Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AppleRobert

macrumors 603
Nov 12, 2012
5,729
1,133
[/COLOR]
HI guys, I have just got the new S4 but now that the new iPhone is coming out I think I may have made a mistake.

The S4 does lots of things brilliantly but I have a Mac and ipad etc at home and the new iPhone is a week away.

Should I return it and get a 5S? It is hard to know since the phone isn't even out yet and will cost an extra £150 up from I am guessing.

What should I do?

You were not aware of the 5S before you purchased the S4? I noted the date you came to the forum so I would have to think you know of the iPhone cycle?

Is there something you do not like about the S4 that warrants a big mistake?

The One and S4 will blow the doors off the new iPhone.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
Couch you're sound like a politician now :D

Good points mate.

Thanks. I was really just too lazy to retype all that. Easier to quote old posts. ;)

We need to stop pretending the only thing making android so good is customization. It's become more than that now.
 

sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
I have a iphone 5, great phone but a little small.

This guy has a s4 with defender case for 300.

I was debating buying it and if I don't like it, selling it.

Of course it's always a risk on craigslist and ebay.

What do you think?

I am a student and my main goal is my studies but yes I can't stop thinking about this stuff.

----------



This is the main thinking that draws me away from Android.

I know what to expect already.

tweaking, wondering what's killing my battery, so forth and so forth but on the flipside the larger screen and swiftkey make me want to trade.

To be honest, I will recommend a nexus. Samsung is super bloating touchwiz, my favorite Samsung device wasthe s3 because Samsung cleaned up touchwiz, made it look elegant, and also made it speedy. I lovd my s3 but hated the screen which is THE reason I bought an iPhone 5. Going to the settings alone in new touchwiz is appalling, just feels wrong to me as a mobile device. Perhaps I am more interested in getting my stuff done asap instead of wasting time on features which are okay but not life changing to me but that's me.

I find nexus devices to need the least setting yp , and also love their "get a great app from play if you need xyz feature" point. I like base OS that is fast, clean, updated, and offers me options of great apps.

So my suggestion is, wait for Nexis 5 and then buy it. That's my $0.02.
 

cuzo

macrumors 65816
Sep 23, 2012
1,069
249
To be honest, I will recommend a nexus. Samsung is super bloating touchwiz, my favorite Samsung device wasthe s3 because Samsung cleaned up touchwiz, made it look elegant, and also made it speedy. I lovd my s3 but hated the screen which is THE reason I bought an iPhone 5. Going to the settings alone in new touchwiz is appalling, just feels wrong to me as a mobile device. Perhaps I am more interested in getting my stuff done asap instead of wasting time on features which are okay but not life changing to me but that's me.

I find nexus devices to need the least setting yp , and also love their "get a great app from play if you need xyz feature" point. I like base OS that is fast, clean, updated, and offers me options of great apps.

So my suggestion is, wait for Nexis 5 and then buy it. That's my $0.02.

Good point, I'm not into all the customization and figuring out what's wrong with this and that, I just want a good smartphone at a bigger size than the 5.

I miss swiftkey and the iphone keyboard doesn't have multitouch or arrows to skip lines. I think for 300 it's cheap enough to buy and sell for maybe a little profit if I don't like it.

I like the iphone it's just small to me and I get tired of it at times.

Nexus sounds good but I have Sprint so I doubt they'll get it. When my contract expires next year maybe I'll switch over to prepaid and get one.
 

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,991
20,174
UK
Hardly, the S iPhones have hardly any improvement. Only fan boys upgrade.. And I was one of them going from 4 to 4S just because it was new.

Idiotic decision it was.
 

Black Magic

macrumors 68030
Sep 30, 2012
2,813
1,506
HI guys, I have just got the new S4 but now that the new iPhone is coming out I think I may have made a mistake.

The S4 does lots of things brilliantly but I have a Mac and ipad etc at home and the new iPhone is a week away.

Should I return it and get a 5S? It is hard to know since the phone isn't even out yet and will cost an extra £150 up from I am guessing.

What should I do?

If you asking this question, you clearly don't care for the S4. Usually when you have a great phone, you don't care what is coming out. Return it and buy the iPhone 5S.

