Develop Bugs

A Informal Review of the Note 3

Review
Ok, so I got New Note 3 T-Mobile version SM-N900T which is the latest version of the note. As one of the forum moderators I have always been a pretty big fan of the Samsung phones owning the Galaxy Vibrant, the Nexus, S2, S3, S4, Note 1, Note 2 various tablets and now the Note 3. That said, this is just a 1st blush review for people who might find my views helpful.
The Note 3 compared to the Note 2 is close to an ounce lighter , it is 1/16 inch narrower @ 3-1/16" versus 3-1/8" Both are just under 5 inches. My Hands are big and I am used to the size, the fact that it is lighter really makes it way easier to manipulate
The 1st impression is its lighter weight does not give the impression of feeling cheap. Gotta say I kinda like the back texture. Didn't think that I actually would but it has a nice secure feel.
The screen is remarkable, booting up faster than the Note 2 the Color is much richer than anything else I have experienced shy of a BluRay on my computer (which is a top end setup). Some new stock adjustments allow you to set the standard screen color setting e.g. dynamic, movie...etc.. Also it has a USB 3 socket on the phone for higher transfer rates and of course, it works with a USB 2 as well.
There is a on phone a search feature that is kinda novel phone though I am not sure how useful it is provides features as search last week, last 30 days.... etc
The Camera that is stock does have some nice on-board custom shooting and editing features. The Still Camera is noticeably better than the S4 camera, and the Video like most of the latest phones is excellent. One improvement on the still camera is its Infinity camera shooting. Much Much Sharper now, which was one of my common gripes the phone cameras all seem to suffer from. So this a real plus ! Like All the latest phones the Video is excellent tracks movement pretty well. Better than my Canon in fact.
The phone is pretty responsive and the new software provides custom touch sensitivity and a host of other interactive adjustments that let you make just about every custom tweak you can think of......... Remember this is a stock Rom only rooted...........
Most of the other things on it are incremental improvements compared to the Note 2. FYI the Note became the longest phone I ever have owned and consistently used--- The Note 3 Blew it off the top spot without doubt ....
For those who care Antutu got a 30394 and Quadrant was a 22580.. one thing I did notice is the fps are very consistent @ 60-65 at all vdo benches.
The Things I found I do not like that much are NO Custom Roms ...YET ☺ Battery life is not as good as the note 2 but that was a custom Rom so really not a fair comparison.
The HTC does have the 2 speakers the Note... still 1 speaker. Music on speaker the quality is a bit thin and a bit on the 2 dimensional side, but, For speakerphone calls it is just fine. With the Head phones/buds or Bluetooth speakers it really excellent. That said, if you are a headbanger for over driven bass then use Beats or something like that with this thing that would allow you to over boost the bass in a way some ppl like. This phone is really something it really rocks !
In closing, I am really glad I got this new note 3 if you need a business phones there really is not anything better than this phone.
I have included some photos to show how it takes a shot that is a long distance focal point... This was a rainbow tonight Around 7:10 pm the trees are 45-55 feet away .....
Comments welcome........

How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!

lmemma16 said:
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3 has enough CPU power and RAM to handle even all those additional features Samsung added to the TW without any delay or lag.
It's a super fast smartphone. :good:

ArborRes said:
Note 3 has enough CPU power and RAM to handle even all those additional features Samsung added to the TW without any delay or lag.
It's a super fast smartphone. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, but that's what I thought about the S4, lol! Although the S4 has perhaps even more fluff and fancy features.
I'm glad to hear it runs well tho, thanks :thumbup:

oka1 said:
Gotta say I kinda like the back texture. Didn't think that I actually would but it has a nice secure feel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So many of the early hands-on reviews have spoken ill about the new textured plastic back saying that it "doesn't feel like real leather". I've failed to understand the point they were trying to make in that statement. I don't think Samsung intended to fool a single person into thinking that the back was made of leather. They went for a new unique aesthetic that had a functionality benefit as well. In that regard, I think they succeeded greatly.
After getting my hands on one of these in store, I can say that my initial impressions from pictures and videos was reaffirmed. Aesthetically, it's great. I like the looks of the textured back a lot. The feel, however, is far better than I imagined. I expected it would feel like a cheap plastic cover. It is a cheap plastic cover, but it has a unique feel to it. It doesn't feel like leather, and I never once expected it to. It does, however, feel unbelievably better than the previous galaxy line back covers.

lmemma16 said:
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S4 stock was not that good but the S4 with Carbon or any other custom was equal or better than the note 2 but not enough to want to change so I gave it to one of the other employees.... I am kinda lucky I buy all the phones for the company so I get to pick which one I want and try them all out.....
Like I said the Note 3 is such an awesome phone especially for business there is nothing else like it

oka1 said:
The S4 stock was not that good but the S4 with Carbon or any other custom was equal or better than the note 2 but not enough to want to change so I gave it to one of the other employees.... I am kinda lucky I buy all the phones for the company so I get to pick which one I want and try them all out.....
Like I said the Note 3 is such an awesome phone especially for business there is nothing else like it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I would have run Carbon or Slim on the S4 all day, except for some audio issues that I don't think they have ever solved (it worked but not as well as on TW)... in the end I couldn't get happy with the S4 lol(well I also like the biggest screens now).
The Note 2 I am still using, and still love, and am glad to hear they got the Note 3 running nice and smooth. Will probably pick it up once I figure out the logistics thanks

Just traded my Tmo S4 for a Tmo Note 3 and wow, this thing is a Beauty and the Beast. It's a bit larger than my S4 but after 10 mins of setting it up, it feels like the size of my S4 and not big at all. Doing some reading tonight on the Note 3 and playing w settings tomorrow. My movies look incredible on this phone. The only thing that I have issue with, is the tiny speaker and low volume at max.
Ian B

Sounds funny but when I pick up and use the Note 3 I handle it just like all my previous phones with one hand unless using the pen of course, only when I look at it do I say holy crap this is big lol. I have regular non gargantuan hands but no struggling to reach a button as on the Htc One or mistakenly hitting power trying to lower volume on the G2. I had an S4 as well and the first thing to go was the stock launcher in favor of Nova Prime, glad to say I haven't even thought of using it with the Note 3, its just so fast and no lag whatsoever. I've even played around opening windows of other apps inside some games I play, writing a document out with the S-pen while inside Total Conquest plundering a village is mighty cool to me.
Today I flashed Darthstalker not because anything in particular was bothering me but I like the little changes he implements and some tweaks plus removing bloat is always a good thing. About that back cover, I love the way it looks and imo this phone does not look cheap at all. I never saw it in black but the white is quite elegant, my daughter thinks its not manly enough but I love my first white phone. I really liked the grip and feel of the back cover, it doesn't feel like plastic, I feel bad hiding it in a case but a phone this size is easy to lose hold of during the hand to pocket transition if you get distracted.

