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[LostMyNarbles]

So what is the reasoning why Samsung is about the only company (besides apple) that can sell flagship phones at $600+ these days well?

Is it purely brute force marketing?

Seems like it would come down to marketing and brand name (Which is established through marketing). Not to mention, for the most part Samsung has consistently made really good phones over the years. Meanwhile other Android manufacturers like LG, HTC, or Motorola have kind of had a "Swing and a Miss" thing going on for the past several years.

 

[Jazzy Network]

Do we know where the Note 7's speakers will be located? Not sure I can handle going from a Nexus 6 to a Samsung phone.

Given that it is IPX rated and their track record, bottom and shitty is probably the best guess.

 

[Hitta93]

Seems like it would come down to marketing and brand name (Which is established through marketing). Not to mention, for the most part Samsung has consistently made really good phones over the years. Meanwhile other Android manufacturers like LG, HTC, or Motorola have kind of had a "Swing and a Miss" thing going on for the past several years.

Don't think the S series has been significantly better than the M, G, or whatever you want to consider as Moto's flagship series.

Think it's strictly brand recognition.

 

[Toki767]

I liked LG's phones up to the G3. The G4 was kind of eh and the G5 was just...not the direction they should have gone. It seemed like they intentionally gimped the phone just to be able to sell accessories.

 

[Hitta93]

G4/G5 aren't bad phones, but didn't do much to push the envelope or at least get interest from consumers.

 

[The Faceless Master]

hold up.... the US unlocked GS7 works on Verizon and Sprint?

i see you Sam

 

[Furyous]

So what is the reasoning why Samsung is about the only company (besides apple) that can sell flagship phones at $600+ these days well?

In this order on the backend:
R&D
Manufacturing
Distribution
Customer service and support
Marketing

In this order in terms of hardware:
Build quality counting display tech
Camera, software, and image processing

They were notorious at one point for spending $1 billion on marketing.

It comes down to having to make a profit off devices sold. Besides Android, Asus last year, and maybe LG everyone else loses money in the smartphone market besides Apple. The race to the bottom killed actual profit off smartphones for these businesses.

I would love an S7 flagship that cost $25 but understand Samsung has to profit otherwise producing smartphones is pointless.

 

[LostMyNarbles]

The Galaxy S series might not have better significantly better than the competition, but it was still (Arguably) better and unlike their competition Samsung didn't consistently slip up year after year for their phones.

Take for instance Motorola. The first generation Moto X 2013 was a pretty good phone, but it had a terrible camera and sub-par battery life. So next year for the Moto X 2014 they went and gave it a still terrible camera and even worse battery life then last year.

LG Had a really good thing with the LG G2. Then next year with the LG G3 they moved up to 2K display's which left the phone with overheating issues and horrendous battery life as a result. The LG G4 continued that trend with less than stellar battery life and it also had the disastrous boot-loop hardware issue. Then the LG G5 was created with a ton of compromises in mind because LG wanted to try and sell you what they previously bundled with their phones as individual pieces.

Look at HTC. Their phones were pretty great over the years, but for three years in a row (M7/M8/M9) they continuously offered terrible cameras in their phones and even the HTC 10 seems to have some kind of wonky camera issues despite the fact that on paper it should be a stellar performer.

 

[LeleSocho]

That's true, in one way or another all OEMs not called Samsung screw up on one department of the phone.
I wonder what it really takes to make an all around great smartphone.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

So what is the reasoning why Samsung is about the only company (besides apple) that can sell flagship phones at $600+ these days well?

Is it purely brute force marketing?

samsung is having a ton of trouble as well, just less than everyone else. They've been on a serious decline since the s4

edit: MOREEEE failure for all. Sony will defocus the USA and India and whatnot in terms of mobile: http://www.xperiablog.net/2016/06/30/sony-mobile-to-defocus-on-india-and-usa/

wtf when was USA the focus? This was them focusing? lol

 

[LostMyNarbles]

Sony right now:

 

[Jazzy Network]

Honestly if LG had made the G5 with just no modular gimmick and better paint job, it would be in the discussion for best phone so far.

 

[LostMyNarbles]

Honestly if LG had made the G5 with just no modular gimmick and better paint job, it would be in the discussion for best phone so far.

Take those two features away and what makes it better than the S7? The S7 has a better display, larger battery, waterproofing, better camera, Qi Wireless Charging, and a more manageable frame. It also has a better ecosystem with things like GearVR and Samsung Pay. The only thing the G5 would have going for it is a better speaker and USB-C.

 

[Hitta93]

HTC is usually my go-to OEM. Sense UI has always been the best looking Android skin and again, the overall build quality is hard to beat.

The cameras are not top of the bunch, but far from just "bad".

 

[Jazzy Network]

Take those two features away and what makes it better than the S7? The S7 has a better display, larger battery, waterproofing, better camera, Qi Wireless Charging, and a more manageable frame. It also has a better ecosystem with things like GearVR and Samsung Pay. The only thing the G5 would have going for it is a better speaker and USB-C.