Oh and the folks that says Apple is on a yearly upgrade cycle do not realize that Samsung is on one too with Apple and Shamsung leap frogging each other.
 

Carl Sagan

macrumors 6502a
May 31, 2011
603
17
The Universe
Hardly, the S iPhones have hardly any improvement. Only fan boys upgrade.. And I was one of them going from 4 to 4S just because it was new.

Idiotic decision it was.

They are, the 4S had a better battery, better camera and could do this thing were it could actually manage to take and not drop calls. The 3GS was faster and had a better battery.

The 5S will be the best version of the 5 class, it's not worth buying each new iPhone and it's certainly not worth buying the first version of each new design either. The S classes are the best to get every two years. Fact.
 

Vegastouch

macrumors 603
Jul 12, 2008
6,185
992
Las Vegas, NV
It's hard to make a decision since I have only had this phone a week and the new one is out in a week which is why I am on here askinfg for some advice.

Well if the new iPhone and its top feature of fingerprint recognition is your thing and you like a small screen....then switch. Personally, i think Android is way better and does a lot more but thats me.
 

ChrisTX

macrumors 68030
Dec 30, 2009
2,686
54
Texas
It's hard to make a decision since I have only had this phone a week and the new one is out in a week which is why I am on here askinfg for some advice.

It's too late now. But at best, I would have waited for the for the iPhone 5S release, and then made your decision. That's what I am doing in regard to the new Note 3. Best of luck mate.
 

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,991
20,174
UK
They are, the 4S had a better battery, better camera and could do this thing were it could actually manage to take and not drop calls. The 3GS was faster and had a better battery.

The 5S will be the best version of the 5 class, it's not worth buying each new iPhone and it's certainly not worth buying the first version of each new design either. The S classes are the best to get every two years. Fact.

well they are obviously going to be an upgrade but are very minor spec bumps.
 

Carl Sagan

macrumors 6502a
May 31, 2011
603
17
The Universe
well they are obviously going to be an upgrade but are very minor spec bumps.

If you look into it the changes from each phone aren't as big as you think. The 4 and 3GS aren't much different in specs, but a new shape and screen pixel count is marketing as a major leap forward when it isn't. The 5 and 4S have the same camera in pixel terms and the 5 isn't mind blowingly faster to use than the 4S. Again it was sold as the biggest thing to happen to iPhone etc etc...
 

Dustman

macrumors 65816
Apr 17, 2007
1,381
238
.
 

Attachments

  • Untitled.jpg
    Untitled.jpg
    86.3 KB · Views: 65

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
If you look into it the changes from each phone aren't as big as you think. The 4 and 3GS aren't much different in specs, but a new shape and screen pixel count is marketing as a major leap forward when it isn't. The 5 and 4S have the same camera in pixel terms and the 5 isn't mind blowingly faster to use than the 4S. Again it was sold as the biggest thing to happen to iPhone etc etc...

If you ACTUALLY look into the changes, you'd find they are IN FACT bigger upgrades than most of you here make them out to be.

But alas - it's all GHz and MPs with this bunch.......whatever.

Looking forward to the 5S announcement. Neither is/will be better than the other overall - its about what works best for each individual.
 

Kashsystems

macrumors 6502
Jul 23, 2012
358
1
I wrote one thing and now I have changed my mind.

I would suggest that any solid flagship phone will be a better experience than the iPhone 5s.

If you are worried about Android lag, Samsung phones have lag because of their touchwiz oem skin.

I would recommend a HTC One, Moto X, LG G2, LG Optimus Pro.

Personally I switched from the iPhone 5 to S4 because of bigger screen size.

The first couple weeks, maybe as long as the first month, I thought to myself I would switch to a 5s if they came out with a 5 inch screen.

Now looking at it, IOS7 which I have been using as a developer since its release and a bigger iPhone screen is not compelling enough for me.

But I must add one caveat...

If you are locked into the iTunes ecosystem or into features like Photostream or iMessage, there is no better experience that what Apple provides and the Android solutions for now are nothing but compromises compared to what Apple offers in that regards.
 

Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
If you ACTUALLY look into the changes, you'd find they are IN FACT bigger upgrades than most of you here make them out to be.

