[Q] Will having a smaller screen affect my experience - Windows Phone 7 General

hello people,
okay im thinking of buying a WP7 device but but i can't decide between Omnia 7 or LG optimus 7,
i can get either one of them in 16gb, as i can just get the omnia 7 16gb from germany change the language to english and the optimus comes in 16gb only anyway so storage isn't problem
the only difference is that the omnia is bigger and has better screen according to people, but i dont really care about having/not having an SAMOLED while the lg looks slimmer and easier to hold, and alot of people have said the back and search button on the omnia is too sensitive so im guessing that would be bad when reading or playing games
so question 1; can you stick the omina in a skinny jeans while sticking an earphone in the head phone jack or is it too big?
2: would having a 3.8inch screen on the lg affect gaming and reading books on the phone as it seems almost all smartphones are required to have a 4.0inch or bigger screens

Well i have a Mozart because of its nice "pocket-size".
But i have to admit that the Omnias screen is really nice and has a lot of advantages while browsing/reading etc, but i prefer a phone which easily fits into my pocket because i am not reading or surfing all the time.
Seriously, most of the time your phone will be in your pocket, so you have to test out, which phone you prefer

I'm posting this from an LG quantum. I believe it has the smallest screen of all wp7's. I've checked out the focus, and to be honest I don't at all think my experience is any worse. Everything comes thru clear and looking very high res. And even that would be a plus of a smaller screen, higher pixel density.
These phones are very high end, I don't think screen size will make that much of a difference.
Oh and skinny jeans? Really? 2007 called, it wants its feminine douchebag fashion back.

Omnia7 has a better form factor and of course the amazing amoled, and IMHO it does matter. What I don't like with the optimus 7 is its home key button, it looks quite cheap and I believe it doesn't wake up the screen if pressed coming from sleep. As for the omnia7 back and search buttons, its true...being quite sensitive. I have a fried who has big hands and keeps on hitting it accidentally as he uses the device for browsing. For me, I already get the hang of using it without hitting it. So it takes a little getting used to but the pros outweigh the cons that's for sure especially if you say you can get the 16GB version. I only have the 8 but I'm I still have 2 GB left after all the stuff I have.
Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

I would go for the LG. I've had my HD7 for about a month and I hate the capacitive buttons more than I could have ever imagined hating them. I have to always be conscious of how I hold my phone because if your finger grazes the wrong part of the phone you'll get kicked out of whatever you were doing. I type way slower than I used to type on my much smaller iPhone because I need to be extra careful when I hit the space bar; if I overshoot it by a millimeter I hit the home key. I also type slower because I can't hold the phone with my optimal grip, the capacitive buttons force you to keep your hands clear of that area.
For the life of me I can't figure out why someone would prefer capacative buttons.

I would go for the LG just because it feels better built the Samsung is all plastic and feels a little cheap.
Screen size I think is negligible in this case as .2 inches isn't really a big deal. At least I don't think so.
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App

The size difference is about .5 I believe when you are comparing thinness.
I would say that the screen difference is neglectable at best.
Zaslav said:
I would go for the LG just because it feels better built the Samsung is all plastic and feels a little cheap.
Screen size I think is negligible in this case as .2 inches isn't really a big deal. At least I don't think so.
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Omnia 7 uses metal. Probably explains why it is 20g heavier than the Focus.

sure haven't said:
I'm posting this from an LG quantum. I believe it has the smallest screen of all wp7's. I've checked out the focus, and to be honest I don't at all think my experience is any worse. Everything comes thru clear and looking very high res. And even that would be a plus of a smaller screen, higher pixel density.
These phones are very high end, I don't think screen size will make that much of a difference.
Oh and skinny jeans? Really? 2007 called, it wants its feminine douchebag fashion back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, first thing I thought of was the new Miller Light beer commercial.
geoken said:
I would go for the LG. I've had my HD7 for about a month and I hate the capacitive buttons more than I could have ever imagined hating them. I have to always be conscious of how I hold my phone because if your finger grazes the wrong part of the phone you'll get kicked out of whatever you were doing. I type way slower than I used to type on my much smaller iPhone because I need to be extra careful when I hit the space bar; if I overshoot it by a millimeter I hit the home key. I also type slower because I can't hold the phone with my optimal grip, the capacitive buttons force you to keep your hands clear of that area.
For the life of me I can't figure out why someone would prefer capacative buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed, capacitive buttons do suck.

geoken said:
I would go for the LG. I've had my HD7 for about a month and I hate the capacitive buttons more than I could have ever imagined hating them. I have to always be conscious of how I hold my phone because if your finger grazes the wrong part of the phone you'll get kicked out of whatever you were doing. I type way slower than I used to type on my much smaller iPhone because I need to be extra careful when I hit the space bar; if I overshoot it by a millimeter I hit the home key. I also type slower because I can't hold the phone with my optimal grip, the capacitive buttons force you to keep your hands clear of that area.
For the life of me I can't figure out why someone would prefer capacative buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah actually at first I wondered why LG would make the home button on the quantum a physical button, but after reading about the sensitivity, and noticing how sensitive the back and search button on mine are, I'm glad they did. And I assume it was on purpose with this knowledge?

You can use the iPhone as a comparison, assuming you've used one. It has a 3.5" screen, and I find it's big enough for most tasks.

mcorrie1121 said:
You can use the iPhone as a comparison, assuming you've used one. It has a 3.5" screen, and I find it's big enough for most tasks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big enough, sure, but 4.3in is better.

nrfitchett4 said:
Big enough, sure, but 4.3in is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO 4" are better than 4.3" in this case HTC really has lost their way.
That said, I wish there was a Samsung device with a 4.3" (or perhaps even 4.5") screen.

i wanted to get the Samsung Omnia 7 just for the amoled screen. But 8GB of memory is too little for me so i got the HD7. The screen wasn't as bad as i expected (coming from the HD2) its really nice and colourful.

4,3? damn before i would buy that i would go for a 7" one
$10 credit card sized phone and serious touch tablet

nrfitchett4 said:
Big enough, sure, but 4.3in is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point wasn't that bigger was too big, but that if 3.5" isn't too small, then neither will 3.8/4" be.

Zaslav said:
I would go for the LG just because it feels better built the Samsung is all plastic and feels a little cheap.
Screen size I think is negligible in this case as .2 inches isn't really a big deal. At least I don't think so.
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Omnia 7 has a more or less complete metal casing.

