OnePlus One (Long Post) - Samsung Captivate Glide

Hey everyone, although I really love my captivate glide, I'm sad to say that it is time for me to get a new phone. Since I first got the phone, I've flashed about 10 different ROMs on it, had three different batteries, an external battery charger (fried the charger on the actual phone from overheating), and even cracked the top of the screen. Although the phone has been through a lot, it is still going strong, except quite a bit slower than when I first got it. Nevertheless, as I have grown to love the XDA forums, and rooting, flashing ROMs, etc., I am going to be buying a OnePlus One. If you haven't heard of it, the OnePlus One is a phone that just came out about a month ago that comes pre-loaded with Cyanogenmod. However, the phone is not readily available for anyone to buy it. It requires an invite to be purchased for its high demand as it has flagship specs for only $300. Regardless, I feel that I will be receiving an invite for the phone soon as I have been on their forums for quite a while as well. My question is, Have any of you heard of this phone or are trying to get it? If so, please inform me as when I get my invitations to give out, the first people I would give them to are the members in this forum Although I haven't been very active on here, I still do appreciate all the work being done to keep this phone alive. And even when I get the OnePlus One, I will still keep my good old captivate glide to test out new ROMs. That's all. Thanks.
Moogie

Related

Would you recommend this phone today?

Hi guys, i've posted before, I used to have a Droid X but sold it for a reason, how do you guys like the Dinc? Any of you guys had a phone with a bigger screen before? Have you gotten used to typing on it? How is the overall experience with the Dinc?
Well I love my Dinc. I'm coming from an Eris previously though so to me it does seem 'bigger'. It for sure has the speed and power with whatever I need it to do. So no issue there. IDK, I guess its the difference between what you want and what you need it to do. It is an older device with scimpy support of course from VZW and HTC. But then again we have some awesome devs on here that are still putting in a lot of work for the device. But if you want the latest tech you should deferentially hold of for something like the Vigor(inc hd?) or drop some cash right now for the Inc2 or dare I even say Thunderbolt? lol. Time moves on and tech keeps getting better.
cvbcbcmv said:
do not get the thunderbolt. It is such a bad decision. Do not even consider it. I love this phone though, if you can wait, definitely wait for the vigor. I have a strong feeling that's what's gonna be in my pocket on December 14th (my upgrade day)
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Click to collapse
Well, I couldn't possibly disagree with you more. The Thunderbolt is without a doubt the single best device Verizon has. Nothing else does as much so well. HTC attempted to do something NO OTHER PHONE has ever done, and succeeded; simultaneous voice and EVDO/LTE data. The Charge doesn't do it, and neither does the LG. Of course waiting is an option, but a stupid one in my estimation because it's an argument that could be made at any point in time about any device. Assuming you're going to wait and get it at or near launch, you're virtually stuck with whatever HTC and Verizon deem worthy for it to run. Root is another question altogether. I've argued with several people about the merits of the Tbolt, usually with people that have hardly touched one. Bottom line is that I've yet to hand my phone to someone who didn't find it just stupid-fast and a pure pleasure to use. The stock battery pounds both the EVO 4G and dInc right into the ground by a solid margin of 30% while running 1.5GHz.
To directly answer the question of whether I'd recommend the dInc today, no, I certainly wouldn't. If I had to recommend a phone, it would be the Tbolt first, the dInc2 second for those who've got little hope of seeing LTE in the near future. I wouldn't recommend waiting to get a Vigor or whatever it shall be called for 2 reasons. First, nobody knows what's really inside that phone. Second, nobody know how it's actually going to perform. There was all this orgasmic hype around the Tbolt. When it launched, it had some issues that were't exactly clear, but have since been resolved to the tune of solid 1 day battery lives and practically flawless operation and reliability. But still, I see posts like this, clearly uninformed, bashing on a truly excellent device, one which seems to have some of the most unique and exciting development of any device I'm aware of. I can't speak for phones that don't exist, but today, as this is written, the Tbolt is the BEST device Verizon has ever sold, supported by the fastest network, providing feature NO other device offers.
Thanks for the replies guys, but I will not be going to Verizon. Not everyone can afford to have the latest and greatest, that's not what i'm aiming for. If I get the Dinc and activate it, it won't be used on Verizon.
Juanito216 said:
Thanks for the replies guys, but I will not be going to Verizon. Not everyone can afford to have the latest and greatest, that's not what i'm aiming for. If I get the Dinc and activate it, it won't be used on Verizon.
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Click to collapse
it's a great phone and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, not just people on a budget or saving an upgrade. I have three lines with upgrades available and won't use them on anything out now, waiting on the next batch of phones.
we have a thunderbolt in the house and I don't think it is worth the upgrade (even with our one year plan), it is not the tremendous upgrade that some people here will say and you're not on verizon so lte doesn't matter.
Definitely get an incredible if you find a good deal, you shouldn't be disappointed.
I would get a thunderbolt only because ihtfp is working his magic on it. Skyraider Zeus looks incredible!
That said, I would still recommend the incredible to someone who likes small form phones. Its the last of its kind and runs like a champ with a vast selection of custom roms. However I am not sure how many of these roms will play nice with the carrier you plan on going to.
Sent from my Droid Incredible using the XDA app.
Gotta say I love the dinc (like previous poster said, it's size — I can slip it in my back pocket); I intend to keep buying dincs (ebay) until droids stop trending into tablet-sized paperweights.
