ok phone, but not for me. On screen keyboards are so good now that they are even much better and faster than real physical BlackBerry keyboard.
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Click to collapse
Better than a blackberry keyboard? Maybe. Better than my Samsung Relay keyboard? Not a chance. I find it rare to see a touch keyboard user able to walk and type without looking at their screen. I do it flawlessly on my 5-row relay keyboard.
Picked this lovely device up last night, and have been putting it through its paces. Thus far, here is my analysis of things, which hopefully will answer some concerns users have had.
The heat/battery issue: I believe the causes here are largely related to apps, though reception may also be a factor. As noted in another thread, the core system apps in the phone do not immediately inform you that they require updating, and you will only know to update them by accessing the app's page on the Play Store. I've seen this with other Android 5.0 devices, though, so I suspect it might not be unique to the Priv. Once I updated all the core BB apps, the phone was significantly more stable and have had less heat and drain issues on that front.
I mention reception, as there appears to be a flaw with LTE reception. Whether it is hardware or software, I'm not certain, though I have a hard time believing it would be software, but when running the phone on LTE, I am lucky to get more than 1 bar of service anywhere in the city of Toronto, which has excellent coverage. My former device, the LG F3Q, was able to get 5 bars of LTE practically everywhere in the city, and most certainly did at my office. Right now, my Priv is seeing 0~1 bars of LTE coverage at the office. Forcing the phone to 4G/HSPA+ helps things a bit, I get 3-4 bars, but that's not really a solution. On crackberry, a lot of users are reporting the same problems with reception, so it appears to be a device-wide problem, and I'm certain BB will address it however they need to.
So, between those two factors, I believe that is the source of the heat/battery drain.
In terms of build quality otherwise, the phone is quite excellent. I don't understand the upset about the keyboard, I find it very excellent, and it's certainly more finger-friendly than pre-10 BB devices, which is all that I've used.
My only complaints on the build quality are somewhat minor nitpicks, such as placement of the power/volume buttons (I'd have preferred them reversed), the placement of the 3.5" jack (why the bottom?! even the holster case doesn't account for the placement!), and the size of the camera bezel. It sticks out so far that I'm slightly paranoid to set the device down on flat surfaces.
All-in-all, for me, this device is as close to perfection as I could have ever hoped in a device. Once the antenna problem is resolved (which I can't see not being resolved, otherwise it'll be a massive failure for the company), I'll be extremely satisfied. It may not be the device for everyone, but it is the device for me.
TPMJB said:
Better than a blackberry keyboard? Maybe. Better than my Samsung Relay keyboard? Not a chance. I find it rare to see a touch keyboard user able to walk and type without looking at their screen. I do it flawlessly on my 5-row relay keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yeah, i was thinking about typing when you looking at keyboard... Typing without looking at screen will never be flawless. :fingers-crossed:
Dejan92 said:
Well yeah, i was thinking about typing when you looking at keyboard... Typing without looking at screen will never be flawless. :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've known people who claim they can do it, but I haven't seen it. I'm frequently on the go. I walk and text all the time. Walking and texting is such a problem that the last company I worked for would escort you off the campus for attempting it.
Meanwhile I'm looking straight ahead while doing it and don't understand it at all lol
schmandroid said:
Motorola Photon Q (XT897) 5 row keyboard slider - last best qwerty phone FYI.
I also have 2x G2's/DZ's, and the original G1/Dream.
The Photon Q design with the side (landscape) slider 5 row (similar to the G1) is probably the best layout, just needs to be built again with update specs.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The moto wasn't a flagship. Development was dead even at the beginning. Most north america carrier don't sell it or even advertise it.
So, imho, that wasn't the ''last good'' physic keyboard device.
The desire Z had pretty impressive performances when rooted. 800mzh stock, and 1.8ghz stable OC.
oVeRdOsE. said:
The moto wasn't a flagship. Development was dead even at the beginning. Most north america carrier don't sell it or even advertise it.
So, imho, that wasn't the ''last good'' physic keyboard device.
The desire Z had pretty impressive performances when rooted. 800mzh stock, and 1.8ghz stable OC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DZ had a 4 row keyboard, unlike the G1, which had a 5 row, so I consider that a step backwards.
The Priv also has a 4 row, so entering numerical data will require holding or double tapping a function key mid sentence.
Photon Q has 5 row.
Whether it is/was sold at a convenient store to you is irrelevant - with a sim mod, it is usable everywhere around the world. I guess you've missed out.
Compared to the G2/DZ, the PQ is a much more powerful & up to date device - if it wasn't, I wouldn't be using it.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Free mobile app
Related
Ok i having been looking at this phone for a while and i just wanted to get some feedback from owners. How does it feel in your hand how is the speed all that info will be great. One big problem is that i cant go to a tmobile store and mess with the phone and if i order it and dont like it i have to play a $45 dollar restocking fee. so your input will be great
Got nothing but praise for your criteria... seems the right size for my hand, and well built. Just enough weight to it to not feel cheap.
Speed is very good coming from a Nokia N95, so probably not the best person to judge. In general, it's bloody good. My first Android phone but didn't take a lot of getting used to.
It has occasional (rare) keyboard oddness, although that seems par for the course to be honest, and a quick lock/unlock is all that's needed to sort it.
This phone is amazing. It is really fast and I never have any lag. The stock ROM on it only supports 256 RAM atm, but Cyanogen has the himem kernal in his build. The phone is really light and very thin. The phone has a nice texture to it and the screen is amazing. The soft keys can get a little annoying at time but its not something that would stop me from loving this phone. The pictures it takes are very good and the video is better than most phones I have had in the past. The LED flash is super bright and helps take nice pics when its dark. One other gripe I have is, if you want to take out the micro sd card you have to remove the battery. Hope this helps you decide.
the phone feels awesome! my hands feel soothed and at peace when they are holding the phone... bout the only way i can describe it
its by far the best phone i've ever owned (iphone 3G, BB Bold, Nokia E71, HTC Magic) in terms of build quality. It is one of the fastest phones on the market right now, and it is absolutely evident in the software and the overall snappiness. The back of the phone is a soft-touch rubbery type of material on the back. There are metallic accents and the screen is unbeatable. When I first looked at the screen when I opened it was amazing. When you look back at your old phone is where you will see the difference. The Nexus will make any phone you've owned look washed out and low-res. Overall, I'm happy I bought the phone.