Flashed Darthstalker as well
This did improve the sound, and of course got rid of the bloat..... lame tmo sounds etc......
After using it a day ... I noticed battery about the same, volume is more, and there are some custom screen functions that are cool.
This phone is sizing up to be a real Rock Star

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

[Q] G3, S5 or something else?

[I've posted this question elsewhere, but as it's relevant to both the G3, S5 and general android forums I thought I'd crosspost. Please tell me if this is unacceptable and I'll remove it]
I'm finally moving on from my original Samsung Galaxy Note, and I'm debating what device to move to. This will be my one and only phone, so I'm looking for something well rounded.
After reading reviews of a lot of the best phones on the market, I'm leaning towards a LG G3. It looks and feels fantastic, has a really good camera in both day & night conditions, the screen is awesome, it *seems* to hold up underwater (in spite of no official IP rating), the battery life seems pretty good, etc.
That said, some of the overheating issues I've read about are worrisome - as well as a few other stability issues... I'm not sure how much stock to put in that.
So I'm also considering the Samsung Galaxy S5. It doesn't feel as great, the screen isn't as mindblowing - although it is more vibrant, the camera doesn't do as well in the dark, it seems like one of the most durable phones out there, etc.
Is the S5 significantly more stable than the G3? How do the development communities compare - are they on par in that regard? Can the stability / overheating issues of the G3 be successfully mitigated with tweaks? Is it going to be a nightmare to wrangle into shape?
Or is there another AT&T phone that you'd recommend? Other phones on my radar include the Flex, Note 4, M8 and OnePlus One...
I guess I'm looking for something that's going to hold up as a primary phone for a long time, both in terms of durability and specs, without becoming a nightmare to manage as my Galaxy Note has... and aside from that, my priorities include battery life, stability, video recording (especially in dark conditions), processing power, screen, look / feel, etc. in roughly that order.

The G3 is, in my book, definitely the most charismatic phone this year. Great camera, okay screen, great handling, even with one hand. The battery life could be better, but then again, I use it heavily, so it's to be expected...
It gets warm on occasion, rarely now since its been upgraded to the 10H version tho, I don't mind it, every phone will get hot while performing dual window Chrome/Whatsapp while multitasking between a few other apps in one of the windows and playing music in the background.
I was waiting for the Moto X to take his spot in the charisma department but that didn't happen..
HTC M8 is the smoothest, has the best build and sound but lacks in the cam department, which is a no go for me.
The S5 is the best all rounder, but has nothing special about it, and I do mean nothing. Sure, you get the fingerprint and heart rate thingy, but, as with all those Samsung features , who really uses them effectively from day to day life. And the touchwizz... Every Samsung phone looks and feels the same lately(phonebook delay).
That said go with the Z3.
It's cool, it has a good camera, feels and looks premium(even tho I don't care about trivial stuff like that), can go underwater, has 3gigs of ram, a nice processor, good screen, good speakers, and a UI that works just fine(I hate the Sony "windowed cheap UI" xD)
Oh, and to top it all, best battery life there is..
And if you got tired of a big screen with the Note, like my brother did, you can always go with the Z3 compact, even better battery life and all the same stuff inside.
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

MarimoMusicHead said:
That said go with the Z3.
It's cool, it has a good camera, feels and looks premium(even tho I don't care about trivial stuff like that), can go underwater, has 3gigs of ram, a nice processor, good screen, good speakers, and a UI that works just fine(I hate the Sony "windowed cheap UI" xD)
Oh, and to top it all, best battery life there is..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... I wasn't really putting much consideration into the Z3, as it's not offered by AT&T and I'm eligible for an upgrade from them, meaning the G3 is only $199.99.
Can you think of any way to get a Z3 that would be operational on AT&T for a similar price? I don't want to switch carriers, as AT&T has the best reception in the areas I live / visit and I'm still grandfathered into their unlimited data plan.
MarimoMusicHead said:
The G3 is, in my book, definitely the most charismatic phone this year. Great camera, okay screen, great handling, even with one hand. The battery life could be better, but then again, I use it heavily, so it's to be expected...
It gets warm on occasion, rarely now since its been upgraded to the 10H version tho, I don't mind it, every phone will get hot while performing dual window Chrome/Whatsapp while multitasking between a few other apps in one of the windows and playing music in the background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My biggest concern with the G3 overheating would be the possibility of setting up my phone to take a video of a concert I'm performing in, and returning to find it had overheated, shutdown and I had lost the footage. I heard of that happening to a lot of people at the beginning; has the 10H version taken care of that??
MarimoMusicHead said:
And if you got tired of a big screen with the Note, like my brother did, you can always go with the Z3 compact, even better battery life and all the same stuff inside.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I like big screens
I will say that the G3's screen seems much more handleable in the palm of my hand than the Note, but anything up-to-and-including the size of my Galaxy Note is more than fine with me, and I'd *possibly* be fine with going a bit bigger.
MarimoMusicHead said:
The S5 is the best all rounder, but has nothing special about it, and I do mean nothing. Sure, you get the fingerprint and heart rate thingy, but, as with all those Samsung features , who really uses them effectively from day to day life. And the touchwizz... Every Samsung phone looks and feels the same lately(phonebook delay).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not really interested in the fingerprint sensor or heart rate monitor -- they feel like gimmicks to me. The leading features for the S5 in my book, over the G3, are the durability (waterproof; SUV-crush-proof; etc.), screen brightness / color, and the fact that it doesn't seem to overheat... at least not as badly?
I may be wrong on that last point, but it *seems* like a more reliable phone as such. Am I right in that assumption?
MarimoMusicHead said:
HTC M8 is the smoothest, has the best build and sound but lacks in the cam department, which is a no go for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah; the camera, screen, and general low-end specs in comparison to the S5 and G3 have kept me away from the M8
I'm still feeling like I'm leaning towards the G3 at this point... but info on the above questions and more opinions would be helpful