But one issue with the dinc is the infuriatingly small amount of phone memory; I haven't hit on the issue myself (I clean app caches regularly, don't install every app on the market), but it's a bit douchey that internal memory is 8G, but only about 700MB is 'phone memory'. If there was one thing I could change about the stock phone, it would be the phone memory partition.
Otherwise, development for dInc is [no pun] incredible. If you don't mind the size, tb or dinc2 would be good options, too.
(And if you're not going with vzw and don't care about size, hold out for the freaking samsung galaxy 2!)
br125 said:
it's a great phone and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, not just people on a budget or saving an upgrade. I have three lines with upgrades available and won't use them on anything out now, waiting on the next batch of phones.
we have a thunderbolt in the house and I don't think it is worth the upgrade (even with our one year plan), it is not the tremendous upgrade that some people here will say and you're not on verizon so lte doesn't matter.
Definitely get an incredible if you find a good deal, you shouldn't be disappointed.
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Click to collapse
I bought one today for 110 dollars, the guy said it was mint and had a clean esn, the phone did look fresh looking, and my sister checked the esn, it is clean, does have some scratches on the side, I had a Droid X, but, I like the Dinc, problem though, the screen has burn in. How about replacing this screen and or digitizer or whatever.
Juanito216 said:
I bought one today for 110 dollars, the guy said it was mint and had a clean esn, the phone did look fresh looking, and my sister checked the esn, it is clean, does have some scratches on the side, I had a Droid X, but, I like the Dinc, problem though, the screen has burn in. How about replacing this screen and or digitizer or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not that hard. I have a friend who does that stuff. The AMOLED is a little harder to find than the SLCD and they aren't compatible. All the digitizers are the same. Use the tape to mount it, not glue. I've heard stories of it bleeding over into the screen area.
I think it would depend on price and availability.
If you can get it cheap, and options like the Thunderbolt or Incredible 2 aren't available for whatever reason, it's still a good phone.
I would certainly recommend and do recommend the Incredible, maybe not for bleeding-edge people, but for anyone I want to introduce to the wonders of Android, I always tell them to go for the Incredible, and everyone that has have all been as blown away as I first was. The most solid phone I've ever owned by a massive margin.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Dinc has been really worth it b/c of ease of use and rooting. I would recommend this phone for anyone wanting to get into this sorta stuff.

[Q] Is the phone fit for purpose?

I have been wanting to buy the HOX since its day of release however I keep putting it off and am slowly losing confidence in the phone.
Initially, I decided to wait to see if the battery would handle the phone. Despite mixed reviews I've concluded that battery life isnt really an issue and would give me similar performance to my Desire which has been an amazing phone for the past 2 years.
Then came the big showstopper, the flickering screen. After weeks of agonising whether to wait or not, it now appears that this looks as if it will be fixed via a FOTA upgrade which is great. Just when I was getting my confidence back in the phone, people started reporting issues with the screen coming away from the main case, plus others have reported issues with the g-sensor.
I've had a play with the phone on a couple of occasions and I love it but is it really worth buying right now and going through the heartache of having to send it back and going through the lottery of getting several handsets before one works.
I'm not about to jump on the SGS3 bandwagon. If the phone is not worth buying at the moment, I'm sticking with my Desire as I'm prepared to wait a bit longer if all these problems will be addressed eventually. HTC are not filling me with much confidence at the moment though.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
craggybuk said:
I have been wanting to buy the HOX since its day of release however I keep putting it off and am slowly losing confidence in the phone.
Initially, I decided to wait to see if the battery would handle the phone. Despite mixed reviews I've concluded that battery life isnt really an issue and would give me similar performance to my Desire which has been an amazing phone for the past 2 years.
Then came the big showstopper, the flickering screen. After weeks of agonising whether to wait or not, it now appears that this looks as if it will be fixed via a FOTA upgrade which is great. Just when I was getting my confidence back in the phone, people started reporting issues with the screen coming away from the main case, plus others have reported issues with the g-sensor.
I've had a play with the phone on a couple of occasions and I love it but is it really worth buying right now and going through the heartache of having to send it back and going through the lottery of getting several handsets before one works.
I'm not about to jump on the SGS3 bandwagon. If the phone is not worth buying at the moment, I'm sticking with my Desire as I'm prepared to wait a bit longer if all these problems will be addressed eventually. HTC are not filling me with much confidence at the moment though.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i got mine 2 days after release, first had a dead pixel and no other problems, i took that back and got this one and has been 100% fine no issues i'm so confident it is perfect i unlocked and void warranty lol
i would go for it you will have 30 days to take it back anyway so no like oyu will be out of pocket if you do get a defect just take it back.
Personally I have had mine for 2 weeks I guess I been lucky the first one I had was very very hot after 15 minutes that was HT23 handset. I swapped it with a HT243W which looking at the forums seemed to be better build quality a lot more robust. Still warms up when playing games but not too the point of scalding.
I used Custom roms on mine and with ARHD I was getting good battery life I am considered a light user 5 hours listening pod casts, 2hrs surfing and a few phone calls. I have a long commute to work.
Overall I really really love this phone. I have no regrets in my decision on getting the one X.
I must be 1 of the lucky 1s, first handset and no faults ht23 batch. I'm glad I went for this instead of the S3. Does everything I need it to do smoothly and the battery lasts me just over a day with over 3 hours screen on time
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Where did you all get your handsets from. I'm looking at getting mine from mobiles.co.uk as they seem the cheapest for the handset on the length of contract I'm looking at.
I'm currently using GiffGaff as my provider but I cant afford to buy the phone outright so I'll be moving back to Orange when I eventually buy it. Thats why its important for me to only buy when I'm satisfied as I'll be going from £10 a month at GG to £26 a month with Orange.
