Temporarily using a Blackberry 9650 while I decide which phone I want to buy. Had the EVO LTE for a few weeks last month and I enjoyed it, but did notice a couple of glaring performance issues mainly when heavily multi-tasking. I'm going to walk into the Sprint store today and have some hands-on with the GS3 to see if I can replicate these kinds of problems on it also (seeing as they run the same SoC).
So what made you pick one over the other? The main reason I'm leaning toward the GS3 now is because of the 2gb of RAM, which makes it seem a little more future proof. The EVO LTE looks and feels better, and also has a better camera (although I really don't like HTC's camera software). The screens are both great. Another thing that really worries me about the GS3 is radio/GPS issues. The EVO LTE was great in this department, and historically this hasn't been Samsung's strongpoint, so if anyone who has the phone and would like to chime in please feel free!
Sorry if this gets asked a lot, and I know that "just try them both and pick whichever you prefer" seems best for most, but I'm the type of person that also likes to get opinions from other techies, just in case there's something I'm overlooking
I heard the EVO has a "reboot problem" in the OS, causing it to randomly reboot often. As far as hardware goes, the EVO might just have the upper hand (I'm speaking mostly due to camera).
What contributes to the opinion that the camera is better on the EVO? I feel quite the opposite. I hear the new Sense is like dropping anchor at full speed. I also bow to the mighty God Odin, fixer of bootloops restorer of stock roms. I like the Gorilla Glass, not sure if EVO has been upgraded to that. Samsung does take forever with updates (though we've had 2 already) but they don't release crap updates. Either HTC has some whiny fans or their updates aren't really top-notch. Samsung phones tend to feel more organic in shape in my hand. I find it to be the difference between driving and older honda versus an old volvo. Some people love boxy. I also feel like Samsung is headed in the right direction. After HTC lost the Nexus they seemed to lose their steam. At thsi point Apple is looking desperate against the momentum of Samsung. Makes me feel like I'm backing a strong horse.
I personally just think I've seen it all with sense, one of my major reasons was that I had a galaxy note before the evo lte and I got use to the feeling of big phones, I found the evo to be a bit too narrow, the s3 is slightly wider. Also multi tasking was kinda horrible on the evo lte. With that being said I didn't root the evo because I had the intention of returning it for the s3 from day one, so maybe i would've enjoyed it more if it was rooted
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
2GB RAM, removable battery, removable/additional storage through MicroSD (up to 64GB).
Another thing that really worries me about the GS3 is radio/GPS issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak for everyone but here on Long Island those issues haven't existed or manifested themselves. Cell radio is fine, 3G coverage is the same as not better then my previous phone (Original Galaxy, Epic 4G) and GPS has been super quick to lock (after the hassle that was the Epic in terms of GPS it's like night and day, and I use GPS for my work every day at least 3 times a day).
Also I haven't played enough with the new Sense but the new version of Touchwiz overall is full of good customization and doesn't seem to be too annoying (out of the box it can be, but you can adjust most of it away).
Overall it's hard to find too much fault, some people find issues with AMOLED screens, and while the 'haze' was noticeable on my Epic up close, the GS3 has such a high PPI that I don't notice it.
Few things that turned me off of the EVO LTE: No removable storage, No swappable battery (GS3 does actually get very good battery life but I'm a power-user by habit and always like to have a quick-swap spare available) and that EpicCM team wasn't a part of the community (I'm sure the EVO has wonderful dev's as well, a buddy of mine does dev for it with the at&t version, but after following the CM7->CM9 progress on the Epic, as well as all the rest of the Sprint/Samsung dev community, I'm happy to stick with it).
The Root said:
What contributes to the opinion that the camera is better on the EVO? I feel quite the opposite. I hear the new Sense is like dropping anchor at full speed. I also bow to the mighty God Odin, fixer of bootloops restorer of stock roms. I like the Gorilla Glass, not sure if EVO has been upgraded to that. Samsung does take forever with updates (though we've had 2 already) but they don't release crap updates. Either HTC has some whiny fans or their updates aren't really top-notch. Samsung phones tend to feel more organic in shape in my hand. I find it to be the difference between driving and older honda versus an old volvo. Some people love boxy. I also feel like Samsung is headed in the right direction. After HTC lost the Nexus they seemed to lose their steam. At thsi point Apple is looking desperate against the momentum of Samsung. Makes me feel like I'm backing a strong horse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the HTC One X camera uses a BSI sensor and f/2.0 lens. What it translates to in real-world usage is anyone's guess, but on paper the camera is supposed to be better.
punzada said:
2GB RAM, removable battery, removable/additional storage through MicroSD (up to 64GB).
I can't speak for everyone but here on Long Island those issues haven't existed or manifested themselves. Cell radio is fine, 3G coverage is the same as not better then my previous phone (Original Galaxy, Epic 4G) and GPS has been super quick to lock (after the hassle that was the Epic in terms of GPS it's like night and day, and I use GPS for my work every day at least 3 times a day).
Also I haven't played enough with the new Sense but the new version of Touchwiz overall is full of good customization and doesn't seem to be too annoying (out of the box it can be, but you can adjust most of it away).
Overall it's hard to find too much fault, some people find issues with AMOLED screens, and while the 'haze' was noticeable on my Epic up close, the GS3 has such a high PPI that I don't notice it.
Few things that turned me off of the EVO LTE: No removable storage, No swappable battery (GS3 does actually get very good battery life but I'm a power-user by habit and always like to have a quick-swap spare available) and that EpicCM team wasn't a part of the community (I'm sure the EVO has wonderful dev's as well, a buddy of mine does dev for it with the at&t version, but after following the CM7->CM9 progress on the Epic, as well as all the rest of the Sprint/Samsung dev community, I'm happy to stick with it).
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Click to collapse
The EVO LTE also has a MicroSD slot , but you're right, now removable battery. Although personally that was never really a negative since it was ample size (2000mah).
