Smartphones

Sadly I'm not due for an upgrade until January. I still like my Galaxy Nexus but I'm definitely noticing that it is showing its age.

So I'm up for an upgrade, I have had a windows phone for the last 3 years, but I am not impressed with the hardware specs on the latest and upcoming phones, and I am a little sick of not having any apps, can anyone espouse the benefits between the HTC one vs. the Galaxy S4? They both look pretty sweet but the interwebs have not really made one sound better than the other. I have also looked at the note 2 a bit, I spend most of my phone time on this site or reading news so the size would be good but I would hate to carry it around. What I need more than anything is a phone that can load the FSR and GIF thread without crapping out and killing the browser.

Kovaks_sl said:

So I'm up for an upgrade, I have had a windows phone for the last 3 years, but I am not impressed with the hardware specs on the latest and upcoming phones, and I am a little sick of not having any apps, can anyone espouse the benefits between the HTC one vs. the Galaxy S4? They both look pretty sweet but the interwebs have not really made one sound better than the other. I have also looked at the note 2 a bit, I spend most of my phone time on this site or reading news so the size would be good but I would hate to carry it around. What I need more than anything is a phone that can load the FSR and GIF thread without crapping out and killing the browser.

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I was worried about the Note 2's size as well, until a coworker let me put his in my pocket and see, and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, even with an otterbox. In all reality it's only .5 inches bigger than an S4 anyways, and has 20%+ more battery life. I do know there are some complaints about random lag in the S4, if you google it you will find lots about it, so that may help your decision.

Anyways, not sure if it's worth the wait for you, but Note 3 launch is pretty much guaranteed on Sept 4th, and strongly rumored to be an 8 core proc with 3 gb ram and 13mp camera, with possible Key Lime Pie OS. It's gonna be a beast. I'd have waited myself if my wife had not just trashed her old phone. But I'd strongly recommend the Note line if you use your phone a lot for more than just calling, seeing as I just got one and could never go back to a smaller phone. It's like always having a tablet on you, vs just being a phone, when it comes to using it for browsing/apps.

The biggest deciding factor for me between the S4 snd the HTC One was no removable battery on the HTC. I like to root my phone and fuck around with custom roms and that was a deal breaker. I need that ability to pull the battery to reset if i screw up and lock up my phone. I also liked the screen a bit better on the S4 when I used them both side by side.

Stave_sl said:

Ended up getting a Note 2 a few weeks early by adding a 3rd line and dropping it to a dumb phone and then switching the Note 2 to my line to keep my unlimited data. Had to try 3 Verizon shops, but I got one to pricematch Sam's Club website, and got a Note 2 for 148.88. Can't really beat that. Loving it. After playing with my Bionic after getting the Note, I can't believe the Bionic seemed high tech and big up until a week ago. The thing seems so archaic now lol.

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I currently have a Bionic and got it right about the time that it came out. So your situation is of interest to me. What would you say are the biggest advantages? Probably similar feelings when I went from the original Droid to the Bionic. I remember thinking how did I live with the old Droid for so long!?

I had forgotten about the Note line but I hardly ever use my phone for calling. Entirely for texting, browsing, etc. I've got 2 upgrades on my Verizon account but I can wait until the Note 3 drops.

The Note 2 is the best phone I've ever used and I came from a Nexus 4. The size isn't an issue for me as I have fairly large hands. It's fits in my pockets just fine though I don't wear jeans that often. The screen is amazing for shit like Netflix streaming, youtube and browsing. It doesn't feel like you suffer any of the negatives of doing those things on a phone. I haven't used the S-Pen much but I've only had the phone for a few days. The battery life is amazing. The one Note 2 feature I do love is dual screen apps. That shit is pretty cool, although I've heard the S4 does it as well.

It's big, but not burdensome. I love it, absolutely love it. Best decision I've made phone wise.

Crone_sl said:

I currently have a Bionic and got it right about the time that it came out. So your situation is of interest to me. What would you say are the biggest advantages? Probably similar feelings when I went from the original Droid to the Bionic. I remember thinking how did I live with the old Droid for so long!?