Got mine from Clove.co.UK on release day. Not had a single issue.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
I got mine from o2
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
your more likely to find people talking about problems on forums than people saying their device is perfect, simply because there is no reason to say "my device is perfect" but people report problems to let others know.
There are more perfect one xs than there are broken ones.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA
craggybuk said:
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The graphics issues (it's not just flickering) will be resolved via updates. If you're in no rush, there's no harm in waiting until the "all clear" is sounded.
The setting of the screen is a QC issue. The polls would indicate that either a lot of people are easily pleased, blind, or that the majority of phones are decent. If you're buying in-store compare a couple.
The biggest item (it doesn't qualify as an "issue") people aren't pleased with is that HTC uses two vendors for the display. One has a warm cast, the other cool. Most people seem to prefer the cool. If you can see the phone you're buying that shouldn't be an issue.
The only non-addressable issue is battery life and it's real. I get about 15-20% less usage than on my i9100 doing exactly the same things. It's passable but no more.
Other than that I've had the phone over two weeks and not had a single issue. There are no QC issues, the displays brilliant, and Wi-Fi/BT/3G all work better than on my i9100. Coming from TW I also really like Sense. It really is a terrific value; especially for less than a 16GB SGS3.
ive been the most vocal about QC issues
but i love the HOX despite all this and think its worth some effort, really amazing in every word, futuristic phone
having said that, i truly think no one with flawed HOX should keep it, exchange until you get yourself a flawless One X to enjoy and as BarryH_GEG said its best to pick it by hand it store
as for the displays, the colder one is more pleasant to the eye/brighter but the warmer one is more accurate and have better contrast/clean grid, users reported recalibrated colors for the warm screen after the 1.29
corruption glitches seems mostly gone with 1.29 too, this leaves the grey flicker occurring after over heating which im also hoping will be sorted with updates, since its never being permanent and Transformer prime suffered from something similar which eventually got sorted by updates
make sure to hand pick your unit and if you can't be bothered wait a while, im pretty sure HTC is working on the production issues
i don't think the SGS3 comes close
No issues here neither.
Battery lasts well enough, even with heavy use (phone calls, texts), lots of games, browsing, apps will kill the battery.
No screen issues.
Steve
---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?b2ayqn
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk (how ironic is that eh)
Sorry if I sound like I'm flaming you, however I have to right?
The title of this thread is just utterly ridiculous. Of course this phone is fit for purpose, primarily because it can make texts & calls. It's amazing how many people are complaining about this phone and saying it isn't right. If you buy a phone within the first two months, maybe even three of it being launched, these are problems you have to expect to get.
The build quality issues are inexcusable. As far as I'm concerned the first batch should be as good as the very last batch made, however I know this isn't always the case due to different factories ect.
As for the software, I think almost every single smartphone on the planets initial software is flawed in one way or another. I suppose technically you could argue the One X is running 'Beta' firmware. It's Kernel is took from Gingerbread rather than ICS. In my opinion HTC rushed the release.
Until a phones initial release, there is never any mass software testing and so there are always going to be bugs. When I got my Desire HD on launch day, despite being an OTA the second I got home the phone still had a severe battery drain and performance issues that weren't sorted out for months! It was around February when those issues got sorted, and that update got pulled because it introduced new bugs.
The One X is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. You can tell that it's design has really been took into consideration, and despite being on my 4th device (I'm very happy with this one) I don't regret getting my One X and completely recommend it to you, it will not disappoint.
So the answer to your question, the One X is certainly fit for purpose. Feel free to flame me people, it's just my opinion.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA
craggybuk said:
I have been wanting to buy the HOX since its day of release however I keep putting it off and am slowly losing confidence in the phone.
Initially, I decided to wait to see if the battery would handle the phone. Despite mixed reviews I've concluded that battery life isnt really an issue and would give me similar performance to my Desire which has been an amazing phone for the past 2 years.
Then came the big showstopper, the flickering screen. After weeks of agonising whether to wait or not, it now appears that this looks as if it will be fixed via a FOTA upgrade which is great. Just when I was getting my confidence back in the phone, people started reporting issues with the screen coming away from the main case, plus others have reported issues with the g-sensor.
I've had a play with the phone on a couple of occasions and I love it but is it really worth buying right now and going through the heartache of having to send it back and going through the lottery of getting several handsets before one works.
I'm not about to jump on the SGS3 bandwagon. If the phone is not worth buying at the moment, I'm sticking with my Desire as I'm prepared to wait a bit longer if all these problems will be addressed eventually. HTC are not filling me with much confidence at the moment though.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an owner, I think the battery issue is the biggest for me. Also, I'm not happy about not supporting OTG.
If you can find a phone that fits your needs with better battery life, go for it
---------- Post added at 04:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 AM ----------
jaaystott said:
So the answer to your question, the One X is certainly fit for purpose. Feel free to flame me people, it's just my opinion.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's your purpose?
I would prefer a phone I can feel comfortable taking out of the city for a few days, and with some way to access external storage - be it OTG or usb...
In hindsight, the One X is like a gaming phone or something.
I dont think that any phone is 100% perfect for everyone that buys it. Its all about compromises. This is probably why quite a few people carry two handsets with them.
Any new device released will have its teething issues…. even many cars launched have recalls in the first few months.
As I said, I have no issues with mine at all. Screen has no faults, its not lifting from the body, I am always able to have the phone on charge (even though I am a field based engineer) but lasts well enough when off charge.