vulcZ said:
The EVO LTE also has a MicroSD slot , but you're right, now removable battery. Although personally that was never really a negative since it was ample size (2000mah).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, apparently I was wrong about that, is it the one x that doesn't? maybe I'm going crazy
The only thing that I can say that I didn't like about the evo was: the non removable battery, lack of multitasking. But I do miss the screen and that awesome camera button.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
I had the evo lte and loved it but the only thing tgat annoyed me was the weak antenna it woukd always drop dignal and also the evo lte has better cam than sg3 and also evo lte feels more sturdy the sg3 is a goid phone also pretty fast and good multy tasking i dont mind the non removable vattery on evo lte but both great phones also negative about sg3 ut feels very plasticky
Im on my SG3
SG3:
Good:
easy to root, install rom
removable battery
universal accessories (all versions including international can use same accessories)
very good loudspeaker
Bad:
battery drains quick compare to the Evo Lte
it does not feel like solid phone (like it can break easily)
slow charging (as with most Samsung)
Evo LTE:
Good:
Excellent battery life
Excellent fit and finish
Phone feels solid
kickstand
camera
music player with soundhound integration
fast charging (as with most HTC phones)
Bad:
non removable battery (my biggest complaint) I stream sports videos a lot so I go through batteries like crazy
dialer cannot send text, have to use messaging app separately
when you click on a phone number from a link or text you are forced to use the phone/dial pad instead of the messaging app (very annoying) I think it is Apple lawsuit related
no quick toggles from drop down menu
loudspeaker volume is too low
Man, I was heavily leaning towards the GS3 until today. I went to the Sprint store on my lunch break and played with both phones extensively, and in the end the GS3 suffered from the same performance issues the LTEVO did, so I'm guessing it's maybe related to ICS? To be more specific, I'm picky. I like having a phone that switches from task to task very quickly (I felt my Epic 4G Touch did that very well). So for example, if I'm on the app store downloading app after app, the phones will begin to slow a little during installs if I switching from screen to screen. I thought at first it was maybe the LTEVO, but I was able to replicate that behavior on the GS3 also, so it's safe to say that the 2gb of RAM isn't really needed, or is at least not helping any of the "real world" tests I tried.
Also, the camera on the LTEVO is quite a bit better. It was both faster, and offered better quality shots more consistently. HTC's camera software absolutely sucks, but I think the camera unit is better. I tested the macro settings and they were significantly better on the LTEVO. Basically, I could focus on things closer to the lens compared to the GS3.
So I think I'm going to pick the LTEVO again. I don't want anyone to think that I'm bashing the GS3. In all honesty either of those phones are an absolute great choice since they are extremely similar where it counts, and really only different in the personal preference areas (such as look, build, removable battery, etc). Performance is just about the same on both phones. I hope this thread was as helpful to someone else as it was to me
whatsitsnamenow said:
SG3:
Good:
easy to root, install rom
removable battery
universal accessories (all versions including international can use same accessories)
very good loudspeaker
Bad:
battery drains quick compare to the Evo Lte
it does not feel like solid phone (like it can break easily)
slow charging (as with most Samsung)
Evo LTE:
Good:
Excellent battery life
Excellent fit and finish
Phone feels solid
kickstand
camera
music player with soundhound integration
fast charging (as with most HTC phones)
Bad:
non removable battery (my biggest complaint) I stream sports videos a lot so I go through batteries like crazy
dialer cannot send text, have to use messaging app separately
when you click on a phone number from a link or text you are forced to use the phone/dial pad instead of the messaging app (very annoying) I think it is Apple lawsuit related
no quick toggles from drop down menu
loudspeaker volume is too low
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the EVO LTE bad list, you sound like you're nitpicking for a longer list. How many people send texts through the dialer? The HTCLinkify thing can be removed (so the click on a phone number thing is fixable), the EVO LTE has a button in the notification to get into settings (not as good as toggles, but not as bad as "nothing"). the loud speaker being too low is arbitrary.
You also left out some cons for the SGS3. There's a LOT of proprietary software that isn't very good (sounds like Sense doesn't it?), S-Voice is a gimmick.
There's just as many Sense haters as there are Touchwiz haters...it all comes down to preference. I'm going for the LTE because it's many of the same developers who's softwares I've been using since the OG EVO. Can't beat that pedigree. For most people, though, it's a question of would they rather be bloated down by Touchwiz and have a blue phone or be bloated down by HTC Sense and have a black phone with a kickstand. Otherwise, the specs are too identical to even consider voting one way or the other.
I was in love with the new evo, and when I saw my employee pricing through best buy for the gs3 I fell in love with it more ahaha. Some doof in corporate marked it 350 off contract so I traded in my 3d and it payed for it. But after playing with my friends evo, I realized that I liked my phone better. Touchwiz 5 is great IMO and I was ready to try something other than a HTC phone.
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The Root said:
What contributes to the opinion that the camera is better on the EVO? I feel quite the opposite. I hear the new Sense is like dropping anchor at full speed. I also bow to the mighty God Odin, fixer of bootloops restorer of stock roms. I like the Gorilla Glass, not sure if EVO has been upgraded to that. Samsung does take forever with updates (though we've had 2 already) but they don't release crap updates. Either HTC has some whiny fans or their updates aren't really top-notch. Samsung phones tend to feel more organic in shape in my hand. I find it to be the difference between driving and older honda versus an old volvo. Some people love boxy. I also feel like Samsung is headed in the right direction. After HTC lost the Nexus they seemed to lose their steam. At thsi point Apple is looking desperate against the momentum of Samsung. Makes me feel like I'm backing a strong horse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Odin is awesome
I completely agree
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I owned both and I really wanted to like the evo lte over the s3. I really liked the screen of the evo lte, kickstand, build quality, the dedicated camera button, it was black, and the overall look of it was very cool. It's a shame that the way the multitasking worked on it was really retarded (not sure if this could be fixed by a software update or custom rom). Not only that but the lack of a replaceable battery is really a killer too.
I guess the s3 won me over because of the replaceable battery, the crazy development that will be going on for it, the fact that multitasking didn't have to reload every single time I changed back to a program, and how I could keep programs in my memory to make them smoother (2gb).
there are already a ton of gs3 vs evolte threads bro
Poetik said:
I owned both and I really wanted to like the evo lte over the s3. I really liked the screen of the evo lte, kickstand, build quality, the dedicated camera button, it was black, and the overall look of it was very cool. It's a shame that the way the multitasking worked on it was really retarded (not sure if this could be fixed by a software update or custom rom). Not only that but the lack of a replaceable battery is really a killer too.
I guess the s3 won me over because of the replaceable battery, the crazy development that will be going on for it, the fact that multitasking didn't have to reload every single time I changed back to a program, and how I could keep programs in my memory to make them smoother (2gb).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my experience and thoughts. +1
Before even reading the rest of the replies I'll post my 2¢. Just picked up the Galaxy S3 on Monday evening.
I had the EVO 4G original at release and LOVED LOVED LOVED IT - then last June it, along with half my electronics at home, was the victim of a lightning hit down the alley on one of the transformers. Fortunately my computer gear survived. But I digress. From the EVO 4G I went to the EVO 3D, which, while the phone itself was OK, there wasn't as much of a development community out there for it as some other phones, my OG EVO especially. Cyanogen never came out for it in a year, and battery life ended up being worse and worse over time. If I'd kept the OG EVO I'd probably have been in a much different frame of mind regarding HTC's phones, but the 3D was just not their greatest hit.
Ultimately, I was torn between the 4G LTE and S3 - got both in my hands to play with and was still torn. Ultimately, I didn't want another HTC 'black slab' and I learned to dislike Sense more and more, since many of the higher functioning ROMs out there were Sense-based and I had to run ADW or another launcher on top of it.