phnord said:
Hmmm... I wasn't really putting much consideration into the Z3, as it's not offered by AT&T and I'm eligible for an upgrade from them...
Can you think of any way to get a Z3 that would be operational on AT&T for a similar price? I don't want to switch carriers, as AT&T has the best reception in the areas I live / visit and I'm still grandfathered into their unlimited data plan.
Okay, can't help you with this one since I live in Croatia. But I suppose $200 is a bargain on the G3
My biggest concern with the G3 overheating would be the possibility of setting up my phone to take a video of a concert I'm performing in, and returning to find it had overheated, shutdown and I had lost the footage. I heard of that happening to a lot of people at the beginning; has the 10H version taken care of that??
On this part, I decided to do a little test.
I went and shot 3 uHD(4k) videos one after another. (Three 5 minute videos, since the shooting limited by the software to prevent overheating) The temperature outside was 20-ish°C(68°Fahrenheit), and while the phone did get quite warm, it did not shut down.
And on that matter, I never encountered a shut down due to the temperature or any other unknown reason.
Why did I mention the temperature?
Well you see, I bought it 2 months ago, and when I got it, it had 10B version on, and the temperatures outside were hellish... 35°C (95F) or more... That didn't help cooling it off if it ever got hot.
Nah, I like big screens
I will say that the G3's screen seems much more handleable in the palm of my hand than the Note, but anything up-to-and-including the size of my Galaxy Note is more than fine with me, and I'd *possibly* be fine with going a bit bigger.
Yeah, I'd say it's a lot more handleable than the Note, since the Note has a wicked screen ratio, it's quite wide...
I'm not really interested in the fingerprint sensor or heart rate monitor -- they feel like gimmicks to me. The leading features for the S5 in my book, over the G3, are the durability (waterproof; SUV-crush-proof; etc.), screen brightness / color, and the fact that it doesn't seem to overheat... at least not as badly?
I may be wrong on that last point, but it *seems* like a more reliable phone as such. Am I right in that assumption?
Well, I really can't say much on the reliability part.
But in my opinion, waterproofness and dustproofness are good, really good, but not a must, since my phone has no time to get dusty(Bahah), and I'm not one to shoot underwater videos... When on the beach, swim, dive, jump off of cliffs, enjoy it.. The phone can take a day off, even though not everyone agrees.
I'd say the S5's got a better screen, but it comes down to amoled/ips preference... It most certainly is brighter, has a better contrast and colors. The only thing in that department the g3 has got going is the 2k mega giga user high pixel density beast(nahh) of a screen...
And i love it. It's got this mild tone to it, might sound crazy, butI feel like I'm looking at a painting from time to time.
Yeah; the camera, screen, and general low-end specs in comparison to the S5 and G3 have kept me away from the M8
Ohh the M8's a beast, don't be fooled
I'm still feeling like I'm leaning towards the G3 at this point... but info on the above questions and more opinions would be helpful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit: Silly xda kept telling me that the message is too short, that I need to lengthen it by 2 characters so I copy-pasted it in, sorry for the inconvenience!
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

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Here are a couple of screenshots from those videos I took earlier.
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MarimoMusicHead said:
(Three 5 minute videos, since the shooting limited by the software to prevent overheating)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the video recording time is limited to only 5 minutes per shot? That's... pretty unideal. I would like a phone that I could setup before an hour or two long set, and leave there recording to capture a concert I play. I've done this with my Note before in the days before it deteriorated (with the charger plugged in and on airplane mode), and it usually did fine...
Are there work arounds for that 5 minute recording limit - ideally ones that won't make the phone overheat? Are there similar limits on the recording capabilities of other phones out there these days?
MarimoMusicHead said:
I'd say the S5's got a better screen, but it comes down to amoled/ips preference... It most certainly is brighter, has a better contrast and colors. The only thing in that department the g3 has got going is the 2k mega giga user high pixel density beast(nahh) of a screen...
And i love it. It's got this mild tone to it, might sound crazy, butI feel like I'm looking at a painting from time to time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just did some research and learned that the S5, while prettier at first, is actually creating inaccurately eye-popping colors - so I'm less interested in it now. On top of that, I hear that the quality of AMOLEDs degrade over time?
The G3 - is it bright enough to be pretty effective outdoors in daytime? I'm hearing mixed things about that...

G3 also has lags and screen brightness goes down automatically when overheated just a little bit.
It's annoying.
Also the halo effect issue and oversharpening, less screen brightness, less battery, less performance, etc.
SGS5 is better, although G3 has better design.

phnord said:
So the video recording time is limited to only 5 minutes per shot? That's... pretty unideal. I would like a phone that I could setup before an hour or two long set, and leave there recording to capture a concert I play. I've done this with my Note before in the days before it deteriorated (with the charger plugged in and on airplane mode), and it usually did fine...
Are there work arounds for that 5 minute recording limit - ideally ones that won't make the phone overheat? Are there similar limits on the recording capabilities of other phones out there these days?
I believe that the time limit is only set to uHD videos, you can still shoot HD or FHD(30 and 60fps via some modifications) for as long as you've got space on your storage.
I'm not sure about other phones but ultra HD takes 1 gigabyte of space for 5 minutes of video, so time limit aside, that's a but much as it is..
I just did some research and learned that the S5, while prettier at first, is actually creating inaccurately eye-popping colors - so I'm less interested in it now. On top of that, I hear that the quality of AMOLEDs degrade over time?
The G3 - is it bright enough to be pretty effective outdoors in daytime? I'm hearing mixed things about that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, they say that ips lcd screens mature over time, meaning that the colors settle, and they get better, be it in colors or brightness, I'm not sure.
The S5, as every Amoled screen does create oversaturated colors, they do degrade as time passes and there is also the burn in issue along with that.
But! You can set it to, I don't know what's it called, ?natural? mode, that displays the colors accurately, and quite precisely at that.
And let's be honest here, no one buys an Amoled phone screen only to put it to natural, they like their colors to POP...
Yep, the G3 is bright enough for outdoor use, as I've put mine in direct sunlight and browsed the Web "easily", no real issues there, I'd say like most phones.
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

I upgraded to a G3 a month ago. My previous phone was a Galaxy Note 2. One of the main reasons why I didn't chose for a Samsung phone is the heavy usage of touch wizz on the system. The G3 is a great phone. Fast, good camera and great design. I recommend the G3.

Just a random dude passing by
Here's my opinion on this topic. I've been using my note 2 for about year and a half now. The phone is great and just keeps getting better, but I've decided that my next phone won't be this big. It's not bugging me that much but when I try to browse or do simple stuff with one hand I constantly have to "adjust" the phone. That being said I agree with marimo there that G3 is the most charismatic phone this year, but I'd definitely go with the m8 because it's just a brilliant phone in every possible way~ (with an OK camera). I would recommend you Note4 because it will probably be the phone of the year, but I like changes and I wouldn't buy another touchwizz phone at this point.
I hope that I managed to mess up your decision even more because that's just fun
"The music is different here."

