s5 mini vs alpha vs .. - Galaxy S5 Mini General

Hi
I'm trying to find a good sub-5" smartphone for ~$200. Looks like my options are s5 mini, galaxy alpha, a3 and sony z3c. I don't want another glass phone after having nexus 4 (way too fragile), which rules out a3 and z3c.
What are the opinions on s5 mini vs galaxy? As I understand galaxy is not water-proof, has smaller battery and no SD, anything else? What are the main problems of s5m?
Thanks!

What is the exact model of the other Samsung model? Even S5 mini has more than one variant... Do you need a Dual SIM device?
In any case there are sites that compare models, just search on internet "model1 vs model2" and you should get a few comparisons.

lfom said:
What is the exact model of the other Samsung model? Even S5 mini has more than one variant... Do you need a Dual SIM device?
In any case there are sites that compare models, just search on internet "model1 vs model2" and you should get a few comparisons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
galaxy alpha on either exynos5 or snapdragon 801. g800f for the s5 mini as I need LTE. Dual SIM not needed.
All the sites provide just basic feature to feature comparisons, saw all of them. I'm more interested in real life experience like durability, real battery performance, buggyness etc

The Galaxy Alpha costs significantly more than an S5 mini from what I gather (100$ difference in some cases). If you're after performance the Alpha is an obvious choice. It's only downfall seems to be it's tiny battery. The S5 mini doesn't fare much better on the battery front but it's bigger and the device will consume less by comparison. The S5 mini will also evidently be much more rugged, plus it has as much gimmicks as it's flagship older brother(Good or bad). The Alpha on the other hand has a better camera, bigger screen, more RAM and appears to come in an LTE version despite what you claim. The choice of these two depends on how long you intend to keep the phone and how well you'll take care of it. The S5 mini will perform well enough (not perfectly) but can be more readily replaced if broken, whilst the Alpha will be much smoother, but won't survive the accidental dunk in the pool.

Related

[Q] Need Help: Galaxy Note 3 better?

I am trying to decide which phone to buy, the Galaxy S5, or the Galaxy Note 3. So if you kindly give me some advice based on my argument I will much appreciate it.
Why I don't want to buy the S5 although it has:
1. Superior camera auto-focus and clearer images (as far as online reviews go)
2. Superior battery life by about 1 and a half hours phonearena.com (http://www.phonearena.com/phones/benchmarks)
3. Better portability, dust proof, and water proof (but I wouldn't take shower with it personally).
4. Superior processing power.
The reason is this:
1. Galaxy Note 3 has 32GB internal storage. How does this translateto me? Longer 4K video recording capability. And it also translates to better compatibility with KitKat as a I heard that there will be restrictions for Google Apps to store on SD card. So the external SD card is going to be useful to store movies and music, and that's all.
2. Larger screen & pen may mean that the internet browsing experience is going to be more enjoyable as the pen can act like a mouse when it hovers over non-mobile friendly websites.
3. The pixel density (resolution vs. screen size) is not much higher from the S5 but strangely the Note 3 screen seems to have a warmer display in comparison to S5 which is slightly more bluish. As I intend to buy the Note 3 to read books and web surfing it seems to be a better choice for that.
4. The galaxy Note 3 is around 70USD cheaper from where I buy it, so why do I need to pay money for less RAM and a heart sensor? The processor clock rate difference is it that worthy?
At the same time, why I am afraid to buy the Galaxy Note 3?
1. A friend of mine told me that the device freezes from time to time and he has to restart, this has happened after the KitKat update.
2. A user review was complaining that the battery drained faster after the latest update to KitKat on his Note 3.
Consider the huge delays of Samsung to fix updates on their devices, it is a concern to me whether I should get the Note 3 and wait for updates from Samsung, or buy the latest S5 which will probably receive faster updates (if indeed it's needed since it's already 4.4 KitKat).
I am usually not with the philosophy to buy old phones, but in this case, Samsung is trying to sell me a slightly superior device with less functionality, and the price vs value ratio is clearly going to the Note 3.
At the end of the day I am so confused, and I need your input!
Note 4 should be announced in September, I'd wait until then to decide.
If you can't wait, others can provide better insight.
please questions goes to Q&A forum , avoid asking questions at the general forum and read the xda rules
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
If you really want to put price to performance ratio just get the Note 3. They are basically the same device but the Note 3 has some cool S Pen features and minus a few newer features the S5 has like the ones you stated.
The Note devices are without a doubt the true Samsung flagships if you appreciate its size off course.
After selling my note 3 and getting this I can honestly say that if someone was to offer one to me today I would trade back in an instant
The camera on the S5 is better sure but the one in the Note 3 is probably only 2nd to the S5 and not by much
I had far better battery life then I do on this S5 (both SD models, stock rom)
Yeah but S5 still isn't a small phone either and .... meh
By 200mhz on cpu, only a benchmark will see that difference (SD models)
I wish they'd stop with 16GB models epecially when half is taken by os, skin and bloatware. yep that is an issue
Oh yes far better for viewing web content ... I never used pen but its there
Pixel density of over 350 and you're golden IMO anything else is kind of going overkill unless you want to zoom for closer detail
Good question. why pay for less screen and ram and get features you don't need like the sensor and ip57 ... if you can get N3 cheaper then I say take it
The S5 isn't perfect either I have had to take my battery out or restart it on occasions aswell
I would agree that you are getting far better value if you buy a note 3 over a S5. fact is the note has a bigger screen, more ram, more onboard storage and is only 200Mhz slower on the cpu
Go with the Note. I've had mine since it came out and I've never had a freezing issue. It sounds like you would like to have the Note 3 as well, so why not get one? It's a fine piece of hardware.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha versus Galaxy S5: What's the difference?