So far I couldn't be happier with my choice. I got the blue, no case (maybe I will), and have not rooted (yet). I like the touchwiz interface, have pared down my homescreens to only 4 like I prefer, and battery life is outstanding! I am going to let it discharge all the way and see how long I can squeeze out of it. It's the idle/standby time that is so outstanding in my mind. Only a few percentage points gone overnight as opposed to 30-40% with the EVO 3D.
Oh, and the screen on this thing is amazing. So clear and sharp and beautiful...and as big as cellphone screens should ever get! Seriously.
Because of one thing - the name
Saying "Galaxy S3" is much easier than Saying "Sprint EVO 4G LTE". But don't listen to us. Walk, ride, skip or fly over to your nearest sprint store and see for yourself. The GS3 has 2GB of ram which is really awesome when multitasking. If you ask me all high end devices should have 2GB of ram. Other than that it's about the build. The EVO has a nicer screen, it feels like a solid brick that could hurt someone, and it has a kick stand. The GS3 feels soft like a babies bottom or a mammary and it looks super awesome also like a mammary. Amirite?
I actually feel differently on the aspect of development. I came from the OG EVO also, and dev support on that thing was amazing. From that I "upgraded" to the EVO 3D, but soon thereafter switched to the Epic 4G Touch as soon as it launched. Dev support just wasn't there for the EVO 3D. After I did some research, it made sense (no pun intended), but the EVO 3D was doomed from the start. What I mean by that is that it was never intended to be the true successor to the OG EVO, and thus not a lot of devs followed the device. Made perfect sense. The Epic 4G Touch had *better* dev support, but it still wasn't anywhere near what the OG EVO had.
I guess either way it's too early to tell which of the two (LTEVO and GS3) is going to have better dev support, but for some reason my gut is telling me that the LTEVO will.
I don't know if I agree with the 2gb of RAM on a phone just yet. iOS is a pretty crappy multi-tasking OS, yet the iPhone 4S only has 512mb of RAM and it's still a very good performing phone by today's standards. I also tested the SG3 (as mentioned in one of my previous posts), and it suffered from the same performance issues the LTEVO did when running it through my personal "real world" tests. So at least in my experience, the 2gb didn't seem to help the SG3.
Either way, both great phones. No clear winner over the other, when taking everything into consideration
Related
I'm just wondering here...because with all my other phones (well, other android phones. I really really liked the HTC Arrive. Don't sleep on WP7.5 folks) I would use them for a little bit and then have that urge to go out and buy another phone...but with this phone, that sht is gone. I don't even want to root the damn thing. I don't want to add any custom sht or anything. It's all perfect out of the box (for me, I know some of you guys are having issues and I hope y'all can get that sorted out ASAP).
I seriously think that this phone is the best thing out there. I'm at 20.5 hours unplugged with 25% battery left...surprisingly, my phone idle is at 5%...Display, Internet, and music are the highest...this phone lasted a night at my job which consists of heavy 3G use and music playing for about 4 hours straight. Samsung is legit.
The only phone I'm watching is the prime. That's only if it comes to Sprint though. Don't have Verizon where I live. Other than that I feel the same way.
Sent From My Evo Killer!!!
ms79723 said:
I'm just wondering here...because with all my other phones (well, other android phones. I really really liked the HTC Arrive. Don't sleep on WP7.5 folks) I would use them for a little bit and then have that urge to go out and buy another phone...but with this phone, that sht is gone. I don't even want to root the damn thing. I don't want to add any custom sht or anything. It's all perfect out of the box (for me, I know some of you guys are having issues and I hope y'all can get that sorted out ASAP).
I seriously think that this phone is the best thing out there. I'm at 20.5 hours unplugged with 25% battery left...surprisingly, my phone idle is at 5%...Display, Internet, and music are the highest...this phone lasted a night at my job which consists of heavy 3G use and music playing for about 4 hours straight. Samsung is legit.
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Click to collapse
I agree. This is hands down the best phone I have ever had. I can see myself using this for 2 years and being happy. Even with the prime supposedly coming out, we don't know if sprint is getting it anyway. The only upgrade I could see would be the HD screen it's suppose to have, but, that would not make me jump out and buy it. Most of the upcoming things they are talking about, quad core and things like that is overkill for a phone IMHO. I would rather they focus on battery improvements and gpu upgrades, and just making the android os run as smooth as possible, better music player, and making sure android apps are properly made and not battery hogs.
I have no interest in rooting this phone, I might once it get's better, I miss some rooted apps, titanium backup, cache cleaner, and free tethering, but I don't need to root and I never thought I would say that.
i have 3 upgrades between now and next september, so i can guarantee i will be trying the next few devices regardless. i do think the et4g is the best overall device i have ever owned, but still has a crappy radio, which for all intents and purposes spoils a top notch cpu/gpu combo
captblaze said:
i have 3 upgrades between now and next september, so i can guarantee i will be trying the next few devices regardless. i do think the et4g is the best overall device i have ever owned, but still has a crappy radio, which for all intents and purposes spoils a top notch cpu/gpu combo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The radio is a standard Samsung so-so radio. Complete crap when compared to my EVO4G and even my LG Lotus which still gets almost full bars where I am (and the EVO4G never saw full bars and the ET4G is seeing only 1 or 2 less than that). Even considering the relatively weak radio it still is a solid performer with less signal.
...as opposed to the 3 EVO3D's I went through. Talk about useless radio. Sure, it can do EVDO rev.B but what does that matter if you can't get a decent signal and lock on to a tower for more than a few seconds at a time?
Honestly, I think lower radiation (and lower signal strength) radios is just the new way for some absurd reason. Even though the meter reads roughly the same as my Moment (shudder) did it doesn't have any actual problems (data lockups, grrr).
But, yes, aside from that I agree. This phone is amazing. I'm rooted but I'm not going ROM crazy like I usually do. I'm still flashing things all the time on my NookColor (between CM7 and MIUI), and that's only minor revisions....but I feel no need, unlike my HTC devices. Though I think the fact that they ship with Sense on them makes getting as close to AOSP as possible much more urgent. As it stands I've torn out all of touchwiz and aside from a few extremely small hardware specific tweaks (screen mode, etc) and very minor aesthetic decisions we are as close to stock android as we could really ask for. Until we have a pure AOSP base and/or Cyanogen and MIUI I don't actually have a need to do any heavy modifications (besides root and screen density adjustment).
Though, I am getting the Nexus Prime for certain. I just hope the huge screen size can compensate for how much I hate 16:9.
EDIT: I can't believe I forgot fncking lock screen...that hideous thing. Have we found a way to put the stock Android pull-tab lock screen in yet or a 100%-perfect method of using alternate lock screens without this one popping back up again in addition to the aftermarket lock?