I'd get the LG Optimus 7. I compared it with the Samsung Omnia 7 in a store and I THINK THE SCREEN ON THE LG IS BETTER.
Why:
1)
Most OLED screens have a lower effective resolution than normal LCDs because they have fewer subpixels. If you compare both you will notice text on webpages etc is looking jagged on OLED displays and much smoother on normal LCDs.
Search for "pentile matrix" on google.
2)
OLED screens consume big amounts of power when the image is very bright (black text on white background like on most web pages). To reduce power the OLED is auto-reducing brightness if an image with many white areas is displayed. WTF! This would p*ss me off. At least the store units did this and changed brightness while scrolling from dark areas to bright areas on a web page.
3)
OK the black levels on OLED are better but the LG's arent that bad.
Viewing angles arent good on the LG but I dont notice this at all in daily use.
Other points:
4)
Hardware buttons instead of touch (though the buttons arent that great but they do their job).
5)
Many free LG exclusive apps available.
6)
Hacking: Integrated MFG-tool with many options like a basic registry editor without unlocking (unlock works fine btw).
I bought an Optimus 7 and its working quite well. Second on my list was the Mozart which is also very nice, but I activated the capacitive search button by mistake all the time while testing.
Optimus 7 downsides:
-Headphone out has sligtly audible background noise, even more when on an active GPRS connection
-My device creaks a bit if you press it in between your fingers with force
-Pinkish spot in center of pictures taken with camera
-Supplied headphones are a piece of **** at least compared to my Koss Porta Pro
-First unit had broken bluetooth, had to send it in for repairs, now its ok
-Ringer volume is kinda low (no secondary speaker)

Related

Does the EVO have a stylus?

I've seen the fingers being used on the screen, and yes, this may be a dumb question, but watching the video again, I notice they never even mention a stylus.
well, no, it is a capacitive screen, there is no real need for a stylus, but i'm sure you could just buy one for the iphone and I'm sure it would work perfectly fine on the evo.
Honestly though, why you would think you even remotely need a stylus on such a huge beautiful screen, i don't know...
I "said" it was a dumb question
TickLe MY eLMo said:
well, no, it is a capacitive screen, there is no real need for a stylus, but i'm sure you could just buy one for the iphone and I'm sure it would work perfectly fine on the evo.
Honestly though, why you would think you even remotely need a stylus on such a huge beautiful screen, i don't know...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a TP2 now, it has a stylus and a touch screen.
Hey, I was just asking because I was curious and no one had seemed to mention it.
Nope, there is "NO" stylus thank goodness
TickLe MY eLMo said:
well, no, it is a capacitive screen, there is no real need for a stylus, but i'm sure you could just buy one for the iphone and I'm sure it would work perfectly fine on the evo.
Honestly though, why you would think you even remotely need a stylus on such a huge beautiful screen, i don't know...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm coming from the world of WinMo where I used a stylus to select text for cutting and pasting. How does one select text for cut & paste without a stylus?
DrawnToScale said:
I'm coming from the world of WinMo where I used a stylus to select text for cutting and pasting. How does one select text for cut & paste without a stylus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
go use an iphone to see how and ive cut and paste on an iphone pretty decently and the EVO will have a bigger screen so itll be easier to cut on that and the EVO is capacittive touch pro 2 is resistive if you dont know the difference google
your tp2 has a resistive screen which means it recognizes stylus and fingernails, capacitative screens do not.
blitzer320 said:
go use an iphone to see how and ive cut and paste on an iphone pretty decently and the EVO will have a bigger screen so itll be easier to cut on that and the EVO is capacittive touch pro 2 is resistive if you dont know the difference google
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man, one huge long run on sentence. Trust me though OP, it is easy, i forgot how to specifically do it on android, but i'm sure it's easy.
Joecrack305 said:
your tp2 has a resistive screen which means it recognizes stylus and fingernails, capacitative screens do not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and that is as far as we need to go
I don't like the feel of the resistive screens. This one is much much better.
Resistive screens you have to push harder usually, capacitive ones detect fingers much better and require a very slight touch, however they don't detect hard objects like a stylus and such.
When I first got my HD2, the capacitive screen was so sensitive, in comparison to my Blackstone, I went kind of nutty.....but, a Winmo application was posted trough good ol' XDA to adjust the sensitivity to personal preference.
Te EVO is bound to be the same. No fingernails, the capacitive screen requires the touch of the finger.
Also, I have a capacitive stylist.....big as a pencil and quite unnecessary.
sanjsrik said:
i've seen the fingers being used on the screen, and yes, this may be a dumb question, but watching the video again, i notice they never even mention a stylus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what!!!
Capacitive touch screen!!!
Stylus!!!
What!!!
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=does+the+evo+have+a+stylist
sorry but could not help myself........
wow, that was truly unhelpful
beerock said:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=does+the+evo+have+a+stylist
sorry but could not help myself........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did exactly what you said and guess what the first hit is, "XDA-Developers".
it was an honest question and admitting that it may have been a dumb one was my first comment. I truly don't understand how some people "think" they're funny when just ignoring a question that they may think they're "above" is the better non-response.
Don't assume you're the smartest person in the room and the other people didn't first search for the answer. Your OWN example turned up THIS post started by me.
If you don't want to help, that's one thing, if you think making fun of someone else makes you better, that's something else entirely.
THIS is why people sometimes are afraid to ask questions in these forums for fear that people like you will make fun of them.
No question is waste of time if it hasn't been asked before, which funny enough mine hadn't.
Joecrack305 said:
your tp2 has a resistive screen which means it recognizes stylus and fingernails, capacitative screens do not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if I may....
this is the touchscreen controller in the EVO
http://androidandme.com/2010/04/news/htc-incredible-and-evo-4g-to-feature-new-maxtouch-sensors/
http://www.atmel.com/products/touchscreens/default.asp?family_id=701&source=main_nav
Unlimited touches
Low power consumption
Fast response — completely redraws screen every 4/1000 of a second (4ms) to
eliminate recalibration issues
Excellent signal-to-noise ratio for superior precision — 3x better than competitive
products
Superior performance for first-touch response — 3x better than competitive
products
Unambiguous, unlimited touch support
Responsive user interface: > 250 Hz report rate for a single touch
Extremely low current consumption: < 1.8 mW in "touch-ready" state
Two touch adjacency of less than 10 mm on a 4.3 inch (10.9 cm) touchscreen
Small footprint with few external components
Supports stylus, fingernails, and gloves
Grip and face suppression functionality: avoids false touches
Size and angle of touch supported
Screen sizes up to 10.2 inches (25.9 cm) are supported by a single chip
Proximity channel support
also capacitive touchscreens can have stylus's....
http://www.eforcity.com/universal-touch-screen-stylus-for-apple-iphone-touch-black-dothxxxxst03.html
http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...iTouch-Models/3275019/product.html?rcmndsrc=2
sanjsrik said:
I did exactly what you said and guess what the first hit is, "XDA-Developers".
it was an honest question and admitting that it may have been a dumb one was my first comment. I truly don't understand how some people "think" they're funny when just ignoring a question that they may think they're "above" is the better non-response.
Don't assume you're the smartest person in the room and the other people didn't first search for the answer. Your OWN example turned up THIS post started by me.
If you don't want to help, that's one thing, if you think making fun of someone else makes you better, that's something else entirely.
THIS is why people sometimes are afraid to ask questions in these forums for fear that people like you will make fun of them.
No question is waste of time if it hasn't been asked before, which funny enough mine hadn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
relax killer, I didnt even look and see what came up plus I spelled stylus wrong anyway... I was just joking around hence the smiley.... But I noticed that isnt easy to do anymore
Ok since I upset the OP (unintentionally) I figured I would help.... here is what I found when I actually did a correct search....
http://www.google.com/search?btnG=1&pws=0&q=htc+EVO+stylus?
Hope it helps
johnsongrantr said:
if I may....
this is the touchscreen controller in the EVO
<urls removed due to my newbie status>
Unlimited touches
Low power consumption
Fast response — completely redraws screen every 4/1000 of a second (4ms) to
eliminate recalibration issues
Excellent signal-to-noise ratio for superior precision — 3x better than competitive
products
Superior performance for first-touch response — 3x better than competitive
products
Unambiguous, unlimited touch support
Responsive user interface: > 250 Hz report rate for a single touch
Extremely low current consumption: < 1.8 mW in "touch-ready" state
Two touch adjacency of less than 10 mm on a 4.3 inch (10.9 cm) touchscreen
Small footprint with few external components
Supports stylus, fingernails, and gloves
Grip and face suppression functionality: avoids false touches
Size and angle of touch supported
Screen sizes up to 10.2 inches (25.9 cm) are supported by a single chip
Proximity channel support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't use a stylus or fingernail on the Incredible and it was also rumored to be using the same touchscreen. So until someone who has access to a unit says it works, I wouldn't count on using a non-conductive mechanism to interact with the EVO 4G.
URABUS0924 said:
You can't use a stylus or fingernail on the Incredible and it was also rumored to be using the same touchscreen. So until someone who has access to a unit says it works, I wouldn't count on using a non-conductive mechanism to interact with the EVO 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guess the manufacturers of the controller are lying then