The only time i see the battery drain quickly is when browsing the net, tethering or playing games. Texting, emailing, facebook dont seem to kill the battery that much as its generally just for a few moments rather than 10 or 20 minutes with the screen on.
We buy a phone cos its thin, huge screen, good looking and has a quad core processor….. surely its not rocket science to know that the battery isnt going to last as well as a Nokia 6310i?
Steve
Supaiku said:
What's your purpose?
I would prefer a phone I can feel comfortable taking out of the city for a few days, and with some way to access external storage - be it OTG or usb...
In hindsight, the One X is like a gaming phone or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OP was basically asking is this phone fit for purpose, so I assume he means as a phone, as a phone its more than fit for purpose
jaaystott said:
The OP was basically asking is this phone fit for purpose, so I assume he means as a phone, as a phone its more than fit for purpose
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know those 30 dollar nokias make great phones... and they will last days on a single charge! Plus they're smaller...
Hi guys, thanks for all the replies. It seems that the majority of you are happy with the One X.
Just to clear up a what I mean by fit for purpose. I want a handset which isnt going to fall apart or malfunction beyond repair within 6 months. Some of the threads here are disturbing to say the least concerning the manufacturing issues with a select batch of handsets.
jaaystott, I don't think the title of the thread is ridiculous. I was asking a question based on what I have read here. If I had come out and said that the HOX WAS unift for purpose then you would have a point. Remember, I dont have the phone yet so I was asking a question that anyone would reasonable ask prior to spending a substantial amount of cash.
I am tempted to see what next week brings and then just bite the bullet and buy one.
craggybuk said:
Hi guys, thanks for all the replies. It seems that the majority of you are happy with the One X.
Just to clear up a what I mean by fit for purpose. I want a handset which isnt going to fall apart or malfunction beyond repair within 6 months. Some of the threads here are disturbing to say the least concerning the manufacturing issues with a select batch of handsets.
jaaystott, I don't think the title of the thread is ridiculous. I was asking a question based on what I have read here. If I had come out and said that the HOX WAS unift for purpose then you would have a point. Remember, I dont have the phone yet so I was asking a question that anyone would reasonable ask prior to spending a substantial amount of cash.
I am tempted to see what next week brings and then just bite the bullet and buy one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if that's all you're looking for, then just make sure your phone doesn't have any build quality issues before you do something to void the warranty (like unlock it w/ HTCdev) and you're set. My One X has no build quality issues, and if you check out the "One X War Stories" thread to see about how well the One X fairs when subjected to "cruel and unusual punishment" ;p
For instance:
hamade said:
I've received the first case after around a week, but during that time I've dropped the phone at least 4 times, always on a solid floor and from around 1 meter height, and I can honestly say I am really impressed with the quality of the packing, there is not even one visible scratch on the phone or the screen.
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Click to collapse

Looking for a Note II. Do you recommend? Hows the customizations going?

Hi all
I'm not the kind of guy that buys every new flagship, I actually still have a Motorola Defy, which I'm willing to retire.
At the same time, I was thinking on getting a tablet, but never seen much use on such device without the phone functionalities, and kind of discovered this Galaxy Note II. Very nice.
I liked a lot the Spen and the bigger screen, which would probably end my eager for a tablet. The battery also seems very good, which is important to me. Micro SD slot is a must. Also, the quad core and 2 GB of RAM seem very future-proof as I want a phone to keep with me for at least a couple of years (as did the Defy).
But now, as I think it is the best place to ask, is the Note II a good customization device? How are ROM developers going?
The Defy actually was kind of a surprise, there is a consistent amount of ROM options for it. I imagine that, as Samsung is so popular, that it would be for this device as well. On the other hand, there is so much stuff, like the pen and the (not so) new hardware... i wonder if it get on the way...
Looking forward for your opinions. Thanks a lot and regards
ursoouindio said:
Hi all
I'm not the kind of guy that buys every new flagship, I actually still have a Motorola Defy, which I'm willing to retire.
At the same time, I was thinking on getting a tablet, but never seen much use on such device without the phone functionalities, and kind of discovered this Galaxy Note II. Very nice.
I liked a lot the Spen and the bigger screen, which would probably end my eager for a tablet. The battery also seems very good, which is important to me. Micro SD slot is a must. Also, the quad core and 2 GB of RAM seem very future-proof as I want a phone to keep with me for at least a couple of years (as did the Defy).
But now, as I think it is the best place to ask, is the Note II a good customization device? How are ROM developers going?
The Defy actually was kind of a surprise, there is a consistent amount of ROM options for it. I imagine that, as Samsung is so popular, that it would be for this device as well. On the other hand, there is so much stuff, like the pen and the (not so) new hardware... i wonder if it get on the way...
Looking forward for your opinions. Thanks a lot and regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Youve pretty much answered all your questions. I can only emphasize on the fact that it definitely is a future proof device as there have been several articles that it will receive the Key Lime Pie update and as you said due to its popularity it has an ever growing number of supporters and developers, and the number of developments is growing by the day. Considering the Note 3 will take several months to arrive and several MORE months on top of that before you see any exciting developments. I would say now would be a somewhat good time to get it, considering you prefer the Spen and bigger screen, as you wont have to wait before you start flashing and customizing these abundant roms and mods available now.
Just a word of advice, before purchasing the Note 2 make sure it has the latest eMMC chip type which is 0xf7 since the older revisions have vulnerability to SDS (Sudden Death Syndrome)
Read here to get a proper picture if you havent http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2093599
Good luck.:good:
I have a note 2 for sale check my SIG on the bottom
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Hi bushako
thanks for the hint!
