@wagsFTW@Ryanfodder and I both have the Galaxy S4, and we've been pretty happy with them. The only downside for me is that the phone is too big to carry comfortably anywhere but a back jeans pocket, so I feel like I've dropped it more than I ever dropped my old phone. It's stood up admirably though; no chipping/cracking. Battery life is great; ours last 2 days without charging and with regular use, and performance wise it's really responsive.
Super happy with my S4. Given that my hands and pockets are larger than Marie's, its pretty much perfect.
@wagsFTW@Ryanfodder and I both have the Galaxy S4, and we've been pretty happy with them. The only downside for me is that the phone is too big to carry comfortably anywhere but a back jeans pocket, so I feel like I've dropped it more than I ever dropped my old phone. It's stood up admirably though; no chipping/cracking. Battery life is great; ours last 2 days without charging and with regular use, and performance wise it's really responsive.
Super happy with my S4. Given that my hands and pockets are larger than Marie's, its pretty much perfect.
Pretty much my thoughts on it. I have large-ish hands, so it is comfortable to use. And I refuse to wear/buy pants that don't have pockets large enough to cover up to my wrist, so I don't have the pocket problem. I will say my biggest complaint about the S4, the plastic case is brittle. I dropped it once from ~1ft in the air onto a hard surface and I got some major chunks taken out of the case. It fell out of my pocket as I got out of my car.
The HTC One is pretty nice, I have played with it a bit and I only have one complaint and one notable mention on it. For the complaint, I have found that I really dislike devices that don't have a hardware "options" button. The S4 has the Options, Home and Back buttons as part of the phone itself. The One has it as part of the programming, sometimes. To me this makes navigating around the phone a little aggravating and slow. With the S4 if I need to go to settings, Options > Settings. If I need to uninstall app, Options > Uninstall > Select apps (can be multiple at once). I can also filter apps, hide app, search the phone, create app folders, change views all from a single button, but I have yet to figure out how to do that quickly one the One. For my notable mention, the case on the One is much more robust, using aluminum instead of plastic compared to the S4. Also the back of the HTC One is curved meaning you can only really have it in your pocket in one direction (curve/laces out). It also makes using the phone "keyboard" style by laying it on a flat surface near impossible because it rock around on it.
As for a Not-A-Phone complaint. I started using a Nexus 7 at work for testing and I just realized, this thing doesn't have a rear-facing camera! It has only a front-facing camera so you can video chat, but fur-sirrus what doesn't have a rear-facing camera now-a-days.
You're not alone — I'm also still considering which Verizon phone to get. Going out to the Verizon store today, actually. Some good points here I haven't thought of yet, like how the HTC One is curved on the back. I often put the phone down and type on it casually on my desk rather than pick it up. Having it rock would drive me nuts.
Also check out the LG G2. It has strange placement of the volume buttons (on the back), but is getting rave reviews.
@wagsFTW@Ryanfodder and I both have the Galaxy S4, and we've been pretty happy with them. The only downside for me is that the phone is too big to carry comfortably anywhere but a back jeans pocket, so I feel like I've dropped it more than I ever dropped my old phone. It's stood up admirably though; no chipping/cracking. Battery life is great; ours last 2 days without charging and with regular use, and performance wise it's really responsive.
Super happy with my S4. Given that my hands and pockets are larger than Marie's, its pretty much perfect.
Pretty much my thoughts on it. I have large-ish hands, so it is comfortable to use. And I refuse to wear/buy pants that don't have pockets large enough to cover up to my wrist, so I don't have the pocket problem. I will say my biggest complaint about the S4, the plastic case is brittle. I dropped it once from ~1ft in the air onto a hard surface and I got some major chunks taken out of the case. It fell out of my pocket as I got out of my car.