I've owned galaxy s3 and s4. I moved on from the s4 to the G2 and never looked back. I got the G3 when it was released and can honestly say it's the best phone I've ever owned. LG knows what they're doing and you can tell they really listened to their customers and reviews with the software overhaul. The downside to the G3 atm is (unless you have T-Mobile or international) all we have is root. Now, let me say that even with only have root and xposed this device is insane. Once you greenify and Titanium freeze bloat the battery lasts a long time. I'm a heavy user throughout my day with downloading movies, internet, watching YouTube and sports highlights and have my screen at 55% with autobrightness active. I get an average of 5 and 1/2 sot and usually still have 40-50% battery left after I work 8 hours. I highly recommend this device. The screen is gorgeous. Its a very responsive device.
There are a few bugs that need a software update fix (aux/headphone system confusion - the device sometimes has issue deciding if the device is an aux cable or headphones. Sometimes it will connect and disconnect. Annoying.). There are some chrome issues as well but those seem to be chrome bugs and not G3 bugs.
I can't recommend this device enough. If you want to read something funny check out MacWorld's G3 v iPhone 6 comparison article. They admit the G3 is head and shoulders better and actually end the article with "which doesn't matter bc you're all buying iPhone 6 no matter what we say." made me laugh.

Yeah, I agree with Breaking, G3 is a great phone and after rooting, debloating, and tweaking, it's even better! My battery has settled and improved and the camera is insanely good. It heats up a little at times but clear recents and give it a quick rest is what I usually do, and never over 110f so not that hot.
I came from G2, Moto X, S4, Note 3 and Lumia windows phones before that and the G2 and G3 are my overall favs!
Sent from my LG-D850

I'm sitting here with my old ass s4 which has a busted front glass piece but I did surgury on it and placed some tempered glass for a gangster (i've seen some harsh times) look.
In all seriousness I'm not liking my g3. I went from s3 --> s4 ---> g3
Phone is; fast, nice screen (although I prefer the color of an amolded OVER this QHD stuff. And for some reason my viper audio sounds wayyy better on my s4 mdk with hyperdrive running.
1. I prefer the smaller s4 size with better color OVER the big g3 high res screen
2. Sound mods sound better on my s4 and I'm big into music
3. MDK bootloader means I could flash flash away. This g3 is so locked down its not even funny
4. I honestly miss the TW interface and how well samsung has integrated their software with the Android OS. It just seems to flow better in terms of galary sync, contact sync, (g3 contact sync screwed up my contact list somehow)
I find too often I am on the verge of dropping this phone as I reach across to hit buttons on the far side of the screen. Call me lazy but I could simply navigate and swype type faster on my s4 due to the smaller screen. was nice
If you dig movies and reading, g3 is nice, but colors are bland and poop. yes. poop. amen. goodnight

u4icpain said:
If you dig movies and reading, g3 is nice, but colors are bland and poop. yes. poop. amen. goodnight
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that is what anyone coming from an Amoled would say. Aaand should not be accounted for!
My brother also prefers Amoled ones, while I prefer Ips panels.
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

MarimoMusicHead said:
Well that is what anyone coming from an Amoled would say. Aaand should not be accounted for!
My brother also prefers Amoled ones, while I prefer Ips panels.
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed I prefer Amoled panels, but HTC One, Z3 and even LG G2 have better panels than the g3. This is a fact. I'm not saying that G3 's panel is bad, but it just lacks compared to other flagships. It's just like iPhone 5 camera is weaker compared to most android flagships but it's still a very good one.
The bottom line is, G3 's screen is good but not among the best.
"The music is different here."

If you like the heartbeat sensor and the fact that s5 is unbreakable go for the s5 (take a look here at 05:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKkJdstQKsM compared to a g3 drop test 01:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1kVNo6ars8)
If you want a fast phone and the best camera ever created for a smartphone go for the Z2.
G3 might has the best screen. 1440p is quite impressive as a feature but take in mind that if you put a g3 with a 1080 smartphone side by side and you play the same video ( a 4k at 60fps) the difference isnt so noticeable, the video looks the same at both smartphones. Also i dont know your opinion about flashing custom roms etc but take in mind that the G3 is heavy loaded with useless bloatware (compared to a Z2 which comes almost clean) plus LG keeps its bootloader locked. So until a way is found to unlock or bypass the bootloader (if they ever find one) you either have to manually debloat (which may affect the stock rom's stability) or you have to get used to a heavy loaded phone which is hiding its true potentials.
Finally every smartphone gets hot at some point . I dont have particular problems with my G3 but i remember my tablet was feeling like it was going to catch fire when i was playing plants vs zombies 2.

katsika said:
If you like the heartbeat sensor and the fact that s5 is unbreakable go for the s5 (take a look here at 05:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKkJdstQKsM compared to a g3 drop test 01:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1kVNo6ars8)
If you want a fast phone and the best camera ever created for a smartphone go for the Z2.
G3 might has the best screen. 1440p is quite impressive as a feature but take in mind that if you put a g3 with a 1080 smartphone side by side and you play the same video ( a 4k at 60fps) the difference isnt so noticeable, the video looks the same at both smartphones. Also i dont know your opinion about flashing custom roms etc but take in mind that the G3 is heavy loaded with useless bloatware (compared to a Z2 which comes almost clean) plus LG keeps its bootloader locked. So until a way is found to unlock or bypass the bootloader (if they ever find one) you either have to manually debloat (which may affect the stock rom's stability) or you have to get used to a heavy loaded phone which is hiding its true potentials.
Finally every smartphone gets hot at some point . I dont have particular problems with my G3 but i remember my tablet was feeling like it was going to catch fire when i was playing plants vs zombies 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is wrong on so many levels(points), I can't even find a thing to start correcting you on...
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

MarimoMusicHead said:
This is wrong on so many levels(points), I can't even find a thing to start correcting you on...
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well thats my humble opinion.

katsika said:
Well thats my humble opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I respect it.
May have come on a bit harsh though, apologies.
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA Free mobile app

Lord2802 said:
Indeed I prefer Amoled panels, but HTC One, Z3 and even LG G2 have better panels than the g3. This is a fact. I'm not saying that G3 's panel is bad, but it just lacks compared to other flagships. It's just like iPhone 5 camera is weaker compared to most android flagships but it's still a very good one.
The bottom line is, G3 's screen is good but not among the best.
"The music is different here."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. The G3 display is the worst regarding colors. So weak and bland.