I`m afraid I won't be able to check it prior actually having the phone. This issue is something that Samsung has made a recall or something? If so, I believe I can check and if it has the defective chip I could ask for another.
This chip problem is recent or was it just from the first batches?
Well, thats nice that this phone is well served on customizations and so on. When I asked, I imagined answers like "that other phone has so much more customization options", but, as you said, I believe we`re fine.
dirtbikerr450, I appreciate the offer but I`m from Brazil and it would be too much of a trouble to get it.
The development is pretty good around here. And the chip issue is just with the older batch, but still check if you have fx01 chip especially, which has this brickbug issue. Use eMMc brickbug check app to confirm.
Ok, just pulled the trigger.
Bought online, should have it next week.
Since we are here, let me ask one more thing:
should I bother with a case and screen protection ASAP?
I have the Defy (Gorilla Glass 1) for a couple of years, never used any of that, and everything is ok, the screen doesnt have a scratch. But I see a fuss for such protections, it seems everyone have.
Is there a problem in carrying it around in my pocket without any of these protections? In a short and in a long term?
ursoouindio said:
Ok, just pulled the trigger.
Bought online, should have it next week.
Since we are here, let me ask one more thing:
should I bother with a case and screen protection ASAP?
I have the Defy (Gorilla Glass 1) for a couple of years, never used any of that, and everything is ok, the screen doesnt have a scratch. But I see a fuss for such protections, it seems everyone have.
Is there a problem in carrying it around in my pocket without any of these protections? In a short and in a long term?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Metal, S Pen etc. shouldn't scratch it at all, but if, by any chance, a grain of sand gets in there somewhere, you'll have a pretty annoying scratch there. Why take your chances with something like that? I have those 1$ ones on and except the fact that it's an oil magnet, I barely notice it to be honest. Some others invest a lot on screen protectors, and they get what they pay for So yeah, upto you.

Upgrading From Galaxy Nexus - Help Me Decide

Please advise a tech challenged senior who needs to upgrade.
Still using a Galaxy Nexus that I purchased nearly 3 years ago (January 2014).
Committed to Sprint
Need bigger display for my aging eyes.
Removable battery STRONGLY preferred.
I'll be rooting or jailbreaking whatever I purchase.
Option 1)
Note 4
32GB
Has everything that I want
Dated
At $200-$300, pretty spendy compared to option 3 (see below)
Option 2)
LG v20
64GB
Removable battery and storage, looks promising
Latest android, great hardware, feature rich
At $350, spendiest option
LG reputation seems uneven, boot loop problem ???
Option 3)
iPhone 6s Plus (I only included it because of perceived value)
64GB
Smooth, efficient functionality
Non-Removable battery
Apple seems control freekish
$199 w/warranty is appealing
I've been eyeing the Note 4 for a while and was ready to bid on a used example on Ebay.
Called Sprint to pre-clear the ESN.
They mentioned these other options and I paused to reconsider.
Is it TOO late to purchase the Note 4 simply because it is relatively dated ?
OR,
Is it STILL current ENOUGH compared to these other devices ?
If I have omitted OTHER Sprint phones in my above list please advise.
I lean heavily on the expertise and knowledge of the XDA Community when I upgrade because I don't have the time to follow developments as closely as I'd like.
It was XDA that helped me select the Galaxy Nexus.
It was my first Android Device and I've been very happy with it.
But it's time to move on.
I strongly advise against the iphone. It might be a biased opinion because I'm anti apple. But in my eyes android is way more open and customizable than any apple device.
I don't know much about the Lg V20 to give advice on it.
But as far as the Note 4 goes. Yes it is an ageing device but that also lets you get it cheaper. It still has a small group of developers. It has Nougat for it in the form of CM14. It's hardware might be older but is still better than new low to mid level phones. It has all the bells and whistles. (Battery, ir, sd, finger, etc). After what happened to note 7, this is best note series phone out there.
I will keep my note 4 until it blows up.
As far as where to get phone, yes beware of fakes and such. Never used it but i hear Swappa is suppose to be good place. Just make sure the imei is clean and it's Bootloader shows it to be the device is being sold as. And if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.
Happy hunting!
Ps. I don't use sprint but do have sprint note 4 and very happy. Yes I'm sure sprint would rather you buy a new device, that's why they gave you suggestions .
But Maybe some actual sprint user devs can give you some input. If you do your research and make sure it's developer friendly device. Im sure you'll be happy with whatever you get.
If you look into another device, check if it's got a thread here and check it's development.
Good luck.
I agree with a lot of what aaron74 said. Though my desktop is an iMac, and I have a MacBook Pro, I won't get an iPhone, because you just can't do what you want with it. Unless you jailbreak it. One of the "features" of jailbreaking is getting apps without paying for them. I'm against that.
The Note 4 is much better than the Note 5, IMHO, because it has both a removable battery and a microSD card slot. Having said that, I loved my Note7 until they recalled them. It only had a microSD card slot. I've had new phone fever since then, but went back to my Note 4 because there still is a lot of development going on for it. The nice thing about getting a Note 4 is that later, if something new and wonderful comes out, you'll probably be able to afford it.
I am on Sprint. The Note 4 is great on Sprint. It has a lot of the features that the newest Samsung phones have like fingerprint reader and multi-window. It still has the IR blaster, so you can use it as a remote for a lot of TVs, DVD players, etc. It has the S-Pen, which even the S7 and S7 Edge don't have. Another problem with the S7s is root hasn't been attained yet. There's very little development happening because of it.