It does suck that you can't go to Tmo and test one out and there are no "google or htc stores". which brings me to my first problem with the phone. If something goes wrong with it you have to pack it up, go through a gauntlet of phone calls, send it in, and wait for your money back.
Second problem (and I'm not sure if it's widespread or just me) is the power button. It gets stuck and is not very sensitive. It has the same function as the iPhone's button. It turns on the phone and puts it into sleep mode. Mine is completely stuck and takes me several hard pushes to get it to react. It may just be my phone, but with any technology there will be some risk I guess.
Other than that it's a great phone. If you plan on rooting with it then add an extra 2000% more awesomeness.
Hope that helped a little.
cheers
Best, Fastest, & Coolest device I have owned (and I have owned a few)
I'm running mine totally stock. I can tell you that when I was messing around with my G1 a couple days ago, which runs SuperD (arguably the fastest G1 ROM), I found myself waiting for apps to open or screens to switch... what I'm saying is that the N1's speed will spoil you.
hands down the best phone ive ever owned.. and ive owned quite a few.. i absolutely love the speed.. the feel.. weight.. battery life could be a touch better but im not complaining.. its much better than the G1.. which this thing trumps it in every category... i actually enjoy using the v keyboard .. dont miss the hard keyboard at all... you wont be dissappointed
Honestly I think it's too slippery some of my friends almost dropped it x_x. So now I don't like anyone to use it if i don't have the case on.
I am concern about all of these keyboard/buttons malfunctions. There has been a lot of talk about the 3Gfix. Are they fixing these touch screen problem or are they just eeeee.
Also is it possible to use this phone without data plan? Just use wifi for data? I am not into paying $30, while I am surrounded by WiFi for a good part of my day. Anyone comment on the suitability of the Wifi?
NexusX said:
I am concern about all of these keyboard/buttons malfunctions. There has been a lot of talk about the 3Gfix. Are they fixing these touch screen problem or are they just eeeee.
Also is it possible to use this phone without data plan? Just use wifi for data? I am not into paying $30, while I am surrounded by WiFi for a good part of my day. Anyone comment on the suitability of the Wifi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wifi has been all good to me. And I know you can use it without a data plan tho only if you pay the full price.
KROMO50 said:
Ok i having been looking at this phone for a while and i just wanted to get some feedback from owners. How does it feel in your hand how is the speed all that info will be great. One big problem is that i cant go to a tmobile store and mess with the phone and if i order it and dont like it i have to play a $45 dollar restocking fee. so your input will be great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fit & Finish
I have bigger hands (XL size gloves), I find the N1 to be a great fit. I can comfortably and securely hold the phone with one hand, while also using just my thumb to do pretty much everything.
Speed?
Impressive indeed. Windows and apps already open are near instantaneous to switch to, and opening an app fresh is still satisfyingly fast.
Screen
Along with the crisp colors and excellent contrast, a BIG plus not to be missed is the resolution (480x800). At that rez, the level of sharpness and detail is fantastic.
To be fair, there's also been a large amount of frustration and complaints...Most notably spotty 3G performance. If you haven't already, you should also check out the Google Help Forums to get an idea of what people are complaining about. For me though, I've had no issues.
McFroger3 said:
The wifi has been all good to me. And I know you can use it without a data plan tho only if you pay the full price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people said that their Wifi do not reconnect automatically when they turn it on. Any problem you have with that? it is kinda of important for that to be automatic if I use it as my "data plan"
NexusX said:
Some people said that their Wifi do not reconnect automatically when they turn it on. Any problem you have with that? it is kinda of important for that to be automatic if I use it as my "data plan"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had mixed results with it auto connecting. Sometimes it will without a hitch, and sometimes it will make me manually do it.
Love this phone. I have had the iphone 3g, iphone 3gs, g1, palm pre, sprint cdma hero, and now the nexus one. The nexus one is by far the best of all of them. It does have some things that make me grumble like the soft keyboard but with all the alternat keyboards its not hard to find something to make you content.
The screen and the feel in the hand are the best features about this device. It is smoking fast but with a screen like this I am happy to wait and stare.
best phone ive ever owned
I've had the phone over a week now and I'd like to give my insight as to what I love and what I dislike in comparison with the Nexus.
Just a few sentences.
First off about me: I'm a big texter, I use Twitter, Facebook, IM and general browsing the most, as well as listening to a lot of podcasts and music. SO here are my impressions taking this into account.
The screen: it is hard to fully express how much nicer this feels than the Nexus screen, but suffice to say whites are whiter, colours seem truer and tactile response is noticeably improved. The screen feels more close to your finger somehow...it's hard to put into words. Visibility in sunlight is noticeably better - not quite as visible as iPhone but perfectly acceptable.
Build quality of i9000 is not on a par with the Nexus in terms of its chassis, which seemingly uses cheaper plastics compared to the Nexus' metal architecture. I was still fairly happy with the Samsung's build quality at first but subsequently noticed little microscopic scuffs appearing on the battery cover and a little dink on the bezel. I swear I have only had the phone in my pocket and haven't been throwing it around. Although it isn't exactly in bad condition now I still resent the fact that after only TEN DAYS of careful use and pocket-placement I am already able to detect small signs of wear. On the other hand the screen on the i9000 looks to be of higher build quality - it is made from Gorilla Glass and to look at doesn't seem susceptible to dust contamination as the relatively highly-mounted Nexus digitizer.