Better fingerprint scanner
Wide angle camera
Removable battery (assuming that's still kept without the modules)
Larger display (subjective)

I'm not saying it is the best I'm just saying it would be in the discussion.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

Any idea on the day the July build of nougat hits?

 

[Saiyan-Rox]

Any idea on the day the July build of nougat hits?

Nope

 

[Jazzy Network]

Been purchasing a couple USB-C braided cables. They feel much more sturdy and are much harder to get tangled. I def recommend them to anyone looking to purchase 1 or 2 spare ones.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

Nope

How long into the month did the may and June preview hit¿ I wasnt paying attention til preview 5 was near

 

[Groof]

How long into the month did the may and June preview hit¿ I wasnt paying attention til preview 5 was near

Usually mid-month for the images to hit and then a week-ish for the OTA to roll out

 

[Saiyan-Rox]

How long into the month did the may and June preview hit¿ I wasnt paying attention til preview 5 was near

They've all been mid month I think? I don't really pay attention lol

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Honestly if LG had made the G5 with just no modular gimmick and better paint job, it would be in the discussion for best phone so far.

it would still flop though because why would anyone get it over whatever samsung phone whether it's S or Note.

Android OEMs shouldn't be doing gimmicks when they can't even nail the fundamentals.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

I'm thinking of getting an unlocked phone and getting Cricket's unlimited plan? I like my LG G3 on Verizon for 6gb at 65 a month but I like the sound of unlimited.

 

[Jazzy Network]

I'm thinking of getting an unlocked phone and getting Cricket's unlimited plan? I like my LG G3 on Verizon for 6gb at 65 a month but I like the sound of unlimited.

That's fine as long as you realize the LTE is capped at 8mbps down.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

So my G3 finally died so I need to get a new phone.

Should I go for the G5, HTC 10, or Galaxy S7?

I'm leaning towards the HTC for the audio DAC stuff, but otherwise would just prefer the best overall option.

 

[Hitta93]

So my G3 finally died so I need to get a new phone.

Should I go for the G5, HTC 10, or Galaxy S7?

I'm leaning towards the HTC for the audio DAC stuff, but otherwise would just prefer the best overall option.

I say HTC 10 as well. S7 as the alternative.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

So my G3 finally died so I need to get a new phone.

Should I go for the G5, HTC 10, or Galaxy S7?

I'm leaning towards the HTC for the audio DAC stuff, but otherwise would just prefer the best overall option.

out of those I say htc 10.

 

[thuway]

5.5" is too small, fuck this

The Nexus 6 size was amazing, 6P is a little on the small side for my tastes. Why can't they offer a 5" and a 6"? What's the point of even offering two sizes if they're both within 0.5" of each other?

Agreed, this is an instant no buy at 5.5 inches.

 

[Jazzy Network]

So my G3 finally died so I need to get a new phone.

Should I go for the G5, HTC 10, or Galaxy S7?

I'm leaning towards the HTC for the audio DAC stuff, but otherwise would just prefer the best overall option.

Only reason to get G5 is if you absolutely have to get a phone with removable battery. Outside of that I would go GS7 if you want best overall package. HTC 10 if you want the standout DAC and futureproof USB-C.

 

[LostMyNarbles]

I'd get the Galaxy S7. It's pretty much the best Android phone on the market at the moment although I would say the HTC 10 is also an excellent device. Between the two the S7 has a better camera, waterproofing, wireless charging, and an arguably better screen.

I am not sure if you plan to be buying the phone off-contract or not, but if you are than the S7 is also cheaper. You can grab the unlocked version without carrier bloatware for $670 from Best Buy with an included $75 Giftcard compared to the $700 price of the HTC 10.

 

[DrFunk]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/0...rs-of-the-galaxy-note7-again-confirming-name/

Note 7 renders

On mobile, somebody post the images

 

[Jigolo]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/0...rs-of-the-galaxy-note7-again-confirming-name/

Note 7 renders

gorgeous phone.

let's see if these phones coming out in Q3/Q4 really have those rumored 821 and 8893 chips. S7 is pretty much off my list after this.


Note or Nexus now

 

[LostMyNarbles]

Really not fond of the curved screen. It looks great, but I don't think tempered glass screen protectors work well with it and I would just be worried it'll break all the time.

 

[Rewrite]

Beautiful. My next phone!

 

[The Faceless Master]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/0...rs-of-the-galaxy-note7-again-confirming-name/

Note 7 renders

On mobile, somebody post the images

dat silver got me trippin'

still prolly gonna go with Black

 

[Jeffrey]

Anybody recommend a decent Clock+weather widget?

Having zero luck finding one that didn't look like something designed in the early 2000s.

 

[Vanillalite]

So what is the reasoning why Samsung is about the only company (besides apple) that can sell flagship phones at $600+ these days well?

Is it purely brute force marketing?

Use to be I would say it's all marketing and status.