Samsung Galaxy Alpha versus Galaxy S5: What's the difference............................?
http://mashable.com/2011/11/24/google-search-infographic/
airuzzo said:
http://mashable.com/2011/11/24/google-search-infographic/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two completely different phones, screen size, screen resolution and chipset are the main differences!
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6033&idPhone2=6573
În my opinion it is not a better phone than s5 ....If u take care of your phone you will use an optional case anyway ...so the metal case of alpha is just an discutabile advantage over S5
On alpha u have smaller screen and also smaller resolution which is a huge disadvantage
Also u have no watter rezistant on alpha and no print scanner
And all these for a fu^^ing aluminium bezel ? That's upgrade ? Srsly ?
I know not all (test was not yet)
pros
Much better display calibration (color reproduction)
Better camera (color reproduction)
Perhaps ois
Better SoC
Perhaps better sound
Metall
cons
Worse battery
Smaller dispay
No waterproof
compuse said:
Two completely different phones, screen size, screen resolution and chipset are the main differences!
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6033&idPhone2=6573
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've posted the wrong link, dude. This is the right one. And I wouldn't go as far as calling them "completely" different.
terrorblade23 said:
În my opinion it is not a better phone than s5 ....If u take care of your phone you will use an optional case anyway ...so the metal case of alpha is just an discutabile advantage over S5
On alpha u have smaller screen and also smaller resolution which is a huge disadvantage
Also u have no watter rezistant on alpha and no print scanner
And all these for a fu^^ing aluminium bezel ? That's upgrade ? Srsly ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does have a fingerprint scanner. And the screen size is a matter of personal preference.
sonyfan12 said:
I know not all (test was not yet)
pros
Much better display calibration (color reproduction)
Better camera (color reproduction)
Perhaps ois
Better SoC
Perhaps better sound
Metall
cons
Worse battery
Smaller dispay
No waterproof
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well display calibration can always be recalibrated through software, same goes for camera.
Metal is also a matter of taste and doesn't automatically make it better. There are situations when metal can cause more damage than protection.
Alpha is pretty much a light version of the S5 sold in a "new & improved" wrapper for people who like iPhones because of the "social status" idea.
It's designed to compete more directly with Apple, I mean it looks more like an iPhone than any other current flagship (except for HTC One ofc).
Ironically, according to studies, most people who buy iPhones are usually below average middleclass (ie poor).
lingowistico said:
I wouldn't go as far as calling them "completely" different. And your comparison link isn't fair. This one is more suitable: http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6237&idPhone2=6573 where the octacore S5 is compared to the octacore Alpha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's completly differenty, the Alpha looks more like a s3 (i9300) the a s5 (g900f/h/s/..) if you're comparing specs by the numbers, ..
It's an other class/segment Samsung placed this phone, by form and specs.
compuse said:
It's completly differenty, the Alpha looks more like a s3 (i9300) the a s5 (g900f/h/s/..) if you're comparing specs by the numbers, ..
It's an other class/segment Samsung placed this phone, by form and specs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't look more like an S3 are you kidding me? Segment shmegment it's a light version of the exynos S5 with a newer SoC.
What's the point ? The only part of the phone which u actually can see and feel (alloy ) is bezel only ...The back plate is plastic (as I know ) ...
S5 pros : battery 1800 vs 2800
Display resolution , size and dpi better than alpha
+watter resistant
+posibility of adding an Sd card
Better camera 16mpx ( large 1/2.5-inch sensor) vs 12 mpx
+USB 3.0 vs USB 2.0 on alpha
- android version 4.4.2 vs 4.4.4 ( for now ) we all wait for s5 update ) to 4.4.4
+ ir led ( alpha doesn't have remote tv control )
About procesor I don't know my opinion is that a single quad core with higher freq is better than octa with smaller freq . On the other hand the new alpha processor is 20nm and should not use so much power
The best advantage alpha have is that looks really nice , lighter , smaller + alloy bezels ) I don't know if these really worth
The only thing I hate on my s5 is CHROME BEZELS (that man who had this bad ideea should not work for Samsung anymore ) ) these bezels are ultra sensitive in my opinion ...and because of that I have a protection case ...but if u're gonna use samsung alpha phone with a a protection case is the worst ideea ever )) what's the point then ? Have a really nice looking phone and u re using case
And by the way ...i think alpha looks like an s2
terrorblade23 said:
Better camera 16mpx ( large 1/2.5-inch sensor) vs 12 mpx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100 mpx is better than 16. lol
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2662379&page=68
The S5 for me is the better phone, the Alpha is there to fill a piece of the market that Samsung hasn't tapped into, lets say you're on an iphone 5 / 5S and you want something else, a change, but all the main powerhouses are far too big for what you think a phone should be, you want to retain size but yet have the performance that some android handsets can offer, you are left with limited options, the Sony Z1 Compact, the HTC M8 Mini, the Galaxy S5 mini, none of which offer the latest processors or the large amounts of RAM you get from any of the flagships, getting the Alpha will ensure a premium build, fast internal memory and a relative size compared to an iphone, this is Samsung's attempt to steal IOS customers, and in all fairness it'll work, this phone will sell to the people who want the fastest of processors, even though the Exynos is a b*tch to work with in terms of development, people will still buy it as it is quicker than the 801, plus the people who want something more from IOS, not to mention that it's exactly the same screen size as the new Iphone 6, I think it's a smart move.
Alpha and the S5 are pretty much identical.
Exynos Alpha vs. Exynos S5
Snapdragon Alpha vs. Snapdragon S5
:good:
Alpha is more of a low end alternative to the S5. Alpha has low screen resolution and smaller in size with Exynos chipset and Mali GPU as compared to Qualcomm 801 and Andreno 330. All in all S5 is a winner...