The loudpeaker is important to me, and the Nexus had a crappy, hissy loudspeaker. Thankfully the Samsung i9000 speaker is more powerful with richer dynamics and less hiss. It is on a par with the iPhone 3G, if not slightly better as it seems a bit louder...great for listening to podcasts.
Camera.
Like-for-like testing of the Nexus and Galaxy in daylight shows what appear to be richer and sharper pictures on the Samsung. I suspect (judging by their use of rubbish loudspeaker components) that HTC use pretty bog-standard camera optics; and although the Nexus is pretty good most people would favour the Samsung shots under default conditions. The Nexus wins at dim-to-low-light shots though just because it has a flash and is therefore usable in more varied conditions. Video capture on the i9000 is just leagues ahead of the Nexus which not only records at a lower resolution but also produces muddier images with dreadfully low-quality audio. The Samsung also offers a consistent framerate of 30fps and handles low lighting really quite admirably compared with the Nexus.
UI
Since the i9000 only has Eclair there are a few notable missing features found only in Froyo. Despite this the Galaxy still outperforms the Nexus in all the Benchmarking tests I've seen. I haven't performed any benchmarks myself but a side-by-side comparison of both devices (Nexus with Cyanogenmod 6.0 RC) shows noticeably smoother scrolling on the Galaxy S in all apps, including the browser. There are some nice extras too: like quick access to WIFI, Bluetooth, Silent switch and Vibration mode from within the notifications bar. I also like the fact that you can change to different fonts on the i9000 across the whole UI. This gives the OS a slightly different feel which is nice.
Input -
This really fails the Galaxy S i9000. I've really come to realise how much I miss having some form of trackball with the Galaxy S.
On the face of it things seem fine; in fact RAW TEXTING on the i9000 is a lot more pleasurable than on the Nexus not only because of the greater screen real-estate but also because the screen itself is more responsive....but the caveat is that lack of a trackball or optical trackpad...
There is no reason why Samsung couldn't have included an optical button (as seen on the Omnia among other Sammy phones) to facilitate text selection. Judging by the iOS-inspired Touchwiz 3.0 it SEEMS that Samsung want some of the minimalism of the iPhone hardware and UI but what they have failed to notice is that the iPhone uses a long-press magnifying glass feature across the ENTIRE OS which allows for VERY EASY text selection, copying and pasting. Android, and Touchwiz does NOT include such a facility - just a half-hearted cursor pad in the default keyboard which is obtained by long-pressing the numeric button. This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. I've found myself having to do this a few times as it is often practically IMPOSSIBLE to select a passage or move the cursor to the exact right place without a d-pad or trackball. This really is a major failing for me and completely ruins things.
*EDIT* i've found that swiping from the Swype to the Sym key in Swype opens up a cursor system. I've tried to get along with Swype and haven't succeded so far but i'll give it a try again .
Media -
Owing to the great speaker, listening to podcasts on the i9000 is a pleasure. Music also sounds acceptable. The music control panel which shows up in the notifications bar when you are playing tracks is also genuinely useful.
One of the i9000's main selling points is not only its ability to record HD video but also to PLAY it. I've tested it with about twenty 720p clips from Youtube, and a number of 720p WMV files and it hasn't skipped a beat. Genuinely wonderful smoothness of playback. I haven't found a video of 720p or less that it wouldn't play as yet, although the BBC iPlayer downloads from Myplayer played without sound and necessitated Rockplayer.
Anyway I'm running out of steam now....but to conclude: I'm getting rid of the Galaxy S: it's a combination of overall build durability and a lack of nice, simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light that make me think that there will be something better along for me soon. I really like the phone and find it a joy to use but the few annoyances have spoilt it for me sadly.
If anyone near the midlands, UK wishes to buy an unlocked, unbranded Galaxy S with unopened accessories for a £290 before it goes on eBay then drop me a line.
Any other questions I will be happy to answer.
leoni1980 said:
simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light
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Click to collapse
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Leoni,
I know you're not exactly in love with the swype keyboard yet, but I think you'll love it fiercely once you get into it. You know how I hated swype in the past, I think, because of my fierce liking for Tengo. But even I can like swype keyboard, and like it a lot.
The copy/cut and paste being poorly designed as compared to iPhone will be something that we had to put up with, no matter which Android phone we switch to. Granted at HTC has the iPhone-like copy and paste facility, but that's not available uniformly across the system and across all applications. So, I reckon there isn't much effective difference across different android phones in this regards. I know the lack of trackball makes text selection difficult, but not impossible I believe. But with or without trackball, the design are all bad. Perhaps a future firmware could redo cut and paste from the ground up again and get it right.
Overall, when I read your comparison, I thought it was overwhelmingly positive towards SGS, a lot more then Nexus. It was the conclusion which took me by surprise.
INeedYourHelp said:
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not so much a lack of trackball that's the problem so much as a complete lack of innovation with respect to compensating for the lack of a trackball. Ironically HTC sense implements a good system very similar to (perhaps even BETTER than) the iPhone's magnified system within the Desire browser, yet the Desire requires such a system far LESS than the i9000 owing to its optical trackball.
Text selection on the N1 is very easy in the browser: click in the trackball, move the arrow cursor click again to highlight. It's such a pity that Samsung didn't devote a little more time to core features that make the user experience more friendly and enjoyable rather than making those ugly widgets and pointless add-on apps.
Dont get me wrong I do really like the phone but it just feels too proprietary, too unfinished and too lacking in development support compared to.the N1, despite its many nice features.
INeedYourHelp said:
Not to be an ass, but if you knew you wanted those features, then why did you get it? It's obvious from any picture of a SGS that it doesn't have a trackball. And early reports from this forum would have informed you that it doesn't have notification lights...
Of course one does have to wonder why Samsung didn't go all out. How hard would it have been to add camera flash among those other things you listed.
