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I have made my mind up, I'm getting the S4!
- Thread starter skratch77
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-better battery life
-larger screen
-better support (HTC tends to ignore their users after a certain period or just delay their updates. Sammy has improved in this)
-unlocked bootloader (HTC will sell you a dev edition One if you want)
-better dev community (CM, etc will all support the S4, compare the amount of ROMs for the One X versus S3)
-easier to root (I can root a S3 in under 2 minutes)
-better accessories (S-View cover)
-better resale (The HTC One X is worthless used nowadays. I can pick one up on craigslist for $225-250, whereas an S4 is still commanding $350-400. They both came out at $199 on contract)
-wireless charging
-newest software 4.2.2 (HTC One and XPERIA Z ship with outdated versions of Android and looking at their history, it will take forever to even get 4.2)
-better button layout (power button on side, home button in middle, etc)
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Yes, they will. If anything, HTC and Sony are both terrible. Updates that never come or just delayed. Of course, HTC will sell you a dev edition One, which is ridiculous because Samsung just ships all of their phones with a unlocked boot loader (except VZW that locked their S3
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Lots of Apple people told me this 2 years ago, and guess what, I am still not back.
Some of them are happy Android users now, and it seems they won't go back too.
I very much doubt this. The CM team have criticised every Samsung device that has an Exynos CPU (due to Samsung not releasing proper documentation), and still end up developing for it anyway due to how popular the devices are.
The S4 will have a massive modding community, make no mistake.
EDIT: I've never been a fan of the CM roms anyway, I much prefer the modded Sammy ROMS. Lots of functionality in TW that I don't like losing.
It's not so mug features but reservations with the one itself.
Home reconfiguration. I just don't understand this. And all for a logo.
Htcs history of poor battery life. The reviews say battery life is decent to good so far. But what about on lte?
The far away power button. Remember this is the only access point to your device. Htc needs to realize what Samsung Sony Motorola lg and others have learned. That as devices get larger the wake/sleep button should not be hard to reach.
Blinkfeed forcing itself on one of the home screens. And generally sense itself. Luckily this is easily solved with launchers.
Launching with 4.1. And historically bad with updates.
Also not convinced the camera is what I want. A lot of reviews say its over hyped.
Can't think of anything else but those are my main reservations about the one.
You are blowing the power button issue WAY out of proportion....
I'm sitting here with my Nexus 4 (4.7" screen) and I can EASILY reach the top with little to no shuffling of my hand.....
I'm not sure why you say its so difficult to reach....especially when using a phone of that size, you are shuffling your hand to reach the whole screen anyways....
A non-issue IMO, but all those other reasons you listed give me cause for concern as well.
I'm back on the fence myself. Part of me wants to buy an S4 simply to either confirm or deny my hatred for Samsung (I'll probably like the phone....who knows). However, I'm really turned off by the AMOLED screen - much prefer LCD.
Time will tell....
Again my fear of the power button being so far away is from experience with the htc one x. Maybe it's not as bad with the one because of new ergonomics but with the one x it was a pain. Remember that's the only way to wake and/or sleep the device. The only access point to your phone.
Perhaps you'll understand when you get the one. Or perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised by the ones new ergonomics.
The other thing I'm slightly concerned about is scuffing.
The white chamfered edges of my iPhone are starting to scuff just a bit. I can see that happening even easier on a larger phone like the one.
The white chamfered edges of my iPhone are starting to scuff just a bit. I can see that happening even easier on a larger phone like the one.
The power button is not the only way to wake/ sleep your device. On my Galaxy Nexus, I use PGM Galaxy Nexus, which allows me to wake /sleep my device by swiping on the screen . I never have to touch the power button.
The same is app is also available for the Nexus 4, but called Touch Control. Outside of these, there are the other Shake to Wake apps that can wake your device with a shake.
Edit: Both the PGM and Touch Control apps need rooted devices, though.
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Nooo, just buy the phone and blend it yourself, then you get your answer straight away
Most of your points are valid, except the ones above.