Screen Size of Galaxy Nexus vs. Epic 4G Touch

So here is the thing, so the screen size of the Nexus will be 4.6", is the actual usable part of the screen larger then our device?
What I mean, doesn't the buttons on the screen have to remain there all the time so in reality that part of the screen is not really usable for anything else. So it looks like you are not really getting any extra screen real estate you can use by having the buttons incorporated into the screen instead of the device.
Anyone see this any other way or am I missing something? If this is the case, it will really suck for smaller screens......
You are correct. From what I'm seeing the actual viewing screen is 4.3 inches do we imwill have a bigger screen in the end.
Sent From My Evo Killer!!!
[email protected] said:
So here is the thing, so the screen size of the Nexus will be 4.6", is the actual usable part of the screen larger then our device?
What I mean, doesn't the buttons on the screen have to remain there all the time so in reality that part of the screen is not really usable for anything else. So it looks like you are not really getting any extra screen real estate you can use by having the buttons incorporated into the screen instead of the device.
Anyone see this any other way or am I missing something? If this is the case, it will really suck for smaller screens......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, you are missing the fact that the menu buttons can be programmed to auto hide for most applications as the developer sees fit. I doubt you will see the menu buttons while playing games and watching videos, movies, etc.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G WTF BBQ
Off topic, kinda, I am dubious about placing the buttons onscreen. I haven't played with honeycomb much but with every iteration of android I've owned the screen occasionally freezes leaving only the capacitive buttons operative. If and when the screen freezes in ics will the onscreen buttons remain inoperable? If so, I'm a little glad I got one of the last phones with separate buttons.
You've been Epicly Touched
Jesse Buck said:
Off topic, kinda, I am dubious about placing the buttons onscreen. I haven't played with honeycomb much but with every iteration of android I've owned the screen occasionally freezes leaving only the capacitive buttons operative. If and when the screen freezes in ics will the onscreen buttons remain inoperable? If so, I'm a little glad I got one of the last phones with separate buttons.
You've been Epicly Touched
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a Nook Color...no hardware buttons (aside from power and volume) except home. So we get on-screen ones.
In situations like you describe they still work just fine. Those capacitive buttons are just a piece of the screen with no, well, screen under it. Same digitizer. I wouldn't worry about it.
The most recent leaked specs are pretty underwhelming, pretty much only the HD screen is a real upgrade and even then it's going to be curved (wtf) and smaller, harder to read text. The Prime is more of a sidegrade than anything, and not a very appealing one at that. I'm sticking with my galaxy II
Transmission sent from a Galaxy S II with XDA Premium.
Pheno.menon said:
The most recent leaked specs are pretty underwhelming, pretty much only the HD screen is a real upgrade and even then it's going to be curved (wtf) and smaller, harder to read text. The Prime is more of a sidegrade than anything, and not a very appealing one at that. I'm sticking with my galaxy II
Transmission sent from a Galaxy S II with XDA Premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly
Samsung is going to make the galaxy for google and its users will benefit from having updates asap and vanilla android; however the galaxy S series is samsung's flagship. The galaxy S3 will be the next real upgrade from our devices.
Pheno.menon said:
The most recent leaked specs are pretty underwhelming, pretty much only the HD screen is a real upgrade and even then it's going to be curved (wtf) and smaller, harder to read text. The Prime is more of a sidegrade than anything, and not a very appealing one at that. I'm sticking with my galaxy II
Transmission sent from a Galaxy S II with XDA Premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the recently leaked specs. The last I saw it had a 4.6" screen.
HondaCop said:
Yea, you are missing the fact that the menu buttons can be programmed to auto hide for most applications as the developer sees fit. I doubt you will see the menu buttons while playing games and watching videos, movies, etc.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G WTF BBQ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my galaxy tab 10.1 it was the same concept with using on screen keys only and they never once dissapeared. There are threads and people rooting just to try and get the buttons to move off screen during video playback and such. Idk. We will sure find out wont we? But ya I think for the most part the buttons will always be on the screen 90% of the time
I've been looking at galaxy nexus videos for the last couple of days and the software key area does not look capable of using that area for anything but those keys. The screen looks like it ends before the keys.
The most recent leaked specs are pretty underwhelming, pretty much only the HD screen is a real upgrade and even then it's going to be curved (wtf) and smaller, harder to read text. The Prime is more of a sidegrade than anything, and not a very appealing one at that. I'm sticking with my galaxy II
Transmission sent from a Galaxy S II with XDA Premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree as well. This phone feels like a mini tablet. If the screen resolution is better, hopefully they put a bigger battery to balance it out. It would make a difference right? Higher Res equals more battery use? Anyhow I love this phone. It is not going anywhere. I can't find anything (other than LOS) which I never get on pulled stock kernel. Wifi range is better than OG Epic, battery great, Bluetooth connects properly, Everything works and works well for me
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
daneurysm said:
I've got a Nook Color...no hardware buttons (aside from power and volume) except home. So we get on-screen ones.
In situations like you describe they still work just fine. Those capacitive buttons are just a piece of the screen with no, well, screen under it. Same digitizer. I wouldn't worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is actual screen underneath those buttons. Idk if you've seen any of the demos but when doing thing like playing games or watching media those buttons disappear completely leaving you with a 4.65 inch hd screen. Another plus point is that they'll be context sensitive. So the dev of a given app can change them to fit your needs at any given time. I may be striking out from the crowd here but I'm actually totally in favor of then on screen keys. One of the most attractive features of the gnex in my opinion is the bezel to bezel screen.
Bezel to Bezel screen would be t*ts
depends what u mean besides the capacitive buttons the nexus still has more room density wise
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
Isn't this phone out?
It's a joke phone with the newest OS.
MaliceOmega said:
There is actual screen underneath those buttons. Idk if you've seen any of the demos but when doing thing like playing games or watching media those buttons disappear completely leaving you with a 4.65 inch hd screen. Another plus point is that they'll be context sensitive. So the dev of a given app can change them to fit your needs at any given time. I may be striking out from the crowd here but I'm actually totally in favor of then on screen keys. One of the most attractive features of the gnex in my opinion is the bezel to bezel screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mean to sound like a ****, but, I'm not sure what your point is. I agree with you 100%. My only point was that on-screen buttons were no different than our current setup, as they are digitizer driven just the same (meaning that our buttons are the same on on-screen buttons except there is no screen underneath them and that their reliability in 'locked up' circumstances is not to be a concern.)
Also, addressing OP's main question, if you do the math....given the resolution and subpixel division between both phones we have, roughly, the identical panel but with a slightly different sub-pixel division. We have an absolutely identical sub-pixel amount...sure, they have less sub-pixels and we have more, but, they have more resolution and we have less. It's the same panel configured with a slightly different sub-pixel arrangement...so...for all intents and purposes consider our screen size identical. 0.10" is nothing to worry about.
nabbed said:
Isn't this phone out?
It's a joke phone with the newest OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kinda agree, the phone itself isn't all that. I felt the same way with the nexus s also.
The other cool thing is that the buttons rotate to the bottom of the screen when you flip between portrait and landscape
phatmanxxl said:
I kinda agree, the phone itself isn't all that. I felt the same way with the nexus s also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that. I'm not too fond of the 16:9 aspect ratio on the GN compared to the screen ratio on our device. I think we have the superior hardware.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/17/2568348/galaxy-nexus-review
Of course the new Galaxy Nexus has a better screen. It will look the same size as ours but will be a lot higher resolution. The screen is better on the Nexus and it is the one thing, other than ICS, I wish the SGS2 had. The Nexus and SGS2 have almost exactly the same physical footprint so it doesn't feel different than ours but you get more screen real estate when you need it (games, movies, internet, etc.). The people complaining about the 16x9 are off because the only time it seems like that is when you are in a movie or game and then 16x9 is great because it's like an HDTV. The area the SGS2 excels are the Camera and the processor. I don't know how anyone on here can argue that our older, lower res screen is in any way better than the new 720p Galaxy Nexus.