The HTC One is pretty nice, I have played with it a bit and I only have one complaint and one notable mention on it. For the complaint, I have found that I really dislike devices that don't have a hardware "options" button. The S4 has the Options, Home and Back buttons as part of the phone itself. The One has it as part of the programming, sometimes. To me this makes navigating around the phone a little aggravating and slow. With the S4 if I need to go to settings, Options > Settings. If I need to uninstall app, Options > Uninstall > Select apps (can be multiple at once). I can also filter apps, hide app, search the phone, create app folders, change views all from a single button, but I have yet to figure out how to do that quickly one the One. For my notable mention, the case on the One is much more robust, using aluminum instead of plastic compared to the S4. Also the back of the HTC One is curved meaning you can only really have it in your pocket in one direction (curve/laces out). It also makes using the phone "keyboard" style by laying it on a flat surface near impossible because it rock around on it.
As for a Not-A-Phone complaint. I started using a Nexus 7 at work for testing and I just realized, this thing doesn't have a rear-facing camera! It has only a front-facing camera so you can video chat, but fur-sirrus what doesn't have a rear-facing camera now-a-days.
Personally, I love that aspect of Samsungs, so much so that I continue to buy them even after getting screwed by one in the past. People like to complain about the plastic construction, but it's saved a lot of people's butts.
In a drop, rigid phones transmit all of the shock to the screen (drop an iPhone 4/4S on concrete, I dare you), where more flexible phones and phones with flexible bits will absorb much more of it before the screen takes it. Granted, this won't save anyone from a direct hit on the screen, but no phone design will.
Think of it like Formula 1 and Indy cars. They seem really fragile because they essentially detonate on impact with anything. Most of that is by design, as it's a lot easier to replace a front wing and suspension (some can do it and enter back into the race) than a driver.
I'd much rather spend $10 on a new back for a Samsung than $100+ for a new screen for any phone.
Loving the Nexus 5 / KitKat. Note that the black version has a softer / rubbery exterior, while the white version is not as soft/rubberized.
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BlackHawkBible music connoisseurThere's no place like 127.0.0.1Icrontian
Real happy with my Note 3. Only downside I can see is the irregular battery usage. Something with Google services and location settings. Phone can last over a day with regular usage.
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JBoogalooThis too shall pass...Alexandria, VAIcrontian
In a drop, rigid phones transmit all of the shock to the screen (drop an iPhone 4/4S on concrete, I dare you), where more flexible phones and phones with flexible bits will absorb much more of it before the screen takes it.
I tried to explain this to my wife, who was as stubborn as stubborn gets, when she bought one of those cheap alumin "pretty up my phone" cases on her iphone 5 (a week after we bought it). What happes? Falls out of her purse when she opened her car door and a sweet 150 wasted bucks later she had an entirely new screen. Now she has a "not so pretty" softer cushy case because of reasons. I've dropped my no case on it at all S4 a couple times (street, apartment floors, etc...) and all I have is a couple very tiny little spider cracks on the back of my case. Plastic fo' life!
Real happy with my Note 3. Only downside I can see is the irregular battery usage. Something with Google services and location settings. Phone can last over a day with regular usage.
There have been a few recent updates to Google Services Framework that have really been screwing with people's battery usage. Hopefully they'll get it nailed down soon. I see reports of "WTH? My battery just started sucking today!" on FB every couple of days lately.
A plastic-covered metal doesn't solve anything. Force is still directly transferred to the sensitive components, and a thicker/less flexible plastic would crack on impact due to brittleness.
I guess that is true, I suppose I could also use a phone cover but every one I have either make the entire phone stupidly huge, or make it so friction sticky I have a hard time getting it out of my pocket.
There are cases that are an alumin(i)um shell with a silicone buffer between the case and the phone. This gives you the best of both worlds at the expense of a little bit of thinness.
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KwitkoSheriff of Banning (Retired)By the thing near the stuffIcrontian
Otterbox! I love my S4/Otterbox combo. I dropped the phone a bunch of times and never worried that something would happen.