You might be interested in the Desire HD that's rumored to be coming out sometime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
distortedloop said:
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already sold my Nexus. I have a 32gb iPhone which Apple have fixed for me after I left it faulty and unused for months so Im thinking of going back until something new comes along. I got the Galaxy on upgrade and suspect (as with all samsung phones) that its value will plummet very rapidly so i'm going to sell it while I can still get a reasonable price on it. Maybe I'll buy the Droid x, maybe the iPhone 4....maybe the Desire HD....either way I'm selling the Galaxy S before it gets any tattier.
I agree with the points of the OP, I'm in the same situation, coming from a Nexus One to the Galaxy S. I'm coming to a different conclusion though: I'm keeping the Galaxy S. I find the cell signal/reception to be significantly better, pretty outstanding actually. Also, it just feels much faster in terms of data both via 3G and Wifi.
It's still early, the Nexus One has had a lot of time to mature. I believe the ROMs along with the upcoming 2.2 will give the Galaxy S the polish it needs. As for the casing, well, the material will certainly scuff faster but I'm not really feeling the back plastic is too cheap-- it feels just like my old iPhone 3G, which no one accused of feeling cheap.
leoni1980 said:
The loudpeaker is important to me, and the Nexus had a crappy, hissy loudspeaker. Thankfully the Samsung i9000 speaker is more powerful with richer dynamics and less hiss. It is on a par with the iPhone 3G, if not slightly better as it seems a bit louder...great for listening to podcasts.
Input -
This really fails the Galaxy S i9000. I've really come to realise how much I miss having some form of trackball with the Galaxy S.
This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. I've found myself having to do this a few times as it is often practically IMPOSSIBLE to select a passage or move the cursor to the exact right place without a d-pad or trackball. This really is a major failing for me and completely ruins things.
*EDIT* i've found that swiping from the Swype to the Sym key in Swype opens up a cursor system. I've tried to get along with Swype and haven't succeded so far but i'll give it a try again .
Anyway I'm running out of steam now....but to conclude: I'm getting rid of the Galaxy S: it's a combination of overall build durability and a lack of nice, simple hardware features like a trackball and notification light that make me think that there will be something better along for me soon. I really like the phone and find it a joy to use but the few annoyances have spoilt it for me sadly.
If anyone near the midlands, UK wishes to buy an unlocked, unbranded Galaxy S with unopened accessories for a £290 before it goes on eBay then drop me a line.
Any other questions I will be happy to answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ending was a surprise to me, but to each there own.
From all comparisons I've read, this has a better speaker than the iPhone 3G (not sure about anything beyond that), the iPhone 3G didn't even have as good a speaker as the iPod Touch 2.
leoni1980 said:
"This facility is clunky at best, useless at worst, since it necessitates using only the Samsung default keyboard if you wish to do any cursor movement, or irritatingly swapping from your preferred keyboard (such as my favoured Droid X IME) back to the default keyboard, then back to the preferred keyboard again. "
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Click to collapse
I am either misunderstanding or you have it wrong, I use SwiftKey and I can select text, and select text very well. The screen is so accurate and I don't have to do much. Wherever my cursor is it will start there, so if I'm not where I need to be I move the cursor there which typically takes one touch, then I select my ending point which again I get right more often than not. Where I'll agree with you though is in apps, I read engadget and God is there touch accuracy off in that app for whatever reason. I have to literally be a cm away from the location I want and maybe above/below where I want. Typically I just settle for retyping extra...a trackball here would be marvelous.
distortedloop said:
I also switched from Nexus One to Galaxy S, and didn't realize how much I'd used the trackball until it was gone. Same with the camera flash led. I knew they weren't on the SGS, but didn't think I'd miss them. I definitely do. Unlike the original poster, they're not deal-breakers for me, but throw in those two oversights and the plastic back/frame and I feel like the SGS, which had the potential to be the PERFECT phone for the next several months at least, can't claim that title clearly. I'm not getting rid of mine, though. I love Swype (Shapewriter even more) and can deal with the lack of easy text selection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tenshi888 said:
I agree with the points of the OP, I'm in the same situation, coming from a Nexus One to the Galaxy S. I'm coming to a different conclusion though: I'm keeping the Galaxy S. I find the cell signal/reception to be significantly better, pretty outstanding actually. Also, it just feels much faster in terms of data both via 3G and Wifi.
It's still early, the Nexus One has had a lot of time to mature. I believe the ROMs along with the upcoming 2.2 will give the Galaxy S the polish it needs. As for the casing, well, the material will certainly scuff faster but I'm not really feeling the back plastic is too cheap-- it feels just like my old iPhone 3G, which no one accused of feeling cheap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking of getting an N1 in addition to my Galaxy S. I'm in Korea and the N1 has been available for about a month, I got my Galaxy S about 3 weeks ago when they first came out. Now they are moving to unlimited data and free tethering so I was thinking about going with 2 devices. Samsung Hub just reported that FroYo is coming to Korea in about 2 weeks though, which takes some of the steam out of me wanting the N1.
What do you 2 think? Would you get the N1 unlocked, without a plan? I was 67% going to get it when I heard the data plans, then now it's flipped to 33% now that I heard FroYo...what to do?
Good balanced review, though I am surprised at the conclusion
The SGS certainly has some annoyances compared to my old N1+Froyo, however I'm confident the SGS firmwares will improve on this great hardware.
For me, camera flash = consistently rubbish looking photos; I don't miss visual notifications because the SGS is in my pocket and its more important the phone be loud; Cut-and-Paste - yes a little easier using the N1 trackball but I seem to rarely want to do c'n'p except to share a URL or whatever; Positioning the cursor was definitely easier using a trackball but I'm a big fan of Swype and I use the cursor positioning so rarely that it's not a big deal for me to use the Swype cursor keys. The iPhone definitely has the superior c'n'p implementation, but for a function I use so infrequently I don't miss it that much (before the N1, I was on a iPhone 3G).