But alas - it's all GHz and MPs with this bunch.......whatever.

Looking forward to the 5S announcement. Neither is/will be better than the other overall - its about what works best for each individual.

If you count iOS 7 as being part of the 5S upgrades, actually those changes to notifications, multitasking etc., are quite considerable. It's just that if you've already spent some time with Android, those upgrades will feel like points on which Apple is only catching up, that this is stuff that iOS should already have had by now. Whereas many important features which many find iPhones to be lacking - larger screen, swipe typing, etc. - are not happening at all. Thus, the upgrade from 5 to 5S feels less significant than it actually is.

Unless you're already happy with the iPhone 5 and don't miss those additional features, of course. I mean, I have to admire Apple for the degree to which they polish what they've got. The fingerprint reader will make for a very slick experience (I certainly wouldn't mind having this on the Note 3), iOS is utterly beautiful IMO, additional low-light capabilities to an already outstanding camera is nothing to spit at (the 12 MP cam would of course be incredible if it turns out to be real), and if that ring around the home button lights up, this will be the most gorgeous phone ever.

So, in the end I guess it depends on from which angle you're looking at it. If you've moved on to bigger screens and the versatility of Android, the step up to 5S looks like just more of the same, and nothing much to talk about. But if you're into iOS and the 5, this upgrade contains quite a few goodies. Our view of reality is shaped by our preferences and tastes, as usual.
 

Cnasty

macrumors 68040
Jul 2, 2008
3,336
2,106
If you count iOS 7 as being part of the 5S upgrades, actually those changes to notifications, multitasking etc., are quite considerable. It's just that if you've already spent some time with Android, those upgrades will feel like points on which Apple is only catching up, that this is stuff that iOS should already have had by now. Whereas many important features which many find iPhones to be lacking - larger screen, swipe typing, etc. - are not happening at all. Thus, the upgrade from 5 to 5S feels less significant than it actually is.

Unless you're already happy with the iPhone 5 and don't miss those additional features, of course. I mean, I have to admire Apple for the degree to which they polish what they've got. The fingerprint reader will make for a very slick experience (I certainly wouldn't mind having this on the Note 3), iOS is utterly beautiful IMO, additional low-light capabilities to an already outstanding camera is nothing to spit at (the 12 MP cam would of course be incredible if it turns out to be real), and if that ring around the home button lights up, this will be the most gorgeous phone ever.

So, in the end I guess it depends on from which angle you're looking at it. If you've moved on to bigger screens and the versatility of Android, the step up to 5S looks like just more of the same, and nothing much to talk about. But if you're into iOS and the 5, this upgrade contains quite a few goodies. Our view of reality is shaped by our preferences and tastes, as usual.

This is so well said IMO.

I have had both types of phones and really miss some things from the Apple experience but those are outweighed by the experience on the Android.

It feels Apple is playing catch up in some aspects but is continuing on in their great lines of products in others.

Why cant we have it all?!?! :D
 

jamesjingyi

macrumors 6502a
Dec 20, 2011
850
156
UK
HI guys, I have just got the new S4 but now that the new iPhone is coming out I think I may have made a mistake.

The S4 does lots of things brilliantly but I have a Mac and ipad etc at home and the new iPhone is a week away.

Should I return it and get a 5S? It is hard to know since the phone isn't even out yet and will cost an extra £150 up from I am guessing.

What should I do?

Simple answer: Wait :) Same as what I am doing... Unless if you return the S4 sooner you get a better rebate? The iPhone 5S wont be drastically different from the 5 and if you could make the switch for the S4, I'm sure the 5S wont be that much of a game changer that it will make the S4 look like *****. One of the things that the iPhone will definitely have is the Apple branding which, like it or not is powerful...
 

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
If you count iOS 7 as being part of the 5S upgrades, actually those changes to notifications, multitasking etc., are quite considerable. It's just that if you've already spent some time with Android, those upgrades will feel like points on which Apple is only catching up, that this is stuff that iOS should already have had by now. Whereas many important features which many find iPhones to be lacking - larger screen, swipe typing, etc. - are not happening at all. Thus, the upgrade from 5 to 5S feels less significant than it actually is.