If you are going to root and flash custom ROMs, be sure to read a lot. Then ask questions. It's not the most difficult phone to flash, but having a PC is pretty much necessary.
As for buying a used Note 4, I have bought 2 on Craigslist. (I have also bought a bunch of other phones from Craigs.) I always meet the seller at a Sprint store and have the Sprint people check to make sure the phone can be activated on Sprint. I had one problem with one I bought that was already rooted. A Sprint tech finally pushed through the activation. I really didn't think that could be done. I didn't realize it until I got it home what the problem was. I think the guys figured I was just a dumb lady who wouldn't know better. Also, I always have them activate it, pay the seller, and put Sprint's insurance on it when they activate it. That way it's up to Sprint to fix it if a problem turns up later. I do the $11/month insurance, because I don't need them to insure my network. I can fix that myself. YMMV. I live in the Minneapolis-St Paul area. Note 4s are going for around $200-250.
I have a friend who got a new Note 4 on Amazon for about $325, but she is on T-Mobile. I figure Amazon is pretty safe, as they try really hard to make their customers happy. Amazon also had some refurbished Note 4s for less. Also, buying on Amazon, and probably on eBay, too, allows you to get their insurance, which can be pretty cheap. The one thing none cover, that Sprint does, is lost or stolen phones.
Some accessories you might want are a glass screen protector, a case, and maybe an extra battery. Amazon is a great place for those items. But Sprint is selling the battery pack online , which includes a new battery, an external charging case and a carrying case for the battery. All for $25. You have to use your charger for the charging case. The reason I suggest a battery is that weird things happen when the battery starts to go. Sometimes the Note 4 will shut down for no reason, or bootloop. Or get really hot when charging. I mostly charge with a regular charger rather than the Fast Charger it comes with. I figure the phone has less chance of getting overheated that way, and possibly the batteries last longer. The wireless charging pad is also an option. It will only charge at the lower speed, though, no matter which one you get.
Sorry if that was TMI. Hope it helps you decide, though.
Thanks for the helpful replies.
After considering all available options I picked up a brand new Note 4 on Ebay for $300.
I SHOULD have picked one up when they first came out but I kept hoping for a new Nexus w/ replaceable batteries, like my Galaxy Nexus.
Anyway, the ESN is clean.
The phone is new and beautiful.
I'd NEVER even seen one in person before I purchased mine.
Now I'm trying to learn how to root it and install a custom recovery.
It was so easy with my Galaxy Nexus.
I simply used the Wugfresh Nexus Root Toolkit and it did all the work.
Sadly, I think I may have screwed up when I first powered it up three days ago.
I was prompted to update and, without thinking, I let it.
Well, it installed Marshmallow 6.0.1 and now I can't find the "enable OEM Unlock" toggle that is supposed to appear after I enable developer options.
This is needed to proceed to root, as I understand things
Come to find out that the Marshmallow upgrade eliminated it.
So I need to figure out how to address this before I proceed.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll find the answers here at XDA.
I've learned alot since I joined up in 2008 to educate myself about my first PPC, the Windows Mobile HTC Touch.
I'm very excited to join the others here who have selected the Note 4.
I'm sure it was the best choice for me and I expect to keep her for a couple of years anyway !
Lowranger said:
Thanks for the helpful replies.
Now I'm trying to learn how to root it and install a custom recovery.
It was so easy with my Galaxy Nexus.
I simply used the Wugfresh Nexus Root Toolkit and it did all the work.
Sadly, I think I may have screwed up when I first powered it up three days ago.
I was prompted to update and, without thinking, I let it.
Well, it installed Marshmallow 6.0.1 and now I can't find the "enable OEM Unlock" toggle that is supposed to appear after I enable developer options.
This is needed to proceed to root, as I understand things
Come to find out that the Marshmallow upgrade eliminated it.
So I need to figure out how to address this before I proceed.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll find the answers here at XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll find out things will be done differently but it is still an easy process to root and Twrp.
Correct, there is no more oem unlock in dev options, But you do want to make sure reactivation lock is off. It's in settings>security. Attached pic.
Couple things to know, custom roms will need you to be on certain stock firmware (eg. PJ1, PK1, etc). If your gonna install any newer roms then your newest firmware should be fine. Just if you go to install any older roms you might have to downgrade your stock firmware.
All stock firmware is installed with pc Odin program.
Just know if you go custom it will trip your knox counter. If you don't know what that is google it. It has to do with security using your phone for work, and also warranty. Me myself it's junk but i guess some people need it.
If you want Root and custom though, first thing your gonna want to do is install Twrp with Odin, and make a complete backup of your phone.
But all the info is hereto find and if your unsure just ask.
Lowranger said:
I've learned alot since I joined up in 2008 to educate myself about my first PPC, the Windows Mobile HTC Touch.
I'm very excited to join the others here who have selected the Note 4.
I'm sure it was the best choice for me and I expect to keep her for a couple of years anyway !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had that same HTC Touch! There was a dev here on XDA that figured out how to run Android on the Touch. You copied a file to your microSD card. Then you booted into Windows Mobile. From there you ran "HaRET," which was a script to run Android on top of WM. I ran Myn's Warm Donut. It's hard to believe I was running this almost 7 years ago! FWIW, the HTC Touch forum is still up and running here on XDA!
"it is still an easy process to root and Twrp"
Well said,
I was able to TWRP and ROOT w/o too much trouble.
I was briefly interested in the KingoRoot (one-step root).
But I researched and thought better of it.
Anyway, I'm very happy to have the flexibility that rooting offers.