I had forgotten about the Note line but I hardly ever use my phone for calling. Entirely for texting, browsing, etc. I've got 2 upgrades on my Verizon account but I can wait until the Note 3 drops.

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Some of the biggest improvements I have noticed from going from Bionic to Note 2,

1. Much more fluid, even the tiniest bits of lag on the bionic that you don't really notice, you now notice when you go to a Note as the Note does it much smoother.
2. Better battery life. I had the extended battery on my Bionic the entire time, and I have probably 40% better battery life on the Note 2 from what I've noticed.
3. Screen is much easier to work with. On the Bionic I thought the screen was fine, until I got the Note 2. Now its just a dream to browse forums and play games and such. Seems like a much much more suitable size. It's akin to going from a phone, to a computer almost. Much more tolerable. And I haven't once thought this is too big. And I have average sized hands. The damn thing is so thin, I am almost afraid it will slip out of my hand, but thats a pro, because that means when I get my TPS case to put on it, it will fit like a glove and not be super bulky or anything.
4. Screen is much more vibrant. After using the Bionic for so long the screen seemed great, but after just one day on the Note 2, and then looking at the Bionic, the screen seems like it had a grey filter over it. Just dull and washed out. Can't believe I put up with it for so long.
5. Much better app organization in your app drawer. If you are OCD like me you can make app folders in your app drawer, and actually use your app drawer to find apps based on something other than a giant list of alphabetical apps.
6. This is kind of a big one for me, you don't have app storage space and internal storage separate. On the Bionic, if you installed an app it went to the 4gb app storage, and if you moved it to SD card, it went to the 8gb internal storage. On the Note you just have ~11gb internal storage that includes app storage. The bonus to this, is when 4.2.2 comes Q3, and they reenable move an app to SD card, the app will truly go to your external SD card, giving you effectively 69 or so GB of space. On my Bionic I always had to mount directories and shit and this caused noticeable lag and slowdown on my phone, always hated that.
7. Most people don't even know this, but being able to access your notification bar while in full screen apps. If you drag your finger down from the bezel, it will drop the notification bar down and then you can drag it down. This is so awesome for being able to check the time, check texts that came in, adjust volume profiles, brightness, etc, while you are playing a game, watching a movie, or whatever, without having to exit to home screen when you feel a text vibrate come in and risk crashing your app/game.
8. Built in toggle switches into the notification bar. You can customize this too. You got your GPS, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and a screen brightness slider all at the top of your notification bar.
9. Built in task manager. Hold the middle button for a second or so, and you get your ability to choose other open apps like all JB/ICS phones, but at the bottom is also a button for a built in task manager, and for Google Now.
10. Like Gaige said, dual screen apps is cool too. You basically split your screen into 2 screens and can run an app on each side and adjust where the divider is. I haven't found a whole lot of use for this yet but I am sure I will use it in the future. Probably for things like watching football on one screen while browsing the net on the other, etc.
11. The SPen is pretty sweet depending how you use it. I don't care to handwrite on my phone, but it is nice for some touch based games like wheres my water, draw something, etc. If you ever played a DS, think of it as the difference of trying to play a touch game with your finger, vs the stylus. Biggest bonus for me though, is I know I will use this a ton in the future, because I work in IT, and a lot of times when I am on call, I remote in to my work PC from my phone, and then remote to the broken computer from my work PC, and trying to browse windows, on a 4 inch screen, selecting stuff with your finger, is difficult. Having the SPen will make that much more precise I am hoping. Haven't had to do it yet.
12. And of course you have increased power. You are going from a dual core 1.2ghz to a quad core 1.6ghz with 2gb dual channel ram. Even moreso on the Note 3.
13. Bionic is end of life as far as updates go, the Note 2 will be getting 4.2.2, and Key Lime Pie (4.3 or 5.0 whatever its labeled). Note 3 will get even more new updates and features.
14. Weird little things that you may or may not use, like auto screen rotate detection, which actually watches your face, so if you turn your phone along with your head (like laying down sideways in bed) it won't auto rotate your screen on you. If your like me and like to lay sideways on the couch/bed while reading forums etc.
15. We are supposed to be getting all the S4 gizmos on the next Note 2 update, so it will basically delete any advantages S4 has over the Note 2.
16. Camera is much better. Auto focus is way more snappier and crisper, and the screen helps a lot with the viewfinding for pictures. The test pictures I took, even though both are 8mp, seemed much more vibrant and crisp than the Bionic ever did.