Galaxy S 5 or Galaxy Note 3?

Hi guys,
This is my first experience with Samsung and I really need to get some help from you guys as I have an opportunity to choose one or the other. I have no experience in Samsung products and have to make a decision as to "Galaxy S 5 sm-g900w8 or Galaxy Note 3 sm-n900w8?
I'd appreciate any input.
Will you being buying it off contract. Or on contract. And if so what carrier. I have the note 3. And it's a great phone. Expect it's att so we have a mocked bootloader. And little development
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
ryant100 said:
Will you being buying it off contract. Or on contract. And if so what carrier. I have the note 3. And it's a great phone. Expect it's att so we have a mocked bootloader. And little development
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm buying outright(no contract). They both are factory unlocked and I live in Canada so I'm with Rogers, hence the Canadian Model I have mentioned in my post.
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Samsung-Galaxy-S5,Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3/phones/8202,7984
The S5 (on paper at least) has a small edge in performance......though in real life, I doubt the difference would be noticeable. The note has a higher capacity battery which will obviously lengthen the uptime between charges.
The S5 will accept a higher capacity external memory card.....which would only be an issue if you used your phone as a movie player and wanted to store A LOT of movies (to put this into perspective, I have 20 full length movies, 200+ mp3s, 150+ ebooks and more pictures than I care to count stored on my card and it's only 32Mb)........
So what it comes down to is, device cost and screen size.......
Would YOU personally find a bigger screen size useful? (Bear in mind the overall size of the devices and how well they'll fit in your pocket)
Also, I expect that there will be a price difference......is that a factor?
For me personally, the S5 ticks all the 'physical' boxes.....and in terms of performance, it's like greased lightening compared to my previous device (S2).....
But that's me......what I want from my device will probably be different to what you want.......
But at least now, you have a little more info......
Sent from my rooted, debloated stocKK kn0x0 SM-G900F
keithross39 said:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Samsung-Galaxy-S5,Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3/phones/8202,7984
The S5 (on paper at least) has a small edge in performance......though in real life, I doubt the difference would be noticeable. The note has a higher capacity battery which will obviously lengthen the uptime between charges.
The S5 will accept a higher capacity external memory card.....which would only be an issue if you used your phone as a movie player and wanted to store A LOT of movies (to put this into perspective, I have 20 full length movies, 200+ mp3s, 150+ ebooks and more pictures than I care to count stored on my card and it's only 32Mb)........
So what it comes down to is, device cost and screen size.......
Would YOU personally find a bigger screen size useful? (Bear in mind the overall size of the devices and how well they'll fit in your pocket)
Also, I expect that there will be a price difference......is that a factor?
For me personally, the S5 ticks all the 'physical' boxes.....and in terms of performance, it's like greased lightening compared to my previous device (S2).....
But that's me......what I want from my device will probably be different to what you want.......
But at least now, you have a little more info......
Thank you for your reply, big help.
One question though, as far as development, which is more foregoing and is there a difference as to tougher security measures on each device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With higher device versions comes a more tighter security. As far as development goes that I cannot answer as I don't have a note 3 and am also a newbie to samsung myself(first samsung device is s5)
But as far as specs go the note range has higher specs compared to it's galaxy counterpart and the note is always the best choice unless you really want a phone rather than a phablet. But note 3 is s4's counterpart so it should be within the "same level" on s5.
When I say the same level though that doesn't mean they have the same features and specs but instead the note has specs & features that exceeds the s5 while the s5 does have some of its own that exceeds the note.
Take for example...
S-Pen vs Fingerprint scanner
More Battery vs Efficient Snapdragon801
etc.
And lastly if you'd like to ask why I opted the s5... It's a personal thing... I came from a Sony device namely the Xperia Z1 Compact due to its size. So obviously I would pick the s5 over note 3 for obvious reasons that I prefer my phones on the small side but have bigger specs.
samteeee said:
Hi guys,
This is my first experience with Samsung and I really need to get some help from you guys as I have an opportunity to choose one or the other. I have no experience in Samsung products and have to make a decision as to "Galaxy S 5 sm-g900w8 or Galaxy Note 3 sm-n900w8?
I'd appreciate any input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
go with note 3 bro it has 3 gigs of ram which will help u in future.. S5 has a weak point of high ram usage. camera is almost same in both devices.... looks wise note 3 is sexy... performance is same... S pen rocks.. etc
Thanks a lot guys.
Would any of you guys know that S5 "Canadian Variant" has a more user friendly Security Measures? As Note 3 does.
They both carry 900W8 Series.
Thank you.

Is Note 4 still worth it ?