That being said now I'd disagree. GS6 was the best of the OEM flagships last year. GS7 is the best this year.

Software has been toned down. Design has gotten better. Plus Samsung has the screen and camera in the smartphone biz.

If you aren't buying something on the price value scale I see no reason to buy something else that isn't Samsung OEM wise these days.

 

[Noema]

I liked LG's phones up to the G3. The G4 was kind of eh and the G5 was just...not the direction they should have gone. It seemed like they intentionally gimped the phone just to be able to sell accessories.

Also in many regions they didn't even sell the 'real' G5 but rather an "SE" version with gimped specs. (SD652 instead of the 820, less RAM and a shittier camera) yet it's hardly cheaper than the S7 or the 6S. Utterly ridiculous.

I haven't seen a single G5 in the wild.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Anybody recommend a decent Clock+weather widget?

Having zero luck finding one that didn't look like something designed in the early 2000s.

i use HD Widgets

 

[Baroquemantic]

Note 7 looks amazing. Wish they'd drop the logo on the front, though.

 

[Rewrite]

I love the black, but the white one looks fucking fancy. White also wouldn't show as much fingerprints as the black one. I love my blue Note 5, but it's a fingerprint magnet.

 

[crazy monkey]

So my G3 finally died so I need to get a new phone.

Should I go for the G5, HTC 10, or Galaxy S7?

I'm leaning towards the HTC for the audio DAC stuff, but otherwise would just prefer the best overall option.

s7 will be my pick. Samsung pay, VR, Great camera, SD card, water proof,

 

[reKon]

Note is 7 is HOT

So my G3 finally died so I need to get a new phone.

Should I go for the G5, HTC 10, or Galaxy S7?

I'm leaning towards the HTC for the audio DAC stuff, but otherwise would just prefer the best overall option.

I think S7 will give the better battery life. It will for sure if you're getting the non-US version. If you can tolerate a bigger phone the S7 Edge gives God-tier battery life and is probably the world's best phone right now. Also, I 'd say go for S7 if you care about the camera the most. I used to not care as much as long as it was decent (I had a Xperia Z3 Compact). Now I'm not sure if I want to go back to anything less. Here's some food porn I took with mine while on vacation:

HTC M10 will probably feel like the fastest phone you ever use and the Sense UI is pretty good. I used Nova launcher over it anyways when I owned my HTC M7.

 

[TTOOLL]

I was a Samsung hater but needed a tablet and the only good Android option here was the S2. I'm impressed in all departments, screen, battery life, build quality and performance are very good. My worst nightmare, Touchwiz, is much better than I thought, and it's fast. Anyway, I'm dying for a S7E but no money at the moment, and this Note 7 is now on my list too, beautiful device!
Negative point of the tablet? It killed my joy using my Moto X 2014.

 

[Toki767]

People keep giving Touchwiz crap for not being stock Android, but honestly it feels more complete than stock Android. There is one point where they really went overboard with all the gestures, but these days Touchwiz might actually be one of the best versions of Android.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

My G4 just got the bootloop error out of warranty. I'll probably get it fixed, but I need to find out how much that will cost.

I bought a Oppo F1 for the meantime. It's not bad.

 

[longdi]

People keep giving Touchwiz crap for not being stock Android, but honestly it feels more complete than stock Android. There is one point where they really went overboard with all the gestures, but these days Touchwiz might actually be one of the best versions of Android.

Touchwiz on S7e, with dark Android theme running Samsung browser, more than anything Google has atm. Multitasking floating apps, lightning fast fingerprint secured browser porn and dark theme on AMOLED.

Well, besides the TW apps drawer icon at the right and fixed task switcher/back buttons (OP3 did it right)...

 

[NotBacon]

People keep giving Touchwiz crap for not being stock Android, but honestly it feels more complete than stock Android. There is one point where they really went overboard with all the gestures, but these days Touchwiz might actually be one of the best versions of Android.

What is stock Android missing dearly in your opinion? IMO they've been slowly adding useful features in without going overboard. These days I feel like it has everything I could possibly need in a phone, and then some...

 

[Mindwipe]

Better fingerprint scanner
Wide angle camera
Removable battery (assuming that's still kept without the modules)
Larger display (subjective)

I'm not saying it is the best I'm just saying it would be in the discussion.

I'm not at all convinced that wide angle camera lenses are a good thing on phones for average users. I hate Sony's.

 

[reKon]

Touchwiz on S7e, with dark Android theme running Samsung browser, more than anything Google has atm. Multitasking floating apps, lightning fast fingerprint secured browser porn and dark theme on AMOLED.

Well, besides the TW apps drawer icon at the right and fixed task switcher/back buttons (OP3 did it right)...

The are only two additional things I want from Touchwiz

1) The Android N style of multi window where you can actually exactly see where it will be resized.

2) Fast experience in navigating the OS. For me (SD820), it always seems a step slower than my Xperia Z3 Compact whenever I enter menus. Not sure if it's the dark material theme that's slowing things down?