Sweat a few bullets as I proceeded but it all worked out OK !
I'll look at Custom Roms but probably will be happy to simply enjoy my device as is.
My limited appreciation of Custom Roms is that they promise many things but there always seems to be a price.
Battery life, loss of features, random glitches & hitches.
Still open to learn though and XDA is certainly the place for it.
Anyway, I feel like I've found a new home among helpful friends and I'm grateful and happy to be here.

This phone still worth buying in 2017?

Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?
Depends what you're looking for I guess. If you're looking for a decent phone for around $200, it's decent. Beware the emmc failure error though, these things seem to choke themselves out at either exactly one year or exactly two years after purchase. Not all of them but a large enough percentage that its worth mentioning.
Edit:Also this is anecdotal but I suspect that refurbished note 4s don't have real gorilla glass. I dropped my note 4 easily hundreds of times from around 3 feet, sometimes with some force, with only the s view cover fit a case. The screen never had problems until insurance replaced mine due to failing emmc, then it cracked on the first drop after that.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 07:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:19 PM ----------
Also, if you get it I would use one of the newer note rom TouchWiz ports
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
prw94 said:
Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 4 is very rootable including the V variant many active devs for it. Sprint model here and was an amazon purchase. Been rock solid. Many of the others you mentioned are nice as well. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
Modtronix said:
Note 4 is very rootable including the V variant many active devs for it. Sprint model here and was an amazon purchase. Been rock solid. Many of the others you mentioned are nice as well. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is as well . great device lotta development and now I saw they go for $149 new . Will it hang with the Note 8.....no of course it won't it is almost 5 yrs old now but it at 149 unlocked its less than 1/8 th the projected price of the note 8 .
There are lots of reasons to love the Note 4. Replaceable battery, holds up to 256GB micro SD, IR support, big bright screen, rootable with Magisk support, great ROMs from anything from nearly stock to basic 7.11 versions. If you like to use your spen, get a Touchwiz ROM.
I bought my first one on the day of release. Since then, I've bought nine more over the years for friends and family. All (except one) has been rooted and are running newer ROMs. The holdout is my daughter who thinks rooting is bad. Kids, you can't teach them anything ... ugh! However, they are difficult (shall I say tricky) to root, it's well worth it. I bought the N7 when it was released. Had it two weeks. Hated the 'edge' because I would pull that out accidentally, or couldn't close with the X because my finger was right on the edge. I was sorta glad to return it. Needless to say, I bought a refurbished N4 on Amazon and several more since then. My neighbors wanted new phones, but didn't want to pay $600+ for them. I talked them into the N4 and set them up. They love them, but don't use half of the features. Newer phones are slimmer, not as wide, but that never bothered me. The only reason I would want a newer model would be for more RAM, however I like having the extra cash in my pocket, so I'm perfectly happy and will continue with the N4 series as long as I can.
Note 4 well worth the money!
I definitely recommend the note 4 it is an amazing phone best phone i have ever had! You will be very happy if you do decide to purchase im rooted and using twrp and custom rom! I also read a article talking about how people have decided to stick with the note 4 instead of upgrading to note 5 or 7 this is because the note 4 was way ahead of its time because of the harware that is used in it. The phone has a very good processor i highly recommend this phone!
i bought an LGV20 this week, thats going to be sold, and the note 4 will continue to be my daily driver...at least until the note 8 comes out
This phone is spectacular. I have 2. Never any problems at all outside of my own rooting quandaries. Only complaint is front facing cam. I'm not into selfies but if I get decent haircut and I want to remember it or just notate something stupid like my teeth for my own personal use, the front facing cam sucks.
prw94 said:
Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, the Note 4 is a fine phone, but I wouldn't spend any money on it at this point. This point was a 2014 flagship. I'd spend that money towards a more recent model. You'll really appreciate the newer Snapdragon 820/821/835 over an antiquated 805, which is a quad-core Cortex-A15. It's a fine phone, but your money will take you much further. If you do choose to buy this device regardless, I wouldn't spend more than $150.
prw94 said:
Simple question. I asked the same question on another phone I'm interested in, got some good response, am asking it here.
I need a new phone, battery is getting hinky on my HTC One M8 plus the camera is ca-ca and I need a better camera for my job because I have to use the phone's camera quite often.
Out of principle, I simply don't want to spend more than $350 or so for a phone. I toyed with the idea of going over to the dark side with an iPhone, but I'm not going to spend that much money for a phone, I've got other things I need/want to spend money on instead of phones that cost more than some cars I've driven in my life. I'm also too invested in Google's ecosystem and I just prefer Android.
I also need to be on VZW's network. Have toyed with going GSM, I need to stay with Big Red.
Phones within my price range that I'm interested in are an HTC 10 (my last two phones have been HTCs and I've liked them), a Moto X Pure (that's the other phone I asked this question about), a Samsung S7 (all that glass scares me to death, I'm a klutz and the brick-like cases my phones reside in bear that out), Moto G4 Plus or the new Moto G5 Plus (which is having all kinds of issues on the VZW network unless you disable HD calling) — and this one, which really really intrigues me.
I know it's three years old, but I see that there's still a vibrant community supporting it, I've seen people online call it "the best phone Samsung ever made and probably ever will make," and the specs are still righteous compared to newer and flashier phones.
I don't care about new and flashy, my phone is a tool, period, and I need it to work for me.
The Note 4 also apparently is rootable ... I've never owned a non-rooted phone, have never rooted one myself although I've flashed ROMs. (I've got a line on a mint used one running Noble Rom; can anyone tell me about stability of that?)