Is Note 4 still worth it to buy ?
I am thinking of buying a new one. Is N910C with Samsung Exynos 5433 octa core is good ?
I am choosing between Note 4 and S6. which is better ?
Note 4 . JUST DO IT !
Go Ahead for Note 4 , It's pretty one i swear & also S6 is not Supporting SD Card but Note 4 Dose ^_^
My Device is Samsung Galaxy Note 4 N910C
I will go for Note 4. Is there a big difference between quad core and octa core in note 4 ?
Heres the thing with tbe note 4 vs s6
Note 4 is a much better phone in my opinion. Its a phkne fkr the android enthusiasts who want to really get the most out of their phone hence the big screen and overhauled processer. The octacore has more cores and can run multiple strings but does eat some battery. The big disadvantage if the octacore is that it's only available in the international version.
The problem is that if your phone cracks, lcd goes bad, etc and you wan to replace the digitizer, board etc you have to buy an jnternational version or else it will not work meaning that they are more rare and a bit more pricey
Against the s6, the note 4 has similar specs but youre not really enjoying it on that small screen. And even if youre not a fam of big phones, at least stay away from the horrible seald glass back. Iphone learned from that mistake on their iphone 4 and those things were ugly once cracked. If you want that size of a phone get an lg g4 or an s5.
Back to the note 4. It is an overall well built phone and a beautiful one as well. The so called "phablet" size is something you get used to and it grabs alot of attention to woth the exclusive s pen as well (which is always cool)
Ask more note 4 users though and get their opinions too! ☺☺
Superdudekk said:
Heres the thing with tbe note 4 vs s6
Note 4 is a much better phone in my opinion. Its a phkne fkr the android enthusiasts who want to really get the most out of their phone hence the big screen and overhauled processer. The octacore has more cores and can run multiple strings but does eat some battery. The big disadvantage if the octacore is that it's only available in the international version.
The problem is that if your phone cracks, lcd goes bad, etc and you wan to replace the digitizer, board etc you have to buy an jnternational version or else it will not work meaning that they are more rare and a bit more pricey
Against the s6, the note 4 has similar specs but youre not really enjoying it on that small screen. And even if youre not a fam of big phones, at least stay away from the horrible seald glass back. Iphone learned from that mistake on their iphone 4 and those things were ugly once cracked. If you want that size of a phone get an lg g4 or an s5.
Back to the note 4. It is an overall well built phone and a beautiful one as well. The so called "phablet" size is something you get used to and it grabs alot of attention to woth the exclusive s pen as well (which is always cool)
Ask more note 4 users though and get their opinions too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only available model in my country is N910C which is octa core. It will be the first time using big phone and i prefer note 4 over s6.
I consider Note too ,but wchich version snap or exynos? The main priority is battery! So wich would be better?
Raptor 2020 said:
The only available model in my country is N910C which is octa core. It will be the first time using big phone and i prefer note 4 over s6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Octa core ( Semi Octa Core as only 4 cores active at the same time) = Exynos
jkb91 said:
I consider Note too ,but wchich version snap or exynos? The main priority is battery! So wich would be better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any differences (IF ANY) is negligible, so pick any model that you like.
Note4 experiance sum and verdict
Became a sucker the other day and bought a Note4 910F to replace my Note3.
Big misstake, why?
Too sum up my experience which includes 48hr of intense working around the phablet, I'm gonna simplify it as best as I can. So this is my verdict.
Cons:
- Battery drainage is a fact.
- All games, even "wheaphones" lag like a *****. The screen is simply too powerful for the chipset which makes all "heavy" games unplayable after 30 min or so. Also 1080p movies begins to freak out after some time because of heat and throttling.
- Bloatware. Hours you have to spend on removing and disabling them.
- No tempered glass covers actually look good, it bubbles up around all the edges because of the beveled screen.
- S Pen apps LAG. Autodesk SketchBook is a nightmare when using some brushes.
- You'll have too tweak in DEV's mode to hospitalize all functions and graphic Sam****s have put years on developing because it don't work fluently.
Pros:
- Beautiful screen resolution and pretty to look at.
- Good camera
- Nice feel too it
- Fingerprint (even though some have reported it too be some cause of the lag)
- Scores VERY VERY well on my tests.
3Dmark score was 1227, and AnTuTu score was 66 822.
- Fluent menus after removing all work sam****s have put in.
It's basically a phone without value from it's maker.
I've gone from first Note to 4. And note 3 is probably the best of them, every model with a different purpose. Note 4 was supposed to be a flagship but if you ask me it's a epic fail as they "DESIGNED" it for Gear VR and gaming! Say what now? They meant the 15-20 minutes you actually can play the game before the phone heats up, drains the battery and throttles in utter dissapointment. Thank you SAM****S, you've become as cheap as Apple's iphone.
Theres alot more I can say, but those points are sure a buzz kill.
Take my advice. Wait for Huawei Mate 8.
My Note4 is no longer with me lmfao. It felt sorry for itself and comitted suicide.
Good luck.
Is there much differnece in sound quality between exynos with wolfson / snapdragon with integrated chip? ? I can buy 910c or 910f version almost at the same price
alexeei said:
Is there much differnece in sound quality between exynos with wolfson / snapdragon with integrated chip? ? I can buy 910c or 910f version almost at the same price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure but check out the review on gsmarena where they review the sound quality. The sound quality was good (compare to my nexus 4) but I bought a usb otg cable anyways so I can use it with my usb dac.
The only con I would say about the note 4 really is the the shiny metal sides can be scratched easily. As other have said, between this phone vs. The LG G4, it really depends on what's more important to you. And the compare would be note 4 snap vs. LG G4 vs. Note 4 exnoys. I would of gotten the G4 if it looked better/more premium , had better battery life, and something that stands out like the spen.
@imeem true that. I mean I have both the G4 and the Note 4 and they are extreemly close in specs and ease of use. If there is no need for the spen though, I would say to get the G4. However the few times you need to write a note down, Samsung outdid themselves on that. Otherwise, take the s pen out of the equation and you have a slightly larger G4 with a physical home buttom