Nexus Prime.... paying out the ass at Verizon of course...
I'll be hopping to the next phone if/when Sprint get a good LTE phone + network. I'm guessing in the next 12-18 months.
rockky said:
Nexus Prime.... paying out the ass at Verizon of course...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far as I know they are getting the Samsung Galaxy Prime...since it won't be a Nexus device they can go right ahead and fill it up with bloaty crap and lock down any standard features that compete with their own service offerings.
The Google Nexus Prime (manufactured by Samsung) is a different phone....even though it's likely the same exact phone.
I've had Evo 3D (not 4G) and this side by side since day 1, and it's far from complete crap in comparison. Speedwise both running on 4G, Epic runs little circles around the Evo. Call volume is much better on the Epic also.
I'm fortunate in that I don't lose signal....or very rarely.
Remember early days of 4G?...took a lot of tweaking and radio updates to solidify signal strength.
daneurysm said:
The radio is a standard Samsung so-so radio. Complete crap when compared to my EVO4G and even my LG Lotus which still gets almost full bars where I am (and the EVO4G never saw full bars and the ET4G is seeing only 1 or 2 less than that). Even considering the relatively weak radio it still is a solid performer with less signal.
...as opposed to the 3 EVO3D's I went through. Talk about useless radio. Sure, it can do EVDO rev.B but what does that matter if you can't get a decent signal and lock on to a tower for more than a few seconds at a time?
Honestly, I think lower radiation (and lower signal strength) radios is just the new way for some absurd reason. Even though the meter reads roughly the same as my Moment (shudder) did it doesn't have any actual problems (data lockups, grrr).
But, yes, aside from that I agree. This phone is amazing. I'm rooted but I'm not going ROM crazy like I usually do. I'm still flashing things all the time on my NookColor (between CM7 and MIUI), and that's only minor revisions....but I feel no need, unlike my HTC devices. Though I think the fact that they ship with Sense on them makes getting as close to AOSP as possible much more urgent. As it stands I've torn out all of touchwiz and aside from a few extremely small hardware specific tweaks (screen mode, etc) and very minor aesthetic decisions we are as close to stock android as we could really ask for. Until we have a pure AOSP base and/or Cyanogen and MIUI I don't actually have a need to do any heavy modifications (besides root and screen density adjustment).
Though, I am getting the Nexus Prime for certain. I just hope the huge screen size can compensate for how much I hate 16:9.
EDIT: I can't believe I forgot fncking lock screen...that hideous thing. Have we found a way to put the stock Android pull-tab lock screen in yet or a 100%-perfect method of using alternate lock screens without this one popping back up again in addition to the aftermarket lock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------
the leaked data sheets show it void of bloatware.
Irregardless.....
they all become aosp in short order...via XDA.
daneurysm said:
So far as I know they are getting the Samsung Galaxy Prime...since it won't be a Nexus device they can go right ahead and fill it up with bloaty crap and lock down any standard features that compete with their own service offerings.
The Google Nexus Prime (manufactured by Samsung) is a different phone....even though it's likely the same exact phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 PM ----------
I find aosp boring as f*** anyway. My aosp has never looked aosp in the least.
rockky said:
I've had Evo 3D (not 4G) and this side by side since day 1, and it's far from complete crap in comparison. Speedwise both running on 4G, Epic runs little circles around the Evo. Call volume is much better on the Epic also.
I'm fortunate in that I don't lose signal....or very rarely.
Remember early days of 4G?...took a lot of tweaking and radio updates to solidify signal strength.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, when I say complete crap I am referring to the measured signal strength. The actual real world performance of my OG Evo was pretty much on par with my ET4G. That's where the E3D just couldn't compete.
IRT Early 4G, well, we still haven't been officially announced as having 4G even though there is a tower a mile away. Unless they we are lumped in with "Hartford" which is a good 15 miles away. I guess we are part of the greater metro area.
I've gotta admit, Being with Sprint has been a fun, if very bumpy (at times) ride. I can only hope that we're about to have another great stretch of fantastic service...cuz it's deteriorating rapidly at this point.
I've gotta dig up my first Sprint PCS phone. A Samsung that looks like an out of date cordless phone. Last I turned it on it got a better signal (maxed out the entire time) than any of my other phones....though, It's likely measuring 2G. That phone was so futuristic looking when I got it...and TINY compared to my previous motorolas...
The galaxy III.
I wouldn't head to verizon for the prime but if it came to sprint I may try it out but it really has to wow me.
rockky said:
Nexus Prime.... paying out the ass at Verizon of course...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't be the nexus on verizon. They will get it but it is called the droid prime. If they also make it as the nexus prime it will be either sprint or att.
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Khilbron said:
It won't be the nexus on verizon. They will get it but it is called the droid prime. If they also make it as the nexus prime it will be either sprint or att.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Splitting hairs here aren't we?
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It will be the Nexus on V.....even if it's called Droid Prime.
I'm gonna doubt they'll call it that though.
Ran both the GSII and the E3D for two weeks side by side. GSII went back. I'll be getting the E3D for the wife's upgrade and we'll stick with that til the next big thing drops. No real complaints with the GSII, it just didn't offer much more than I already have with the 3D. Bigger screen, blacker blacks, and slightly better camera. The difference in cameras was very slight and the fact that the GSII doesn't do 3D more than makes up for that difference. Plus the wife straight up chose the 3D so....
I should be eligible for a full upgrade next spring, possibly when LTE phones are getting ready to come out
@gadgetmonger
We know how you returned your epic. How does that have anything to do with this post?
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GadgetMonger said:
Ran both the GSII and the E3D for two weeks side by side. GSII went back. I'll be getting the E3D for the wife's upgrade and we'll stick with that til the next big thing drops. No real complaints with the GSII, it just didn't offer much more than I already have with the 3D. Bigger screen, blacker blacks, and slightly better camera. The difference in cameras was very slight and the fact that the GSII doesn't do 3D more than makes up for that difference. Plus the wife straight up chose the 3D so....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Full Disclosure: I was waiting months for the 3D and went through 3 of them and it broke my heart to have to give up on the phone (because of the radio). I so wanted to love that phone.
With that said I had a lot complaints about the 3D...one of them wasn't the camera, but, umm, "a little better" camera? I'm sorry, I wish I could agree with you, but, the ET4G camera is effin' lightyears beyond that 'pretty good for a cellphone' 2 back cams on the 3D. Acceptable? Damn right, great and detailed if you could deal with clicking the button and guessing when in the next 4 seconds it would take the picture... Anything to write home about? Not at all. But compared to the ET4G camera is simply absurd.
...though the 3D function cannot be debated. The 3D was really cool for that.