HTC Desire Eye mini review

So, I picked up a Desire Eye on launch day. I feel like I was one of the few people intrigued by this device when it was announced. Since then, it has received almost zero attention: Few reviews, no posts on XDA, very little buzz on the internet in general. So, if you're even remotely considering this device and want a little info, here's a personal perspective from someone who bought the phone.
Disclaimer: I have owned dozens of flagship phones over the last several years. I'm also quite a fan of Sense UI and HTC in general. I did not buy this phone for the front facing camera. I don't care about selfies, so I'm probably not the target audience. I really just wanted an M8 with a better camera.
Display
The display is probably my one gripe about the device so far. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it looks washed out to me. When I first turned it on in the store, it immediately looked dull. A lot of the HTC wallpapers and themes are a sort of pastel, so it's really hard to tell, but next to my iPhone 6 Plus, and even a Windows M8 in the store, it just doesn't look as vibrant as I'd expect. Compared to my Note 4, it looks positively depressing, but that's to be expected. That said, it does get plenty bright. I just wish I still had my M8 to compare it with because I swear the M8 had more contrast and vibrance.
Camera
My only real beef with the M8 was the camera, mainly the low megapixel count which made cropping nearly impossible. It also had trouble with exposure and focus. I was really hoping that they fixed that with this phone. I know it's not their flagship and is, in fact, marketed as mid range, but it's really just an M8 with a different build and cameras. I have taken quite a few photo samples and compared them online to the Z3 Compact, iPhone 6 Plus, OnePlus One, G3, and Note 4. There is definitely more detail and you can crop in much further than the M8, but it still gets soft when you do. I also noticed the same issues with exposure. If you're not careful about where you tap to focus, you'll get a blown out sky or dark subject. Focus is fast, but not always accurate. It sometimes blurs the subject instead of the background. Definitely not on par with the focusing systems found in the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus. Colors are good, if not great. They lean toward the warmer and more vibrant side, which I personally prefer. Overall, it's an upgrade over the M8 and on par with phones like the OnePlus One and G3, at least in my testing.
Build
I know a lot of people are fans of metal, but there are advantages and disadvantages to metal and plastic. The advantages here are water resistance and weight. This is a light phone and it feels good in the hand. Coming from my Note 4, it is significantly lighter and easier to hold. It's also fairly grippy. I don't feel the need for a case. My one complaint about build is the size. This thing is big. It's nearly as big as the iPhone 6 Plus and Note 4, which is kind of sad when you consider the 5.2" screen. Part of this is the 13mp front-facing camera. Part is the speakers, even though the grills are much smaller this time around. They still needed that blank "HTC" strip on the front for components and that adds to the overall size. The camera shutter button is very difficult to press. I only see using this thing under water. If you try to use it for normal pictures, you'll get blur because the phone will move when you try to press it. I find this to be a problem on a lot of phones with dedicated shutter buttons, but it's much more pronounced here.
Battery
My other primary concern with this phone was battery. It's the same internals as the M8 with a bigger screen and a smaller battery. While disappointing, so far it's not as bad as I expected. It seems to be about on par with the M8, though I'm not sure how. Standby time is pretty good (in my limited testing so far) and it doesn't drain horribly fast when the screen is on. Since HTC doesn't show screen on time and I had to install GSAM, I don't have any screen on results yet, but I will be testing that over the next few days.
Performance
This is the reason to get an HTC phone, in my opinion. Sense and stock Android are easily the fastest, best performing versions of Android, in my experience. But Sense brings some nice enhancements to the table that I think are worth it over stock Android. There's no lag or delay anywhere on the phone so far. Everything is fast and fluid. It makes my Note 4 look positively slow. Just the gallery lag on the Note 4 alone is enough to drive someone mad. HTC is doing it right. I'm actually a fan of Blinkfeed, too, though I know other people hate it. Since the introduction of Blinkfeed, I almost always end up putting a widget on my left most homescreen of every other Android phone that gives me a full page of news, though nothing quite compares to HTC's solution. I like their enhancements to the gallery, contacts, etc. Very nice overall experience.
Misc.
1. Minor annoyance, but the stock email client makes you tap to show images on every HTML email. Since I actually use it, it's kind of annoying. I wish they would at least give an option in the settings to "always show".
2. Some of the camera features are really need, like face merge and photo strip. I do miss slow motion video and 4k recording, though.
3. Internal storage is only 16gb. You have a little over 9 free out of the box. This is the only other con to this phone, in my opinion.
4. I'm a pretty big fan of the screen on gestures. I basically never have to use the power button. And now we can launch straight into the camera, too.
5. I received an update yesterday and it auto installed. There's no info anywhere on what it was. The phone just rebooted and installed with no warning.
6. There is a ton of bloatware on this thing (AT&T). Seriously, brace yourselves. It's even more insulting with only 16gb to start with.
7. Bootloader is unlockable at HTC Dev so, there's at least hope that we'll get root soon. The main issue will be S-Off, as usual. But I really only want/need root.
8. The front-facing speakers are every bit as good as you'd expect, despite the water resistant membrane and smaller grills. It's pretty impressive how small and unnoticeable they are.
Wrap Up
Overall, I really like the device. My main concerns are camera quality and battery life, which I will continue to test. I really like the user experience overall, though, and it's one of my favorite phones of the year. I don't think this phone is really getting the attention it deserves. Even the tech bloggers seem to be ignoring it. I hope this helps anyone who's on the fence about this phone and/or looking for more information.

Obligatory Camera Samples
Here are some camera samples. XDA is compressing them, but you get the idea.

Thanks for the review and photos. The camera was better than what I was expecting from the sensor HTC is using, to be honest. The only downside from what I've read in your review is the screen: while I don't like oversatured screens, I also don't appreciate "dark" screens (it hasn't to do with brightness, but with the white tone).
Regarding the speakers, I know you don't have a M8 to compare, but do you notice much of a difference between the devices?
Can you please confirm that it has MHL and it works?

For what it's worth, I held my One M8 side by side with a Desire Eye in store and compared the screens while displaying the same images and websites. They looked pretty much exactly the same to me other than a slight difference in size. Didn't think it looked dull. Of course, the lighting in AT&T was pretty harsh so it wasn't the best environment for comparison. Maybe you just got used to the super punchy over saturated colors of the Note 4?

gtg465x said:
For what it's worth, I held my One M8 side by side with a Desire Eye in store and compared the screens while displaying the same images and websites. They looked pretty much exactly the same to me other than a slight difference in size. Didn't think it looked dull. Of course, the lighting in AT&T was pretty harsh so it wasn't the best environment for comparison. Maybe you just got used to the super punchy over saturated colors of the Note 4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's actually what I was thinking too. Not a bad display by any means.

Thank you for this mini review! Really helpful.
Could you please state in which degree you can use the phone with one hand?
Would it feel closer to the use of a One M8/Galaxy S5/LG G2 or would it compare more to a One Plus One / Iphone 6 Plus (which is for me slightly to big).
The 5.2 inch of the LG G2 is of perfect size, but that phone had way smaller bezzels, so this is in fact something that scares me of the HTC desire EYE.

Waarez said:
Thank you for this mini review! Really helpful.
Could you please state in which degree you can use the phone with one hand?
Would it feel closer to the use of a One M8/Galaxy S5 or would it compare more to a One Plus One / Iphone 6 Plus (which is for me slightly to big).
The 5.2 inch of the LG G2 were perfect.. but this phone had way smaller bezzels, so this is what scares me of the one M8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's definitely closer to the OnePlus One or iphone 6 Plus size wise, but it is MUCH lighter, which does make it easier to handle with one hand. Unless you have gorilla hands, though, you definitely won't be able to reach all four corners of the screen with one hand.
It's tall, rather than wide.