is the S5 still a good choice today?

Hello folks.
I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone. Things that are important to me:
high quality screen
processing power
decent storage
Things that aren't that important to me:
camera
I have a price limit of $150. Given the above, I am looking at:
Moto E4
Galaxy S5 (refurbished)
Galaxy J3 Emerge
Moto G4 Play
All of them have 5" screens, but the S5 has the highest resolution (the rest are 1280x720). The S5 also has the highest clock rate.
My concern is that the S5 is using technology from 4 years ago, while the rest are more recent. Should that be a concern, or is the S5 the best option here?
Thanks!
mrfeh said:
Hello folks. I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet is to post this question within one of the following threads that is specific to your question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1846277
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I DO NOT provide support via PM unless asked/requested by myself. PLEASE keep it in the threads where everyone can share.
yes
mrfeh said:
Hello folks.
I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone. Things that are important to me:
high quality screen
processing power
decent storage
Things that aren't that important to me:
camera
I have a price limit of $150. Given the above, I am looking at:
Moto E4
Galaxy S5 (refurbished)
Galaxy J3 Emerge
Moto G4 Play
All of them have 5" screens, but the S5 has the highest resolution (the rest are 1280x720). The S5 also has the highest clock rate.
My concern is that the S5 is using technology from 4 years ago, while the rest are more recent. Should that be a concern, or is the S5 the best option here?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in my opinion, for this expense and one of the best!
I use a Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo and everything works fine.
2 weeks ago there was an update for the S5 over OTA. It is still alive and good.
In USA the normal S5 is still a smartphone that is one of the bestsellers.
I have no need to get another phone.
And the original S5 is better than my neo.
Gesendet von meinem SM-G903F mit Tapatalk
I would go with the S5...
Amoled screen, wireless charging, fingerscan...16mp cam..
Put LOS or RR and youll get the best deal...
Or try a xiaomi mia1
Hello, had a galaxy s5 for around 3 years. My unit had a bit of a network issue, which sullied my experience, so be careful when buying a refurb!
Also, if processing power is important to you, you should note that it has constant slowdowns/stutters and, though not as often, crashes. It also heats up pretty quick and has mediocre battery life, draining pretty fast with any decent usage. The chipset really does not hold up compared to mid range chipsets now imo. Near the time I upgraded, it became nearly unusable for a bit whenever i turned the wifi on, though a factory reset and a sparser app library has alleviated the worst aspects of using the phone. It might be powerful specwise, but in irl use I find newer midrange chips outperform it in day to day use.
I recently upgraded to a redmi note 5 (china) and it was an upgrade in every way. From build to smoothness to battery life (and both cameras but you don't care about that). It also has the 6' display while retaining the same width as my s5, thanks to the 18:9 display. The aspect ratio is great in all apps that aren't games and in general UI use. It also has oreo out of the box and will get updates in the future, unlike the s5.
The redmi 5 plus(china) could also be a replacement that's cheaper, but I can't vouch for the screen on that one. The redmi note 5 has a bright lcd that looks really good. It's not amoled, but the transition hasn't bothered me at all, it's quite excellent! I've gotten compliments on the screen from many friends who have seen it in person as well.
So, yeah, look into the phone and see if your budget can be adjusted. Shoot for the 3/32 GB which is a steal imo. Oh, and it has a micro sd card slot, just like the s5, so storage won't be an issue. Another plus with these phones is that they actually have a fingerprint scanner that's not trash - another thing from the past that does not hold up.