Too big

So I have waited and waited for this thing to launch. Constant out of memory issues on my ageing Desire but I have held out.
My big fear was that when this launched it would be huge.
And it is
So is this too big. Perhaps going for a Nexus S (which should get ICS soon anyway) would be the way to go but then with that big screen comes a big resolution and does that mean ICS is going to be sub par on anything with a smaller resolution display.
Choices choices choices.
Just buy SGS2 then it still is the best phone out there.
Remix2011 said:
Just buy SGS2 then it still is the best phone out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SGSII is just about the same size as the GN....maybe a TINY bit smaller...
You gotta remember that the Galaxy Nexus has no capacitive buttons, and a very small bezel along the screen. It's essentially the size of a standard 4 in phone. I wouldn't worry so much about the size.
Jaredsk74 said:
You gotta remember that the Galaxy Nexus has no capacitive buttons, and a very small bezel along the screen. It's essentially the size of a standard 4 in phone. I wouldn't worry so much about the size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a standard 4" phone. Maybe closer to a 4.3-4.4" phone.
SGSII:
125.3 mm (4.93 in) H
66.1 mm (2.60 in) W
8.49–9.91 mm (0.334–0.390 in) D
GN:
135.5 mm (5.33 in) H
67.94 mm (2.675 in) W
8.94 mm (0.352 in) D
It's bigger than the SGSII, and the SGSII is a big phone (but thin, which IMO is actually worse because it's HUGE and absurdly thin at the same time).
The typical 4" phone is quite a bit smaller, and for me, more comfortable. Although the Amaze does fit pretty nice in the hand it itself is fairly massive.
Basically, what they did was take the body of the SGSII, take out the buttons and throw a .35" larger screen in there, while making the phone itself about 10mm longer, 1mm wider and even slightly thinner than the thickest of SGSII's but towards the top end. Note that the depth measurements are at the thinnest point of each phone. The phone has the same size screen and resolution as the SGSII HD which was announced for Korea in late September.
But the GN tapers to 11mm which is thicker than the thickest point on the GSII
@MARK said:
So I have waited and waited for this thing to launch. Constant out of memory issues on my ageing Desire but I have held out.
My big fear was that when this launched it would be huge.
And it is
So is this too big. Perhaps going for a Nexus S (which should get ICS soon anyway) would be the way to go but then with that big screen comes a big resolution and does that mean ICS is going to be sub par on anything with a smaller resolution display.
Choices choices choices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I can't believe you're unsatisfied with your Desire... I'm still on a milestone but if you can I would say wait until the SSG3 or a newer phone with better specs if you are unsatisfied with the underwhelming specs (e.g. 4 yrs old gpu). Or if you just want a smaller phone look at the SSG2 but don't just neglect the Galaxy Nexus because of how it looks on video, when it goes on display in stores you should head to your local best buy (or whichever store will have it on display near you) and at least try it out and get a feel for the phone. Just my 2 cents
@MARK said:
So I have waited and waited for this thing to launch. Constant out of memory issues on my ageing Desire but I have held out.
My big fear was that when this launched it would be huge.
And it is
So is this too big. Perhaps going for a Nexus S (which should get ICS soon anyway) would be the way to go but then with that big screen comes a big resolution and does that mean ICS is going to be sub par on anything with a smaller resolution display.
Choices choices choices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you, I think it will be too big. It might not be as big as it sounds, but it will be a large phone, and once you add a case....
If it was 1/2 an inch smaller in height I'd be robbing old people right now to get some cash together for it. But the 5+" height leaves me a little ambivalent, I really dig the form factor of my Nexus One.
@MARK said:
My big fear was that when this launched it would be huge.
And it is
So is this too big.
Choices choices choices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- & Thats what she said
insane08 said:
- & Thats what she said
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Way to bump an almost yr old thread. Good job broseph:good:

Lumia 900 Review and Discussion

Got the phone two days ago, have been using it a bit since then, here are some general pros/cons, with a more detailed write up following some more use. Hopefully this can help some people make a decision on whether to purchase or keep the phone themselves. I will not comment on the software (most newer WP7 phones work just about the same here), aside from the Nokia specific apps/stuff.
Anyway, I have read probably two dozen Lumia 900 reviews, and everyone seems to have their own opinion (with some general themes shared amongst them), so here is mine:
Pros
Build quality is fantastic, best phone I have ever held. Feels amazing and snug in your hand. I am a fan of the square look, as opposed to the rounded edges of most devices. I actually prefer the Flash to the Focus S in that respect.
Built in speaker is loud, much louder than my Focus S, which is nice, but maybe a little "tin-ey"
Call quality is amazing, and signal strength is better than my Focus S (plus the 4G in MD really flys)
Screen looks fantastic (indoors). Blacks are inky black, colors pop, whites are less blue than the Focus S, and it seems to be brighter too. I don't understand how someone could choose an SLCD over this display. Sit them side by side (the Titan II in my case), and the colors just look pathetic.
With that said, looking at text is fine. Don't let PPI pundits fool you, you cannot tell a difference between say the Nexus and the 900 (partially because the Nexus uses the dreadful pentile). You really do not need HD resolutions on a 4" display, unless you plan on holding it inches from your face, which is just silly (@ a distance of ~10in, your eye can no longer tell the difference between HD and non-HD on a 4.3in screen, and its only about 7in on an iPhone sized screen). And don't even mention the iPhone, comparatively its like looking at a postage stamp, no thanks!
Auto adjust screen intensity actually works well
Nokia apps are great, especially Drive and ESPN
Color is sexy. An identical theme choice would have been sweet.
Chrome finish on the surrounding lens area is nice
Battery life, holy cow, is great. I am on day two of mild use and am still at 50% battery.
Capacitive buttons have a slightly different feedback to them than I am used to, I like it. They are also slightly more difficult to trigger, which is actually a good thing.
Slightly newer OS version
Nokia specific theme is much better than the default blue
Some Nokia specific sounds, which are generally improvements to the default ones
VVM! The phone has you set it up on first boot, so I assume(hope) it works!
Price, hell yea, I made $80 on this phone!!!
Cons
Bevel around the screen (I hate it, hurts my ear, my biggest gripe)
Speaker can be too loud at low volume settings
Can't seem to get my gmail to sync (very weird, I will need to get this fixed ASAP). All other syncing has worked just fine.
Location and size of lens and chrome is odd, your fingers are always on them when holding the device. Could gunk up that area quickly.
Weird sim card slot (its not terrible, its just strange, not in a good way). Silly Sim card remover (basically a souped up paper clip)
Non-removable battery, though I would gladly give this up for the build quality and design
Its a bit heavy and large. Not extremely so, just more so than expected. I think the device footprint could have been smaller, and I am not sure why it weighs what it does to be honest.
Screen scrolling does not feel quite as responsive as some other models. What I mean by this is scrolling seems to be slower, and you can't really throw it in one direction and have it scroll rapidly through a list quite as fast as I was used to.
Off white capacitive buttons, that do not brighten up like some other models
Pre-installed Tango needs to be replaced do allow for non-WiFi calling
Outdoor screen performance not as awesome as I expected. Don't get me wrong, its better than the Focus S, its just not all I thought it would be. I expected near indifferent performance indoors vs. out, with the hype the display received, but that is not the case.
I am not a fan of the button placement. It will take some getting used to. I have large hands, so the power button where it is is really a strain on my thumb to reach.
I can't really comment on the camera, because I have not used it much. Though what I have heard is the screen itself does not do the images justice. So do not judge their quality until you get them off the device, onto a computer or printed out. Hopefully a software update can address any deficiencies here.
Even though the specs are similar, I consider this a significant upgrade from my Focus S, both in quality, design, and features.
Hopefully this is useful information. And hopefully some more details should be incoming. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Good post emjlr3.
Since we're being honest here, I'll add a couple of gripes to the thread.
Apparant lack of Visual Voicemail. (since found out it is wrongly provisioned account and a call to the ATT rep or online chat will resolve it)
Sim card slot does not sit perfectly frush after inserting sim.
Was surprised at the lack of things in the box. (earphones, instruction manual)
The placement of the mini usb. (I prefer bottom mounted. I suppose we'll never be able to use any music dock easily, etc?)
This is also just my personal opinion. I think it's a great phone. Beautiful and slick. Hope it holds up as well as my HD7 did.
has anyone noticed the purplish reflectance when in direct sunlight?
seems to only happen when I can actually see the suns reflection on the phone screen, and I see what look to be purple sun rays off a few random directions - I guess it must have something to do with the special coating.

Should I move from the Note 3 to LG G3?