For me the trackball/cursor issue ismt just about being able to cut copy and paste, its about being able to get the cursor back where it was supposed to be if it happens to move! And it seems to happen to me a lot
just so you can see my point, try typing out a sentence here on these forums within the browser then move the cursor slightly....see how efficiently you can put the cursor back where it should be
I can see where Leoni is coming from and why his decision makes sense though. With iPhone 4, Droid X, and Desire HD in the horizon, it does make sense. Leoni has experienced just about every phones available. The only thing i wonder is if he's leaving enough money for his retirement.
eaglesteve said:
I can see where Leoni is coming from and why his decision makes sense though. With iPhone 4, Droid X, and Desire HD in the horizon, it does make sense. Leoni has experienced just about every phones available. The only thing i wonder is if he's leaving enough money for his retirement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT**** The trackball-less system strikes again
I don't know what you mean Eaglesteve: in the last year i've only owned an iphone 3G, T-Mobile G1, Sony Ericsson C905. HTC Magic, iPhone 3Gs, HTC Hero, HTC HD2, Motorola Dext, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Omnia 2, Google Nexus One, HTC Desire and a Samsung Galaxy S....
;-)
leoni1980 said:
I don't know what you mean Eaglesteve: in the last year i've only owned an iphone 3G, sony Ericsson C905.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that right? I thought you had an HD2 and HTC desire as well, no? What about Nexus one? BTW, why did you get an iPhone 3G instead if 3GS last year?
eaglesteve said:
Is that right? I thought you had an HD2 and HTC desire as well, no? What about Nexus one? BTW, why did you get an iPhone 3G instead if 3GS last year?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my revised post. Ironically the cursor decided to move and in the process of trying to get it back in place I hit 'submit Reply'. Can you see why I am getting annoyed with this phone now??
Yes I KNOW there is the XDA app 'brought to me by Tapatalk' but I just don't blinking LIKE it....
OMG...I know you've tried many phones but not in my wildest dream that many, hahaha.
eaglesteve said:
OMG...I know you've tried many phones but not in my wildest dream that many, hahaha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot to mention the Nokia 5800 and the cheap N95 I picked up.
One or two devices barely saw a week's usage!
I still like the iPhone for pure 'appliance' slickness and have loads of iPhone docks and external battery add-ons; sadly I despise Apple's closed ecosystem. I may yet change my mind about the Galaxy S - I'm just particularly irritated with it this morning.
miker71 said:
Good balanced review, though I am surprised at the conclusion
The SGS certainly has some annoyances compared to my old N1+Froyo, however I'm confident the SGS firmwares will improve on this great hardware.
For me, camera flash = consistently rubbish looking photos; I don't miss visual notifications because the SGS is in my pocket and its more important the phone be loud; Cut-and-Paste - yes a little easier using the N1 trackball but I seem to rarely want to do c'n'p except to share a URL or whatever; Positioning the cursor was definitely easier using a trackball but I'm a big fan of Swype and I use the cursor positioning so rarely that it's not a big deal for me to use the Swype cursor keys. The iPhone definitely has the superior c'n'p implementation, but for a function I use so infrequently I don't miss it that much (before the N1, I was on a iPhone 3G).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that the soft d-pad of the Galaxy works suprisingly good when it comes to text selection. It is triggered by default in the newest firmware (don't believe it is triggered in the older firmware).
Anyway one can manually trigger the soft d-pad by holding down the "?123" button on the standard samsung keyboard. Very nice feature....
appelflap said:
I think that the soft d-pad of the Galaxy works suprisingly good when it comes to text selection. It is triggered by default in the newest firmware (don't believe it is triggered in the older firmware).
Anyway one can manually trigger the soft d-pad by holding down the "?123" button on the standard samsung keyboard. Very nice feature....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But that necessitates using the default keyboard and despite trying to like it for four days straight I just found it very unlikeable
leoni1980 said:
But that necessitates using the default keyboard and despite trying to like it for four days straight I just found it very unlikeable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it all depends on the device you are comming from. I come from a HTC HD2 and the keyboard is a relief for me. (due mostly to the better cap. touchscreen of samsung)
It's good to have device by device comparisons. But I think one always have to take into perspective the platform or device one particular person is comming from. For a HD2 user the nexus maybe worse than the galaxy. For a nokia user maybe not. Persons are historically situated
I am looking at purchasing a Shift 4G for my mom to upgrade her from her POS blackberry. I currently have the Big Brother to the Shift (the Supersonic), and absolutely love it, I won't give it up for anything, but my mom would be more suited to an iPhone, however sprint doesn't have the iPhone, and I get a 23% discount through my job.
Could several people respond about the Shift please:
1. Average battery life (moderate usage)
2. Size and Feel of the phone for day to day use
3. How does the keyboard feel for texting
4. How smooth does this redesigned Sense OS feel
5. How well does the camera operate
6. Does the screen size feel ok if you use the touchscreen instead of the slideout KB.
I would prefer non-rooted people to respond to these since I won't be rooting her phone. I want to hear all responses both good, and bad.
So you want us to do the research for you?
^ Shift Faced
Lol yup. Go to the store and play with one. Read the reviews online.
I have my phone rooted but nothing major done to it..even rooting it was easy under the right posts and take from here and there and waa laa it worked great, however; i love this phone..a lot..my first android was a G1 and second a Hero(CDMA) and now this..I have been trying to find something more like the G1..The hero felt like a downgrade and now this phone excites me about the new frontier of android. I OC'd my hero with no avail and to be out performed by phones like the droid and ah whatever..it seems to me this phone is the benchmark of performance and as for your questions:
1. I feel as though I get about 12 hours..when I use it to play games and stuff maybe 6-8
2. I enjoy the keyboard..both physical KB and onscreen..I use both cause I came from a hero with no physical kb but i really like both
3. both KB's work great on texting..i prefer the physical for when I have longer messages to write because its faster IMO, even so the virtual has no lag either.