I looked up the prices for these phones and they seem to be out of the 150$ budget, so, if the budget is rigid you might want to look into the redmi note 4, which can be found for 160$ and has all the same internals as the redmi 5 plus. I cannot vouch for how good the screen is, but it's 1080P IPS LCD. I would personally consider it a better phone to buy than the Galaxy S5 as well (working fingerprint scanner, larger screen, equivalent if not better chipset usability wise).
Anyway, I'm not really as knowledgable as most people in xda but I am a s5 owner, so I figured I'd chip in and try to help.
While S5 is still a nice phone, it is not worth buying one at this time. The best option would be to get current/last year mid end phone. Look at the local market websites, maybe there are good deals. Xiaomi redmi 5 plus is nice phone for low price, also redmi note 4 is nice phone too, you will get better peformance than S5, or at very least the same, more ram, much better battery life due to bigger battery and better chipset, you will get android updates.
S5 is still a great phone.. Do not buy refurbished.. you can find great deals on Ebay.. My cost $110 no dings, or dents or scratches.. Phone actually had very little call time on it.. Moto's IMOP are junk.
Hi ,
I personally think you should go for a newer phone like Honor 8. The main problem i would have with an S5 is the fact that it only has 16GB internal memory. Apart from that it is still a great phone.
With those 16 GB you will always struggle if you want to install many applications and keep Whatsapp data on your phone.
loomax12 said:
Hi ,
I personally think you should go for a newer phone like Honor 8. The main problem i would have with an S5 is the fact that it only has 16GB internal memory. Apart from that it is still a great phone.
With those 16 GB you will always struggle if you want to install many applications and keep Whatsapp data on your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does support SD Cards up to 128 GB though. I'm a kinda heavy user and never had problems with storage, always around 3-4 GB free in internal. Though I did put my games on my card obviosly (there was some app that does this, I forgot name).
i picked mine up monday for 45$. cracked rear camera glass. still takes photos fine.
anyway, i love the thing. i went from an s7 to an iphone 7 then to and old moto then to this. i love the effing thing. i get 2 days in low power mode with the original battery. im hunting for a parts phone now.
the s5 has issues from what ive heard but so far, im running fine.
After 2 weeks using the S5 of my wife I have to reverse my opinion. I installed latest lineageos 14.1 on it and it works like a charm. With lineageos there is still a lot of internal memory left for apps. Bluetooth which is often a problem for custom roms seems to work pretty well.
I've actually recently bought an S5, and although it is not the best option, the support for it has been huge over time and its still going on with amazing roms like AEX or CrDroid.
The only part I dislike is the storage, because yea 16GB are little to me. And the fact that it is refurbished is good contrary to what people assume, because, then that means its already fixed, you wont have to go through that pain as you would with a new one waiting to fail, that's how it is, you have more chances of a new one having issues than a refurbished one because that one already had them and its already fixed. On the other hand, "refurbished" doesnt always mean "it broke and we fixed it", usually its because people return it to the store, the package is open, they cant sell them as new, even if theres nothing wrong with it, it automatically falls to the "refurbished" category and not many people think of that.
Now, the Moto G4 is actually a better option, it has a good performance, but you should opt for the Plus version with 32GB internal
So, I'd recommend the G4 Plus, if you cant buy that, then the S5 is the way to go
S5 is still going strong.
I would not change it, but I need a dual SIM phone now.
So if you can get one, go for it.
However, I am not aware of CDMA capabilities or tested it, sorry. I have European model...
My uncle gave me his old S5 back in January to replace my dying S4 LTE-A, and with LineageOS 15.1, it feels like a brand new phone
im now rooted and running the latest lineage 14.1 and its awesome.
12 hours of battery, 4 hours of SOT and no issues. these nougat kernels are pretty nice. lol