I currently have the Note 3 and even though I have to admit, it is an awesome phone when it's rooted and loaded with a custom ROM/Kernel. With that being said, I just don't use the features that make the phone different to the rest, such as the stylus.
I could say that maybe 3-4 times, I've used the stylus, that's it. And lately the dropped calls and the phone as a whole, is getting bit long on the tooth.
Seeing that I really don't need a stylus and the phone is I want to say, a "tad" too big for my hands; is the LG G3 a good phone to switch to?
Would it be an upgrade for me? Or more like a lateral move or perhaps even a downgrade?
Suggestions, advices?
BTW, is it hard to root the LG G3?
I have a note 3 and in the same boat as you. I absolutely despise amoled screens and that's the reason I want to move to lg g3. However, I don't know how I feel about the back minted buttons add I often use my phone on the desk and back mounted buttons can be an issue
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
I've had all 3 Notes. I loved the phone. I didn't use the S-Pen that much either. I bought the Note 1, 2 and 3 purely on specs and screen size. Other manufacturers kept an eye on the Note sales and seen they were doing good. Now there is plenty of competition in the 5.5" plus category. If you switched from the Note 3 to to the LG G3 I really don't think you would be disappointed. It's a sweet device. Especially the knock on knock off for the screen.
---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------
nohcho said:
I have a note 3 and in the same boat as you. I absolutely despise amoled screens and that's the reason I want to move to lg g3. However, I don't know how I feel about the back minted buttons add I often use my phone on the desk and back mounted buttons can be an issue
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO issue at all, you can tap to turn on screen, as well as turn it off, there is a option for a volume slider in the notification area. I hardly ever use the buttons.
I cant speak for the note 3 but i do love my g3. The specs are better than the note 3 and it doesnt feel as bulky. Only thing the note 3 has is 64 gb opposed to 32 gb memory. But throw an sd card in and your good. The screen on the g3 is awesome plus the camera is pretty legit too. Hope this helps
Sent from my LGLS990 using XDA Free mobile app
nohcho said:
I have a note 3 and in the same boat as you. I absolutely despise amoled screens and that's the reason I want to move to lg g3. However, I don't know how I feel about the back minted buttons add I often use my phone on the desk and back mounted buttons can be an issue
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
budco2000 said:
I've had all 3 Notes. I loved the phone. I didn't use the S-Pen that much either. I bought the Note 1, 2 and 3 purely on specs and screen size. Other manufacturers kept an eye on the Note sales and seen they were doing good. Now there is plenty of competition in the 5.5" plus category. If you switched from the Note 3 to to the LG G3 I really don't think you would be disappointed. It's a sweet device. Especially the knock on knock off for the screen.
---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------
NO issue at all, you can tap to turn on screen, as well as turn it off, there is a option for a volume slider in the notification area. I hardly ever use the buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
AviatorBimmer said:
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also a fan of AMOLED. I like the deep blacks and the vibrant colors. The G3 LCD screen is not bad at all. I've had the last 2 generations of the Nexus 7 so I'm used to both screen types.
AviatorBimmer said:
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I do agree that amoled screens display deep blacks and all, but thats just part of a story. The fact still stands that amoled screens aee not very accurate color reproducesrs, blue whites, power consuption when displaying anything other than dark colors, burn in issues.
People love deep blacks beacause those pixels are completely shut of. But oversaturation is an issue that still persists on amoled screens. So thos are my gripes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
nohcho said:
While I do agree that amoled screens display deep blacks and all, but thats just part of a story. The fact still stands that amoled screens aee not very accurate color reproducesrs, blue whites, power consuption when displaying anything other than dark colors, burn in issues.
People love deep blacks beacause those pixels are completely shut of. But oversaturation is an issue that still persists on amoled screens. So thos are my gripes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that and those are valid concerns, though I don't hold those high in my list of things when it comes to displays. Personally, I will look for perfection when it comes to the projector in my home cinema which powers my 135", 16:9 screen. For the occasional movie or show I might watch on a 5" screen, I don't worry about oversaturation or if the color hue is a bit off. But that is just me and I respect your opinion.
I got the Note 3 with Sprint as soon as it came out last year, Oct 2013. I was the same as you and only used the stylus for a few months before I didn't use it anymore, just didn't really need to or remembered that I had it. The Note 3, with my added case, was a bit too bulky in my hand and my hands are large. After a while of holding it while reading the news or books, my hand would start to cramp. It's a nice phone but just a tad too large to hold and carry in one's pocket.
Holding the G3 is a A LOT better and easier over the Note 3 and the screen is just about as large (0.2" smaller IIRC from the Note 3). It feels a lot more comfortable, even with the a tad bulky Supcase Beetle case on it. Makes a helluva difference on the train, holding the phone in one hand and the pole in the other.
Though, it was a bit unusual to get use to the G3 colors and screen, coming from the extremely saturated Note 3 AMOLED, especially since I had kept it on extra saturated mode (forgot it was on that) for months. The G3 screen looks a bit washed out compared to the Note 3, but you get use to it after a week, as I did. It did win an award for best RGB color representation, if that matters to you.
As with you, I left Sprint due to the very poor coverage, bad call quality and dropped calls. Tmo is much, much better and the G3 call quality is great, especially when it even tells you on a call if the call is HD Voice or not, it'll let you know. It does have Wi-Fi calling and it *might* get the VoLTE later this year if you're in a market with it or soon will be.
I did root my G3 with Purple Drake and it was the easiest root ever I have ever done with rooting my phones in the past 5yrs over seven separate device models since I started rooting, and it's just unbelievably easy and quick to do with the G3 and thecubed's Windows zip. You won't realize it till you actually root it and go "Wow, that was easy."
Also, I changed the DPI on my two G3's to 560 and the screen is much better to navigate and doesn't look so cluttered over the 640 stock DPI, looks much more streamlined and smooth, but you can change it from 530-640 for your tastes. It's a great screen, but the icons are a bit too large and the Notification panel needs to be scrolled once you just get a few popups, but the new DPI fixes that.
There is an app called G3 Tweaksbox that unlocks and lets you modify PLENTY of features and more on the G3 after you root it and install the Xposed installer. I am still using the free version but will be buying the premium ($1.50), as there are plenty more features unlocked with it and very well seems worth it.
Even with the lack of a full ROM for the Tmo G3 so far, the G3 Tweaksbox makes it almost negligible with the features is gives.
The G3 feels just as smooth as the Note 3 and once I cleaned off the bloatware and other programs and processes, it runs smooth and purrs with battery life comparable to the Note 3. I always had my Note 3 on 100% brightness and I'm getting the same battery life on the G3 with the same settings and all on it.
Coming from the Note 3 to the G3, it does take a little learning curve with the rear buttons, cause I kept reaching for the side power button or the hard Home button. But, once you get use to the buttons and layout, it's a wonder you never thought of this layout earlier.
Add in the Knock-On and you're going to be using it nonstop. The one part I did find a bit annoying was when I had my phone flat on the desk all day, face up, I couldn't access the power button to restart. But, I just installed QuickBoot and dropped a widget for Reboot and use that for a super quick restart without having to flip or pickup the phone.