So after this long-winded drivel, I repeat the question ... this phone still worth buying in 2017?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my Verizon Note 4 about 2.5 years ago and I still like it a lot. I did have the failing motherboard problem, but Samsung fixed it completely for only $70. It's working great now and I'm hoping to keep using the phone for at least another two years.
So, yes, I would certainly consider buying another Note 4 today. The only caution I would take is to make sure I bought a brand new one. Otherwise you are likely going to be buying someone else's phone with a failing, or soon to be failing, motherboard. Perhaps a phone that has been refurbished by a very reputable company could be acceptable (e.g., from Samsung, or Verizon), but I would want to make sure it has a very good warranty (preferably much longer than 90 days). I definitely would not buy a used phone that is being sold as-is (even if the buyer claims it works fine).
I have seen new Note 4 phones advertised on Amazon for about $300. Refurbished phones seem to be going for about $200 (but I think the extra $100 is well worth the cost for a new phone).
I've never rooted my Note 4. It sounds like versions from some carriers are easier to root than others. If you are on Verizon it sounds like it may be rootable, but it is more difficult. I would read the Verizon specific threads on rooting the Note 4 if you intend to buy a phone specifically for rooting. Personally I really don't feel the need to root the phone. For me it works fine (although I do use a custom launcher so I can customize the look and feel). I also disable any bloatware that I never use. Unfortunately you can't completely remove the bloatware without root.
The Note 4 is still an amazing phone whether you want to use it stock and unrooted or whether you want to root and flash roms. Be advised tho this particular model is a pain in the rea to roo but keep at it and you'll get it done no problem.
Personally? I can't find a phone to replace it. For me, I'm network flexible, and I've considered a V20 on TMO, but honestly I can't find a reason to switch. Rarely if ever do I feel like I need more ram, and that's basically the only significant feature that the v20 would pose for an upgrade. And I'd miss EVERYTHING ELSE about the samsung. Reasons to buy it? Cheap, plenty of power left in the processor/ram category IMO, REMOVEABLE BATTERY (this is something I can't stress enough for me personally. And I can not stand that newer models don't have it.) IR support (why would they get rid of this, why?! why?!?!) and its TWRP/root capable. Again, something I can hardly stand to live without. My phone is ad blocked, xposed, etc... I'll be eating out and I'll start changing TV volumes and my friends just get this WTF look on their face... And I can't find a newer phone to beat it, that has all the same features, and can still be TWRP. My opinion? Yeah, it IS the best phone, and maybe the last GOOD phone samsung ever made. I know there's tradeoff arguments to be made. But they'll drag me to the grave with my note 4. No way I'll be switching until the last boat leaves the dock, and the phone simply can't function in society any more. Hopefully by then, there will once again be another option with removeable battery, IR, TWRP.... but we can only hope.
For what its worth, I switched from a note 4 to the v20. I miss the stylus occasionally but there's a solution for screen writing included with the phone. I like the v20 more
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
I've had mine since about 6 months after release. It was a decent phone when it was still locked, but once we got root, it became a phenomenal device. I've been eligible for upgrade for over a year, but I haven't seen a new phone I'm willing to replace it with. Getting hard to find removable batteries and SD cards. I'm curious about the upcoming Pixel 2, but mostly I'm just hoping my phone will last forever.
At this point, if it dies, I'll probably hunt down another Note 4.
I think the note 4 has been a decent phone. I purchased mine new in 2015. It's always had a really poor camera that dosent auto focus without shaking it repeatedly (common issue). It's also had a round of boot looping, which could only be corrected with a factory reset. After boot looping and other random crashing issues where it suddenly powers off. I've decided to move to an LG v20. P. S. You can buy a brand new note 5 for 259.
For fun, thought I'd drop in now that 2018 is looming.
I love my Note 4 (T-Mobile). I'm a flashaholic, and there's plenty out there (though my ext sd card makes Marshmallow roms my preference, since Nougat keeps wanting to reformat the 128g sd I have in this thing!).
I've flashed a few dozen different roms on this thing and it doesn't mind at all. Bought it used off ebay (I didn't know about the emm memory mess back then, which would have given me some pause even if ebay does favor the buyer). But it runs perfectly for me. I use a rubber case because I'm paranoid.
Reasons I really like this phone?
1. big screen.
2. durable.
3. REMOVABLE battery.
4. External SD card slot (at least 128g works just fine, maybe even more?)
Reasons to not go with it?
1. Ya gotta have the newest and shiniest.
2. Small but real possibility you'll run into the emmc memory issue (if you do, get your money back from whoever sold the phone to you and/or chuck it in the trash - game over).
I love the Note 4 and was thinking about rooting it. It's the longest I've ever had a phone. Been about 3 years now and it still runs strong for daily use. Most people don't even use a phone for its full potential. It's a tool for their social media, snapping a few pics, browsing the web, paying some bills (which we all hate), getting directions, etc. As a daily driver, it's been great and I can't find a reason to upgrade to a flashier new phone for $800 plus. I'm the type that if it still works well, then there's no point in replacing it. It still performs as well as middle of the pack models even 4 years after it's release. And the 515ppi 5.7" screen with 2k quality doesn't make the phone feel dated at all. Only the style of the phone feels dated but most of us have a case on it anyway. So hopefully with a new 3220mah battery and a root, this phone will last me a little longer since it still does what I tell it to and with T-Mobile LTE, which is nearly 2 times faster than Sprint, and WiFi through Verizon Fios keeps it snappy and feeling smooth.

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