4. Compared to the Sense UI from the Hero this phone is a HUGE improvement..when I first got my phone I was really impressed with the improvements to the UI because it seemed HTC logged on XDA and got all of our gripes then fixed them
5. I finally used the camera this weekend to take pictures for making invitations to my son's birthday party and I was impressed with the facial recognition. Its 5MP so its no Cannon or Sony but it still does a great job with facial recognition and all
6. As I said earlier I use both and the I have no problem with the screen size interfering with the kb..
The phone feels perfect in your hand. Almost like your holding something other than a phone. The sense UI is great, very smooth and fast. The camera also is great. The still picture quality could be improved if you want to be nit picky, however 720p recording is so amazing. The hardware keyboard is very nice and fast as well. I like it better than my blackberry tour. I would recommend this phone to anyone, anyplace, anytime.
I also have evo, and also was considering picking up a shift for my mom (she has a Samsung moment that is barely functional), I went into sprint store and was able to play with one just a little bit. Was not that impressed, sadly (and I'm a big HTC fan).
Mostly, I felt the HW keyboard was almost unusable (I kept mashing multiple buttons at the same time), yet the HW keyboard is what I thought was supposed to be the attraction to otherwise would-be evo buyers.
As for OP 'wanting others to do his research for him', that's not the case at all, he wants to hear from people who have had more than just a few moments with the shift. Give the guy a break.
***maybe I just can't type well- yet I have no issues typing on my evo ****
Sent from my virus infected and nuggified evo using XDA App
I ordered the Shift ready to exchange it for an Evo at the drop of a hat if I didn't like it, but after a while I'm really happy with this phone. It really doesn't get enough credit for how good it is.
The battery life is good enough that I can use it for moderate-heavy use of texting and internet and still have 1/4 of the battery left at the end of the day. I haven't ever used the 4G though, and I imagine that would change things up.
I came a from a Hero, and the Shift is slightly thicker and taller. It feels pretty sturdy, similar to a Droid. If you're looking for iPhone aesthetic you might be disappointed here.
Not a big fan of the keyboard, or keyboards in general really, so I can't really judge this. I find myself using the on-screen KB most of the time, and it works great. If you're curious, the sliding mechanism is the same used in the Droid and not like the G2's snap out hinge. Definitely prefer this, as the keyboard usually stays shut.
As it happens I don't really like Sense either, but it seems to operate the same as it did on the Hero (and probably the Evo.) It's fast and the widgets are cool, so if you like Sense then I guess you'll really dig it. Myself, I'll take Launcher Pro any day.
The camera is really excellent for a phone. Pictures are taken as fast as an iPhone and saved to your SD before you know it. Image quality isn't amazing and the flash function is sorta just there, but this is to be expected.
I'm really happy with this phone. While I would have preferred a Shift without a keyboard, I'm not at all bothered.
I don't have the time to give a lot of info, but I was really surprised last night.
My phone had been unplugged for almost 24 hours, with average (working most of the day) not heavy as normal usage, and i still had 40% battery left.
Coming from the Moment, this phone is so amazing. And even after seeing how my girlfriend's rooted Evo works, it's still pretty amazing.
herbthehammer said:
Lol yup. Go to the store and play with one. Read the reviews online.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have gone to the store and played with it, I have had my mom check it out as well, she said it seemed ok, I thought it felt like crap, the slider was stiff, the screen didnt rotate to adjust for the keyboard being kicked out. I had these issues with it on 3 different display models at 2 different stores (one sprint store, one best buy), Which is why I asked the new shift community to chime in, if it was left up to my impression at the store, i would say the phone is a piece of **** that shouldn't be sold to consumers. However I doubt that is the case, and I wanted feedback from people who already own one.
Khilbron said:
I am looking at purchasing a Shift 4G for my mom to upgrade her from her POS blackberry. I currently have the Big Brother to the Shift (the Supersonic), and absolutely love it, I won't give it up for anything, but my mom would be more suited to an iPhone, however sprint doesn't have the iPhone, and I get a 23% discount through my job.
Could several people respond about the Shift please:
1. Average battery life (moderate usage)
2. Size and Feel of the phone for day to day use
3. How does the keyboard feel for texting
4. How smooth does this redesigned Sense OS feel
5. How well does the camera operate
6. Does the screen size feel ok if you use the touchscreen instead of the slideout KB.
I would prefer non-rooted people to respond to these since I won't be rooting her phone. I want to hear all responses both good, and bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you read anything in these forums at all? wtf
Khilbron said:
I have gone to the store and played with it, I have had my mom check it out as well, she said it seemed ok, I thought it felt like crap, the slider was stiff, the screen didnt rotate to adjust for the keyboard being kicked out. I had these issues with it on 3 different display models at 2 different stores (one sprint store, one best buy), Which is why I asked the new shift community to chime in, if it was left up to my impression at the store, i would say the phone is a piece of **** that shouldn't be sold to consumers. However I doubt that is the case, and I wanted feedback from people who already own one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the slider is stiff in the store probably due to the protective plastic still being around the keyboard. Otherwise it's very nice (except mine, which is really loose).
The screen rotates just fine when the keyboard is opened. It takes a half-second, but it rotates on all screens, except perhaps the facebook app.
I would actually say this phone is similar build quality to the evo, if not better. It's also the smaller form, which many people like. Not to mention the fact that it has more potential to be OC'd and if the dev's can figure it out, the potential to be a major powerhouse.
foxsdaddy67 said:
have you read anything in these forums at all? wtf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*sarcasm* No of course I haven't *sarcasm*, however I don't think you have, the first 7 pages of this 11 page subforum are filled with people complaining about broken hinges, bad sliders, charging problems, ect... which is why I put this thread up, I want to see the positive feedback, I want a reason to buy this phone as a gift for my mother. Generally the praise is left out of the forums, and the help me this is Borked takes over. I Love HTC phones, and as I am sitting I don't have a good reason to select this phone for her or go el cheapo and get her an optimus or an intercept.