I got the Desire EYE in the mail 2 days ago, it's a really good phone, really fast, takes nice pictures, overall I'm happy about it, the only downside about it is the internal storage, it has like 7 gb out of the 16 dedicated to the OS and stock apps... But other than that, really good phone!

To start off, I will say I am a big HTC fan. I talked about 7 people into buying the One M8 over the S5 this year. I love Sense, Blinkfeed and the snappiness of their devices. I have since sold my One M8 earlier this summer, around May, and have been jumping around to different devices. I strayed from the One M8 mostly due to the camera and the fact that I like to try the latest and greatest devices. I have been using an iPhone 6 since it launched. When I saw the Desire Eye was announced, I got excited. I was really hoping for an M8 Eye, which I think would have been the perfect smartphone for 2014, but this was almost as good. I picked one of these up on Friday at an AT&T store. The guy kind of looked at me funny when I said I wanted one, I don't think he was trained on the device or knew what it was. I didn't open it until Saturday night, but in the store, when playing with it, the first thing I said was, this screen looks washed out. I think it has something to do with the default theme, when I changed it back to one of the same Sense stock themes on the One M8, it didn't look as bad. It is something to do with that pink color they are using. I am torn on the device, it is like 2 steps forward, a couple steps back. I didn't like the first few indoor pictures without flash I took of my 3 month old daughter, so I switched back to the iPhone 6 yesterday because it was her baptism and I didn't want to miss any shots, or risk them coming out badly. One thing that Apple knows is how to make a camera that focuses fast and gives you good pictures. The Boom Sound is also a bit of a disappointment. The bass and clarity seems to be lacking compared to the M8. I played some Vevo music videos on the demo models in store. I am currently thinking about trying to find a second hand M8 Google Play Edition in mint condition (so I have full T-Mobile support for the $30 SIM I have for my play phone line), and keep either it or the Eye and my iPhone 6.
Y2J

Thanks for the review!
The camera doesn't seem bad but for some reason i was expecting it to have a bit more "wow" factor, don't know why and they the shots seem good enough.
You mentioned no-slow motion (i had actually talked about this in the other thread) and the info i read was that it didn't have. However, i was just watching a video review of the desire eye and in the settings i noticed the slow motion icon and the review actually pressed it and it sayed it was slow motion (its an italian video, i actually looked it up to see the translation lol). It was in the camera interface under the " ... " icon and on the modes (it usually says auto) it has the slow motion icon/cartoon - Here is the video @ 11:45
Still no mention of 4k, so that is not from stock but maybe with a mod.

griffin_1 said:
Thanks for the review!
The camera doesn't seem bad but for some reason i was expecting it to have a bit more "wow" factor, don't know why and they the shots seem good enough.
You mentioned no-slow motion (i had actually talked about this in the other thread) and the info i read was that it didn't have. However, i was just watching a video review of the desire eye and in the settings i noticed the slow motion icon and the review actually pressed it and it sayed it was slow motion (its an italian video, i actually looked it up to see the translation lol). It was in the camera interface under the " ... " icon and on the modes (it usually says auto) it has the slow motion icon/cartoon - Here is the video @ 11:45
Still no mention of 4k, so that is not from stock but maybe with a mod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see a slow motion option anywhere in the settings. The only video options are for the resolution (MMS, 1080, etc). One thing they did do right, though, is put the video record button back on the main interface full time next to the camera shutter button. They were crazy to ever take that away.
Quality is okay. It's about on par with the OnePlus One and G3, in my testing. Most of the shots I took were on an overcast day, so not the best testing environment, but overall I think it's acceptable. I think I'd still grab my Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus if I was going somewhere to take a lot of pictures, but I don't feel like I'm carrying around a bad camera when I have this phone.

griffin_1 said:
Thanks for the review!
The camera doesn't seem bad but for some reason i was expecting it to have a bit more "wow" factor, don't know why and they the shots seem good enough.
You mentioned no-slow motion (i had actually talked about this in the other thread) and the info i read was that it didn't have. However, i was just watching a video review of the desire eye and in the settings i noticed the slow motion icon and the review actually pressed it and it sayed it was slow motion (its an italian video, i actually looked it up to see the translation lol). It was in the camera interface under the " ... " icon and on the modes (it usually says auto) it has the slow motion icon/cartoon - Here is the video @ 11:45
Still no mention of 4k, so that is not from stock but maybe with a mod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I was totally wrong about slow motion. I just found the option. It was not where I expected, but I'm stoked to see that it's there!

Great Slow motion on htc is good, at least if its like on the m8. I think only htc and sony in Android lets you record 120fps and then edit what parts to slow down, which is how slow motion should be. Glad to see its there and websites like gsmarena should mention it and update the specs info with that.

battery update?

G1_enthusiast said:
battery update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery is really good for the capacity. Idle drain with my apps and setting was about 3%/hr. With the screen on, it does seem to lose battery pretty fast, but I was still able to get about 10-13 hours of use with around 3 hours screen time. That's not much worse than most of my other phones do, actually.
I would post screenshots, but I no longer have the phone. As much as I really liked it, I just couldn't live with the camera quality. I was really hoping for better. But if camera isn't your #1 priority, this is a great all around phone. Camera is definitely better than phones like the Moto X. I was just hoping for closer to Note 4/iPhone quality.

How do the camera quality and pictures compare to Samsung S4 or S5?
Thanks.

struff said:
How do the camera quality and pictures compare to Samsung S4 or S5?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mom has the S5 And I prefer the Eye´s camera, It´s just... sharper and more clear.

sidle said:
My mom has the S5 And I prefer the Eye´s camera, It´s just... sharper and more clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to politely however completely disagree. There's no comparison. S5 is one of the best cameras you can get.
Sent from my HTC Desire Eye using Tapatalk

robstunner said:
I'm going to politely however completely disagree. There's no comparison. S5 is one of the best cameras you can get.
Sent from my HTC Desire Eye using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And yet, I like this one more.
Front HTC Desire Eye:
http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/articles/143110-image/HTC-Desire-EYE.jpg
Front Galaxy S5:
http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/articles/143127-image/Samsung-Galaxy-S5.jpg
Back HTC Desire Eye:
http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/articles/143113-image/HTC-Desire-EYE.jpg
Back Galaxy S5:
http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/articles/143130-image/Samsung-Galaxy-S5.jpg
Let the photo's speak for themselves. The HTC Desire Eye clearly wins this battle, or even HTC in general. The S5 is litteraly crap in low to medium-light area's.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Firs...-HTC-One-M8-and-the-Samsung-Galaxy-S5_id61506

Fair enough, but in better lighting the s5 proves much better and rarely overexposed the pictures.