I've been more than happy with the Epic Touch after coming from the OG Epic. This is the first smartphone that's given me over 10 hours with some heavy use. I can't see myself switching anytime soon, it's just too good of a device. Perfect size, more than enough power, gorgeous screen, stellar camera and beyond excellent battery life... I'm good.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
Evo 3d
Samsung Galaxy S Dos indeed
Curious the opinion of real owners of a Galaxy-Nexus, are you happy with your purchase ? Is it your favorite Android phone of all time ? I know only the European owners can tell me about the phone, which is slightly different than the CDMA version coming to the U.S., but overall do you like the new Nexus ?
I am looking to possibly leave the U.S. carrier Sprint, I have their Galaxy S 2, rooted with nice ROM, LOVE this phone, but hate Sprint service. Last few Sprint phones my Wife and Brother have as well, the worst network this year, 3G speeds in Chicago are like 1x Edge speeds at best, texting and receiving pictures is a pain, half don't go through, dropped calls have been happening more often the last couple of months.
So I might make the switch to Verizon, everyone I know with Verizon service swear by it as being rock solid, #1 call service, no dropped calls, very solid network. I use my phone a lot for business, and need a network that is faster and more stable.
And I am a huge Android fan, owned both the Nexus-One and Nexus-S 4G, and those were my favorite Android phones at the time I owned those. But Sprint is killing me.
It's a very solid device! You won't be disappointed!
Yes.
10char
I have had my SGN for a few days now. I got it from Expansys, who provided extremely good service in getting it to me! I am still learning how to use Android (this is my first android so it is slow learning ).
But the large, bright screen, ability to enlarge text (so my weak eyes can read it), ease of use, is a winner for me. So far, I have not run into any problems, so I am real pleased!
Extremely happy! I've been on android since getting the G1 on day one. This is by far the best device I've ever owned. You can look at all the youtube videos and reviews you want but once you get the phone in your hands you'll be blown away!
Love the device.
Hard to know whether it's ICS or the phone itself which stands out. ICS was very good on the Nexus S, but only really played with it as an SDK port. Hopefully will have chance to play with my old S when it officially gets ICS.
The screen (despite the weirdness on low brightness) is stunning, the OS is incredibly smooth and slick - it impresses me MUCH more than iOS which I've always loved for it's transitions and smoothness. Web browsing is also excellent - incredibly fast. Call and Audio quality are also excellent
The only drawback is that it's a little on the large side (sometimes hard to grab the notification bar with one hand)
I've come from the Nexus S, I'm not sure a GSII (once it gets ICS) would be much of a noticeable/fantastic upgrade though. Maybe more a sidegrade - although the shape of the GN, lack of hard/soft buttons & Screen curve do make it look massively pretty. It's also MUCH less common than the GSII & comes with pure Android - definitely a plus!
You won't be unhappy upgrading from a 2.3.x GS2 but as soon as the ICS official or custom ROM's hit it may well be a closer call!
Have had my GN for 9 days now and loving it. I have no regrets on buying it and highly enjoy both the hardware and vanilla android.
I do see what people say if the screen brightness is really low its doesn't look that great but I typically keep my screen set at 50% so its not a issue for me.
If I had to really point out a single thing that is probably the biggest drawback is the damn speaker is so quiet its basically useless unless your in a quiet environment. Driving down the highway with the music on quietly (drive a 08' bmw and its quiet inside) theres only a couple ringtones that are barely audible. My iphone speaker was loud enough to hear in all but the loudest places.
galaxy nexus
Love the screen love the size, the Chrome type browser is fantastic, however there are issues, why would you launch a new phone with no manual.Customer care at Samsung are unaware of the model of phone. The bug volume bug is now fixed but there is no flash which is ridicolous one of the primary reasons you chose android. Also the phone dialler ui is crap its all over the place and its complicated just for the sake if it.. Iam used to htc phones and in my opinion the tweak to the original ui is just the most simplistic thing to use..
I LOVE it! Especially when you can go to Wal Mart and get on a T-Mobile $30/m prepaid plan that gives you unlimited data and texts and 100 minutes with no contract, you'll end up breaking even in no time from Sprint.
It's not perfect but it's a fantastic device. Easily the best I've ever owned. Very happy with it.
I only wish they included gorilla glass. People can laugh at gorilla glass all they want but the fact for me is, my nexus already has 3 scratches on it. While my 1.5 y/o vibrant still looks brand spanking new.
Some who are coming from a GSII are disappointed. But that's really a lateral move, so otherwise, quite fantastic!
Very zippy. A great improvement over my N1 in terms of speed and function. Though I will miss the illuminated LED trackball.
What about voice/call quality!?
For example - huge improvement with a Razr over my ole' Droid Incredible.
What about the GNex?
seanmcd72 said:
What about voice/call quality!?
For example - huge improvement with a Razr over my ole' Droid Incredible.
What about the GNex?
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my experience i find it better than the nexus s...
I had a galaxy s II and I enjoy the nexus more..
The Galaxy Nexus feels a lot better in the hand.. and I love the display and I particularly enjoy the lack of capacitive buttons on the front. Just staring at a 4.65" monolithic display with nothing to break up the sleek look.
Ice Cream Sandwich is really what brings it all together for me, though.. it's such a huge improvement over gingerbread.. it's hard for me to use the gmail app on gingerbread now..
This is easily the best android device I've ever owned.. even though the Galaxy S II has better specs, this device feels like it is in another league to me.
How are the network/wifi speeds? Is it 4G capable? Still trying to choose between this and the LG Optimus LTE.
I am really considering getting a Nexus to upgrade from my HTC Desire but I'm not sure if I should wait for a mobile phone with better hardware specifications (e.g. Quad-core processors) to be released if that is the case very soon or if I should just go with the Nexus.
I think it would be a big upgrade from my awesome Desire. The idea of a stock Android Google/Samsung phone makes things very exciting, as well. The only thing holding me back are the reviews going on about how the Nexus is the best Android phone on the market but isn't good enough to be a flagship phone because of it's hardware but it appears to be a wonderful device.
Did anyone here that owns a GSN come from a phone like the HTC Desire at all? I am trying to figure out this years Christmas gift to myself, you see!
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium
lathanub said:
I am really considering getting a Nexus to upgrade from my HTC Desire but I'm not sure if I should wait for a mobile phone with better hardware specifications (e.g. Quad-core processors) to be released if that is the case very soon or if I should just go with the Nexus.
I think it would be a big upgrade from my awesome Desire. The idea of a stock Android Google/Samsung phone makes things very exciting, as well. The only thing holding me back are the reviews going on about how the Nexus is the best Android phone on the market but isn't good enough to be a flagship phone because of it's hardware but it appears to be a wonderful device.
Did anyone here that owns a GSN come from a phone like the HTC Desire at all? I am trying to figure out this years Christmas gift to myself, you see!