First off, I think the EVO is a solid device...one of the few on Sprint.
I really like the EVO Shift better. It has a 2nd generation processor in it so it's slightly faster than the regular EVO w/being on a stock rom. I have not done it but heard it's a beast running the modified over clocked kernel.
Keyboard does get some getting used to, and I find myself using the on-screen keyboard for short text messages and the hardware keyboard on longer emails. HTC is know for durability and extended life (compared to other *cough* Kyocera) so I'm not too worried about the keyboard being extended.
I love to hate Sense UI...there are some features that are amazing and other's that just...well, yack.
The volume key's are always getting in my way, but I just have to "de-program" myself and get used to it. I've only had the Shift for a couple days, so I'll let my body catch up.
Did I mention how fast this device is? That is...even running stock!
I haven't heard it mentioned but I think the battery cover is a nuisance and feels cheap. If I had to do a sliding scale scoring on this device, without any industry experience, I would give it a 8/10 - from a consumer review
Mom, grandma, aunt, female cousin, sister, daughter, niece...when will the madness end? Boys and men, start buying these phones for yourselves!
foxsdaddy67 said:
have you read anything in these forums at all? wtf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what I was thinking. Do some research for yourself.
powered by the tears of a million orphaned alpacas...
I've said it before and I will say it again. A decent android phone that wont break the bank or make you pay the extra ten bucks a month and for someone that isn't a power user is the LG optimus.
Yeah going from a moment to a shift is, form factor wise, about the same so there wouldn't be much to adjust to operating differently besides no cursor button.
Knowing what I do now, if I couldn't afford a top tier phone and monthly bill, I'd go with the little LG. People are giving it very good ratings on sprint's site.
With the screen not going landscape, maybe in screen settings it was turned off. Plus people probably install all kinds of crap on the display phones it bogs it down and lags terribly.
herbthehammer said:
I've said it before and I will say it again. A decent android phone that wont break the bank or make you pay the extra ten bucks a month and for someone that isn't a power user is the LG optimus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All new smartphone activations will have the $10 fee now, you might as well get a 4G phone.
Sent from my HTC Evo Shift 4G using the XDA app.
wardfan220 said:
All new smartphone activations will have the $10 fee now, you might as well get a 4G phone.
Sent from my HTC Evo Shift 4G using the XDA app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So regardless if the phone is 4g or not, they are gonna charge an extra ten bucks a month?
herbthehammer said:
So regardless if the phone is 4g or not, they are gonna charge an extra ten bucks a month?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. There is a post here about it somewhere. I'm in my phone so I don't have a link atm.
Sent from my HTC Evo Shift 4G using the XDA app.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/18/sprint-data-plan-fees_n_810279.html
^ Shift Faced
I'll miss my Epic Basically my screen was foobared, so I could of either paid 100$ for an insurance replacement for a 3 generation old phone, or pay nothing and use my 'upgrade' I've had for like approx forever because I kept getting insurance replacements and eventually free upgrades due to not having the old phone in stock. I'll be adding a line anyways to consolidate cell phone plans with my girlfriend, so the new 2 year contract is basically unavoidable, so whatever.
I'll miss my Epic though, and the community I wasn't ready for to move on to a new phone, she still had plenty of life in her. But, I didn't really want to spend 100 bucks on a 3 gen old phone either. That, and I didn't have the 100$ to spend today, and I needed a new phone today,MOD EDITrofanity removed and I have to have my phone (for work). So, I went with the Moto Photon Q.... I'm sorry, the "Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE" stupid long name. It's not like its the phone I researched extensively like normal and every other phone I've ever had ever.. and just decided I HAD TO HAVE after EXTENSIVE research... it was simply the only half-way decent keyboard phone available... and a keyboard is an absolute must. So there we have it, I'm now on a Motorola.. even though I loved my Sammy... It's pretty and its obviously more powerful, but the community just does not seem to be up to the og epic standards... and that's a sad sad day for me. I always verify the community is decent before getting a phone... but I just didn't have a choice.
So, everyone here, go get the Photon Q 4G, especially all the developers, so we can move this entire community over to my phone, so that way I don't notice any difference. ktnx.
I just moved on as well, mainly due to needing a phone compatible with my new Pioneer 8500BHS head-unit. I really struggled with the decision, finally picking the S4 as it was known compatible and has decent support in the community. The Photon was never in contention due to it not having a swappable battery.
The lack of a physical keyboard is the biggest issue for me, for even as I get used to swype, it just is not satisfying for me to input text, compared to the tactile feel of the Epic's keyboard. The bigger screen makes swype a lot more usable. I know now there is NO way I could have a 4" screen phone without a physical keyboard.
I will continue to use my Epic as an interface with Torque, that I can keep in my car, so it will still be in daily use, long into the future.
Sad to see you go. Will miss you guys.
VaderSS said:
I just moved on as well, mainly due to needing a phone compatible with my new Pioneer 8500BHS head-unit. I really struggled with the decision, finally picking the S4 as it was known compatible and has decent support in the community. The Photon was never in contention due to it not having a swappable battery.
The lack of a physical keyboard is the biggest issue for me, for even as I get used to swype, it just is not satisfying for me to input text, compared to the tactile feel of the Epic's keyboard. The bigger screen makes swype a lot more usable. I know now there is NO way I could have a 4" screen phone without a physical keyboard.
I will continue to use my Epic as an interface with Torque, that I can keep in my car, so it will still be in daily use, long into the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really, unlike any other time in the past, didn't do much research for buying it, I got it because it was the option I had available if I wanted to have a hardware keyboard and stick with Sprint. Even willing to give up Sprint (while I hate their network where I am at, it would just cost a lot more going somewhere else, because I insist on unlimited data as well), there weren't very many options any better. I didn't even realize it didn't have a removable battery until after I was already getting it! That was a huge disappointment. I had like 5 batteries for my Epic. At least it stays charged better so its slightly less of an issue, but not having a battery I can swap on a whim and instantly have 100% charge is a huge disappointment.
