Still happy with my S4. The only thing I'd change of I could is the amount of internal storage. Otherwise I'm contented.
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Galaxy S4
- Thread starter Chris092881
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Loving my S4 as well. The best way to save battery is to load on only the apps you plan to use, and go through all the settings of each app to make sure they're not syncing in the background and updating or doing things you don't need them to be doing.
If you decide to root the phone, a great app called Greenify can hibernate apps and allow your phone to go into deep sleep when not in use for longer periods of time.
I've since tried the CyanogenMod ROM, and went back to the stock OS, unrooted. The screen is by far the biggest battery drain. If you use it alot, it will nuke your battery. The background stuff that runs when you're not using your phone really doesn't use much battery in comparison.
So the biggest tip would be to take the time to go through all the settings on the phone, as well as each app you download, and make sure they're set up how you want with battery life top-of-mind.
Another thing that took my a while to understand coming from an iPhone, is the home button does not work the same way. On an iPhone, when you hit the home button, it takes you back to your springboard, and the OS takes care of closing the app you were in, or freezing it, or letting it run in the background, however it was programmed. On an S4, pressing the home button leaves the app running in the background in most cases. If you use the home button the same way you did an iPhone, you'll have tons of open apps running in the background and killing your battery. However, using the back button to get out of apps will close them properly. So I now only use the home button to wake up the screen, or intentionally leave an app running if I know I'm going to go back to it shortly. Otherwise, I use the back button to close the app.
When you connect to your computer using a USB cable, your phone should appear as a media device on your computer. At least it does on Win 7 . You don't have to do anything.
Only had mine S4 a month now.
Can someone please point me in the direction of a great guide for the S4 camera?
One thing I liked about iPhones was the Pocket/Unlock/Focus/Shoot ease of use for the camera, and I'm struggling a bit with the myriad of options on my S4 camera.
Can someone please point me in the direction of a great guide for the S4 camera?
One thing I liked about iPhones was the Pocket/Unlock/Focus/Shoot ease of use for the camera, and I'm struggling a bit with the myriad of options on my S4 camera.
Thanks - I'd read that one already, though. Found it more informative than useful.
Really can't find many genuinely useful camera tutorials around. I might start trawling forums instead.
The S4's camera has come unbearable since I received the 4.3 update. Takes quite a long time for images to process once the pic has been taken. Huge step back IMO for the S4 and it's camera. Because of this I'm back with the 5s as my daily driver.
Since 4.3 everything has gotten a bit slower for me. It's really tempting to root it.
But the camera, I just assumed it was me not knowing how to use it properly yet...
I've herd otherwise that 4.3 sped up the phone for quite a lot of people. You should try a full wipe, That will help. It worked for my s3 for 4.3.
I don't take very many pics, but I haven't noticed any issues with the few I have taken. Is there any specific mode where this happens?
Seems like its in low(er) light situations. Was inside at a water park and it was taking quite a while to process the photos I was taking in what I thought was a decent amount of light.
Make sure the auto night detection is off. After the 4.3 update, it may have been turned back on. That's probably why you are experiencing this after the update.
This helped but it's still very slow in comparison to my 5s. Unfortunately with 3 young kids I need a camera that takes faster pictures so heading into 2014 the 5s will be my daily driver... At least until the S5 comes out
Really strange because my S4 takes pics without have to process them. Click, take a pic and it's ready for the next one. Seem a bit strange that it still tries to process pics. But if you have the 5s cam handy, then problem solved. Even better would be a dedicated point and shoot cam that will easily yield better results than any smart phone camera.This helped but it's still very slow in comparison to my 5s. Unfortunately with 3 young kids I need a camera that takes faster pictures so heading into 2014 the 5s will be my daily driver... At least until the S5 comes out
. Unfortunately with 3 young kids I need a camera that takes faster pictures
Wouldn't it be easier just to put them up for adoption
j/kHappy Christmas to you all Rockitdog
My Experience with Galaxy s4
When the Galaxy S4 was released, i liked it, and decided to give it a try, and got one, several months later, i realised i have made a mistake.
Pros:
1. Screen Size
2. Custom OS (Pro at the beginning, after trying several OS, i realised that original Android was unstable enough to make my phone crash raven More)
Cons:
1. it has the worst build quality, the crome, started to peel off with just a few weeks of use, after 5 months it had a terrible look.
2. The music interface sucks imo.
3. it has terrible compatibility with most of the home automation systems, every thing took a longer time when done on android, it was easier to go look for my ipad than do something with that phone.
4. unstable OS after using iOS for several years it crashed 1 or two times, android crashes 1 or 2 times a week (with the original s4 OS)
5. Syncing with any computer it is a hassle, and don't mention wit a mac, its raven easier to sync an iphone with a windows computer than to sync a samsung with a windows computer.
6. it had problems communicating with my car bluetooth interface when i had the 4.2.1 android
7. a lot of the apps, are unstable and poorly done.
All this is comparing my experience with my iphone 4s, after all that trouble my decision was imminent, back to iphone, i got an iphone 5s and i am amazed how people still thinks Samsung is a real iphone competitor, S4 is good but please don't compare it with top of the line iphone, it must be compared to iphones 2 gens older, and it still does not stand a chance.
When the Galaxy S4 was released, i liked it, and decided to give it a try, and got one, several months later, i realised i have made a mistake.
Pros:
1. Screen Size
2. Custom OS (Pro at the beginning, after trying several OS, i realised that original Android was unstable enough to make my phone crash raven More)
Cons:
1. it has the worst build quality, the crome, started to peel off with just a few weeks of use, after 5 months it had a terrible look.
2. The music interface sucks imo.
3. it has terrible compatibility with most of the home automation systems, every thing took a longer time when done on android, it was easier to go look for my ipad than do something with that phone.
4. unstable OS after using iOS for several years it crashed 1 or two times, android crashes 1 or 2 times a week (with the original s4 OS)
5. Syncing with any computer it is a hassle, and don't mention wit a mac, its raven easier to sync an iphone with a windows computer than to sync a samsung with a windows computer.
6. it had problems communicating with my car bluetooth interface when i had the 4.2.1 android
7. a lot of the apps, are unstable and poorly done.
All this is comparing my experience with my iphone 4s, after all that trouble my decision was imminent, back to iphone, i got an iphone 5s and i am amazed how people still thinks Samsung is a real iphone competitor, S4 is good but please don't compare it with top of the line iphone, it must be compared to iphones 2 gens older, and it still does not stand a chance.
I wish you would have at least been truthful.
If you like iPhone, fine, but to say a GS4 doesn't compare to an older iPhone, let alone the new ones and some of your points is ridiculous.
I agree with you at least be honest. If you prefer IOS and iPhone great! I have both an S4 and IP5s and love them both. They have good points and both have bad points. But the negative points he brought up are well not valid to most .
maybe for the use you give to your phone you don't consider my opinion truthful or eaven consider it ridiculous but i think each person uses their phone differently and in my case that were the most significant points to decide go back to iphone.
I think the honesty starts in deciding that a s4 would be a good alternative for me and give it a try, that is what i did, but in MY personal experience the points i explained were enough to get an iphone.
i don't consider the s4 a bad phone, it is just not for every people, you have to accept that the build quality is below the standard in top of the line market, and that the os has its flaws