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium
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UPGRADE I had an Inspire (a model up i think) and this phone is a HUGE upgrade! besides there wont be another nexus device for a good while yet so you will have less development options on them.
overall yes.
I'm looking forward to a lot of apps being updated to function on ics.
I don't get the same speeds as I was pulling on my skyrocket, but I would never know if I didn't run speedtest. My google music and everything else runs fast and smooth.
no regrets...
I'm very happy. The only bad thing abt the phone. It's written Samsung at the back...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I am on my 3rd hd2 due to previous BS.
I have not seen any other phone even catch my attention. My HD2 is a beast, but I know the Galaxy SII does have faster download speeds.
So, anyone make the switch?
I made the switch as well. I originally got the HD2 because I was tired of the iPhone 4 not having 3G service on T-Mobile.
It's a night and day difference between the phones in terms of download speed. I got max 4-6mbps down with the HD2, but I get 10-16mbps down with the S II. Also, you'll find the picture quality of both the screen and camera are better on the S II
I made the switch as well. It has been a hard decision but the phone is starting to grow on me. I became very well versed with the HD2 and it's nuances. I started with Cookies Home Tab mods on Winmo 6.5 to learning how to mount and unmount APKs and scripting with 2.3.7. The HD2 was my journey into Android modding. Funny enough, My first smart phone was a G1 but at that time I wasn't into and didn't know what I could do with android. Coming from Symbian, I was like, hey, it just works.
As time passed though, I was promoted to be in the field as an I.T. consultant. The HD2 became more of a functional necessity rather than just a cool phone I could mess with from time to time. With that said, things just had to work... and at times, had to work fast and also multi-task better. The HD2 started to feel its age. I needed a phone that was an all out improvement over the HD2 so I wouldn't look back.
Unlocked boot-loader, larger screen with higher resolution and brightness, faster processor, faster data speeds (and even better signal attenuation), lack of hard buttons (wear and tear), lighter phone (higher chance of surviving a drop) and just all around newer technology. And the best thing for me was MORE AVAILABLE RAM
I was happy I made the choice. With a good ROM with the sgs2, it's simply graceful. With the increased RAM and performance, I can do everything a lot easier. I still have my HD2 in pretty decent condition running ICS but it's just for kicks. The Tmous version of the Galaxy S2 is very young so with that you won't get nearly as much legacy knowledge or development as you do from the HD2 subforums. I'd say give it time but with the available ROMS, they have this phone very solid.
It's an all around better phone in every aspect. Even the audio is better and louder. The ONLY thing I miss is a notification LED but I'm learning to live without. HD2 owners should already know the LED notification issues we've had with previous ROMS as it is.
EDIT:
A few things you'd have to get use to in the change. The phone (without a cover) will fit anything that you used to hold your HD2 in granted the HD2 had a cover. BUT if you decide to get a back over for the phone, you'll need something else to hold it in because it's larger as it wider and longer. The audio plug port is now on top instead of the bottom so if you had a car setup, you might have to move things around a little. The charger is a micro-usb port and it's almost in the same location as the HD2. The power button is on the top right side of the phone so that will take a little getting used to. It does have a 2MP front facing camera so that's another bonus. Without a cover the phone is still easy to hold and doesn't feel like it might slide out of your hand. It's quite light for it's size and thin. The buttons on the phone are capacitive with the exception of the volume rocker (on the upper left of the phone) and the power button. The speaker is on the bottom left of the rear of the phone but it's quite loud. 1 LED flash as opposed to 2 with the HD2 but still seems to put out the same amount of lumens. The camera is more recessed than the HD2 and is flush with the phone body so no more scratched camera frame. The SD card IS hot swappable so no need to remove the battery. The plastic back cover is very thin so take care in taking it off and on (no brushed aluminum like the HD2). It's a lot but that's pretty much all I can think of for now. Hope this helps.
Great info. . . Same with me, the HD2 is the first true Android phone I started Modding(I still have my g1. But face it, there was no competition for the iPhone for along time). Before, I was a total iPhone man. I turned my iPhone into what it should have been as I did with my HD2.
My HD2 is a extremely solid performer. It is running at about 98% functionality, LED works just fine as does everything else unlike most earlier android flashed HD2's.
Sounds like I will be making the switch as soon as I come across a worthy deal.
Just tough for me to move from a device that treated me so well.
I had an hd2 before this, and still use the hd2 for experimentation and goofing around. (Playing with ICS on it right now.) I loved the hd2, there wasn't a single phone you could do more with.
This phone, however, is amazing. I love this thing. Just don't expect so many roms to choose from. You'll love the upgrade, it's definitely the smoothest phone I've used to date.
I had it pretty cool not all that
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Now to find one for a good deal. I'm also thinking the white one is the way to go.
Development here compared to the hd2 is night and day if u messed with the hd2 a lot as I did u probably will find ur self bored here just a heads up.... hd2 and vibrant days I could flash rom's daily here I've been on the same one for over a month. The Roms are quality tho just not that many.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
I recently dropped my HD2 & spiderwebbed the screen. Oddly enough, it still actually functions perfectly, but it's hard to view the screen and it has sharp edges on the screen itself. I'll be keeping it as a backup MP3 player/portable HD, camera, etc.
Since there is no real equivalent on TMobile, I went with the T989. Performance and capabilities are big improvements, 1080P video, dual core, 4G, etc. Hardware is really far beyond the HD2, but it's been a bit frustrating learning Android, and trying to replicate how perfectly customized for my wants/needs I had my HD2. I'm getting there, though, and I'm getting more and more confident I'll get this new phone dialed in as well or better than the HD2.
I switched from hd2 to the sensation and that didn't last long. Now I'm with this beauty.
Hd2 is still a beast though and now my son uses it.
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Deebo took your bike too?
The_Biz said:
I switched from hd2 to the sensation and that didn't last long. Now I'm with this beauty.
Hd2 is still a beast though and now my son uses it.
——————————
Deebo took your bike too?
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same exact here also , i just miss the development with both those phones,hd2 was my favorite of all time ,could just do so much with that bad boy ,galaxy s2 is amazing its just ashame we have to sit here and read 15 year old kids cursing each other out all day every day
As far as customization goes. I work until it's damn near perfect.
I run SPB with a Nexus ROM on my HD2. I swapped out the MMS APK and a few others. It runs a bit overclocked just fine too. Kinda funny though, if I juice it to the Max. I keep up with a Sprint Evo just fine
Also does the current widget work on the GS2? Since it never worked on the turd pile Vibrant I tried to replace my HD2 with?
No current widget doesn't work. Not on any samsung phones that I'm aware of.
mstrk242 said:
No current widget doesn't work. Not on any samsung phones that I'm aware of.
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Damn, I love that damn thing. LoL
I had an HD2 all rooted and moded and then the SG2 came out and I sold it. It was an awsome phone and I loved it even more when I had android on it. Windows blows on that phone lol.