Better battery life is an assumption at this stage - but we don't know yet or have any 'real' proof. The fact there are two different SKU's on the S4 skew's this even further as we would presume battery life on the Exynos model will be better than the Snapdragon version - we have to wait and see before you can state this 100% categorically. Indeed both may be better than the HTC One, or one may be better and one similar, however until we get full test results your comment/assertion is merely an hypothesis/guess.
You don't have to buy the dev edition at all to unlock your boot loader. You can just go onto htcdev.com and unlock your boot loader on the device there. The dev edition comes 'pre-unlocked'. We don't know if there are any other differences between the dev edition (maybe S-off as standard)....
And easier to root ? - there is actually a one click rooter software already available for the HTC one. How much easier does clicking one button get ?
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This is not an argument or a right wing defence before you get your heckles up. These are just factual points that address some of the ones that are misleading that you made.
I've been going to and fro since the SG4 was announced.
I'm basically loving the idea of a 5 inch 1080P AMOLED screen in a body as slim as my iPhone 5.
What I'm really hesitating on is having to use Android and Samsung's lacklustre software history both on pc and the phone.
Also not loving the idea of giving up my iPhone 5's beautiful build quality for Samsung's all plastic affair.
I'm basically loving the idea of a 5 inch 1080P AMOLED screen in a body as slim as my iPhone 5.
What I'm really hesitating on is having to use Android and Samsung's lacklustre software history both on pc and the phone.
Also not loving the idea of giving up my iPhone 5's beautiful build quality for Samsung's all plastic affair.
I've been going to and fro since the SG4 was announced.
I'm basically loving the idea of a 5 inch 1080P AMOLED screen in a body as slim as my iPhone 5.
What I'm really hesitating on is having to use Android and Samsung's lacklustre software history both on pc and the phone.
Also not loving the idea of giving up my iPhone 5's beautiful build quality for Samsung's all plastic affair.
Keep the iphone 5 as a back-up then..thats what i'm doing. using S4 as my day to day advice..and using iphone 5 as an ipod type device.
Unfortunaly it's not a possibility. If I'm to get the SG4 I need to sell the iPhone.
I have seen several comments like this, why? I have the S2, and I can't tell the difference.
A lot of folks do not like pen-tile and Amoled screens also tend to be at times unnaturally vibrant - often leading to over saturation in photos and videos.
The pen tile implementation can arguably lead to poorer definition on text, but as we approach these super high resolutions on phones, I don't think it would matter as much anymore.
It's just a personal preference thing, and highly subjective.
I must admit that when got my s3, I did not like the screen at all as it was way to vibrant and saturated. However, I changed the display settings to 'natural' and this is much better
As someone who lives in nyc and is around a lot of people from day to day make no doubt about it there is a lot of buzz on the streets about the s4.
I think the potential point you're looking over is that people's hands are different, both in overall size, and the articulation of the fingers. It is completely possible that you find the the screen size comfortable, while he finds it a challenge.
It is difficult to design a phone to fit all hands, especially as it scales up.
One size certainly does not fit all, especially when critical controls take full advantage of that screen.
I'm looking forward to the Motorola "X Phone" rumored to be shown at Google I/O.
For me, the S4 isn't enough of an upgrade from the S3 to make me want to buy. Besides, I've dumped TouchWiz in favor of LiquidSmooth RC2, so I'm more interested in near-stock Android anyway.
And yes, I have both an S3 and a iP5. Best of both worlds, though presently the iP5 is my daily driver.
For me, the S4 isn't enough of an upgrade from the S3 to make me want to buy. Besides, I've dumped TouchWiz in favor of LiquidSmooth RC2, so I'm more interested in near-stock Android anyway.
And yes, I have both an S3 and a iP5. Best of both worlds, though presently the iP5 is my daily driver.
How can you hate a non entity as A company like samsung (same goes for people hating apple) ? Persons ok, but a company that has done nothing against you?