Galaxy s7 Switchers?

Anyone who decided to return their s7 and go for the HTC 10, is there anything you miss from your s7?
Thanks!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/help/planning-to-switch-s7-edge-t3371639
I really want the HTC 10 but their shoddy release so far is making me very impatient. I may be forced into an S7, sadly.

The only thing I miss is the wireless charging.

I have both phones currently.
What I've noticed so far that I miss about the s7: it's narrower. With the leather case on it, it's only 20 thousandths of an inch thicker than the htc10 without a case. The case selection for the s7 is so much better. I'm sure it's more than cases, but that was the issue I encountered the most. The screen auto brightness adjusted faster on the s7. The s7 being waterproof... I actually have this cross my mind every day or two, but I haven't been in a situation yet where it would have mattered.
For the HTC, the radio is better. I'm on Verizon, specifically the CDMA radio has better reception for longer. The speakers are better for sure. I'm getting 30 to 45 minutes better battery life on average. It's nice not theming everything black by necessity. The home button being capacitive is so nice compared to the s7. Fluid Android is fluid.
Both phones are Verizon.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using XDA-Developers mobile app

Forgot the waterproof thing. Would be nice to have, but in 20 years I've never lost a phone due to water damage so not a huge loss. Screen on the S7 is brighter outdoors.

I miss the multi window on most Samsung's

I miss the battery life my exynos s7 edge provided. However I'm still making it the entire day with my HTC so it's not a big deal
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the replies!

Came from a T-Mo S7 Edge to a T-Mo HTC 10.
Right off the bat, the most glaring advantage that I missed from the S7 Edge was the screen. The colors just pop on that gorgeous amoled. In the days since I've bought my HTC 10 I've grown to like the cooler color temp on the LCD but I'd trade it for those oversaturated colors in a heartbeat lol.
Battery life has been a wash for the most part between both devices with the S7 Edge pulling ahead slightly (3600 mah battery so its to be expected).
Performance wise -- Sense blows Touchwiz out of the water. Its gotten better with each iteration of Touchwiz but micro-lag and even sustained lag rear their ugly heads when navigating through Samsung's flavor of Android. The HTC 10 handles everything with ease and never slows down. S7E does as well for the most part, but the lag is unavoidable in some instances. All of this being said, I did find the S7E to run much cooler than my HTC 10.
Finally, if you plan on making any modifications or if you're somebody who is into tinkering with your Android devices, avoid the S7/S7E at all costs. The HTC 10 is the best device for this due to dev friendly community and HTC's willingness to allow you to modify their devices. The HTC 10 has an unlockable bootloader and some day has a very good chance of seeing many competent AOSP roms. AOSP on the S7/S7E is currently a pipe dream. Even custom roms are a no go at this point and Samsung's knox/bootloader security only becomes more of a pain in the ass for devs with each iteration. It really has taken a toll on what used to be a thriving community for the Samsung devices.
All in all, I am extremely satisfied with switching from the S7E to the HTC 10 for what its worth.

I actually went through the S7, HTC 10 and landed on the S7 Edge. Here's my opinion for what it's worth:
I really thought this would be the perfect HTC phone, and I actually really wanted it to be the one since I think the company has had great ideas in the past that have been trampled by poor execution. My first Android phone was the HTC One M7, and aside from the so-so camera, it was one of my favorite phones ever. BoomSound, Sense, and the phone's overall look were something totally new and refreshing. After reading the reviews of the M8's camera, I decided to pass and went back to Apple for a year. When the M9 came out, I jumped on it, and quickly jumped off after I had a few days to learn all about the Snapdragon 810 and its thermal issues. I picked up an LG G4 next, which was serviceable, but nothing special. I always had my eye on HTC though waiting for the 10.
Once it came out, I made sure to read all the reviews that I could, crossing my fingers that HTC would hit the mark. After I saw that the camera was finally up to snuff, I took the plunge and bought it. $699 is a steep price for a phone, but I managed to catch the $100 discount offer and got it for $599 before tax, which was great. I also got it in 2 days, which was nice considering I heard that some people here on XDA were having ordering problems.
After using the phone for a few days, and comparing it side-by-side to the S7, I started to make a mental list of pros and cons
PROS
- Screen: HTC has always had good screens on their flagships, and the 10 is no different. Bright and vibrant colors with great viewing angles. Obviously they're not as saturated as Samsung's AMOLEDs, but you can set the LCD display to vivid mode to approximate it, or sRGB mode for nice accurate colors
- Sound Quality: While the external speakers aren't as good as the original BoomSound, they're more than capable and produce an interesting sound. The BoomSound equalizer settings also makes your music sound great with headphones. I didn't get to test out HTC's own earbuds though since they didn't come with the US version
- Build Quality: The phone feels as solid as ever, but that's also a con that you'll see below
- Battery Life: I never had any trouble getting through a whole day of texting, web browsing, light gaming and listening to music
- Camera: While it might not be able to quite pass Samsung, it gives them a good fight. Easily the one of the top cameras on the market behind the Galaxy Brothers, and HTCs best camera ever. The selfie cam is great too, and it's actually better than what Samsung has to offer on it's S7 models. My only little gripe with the rear camera is that the laser autofocus can be a little spastic, going in and out of focus when you activate it, but I feel like another software update can take care of that
- Fingerprint Scanner: One of my favorite features. It was really quick to read my fingerprint, and since it's a a capacative sensor instead of a physical button, you don't have to press it down to activate the display and scanner. Just put your finger on it and it works
CONS
- Sense: I loved the previous versions of Sense, but I think HTC toned this one down a little too much. I appreciate the fact that there aren't any duplicate apps like there are on most devices, but I feel like taking out the HTC Gallery and Music apps was a mistake. Visually, this version is a mix of classic Sense and stock Android, which doesn't always combine well. Some of Sense's elements (like the weather clock) are starting to look a little dated compared to the competition too, so the contrast between MM and Sense is a little jarring on some menus. I also don't understand why HTC kept the 4x4 homescreen now that the phone has a 5.2" display. With so much real estate to work with, the gaps between apps are pretty big, and I feel like there should be a setting to go to 5x5 since most other OEMs include that. The Quick Settings menu also can't be modified like it could be in older Sense versions and competitor UIs, and you have to either double pull to extend it, or swipe down with two fingers. If I wanted a Nexus, I'd have bought one
- Build Quality: As I mentioned above, the phone feels really solid, almost to the point of being heavy. It weighs 6 grams more than my old G4, which was mostly plastic, and you can feel it. It's very noticeable when it's in your pocket, and makes a bit of a thud when you put it down on a table. Even adding a thin TPU case to it also increases the weight to the point where I felt uncomfortable handling it one-handed
- Screen-Body Radio: My LG G4 had a 5.5 inch display and was 148.9 mm tall. The HTC 10 has a 5.2" display and is 145.9 mm tall. So the phones are relatively the same size and the 10 has a noticeably smaller screen.
- FM Radio: HTC has included FM radio support from the M7 - M9, and I was really surprised that it didn't continue that trend with the 10. Carriers like T-Mobile & AT&T are requesting that OEMs enable their device's FM chips, and T-Mo just got Samsung to flip the switch on the S7's radio, so I don't understand why HTC didn't just keep doing what they were already doing.
- Headphone Jack: Most phones had their headphone jack at the top up until a few years ago. Putting it at the bottom made it easier to just slip the phone in your pocket without tangling the headphone cord. With the advent of fingerprint scanners, it made even more sense, since you could grab the phone and unlock it before you even got it out into the open. Having the jack back up at the top made me have to think every time I pulled it out and have to flip it back around.
- Notification LED: Back when I had the M7, I was OK with having a tiny notification LED embedded in the speaker grid that only flashed 2 colors, even though other OEMs already had multicolor LEDs that could be programmed using their own software or apps like Lightwave. Three years later, the only thing HTC has changed is that the LED is just below the speaker. It still only blinks amber or green, so there's almost no opportunity to customize
I really wanted to like this phone, and I tried very hard to convince myself that it was good enough, but at the end of the day I was disappointed that HTC spent the last year getting so many things right like the camera and the phone's overall look, and blew it on some other areas that would have been really easy wins. Granted, nothing that I listed above is a horrible flaw, and I know that everyone has their own list of requirements for their ideal device, but I felt like I was making too many compromises with the 10. I know that I could always load up a ROM or download a new launcher, but it would only solve a few of my cons.
Again, these are my personal opinions, and my thought process is that if I'm going to spend that much on a flagship device that I want to keep for 2 years, I need to feel like I'm getting what I paid for. Unfortunately the 10 didn't quite hit that mark. It's not a bad phone by any stretch, and it may be the one for you. I decided to return my S7 and the HTC, and went with the S7 Edge, which rocks a 5.5" screen, 3600 mAh battery, and is only 5 mm taller than the 10. It's also 4 grams lighter and 1.3 mm thinner, and feels a lot better in my hand even with a case. It costs about $70 more the 10 at full retail, but I feel like you get a lot more for your money.