people talking about storage, flash Lineage, have a clean sd card in and use the SD card as adptive storage. it shows it as all internal storage and works like a charm.
Bodisson said:
S5 is still going strong.
I would not change it, but I need a dual SIM phone now.
So if you can get one, go for it.
However, I am not aware of CDMA capabilities or tested it, sorry. I have European model...
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Click to collapse
would you recommend the S5 as a backup to the Note 4?
I still have an S5 as a backup phone. Main phone Xiaomei Redmi Note 4x which I bought due to its superior battery life. The S5 imo is still good as backup phone and has an excellent camera (if you stick to TouchWiz based roms).
mrfeh said:
Hello folks.
I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone. Things that are important to me:
high quality screen
processing power
decent storage
Things that aren't that important to me:
camera
I have a price limit of $150. Given the above, I am looking at:
Moto E4
Galaxy S5 (refurbished)
Galaxy J3 Emerge
Moto G4 Play
All of them have 5" screens, but the S5 has the highest resolution (the rest are 1280x720). The S5 also has the highest clock rate.
My concern is that the S5 is using technology from 4 years ago, while the rest are more recent. Should that be a concern, or is the S5 the best option here?
Thanks!
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Click to collapse
Hello!
I can definately assure you that:
A. Off the phones you have listed AND
B. Your stated price range
The S5 is your choice!!
It is amazing!! You will not be dissapointed! Unlimited battery life (multiple batteries), screen resolution, clock speed etc etc.
I am currently typing from one! Lol, I have the OnePlus 3 and my good ol' trusty S5! Some tips:
You stated about being older firmware (S5 is marshmallow) whilst others are nougat..... The S5 is one of the most developed phones ever! even still!!! In literally 5 minutes and little knowledge you can flash a custom recovery and then a custom ROM, no root needed. I have used the S5 since the early days and have used pretty much EVERY rom, honestly!
I can suggest resurrection remix as THE most customisable, they have features beyond any other! They have 100% stable nougat build and Oreo also, I use them both. In fact we have multiboot so can run 2 ROMs at once just choose at boot!
We have lots of kernels if you choose to root like myself, this way you can have 2.1 amp quick charge, boot windows or Linux on PC from phone, double battery time, gaming performance and over clocking to 2.84 GHz!!!! The phone is a beast!! It is reliable as hell too! I have had mine rooted for 4 years, overclocked and its given me no worries....And waterproof with a removable battery!!!!!!
Hope this helps, any questions at all please ask, happy to help
ErbDroid said:
Hello!
I can definately assure you that:
A. Off the phones you have listed AND
B. Your stated price range
The S5 is your choice!!
It is amazing!! You will not be dissapointed! Unlimited battery life (multiple batteries), screen resolution, clock speed etc etc.
I am currently typing from one! Lol, I have the OnePlus 3 and my good ol' trusty S5! Some tips:
You stated about being older firmware (S5 is marshmallow) whilst others are nougat..... The S5 is one of the most developed phones ever! even still!!! In literally 5 minutes and little knowledge you can flash a custom recovery and then a custom ROM, no root needed. I have used the S5 since the early days and have used pretty much EVERY rom, honestly!
I can suggest resurrection remix as THE most customisable, they have features beyond any other! They have 100% stable nougat build and Oreo also, I use them both. In fact we have multiboot so can run 2 ROMs at once just choose at boot!
We have lots of kernels if you choose to root like myself, this way you can have 2.1 amp quick charge, boot windows or Linux on PC from phone, double battery time, gaming performance and over clocking to 2.84 GHz!!!! The phone is a beast!! It is reliable as hell too! I have had mine rooted for 4 years, overclocked and its given me no worries....And waterproof with a removable battery!!!!!!
Hope this helps, any questions at all please ask, happy to help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello.
Please make recomendation for Nougat and Oreo firmwares

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