I had pretty bad experiance with hd2 . Then i move to blackberry 9780 and now on this one.
Problem on hd2 was hardware issue so nothing to do with OS. I simply hate htc hardware.
Sent from Top of Mt. Everest from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
I had the euro version for 6mo the tmo since June '10.
Absolutely adored the device. Countless hours of winnow, then android flashing entertainment.
I bought the sg2 just to mess, expecting to return it, but the speed, elegance, enhancemence and speed won me over.
Sold my hd2 for just about what I paid.
I believe I'll be quite happy.
+1 It's quite shameful actually.
tigerz0202 said:
same exact here also , i just miss the development with both those phones,hd2 was my favorite of all time ,could just do so much with that bad boy ,galaxy s2 is amazing its just ashame we have to sit here and read 15 year old kids cursing each other out all day every day
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Just be patient. Remember how long it took to get an sd build of android to boot on it? Or the fact that it took cotulla and the guys over a year to get magldr so we could boot them off nand? Plus the advantage there was now the hd2 has 100% aosp base, so it's very easy to work with, hence all the roms. Plus, they can port from either the htc desire or the nexus one with very few changes, because the hardware is almost identical. The only phone with very very similar hardware for us is the skyrocket. Once we get cm, (and we will), we'll have an aosp base to work off of.
Ignore the kids, be patient, wait a few weeks, and we'll see what rolls in. This phone has barely been out 2 months... 2 months after the hd2 was released I hspl was barely started, let alone working.
tigerz0202 said:
same exact here also , i just miss the development with both those phones,hd2 was my favorite of all time ,could just do so much with that bad boy ,galaxy s2 is amazing its just ashame we have to sit here and read 15 year old kids cursing each other out all day every day
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I physically clapped when I read this. I've been on a lot of sub-forums here at XDA but I've never seen the behavior that I see here. People here are overly sensitive, impatient, belligerent and down right rude and immature. I always had a great amount of respect for the members and developers so I'm a little taken back with the behavior here. I guess any HD2 to prospect SGS2 buyers should take note to that.
Hi all -
Wanted some opinions from anyone that used to have the EVO 3D and made the switch over the this phone.
I've been a long time fan of HTC, however I want something different, better (?) and of course native ICS.
Is this THE phone to have right now or is the Droid Razer a better option?
I'm an advanced user, I flash ROMs , root etc.. I know what's up..
Thanks!
I personally made this jump myself . For starters leaving Sprint and going to any network (atleast in my area) will give you lightyears better service . I now have high speed 3G access compared to Sprint . Im sure this will be the same regardless if you are going to Tmobile or Verizon or AT&T . Second the device , at one time I held HTC in high regards with their devices even though the battery life left something to be desired . I feel the Nexus gets better battery life then the EVO 3D ever could dream of . The screen on the Nexus makes the Evo3D screen look like crap in my opinion . Overall I havent missed the 3D since I jumped ship. I to used to flash roms and kernels on the EVO3D but I have found even though I rooted my Nexus as it stands by itself with out messing with it . The Nexus is a very enjoyable phone to use straight out of the box . Some say Samsung has a plastic like feel to it . To be honest most of my phones are always in a case so I dont really notice it all that much . Personally I dont think you will miss Sense that much unless you really utillized all the things sense put into android . Me I never really used much of the sense aspects of the HTC's , I always rooted them and went to the closest to AOSP I could get . On the development side of things , Roms and kernels are starting to pick up pace . With the Nexus being a developer phone in the first place there is always going to be a following with it . Unlike the transition I expierenced when I went from the EVO4G to the EVO3D . Development for the 4G was great lots to choose from then went to 3D and HTC's poor handling of unlocking the bootloader and the devs migrated to other phones and the Evo line development stalled out . Atleast in the 3D side of things it did in my opinion . Overall I I dont miss sprint and its unlimited slow as hell network . The Evo3D is a thing of the past to me and I laugh everytime I see one now knowing I used to have one . Also as a side note I feel the Nexus 5 MP cam takes way better pics then the EVO3D 5MP ever did . This is nothing more than my opinion gathered from my own expierence so take it with a grain of salt . But personally I dont think you will be disappointed .
Since RAZR is Motorola. And this is a Nexus device, you stated you flash ROMs.
I'd go with Galaxy Nexus because its a developer phone and you'll get great support with numerous developers.
I made the jump. (TLDR at the bottom)
Network
Verizon's network is miles better than Sprint's. I get service in places that Sprint doesn't even know exist. For 4G networks there isn't even a competition. With Sprint I topped out at 7 Mbps. With Verizon if I get anything less than 20 I think there is a problem. Coveragewise I've driven 80 miles and haven't left 4G coverage yet.
Phone
The Galaxy Nexus is skinny and curvy at the same time. It is way thinner and lighter than the brick Evo 3D I used to carry around. Be careful, the Galaxy Nexus is very delicate. I dropped it once and it cracked the screen. I remember one time I dropped my Evo 3D and it cracked the sidewalk. The screen is not as big as people try to make out to be and it looks beautiful (at higher brightnesses, it can look very bad at lower brightness). If you think your Evo 3D speaker volume is too low you are in for a rude surprise with the Galaxy Nexus. The speaker on this is quieter than Britney Spears' dietitian. I got pretty good battery life with Evo 3D but the Galaxy Nexus is better. I just imagine how much better it will be when the fix these bugs in ICS (more on that later). Earpiece quality is slightly better. Sound quality through headphones is immensely better. The NFC hardware included is a bonus. I don't know if this is hardware or software but the Galaxy Nexus charges freakishly fast. It is the fastest charging phone I have ever seen.
Stock ICS vs Sense Gingerbread
You already know. I don't even run a ROM because ICS is that good. Smooth as a baby's bottom. I have some complaints but most of those are not ICS faults, they are general Android faults. I HATE HATE HATE the contact pictures. If somebody calls you it shows a blurry low-res (but blown up to almost full screen) picture if they don't have Google+. It has been this way for a long time but the problem is worse now. When I see this 96x96 picture blown up on my gorgeous 720p screen I wanna puke. As far as ICS (HC) specific complaints, you might have a problem with the lack of USB mass storage. Also, the option to share a contact with a text message is gone. You can only share them via email or bluetooth. Finally ICS suffers from a horrible bug that causes "Android OS" to keep the phone awake for a crazy amount of time. If I leave it sitting idle overnight (8 hours), Android OS keep awake time will be 7+ hours. It doesn't let the phone sleep properly and causes unnecessary battery drain. Despite this I leave LTE on all day and still get better battery life than the Evo 3D.
TLDR:Verizon is way better and faster than Sprint. The Galaxy Nexus is way sexier and prettier than the Evo 3D. ICS is way better than GB.
Thanks everyone!
These are all great replies. Very insightful. I just need to make up my mind once and for all.