Maybe the water resistance feature, otherwise, I didn't care for anything else. The 10 seems solid, doesn't lag as much as the samsung. I am unlocked and rooted , so it is something I am grateful for after rocking the s7 for only 1 months.
I am getting better battery performance with the HTC 10 compared to what I got with the s7.

Personally nothing is missed I had the s7, now it's my wife's lol
Love this HTC 10

Got the s7e one week to test, before i got my preordered htc 10. Screen(manufacter;sharp) is much better and much more natural than the S7 "comic style" display no matter which calibration i used. Also there are "pentile micro dots" visible while zooming in a white page on the amoled of the s7.
UI: Much smoother, and the stockish design of the ui is perfect for me as i came from a thc m7 gpe. Also less bloatware on the 10.
Cons: thermal throttling seems to be more a problem of the 10 as on the s7e exynos. Hope custom kernel or software update will change the clocking, as it throttles the CPU at 38degrees celsius to 1,36 max clock at the moment.
S7e cam is slightly better in my opinion.

Which fingerprint sensor do you guys think is better?

I had a s7e, I find the fingerprint sensor on the 10 better. I haven't really had too much throttling so far either.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers mobile app

I've heard in quite a few reviews that the HTC 10 sensor is superior to the S7/S7 Edge.
Alot of S7/S7 Edge reviews describe the sensor as hit or miss.

Sammae7 said:
I've heard in quite a few reviews that the HTC 10 sensor is superior to the S7/S7 Edge.
Alot of S7/S7 Edge reviews describe the sensor as hit or miss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I see.

Just to be clear, I own neither but have played with both in store and I do extensive research before purchase.
Based on the above, I do much prefer the HTC 10.

xperia x root said:
Got the s7e one week to test, before i got my preordered htc 10. Screen(manufacter;sharp) is much better and much more natural than the S7 "comic style" display no matter which calibration i used. Also there are "pentile micro dots" visible while zooming in a white page on the amoled of the s7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to be kidding. If you set any Samsung phone to "Basic," it is the most color accurate display on a smartphone, period. There is no "comic-ness" to it. It is a true reproduction of sRGB which actually looks extremely dull and boring, but it's accurate. The 10 is an LCD which is vastly inferior to OLED panels in phones. Worse viewing angles, and subjectively terrible contrast since 1700~:1 is garbage compared to infinite contrast.
I find it hard to believe you can see "micro dots" on a 500+ PPI screen. I can make out the edges of pixels on my 6P due to lack of antialiasing, but I haven't tried to on the S7E. Either way the 6P had to be up in my face, and I had to look hard to see it. But there were certainly no visible dots.
Lifehags said:
Which fingerprint sensor do you guys think is better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 10's fingerprint sensor pad is too small in my opinion, but it is still better than the S7/E. Reason being it's capacitive, and a hair faster. Samsung are idiots for continuing to use a physical home button, and one you have to press to unlock the phone. But the accuracy rate of the S7/E is a lot better than it ever used to be - especially if you program the same finger twice (something I do on every device anyway). It may tell you the finger is already programmed, but just do the initial scan really far back from the pad of your finger, then it will let you scan wherever you want to again.

Have my exynos s7 edge on sale while I got this one to use. The HTC 10 is a great phone but in my opinion, not better than the s7 edge. What I miss mainly is the screen. I love LCD but the AMOLED display on the s7 edge is quite Good. Don't like the over saturation but got used to it. It's a darn good display. Sadly my HTC 10 display has a pink tint to it and the bottom of the phone has a strong pink tint to it (likely not a sharp panel from the few comments I've seen here and there). So far, battery life has not been great. My s7 was one of those that went long on battery. I can Un plug at 7 am and plug back in at midnight with 7 hours screen on time. With the same usage on my HTC, I'd be charging only @ 6pm with less screen on time. Also the camera is descent but doesn't focus like the s7 edge does @ night and ui wise, I've spent the phone micro stutter much more than my edge but not to the annoying degree. That's about it. What I live about this phone...the damn DAC. Holy crap it's good. Even listening to spotify feels like I'm listening to something almost magical lol.
Small things. GPS takes a while to lock and wifi module isn't as good as the exynos. I have 175mbps connection. I get the full thing in my room with both phones. In my restroom, 20 feet away from my room, my HTC only pulls 50mbps while the galaxy pulls 125mbps. Also, I got wifi in my car while parked in the street in front of my house. With the HTC, wifi disconnects in the exact same spot.
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