Yesterday I visited the Verizon store. LG G2 was done broke there, but I looked at the Samsung S4 and Note 3, the Moto X, and the HTC One.
Note 3 is currently in the lead for its nifty S Pen pressure sensitive stylus, great screen, and multi-tasking features. I hesitate due to cost ($800, I buy off-contract) and not sure if I could get over its hugeness.
G2 is a folly. Don't be fooled by it's N5 specs, it's still a non-Nexus LG and will break your heart when the software starts sucking horribly. Couple this with Verizon's fanatic dedication to over-analyzing and crapping up manufacturer software loads and you're just looking for sadness.
Couple this with Verizon's fanatic dedication to over-analyzing and crapping up manufacturer software loads and you're just looking for sadness.
I know this has been done to death but if not for the lack of realistic coverage from any other carrier I would've left Verizon long ago because of caps and the mucking up of hardware they continuously manage.
I'm getting a full days' worth of battery life, even with "omg new phone, must play with it at all times!" use. 24h easily with typical use, I'd think. YMMV, especially if you don't have strong cell signal/network.
It's a state of the art phone with an OK camera (camera is better than Nexus 4, not as good as the new iPhone).
anyone have any experience with t-mo swapping/cutting a mini sim->micro sim? Laura got the n5 but I think her old phone is a mini sim.
My team lead did it with just a template and a craft knife (any sharp knife or scissors). I just went into a tmobile store and they had a little device that snipped it to the right size. I cleaned it up with a piece of fine grit sandpaper.
Comments
I will say my biggest complaint about the S4, the plastic case is brittle. I dropped it once from ~1ft in the air onto a hard surface and I got some major chunks taken out of the case. It fell out of my pocket as I got out of my car.
The HTC One is pretty nice, I have played with it a bit and I only have one complaint and one notable mention on it. For the complaint, I have found that I really dislike devices that don't have a hardware "options" button. The S4 has the Options, Home and Back buttons as part of the phone itself. The One has it as part of the programming, sometimes. To me this makes navigating around the phone a little aggravating and slow. With the S4 if I need to go to settings, Options > Settings. If I need to uninstall app, Options > Uninstall > Select apps (can be multiple at once). I can also filter apps, hide app, search the phone, create app folders, change views all from a single button, but I have yet to figure out how to do that quickly one the One.
For my notable mention, the case on the One is much more robust, using aluminum instead of plastic compared to the S4. Also the back of the HTC One is curved meaning you can only really have it in your pocket in one direction (curve/laces out). It also makes using the phone "keyboard" style by laying it on a flat surface near impossible because it rock around on it.
As for a Not-A-Phone complaint. I started using a Nexus 7 at work for testing and I just realized, this thing doesn't have a rear-facing camera! It has only a front-facing camera so you can video chat, but fur-sirrus what doesn't have a rear-facing camera now-a-days.
Also check out the LG G2. It has strange placement of the volume buttons (on the back), but is getting rave reviews.
In a drop, rigid phones transmit all of the shock to the screen (drop an iPhone 4/4S on concrete, I dare you), where more flexible phones and phones with flexible bits will absorb much more of it before the screen takes it. Granted, this won't save anyone from a direct hit on the screen, but no phone design will.
Think of it like Formula 1 and Indy cars. They seem really fragile because they essentially detonate on impact with anything. Most of that is by design, as it's a lot easier to replace a front wing and suspension (some can do it and enter back into the race) than a driver.
I'd much rather spend $10 on a new back for a Samsung than $100+ for a new screen for any phone.
Just look at how goddamn happy this guy looks to be this awesome.
Note 3 is currently in the lead for its nifty S Pen pressure sensitive stylus, great screen, and multi-tasking features. I hesitate due to cost ($800, I buy off-contract) and not sure if I could get over its hugeness.
It's a state of the art phone with an OK camera (camera is better than Nexus 4, not as good as the new iPhone).