Tried the S4. Screen too dim. Went back to iP5

[Stuntman06]

I'm actually back with my 4S as the GS4 was a bit too large for me personally. I am still undecided about where I will go and will likely hang tight and see what happens this fall.

Regarding the screen, I found the screen to have adequate brightness inside, however, I had trouble with it outside, on bright days. I did have mine on manual brightness and just learned from this thread that it actually gets brighter on auto, which is good to know.

I had my old phone on manual brightness as I didn't like the calibration. I use a widget to switch toggle between 3 different brightness levels. My indoor level is hard to see outdoors, so the widget makes it easy to toggle it back to 100% if I happen to walk outside on a bright day first before adjusting the brightness.

My current phone's auto brightness is calibrated in a way that I like. It's nice to not have to manually adjust the brightness if I go outside and back inside.

 

[Irishman]

Must preface this by saying that the ONE outstanding characteristic that I LOVE about Apple products are the bright, clear screens.

I picked up the Galaxy S4 and used it for a week. I just couldn't adjust to the dim screen. I tried changing every possible setting to boost brightness, and it still was nowhere near as bright as the iphone.

Needless to say I went back to the iphone, and am glad that I did, especially now with ios7 right around the corner.

You know that the Lux app will fix that.

 

[deeddawg]

You know that the Lux app will fix that.

Back in the Treo 650/700 days I swore off owning any phone that required third party apps to fix problems with basic functionality...

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Back in the Treo 650/700 days I swore off owning any phone that required third party apps to fix problems with basic functionality...

I guess you swore off all iPhones.

 

[Irishman]

Back in the Treo 650/700 days I swore off owning any phone that required third party apps to fix problems with basic functionality...

Well that's good for you, but I was addressing the OP.

We don't know his opinion of such things.

 

[deeddawg]

I guess you swore off all iPhones.

LOL. Oddly enough the two things I'd prefer to be different with the iphones aren't software fixable. I'd like a little more (properly utilized) screen real estate and I miss the notification LED from the blackberry days. I did try a S4 Active for a few days; nice phone, but had a couple fundamental issues specific to my usage needs that caused me to return it.

We don't know his opinion of such things.

Quite true. Though since it seems he's no longer using it.

 

[Sylon]

Setting my 4S next to my GS4 side-by-side, both on full brightness, I can see the 4S is a little brighter. That being said, I can't say I have too much trouble seeing my GS4's screen outside in direct sunlight. Just turn on Auto Brightness in the notification dropdown and I can see everything clearly. I use Auto whenever I'm outside. Indoors though I uncheck it. I usually use my GS4's screen at 30% indoors, but right at this particular moment I upped it to 75% just for kicks to see if I prefer it better.

 

[macsation]

Setting my 4S next to my GS4 side-by-side, both on full brightness, I can see the 4S is a little brighter. That being said, I can't say I have too much trouble seeing my GS4's screen outside in direct sunlight. Just turn on Auto Brightness in the notification dropdown and I can see everything clearly. I use Auto whenever I'm outside. Indoors though I uncheck it. I usually use my GS4's screen at 30% indoors, but right at this particular moment I upped it to 75% just for kicks to see if I prefer it better.

I can see where some confusion with my original statement may lie. I'm talking specifically about use of the web browser, and other apps with a white background. I was frustrated with how dim the whites looked on the S4 compared to the brightness of the iPhone.

It's funny because I have 3 Samsung televisions and swear by their LED panels. I think they're fantastic screen quality. Too bad they don't use LCDs in their phones.

I looked at an LG Optimus G pro in the AT&T store a few days ago and was BLOWN AWAY by the beauty of that screen. Too bad it's just ginormous.

But anyway, I'm no longer in the market for an iPhone alternative.

 

[Sunsenista]

Every people / different experiences

Used BB, nexus 4, Note 2, GS3, GS4, Xiaomi but always back to iPhone for the simplicity and smoothness of it.

Waiting for that Ios7 and keep using iPhone from now on..

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

I'm starting to think that it's not an actually brightness issue. I'm thinking the whites are just not as white as an LCD screen. It's similar to how the blacks on LCD screens are actually grey at times but on the AMOLED they are actually all the way black. I'm going to try my best to get used to the whites on the S4 GPE because I really want to love it haha.