Being an Android user I don't feel this way at all. Like I've said, each company's implementation of features varies (sometimes greatly) so comparing the two really doesn't give me a good picture of how large an upgrade it is or how good the phone is.

I look at each phone line's upgrades individually (ie 4S > 5 > 5S and GS3 > GS4 > GS5). I don't waste my time with "Oh the 5S is getting control center which is essentially just what Android offers in the notification pull down so it's not an big upgrade". That sentence isn't really fair - both implement said quick toggles in a different way. You then look at each ad decide which you prefer, but the fact remains adding Control Center is a big thing for iOS.

Unless you're already happy with the iPhone 5 and don't miss those additional features, of course. I mean, I have to admire Apple for the degree to which they polish what they've got. The fingerprint reader will make for a very slick experience (I certainly wouldn't mind having this on the Note 3), iOS is utterly beautiful IMO, additional low-light capabilities to an already outstanding camera is nothing to spit at (the 12 MP cam would of course be incredible if it turns out to be real), and if that ring around the home button lights up, this will be the most gorgeous phone ever.

I agree with pretty much all of this. For me, the 5 does everything I need it to do. My use case dictates how I use my smartphones and so I haven't really felt any MASSIVE upgrades now that I use Android. I simply do the same tasks in different ways. iOS's efficiency, polish and the quality of their services and default apps are what draw me to Apple.

So, in the end I guess it depends on from which angle you're looking at it. If you've moved on to bigger screens and the versatility of Android, the step up to 5S looks like just more of the same, and nothing much to talk about. But if you're into iOS and the 5, this upgrade contains quite a few goodies. Our view of reality is shaped by our preferences and tastes, as usual.

Again, I guess you could look at it that way, but because I don't compare the two because of different philosophies and implementations, I try to take each upgrade for what it brings to the table in its ecosystem.

For instance, Android adding a Game Center and voice reminders/alarms to Google Now were great additions - needed IMO. I don't discount them because they are things that iOS has had. Different implementations on different platforms will lead to different uses IMO. So I look at it as "Platform A didn't have this before, now it does" instead of "Platform B already had this so Platform A adding it is a waste or isn't an upgrade".

I also think the mindset of some people here, constantly expecting something that looks completely different and that will blow your mind only serves to cheapen true innovation. The reality is innovation doesn't come around often, but when it does it changes how we live our lives. I'm glad for spec bumps and the like - it serves to make the innovations that much more exciting!
 

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,786
41,983
USA
People seem to think or expect something groundbreaking amazing innovative. The truth is - most changes that are going to occur - no matter what the platform will be iterative and evolution - not revolution.

Faster, better battery life, better/different screen tech, storage space when it comes to specs.

Software will change and adapt to new features and off some fun surprises I imagine. But again - a lot will be evolutionary - not revolutionary.

And given that so many of us read about tech on a daily basis - we can pretty much "predict" what technologies may or may not be used in future phones.
 

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
People seem to think or expect something groundbreaking amazing innovative. The truth is - most changes that are going to occur - no matter what the platform will be iterative and evolution - not revolution.

Faster, better battery life, better/different screen tech, storage space when it comes to specs.

Software will change and adapt to new features and off some fun surprises I imagine. But again - a lot will be evolutionary - not revolutionary.

And given that so many of us read about tech on a daily basis - we can pretty much "predict" what technologies may or may not be used in future phones.

Well said - at this point I think fault lies with the expectations and not the releases.

But hey, with Android being a great option, you can always go jumping around to different Android OEMs if you are really wanting something new each year. I've gone through 3 Android phones this year simply because I wanted to test new things.
 

Cnasty

macrumors 68040
Jul 2, 2008
3,336
2,106
I guess what I am kind of saying is I expect more from Apple. Is it fair? Probably not but I know the amazing potential they have for their products and as of late it seems they are holding the reigns back and not delivering the elite product we know they can.

Samsung and other device companies I think see this and have thrown so many different things out there to sway the market from Apple during this lull if you will and are striking while they can.

Again,I am a fan of both and not the name. Give me a good product and I will buy it no matter the name on the back.

I think we have higher expectations for Apple since the iPhone revolutionized the way we look at phones forever, at least for me.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.