But again, it wasn't 'the phone I just had to have', it was simply the only reasonable option I had if I wanted to have a keyboard. And a keyboard is a deal breaker for me. A keyboard, and unlimited data, both deal breakers. That means I got stuck with this phone.
Now I'm not disappointed in it.. I loved my Epic, but this one is definitely obviously way quicker and snappier, but I got a long list of disappointments... but none that keep me from enjoying using it basically.
And theres no way I could go without a hardware keyboard. I remotely connect to computers with my phone so using an onscreen keyboard just doesn't cut it. If I was inputting only real worlds for text messages etc, I could maybe handle an on-screen keyboard.. but I'm not. So I can't.
joshts0 said:
And theres no way I could go without a hardware keyboard. I remotely connect to computers with my phone so using an onscreen keyboard just doesn't cut it. If I was inputting only real worlds for text messages etc, I could maybe handle an on-screen keyboard.. but I'm not. So I can't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fully understand that.
I came real close to switching to T-Mobile and getting a Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G, but It has virtually no community following it. I've been spoiled with the Epic having such strong support. When I switched to the S4, I went from 4.2.2 on my Epic to 4.2.2 on my brand new S4, so it was nowhere near the jump it would have been if I had only been running Samsung supported ROMs.
It really is nice no longer worrying about RAM though.
Not to revive a mostly dead thread, but I got my S4 the other day and it's great although I do miss the community and the physical keyboard some
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
Just ordered my Note 3 today! Should be here in a couple of days. Gosh I'm gonna miss this community This phone has been incredible! And the Dev support is second to none. Gonna hang on to the Epic for the kids so I'll still be lurking, but I'm sure most of my focus will be on my new toy So long, you've been a great group!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 4
If you get a chance, please drop a line on the Note 3 and if you think it was worth it.
I am going to get either the Note 3 or S5, and wonder how much I will miss the stylus.
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-venice-slider-spotted-once-again-some-clearer-images
Anyone going to switch to this device? My Relay has been loyal to me for the last 4 years, but I think it's about time to get a new QWERTY.
I would if it wasn't so freaking huge!
That thing looks exactly like the S6 Edge with the keyboard closed. I'm intrigued, but I'm typically not one to drop the coin on a flagship phone.
I was thinking about getting this before I knew it had android. Now, I'm definitely getting it! Probably the last android qwerty ever if it flops.
hey
i think im gonna get this one ...
I cannot wait. I just hope it is real, because the company said they would not ditch their Blackberry OS because it is more secure than Android.
I will switch to this phone right the second they accept pre-orders if it is really qwerty Android.
You know they've done good when the phone makes you think about it 3 times or more. I like the Venice and I think it will have its fair share of success (Sammy Fan) :good:
Blackberry does not do preorders , once they set a release date , it will be out.
As someone writing this on my Photon Q, I am really really excited about a phone for once! I hope it will have good battery life or a removable one at least. I use my arrow keys like crazy so I'm glad to see the touch sensitive keyboard!
For sure it's a very interesting device, I want one at least for a drivetest I hope for a reasonable thinness and weight, with a battery of 2800mAh at least.
BTW, anyone has any idea about the weight?
New video:
http://m.crackberry.com/blackberrys-android-powered-venice-caught-hands-video
Looks like a really great phone, would've strongly considered it if I didn't already upgrade.
Still remember the good old days with my Motorola milestone 1 and love the idea of having a hardware keyboard again! If the bat is big enough/the phone lasts long enough i will definitly jump in this!
Looking forward for an European launch!
Cheers
it's really tempting. i love the combo of slider + curved display + nearly stock android but i need to see battery and camera tests before going for it cuz Blackberry has never been big in the camera department and battery was good only in non-touchscreen devices
I'm getting this phone for sure. I'm sure it will be locked down like fort Knox but I don't care. I'm ready to move on from 2012 galaxy relay.
mikedemoda said:
it's really tempting. i love the combo of slider + curved display + nearly stock android but i need to see battery and camera tests before going for it cuz Blackberry has never been big in the camera department and battery was good only in non-touchscreen devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean by good battery only in non-touchscreen devices. My Z30 routinely lasts two days without a charge overnight easily.
Looks great. I prefer tactile keyboards instead of on-screen ones, so I'm always on the lookout for stuff like this.
I have a DROID-4, and I love it (and its keyboard) dearly, but can't deny that it's an old device that is not even supported anymore.
The Blackberry Priv / Venice will definitely be in my wishlist. I usually hate portrait-style keyboards, but for some reason it looks good on this phone. Watched a hands-on video of it, looks pretty sweet, and the specs are that of a flagship phone. I don't think we'll get a NEW Android QWERTY phone from other manufacturers anyway.
This thing looks HUGE (which is great!) so the portrait keyboard layout shouldn't be too hard to adjust to. G4 tier specs are still an upgrade over the Note 4. Only things we don't know about it are
-battery size/ life
-price
-fast charging/ wireless charging
-Fingerpring scanner on keyboard? (space bar maybe)
Pretty sure it will NOT have a fingerprint reader in the keyboard. The Priv has a capacitive sensitive keyboard like the Passport (which is used for scrolling and gestures), so I somewhat doubt it will have space for fingerprint hardware.
I currently have Motorola Droid Turbo, and I'm not going to lie I love my phone so much even though it is not new still have the latest specifications and amazing battery life even better than any phone released in the past days.
However, qwerty keyboard are magical to me so I have to have the Blackberry Priv. But do you think guys it will be updated on time and have got support? Or will it be ditched? And what would happen if Blackberry didn't sell enough from it? Would they discontinue it or even sell out the company? Haha
I hope it would be reasonably priced to be able to match the new Nexus devices.