Upon my searches through the interwebz I come across Sprints Landing page for the Nexus.
( I can't post links here yet due to post count, I've been banned 3 times! for making the MODs cry)
That certainly puts a kink in my plans. The main issue being is that no other carrier offers truly unlimited data. They milk you for an additional addon package that is always ridiculous.
I pay a flat 130 a month, NO MATTER how many text, web data, etc are used. My company uses an exchange account as well, EVERY email has a 500KB picture or some kind of attachment. 200+ emails a day received. I use a lot of data.
With Sprint getting this phone and LTE sometime this year, it's tough for me to move now.. But I will keep everyones posts in mind.
Thanks again.
I also switched from the Evo 3D, and do not regret it whatsoever.
First of all, I was SO sick of Sprint's 3G service (if you could even call it that), and 4g? I got it almost nowhere. It's night and day going from Sprint to Verizon.
Now the phones themselves are somewhat similar, large screens with good ppi, 5mp decent cameras, kinda ****ty battery life, 1.2ghz dualcore processors, same ram, etc.
The thing about the Nexus is that in almost every one of those specs, it's at least slightly better. Not to mention it's got ICS, the bootloader easily unlocks, and no wait for root after OTAs.
I thought I would hate the side power button, the super plasticky design, and the single-led flash that's all been known to come from Samsung. Honestly, I love the power button on the side, with a screen this large (and even the Evo's screen), it's much easier to push with your thumb instead of the top. The plastic is only on the back really, and feels much tougher and well put together than my 3Vo. And the single LED flash is still plenty bright and works great for pictures.
I thought I would miss 3D, even just a little bit. Not so, I don't miss it. I mean, it was cool at parties, but that was about it. You are going to LOVE how quickly the nexus takes pictures, I feel like I'm walking around with a DSLR that can snap 5 pictures a second, it's awesome!
A tip: if you can buy out an old verizon contract, even if they aren't upgrade eligible, do it just for the unlimited data. Verizon 4G is super easy to eat through your data cap. I almost did this (would have lost my number) but then found the "hack" to get unlimited data, which is still in effect. Also, try to get on a family plan if you can, I switched myself from Sprint and my family from ATT, and I'm now paying almost half of what I did on a single Sprint account, with insurance and no discount! Btw, look to see if there is currently a way to get out of Sprint ETF free, I did it in September when they made a materially adverse change by adding a small $2 fee to everyone's bill, so getting to verizon didn't cost an arm and a leg.
Long story short: Get the Gnex if you can get unlimited data. Otherwise, plan on using WiFi whenever possible, and still get the gnex. I wouldn't advise if you plan on using cloud storage for music, because I use google music a LOT, and it EATS data. Also, but the extended battery, worth every penny.
If you have time to read my weird phone situation:
Unfortunately, I did end up having to use a burner phone for 3 months while I waited and waited for the Gnex to arrive. That was an aggravating 3 months, it was literally the worst POS phone ever. It had a cracked screen, was an extremely damaged and scratched to hell Samsung flip phone I got out of a recycling bin for phones I used to get out of my sprint contract before the last day to get out ETF free without losing my phone number. It had pr0n of the previous owner's wife on it too, crazy stuff. Worst thing was it only held 50 text messages, kept having to erase my old ones.
Hey guys,
I would love to have some light shed on this topic in order to help me decide which phone to get. But please bear this in mind, I am a technical person so I would like some opinions with good reasons not just diehard fans like HTC or Samsung all the way and never give a justifiable reason.
That being said, my major concerns are smoothness, camera quality, and battery. So I have read and watched many reviews online, I feel S3 somehow is a little bit snappier with the transition animation. 4G LTE is choppier or more laggy by just a very tiny amount. Not sure if it's true. I was using my roommate's S3 which is Saudi Arabian version. It was kinda laggy (it's more laggy than my evo 3D)....but could be just his phone.
For camera part, it's very interesting. With all the reviews online, one would expect S3 is better than 4G LTE and most certainly better than better than EVO 3D. However, I was just playing around with his S3 and my EVO 3D.
Here are some pictures with default settings,
EVO 3D focusing on the guitar
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fxz3kp2e58...D Guitar.jpg
S3 focusing on the guitar
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4nfn8f43h...3 Guitar.jpg
As for battery life, I don't have 4G LTE or S3 so I can't test about it. One thing is that S3 can swap the battery. It would be great if someone can share some real life data.
Please also note that, my EVO 3D is rooted with ZR3D GT rom and my roommate's S3 is Saudi Arabian version. This could affect the very non-scientific test I carried out.
Thank you very much for helping me out with the choice between these two great phones.
There are a lot of post about this all over the place in each S3 forum, but I will try to give you the short version. I came from and Evo 3d myself and while I do miss HTC's awesome widgets, there were a few reasons I left HTC behind.
Locked bootloader, Htc unlock is half assed and with each new update they find ways to lock the phone again.
Build quality, I went through 4 3d's in less than one year and that is unacceptable to me 2 with Ausrion and 2 from Sprint (all refurbs).
Multitasking, the evo 4g lte has a serious multitasking issue and Sense is to blame for that one. Even with a Custom Rom its still present.
Now the camera on that phone is very nice and is better than the s3, but I am one of those people that say its a phone first, go grab a nice camera if you want better pictures. Oh one more this about that phone is that it bends if you mistakenly leave it in you back pocket and sit on it, granted the s3 is delicate as well but I have never seen a phone bend before.
Hope that helps a little, Touchwiz takes some getting used to but it is actually a great OS with all the gestures they add to the phone. But you can always try either phone and return it in that 15 day window that Sprint allows.
Edit: Battery life is very nice on this phone, I can't say how long it last during extreme/heavy usage though and I am always near a charger and wifi.
I returned the Evo 4GLTE for the SG3. There appears to be some potential hardware issues with the Evo that give it a hard time connecting to and maitaining a LTE connection that requires the user to toggle airplane mode on and off.
Im still adjusting to touchwiz,but it isnt all bad.Battery life was a little better on the Evo,but worst I have had on the GS3 is 12 hours of heavy use. It broke my heart to dump HTC considering Ive had the original touch,touch pro,touch pro 2,OG Evo,Evo3d and the EvoLTE,but samsung stepped it up with this phone.It is still a little plasticy (if thats even a word) for my liking,but once my otterbox arrives tomorrow,none of that will matter.
I liked the camera and am missing my dedicated camera button on the Evo,but it isnt that big of a difference.Front facing cam is better on the GS3.Rooting the GS3 and flashing a custom recovery and rom was completely painless on the GS3 as well.Im in a city that is currently being worked on for 4g so that is what drove me to exchange it.
First if you choose "yes this is a question" it belongs in Q&A
Second please use the other phones discussion in the stickies
Thanks
FNM