It's good and it's snappy, I don't think you'll be disppointed but not entirely sure you'll be wow'd by it, coming from the Note 3. If you were coming from a earlier generation phone (like the HTC One M7, that my wife had), you'll be really surprised by it, as she was.
But I haven't complained about it, so that, in my opinion, makes it good, because if it wasn't, I would be swapping it for another device.
The one thing you might not like is the extra sharpening on the text that LG did for some extremely odd reason. It only appears with a semi dark background, like white text on gray or vice versa, the text gets a halo effect. You can find plenty of threads about that on here, it's not too distracting and you get use to it after a while, but it's not overly distracting or straining.
That's my opinion on it, if you root and clean up the bloatware and make some easy changes, I think you'll be happy with the phone and what it can and will do.
Any other questions, I'll try and answer them if I can.
AviatorBimmer said:
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One major concern of AMOLED is burn.
Fortunately, I did not have any even after 9 months of use (some look pretty bad on G Flex).
JustLok said:
I got the Note 3 with Sprint as soon as it came out last year, Oct 2013. I was the same as you and only used the stylus for a few months before I didn't use it anymore, just didn't really need to or remembered that I had it. The Note 3, with my added case, was a bit too bulky in my hand and my hands are large. After a while of holding it while reading the news or books, my hand would start to cramp. It's a nice phone but just a tad too large to hold and carry in one's pocket.
Holding the G3 is a A LOT better and easier over the Note 3 and the screen is just about as large (0.2" smaller IIRC from the Note 3). It feels a lot more comfortable, even with the a tad bulky Supcase Beetle case on it. Makes a helluva difference on the train, holding the phone in one hand and the pole in the other.
Though, it was a bit unusual to get use to the G3 colors and screen, coming from the extremely saturated Note 3 AMOLED, especially since I had kept it on extra saturated mode (forgot it was on that) for months. The G3 screen looks a bit washed out compared to the Note 3, but you get use to it after a week, as I did. It did win an award for best RGB color representation, if that matters to you.
As with you, I left Sprint due to the very poor coverage, bad call quality and dropped calls. Tmo is much, much better and the G3 call quality is great, especially when it even tells you on a call if the call is HD Voice or not, it'll let you know. It does have Wi-Fi calling and it *might* get the VoLTE later this year if you're in a market with it or soon will be.
I did root my G3 with Purple Drake and it was the easiest root ever I have ever done with rooting my phones in the past 5yrs over seven separate device models since I started rooting, and it's just unbelievably easy and quick to do with the G3 and thecubed's Windows zip. You won't realize it till you actually root it and go "Wow, that was easy."
Also, I changed the DPI on my two G3's to 560 and the screen is much better to navigate and doesn't look so cluttered over the 640 stock DPI, looks much more streamlined and smooth, but you can change it from 530-640 for your tastes. It's a great screen, but the icons are a bit too large and the Notification panel needs to be scrolled once you just get a few popups, but the new DPI fixes that.
There is an app called G3 Tweaksbox that unlocks and lets you modify PLENTY of features and more on the G3 after you root it and install the Xposed installer. I am still using the free version but will be buying the premium ($1.50), as there are plenty more features unlocked with it and very well seems worth it.
Even with the lack of a full ROM for the Tmo G3 so far, the G3 Tweaksbox makes it almost negligible with the features is gives.
The G3 feels just as smooth as the Note 3 and once I cleaned off the bloatware and other programs and processes, it runs smooth and purrs with battery life comparable to the Note 3. I always had my Note 3 on 100% brightness and I'm getting the same battery life on the G3 with the same settings and all on it.
Coming from the Note 3 to the G3, it does take a little learning curve with the rear buttons, cause I kept reaching for the side power button or the hard Home button. But, once you get use to the buttons and layout, it's a wonder you never thought of this layout earlier.
Add in the Knock-On and you're going to be using it nonstop. The one part I did find a bit annoying was when I had my phone flat on the desk all day, face up, I couldn't access the power button to restart. But, I just installed QuickBoot and dropped a widget for Reboot and use that for a super quick restart without having to flip or pickup the phone.
It's good and it's snappy, I don't think you'll be disppointed but not entirely sure you'll be wow'd by it, coming from the Note 3. If you were coming from a earlier generation phone (like the HTC One M7, that my wife had), you'll be really surprised by it, as she was.
But I haven't complained about it, so that, in my opinion, makes it good, because if it wasn't, I would be swapping it for another device.
The one thing you might not like is the extra sharpening on the text that LG did for some extremely odd reason. It only appears with a semi dark background, like white text on gray or vice versa, the text gets a halo effect. You can find plenty of threads about that on here, it's not too distracting and you get use to it after a while, but it's not overly distracting or straining.
That's my opinion on it, if you root and clean up the bloatware and make some easy changes, I think you'll be happy with the phone and what it can and will do.
Any other questions, I'll try and answer them if I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW, thanks for taking the time for writing up such a nice and elaborate post. [emoji2]
I will definitely swing by TMO and check it out in person.
From what it seems, there really isn't even a need to install a custom ROM on it. With that app you mentioned, you can tweak your rooted phone and leave it running like a nicely, streamlined, custom ROM, sort of speak. Kudos for that.
Thanks again, buddy!
BTW, is the UI way better than TouchWiz?
I also came from Note 3.
The hardware is far superior than other high end models, but only G3 is comparable.
I don't want M8 because the battery is not removable (I have to replace battery once sometimes).
The reason why I jumped ship is Samsung's attitude. N900T only supports six languages and there's no other "hidden" languages. I am absolutely fine with English, but I'd prefer Trad Chinese interface (my native), but G3 has a lot of different languages even with Japanese and Arabic.
Note 3 screen is good and the contrast is unlimited, but G3 isn't bad at all. The only downside is mine has "cold" tint under outdoor sunlight. Viewing angle on G3 is pretty close to 180 degree without discoloration.
Even the screen is slightly smaller than Note 3, the total size of G3 is smaller and easier to handle (I have big palm and I can hold Note 8 with single hand).
Tap to wake (Knock on) is a pretty useful feature which I just tap twice to wake the phone though I just press home button on Note 3 to wake, but pressing home button causes some mis-operation sometimes in the bag.
Battery is slightly better on Note 3 (3.2Ah vs 3Ah), but it doesn't matter much because the battery is removable.
Both supports FAT64/SDXC.
Note 3 supports MHL2.0 but G3 does not, but Chromecast comes handy if you want to mirror screen to TV.
Calling quality on G3 is second to none. Wi-Fi calling on G3 is same as with cellular; Note 3, on the other hand, Wi-Fi calling is BAD (fading voice, chopping, distortion).
Though VoLTE isn't available on G3 at this time, I'd disable it because I hear nothing with VoLTE where the network is busy, so I have to use UMTS for cellular calling instead.
USB3 does not have much advantage on Note 3. If you have 2A or higher USB power supply, you can't tell the difference when charging.
Speakerphone and music playback is much louder on G3 (this reminds me S3 day which has exceptional speaker quality) than Note 3.
G3 can get hot easily when browsing internet continuously or playing CPU intensive games. It's same problem as S3 but G3 has thermal throttling. Note 3 seldom has overheat problem.
Music playback quality over headphones G3 is better with 192kbps ogg than Note 3, but the music may stutter (it's rare) when the unit is acquiring signal while Note 3 does not have such problem.
Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Star Wars II cannot be downloaded from Play Store, but it works fine after sideloading.
I personally prefer G3 over Note 3 though both have top notch hardware.
Good to hear all different inputs. I'm still undecided though. Note 3 is a serious piece of equipment that still holds up very well. But the smaller size on g3 May win me over as the Note 3 is just stupid big.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Awesome thread so far!!! Nothing better than to read experiences from people just like me and in a similar situation. I agree, the decision is tough because the Note 3 is no slouch! LOL
JustLok said:
I got the Note 3 with Sprint as soon as it came out last year, Oct 2013. I was the same as you and only used the stylus for a few months before I didn't use it anymore, just didn't really need to or remembered that I had it. The Note 3, with my added case, was a bit too bulky in my hand and my hands are large. After a while of holding it while reading the news or books, my hand would start to cramp. It's a nice phone but just a tad too large to hold and carry in one's pocket.
Holding the G3 is a A LOT better and easier over the Note 3 and the screen is just about as large (0.2" smaller IIRC from the Note 3). It feels a lot more comfortable, even with the a tad bulky Supcase Beetle case on it. Makes a helluva difference on the train, holding the phone in one hand and the pole in the other.
Though, it was a bit unusual to get use to the G3 colors and screen, coming from the extremely saturated Note 3 AMOLED, especially since I had kept it on extra saturated mode (forgot it was on that) for months. The G3 screen looks a bit washed out compared to the Note 3, but you get use to it after a week, as I did. It did win an award for best RGB color representation, if that matters to you.
As with you, I left Sprint due to the very poor coverage, bad call quality and dropped calls. Tmo is much, much better and the G3 call quality is great, especially when it even tells you on a call if the call is HD Voice or not, it'll let you know. It does have Wi-Fi calling and it *might* get the VoLTE later this year if you're in a market with it or soon will be.
I did root my G3 with Purple Drake and it was the easiest root ever I have ever done with rooting my phones in the past 5yrs over seven separate device models since I started rooting, and it's just unbelievably easy and quick to do with the G3 and thecubed's Windows zip. You won't realize it till you actually root it and go "Wow, that was easy."
Also, I changed the DPI on my two G3's to 560 and the screen is much better to navigate and doesn't look so cluttered over the 640 stock DPI, looks much more streamlined and smooth, but you can change it from 530-640 for your tastes. It's a great screen, but the icons are a bit too large and the Notification panel needs to be scrolled once you just get a few popups, but the new DPI fixes that.
There is an app called G3 Tweaksbox that unlocks and lets you modify PLENTY of features and more on the G3 after you root it and install the Xposed installer. I am still using the free version but will be buying the premium ($1.50), as there are plenty more features unlocked with it and very well seems worth it.
Even with the lack of a full ROM for the Tmo G3 so far, the G3 Tweaksbox makes it almost negligible with the features is gives.
The G3 feels just as smooth as the Note 3 and once I cleaned off the bloatware and other programs and processes, it runs smooth and purrs with battery life comparable to the Note 3. I always had my Note 3 on 100% brightness and I'm getting the same battery life on the G3 with the same settings and all on it.
Coming from the Note 3 to the G3, it does take a little learning curve with the rear buttons, cause I kept reaching for the side power button or the hard Home button. But, once you get use to the buttons and layout, it's a wonder you never thought of this layout earlier.
Add in the Knock-On and you're going to be using it nonstop. The one part I did find a bit annoying was when I had my phone flat on the desk all day, face up, I couldn't access the power button to restart. But, I just installed QuickBoot and dropped a widget for Reboot and use that for a super quick restart without having to flip or pickup the phone.
It's good and it's snappy, I don't think you'll be disppointed but not entirely sure you'll be wow'd by it, coming from the Note 3. If you were coming from a earlier generation phone (like the HTC One M7, that my wife had), you'll be really surprised by it, as she was.
But I haven't complained about it, so that, in my opinion, makes it good, because if it wasn't, I would be swapping it for another device.
The one thing you might not like is the extra sharpening on the text that LG did for some extremely odd reason. It only appears with a semi dark background, like white text on gray or vice versa, the text gets a halo effect. You can find plenty of threads about that on here, it's not too distracting and you get use to it after a while, but it's not overly distracting or straining.
That's my opinion on it, if you root and clean up the bloatware and make some easy changes, I think you'll be happy with the phone and what it can and will do.
Any other questions, I'll try and answer them if I can.
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What did you use to change your DPI. I want to try 560 as well. Not sure if I should use an app, xposed, or just change it in the build prop with root explorer
budco2000 said:
What did you use to change your DPI. I want to try 560 as well. Not sure if I should use an app, xposed, or just change it in the build prop with root explorer
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W A R N I N G:
MAKE SURE YOU BACKUP YOUR DEVICE!!!!!
Once you have you phone rooted, edit build.prop the following line:
Code:
ro.sf.lcd_density=640
to
Code:
ro.sf.lcd_density=560
I am currently using the Nexus 5 and looking at changing to the G3. I have used this program to change the dpi size on the nexus 5. It might work on the G3
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.texdroider.texdroider_dpi
I agree with @JustLok and @mingkee.
I had two Note 3s. The first one would not hold a signal at my house, and I live 25 minutes from downtown Houston. The second Note 3 was no better. So I decided to switch to another OEM. The G3 is a little easier to use one-handed. I always used two hands with the Note 3 because I was afraid I would drop it. But I can comfortably use the G3 with one hand.
As others have noted, the G3 colors are not nearly as saturated as AMOLEDs, but you probably won't miss that after a few days. I had a GNex, Galaxy S3, Note 2 and Note 3, and I don't miss the overblown colors (but I do miss the inky blacks). I got my G3 on release day and have not had any overheating issues, but I don't play a lot of heavy 3D games.
Rooting the G3 is brain-dead simple, thanks to PurpleDrake. And spending $1.50 for the full version of G3 TweaksBox is a no-brainer too. If you used Wanam Xposed on the Note 3, then G3 TweaksBox is an absolute must have. Most people spend that much on soda or junk food every day, so $1.50 is a bargain for something that enhances your phone every day.
Call quality is exceptional, especially on Wi-Fi. UI lag is virtually nonexistent if you install a good launcher like Nova and reduce window animations (under main settings > Dev Options)
Battery life is good, but not the best. My Note 2 and Note 3 had slightly better battery, but the G3 lasts all day, so that is really all I need. I think the Note 3 and Galaxy S5 have better cameras, but the G3 is very close.
In the end, it just depends on your priorities. If you like the extra Note features, then stick with the Note 3 or wait for the Note 4. But if you want something a little more compact without sacrificing screen size, and runs all day without lag, then the G3 deserves a look.
After having the G3 for a few weeks now and on my 2nd one since the first one was a lemon. I don't regret it at all. It's actually easier to hold one handed compared to the N3, battery isn't as good as a N3 and IMHO I prefer the AMOLED screen more. But the G3 is still a very good device and the keyboard is awesome.
What I miss the most from the N3 is the stylus for work and SHealth. I wished LG Health was similar to SHealth is all the options it has but it does its one job very good.
G3 is worth the purchase of you're looking for something different.
Not to be a sick in the mud but the note 4 release isn't too far away, I would wait to see what they offer. I am thinking of getting the g3 as well if the note 4 doesn't wow me.

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