There is a lot more I am sure I will find as I go on, but for now I have only had it like 4 days or so, but I have definitely noticed multiple QoL improvements so far.

Only con I can say I noticed which isn't a big deal really, is the 4g radio may be a tad worse, but Motorola was always known for having the best 4g radios. On the 4th of July, we were at a place where 4g signal was total shit probably because of all the people or all the thick sulfur/smoke in the air. On the Bionic, I could get 4g, but it would take like 1 1/2 minutes for even google play store to load its content. The Samsung wouldn't load it at all it would time out. But everywhere else I have been I have not had any problems at all, 4g actually seems faster on the Note 2 overall, but that could be the increased power just loading the browser content faster. I'm not really worried about that at all though.

The only other con would be no decent stock contacts widget, but that's easily solved if you just download resizable contacts widget from the play store.

I agree with Gaige too, best decision I've made phone wise. I really hope they continue the Note line, and that other companies continue to make phablets, because at this point I will never go back to a smaller phone. My Bionic was a phone first and foremost, but I used it like a portable tablet that could make calls. Phablets are much much more suitable to this than small form phones are. Think of it this way. Smart Phones are designed to a be a phone, that can do some other things like browse the net and play games. Phablets are more from the design mindset, to be a portable tablet, that can also make calls.

All great advice, I think I will stick it out and wait for the note 3.

have they found a way for the phone to not be an asshole yet? GD searching for something and i get a pop up for the forum app, or ill be writing in a direct address and the sob will clear out the address bar and write in something else.

Probably going to pick up a Galaxy S4 this week. Now's your chance to talk me out of it.

Love my S4...do it!

Troll_sl said:

Probably going to pick up a Galaxy S4 this week. Now's your chance to talk me out of it.

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Do it, it's a great phone. If the Note size isn't your thing then that's the next best choice easily.

I just got an S4 and love it. Good battery life and the screen is beautiful.


Either of you with the S4 try the TV remote apps?

joeboo_sl said:

The biggest deciding factor for me between the S4 snd the HTC One was no removable battery on the HTC. I like to root my phone and fuck around with custom roms and that was a deal breaker. I need that ability to pull the battery to reset if i screw up and lock up my phone. I also liked the screen a bit better on the S4 when I used them both side by side.

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I have to say this is a non-issue. Owning both HTC One X and the Nexus 4, I no longer care about pulling the battery out. Holding the power button for 10 seconds will hard reset the phone, and it's actually done quite gracefully. And since I've owned so many Android phones at this point, I haven't soft bricked my last 2 phones.

Deathwing_sl said:

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Lol. QFT

Stave you got me all juiced up for the Note 3! Seriously can't wait to get rid of this trash of a phone Bionic I have and upgrade!!

I recently returned a MS Surface tablet because I had no use for the tablet form factor, but I have really high hopes for a phablet phone that will give me what I want!

Another cool feature I found out on my Note 2 today. When something like a link or whatnot wants to open up a browser, if you select popup browser, it will open up a little moveable resizeable browser window over your current window that you can move around, zoom in and out of, maximize, etc.

Alkorin_sl said:

Anyone have any experience returning an iPhone under warranty and trading it in for a new one? I'm trying to get my hands on an AWS-capable iPhone 5 so that I can use it on an AWS carrier up here, but not sure what my best chances are for returning it for a replacement (within warranty, of course).

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Try to claim the home button or power button are not working for you maybe? When mine was actually broke (and they couldn't fix it at the Apple store) they told me they COULD give me a new phone but I was out of the warrant period so I was SOL.

Not sure how they do things in Canada but I'd avoid an Apple Store... the providers seem to be much more lenient when it comes to exchanging phones.