 

[bushido]

the first thing i have noticed when i unpacked my nexus 4 a few days ago was the dim screen, it reminds me of a depressed cloudy day. ive tried to turn up the brightness and used a brighter wallpaper but it still seems so darkish, kinda like wearing 3D glasses at the movies

i just dont like how the white looks really. oh well, I will live its just my back up phone for Spain

 

[skratch77]

I'm starting to think that it's not an actually brightness issue. I'm thinking the whites are just not as white as an LCD screen. It's similar to how the blacks on LCD screens are actually grey at times but on the AMOLED they are actually all the way black. I'm going to try my best to get used to the whites on the S4 GPE because I really want to love it haha.

believe it or not I am like you but it is just a brightness problem and the gs4 true white is actually whiter then the iphone 5 and htc one,it has been tested on a few review sites with calman hardware and software and it hits a closer 6500k white balance then most lcd screens out there.

white is also the biggest battery draw on the amoled panel so Im sure when full white come up some special feature in the phone dims it a bit to save battery.

 

[LostSoul80]

I don't think that can open any insightful discussion, as brightness is dependant on where you use your phone, on your eye sight, on what kind of screens are you used to see. Admittedly, switching phone for a brightness issue alone is arguably one of the most futile reasons one could invent.

 

[AppleDeviceUser]

Good choice, I would never use that piece of junk Samsung S4. iPhone is so nicely crafted and built and the OS (iOS 7) is amazing.

 

[IFRIT]

Good choice, I would never use that piece of junk Samsung S4. iPhone is so nicely crafted and built and the OS (iOS 7) is amazing.

To troll successfully you should try to be less obvious, you fail.

 

[AppleDeviceUser]

To troll successfully you should try to be less obvious, you fail.

I am not trolling, that is my opinion.

 

[2298754]

Good choice, I would never use that piece of junk Samsung S4. iPhone is so nicely crafted and built and the OS (iOS 7) is amazing.

Jesus Christ. I've never read something so pathetic.

Next thing you're gonna say is that the iPhone keeps you warm at night, am I right?

 

[appleisking]

I am not trolling, that is my opinion.

Not an opinion. More like blind fanboyism. It is clear you never used the device to formulate a proper opinion.

 

[Fanaticalism]

To troll successfully you should try to be less obvious, you fail.

Lol

 

[cynics]

This is gonna sound weird to a lot of you but I hate that I need to jailbreak to set the screen on an iOS device dimmer.

I use my iPad and iPhone on night flights quite often and it annoys the people sitting around me. I actually get excited when I see the person next to me pulls out a night shade.

I can set an Android device lower without rooting. Why does everything have to be so restricted on iOS devices?

At the same time I appreciate how bright my iOS device can get. But I can avoid the sun or make shade. In the dark on a flight there is nothing I can do.

 

[Woodcrest64]

I agree with the OP on this one. Some times it's just that one feature you need. For me it was the tiny screen and lack of Google integration and lack of a usable built in stylus and terrible voice recognition that tipped me over.

Although, just something as simple as iTunes syncing might pull me back.

This is one reason why I have considered going back to the iPhone is because if iTunes but I have started to really enjoy rdio and songza. I do like the brightness of the iPhone but the HTC One is just has good if not better in that regard.

 

[AppleDeviceUser]

Jesus Christ. I've never read something so pathetic.

Next thing you're gonna say is that the iPhone keeps you warm at night, am I right?

What?! That would be ridiculous! I do agree that the Camera on the S4 is a lot nicer than the iPhone, but the S4 is made out of cheap plastic, and it's way to big to hold. For some people the S4 is nice, but for me it's looks like a cheap, generic phone with a million little useless features.

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Not an opinion. More like blind fanboyism. It is clear you never used the device to formulate a proper opinion.

No not blind fanboyism, I hate that term. I buy from the companies who make the best quality products, like I said above the S4 camera is really nice, but besides that it seems like a cheap, plastic generic phone with a ton of useless little features and gimmicks.

 

[IFRIT]

What?! That would be ridiculous! I do agree that the Camera on the S4 is a lot nicer than the iPhone, but the S4 is made out of cheap plastic, and it's way to big to hold. For some people the S4 is nice, but for me it's looks like a cheap, generic phone with a million little useless features.

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No not blind fanboyism, I hate that term. I buy from the companies who make the best quality products, like I said above the S4 camera is really nice, but besides that it seems like a cheap, plastic generic phone with a ton of useless little features and gimmicks.

Tell me how long have you used S4 for to form these deep and meaningful opinions on all these gimmicks and such like? I can guarantee you're going to say you had a quick play in the shop or of a friends.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

I just want to add to this thread that I just got a new Nexus 7. LCD screen obviously. It looks absolutely fantastic compared to the AMOLED I was looking at on the S4 week. Size aside.

 

[Jibbajabba]

The phone never gets boring for me.

That's just it. I always wanted to upgrade early and if I couldn't, I bought the iPhone outright. Since I got the s3, I haven't had the urge to upgrade even though I could have months ago.